Contest! Kentucky Necklace

I am not a creative person, but to know people that create with their hands fascinates me. Kentucky Family Fun is very lucky to be giving away a necklace created by the talented Jamie. She has a shop on Etsy and a blog Read what she has to say about making jewelry below! You can enter this contest on the Kentucky Family Fun Facebook page!

I come from a long line of people who like to make things. On both sides of my family, the line between creativity and necessity is very thin. Handwork can be utilitarian, but there has to be imagination involved as well. We make things because we have to, but also because we want to. We enjoy seeing someone love and cherish what we’ve created just for them.

I started Handmade by Jaimalaya just in the past year and a half, but have been creating jewelry for almost 20 years. I began in high school when my mother taught me how to macramé. I loved it and spent hours making hemp pieces. That transitioned to beading. And as I had more handmade jewelry than I could ever wear myself I began taking a baggie full of necklaces and bracelets and anklets to school to sell to friends. And that’s where it began.

But then I took a break from jewelry because I learned how to knit (also from my mother.) It became somewhat of an obsession – the ability to take yarn and make it into something wearable still amazes me. My friends benefit from this skill, too. Everyone receives a lace shawl when she is married and all of their babies have sweaters I’ve made just for them.

But I missed creating jewelry, and so decided to open an Etsy store where I could showcase both that and my knitting. I taught myself jewelry stamping, which turned into a passion.

My ‘I love Kentucky’ necklace came out of seeing Kentucky-inspired jewelry, but not finding exactly what I wanted. As normally happens, I realized that I could just make what I wanted myself. And I figured that, as I loved the necklace so much, other people were bound to like it as well.

Kentucky is an amazing place to live. I was born here, have lived her all of my life. It’s full of gorgeous, expansive spaces, and the best people you will ever find. Our traditions are strong, deeply embedded and important. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but no place will ever be distinctly Home the way Kentucky is. And that’s what this necklace celebrates. Coming Home.