Maggie the Bear Studio, King Salmon, AK (2026)

04/29/2026

the arctic thaw collection is ready for you! ❄️✨🐻‍❄️🐺

today is the day! all the jewelry featured in these slides will be listed on my website tonight at 6 pm est.

i poured my entire heart & soul into this collection while i processed some personal life changes, which are all good developments but require pause. one thing i can count on with metalsmithing is that it always has my back. the sequences: sawing, soldering, sanding, stone setting, remain consistent.

this body of work is devoted to the wildlife that calls the arctic home. these creatures are resilient, migratory & self reliant. as my journey in life continues to move forward, i can only hope to harness those same qualities.

i hope to see you tonight! thank you so much for being here, always.

04/27/2026

walrus necklace with pure 14k gold tusks & blue boy beluga earrings 🌊✨❄️

walruses are the largest member of the pinniped family, with incredibly tough skin & two long, ivory tusks which grow from their skulls. these tusks are used as tools to pull themselves onto ice or rocks & to fight off predators. their sensitive whiskers are used to search for prey, like clams & mussels, that reside on the seafloor.

in the spring, female walruses will migrate north & begin giving birth to offspring on ice floes. mothers & calves will remain bonded for two years, which is the longest bond between pinnipeds.

the walrus, whether pacific or atlantic, is at the top of my list of animals i hope to see someday. in the meantime, to maybe manifest a possible walrus viewing, i have crafted this necklace as a tribute. i decided to focus on the form of the walrus’ head rather than the whole body. i’ve seen walrus skulls in museums & have always felt so drawn to their head’s epic shape & proportion. as a way to really emphasize their tusks, i chose to craft them in pure 14 karat gold.

alongside my new walrus design, i crafted more beluga whales that dangle from pieces of blue boy variscite. this material feels just like the icy, arctic waters that beluga whales inhabit.

this about wraps it up for the new designs i’ve made for my arctic thaw collection! it’s been such a joy to craft this body of work. each time i’ve worked on a piece, i’ve given myself time to research the subject matter & have come across new discoveries. all these animals i’ve set into silver are connected & are what make the arctic so special.

all of the wares i’ve shared here & in my previous posts will be available this wednesday, april 29th at 6 pm est! i hope to see you there. thank you so much for being part of my corner of the internet.

04/24/2026

subarctic dwellers ❄️🐻🐺🐟

brown bears & coastal wolves inhabit part of the arctic that is called the subarctic. this land lies south of the arctic & contains boreal forest, whereas the north is treeless. both areas experience seasonal thawing.

the sea wolf & yearling bears with gold salmon/flounder necklaces will be available alongside my favorite sow with cubs charm necklace, on april 29th at 6 pm est on my website! i’ll have two of each design available.

it’s been fun coming up with new concepts, but i decided i wanted to include previous designs in my arctic thaw collection as they are definitely relevant to the theme. i hope you’ve enjoyed the work i’ve been sharing & in a few days, i’ll be sharing two more fresh designs!

04/21/2026

polar bears & belugas 🐻‍❄️🌊 & a shop update announcement!

as part of my arctic thaw collection, i wanted to honor two of the animals that always come to my mind when i think of frozen biomes. polar bears, resilient & fierce, are classified as marine mammals. they can swim for days, have black skin & hollow fur that reflects light. those facts make polar bears sound like mythical creatures, but we’re so lucky that they’re real.

beluga whales, are born dark grey that turns pure white over time. they lack a dorsal fin, allowing for them to navigate under ice floes with ease. their neck vertebrae are not fused which means they can nod their head & move it side to side. ghostly looking & full of teeth, these whales navigate arctic waters without any fear.

the polar bear sow & cubs charm necklace is a spin off of my brown bear sow & cubs piece. i wanted to make sure there were distinct differences between the two bears & their cubs, by head shape. polar bears have an elongated, narrow nose that is perfectly shaped to stick into seal breathing holes & helps propel them like torpedos underwater. this necklace was such a joy to craft & i’ll have two available!

the beluga whale design popped into my head when i first saw them in alaska this past summer! & i had just returned from katmai/king salmon, with the agenda of driving the turnagain arm. we were riding the high of being in such a beautiful landscape & listening to new music that we had missed when we were out in the wilderness. as we drove, we looked out at the ocean & saw white humps rising at the surface. we were nearing beluga point & had the perfect gift of seeing a pod of belugas swimming about.

the arctic thaw collection will go live on wednesday, april 29th at 6 pm est on my website! i have a lot more to reveal, so i hope you’ll stick around to see everything & hopefully find some jewelry you connect with. thank you so much for being here. ❄️

