Jewelry Bench Overhaul, Part II
Two pivotal things happened in tandem.
Firstly, I had the privilege of participating in the mentoring program around 2019 with the one and only who guided me towards the sustainability aspects of jewelry and generously shared her knowledge and network. It was through Brandee that I met at a Gold Conference. It's my privilege to now work alongside her!
Secondly, right before the pandemic, at a fateful lunch with Marco encouraged and convinced me to pursue my dormant dream of starting my own brand. The name Ofrenda had been on my mind for nearly a decade, and after our lunch I went to the office and with starry eyes purchased the domain and secured social media handles. I wasn't quite sure when this endeavor would start, if at all. Could I sell jewelry and most importantly, make a living?
Then the pandemic rolled around. It was the perfect storm. We were working from home, the 3 hour daily commute vanished, I had more energy and time to think, feel and reflect. One day I mustered the courage and contacted an old colleague to help me create the CAD models for my first design (the Solar Disc).
And that's how it all started. From there, other designs came to mind, sketches were drawn, casters were found, and a team of people started to come together to make these designs come to life!
First casting prototypes of the Goddess Amulets
Currently, I am proud to work with the super talented who has the ability to read my mind - Megan takes my rough sketches and makes them into STL files that can be printed and then cast into jewelry! Making the jewelry from start to finish is the work of danielcasting and Silva who patiently help me manufacture them.
But in 2022 I hit a wall.... I wasn't sure about the direction of the brand, its aesthetics and what it was about. Swamped and dazed I resorted to what I do best, become a student again!
