Handcrafted jewelry designing has been my passion for over twenty years. I began my jewelry design company journey in 2003 by creating a website – primitive compared to today’s standards. Originally, the business name for the website was “Central Coast Elements", partly inspired by where I live on the California Central Coast. But truly, the reason for the name was my natural surroundings. They were my muse. The dramatic beauty of the  Pacific Ocean, the majestic California Oaks, rugged sea cliffs, silky sand beaches, brightly patterned seashells. I began using material found in nature – driftwood, seaglass, sandstone, abalone – anything I could incorporate into a piece worthy of pride and admiration. 

I continued to hone my skills, using different tools and techniques to design distinctive handcrafted jewelry. With a hunger to expand my horizons and to have an online presence, I posted my designs on a popular craft site page. Having always been drawn to the dynamic costume jewelry of the early to mid 20th century, I began collecting vintage jewelry from estate sales. I’d reconstruct whatever inspired me, clip on earrings, ladies shell belt buckles, lucite buttons, cameos, brooches, into eye-catching wearable art. As my techniques evolved and improved, my workspace expanded from a fishing tackle box to a dedicated design space. A studio cottage was lovingly built by my husband Brian on our property.  In 2008, I had an idea to rebrand my image, and re-named  my company “Designs by Tina Louise.” 

In 2010, Brian and I decided it was time to downsize. We moved to a beautiful home in the same town on the California Coast. My current dedicated studio is a converted home office/den with built-in shelves used to display my finished pieces. Perfect for my design studio needs. The walls are adorned with vintage purses, hats, beveled mirrors, avant-garde artwork – totally me!

See some candid shots of my studio below.