Meet the Makers: Sarah Edge of Sarah Joy Jewellery

An invitation to meet our sellers...

We have an amazing community of creatives and artists here at Cheerfully Given who love Jesus and are passionate about sharing Him through unique and excellent designs.

So we decided to take the time to introduce them and show off their inspiring products!

If quirky and colourful Christian jewellery is your thing (and you're curious about what soybean oil has to do with it all!), stick around as we talk with Sarah Edge of Sarah Joy Jewellery in this week's #meetthemakers.

It's great to catch up with you today and I'm really intrigued to hear later about what on earth soybean oil has to do with jewellery! But first, welcome! For those meeting you for the first time, who are you?!

I’m Sarah Edge: a London-based designer, wife, mum of 3 and follower of Jesus.

I’m both a jewellery designer/maker and a freelance graphic designer, so each day can look quite different. If I’m working for a client, I’ll be at my mac designing something to fit a brief, otherwise I’ll be in my studio printing, sanding, finishing, packaging jewellery or finding new opportunities to promote and build the business.

I’ve always been a creative type; my childhood was filled with designing, drawing and making and this love of the arts inspired my academic journey. I have a degree in Engineering Product Design and worked as a graphic and web designer for many years, until my 3rd child was born when I stopped work to focus on home life.

Once all my children were at school, I had more time to pursue my passion. I went back to my product design roots, bought a 3D printer and started this new business venture!

I have learnt so much about God (and myself!) during the process of starting this business. It’s an exciting but also very daunting process, I couldn’t have achieved any of this without God’s help. He’s given me inspiration, confidence and the patience to persevere when doubts kick in.

This verse has given me a lot of peace as I make decisions to build my business:

“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (MSG)

I am inspired by so many things… colour, patterns, geometry, nature, abstract art, minimalist design… the list goes on.

Once I have an idea, I’ll design a new product using 3D software. When I’m happy with how it looks, the file is exported into another piece of software which slices the design into layers.

The 3D printer will then use this file to construct the item by curing the resin with UV light a layer at a time. The printing process takes 1-4 hours depending on the design. I finish each item by hand.

Yes! I 3D print all my pieces in plant-based resin, made from soybean oil. I love the fact that this resin is eco-friendly, but it also produces vibrant colours in a lovely matt finish. Ticks all the boxes!

Seeing a new design come to life brings me a lot of joy. And I love the technology aspect too. New innovations in the 3D printing world are fascinating, the possibilities are extraordinary. But it’s also becoming much more accessible; starting a business like this from home would have been impossible a few years ago!

Everything I do, not only in the creative process, but also the way I conduct myself in business, my finances, my ambitions all aim to reflect the way of Jesus.

I might not always get it right (I am a work in progress!) but my desire is to live as Jesus lived and glorify God in all I do.