Joy Sparks Designs
Brand · Jewelry
It all started as a hobby in 2002.
As a former high school teacher, I found myself drawn to the history behind old typewriters. There is something about the way they look, the way they sound, the way they create. Every typewriter tells a story, literally, and I can't help imagining the stories told by each piece I find. Turning them into jewelry was the logical combination of two of my biggest passions.
For over 15 years now, I have been searching for typewriters anywhere and everywhere, turning transforming them from artifacts to art.
I taught myself the unique process of removing the keys, grinding the backs, and making them into one of a kind pieces of jewelry.
I love that I get to give people something very personal and special.
Sitting in my work space, arranging the keys, and creating jewelry is more like therapy than anything else. I love the inspiration that comes from my customers.
Whether they learned to type on an old Underwood, their grandpa was a newspaper editor who pecked away at his portable Royal, or they taught keyboarding on an electric.
Whether it's the widow of newspaper reporter purchasing a bracelet made from keys like her husband typed on for years, or using the keys of grandma's typewriter to create necklaces for each of her granddaughters. My re-creations appeal to so many people.
I want to make a difference.
I'm also passionate about using jewelry-making as a "social impact business." The profits I earn allow me to spend many hours in Michigan prisons teaching classes, hosting special events, and speaking to people that are incarcerated; giving them hope as they write the next chapter of their future
