Introducing Karina from Karmic Star. Where every item is handmade!! From her home studio in Canberra, ACT, Karina loves to create artisan jewellery made with attention to detail, high quality materials, and positive intentions.
Find out why Karina started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
I'm Karina, and together with my husband, Michael, we are the "Kar" and the "Mic" of Karmic Star (the Star is for our daughter). We create artisan jewellery for people who are seeking unique and thoughtfully handcrafted treasures that are made with attention to detail, high quality materials, and positive intentions.
I am the jewellery artisan, and all of my creations begin as Australian-made ethically sourced 925 Sterling Silver wire and sheet.
From this I make every component, settings, chain links, clasps, earring hooks, so you can be sure that each Karmic Star treasure is as individual as you are.
Mike is the lapidary artisan, carefully and intuitively transforming rough stones into the shiny polished cabochons that are the centrepiece of our very special collection of collaborative Pendants.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I've always been obsessed with jewellery, and I remember from a small age swooning over my Mum's and my Aunt's costume jewellery with sparkly glass faceted "gemstones". I began dabbling in beadwork around the time that bead shops began popping up around the place, but it was when I discovered wirework that my mind was blown.
Realising that I could create the bits and pieces with my own hands rather than having to purchase mass-produced findings was pivotal! Add to that an awakening about the magic and mystery of gemstones and crystals, then learning that Mike and I could shape and polish our own stones, has brought our journey to where you find us today.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
We are inspired by symbolism and nature, and by the colours, textures, and energies of the stones and crystals that we craft with. They are the most wonderful materials to work with, to us they are so much more than simply inanimate objects, they are intriguing and beautiful to behold, and they all have their own unique story.
Where did you learn your craft?
I am mostly self-taught, devouring books and magazines in the early days, along with a couple of small workshops helping me along the way. It has been an amazing journey over the last two decades, learning how to work with the metal to bring what I see in my mind's eye into physical reality.
Mike and I are also fortunate enough to have the Canberra Lapidary Club nearby, where we both learnt the skills of shaping and polishing stones from the wonderful community of members who are so generous with their time and knowledge.
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
I'm passionate about handmade because it is a revolution against the excessive consumerism that is being pushed by our society. Instead it asks us to slow down and consider how and where we spend our focus and our money. Handmade is full of character and connection, it honours the soulful process of creativity, and is something that I love to support wherever I possibly can.
Karina is a much loved member of the MadeIt Collective, posting regularly in our Facebook Group ~ MadeIt: Handmade not Massmade Australia ~ and sharing her new creations as they are released. If you haven't connected with Karmic Star make sure you join our FB Group and say hi!
