March Love Letter: A Return to Roots

From production jeweler to the Modern Craft Market—a story of reactionary design and the local spaces that make it possible.

If you've been here for a while, you know my background is in jewelry.

For nearly 15 years, I worked as a production jeweler—designing, making, and selling through retail stores, galleries, and the occasional show.

When I shifted my focus to Safran Everyday, I didn't stop making jewelry entirely. It just became something I fit in where I could—around specific shows, projects, or moments of personal inspiration.

Because of that, I haven't shown my jewelry much in recent years, which makes this upcoming event feel especially exciting.

The Modern Craft Market

This weekend, I'll be participating in a new show organized by Handmade Arcade here in Pittsburgh. They've been running their holiday market for over 20 years, and it's truly a cornerstone of the city—bringing out thousands of people and showcasing incredible artists.

This year, they're debuting a new event, the Modern Craft Market, and I'm honored to be part of its first year.

The "Sampler" Collection

I'll be showing a mix of older and newer work, including a group of necklaces I've been especially excited about—what I call "Sampler Necklaces". I collect bits and pieces from works in progress or components that didn't quite become something on their own, and use them to build finished pieces.

I collect bits and pieces from works in progress... they're very reactionary—there's little planning involved, just responding directly to the materials in front of me.

Cardboard & Steel

A big part of preparing for this show has also been the display, which has always been a challenge for me. It can feel like a blank canvas, but still needs to function within the constraints of a booth.

I've always loved the look of cardboard with my work. Most of my jewelry is steel—often black with red, gold, or white accents—and the rawness of cardboard feels right alongside it. Since much of my design work happens in Rhino, I designed a laser-cut display: vertical necklace stands and simple table coverings.

Like many projects, this one involved going down a few paths and hitting some dead ends—only to circle back to the original idea. I ended up sourcing thick cardboard and having everything laser cut locally. Finding the right material was more of a challenge than expected (and yes—avoiding Uline at all costs, and shout out to my local Grainger!).

The Pittsburgh Community

I was able to do the cutting at Contemporary Craft, an incredible Pittsburgh organization that offers exhibitions, workshops, and studio access—including a laser cutter you can get certified to use and rent time on. It's affordable and truly such a helpful resource.

I did run into a bit of a snafu there and had to quickly find a way to finish everything. I was incredibly lucky to reach out to my friend Gillian of Broken Plates, who has the same machine and generously let me use her studio to wrap things up. In true form, I left a lot of this to the last minute and wish I had trusted my gut from the start.

I'll share some photos of the process and a bit of a sneak peek, but if you're local, I'd love for you to see it in person.

The show runs March 28–29, with a VIP night on March 27. It's ticketed on a sliding scale. If you can't make it, I'll be sharing more on Instagram.

This isn't meant to be an advertisement, but it does feel like a love letter to Pittsburgh.

After nearly nine years here, I don't take for granted the access to tools, spaces, and organizations that make projects like this possible. I haven't lived anywhere else where this kind of support felt so within reach.

I feel very lucky to be here.

Truly,
Maia