From Date Night to Jewelry Business: Meet Kayla

Kayla spent years believing she wasn't a creative person. Eighteen months after a date-night ring class, she calls herself an artist and has just launched her own jewelry business.

Have you ever saved a gorgeous piece of handmade jewelry to Pinterest and thought, "I'd love to make something like that... but I'm just not the creative type"?

Maybe you've even bought a few tools with the best of intentions, then left them sitting in a drawer because you couldn't picture yourself designing anything.

I hear this ALL the time. And I've got a story that might just change your mind.

I'd love you to meet Kayla Johnson, one of our Metalsmith Academy members, who used to think exactly the same thing.

About a year and a half ago, Kayla and her partner of 16 years went on a date night. Now, most couples might go out for dinner, perhaps catch a movie. These two decided to get hammered instead.

With actual hammers, that is! They signed up for a stacked ring class, and Kayla made her very first ring.

"It was just a simple hammered 14 gauge ring, but I was SO proud of it! I still wear it everyday because it was the spark that lit the fire in my soul."

I can’t tell you just how much I LOVE this! ❤️ And this is exactly why I get so excited about teaching jewelry making. 

You just never know what that very first project might lead to!

Eighteen months later, Kayla has completed Stage 3 of our Metalsmith Academy Roadmap, launched her own jewelry business with her partner's help, and now proudly calls herself an artist.

Not bad for a night out, eh? Although I suspect dinner and a bottle of wine might have been cheaper in the long run. But nowhere NEAR as much fun! 😂

Meet Kayla: Four Fur Babies, a Full-Time Job and a Serious Jewelry Obsession

Kayla lives in Rochester, New York, where she works full-time from home as a Customer Support Manager. She spent most of her life in the southern states but always craved cooler weather, proper seasons and a place to get lost in nature.

She and her partner share their home with a four-year-old special-needs rescue Goldendoodle and three cats. They all have their own care routines, so I'm impressed she finds time to make jewelry at all.

But the bench is where her day really begins.

"I work full-time remotely from home, but my day never really feels like it's started until I'm at my bench. Metalsmithing is my creative escape."

Kayla was open with us about why that time matters so much to her:

"I have an anxiety disorder, and I've learned that keeping my hands busy helps keep my mind from getting stuck in a cycle of worry. When I'm at my bench, my focus shifts entirely to the creative process. There are no corporate deadlines, no one telling me what I should do, and no endless scrolling on my phone. It's just me, my tools, and the opportunity to create."

And THIS is one of the things I love most about jewelry making. It's not always just about what you're creating, but what the process itself can do for you. 

There's something pretty bloody wonderful about being able to switch off from everything else for a while and just get lost in making something with your hands. ❤️

"I honestly can't imagine my life without it and the pure joy it brings me."

One Little Ring Wasn't Going to Be Enough...

After that first class, Kayla was hooked. She went on to take a stamped ring class and a half-day metalsmithing basics class, both in Rochester.

"Those classes gave me a great foundation, but I knew I wanted to keep building my skills."

And, like most people starting out, she found soldering was the tricky bit.

"At the time, my biggest hurdle was solder joins. Some days soldering still likes to keep me humble - haha! Thankfully, that's one of the many areas where the Metalsmith Academy has helped me grow."

Ahhh, soldering. The technique responsible for approximately 90% of beginner metalsmithing meltdowns. (That's not an official statistic, but I reckon I'm pretty close!)

If soldering is your sticking point too, you're in very good company. My free Getting Started Soldering guide is a great place to start.

Kayla has come an awfully long way since that first ring.

"I've learned so much since joining and recently completed Stage 3 of the Roadmap. Looking back at where I started, it's amazing to see how much my skills and confidence have grown."

Melting Metal, Chipped Gemstones and Other Bench Disasters

When we asked Kayla about her epic fails, she had plenty of material to work with.

"I'd be lying if I said there was only one epic fail. There have been plenty!"

She's chosen metal that was way too thin, melted a nearly finished piece beyond repair, chipped a gemstone, and melted more prongs than she'd like to admit.

So basically, a perfectly normal week at the bench then!

And if it makes you feel any better, twenty years in, I once soldered a beautiful bezel on... upside down. Experience just changes the mistakes you make!

But what I loved about Kayla's answer was what she does next.

"I've learned that the most important part of making mistakes is figuring out why they happened in the first place. Once you understand the cause, you can recover, adjust, and hopefully avoid making the same mistake twice."

Music to my ears!

Understanding WHY a technique works (or doesn't work!) is so much more valuable than just copying the steps and hoping for the best.

Because making mistakes is all part of becoming a better jeweler. But if you don't take the time to figure out what went wrong, you're basically paying for the same lesson twice!

And if your own bench disasters are getting you down, Kayla has this to say:

"...every metalsmith has failures. They're just part of learning the craft. If those failures make you feel like giving up, just remember that we're all failing and learning together. You got this!"

