cIRCLE bACK dESIGNS
Earth-Friendly Designs
Bamboo is an earth-friendly, sustainable plant. It grows quickly and can regenerate from its original roots.
All the bamboo I use for my handmade jewelry is salvaged. It started one day on a morning walk. I passed by bamboo that was set out on the curb, and I had an overwhelming need to create with it! I made jewelry, tea light holders, bird feeders and flutes. After all the experimenting with this raw, natural material, my heart circled back to making jewelry.
Additionally, some of the beads I incorporate into my pieces are reused from broken or discarded jewelry. I love seeing the old beads brought back into the spotlight in a fresh, new way.
Doing What I Love
I've always loved making jewelry. I remember creating as far back as when I was 10 years old. Over the years I have made mostly beaded and wire jewelry. Jewelry making has always been a creative outlet for me.
Salvaging the bamboo set something off inside me. Like fireworks! It was a feeling I didn't realize was missing, and that I needed at that point in my life. It helped me find passion again in jewelry making.
Bamboo as Jewelry
There is a lot of uniqueness to each piece of my bamboo jewelry. I cut and sand each piece by hand.
Using all parts of the bamboo stalk, allows me to reveal some of the beautiful features of this natural material. You'll notice some variations in how much each bamboo piece is sanded. I love how the sanded areas showcase the many strands of the culm.
Some of the bamboo jewelry include the sulcus grove, which is a natural indent in the bamboo stalk that can form as the bamboo grows. The sulcus grove adds a lot of interest to the jewelry pieces.
The nodes of the bamboo stalks make for real, one of a kind pieces as well. The node is a solid notch that forms the sections of the bamboo stalks. They make great pendants!
Thank you
I hope my creations bring you as much joy, as creating them has brought me.
Thank you for checking out Circle Back Designs!
~ Melissa Pascale, Owner and Designer