there was hardly a culture, in however early stage of development, with whom the desire for adornment was not a strong and basic instinct. it is a thread of commonality that is shared by all. primitive, folk-art and ethnic influences predominate our designs which, depending on the piece, incorporate mixed metal fabrication, etching, patinization and oxidation, torchwork, resin, gourds and gourd fragments, twigs, stones and other unique items from Nature's bounty, vintage beads and components, semi-precious stones, old photos and tintypes, text, imagery and found, recycled and repurposed objects. basicly everything from tin cans to game pieces and anything else the mind can conjure up are fair game as we are only limited by our imagination! embellishments often include bits of silk fabric, amate papers, prayer beads and charms including Milagros which are Mexican religious charms called "little miracles".

opie's work always has a touch of whimsy, using vintage tin cans, new year's eve rattles and vintage childrens blocks combined with lots of found materials. i love to hand-stamp words and phrases into the copper. i find it to be an empowering process. my work has a strong feminine and spiritual feel to it. i only select embellishments that contain a warm resonant energy and my metal of choice is copper often combined with small amounts of silver and brass to create Harmony when worn close to the body. our rustic surfaces, patinas and textures have become our trademark.