Meet the Maker

Hey there, I'm Emily!

I'm the face behind the screen & the person who makes all of the jewelry you see! I am so glad you're here, read on if you'd like to learn a bit more about me & my journey! Stay up to date on my adventures on Instagram @stream.and.strata !

Humble Beginnings

My journey began when I was a student in university. I have always been a creative person, and I needed an outlet that helped me cope with the stresses of my classes. At the time, I was quite interested in the concept of metalsmithing as I had acquired quite a few pieces from other small businesses. I thought I'd give it a try, and with no prior knowledge under my belt, I dove in. What made me do this? I'm honestly still not sure. It was a leap of faith into the unknown, not knowing what would come of it, or if I would even be good at it was scary. I bought some tools (some I still use today) over the course of a few months, and once my pile of tools had overgrown the corner of the room, we decided it was time to find the final item- a bench. We searched thrift stores and many a garage sale until we stumbled upon this family's dining room table that they were using to hold their wares that were for sale. We asked them how much for the crayon covered, coffee burned table, and they sorta looked at each other and said "$30?". I was beaming. We moved the table into my boyfriend's duplex, and I spent every available minute firing and sawing misshapen rings and things with the little 6" piece of silver I could afford, until eventually what I was making actually resembled jewelry. After a ton of trial and error, Among Ferns & Silver* was born. (Here you'll see my first and second renditions of said garage sale table bench, taken about 5 months apart)

But wait...

Isn't this Stream & Strata?

As my style progressed, so did my desire for a brand and name that really represented me, and everything that I hold dear. I will never forget my beginnings with Among Ferns & Silver, she will forever be a part of this journey, but as we grow, our businesses have to grow with us.

Stream & Strata better represents my ties to the beautiful Rocky Mountains next door to us, it speaks to my love of our waterways and all of its inhabitants, and most importantly, it ties to my family. My grandparents all passed when I was quite young, and I never actually got to meet my mom's parents. They were avid fishers and I often wonder what it would've been like to go ice fishing with them, to spend a day learning all about them and their experiences. I like to believe that they are gentle streams in the main river of my life, as are all of the individuals who have taught me something along the way. We build components into our lives like the stratigraphic beds that make up our mountains, we build upon our experiences and each small moment adds to our mountain, our story. Stream & Strata speaks to the ways that building art parallels to building a river or a mountain- smaller, but not necessarily lesser components come together to create a whole powerful entity, whether that be the rings on your finger or the waterways that give us life.

And the journey continues...

Funny enough, my first sale through my Etsy shop was to a lovely lady in Calgary, who lived only a mere 15 minutes away from my house. She was a stranger to me, yet it was so comforting and fitting that my first sale was within the same city, just a stone's throw away. She might not know this, but she gave me the confidence that I was lacking, she took that leap of faith to believe in a shop with no reviews, and no sales, and for that I couldn't be more thankful. Fast forward a few years, and now Stream & Strata has connected with individuals around the globe - all except 1 province in Canada, nearly all 50 states, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, and even Taiwan, the list goes on! I couldn't be more excited to tackle the rest. So, thank you Vivian. You opened up this book and gave me the opportunity and the confidence that I could move mountains, and boy, are we moving now.

And here's a little more about me...

Just a gal trying to prove that you can make art for a living

I was born and raised here in the Rocky mountains of southern Alberta, and having these stunning cascades right next door has formed a deep rooted love for all things natural.

This business is not what I had dreamed up for myself growing up, I had the mentality that I needed to go to university, get a good job, and just play it safe to get by, then I could have fun. I ended up going to school for 6 years, got a Bachelor's in Biological Anthropology, and started another degree in Geology, but you know what, the world had other plans (hello COVID), and I decided that school just wasn't for me anymore. This business was born out of a desire for something else, something that made my heart happy while still challenging my skills.

I started Among Ferns & Silver (my original name) back in September of 2020 and I have never looked back since.​ I am entirely self taught, through much trial and error I learned the basics of this craft, with an emphasis on the error. It isn't easy, but I like it that way. I have a sense of pride for creating something out of nothing, for turning Earth's precious gems into wearable works of art. I feel lucky to be able to use my hands and my heart to make a living, to create art daily and share it with the world.​

When I'm not at the bench, you can usually find me in the forests, exploring the mountains and all they have to offer. Thank you so much for reading, and for being here. I hope you find a piece that speaks to your soul.

XO, Emily

Follow me on Instagram @stream.and.strata to stay up to date!