"Almost 20 years ago, I took my first jewelry class and have been hooked on metal ever since. There is something magical about manipulating this enduring element with simple tools and my own two hands."
We first met the delightful Liane Crigler at the equally delightful Albina Press in Portland’s Mount Tabor neighborhood. Two minutes later, we were laughing like old friends. Friendly, funny, and down to earth, it is exactly that same generous spirit that Liane pours into every piece of jewelry she makes.
California-born, Liane began her career in the Los Angeles apparel fashion scene. It wasn't long, however, before she had an epiphany that led her to her true calling: metalsmithing. So in the mid 1990's, she cast her glamorous life in fashion aside to pursue a degree in Studio Art and never looked back.
“Ten2Midnight Studios was born of my passion for handmade items”, she says. “My pieces are less a collection of metals and jewels, and more an anthology of stories, moments & emotions. This line is a definite labor of love. Each piece of jewelry is made in my studio, hand fabricated from sheet and wire."
With an keen eye for textures, Liane's designs feature unique, individually fashioned fusions of metals, chain & gemstone beads. While outsourcing some of that exacting work would surely increase production, she has stayed true to her dream: crafting original designs with her own two hands.
Like so many other busy wives and mothers, however, Liane has struggled over the years to balance this more labor-intensive approach with her personal responsibilities to her family.
I would put the kids to bed, do dishes, and straighten a little (emphasis on 'little'). Around 9:30 or 10:00, I finally found time to work. One night, my husband jokingly said 'Oh, is it time for 'Ten to Midnight Studios' to open up shop?'
Yet it is this very juggling act that imbues each of her pieces not only with beauty, but also with intense pride that she succeeds in making it happen make every day…
… and every night. From ten to midnight.
