MeritMade Lessons - How did you make that?


He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.
― Francis of Assisi
Whimsical Fern Bracelet kansas city merit made meritmade kc handmade jewelry art jewelry unique jewelry
Whimsical Cuff Bracelet kansas city merit made meritmade kc handmade jewelry art jewelry unique jewelry

I'm often asked how I make my jewelry. How do you get the stone to stay there? What is that made of? How did you make that ring band a perfect circle?

I love these questions. It gives me an opportunity to talk about why I love what I do, and what makes it special. Like any good craft you are not an expert overnight. Actually you are never an expert, there is always something new to learn or try, but to become good, it takes training and LOTS of practice.  

When you look at my jewelry none of this training or practice is evident. Dirty hands, gross chemicals, hammers, files, technique, etc. all of that happens behind the scenes, but it is a very important part of the process. If you know how I make something, then you can appreciate the effort that is required. In an attempt to show part of this process, I recently made a few videos. 

This is just a small part of the process, but I really enjoyed making these. I hope you enjoyed watching them because I plan to show you even more in the future.

xo, Kelly

P.S. Are there any requests? What things are you interested in seeing me do?


Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday.


The Impressive Clergyman: "Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam... And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva..." -  Princess Bride

What a wonderful honor it is to get to work on wedding rings. This is probably the most important piece of jewelry that you may everown, and there are so many options out there: chain jewelry stores, local jewelry stores, vintage, etsy, etc. Being asked to make wedding rings is a true test of trust. These people are forgoing all the other options and asking you to create something that represents and symbolizes them. 

Amanda's His and Hers Wedding Rings - MeritMade handmade kansas city kc merit made kelly conner wedding rings matching

Regardless of trend or what jewelry is in fashion, these rings will get worn everyday with everything. This requires that the rings be well-crafted and durable. Not only that, but the design must evoke both the individuals and couples personality while still maintaining a sense of timelessness and tradition. 

Francis' Wedding Band. - Meritmade kansas city wedding ring silver merit made meritmade kansas city jewelry

I really love working with clients to create and design what makes the most sense for them. Everything I make is crafted from scratch by hand. What I make is not perfect. It wasn't made by a machine. It was made by me, and I couldn't be happier to share a small piece of me to create something as meaningful as wedding rings.

Claire's Wedding Set.  Rose gold, cognac diamonds, and Opal - MeritMade kansas city merit made meritmade kc handmade jewelry art jewelry unique jewelry

Check out more custom work in my Portfolio or drop me a line, kelly@meritmadekc.com.

xo, Kelly


My Studio

 "I don't think there is an artist of any value who doesn't doubt what they're doing."

- Francis Ford Coppola

kelly conner meritmade merit made kansas city jewelry jeweler handmade kc

My studio is the place where all that doubt comes to the surface. Frustrations, epiphanies, failures and successes all must start and end in the studio. It is a powerful place where I often feel my most vulnerable. However in that weakness, I find my greatest strengths, sense of exploration, and determination.  

Morgan Miller an amazing photographer and friend recently stopped by to take some photos of me and my studio for her "makers gonna make" series. I couldn't be happier with how the images turned out. They truly express and capture me and my studio.

jewelry bench jewelry merit made meritmade kansas city
jewelry process jewelry kansas city merit made meritmadekc
meritmade merit made kansas city kelly conner soldering kc jewelry
jewelry saw jewelry merit made meritmadekc
kelly conner kansas city meritmade merit made kc

Welcome


Well hello there.  

MeritMade is very dependent on images. Images are used to communicate style, aesthetic, craftsmanship and perspective, but as wonderful as these images are, they can't tell you the whole story. Sometimes words, MORE images, and video are needed to help complete the picture.  

To give you a better understanding of who we are and why we do what we do you will find a few different types of blog posts.  

  • Stories are exactly that. These are the stories of clients like you.  

  • Stones are a close look into the awesomeness of rocks! It's your place to geek out on the diversity, science, and metaphysical properties of the stones we use in our work.

  • Lessons are the how tos. This is were you can find information on how to clean your jewelry, how something is made, how the commission process works, etc.

  • Commentaries are posts where we dive into specifics on a particular subject. This could include recent workshops, stories about private lessons, recent events/upcoming events, etc. 

xo - MeritMade