Well, hello there!

I'm Courtney D. Williams, designer and maker of all the pieces you see here at Seventh Cloud Studio. I only make one of each piece--ever--so when you buy from Seventh Cloud Studio, you'll be wearing something that no one else ever will!

I live in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York with a moody-but-loveable chinchilla named Pablo. In addition to making unique jewelry, I'm also a writer. My primary business is as a freelance writer (www.SeventhCloudCreativeSolutions.com)—I write mostly marketing copy, with the occasional memoir editing project or travel article thrown in.

My first love is writing fiction, and strange as it sounds, that’s how I discovered jewelry-making: I was away at a writing workshop and discovered a bead store in town. It quickly became an addiction that continued after I went home. Eventually, people started asking me if I sold my jewelry, and finally I decided that I’d better start, because I had way more than any one person will ever need! A friend told me about Etsy and Seventh Cloud Studio was born.

To me, my jewelry, my writing, and my love of words and books are all related in my messy and tangled mind (my shop and my copywriting business share part of their names –Seventh Cloud—the “cloud” part of which was taken from a quote from writer Richard Brautigan--see headline; I get to use my writing skills when naming and writing descriptions for my jewelry; and creating jewelry using color and texture is similar to me to composing words that also work well together and set each other off).

I love using semi-precious stones (the properties and symbolisms of stones has always interested me), Hill Tribe silver, and incorporating pieces and elements of vintage jewelry and other objects into new pieces. I love to make big bold pieces that look great on tall and/or plus-sized women, or just women who have a big presence and personality and aren’t afraid to stand out! I also love to make unique pieces that are a bit more conservative but still have a certain “Seventh Cloud” style—so that even if you prefer a more classic and timeless look, you don’t need to wear cookie-cutter jewelry. Jewelry is a great way to make a simple outfit pop.

I love books, combing flea markets and yard/estate sales for stuff that I didn't know existed but can't live without, reading, writing, Native American stuff (the "Seventh" part of my name is taken from the Iroquois belief that each decision made affects the seven generations to follow), family stories, reality TV, cooking, baking, and ice cream. But most of all, I love that I am finally doing what I love full-time--creating, both with words and with beads.

Want to read more about what inspires me and about my use of upcycled elements? Check out Quilty Therapy's blog post on Seventh Cloud Studio! http://quiltytherapy.com/upcyclerecycle-seventh-cloud-studios/

Thanks for stopping by Seventh Cloud Studio and enjoy your day!