All About Topaz & Tome

My name is Cara Spinosa and I am the creator of Topaz & Tome. I’ve enjoyed taking on all sorts of creative projects and learning new skills over the course of my 30-some years of life. I dabbled in jewelry making in the past, attending a few events with my shop which was then called “Existential Jewelry”.

With another decade of knowledge under my belt, I decided to take advantage of my time as a stay at home mom to hone my craft and really decide what creating meant to me. I settled on the fact that I wanted to make beautiful, quality jewelry with one of my favorite things in the world: semi-precious gemstones. Most people are more familiar with precious gems such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Not as many know what a wide variety of amazing semi-precious gems are out there just waiting to be turned into the perfect adornment. These pieces can be used just as easily for every day wear as they can for special events.

While much of my jewelry uses semi-precious stones, I quickly found that I didn’t want to limit my creative outlet by settling on a single medium. Unique glass and ceramic beads and adornments are another favorite of mine when it comes to making jewelry. The fact is, I have a bit of a dragon-hoard mentality when it comes to the beads I use – if it’s shiny, I want to have it! Stones are perfect for bringing specific energy to your day, but glass and ceramic beads can add a wonderful amount of color and fun.

On top of creating jewelry, I am also interested in creating custom journals and notebooks. I am teaching myself leather working, book binding, and many other skills that might seem outdated in the modern world. There is just something extremely satisfying about working with your hands and knowing that you put your all into your art!

Lastly, while I focus primarily on creating, I also have a love of finding hidden treasures. Thrift shops, estate sales, and even yard sales can dredge up unexpected and unique items that only need a bit of TLC to really shine. I take things that someone once loved and give them a new life so they can find a new person to fall in love with them all over again. Some of my favorite finds are antique and retro jewelry, glassware, pottery, and trinket boxes. I am also beginning to dabble in up-cycling otherwise unsalvageable jewelry. Even old, well worn costume jewelry can still have some life in it!

My support staff consists of my husband, our 10 year old daughter, our Rottweiler-Lab mix Lady Sif and our cat Heimdall.

I hope you are able to come visit my shop at one of the many local Delmarva events that I plan to vend at!

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