Jessica Poundstone is a jewelry designer whose cute background story instantly makes you feel comfortable with her. Slightly self effacing, she talks about having “neither the cash to invest nor the guts” to buy clothing with the bright colors she loved, so instead she opted to create pendants: what she calls her “little color explosions”.

There are several types of pendants to choose from, beginning with simple one layer pieces with a single color against a white background. I’m actually quite partial to these because of their simplicity; they really show up very well without being ostentatious.

Jessica also creates two-layer pieces which are a bit more complex; you can choose from multiple patterns including ginkgo leaves, olive branches and even Chinese characters. I love that she hand draws each piece, so you’re not just buying jewelry but miniature artwork as well. Talk about a two-fer-one!

Her pieces are pretty affordable considering each one is handmade and guaranteed to be unique (the production process allows for slight variations in size, shape and design). Here’s how Jessica does it: she cuts clear shrink plastic, draws on it and then bakes it. Lastly, she paints and varnishes it to perfection, and adds approximately 17 inches of leather cording. Jessica’s delightful pieces can be found by visiting her website, Jewelry by Jessica.