The start of my student-run jewelry line.
Caption: Me during my shoot at Dainty Disco, proudly displaying my TGI Fridays rib and fry mini brands necklace!
How do you de-stress? What makes your heart happy? What can you create? Is there something that only you can do, or if it’s already been done, does it matter as long as you’re happy?
I’ve always had a hard time relaxing and staying in one place for too long, and I often lose myself in my work and in doing too many things at once. Right now, a big focus is working on my thesis. Although it’s been fulfilling and I’ve been so happy to work on it with my advisor, Sly, it does get to feeling like a lot sometimes, as I’m sure many other busy Honors students have experienced.
But one thing that helps ground me is having a creative outlet. It can come in many forms - some like to paint, some like to dance, and me? I like to make jewelry whenever I have the chance. I started making jewelry because I wanted to make things that I couldn’t find anywhere else, pieces that I could make affordably for myself without the “novelty” upcharge or having to wait for it online. I also wanted to bring something new to the world around me; there aren’t many jewelry pieces like mine available back home!
Caption: A few photos from my table during Dainty Disco’s Valentine’s Day Pop-up Event! People said my table was like a “blast from the past,” and they especially liked the baby earrings and troll doll jewelry! I’d like to make more jewelry with throwback figurines or toys from old quarter machines.
After weeks of debate, I finally decided on the name Just Cos’ Jewelry because it made the most sense - I had other names like “MumuMaimai” (“mumu” means ghost or boogeyman in Tagalog), R3tr0 R3ality, TumWum jewelry, and Belly Drum jewelry, but nothing felt quite right. Then I went to my first tabling event in front of the local gift shop and creators collective, Dainty Disco. Dainty Disco is a space where artists can gather, share, and sell their work. Other artists weighed in on my naming dilemma and let me know that although those names were cute, they could see it being something that was more connected to my brand. One person mentioned it having a retro vibe while another could see something that expressed more “wackiness.” They asked what inspired my jewelry and what style I would be going for in the long term. There’s a lot that goes into a name!
Caption: A copy of my current logo, still a work-in -progress! I have a black variation too. I still need to define my branding more!
Caption: Some of my mini brands charms that I drilled to make into necklaces and earrings! Onion rings, subway sandwiches, mentos, and more!
I didn’t want to be locked into a certain space; one of the fun things was the randomness of my ideas and how I could piece together anything I wanted. I liked that I could make what I wanted to happen, that I could grab any little charm and think of it as a necklace or an earring. I am a bit of a collector, and I have so many trinkets from my childhood that I can look at now with fresh eyes. I like the nostalgia of things, and after every project I feel more fulfilled and whole. I enjoy wearing my creations out and seeing how people react! Some feel that they’re very zany or loud, while others ask where I got them. That always makes me so happy to hear! I love being able to tell them that I made it myself, and I’ve been blessed with immense support, with people even asking if they’ll be able to buy one for themselves someday. I’m still working on that!
Caption: Some of the jewelry pieces that I’ve made! I’ve mainly been drilling my charms into jewelry, but I do like working with beads too when I have enough time!
Caption: The purple, white and pink beads glow in the dark! Testing out more wire-wrapping right now.
Caption: A few of my first customers from my first tabling pop-up! I was so happy that people liked my jewelry, and am grateful for anyone who stopped by to say hi! It makes everything worth it :) thank you!
I guess this is like my jewelry-making origin story! I’m so thankful for all of my friends, as well as all of my supporters at Dainty Disco, who motivate me to keep creating! Right now I’m trying to make more jewelry so I can begin selling it at Dainty Disco. They’ve inspired me, and I dream of one day offering my own space in my hometown of Vallejo to other artists. I’d like to have our own collective back in Norcal. We don’t have a hub quite like Dainty Disco in Vallejo, and it was out here that I really got to explore the art and meet more amazing artists and creators. I want the same supportive, artistic community for my hometown too! I feel like meeting each other and holding events together could really help people build each other, and our town’s culture, up.
What’s your dream? How do you express yourself? What grounds you? What keeps you inspired? As Honors students, some of us are often driven more toward academics and less toward artistic or creative outlets. It’s important to have a mix of both, and to keep your creativity alive in some way. Your creativity and your passion underlie everything you do, and by finding a helpful outlet for things when you’re stressed, you can help make sure it doesn’t build and swell inside of you until it’s too late and you’re bursting at the seams. It can also be helpful for mental health, and hopefully you'll be more rejuvenated to take on the next big task. One step at a time! But there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging and nurturing any other small inches forward that it may take to get there.
Caption: Wearing my mini brands crayola and minnie mouse lunch box earrings during the Dainty Disco shoot! (2nd picture) Troll doll earrings that I made for the owner of Dainty Disco, Marissa! Much love to her!
Please wish me luck and come check my stuff out at Dainty Disco soon! Follow @daintydisco and my new jewelry account @justcosjewelry on Instagram for more!
