JULIE ALLISON

Sterling Silver Lazer-Tran Sending My Love Charm Bracelet

Today we visit the St. Andrew Botanic Gardens in Scotland that houses over 8,000 species of plants on its 18 acres.

One of the gardens' many highlights, a large ceramic panel called Homage to Paxton, is located in the Mollie Pirie Glasshouse. Scotland is also the home of featured jewelry designer Julie Allison.

Charm bracelets are a fashionable and simple way to document life's milestones: a long-awaited trip to France, a new car, or a new baby.

Special moments forever immortalized in charms of silver or gold is a unique way to carry the journeys of the past and the present.

Allison's distinctive, custom-made jewelry takes this concept a step further with rings, brooches, and charm bracelets depicting life scenes in pop-up storybook-like pictures. The creations are simultaneously fresh, fun, and sentimental.

"I would describe my work as being very narrative," she says. "I love creating work that has special meaning or a story behind it." In 2003, the 30-year-old native of Kilmarnock, Scotland received a Bachelor of Design in Jewelry and Metalwork from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

To create the whimsical, child-like drawings featured on her pieces, Allison implements two processes: photo etching to transfer her drawings from paper to silver, and lazer-tran to add color.

She extracts her own personal experiences that include freeze-framing a long bus drive, a ladybug perched on a blade of grass, and even a representation of her once burglarized studio, DD4 Workshop.

Sterling Silver Lazer-Tran Skyline with Moving Cars
Brooch Pin

"The source for my work comes from past and present memories of my family, my home, my travels, and experiences," she explains.

"There is a piece inspired by my trips to London while I was in art school. My home and family are very important to me so the image of home is used a lot in my work."

Allison is the recipient of the Goldsmith's Bursary Award, and she has been featured in many publications including Evening Times, Sunday Herald Magazine, and The Herald Weekend Living.