Mom Makes Jewelry Stress-Free

Mlive.com:

Feeling stressed? Just add earrings.

While this won’t solve all your problems, looking pretty is a great pick-me-up. Just ask Catherine Hodge, a talented jewelry artist who knows how to dress up a plain white T-shirt with handmade bling.

For months, I’ve been studying her jewelry with interest at Craft Club meetings at the David D. Hunting YMCA and finally got a chance to hear the story behind her art.

“I spend a lot of days (in a) bandanna and my fleece pants, chasing the kids around,” said Hodge, the mother of two. But, she said, “I always have earrings on.”

Hodge grew up a self-proclaimed tomboy, spending many hours racing frogs with her little sister in their Owosso sandbox. Still, she says she always has pondered how to make things pretty.

Today, the 30-year-old Wyoming mom makes her life pretty by stringing strands of beautiful gems and shaping metal into lovely adornments. A self-taught artist, Hodge said jewelry-making is a great stress reliever.

As often as she can, the former second-grade teacher retreats to her basement studio to listen to music and create, a practice that allows her to renew her spirit at the end of a long day of caring for David, 3, and Thomas, 18 months.