About Me

Christine Gierer, In a Somewhat Largish Nutshell :

I've always loved spending time alone with my thoughts, experimenting with different materials, and just "playing" really. I spent hours as a child stringing macaroni necklaces, gluing things together, wrapping strips of cloth onto my Barbie dolls, and and making things out of bits of paper. As I grew up, I started dabbling in paints, beads, and wire, playing with yarn and stitching fabric. Then, as an adult, I went to work in an office all day, and looked forward to coming home to unwind with my projects.

Now, as a stay-at-home mom of two small children, I spend much of my time focused on making snacks, organizing play dates, and wiping runny noses. As much as I love my kids, I look forward to having some alone time in my studio where I can play with my beads and make all sorts of beautiful things.

People often ask me how I got started. The first crafty thing I remember doing was gluing beans onto paper to make a picture of a flower when I was 5, and I've enjoyed making things ever since. I've always had a compulsive nature. I tend to have a million projects on the go at the same time. Only a small portion of them ever get completed.

After years of accumulating large, half-finished paintings, sewing projects, and half knitted sweaters, I decided (or maybe my husband decided for me?) I needed to work smaller. Making jewellery was a natural choice, and once I got started, I became obsessed with beads, wire, and playing with all sorts of tiny materials ever since.

Unfortunately for my husband, beads, wire, metal sheet, and a large tool collection took over a whole room of our house, but I've been fascinated with jewellery making ever since. I never get bored because there are an endless number of techniques, materials, colours, styles, and embellishments to experiment with!

I've been making jewellery for gifts, and selling bits and pieces here and there through shows and word of mouth since about 1999.

I haven't had any real training to speak of. I learned everything I know from books, web research, magazines, and experimentation. When it comes to jewelry making, a desire to learn, confidence that you CAN learn, and an openness to trying new things is all you really need.

Other than my family and obsessively crafting, I publish this website, and have a number of other, related projects on the go.

For those of you that are interested in such things, I am also somewhat educated, and I have held down regular career-type corporate and non-profit type jobs. Although I excelled in school though (or maybe because I did?) I tend to value life experience so much more.

I went to school at the University of Ottawa where I received a BA in Visual Arts and Sociology. I later returned to school, and earned my Human Services Counsellor Diploma from George Brown College in Toronto.

I've worked in retail, in a corporate head office, in a grass roots mental health community agency, in group homes, and at home. I've been a receptionist, salesperson, purchasing manager, mental health counsellor, developmental counsellor, life skills trainer, artisan/craftsperson, and now I am a work-at-home-mom/businessperson/jewellery designer/web publisher. I imagine this one will be my occupation for quite a while longer :)

Thanks for reading my story. I am so thrilled to share this wonderful creative outlet with you.

I invite you to poke around and check everything out. As you try out the projects, and experiment with materials, you'll be amazed at what you can make.

This is a reader driven site. You are who I am really writing for - so....

Don't be shy - Questions? Comments? Tutorial or instruction requests? Click here to go to my contact page

Warmly,

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