Odie and Zuli Jewelry is named for two beloved rescue cats. When they agreed to come live with me, both were over 5 years old. Because of their ages, Odie had been at the shelter for 3 months and Zuli for 15. When I opened my first vintage personal and home accessories booth in an antiques mall, I realized that I was looking for homes for items that, in many cases, weren’t wanted because of their age – just like my cats, Odie and Zuli.
In my previous career, I was a retail buyer and product developer for zoo, aquarium, and museum gift stores. Skills I picked up along the way included furniture refinishing, theatrical scenery building, and room painting but I was as surprised as anyone when I started making jewelry. After a few classes, I set up a home workshop, and I’ve been cutting, soldering and hammering my pieces into shape ever since.
Although I do use a limited amount of new components in my work, for sustainability and character, wherever possible, I use recycled and reclaimed materials. These are identified in my product descriptions. All pieces are one-of-a-kind. Many are “designed from the scrap pile” and pieced together from cuttings from other projects. The metal shapes tell me what they want to be and I forge and hammer them into shape. Other pieces are assembled from reclaimed fragments and broken jewelry.
With Odie and Zuli as my inspiration, I craft pieces that give new life to old material.
I love creating custom pieces, tailored to the wearer’s tastes. Please send me a message if you’d like to inquire about a personalized piece!