The Biggest Surprise For Kayla? She's Actually Creative!

Now, THIS is my favorite part of Kayla's story.

When we asked what she'd believed about herself before joining the Academy that she no longer believes, her answer was:

"That I wasn't a creative person. Turns out, that couldn't have been further from the truth! I just hadn't found the right outlet for the creative part of my brain."

I absolutely LOVE this, because so many people think creativity is some magical talent you're either born with or you're not. 

Rubbish!

Before metalsmithing, Kayla never pictured herself sketching her own design ideas or filling a notebook with little doodles before bed.

"Creativity was always there, I just didn't have a way to express it."

And this is something I wish more people realized! You don't need to have a head full of brilliant designs before you start learning to make jewelry.

Half the time, you don't even KNOW what's possible until you start getting your hands dirty and learning new techniques. And that's when the creative floodgates really start to open!

"Through the skills I've learned, I've been able to unlock ideas I never knew I had. Every new technique gives me another way to bring those ideas to life, and that has been such an incredible feeling."

And now?

"I now proudly consider myself an artist, something I never would have said about myself before starting this journey."

YES, YOU BLOODY ARE!

If you've ever told yourself you're not creative, please take note. You might surprise yourself once you give yourself the chance to learn.

A Very Special Montana Agate (and a Stubborn Prong Setting)

One of Kayla's proudest pieces is a Montana agate pendant, and the story behind it is gorgeous.

When Kayla was a child, her family would visit her grandma in Montana, and they'd go hunting for agates together. Some of her happiest memories with her family come from those trips.

When she made the pendant, she was still learning prong setting, and she admits it "really tested my sanity along the way!" But she got there!

"Creating this pendant felt like bringing those memories into the present. It represents where I came from, the people who shaped me, and the person I am becoming through this journey. Holding the finished piece felt like holding a little piece of my past, my family, and my creative path all together."

And this is the magic of making jewelry. It's never just about the silver or the gemstones, is it? Sometimes you're creating something that holds a lifetime of memories. How special is that?!

From "I'm Not Creative" to "I'm a Business Owner!"

As if discovering her creative side wasn't exciting enough, Kayla's jewelry journey has taken another turn.

"I am also now a business owner, which still feels a little surreal to say!"

Having spent her entire adult life working as a Customer Support Manager, creating something of her own has been particularly meaningful.

"I have always been proud to help others succeed, but I often felt like my work was focused on building something for someone else. Jewelry has given me the opportunity to build something for myself. It is something I can have complete ownership over."

With her partner's help, she's just launched the website for her new jewelry business, Roc City Smithy.

You can also follow along with Kayla's work on Instagram at @roccitysmithy. Go and show her some love, and tell her Lucy sent you!

When we asked Kayla what difference the Academy has made, she said:

"The Academy has given me the motivation and confidence to turn my hobby into a brand new business, something I never imagined when I first sat down at my bench. I don't mean to be dramatic, but it has truly changed the trajectory of my life."

You're making me all emotional over here!

She's found something else inside the Academy too.

"One of the most meaningful parts has been finding a community of people who share the same passion. The support and encouragement have made this journey even more special."

And this is exactly why I love our little corner of the jewelry-making world so much. You've got people at every stage of their journey, all sharing what they're working on, helping each other through the tricky bits, and celebrating the wins together.

As for what's next? Kayla hopes to grow her business, sell at craft and art shows, and maybe one day make jewelry her full-time job.

"Making jewelry my full-time job would be a dream come true and the ultimate goal. For now, I'm excited to keep building, creating, and seeing where this journey takes me."

And that's something worth remembering. You don't need a five-year business plan before you start learning to make jewelry. Kayla certainly didn't.

She just wanted to make a ring on date night.

You Might Be More Creative Than You Think...

When we asked Kayla what she'd say to someone sitting on the fence about making jewelry, she had this advice:

"Most importantly, don't be afraid to just start. You don't have to know everything right away. Every maker begins somewhere, and the skills come with practice, patience, and a willingness to learn."

And I couldn't agree more!

Sometimes all it takes is one little project that makes you think, "Bloody hell, I made that!"

And who knows where it might lead?

Now, I'm not saying you're going to start a jewelry business eighteen months after making your first ring (although, stranger things have happened around here!).

But I AM saying that you might be surprised by just how much you're capable of with the right guidance and a whole community cheering you on.

And if you're ready to find out, I'd absolutely LOVE to welcome you inside the Metalsmith Academy.

You'll find 30+ step-by-step jewelry-making classes, our A-Z Roadmap to help you build your skills in the right order, and me in the forums every day to answer your questions.

And Kayla, a HUGE thank you for sharing your story with us. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for Roc City Smithy!

Not bad for a date night, eh?

Happy making, friends.

Lucy xx