Welcome to Life Between Tides!
Hey, sea beauty! First of all, let me just say how excited I am that you’ve found our little tide pool in the vast ocean of the internet. Life Between Tides is where I’ll be sharing all things salty, from behind-the-scenes on our handmade, sea-inspired jewelry collections to mermaid beauty tips to how YOU can positively impact your environment…
But before we dive into all that, you might be wondering—who are these Low Tide Landing folks, anyways?
So allow me/us to introduce ourselves!! Low Tide Landing is officially a joint effort of myself, Jess, and my husband Casey. He’s the guy who taught me the ropes as a silversmith, and he keeps things running on the business-end of LTL. But if you’re engaging with us here, or on Instagram, or as part of our LTL MerTribe (sign up! it’s fun!) chances are it’s me, Jess, who you’re hearing from.
So hey! Here’s a little about me, the mermaid and metalsmith behind Low Tide Landing. Most days you can find me juggling family life (mama of three very small kiddos here) and maker life. I work out of our San Diego garage home studio surrounded by surfboards, swim fins, silver, surfite, hammers, my trusty torch, and my absolute favorite metalsmithing tool, my jeweler’s saw.
I’m an Enneagram Type 4 (“the Individualist”), which basically means that I’m driven by the desire to be… well, a little different. That I’m super okay with marching to the beat of my own drum. Sure, there are times I wish I fit in a little more easily, but coming to appreciate my uniqueness through my creativity has been such a growing experience for me. I don’t want to wear what everyone else is wearing… so why should I make what everyone else makes?!
People often refer to me as ‘the mermaid’… because I have long hair; because I love to swim and bodysurf and freedive; because when it comes to creating, I’m inspired by all things sea—and specifically, by the miniature worlds found inside coastal tide pools. That’s why just about every piece of Low Tide Landing jewelry has some connection back to the ocean—its ecosystems and creatures, or the ways we interact with the deep and the waves.
I create for people whose souls have been stirred by the sea. For those who can stand on the shore and feel the salt seeping back into their blood. Who can breathe in the brine and the wind and come alive in the vastness and the mystery of the Creator’s wild workmanship. I create for you, sea beauty, because you have salt in your hair even when you’re far from the ocean. Because you find wonder in sea stars and beauty within the coils of a shell. Because there’s some part of you, deep down, that would wind seaweed around your shoulders and hips and rejoice in the interconnectedness of kelp and tides and sunlight and your own salty heart.
Encouraging you to embrace this intertidal life and love brings me so much joy. When I create a ring inspired by seaweed, or fabricate a column of kelp into a pendant, or form silver and brass into tiny urchins and stars and anemones, my hope is that you find yourself transported back to the place that makes you feel as wild as the sea.
Because you, sea beauty, are wild and wonderful, and loved by the very Maker of the seas Himself.
Can you tell this is something I’m passionate about? ;)
Some of my other passions in life center around making small, totally do-able changes that can have a big impact for healthier living and a healthier world. So it’s very likely you can find me walking around barefoot somewhere, or creating my own beauty/cleaning products, or picking up trash off the beach here in San Diego, California. Or bodysurfing. Or brewing kombucha. Or upcycling surfboard resin into amazing, colorful jewelry.
More on all that in coming posts, I assure you!
If you’re dying to hear more, here are five things you might not know about me:
I play the ukulele (apparently a lot of Type 4’s do?!)
I was in Sea Scouts in high school and was really awesome at tying knots (which still comes in handy!)
Casey makes me French Press coffee every morning (I’m spoiled, I know!)
I have a kelp tattoo
Aside from a fabulous semester abroad in Sevilla, Spain, I’ve only lived in California my whole life (and I’m sure it shows)
Anything else you want to know? Burning questions that must be answered? Let’s connect! Join the LTL MerTribe or send me an email at lowtidelanding@gmail.com. I’m looking forward to getting salty with you!
With Salt and Light,
Jess