Melissa has been crafting all of her life, but got serious about creating jewelry in 2012 as a way to de-stress from her high paced corporate job.

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She found Precious Metal Clay - clay that contains precious metals such as pure silver or copper extracted from recycled electronics - and that medium blended her passion for ceramics and jewelry making. The clay is sculpted, then kiln-fired to burn off the clay binder and fuse the metal particles together.

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It was then that the doors opened to so many possibilities for new designs and creations! The clay lends itself to organic and flowing designs, perfect for Melissa’s nature-inspired works of art. Melissa also loves to add color to her work and taught herself how to enamel - fine glass particles heated and fused to her work - to achieve breathtaking combinations of metal and color.

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She left her 20-year corporate career in 2018 when she was accepted as a permitted crafter at the iconic Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA. Melissa has been spending a lot of time in Puerto Vallarta and has set up camp here at Qulture to continue creating and sharing her jewelry with the world.