Our Story
LA Brinkley Collection offers handmade, special occasion jewelry designed to inspire your style, not just go with your outfit. Take a piece of the real you up the corporate ladder, down the aisle, out on the town, or back to work or school on mundane Monday.
LA Brinkley Collection showcases the work of our artist...
That's me!
I was born an artist. I grew up in an artsy-crafty family making homemade gifts and cards from an early age. I accompanied my mother to craft fairs as a child and was making and selling things at her booths before I was in high school.
By the end of 2020, I found myself with neuropathy in both hands following chemo therapy. My hands shook and I dropped things. I needed a way to get my hands back on track so I could create again.
I made my first piece of jewelry after attending a Renaissance Faire. I bought a hat and just for fun, I hand stamped a personalized metal ring with the word "Believe" and added a horse charm (because I love horses).
That led to making jewelry for friends and family and to becoming a vendor at Renaissance Faires (Huzzah!). At first, I offered charms, adding clips to them so they could be clipped on and off of necklaces, key chains, and "Story Chains." I still offer charms at some events because although it may not be appropriate to wear a renfaire costume back to work on Monday, it is very appropriate to wear a piece of jewelry with a jousting horse or dragon charm on it.
In 2024, I started making Renaissance Costume jewelry. I was inspired by photographs of big, elaborate pendants with large jewels and lots of filigree. I was surprised to learn that during the renaissance, many people could not actually afford the large gemstones that were so popular, so they often used painted glass. I bought some glass cabochons and some paint (along with other mediums) and I learned to hand paint cabochons to look like gemstones. Along with painted gemstones, I also created hand painted miniatures and attached mini prints of my photos and paintings to the glass. I learned to do wire wrapping so I could wrap these handmade cabochons. It was fun to expand my skill set and my jewelry collection,
My hands still shake and I still drop things, there are always jump rings on the floor in my workroom, but my hands can now also open and shut jump rings; paint cabochons; and bend, twist, and weave wire into jewelry that is both beautiful and inspirational. I am proud to offer it here, to you.