OUR STORY
Everyday fantasy is our mission
For the lore seekers, fantasy mavens, and whimsically minded
EVERY ARTIFACT HAS A MAKER
EVERY MAKER HAS A QUEST
My name is Michelle and I am the maker behind Bousabe Designs. My husband, Andrew, and I reside at the base of the Sierra Nevadas, where the granite meets the pine. Shaped by mountains, books, and the stories that never quite say goodbye.
I found silversmithing the way most obsessions find you - suddenly and completely. What began as beaded jewelry in the fall of 2022 became something far older almost immediately. I became entranced with sand casting and bringing ideas that had solely lived in my head to life.
The tools in my hands have history; many of them belonged to my grandmother [Vlatka Varga]. There is something sacred about forging with my own hands using tools older than I am.
We are mostly self-taught, which means we answer to no tradition but our own. Every technique is chosen deliberately. Every piece is handamde in our studio cast in sterling silver, brass, and copper using methods that predate the kingdoms that inspire them.
Andrew holds the world steady while I build it. He keeps the forge burning by showing up at every market, building behind the scenes, and believing in this quest long before it had a name.
When we are not at the bench, you will find us in the mountains, in the pages of a good book, or in the garden with our old man dog - Jackson.
This is not a jewelry business. This is a living archive.
Forged with Intention
Every scrap of metal that leaves this studio has been touched by deliberate hands - nothing leaves without our approval. We recycle and reuse our metals, package with care, and reach for secondhand tools before new ones; because the forge should strive to leave the world better than it found it.
Nothing here is mass produced. Every piece is singular, made once, made to last, and made to mean something.
We draw from the world around us, the mountains we were raised in, the books we cannot put down, and the ancient techniques that have outlasted every empire that used them. That is what lives in your jewelry when it leaves our hands.
If you are still searching for the right artifact, we would be honored to make it with you. Start your custom journey here.