Member Artisan Feature: Cheese and Chocolate

“CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE” - That is the inspired name of Merry Rubins’ shop. She and her daughter Robyn sell jewelry, art and knitted animals.

Merry makes the jewelry. She and her daughter both knit. In fact when we get together for our “Handmade Louisiana” group meetings, Merry always brings along her knitting basket. She somehow manages to knit and talk at the same time without ever missing a beat on either one. Go Merry! (I can’t seem to walk and chew gum at the same time!)

Her jewelry pieces are feminine and graceful. Her wire-wraps, precise; and she doesn’t mind doing lots of them, making some pretty pieces with lots of movement. She also seems to have a good sense for color-mixing, as seen in the necklace below.


She states that right now she is leaning towards pearls in her designs and considers the Marissa necklace (above) and the matching earrings http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23366066 to be her current favorites, though she loves all of her creations. Some of her other favorite materials to work with are crystals and sterling silver.Merry says she has been crafting as long as she can remember and has been making jewelry for about five years. When asked how she started in jewelry-making she says that while on vacation she purchased a necklace. She was so intrigued with it that when she got home she took a jewelry making class at a local bead shop, and "the rest is history".

“My biggest challenge in jewelry making”, she says, “is saying “no” to myself in a bead shop. I love all of the colors and shapes and want to buy them all.”

Merry finds peace in her jewelry making and says “I find making jewelry very calming. I can become very focused on the items before me and can even tune out any fights between my daughters.

Many things inspire her to create - Books, TV, Magazines, Nature, Color...

One thing Merry would like to do is use Precious Metal Clay to create unique jewelry pieces. She has taken one class and is anxious to learn more.

Merry has been a resident of Louisiana since 1976. Her husband is from New Orleans. When she graduated from LSU, they decided to stay in the area. She says, “Louisiana offers so much in the way of culture and diversity. We have things here you cannot find anywhere else in the world. It moves to a beat all its own.”

Merry has a second shop called Working the Stash. Here she carries destash supplies, which at the moment are rubber stamps. You can check it out here: http://www.workingthestash.etsy.com/

When asked if she had any advice for other sellers, Merry says,“I guess I would say make what you love. I am not one to make a piece purely because it might sell, or to follow a trend. I want to make jewelry that will be lovely long after the trends have changed.”

Come visit with Merry! You can find her here... http://www.cheeseandchocolate.etsy.com/
http://www.cheeseandchocolate.artfire.com/
http://www.cheeseandchocolate.1000markets.com/
http://www.workingthestash.etsy.com/
http://cheeseandchocolate.byhand.me/
http://welovecheeseandchocolate.blogspot.com/
Cheese and Chocolate fan page on Facebook

~~Article Written by DazzleMe