I am the angry ghost of Archibald Asparagus. Kidding, I'm more like the French peas in a trench coat, if you were raised on veggie tales. I am a former trade worker that after spending too much time trying to lead ethically in industrialism, felt called to leave and apply my care of the crafts, individuals, and creation, in a way a poor tradesman under the thumb of an oppressive ruling class can be proud of.

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I was a generational protestant. I deconstructed so hard that i found the beauty and mystery I had originally wanted in wake of crusades and burning stakes. I have been the returning scapegoat ever since. I seek to create art and mystery everywhere I go, as we have spent millenia slowly stripping ourselves of it, every step another away from unmade source. The ego is what needs the answers, the soul needs the seeking. So, as a jewlerymaker i seek to make things with intention, that the end user is able to either appreciate the beauty of, or meditate deeper with. Both are trancendentals. I dont want to make a brand, i want to build towards a mantle of ideas that people like me can feel safe under. I believe our namesake provides that. I go by Addy, and I hope together we can create something you will keep forever.

Okay so, culturally here in America, Catholics will sometimes give a down-brow glance to a rosary on the neck in my experience, but its not necessarily their fault culturally. There are no rules against it, but they point out it is not a piece of jewelry. I get their intent, i do, but this is why i strive for real function. Ive reclaimed so many nice vintage rosaries that are just.. wrong. I feel like that is the intent they look down at, and i agree. However, to assume that of seeing one on the neck is honestly, western privilege. The people that say you shouldn't wear it are harboring a few generations of catholic guilt, that was well beaten in by protestants being reactive to anything that was expressly catholic, like the rosary. In other countries wearing it around your neck is more common. The more common the folk, the less stigmatized it is to just put the loop over your head. Modesty and not attention-seeking sure, but disdain for it is expressly euro-centric i promise you. And, its not like I've made one that lights up.

...yet

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I would also like to argue heavily that if you were to ask her, Mother Mary would love the idea of a rosary made with the intention of being seen and appreciated outside its tradition. It draws people to her, does it not? If every piece is accurate and functional, and showcases mystery and beauty, the old man shouting about modesty is the problem. Take pride in your art, and yourself.

I intend to start each line as a rosary first, then to build an accompanying series of jewelry pieces to match it. I intend to bring some detail, craft, and lasting heirloom-level beauty to someone's life in a world of various collectible forms of plastic. I know that there is a limit to how much plastic I can personally eliminate, when in the American disposable e-conomy, poverty is expensive. But please know, that in every step of the process there is every attempt to do it fully myself, with non-plastic material.

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As microplastics become our generations asbestos, I will quietly be stitching our own velvet bags in the next bedroom, and choosing shredded cardboard over bubble wrap. As of starting this business I intend to send each jewelry item out in a velvet or lace bag i made myself, on the sewing machine with fabric I've reclaimed myself. It's not perfect because velvet is plastic and I'm not a seamstress, but the cheap "mesh"(not even string) bags are a different level of undecaying hard plastic.

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If enough people that have joined the Mantle, hopefully like you, tell me i should move up to harder casing for the pieces then i will. I quite like the idea of using upcycled vintage ring boxes, and with growth would even tolerate buying overt packaging.

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However as of starting out, the soft bags I am making ship easy without extra size weighing down our country-underfunded mail service. They fit in your pocket for carrying daily, and are less likely to be thrown away with the packaging, thus closer to a net neutral on our spinning grove. Trust me, if i could avoid the microplastics i would, but it is not in my ability yet.