Calling in the Future - Sophie's Guided Experience
What does a magenta egg carton have to do with jewelry?
Absolutely nothing.
But also, everything...
Back in May, at the Paradise City show in Northampton, I was approached by a young woman with her sweet toddler in tow. She looked around the booth and must have liked my work because, a bit shyly, she asked if I did custom jewelry. I told her I did, and she mentioned a “kind of weird” idea involving a pink egg carton. She had me right there . I was immediately sold.
I LOVE this kind of creative request.
She emailed me before I’d even returned from the show to ask about the GEM experience and whether she could do that. So when I got back from Massachusetts, we had a phone conversation to go over a few details, and she was all in. In May, we booked a weekend in August for GEM.
That pink egg carton was, of course, so much more than a pink egg carton. It carried connections to Vermont, gentle greetings from the universe, and signs to trust the path and the process. It was about motherhood, legacy, the future, life...
Sophie was ready to add to her family, and she wanted to create a talisman to keep her connected to that vision. She was hoping for a daughter (and considering the name Gemma!) and she was hoping to conceive her in Vermont, as they found it to be such a magical place.
Every decision that went into the piece was a conscious one. Sophie wanted a bubble in the resin. We made several “stones” of the egg carton and resin, aiming for the perfect bubble. I pointed out that the one she liked the best had two bubbles - perhaps a sign?
She only treated part of the carton with sealant because she wanted some of the color to bleed. Some choices happened organically, like adding the three faux rivets.
And none of these are decisions I probably would have made if I’d been creating the piece on my own. They were design choices that evolved naturally as we worked with the materials. Sophie was so clear in her vision, and it was a privilege to help her bring it to life. And my goodness - it was magic.
She knew she wanted a flash of gold behind the round cut out in the arch shape, and I suggested she use the sticker on the top of the carton for Trapp Family Lodge (which happens to be in Vermont). It wasn’t until she lifted up the stencil that she realized she had perfectly framed the word “Family”.
When it was time to assemble, she included a photo of her grandmother, hidden behind the gold and the egg carton. A tribute to heritage, and to legacy.
It was such an honor and absolute delight to have Sophie spend two days in the studio with me, working together to create such a special and unique piece of custom jewelry. I’m stunned by, and delighted with, the final piece. But more importantly, Sophie loves it.
And as an update - I contacted her several months ago to check in and see how she was doing. Her response?
Erin! I have also been thinking about you and was planning on reaching out! Ahhh working with you for the GEM experience was SO special. So glad to hear that you found an amazing studio!
I am currently curled up with my new baby daughter. Can’t remember if I gave you the full details…but she was in fact conceived as planned in September in Stowe VT. I feel like creating the piece with you was part of the magic of calling her in. SO CRAZY! Her name is Rose (Rosie). Not Gemma after all… but glad the name helped lead me where I needed to go. Hope we cross paths again soon.
