Rachel McRory: Broken China and Seaglass Jewelry

Meet Rachel McRory of Glass Ceiling, creator of handmade porcelain and seaglass jewelry in Vancouver, BC.

Rachel turns shards of broken china teacups and plates, as well as seaglass, into beautiful earrings and pendants. She answered a few questions for me, and she has a special offer for Pennello Lane readers! But first, let’s find out more about her work.

 

What inspires you to create a new piece of jewelry?
I’m inspired by each individual piece of seaglass or shard of antique teacup that I use. Most items are very old, and each is completely unique. I love how every item has its own history.

What is your favourite part of the process?

It really depends on my mood. If I’m feeling stressed, there is nothing better than taking a hammer to teacup and smashing it into dozens of pieces. Other times I really love creating the refined and intricate wire work that I use on my seaglass pendants.

Where do you get your materials from?
The Vancouver area is full of stunning beaches and I try to spend as much time as possible exploring them and collecting seaglass, shells or anything else that could be used to make a unique piece of jewelry. The rest of the seaglass I use comes from all over the world. I have found a lot of seaglass on trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. I also have friends and family living on the East coast of Canada and in Ireland. The beaches in these areas are full of beautiful old glass and I love getting some of it mailed to me!

The antique china I use is another story. I love spending time hunting through some of the many antique shops I find while road tripping through BC, looking for a treasure that I can re-purpose and give a new life. However, most of the china I use are old mismatched pieces given to me by friends and strangers alike. I was recently given a huge box full of stray teacups and saucers from my old Girl Guide leader. She brought the pieces over from England when she moved to Canada many, many years ago.

You use such beautiful materials, do you ever find it difficult to part with any of your creations?
All the time! There are certain pieces of seaglass that I just think are too special to sell. There are also a couple of plates that I’ve found that are just so old and beautiful that I’ve been unable to smash them.
Where do you sell your jewelry?
I have been selling on Etsy for over four years now, and I quite like it. I also sell my jewelry at several art shows and high end craft fairs in the winter months. This summer I will be doing my first show outside of the Christmas season.

You’re currently going to school… how do you balance that with your jewelry-making?
I’m currently in my first year of post secondary and its often difficult to find time. In the past I have made jewelry in bulk quantities during the summer months, and then made the odd piece here and there to supplement whatever I’m running low on during the rest of the year. However, this year I am taking summer school. Its an archaeology field school and should be very interesting, yet time consuming. I will definitely make time for my jewelry though.
Rachel has a special gift for Pennello Lane readers!

Order any item from Glass Ceiling until June 4th, enter the coupon code “pennellolane” when you check out, and you will receive a 20% discount.

Thank you, Rachel!

Tags:

8 Responses to “Rachel McRory: Broken China and Seaglass Jewelry”

  1. May 7, 2012 at 5:10 am #

    Popped in from SITS! She’s so organic!

  2. May 7, 2012 at 12:04 pm #

    Also popped in from SITS. Love your jewelry and your creative process. How wonderful to find the supplies for your jewelry while wandering Vancouver beaches. Sounds like a good life.

  3. May 8, 2012 at 12:31 am #

    Beautiful jewelery! I’m having fun going through your blog – lots of interesting stuff here!

    Popped in from SITs.

  4. May 8, 2012 at 3:13 pm #

    Always in awe of creative people ~ and you’re definitely one. Beautiful work. (another Spring Fling SITStah)

  5. May 10, 2012 at 11:55 am #

    Thanks for stopping by my SITS day! I love your icons in your sidebar for your different categories. Very cool. And, yeah, I totally made a Raverly social media icon. I couldn’t seem to find one anywhere – I guess that’s not on most people’s social media lists!

  6. patty
    May 27, 2012 at 10:51 pm #

    Hi Rachel,
    Your talent is awesome, look forward to more unique treasures in the future.

  7. June 12, 2012 at 4:20 pm #

    Peaking from SITS! I love handmade jewelry! Her work is gorgeous & I love anything that has to do with the ocean so thats a bonus! Thanks for sharing!

  8. June 30, 2012 at 5:57 pm #

    All of your jewelry is beautiful. I will definitely be back to visit this site again! Congrats!

Leave a Reply to Gabrielle BIJOUX Amber Jewellery Dublin

CommentLuv badge