Hi there! My name is Allyson Prace, owner of Ally McBead Jewelry. I have had a lifelong love affair with all kinds of jewelry that I shared with my beloved Nana. I have been fascinated by wearing baubles since I was a child. I knew at some point I would learn how to make beautiful things to wear.
I wear some sort of jewelry every time I go out or entertain at home – vintage family hand-me-downs and, of course, my own creations. It would not be unusual to see me sporting one of my large bead necklaces with shorts!
Everything changed when I took a beginner metalsmithing class over 10 years ago. There’s nothing like hammering bits of metal into beautiful shapes to relieve stress! Over time, I have had the good fortune of refining my skills with a variety of talented metal artists.
Currently, I adopted a mixed media approach in which I use a variety of materials (non-traditional metals such as copper, brass, silver-filled and nickel silver, leather, art papers, beads, charms, cording, silk ribbons, chain and patina finishes). My goal is to create tiny pieces of wearable art that are unique and affordable.
Thank you for visiting my gallery of jewelry designs.
How It All Happens
As beading became more commonplace and sterling silver prices skyrocketed, I became fixated on new and different materials. I have fun discovering new ways to work with metals. I apply various finishes to metal to achieve a desired texture or patina. The exciting part is “layering” metals with leather and paper and embellishing with beads, charms, metal washers or shell. While I make earrings and bracelets, the bulk of my business is pendants which are strung from chain, leather cord, or silk ribbon.
My inspiration could be from nature, magazines, catalogs, paintings/installations from an art museum or my travels throughout the country. My eye will catch a shape and I will immediately complete a rough pencil sketch since I never leave home without a small notebook and pen.
Later, I add more detail by creating a “blueprint” where I make notes to self on materials that could be used, what texture could be applied, whether or not a patina can be used, how will that color be added and how it will be suspended. Preliminary materials will be gathered and tossed into a plastic bag with my notes. It may sit on my bench for a while to ferment or I jump right in to create my prototype.
I have created a fun and colorful home work space where hours have been spent learning a new technique or getting familiar with a new metalsmithing tool. As a big reader, I am a collector of books on beading and metalsmithing techniques so a lot of self-teaching takes place!
Success isn’t always mine, but I always refine a skill and learn from a mistake. Some days, I just hit it right and create a lovely item that is ready to be photographed for my website and Instagram page. My hope is that my final piece goes to a good home and the buyer wears it in good health!
Ally McBead Jewelry Resume
Education:
Memorial Art Gallery (Rochester, NY)
Basic Beading Class
Precious Metal Clay Class
Let’s Bead (Rochester, NY)
Beginning Metal Stamping Class
My Garden of Beadin’ (Hendersonville, NC)
Beginning Metal Smithing/Cold Connections: Copper Bracelet with metal artist/author, Kim St. Jean
Tryon Arts Center (Tryon, NC)
Metal Smithing Weekend Camp with metal artist/author, Kim St. Jean
Cary Arts Arts Center (Cary, NC)
Five-month long course work in Beginning and Intermediate Metal Smithing with jewelry artist, Hsiang-Ting Yen
Juried Shows:
2008 Rochester Science Center Holiday Arts and Crafts Show (Rochester, NY)
2010 Hendersonville Holiday Arts and Crafts Show (Hendersonville, NC)
2011 Greenville Convention Center Holiday Fair (Greenville, SC)
2021 Art-n-Soul Pop Up Market, Preston Village (Cary, NC)
2021 The Summer Patchwork Market (Durham, NC)
2021 Celebrate Fuquay-Varina Artist Market (Fuquay-Varina, NC)
2021 Fall Arts on Market (Durham. NC)
2022 Spring Daze (Cary, NC)
2022 Art-n-Soul Makers Markets, Mystic Farm & Distillery (Durham, NC)