03/23/2026

in honor of world bear day, i decided to do a roundup of my bear inspired jewelry (in no particular order). 🐻🐻‍❄️🐟

i know my name makes it pretty clear that bears have always been my favorite. i resonate with them in a way that i can’t always put into words. their independence, fierceness & ability to survive yet never forgo rest is what keeps me drawn to them. i’ve been building my business for close to six years now, while working hard at figuring out a balance between pleasure, play, hard work & never giving up.

i have bears to thank for everything. it’s such an honor to live alongside such incredible creatures. i think about the brown bears i admired in katmai daily. i think about the polar bears i hope to someday see in svalbard. i can recall every black bear sighting i’ve had while traveling down vermont roads.

my artist name, maggie the bear, was first established in high school when i was 16 years old. i had acquired the most beautiful silver bear pendant from my jewelry mentor (before i even know that’s who she would be.) i wore it everyday on a piece of dark brown, buckskin lace.

bears will always continue to pop up in my work. in fact, i’m working on a new bear design currently. i look forward to releasing it, but for now, cheers to world bear day! the first slide is a photo of me from 2023, when i had finished the katmai earrings.

02/28/2026

double sided arctic grayling & kinetic sea otters ❄️🐟🦦

to finish off part one of my arctic articulations collections, i wanted to be sure i had some other wares that fit the bill beyond the past three pieces i’ve shared over the week. i decided sea otter necklaces had to be included in the mix, but chose to pair them with glacial-esque stones. i couldn’t be more excited with how the sea otters all look with their own new lander turquoise teardrops in their clutches.

i also finished up this arctic grayling necklace that’s been sitting at my bench for a couple of months now. i jumped right into it after the holidays but began to focus on other endeavors once it was fabricated. i’m so glad i completed it for this collection. i’ve been wanting to make an arctic grayling piece for a long time & though it isn’t kinetic, it is definitely meant to be in this collection themed around the arctic. this necklace is double sided, allowing the epic rectangle of ocean jasper to be visible no matter which way it’s worn!

my shop update is tonight at 6 pm est! you will see these necklaces & all the others (polar bear, arctic hare & arctic fox) listed. i hope these last reveals speak to you, as i always want there to be heartfelt connection between my jewelry & all of you. thank you so much for being here & i’ll see you tonight!

02/26/2026

the arctic articulations collection 🐻‍❄️❄️🐇🦊

a kinetic ode to the wildlife that inhabits the harshest climate of all. whipping winds, frozen ground & dense snow are the conditions where polar bears, arctic hares & arctic foxes actually thrive. with thick fur & streamlined faces, the polar bear & arctic fox can dive into seawater or snow, catching pray with ease. the arctic hare’s large, padded feet & long nails make traveling & digging through snow a piece of cake. all of these creatures listen closely to their surroundings, in the vast arctic, for resources are best found when heard.

i’m considering the release i’m having on saturday, february 28th as part one of my arctic articulations collection. i want these three kinetic designs to be part of the world & hopefully yours now. i have three other ideas for kinetic arctic animals up my sleeve, but they’ll be saved for part two. as i type this, i have six sea otter necklaces in the works which will also be available on saturday!

thank you so much for the enthusiasm & support over these necklaces. they took me a long time to create & i’m so glad they feel exciting to you all. i hope to see you saturday!

01/17/2026

i miss iceland the way i miss alaska. they’re both worlds that i think about whenever i’m going through the mundane tasks of life. each place represents a longing that will always exist in my heart.

i think about the summer i spent in iceland in 2024, where i regularly drove to snæfellsjökull for the chance to observe arctic foxes. multiple days, i saw them. at this time in my life, i was working on two small embroideries for pendants. i’d post up in a little camp chair by the sea cliffs & eventually a fox or two would make an appearance. i’ll never forget it.

here are some of the photos i took of the foxes i was so lucky to see. consider this post a hint at what i’m currently working on!

12/31/2025

all my favorite jewelry designs from 2025 started somewhere! i may not always publicly share behind the scenes images, but i do make sure to document the process along the way for personal records. whether it’s an initial loose sketch or a moment in the fabrication process, i try my best to capture it.

this work requires a lot of trial & error. sometimes i make a prototype & scrap it because it’s not living up to my expectations. i’ll sit at my bench for hours determining layouts & compositions before i even solder or rivet everything together.

eventually, after all the drafts, the final product is a precious object. my workbench is an old table that my dad salvaged from previous homeowners when we lived in southern vermont. it’s not pretty, but it’s where my jewelry always starts & ends. my tools could use some polishing or be replaced, but they get the job done. scraps of paper hold all my thoughts & scribbles when lightbulbs in my brain go off.

i’m beginning a new piece starting tomorrow & i’m hopeful that it will be a favorite right off the bat! thank you so much for loving the jewelry i dedicate myself to. happy new year!

Maggie the Bear Studio

04/29/2026

04/27/2026

04/24/2026

04/21/2026

03/23/2026

02/28/2026

02/26/2026

01/17/2026

12/31/2025

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