Dawn Bloom

When I was young, my mother was a dressmaker and she taught me how to sew. During my high school years I made several pieces of my own clothing. (That was back in the day when clothes were less expensive to make than to buy!) In the 1980’s counted cross stitch became popular, and I enjoyed making and gifting several framed pictures over the years. My favorite piece was a 16″ x 20″ portrait of a sea captain, which I worked on over the course of 10 years. I was living in Stillwater, MN at the time I completed it. Two weeks after its completion, my husband and I found our “perfect” home in Duluth, MN, and the sea captain has hung above our fireplace looking out at Lake Superior for the past 20 years!

My interest in jewelry making began in 2007 when I found a small metal chest of washers and other hardware parts that belonged to my beloved late father. It seemed to me that those parts would make really cool jewelry, so I created a few pieces from them. In December 2008 I took a chainmaille jewelry making class at my local bead store in Duluth, and before the class was over, I was hooked! I often incorporate hardware, reused, recycled, vintage and found items into my jewelry. I particularly like to incorporate glass beads and other small pieces that were made by jewelry artists in the area. Over the past 10 years I’ve sold my jewelry at local art fairs and various gift shops in the area, including the Dovetail Marketplace.