This is my grandfather's hat. He took a Stetson, punched the top out and hooked his hand tied flies to it. I never knew him, but obviously his genes have been passed on.
 

 

Hi - my name is Julie Claire and here is my story: I have been a tool addict my entire life. My early 40's brought about many experiences that helped me realize my need for creative expression as well as tool ownership. I was NOT a "jewelry gal" - that was for my mom and sister. But adding a torch, lots of grungy bench work and the potential for lots of creative expression to the jewelry thing worked really well for me. In addition, Cliff's support, encouragement and tolerence of my temper tantrums have been instrumental in my development and proficiency as a jeweler and designer.

I am slightly left of center when allowed to free associate at my bench with a practical side that demands functionality and balance. "Tradition with a Twist" is the slogan we use to describe our retail shop in beautiful downtown Lowell, Michigan. We opened Chimera Design in 2002 and it has been a wild ride thus far.

My 4000 plus succesful repair jobs have taught me more about design and the importance of function and durability than any text or educational course. As I look back over my custom work and the jewelry we have sold from the showroom I consistently see all of the themes mentioned above.

I have finally gotten used to saying goodbye to the pieces I make....it was not an easy thing to do but then staying in business had to be a priority! I am grateful for everyone who has supported my work and allowed me to tune up their heirlooms and create new ones - pretty heady stuff.

Thank you!!