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Aaron Gallagher, SoKno Woodworking
How did you get started as a jewelry maker?
When I was ten, I helped out in my uncle’s sawmill, stacking planks. That’s when I started recognizing that wood is this renewable resource that we have all around us. If we harvest it correctly, we can have it for generation after generation; it never goes away.
My wife Ashton and I started SoKno Woodworking in 2018. We would go to craft shows with cutting boards, and they weren’t selling that well. We noticed that jewelry was selling. We started out with just a few earring designs and now we have hundreds.
What do you make, and how?
We offer four main products, but the earrings are our best sellers. We go to woodshops all around the country, seeking out the most beautiful, bright, unique wood. We don’t buy it prepped; I do all the woodworking myself, and all our products start out as rough lumber.
After I’ve cut it down and shaped it, we put it in our laser engraver. We both create the designs on the computer. We do all our work in-house; we don’t outsource anything.
I love being able to bring what I consider an old style of work back, with a modern twist to it.
Where are your products offered for sale?
We’re at the Market Square Farmer’s Market every Wednesday and Saturday; we kind of consider it our “storefront.” We’ve done the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair for two years. We have an Etsy shop, but we really prefer selling in person. Info: www.soknowoodworking.com.
Aaron Gallagher grew up amid family sawmills and woodshops in Pelham, Tenn. He moved to Knoxville in 2013 and earned a degree in nutrition from UT. After a stint at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, he decided against pursuing a graduate degree and went back to his woodworking roots. He lives in South Knoxville with his wife Ashton and two young daughters, Amelia and Annabelle.
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Jocelyn Morin, Jocelyn Morin Metalsmith
How did you get started as a jewelry maker?
I majored in community development and applied economics at the University of Vermont in Burlington. During the first semester of my senior year, with room in my schedule to take some electives, I enrolled in my first fine metals course. I fell in love with the wax carving process and spent almost all of my free moments with wax block and blade in hand! A few classes later, I began working as an apprentice to my teacher, Matthew Taylor.
What do you make, and how?
Sterling silver and turquoise jewelry, all handmade in my home studio. These days, instead of wax casting, I primarily do fabrication. Pieces start with wire and sheet metal which I work into the desired shape. Turquoise is probably my stone of choice, but I do other stones – especially with custom orders. It depends on what the client wants me to work with.
Where are your products offered for sale?
Honeymouth, and I do occasional pop-ups and markets. Reach out for custom orders at instagram.com/_jocelot_. My website is www.jocelynmorin.com.
Jocelyn Morin grew up in New Hampshire. An art lover all her life, she did woodworking in high school and discovered metalsmithing at the University of Vermont in Burlington. In 2015 she took a solo trip via Amtrak across the country, eventually settling in Portland, Ore. She and her partner, Ryan Shanley, moved to Knoxville in 2018; together they run the Tern Club – “Knoxville’s oasis for tropical cocktails” – on Gay Street. They live in North Knoxville with their dog, Pippa. “There are so many markets here, and I’ve just received so much community support. It’s a very maker-friendly city!”
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Paige Neuhauser, That Clay Girl
How did you get started as a jewelry maker?
I think I was an entrepreneur from the beginning! Growing up I would always "set up shop" and run imaginary businesses. In January 2019, I was running a paper products/graphic design business, Kitschy Doodles, when I ran across a YouTube video about polymer clay. The next day I bought my first bar of clay and made my first pair of earrings. I launched That Clay Girl Co. in October of the same year.
What do you make and how?
A wide variety of earring styles, plus necklaces, pins, hair accessories – even wall hangings. Due to the nature of polymer clay, all earrings and accessories are lightweight and easy to wear, no matter the size.
I use a clay machine – like a pasta machine – to prevent air bubbles and create a smooth finish. I use acrylic rollers, cutting blades, X-acto knives, cutters like cookie cutters. I do some hand cutting, and I create my own templates. Then everything gets popped in the oven. I create some of my own custom colors.
I’ve gravitated toward minimalism, but still with that sort of fun, unique, abstract vibe. It doesn’t take much to inspire me – I see shapes when I’m out walking around and put them in my phone. And I’ve always got a notepad with me.
Where are your products offered for sale?
My website www.thatclaygirlco.com links to my Etsy shop and my Instagram. Locally, Honeymouth and RALA. I love doing markets and pop-ups. Check my website for places and dates.
Originally from Sullivan, Ill., Paige Neuhauser earned her Associates degree in graphic design from Lake Land College and taught herself the business, launching Kitschy Doodles in 2016. She describes her family as “super close” and together they have also lived in Fort Myers, Fla. and – since June of 2020 – Knoxville.
“One of the pulls for bringing us here was looking into all the opportunities for entrepreneurs and makers. Every time I’m on my phone I’m seeing pop-ups. It’s a great place for entrepreneurial people.” She shares a downtown loft with her sister Emily, who is pursuing graduate studies in kinesiology and sports psychology at UT, and their cat, Gilly.
