Charmed Life

Style File: Byrdie Jewelry

A chat with Byrdie Jewelry owner Rachel Brand.
Byrdie Blocks2

Tell us about all the craft shows that you go to.
RB: I do them almost every weekend. I’ll try almost any one twice because you never know the type of people who are coming in . . . I’m doing Bazzart this year, it’s at the American Visionary Art Museum. All my friends who are artists and have done it say that it’s a really great show so I’m really excited about that one. I’ve never done this one before, but it’s a free event called Pints and Panic at the Heavy Seas Brewery on December 12.

Pawnee Necklace

What is the most rewarding thing about making jewelry?
RB: People get so excited about it. It’s such a nice job. When I’m at festival, people come into the booth in a really good mood because they find a piece that they like or a piece that they’re going to gift to somebody. It’s also fun to see people who are like, ‘I saw you at Artscape three years ago! I wear that necklace all the time. I love it.’ I love hearing that. I’m lucky to be able to see people who are just excited about finding new things.

What is the most important thing about what you do?
RB: Doing what I love to do. I just have a need to design. I love crafting, I’m a craft-aholic. I do lot of other arts and crafts so just being able to do that for a living is really nice.

What’s a local brand you can’t get enough of?
There’s a potter named Kathy Schuetz. I love her stuff. I should actually get some for my booth because it would look nice with my display. My friend Marshall Adams is a muralist. He and I split booths together sometimes. He made me an awesome sign that said ‘Byrdie Jewelry’ and had a big lightning bolt through it. I love his murals. Leah Boelman, too. Her company is called Little Green Things. I met her in her first weekend in Baltimore when we had booths next to each other at an event.