Description
Jeep Collins Hammered Sterling Heart pendant on collar necklace. Pendant 2" tall with bail x 2 3/8" wide, collar approximately 21" including the 3" flexible gap. 42.1 grams.
In 1972 Jeep Collins, the son of Enid Collins Handbag designer started making jewelry from glass African trade beads that my sister gave me. She told me, "Why don't you put these together with brass wire and I will see if I can sell them in my store." I had just been discharged from the Marine Corps in July and was planning to go back to college in the fall. I needed to earn a little money while I waited to begin school so I took her up on the offer. By September she was selling all the jewelry I could make. I was so encouraged by the sales that I decided to put off college and make jewelry for awhile. Awhile turned into a lifetime career.
In time I learned the art of lost wax casting and direct metal fabrication at the Southwest Craft Center in San Antonio. These new skills enabled me to turn sketches into pieces that reflect my interest; wildlife and nature. In 1974 after my redemption through Jesus Christ many of my designs reflected my new found faith.
In the early years Dana and I traveled on weekends to arts and craft shows all over Texas to sell what I made during the week. Later we sold to resellers, and in the early 1990’s we opened our own stores in major Texas cities. This was an exciting time; we had over a hundred craftsmen making jewelry in our Fredericksburg workshop; our lives were at a fast pace.
Today life is simple, the stores are all closed and we make jewelry in the old tin house on the ranch, very much like the log cabin of my mother’s where I started. We sell from our website and by phone. The downsizing has been a blessing for us. In addition to making jewelry, Dana and I are involved in several Christian ministries, taking care of grandchildren, raising cattle, and growing vegetables.
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