Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Peters.
Hi Katherine, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started Handscapes Jewelry in 2015, and it was a long time coming. I’ve been obsessed with jewelry my whole life and started making my own pieces in high school after taking a couple of classes. I continued my jewelry education in college and slowly built up my home studio piece by piece. Being able to create my own jewelry became a life-changing thing for me. Jewelry shopping on a budget and with my own design needs in mind, I’ve often had a difficult time finding exactly the pieces I’m looking for. So, I started designing and fabricating the exact pieces I wanted but could never find.
In 2019 I was laid off from my job due to the pandemic. I’m thankful that although it was a steady paycheck and work that I enjoyed, it wasn’t a passion of mine. I had worked full-time for another company and part-time for my own for a few years, and having my schedule suddenly open up, I was able to take the opportunity to put all my time into my own passions and dreams. It felt like the world was ending at the time, so why not roll with it?! Making the switch to my full-time jewelry business has been amazing for me, thanks to family, friends, the community and strangers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It certainly hasn’t been smooth, but I feel like managing the bumpy roads has taught me more lessons. Being able to focus on my business full-time has been crucial for me, but beginning to do so during the pandemic when people are naturally spending less money, was a difficult time for me to make the leap. The rising costs and lead times for crucial materials has also been problematic for jewelers. Jewelry obviously doesn’t fit into the category of a “necessity,” but if you talk to any jewelry lover, it is. Picking out and putting on your jewelry in the morning is a personal and empowering ritual. It can make you feel protected, centered and loved (especially if that piece came to you as a gift). There’s been lots of little bumps along the way, but it makes for a much more interesting and exciting ride.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Handscapes Jewelry is a one-woman company, and I design and hand-fabricate each piece from start to finish. I create minimalistic, clean designs that are the combination of statement pieces and everyday wear. They pack a subtle punch and are hard to find, so I stopped searching for them and began making them myself. A lot of my work focuses on nature (flowers, mountains, moons, body parts), and I tend to define my work as “jewelry as gentle armor” because of the protection and power that you feel when wearing it. I feel very strongly that the everyday items you choose and surround yourself with have the power to affect you in the best of ways. There is a profound comfort that comes from wearing pieces that are hand-fabricated and made with passion and love. I work very hard to make that evident in the pieces I create. Over the last couple of years, I’ve also been branching out and focusing on making wall decor, which I have dubbed “wall jewelry”, and planter forks, which, you guessed it, I call “jewelry for your plants.” Although most of my sales currently come through Instagram, I’m focusing more on selling on Etsy this year and am looking forward to doing local markets again in the near future. I’m also super stoked to start reaching out to local shops so that I can have my work seen more within the Austin community.
How do you think about luck?
I super connect to the quote, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” (Seneca). I don’t want to leave my future up to pure chance, and so I don’t. Another quote that rings very true and similar to me is, “A goal without a plan is just a wish” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery). I find both of them to be really encouraging and beautifully put reminders that it’s not going to happen unless you put the work in.
I’d love for y’all to check out my work! I’m also always interested in custom requests, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Contact Info:
- Email: handscapesjewelry@gmail.com
- Website: www.handscapesjewelry.etsy.com
- Instagram: @handscapes_jewelry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandscapesJewelry/
