About Beachcomber
Lisa Johnson has been making jewelry since 1999. Working from a background in graphic design, she began studying various techniques of jewelry making from every available source. She incorporates ideas, textures, and components from nature and history, mixing them all up to create jewelry that blurs the line between familiar and fresh.
Beachcomber Designs jewelry is perfect for anyone who appreciates things with a little history and earthy magic.
Sustainability
The fine silver used in Beachcomber jewelry comes from recycled/reclaimed sources. In addition, I always try to use the lowest impact, least toxic materials and methods possible. I like to keep it clean.
Silver
The silver used in my jewelry is sterling and fine silver metal clay. Metal clay is a relatively new product (since the 1990s) which uses a binder to keep the silver in clay form. When fired, the binder burns off leaving 99.9% silver.
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The brand I use is made with recycled and reclaimed silver. I really appreciate its versatility and beauty. The level of detail it holds is amazing. It allows me to create one-of-a-kind pieces or create designs that can be repeated, while still requiring quite a bit of hand finishing. This ensures each piece is unique.
Bead Weaving
Bead weaving is the process of combining hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny beads to form a single piece. It has a rich and varied history, having been practiced by many civilizations through the ages. Each piece carries that history. Working in this medium is very mediative. It takes time and unwavering concentration. I believe these elements are intrinsic in each of these pieces.
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They are as interesting to look at up close as at a distance. They are also a pleasure to wear. There is something about the weight of the beads and how they move. When I wear bead woven jewelry, I often find myself unconsciously touching it. There is a connection to the past, the maker, and the wearer in this jewelry.
Beach Glass
Sometimes the origin of beach glass or pottery can be identified by color, pattern, or shape. Glass bottle stoppers, flow blue pottery, and marbles are exciting finds. But, most of the time we can only guess at its past. Who knows if that soft brown piece was once a bleach bottle, or maybe a beer bottle I left at a bonfire in the '70s. Either way, beach glass is beautiful.
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The glass used in my jewelry is found on Lake Ontario beaches. It is either found by me or mooched from a generous family member. It is never cut or polished, but left in the form the lake gave it. So, even if we can only guess at where it came from, we know it was rounded and polished by the lake, found by a happy beachcomber, and made into a one-of-a-kind ornament for you.
All content and images copyright Lisa Johnson, Beachcomber Designs 1999 - 2022