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Q: What did you want to do before jewelry?
A: I've always loved animals. First, I wanted to be a cowgirl. I loved horses and I loved my boots. I still do. But, as you can see, I'm currently not cowgirling around.
 Then I fell in love with whales and dolphins. I lived in South Florida and I wanted to be an oceanographer or a marine biologist. I was obsessed with whales I could tell you everything: "blue whales are a hundred feet long and they weigh two tons and orcas are 30 feet long..."Â
One cool thing about this unusual childhood dream job, my boyfriend said that he also wanted to be a marine biologist when he grew up. Neither of us are oceanographers or anything like that today, but both of us make jewelry by day and ceramics by night. I love this connection.
Q: Do you have any collectors?
A: Ha, ha, ha! Daniel has dubbed it "The Mettle Fan Club."
I really enjoy it when my collectors run into each other and discover which pieces they have and which ones they wish to have. Often, I post custom work on my Instagram account and people will recall a piece from it when they see someone wearing it. I love hearing "Oh! YOU got THAT one!" or "Sweet! So you're to person that got that one made?!"
I often joke about how my collectors have more of my jewelry than I do, and it's TRUE! One of the best things about making so many one of a kind pieces is that there is always something available for people, even a Mettle by Abby collector, that they don't have. This also creates a magic atmosphere when we have a Mettle by Abby event at the store and so many one of a kind and custom pieces are being worn under the same roof, often for the first time together.
 Last summer, at David Douglas Diamonds + Jewelry, we did a big Mettle by Abby event and I had many collectors display their pieces. It was a great opportunity to share custom work that never had a chance to go in a showcase. Thank you, to everyone that was there that night and that brought in their work to share! There will be more events like this in the future, so don't miss out! If you sign up from my e-mail, I will let you know first about upcoming shenanigans!
