Nasty Woman

Happy Ears:

Nasty Woman Earrings Article by Grace Offerdal

Photos by Romond Duval

Istarted Nasty Woman Earrings as that I like. It usually depends on my just a fun hobby to relieve some of mood that day, but I tend to lean my stress. I’m a full-time student with towards brighter colors because I want an internship and a job, so I had a lot them to be fun and bold. Once I choose of stress to relieve. It the colors, I run them brought me so much Happy Eyes: A piece through a clay pasta joy to share something in which a visual artist machine (yes, that does I made with my friends, and I wanted to take it a explains their creative exist) to flatten it out so it’s ready to work with. step further. I saw a lot of process behind a very creative people on body of work. Then comes the shapes. my Instagram feed, even I use a variety of different some earring creators, tools to cut the clay into and I felt really inspired to try and make shapes; clay cutters, cookie cutters, something myself. I never intended for knives, scissors, X-acto knives, bottle it to go farther than just me and my caps, and anything else I can find with a friends, but then people started asking fun shape and sharp edge. I like round me where they could buy them, so how edges more than sharp ones, so most of could I refuse that? my pieces are circular rather than square. I don’t usually plan out any shapes or All of the earrings are made color combinations beforehand, I tend out of polymer clay, which is a very to improvise once I’m sitting down and lightweight, semi-flexible material. In staring at the clay. After everything is addition to the clay, I use jump rings, cut and ready to go, they go into the earring backs, cutting tools, metal oven to bake. When they come out, charms, and my oven! The process they’re flexible but still retain their begins by choosing the colors I want to shape, which makes for an easier wear. I work with. I usually just lay out all of usually make one collection per session, the colors that I have, and then mix and which could be anywhere from 5 to 20 match them until I find a combination pairs of earrings.

After they’re baked comes the assembling, which is the longest, but most rewarding, part of the process. I use jump rings to connect all of the pieces together and add any charms if the earring calls for it. I take all of my photos before I attach the backs, so the pieces lay flat for the photo. After my mini photoshoots, I attach the backs with jewelry glue and upload all of the photos to my website!

outlet for me that I haven’t had in a long time. It’s only been a few months and there’s been some ups and downs, but it’s really been something I didn’t know I needed. It’s been really hard to balance school and my internship and work and making earrings, but I dedicate all the spare time I can to Nasty Woman. I don’t really see myself as a small business owner and I still think it’s weird when people call me that, but I guess I sort of am. I just want to put something fun into the world that has a meaning, which is where the name comes from. I wanted something that made a statement and something that could empower woman to be bold. It may sound silly because it’s just jewelry but being able to express yourself is the most freeing thing you can experience, even if it is just a pair of earrings. It’s the best feeling in the world to see someone love something that you created.