love it...susan fleming!

it's no surprise that one of the most exciting parts of daily life at o'suzannah is a visit from ups, and one of the smallest yet sweetest parcels that arrives is the work of jewelry artist susan fleming. susan makes two collections at the moment, one called the paper collection, which is full of lovely necklaces and earrings that are sterling silver with carefully chosen details of japanese chiyogami paper. her other collection, called "semi-precious," is a series of organic shapes in delicately hammered silver and gold, often accented by tiny diamonds inlaid in the metal. all of us o'suz girls own a piece (or two) of susan's work, and we were excited to get a peak into her creative process and life in bozeman, montana. check out susan's interview below!

triple circle chiyogami choker

what was your first job and how did you end up making jewelry?

i first fell in love with jewelry making in high school. i took the three courses that they offered and then completed an independent study in my fourth year. after attending a small private liberal arts college and majoring in political and environmental science, i headed to mt. desert island off the coast of maine. it was there that i realized my love for jewelry making had not dissipated, and i apprenticed with nationally recognized jeweler sam shaw in his beautiful studio/gallery space. while there i honed my jewelry making skills, and i remained with him for seven years, gaining much metalsmithing and gallery experience.

single teardrop chiyogami earrings

what is your favorite piece/group/series in your work?

because it was the chiyogami paper that inspired the paper collection, i think i am drawn to some of the larger pieces because you can see more of the patterns. the chiyogami papers are so beautiful and often so intricately patterned which is why i am so drawn to them. i also like the pieces that integrate multiple papers as i enjoy playing around with the colors and patterns to make interesting combinations. as far as the semi precious collection goes, i really like the mixed silver and gold pieces that are layered as i think they take on a sculptural look. i also like the subtlety of the pieces with small diamonds.

triple teardrop drop necklace in silver and gold

who or what inspires you?

i think ray and charles eames most inspire me. the scope and range of their work amazes me - their architecture, furniture, films, textiles, etc. their talent was as endless as their projects.

describe your ideal sunday.

there are many perfect mornings to be had, but i do have a few favorites. one would be waking up to my husband doug's famous buttermilk pancakes with warm maple syrup and fresh squeezed o.j. followed by a hike in the bridger mountains with our golden retriever, pema.

triple disc silver earrings...light as a feather!

what do you see outside your studio windows?

our studio is located in a renovated multi-use new deal era brick school building. we are on the second floor and look out onto the tree lined streets of bozeman's historical district.

the only thing that makes us sad about this post is that our photos just can't do these delicate little jewels justice -- you'll just have to come see susan's work in person!