Written by Caitlin Reclusado
Carrie Armstrong may have only been a part of our collection of jewelers for a few years now, but in reality, she's part of a longer legacy here at the Phoenix Shop. Her father-in-law was Karl Lee, one of the first local jewelers to show their work here. Karl's rings graced our cases for several decades, from August of 1969 until after his death in 2013. Building on his legacy, Carrie crafts rings that are stunning and simple: each sterling silver ring has a square band and cradles a unique gem in a bezel of 22 karat gold. The rings are meant to be comfortable, to meld to the body, and they make no sacrifice of elegance to achieve this. She brings her own unique talent and artistry to the rings, evolving an important part of our past.
Carrie was introduced to jewelry making by the Lees. She met Karl shortly after she began dating Karl’s son Aurthur (now her husband). The first time she met Karl, he was smoking a cigar on his porch. He took one look at her hands and informed her "You are a jeweler". He then gave her a massive book titled Jewelry: Concepts and Technology by Oppi Untracht. Even though it was about 3-inches thick, Karl told her to read it cover to cover, and to not create any jewelry until she had finished doing so. Considering she owned none of the necessary tools, and had no experience making jewelry, she decided it was a good idea to simply begin reading. That was where her education began, and that book continues to be an important part of her creative practice. As she learned, she continued to visit with Karl. Each time she came by, he would send her away with materials, often after giving her simple apprentice-like jobs. To this day, she acknowledges the value of knowing an experienced artist, one who wants to teach you their craft and share their knowledge. Without Karl's mentorship and insistence, she might not have considered the path she's on now.
For Carrie, her inspiration comes from EVERYTHING. In her eyes, how can it not? It is simply a way of living and seeing life. A sunset, a song, staying up late, certain colors…all of it helps spark her into creating. Even mistakes inspire her. Instead of seeing mistakes as something to be avoided, she feels that making mistakes helps us see our work from entirely new angles. Making mistakes can take us out of our expectations and lead us in new directions. Looking at the work of other artists is another wellspring of inspiration for her. Being curious about what another person is passionate for, and how they approach their work, helps open her mind to new ways of seeing the world. And that isn't limited to contemporary time either. She finds that exploring the art of ancient times is full of inspiration as well. Seeing what people of the past have done with only the simplest of materials reminds her that we can all make something out of almost nothing, and that the most important part of creating is your own mind. If you're truly struggling to find inspiration, she feels that the best thing you can do is to teach yourself a new skill, and she puts this into practice frequently. Studying a new skill gives you another tool to work with, and it is not something you bought, it is something you have learned. And that's something that will stay with you always.
Her advice for other creatives is to simply show up. Don't wait to be inspired: just arrive. Make time for your art, in whatever way you can, because life keeps going on no matter what. And most importantly, don't get hung up on the final product. Scrap the judgements of what you've seen or how other people are doing things and let go of whether you can get any money from it. All of that must be released. Your job is to just show up and enjoy the process, because it is within the process where you find the magic. The only thing to worry about is how you feel and to find what moves you. And keep learning new skills!
Stop by The Phoenix Shop to see Carrie Armstrong’s latest creations!
To learn more about Carrie, you can also visit her website, https://www.carriearmstrongdesign.com/