Unexpectedly touching - When Making gets Personal

​It's funny how some things come about by accident. One of the most important things I make, I never set out to be important, but now my little angels almost all have an interesting tale behind them.

I'm a bit of a steampunk fan, so a few years ago I made some pieces of jewellery with wing charms, since wings often factor into steampunk accessories. These proved popular, so I bought more wings, and also made some less steampunk and more general angel looking pins and necklaces. 

This is where I was surprised. A couple of Etsy buyers asked me for very specific gift messages to go with their angels, or asked me about custom colours, and told me why the colour mattered so much. On my stall in the run up to Christmas people were buying angel charms not to hang on keys or bags, but to hang up on their tree "for grandad". The stories being shared behind these purchases were ones of bereavement and memorial. I'd unwittingly created something which spoke to people in a very personal way. 

To make it easier for people I set up an Etsy listing with a range of colours to pick from, but I still do get specific personal requests as well. To match a birthstone colour, or a wedding colour, or with a faux pearl. Each request tells me a little, or sometimes the full story, about a special person no longer here. It's always saddening, to hear about a son whose father won't be at his wedding, so he's wearing a wing pin in Manchester United colours. To hear about a woman whose lost child her sister wants to commemorate for her with a necklace in a certain shade of blue. ​

In my studio I have a sniff, pull myself together, and feel so privileged to be let into these memories, very thankful to be trusted to create something so meaningful. As a creative you never know exactly how our work will resonate with people, you go with your gut, and it can be amazing where that can take you.

Has anything you've made had a surprising response from people? I'd love to know in the comments!

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