Meet Stephanie Ford | Desginer of One of A Kind, Handmade Jewelry

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Ford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was in the music business (purchasing, inventory management for retail and wholesale distribution) for more than 25 years, and I never considered myself “artistic” or “crafty”, per se, though I have always surrounded myself with musicians, artists, and creative types. I live every day with a song stuck in my head, so I find myself incorporating music with my Goth aesthetic into every piece I create.  Many pieces are taken from song titles or lyrics of songs, so much so that I have a running playlist on Spotify of all the music that has inspired my work! (link below)

The idea for Eternal Craft came about after years and years and years of passively arranging crystals and glass beads into potential pieces of jewelry. I had left the idea unattended for a long time after a dear friend who encouraged me to make jewelry passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. I drew on her inspiration and just as we went into lockdown, brought all of the materials out again and really decided to apply myself. The website launched in October 2020. (Yes, in the middle of a global pandemic!)

Each strand is unique and one-of-a-kind; grounded and anchored in black semi-precious stone beads like onyx, tourmaline, and obsidian. I balance the darkness with ghostly pale powerful moonstone, howlite, white jade, and labradorite with droplets of blood red garnet, steely grey and shiny golden hematite, rose quartz, opals, peridot and amethyst mixed throughout. I find crystal work, astrology, and ritual practice fascinating and include it in many of my creations as well.

I am a daughter of darkness, I don’t just wear it, I carry it with me in my spirit. I love graveyards and cemeteries! The Taphophile collection of sterling silver tombstone pendants were created from a very precious talisman that I have carried with me for decades. They were intended as an exquisite non-traditional symbol of commitment between two lovers. They are also intended to connect as Memento Mori, as mourning jewelry, to honor the loss of loved ones.

I embrace the strange and unusual, the morbid, the sad and morose, there is beauty in darkness. These are my people. Dark and unique.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Each piece is handmade, unique and one of a kind. There are collections around celestial events and themes including books, poison, and ghosts including 2 different collections with the intention of donating the sales to organizations that are dear to my heart. (Performing Animal Welfare Society and The Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar.) Connecting my jewelry to music really sets it apart as well. The scarab focal connectors, some sourced from vintage bracelets, means the clasps are meant to be seen. The inclusion of moonstone, labradorite and white jade to really make the beaded strands pop from all the black clothes we tend to wear. The business launched in October 2020, so the decision to do this in the middle of a pandemic is certainly a challenge, but it also means there is great potential for growth. I have so many ideas! The world should know that there is light from darkness. Embrace it, let your darkness shine!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Los Angeles has so much to offer! I moved to the San Fernando Valley from South Florida in 1997 and haven’t looked back! When people come to visit (when we aren’t in the middle of a pandemic!) I like to take them to the unique stores in Magnolia Park like Dark Delicacies and The Bearded Lady Mystic Museum, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, drinks at the Red Door or Idle Hour, downtown adventures to the jewelry district (of course) Santee Alley, The Last Bookstore, and more drinks at The Monty! The architecture downtown is amazing if anyone just takes the time to look. Food is plentiful and there is something to satisfy any craving – I can’t wait to hit up the food truck extravaganzas that pop up all over the place! I love to visitn the botanical gardens at Huntington and Descanso, conventions like Monsterpalooza and Midsummer’s Scream, the Grammy Museum and the soon to open Museum of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I love the ocean, so I love visiting Point Dume and hiking to fun movie locations like the M.A.S.H site at Malibu State Park are always nice to throw in during a quick visit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
People: Christopher Nelson, Karole Anstedt, Kate Cabrera, Melissa Johnson and Samara Hagopian

Website: https://www.eternalcraft.org

Instagram: @eternal.craft.designs

Other: spotify:playlist:6ctmtArqaYlypoYKUPVyNg