I am so excited to introduce my long time friend, Katie! I’m honored that she would do this spotlight for me and I’ve included a photo of us from our college dancing days for added fun!! ✨💗
✨ How were you first introduced to Narrow-Gauge Designs (NGD)? What initially attracted you to the jewelry? Was it the design? Materials? Story?
“ The artist and creator of NGD is a longtime friend from the college days, where we bonded through dance. Knowing Esla as a caring, fun, creative, and focused friend, I was excited when she found a way to harness all those great qualities, and combine them with her love of things from another time. A keen attention to detail was evident then in Esla’s dance choreography, and shines in her NGD pieces. I’ve enjoyed watching from the beginning and wish I could buy all the things. “
Do you have a favorite piece of NGD jewelry? Was it from a collection or was it a custom design?
“I only have a few pieces so far but I love the interlocking ring that was made for me when my kid was small - so he’d stop getting scratched by my ring. It is made of three different metals and although the kiddo is no longer a small wild toddler I enjoy wearing it, and not just because of who made it. “
✨Jewelry is a creative outlet for me. Do you have a creative outlet or is your job your passion?
“ My creative outlet these days is through serving others and my community, as well as keeping dance in my life. I do some of this through volunteer board work. I’m on the board for Our Community Birth Center in Springfield, Oregon providing birth options and a beautiful caring environment to parents and babies. @ourcommunitybirthcenter
I’m a huge fan and supporter of #instaballet - and am honored to be on their board. I also find small ways to be creative, like decorating a cake for a birthday party, or coming up with a new process at work. Dance is forever woven into my life and these days I take a dance class where I can, support #instaballet and help ArtsAlive Eugene put on an annual dance and music community performance (I’m even coaxed to perform on occasion). @instaballetgram “
✨Where does NGD jewelry accompany you? Activities? Special Occasions? Work? Exciting travel locales?
“NGD often goes to work with me, the bracelets go with everything, even an heirloom tomato.”
✨If you could step back in time to any decade or era, which would you choose? Why?
“ I’ve always had a fascination with the old west. Homesteading, hard work, simple life, family- sounds good to me. Maybe it’s growing up with Little House on the Prarie on TV or those books I read from the library in middle school about moving west that captured my imagination. A washing machine and dishwasher are things that would be hard to give up- as well as other modern conveniences like plumbing, so maybe I just want to go back to the 1990s but live on a large ranch. “
Thank you, Katie! And thank you to everyone who took the time to read my last Customer Spotlight of 2024. 🥂