Taitaya Forge

  For small artists and artisans getting noticed has become lately very difficult. We used to rely on social media and platforms like Etsy or Youtube, but the way search algorithms have been made, they favour high volume and consistency, which is not always possible for individual artists or creatives. I am experimenting a way to shift the money I used to spend on advertising to be able to pay forward to our customers instead as thanks. I do not like advertising or marketing the way it is understood these days. Like with the ethos of creating artificial demand, fear of missing out and influencers promoting unsustainable lifestyles. I wanted to find an alternative way to reach new people.  I would like to think that if the right person sees something I have made, they will want to buy it because they like it and see value in it. For that to work though, I need enough people to see my work. Its about 100 to 200 views for 1 sale. Social Media used to be brilliant for this. But ...

This is the pendant that inspired me to write the Origins series. Its a bit of a long story so bear with me! The Uppsala Amulet Ring pendant has been one of our most popular designs. It is also the one that has perhaps been the inspiration to several reproductions, some of which are erroneously sold as historical reproductions. As a former historical re-enactor it is important for me that there is a record on how this particular design came to being. Now, with a lot of my work, I do take a lot of inspiration from history. I started out making historical reproductions. I have taken part in some experimental archaelogy and love doing research into ancient metalworking methods. But such work was creatively very stifling, as you where limited to items you could prove existed and methods that would have been available back in the day. When I started selling on Etsy in 2012 and to an audience outside of historical re-enactment I took creative flight and only used history as a ...

When wearing iron jewelry, you can take two distinct approaches on how you treat it. Neither approach is better than the other. They are different paths and which one you take is your choice.  You can choose to let time & the environment take its toll and appreciate the full beauty of the item while it lasts. Eventually the metal will rub against your skin and clothes and start to polish around the edges into a grey metallic colour, beautiful in its own right, but different. This way you can be witness to the natural process of age. Depending on how much you wear your jewellery this can take about one to two years. Alternatively you can choose to maintain its present state, to enjoy the beauty longer. This article tells you how. Keep Iron dry Iron as a metal is not as stable as gold or silver. When it comes into contact with oxygen in the air or water, it will try to combine with the oxygen to create an iron oxide. We know this as rust. This is the rea...