Five years ago, Kylie Meador couldn't walk and her life was filled with pain. Her health problems, due to Lyme's Disease, slowed her down. She began to look for different activities she could do while resting on the couch.
"I began picking up different hobbies so I wouldn't be bored," she said.
She began to dabble with replacing some of her "cheap jewelry" with crystals. Word spread and she quickly sold what she recreated.
These days, Meador has accelerated her Timber Dust Jewels line to incorporate her unique designs in necklaces, bracelets and rings. Inspired by nature, Meador painstakingly paints items, puts them in a copper sulfate solution, then incorporates a method using a wire, clip and a copper coil.
In essence, electroforming is the electrochemical deposition of metal onto an object. The effect is quite mesmerizing.
Meador describes the result to be like baby shoes that are crafted in copper as a keepsake.
"I love the texture of the jewelry," she said. "It's not very common and the electroforming really drew me to it," she said. "It's really not at all what I expected."
It's All In the Name
Meador named her McDonald County business after a color of paint she liked. She thought the one-of-a-kind name would create a lasting impression with customers.
"I thought it sounded earthy and foresty."
Inspired by nature, Meador utilizes tree branches and leaves to become jewelry that can't be found elsewhere.
Popular designs include a copper acorn necklace and a snail shell piece.
Her rings feature non-polished stones, such as emerald, Herkimer diamond, amethyst, petroleum quartz and opals that seem " in the rough," -- something which her customers embrace.
"The stones aren't perfect," she said, adding that the electroforming and eclectic stones make a unique combination.
Meador is self-taught. Thanks to Pinterest, some YouTube videos and experimentation, Meador realized that the electroforming was something she could quickly learn.
Though she was initially concerned about a spark or two, she realized that the process does not have enough amps to give a good shock.
Her desire to create custom pieces has drawn customers to ask for special jewelry and engagement rings.
With a young son now, Meador temporarily slowed down on the number of shows but hopes to eventually expand again. She recently wrapped up a Small Business Saturday event in downtown Bentonville, Ark.
She enjoys working with customers and displaying her beauties. Thanks to a market that has embraced her creativity, Meador enjoys sales from customers across the country.
"My family is sometimes surprised when I'm shipping something and it's not in Missouri," she said laughing.
With the design of her company name, Meador also hopes to expand into more items, like home décor. The artist is constantly growing, and her jewelry is constantly evolving.
She challenges herself to offer jewelry that can't be found elsewhere and to offer pieces that have real meaning.
"I'm constantly trying to develop different jewelry," she said.
"It drives me to make some really different things."
General News on 12/05/2019