We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey Recor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I always wanted to own my own business and at the age of 28 bought into my first business. I was born in Atlanta GA and my mom was an artist. Her creative influence definitely rubbed off on me. In college at the University of Georgia, I started out as a marketing major but wanted to change to sculpture halfway through. My dad was not thrilled with this decision so we comprised and graduated with two degrees in Marketing and Sculpture. My first job out of college I moved to Dallas TX to apprentice for a sculptor, Brad Oldham, creating interior architectural pieces and learning the art of casting pewter. I then went to work for my dear friend Shoshannah Frank and within a year or so bought into a company called f. is for frank. For 10 years we worked together creating lines of sculptural jewelry selling to stores all over the country.

In 2018 I moved east landing back in my home state of Georgia and created Casey Melton Studio. Years prior I discovered that with my pewter casting processes I could pick up the tiniest of details like fingerprints. I called this product Prints of Love. I decided to make Prints of Love my primary focus for my new found solo entrepreneurship. Being a mom of 3, I know how special it feels to wear their tiny prints close to my heart everyday. The cast pewter keepsakes are adorned with fingerprint impressions capturing a moment in time and lasting forever. I capture anyones favorite human and/or pets from 0 to 100 years old. All my creations are handmade by me in my Roswell, GA studio. I brings be so much joys to create jewelry with a personal touch. Whether its actual fingerprints of the ones you love most or a piece with a name or just a handsculpted image, I want my jewelry to bring connection and evoked those feel good emotions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an artist my medium and process definitely make me unique. There are not a lot of centrifugal pewter casters in the country. My process is a direct impression which adds more of a personal element. I send a kit to my customers or they come to my studio and I take a clay impression. From there I mold the clay impression and cast it into pewter. I can reuse the molds so if the client wants multiples now or years from now I can make it. The finishes I offer are pewter, 24k gold plating or rose gold plating.

When I created this product I was teaching an ornament making workshop for kids. I noticed I was buffing off there tiny prints that showed up in their metal creations. I thought I bet parents would want these. A year or so later I had by first child and I did want my baby’s newborn handprint and to wear his tiny prints around my neck. It was a very organic process how I expanded this product line and business. As I expanded my family and more of my friends had kids, the word spread and people bought my products. Their friends see the jewelry and would want one and it snowballed into a sustainable business. I love the collaboration of their prints and my creations. I love the connectivity people feel to my line of jewelry. Occasionally I will get impressions of people’s last touch. When I receive messages from people that tell me how much their prints of love keepsakes mean to them I know I am doing what I am meant to do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start off at Fellows for brunch in Roswell. I love there ambiance set in a sweet yellow house with an amazing deck and garden out back. I would order a specialty latte and their unique eggs Benedict which is set on a sweet potato and maybe a cinnamon roll to split. Then I would head out to the river, the outdoors are my jam. There is this secret spot near my house that is on of the widest stretches of the river with rocks you can jump and layout on. I might even take my paddle board and mosey down stream. The Chattahoochee river can transplant you out of city life even when you are still in the bustling metroplex. For lunch I would do From the Earth. I love to hit up live music and in the summer Roswell has amazing river concerts once a month for free. For dinner I would go to a quiet east Roswell staple… JP Sushi. The sushi is amazing, its super affordable and its family owned for over 25 years.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to my mom, artist painter, Kati Sellers Art, for influencing my creative spirit. My dad, Wes Sellers for being my sounding board. My husband, Craig Recor, for building my latest studio and the only one that can find the random parts to fix my vintage machines. My friend and mentor and previous business partner, Shoshannah Frank how taught me the deeper meaning and to focus on the details. My 3 kids, Walker, Lowry and Collier who are my daily inspirations. All my friends near and far that continue to be my biggest fans.

Website: https://www.caseymeltonstudio.com

Instagram: @caseymeltonstudio @yourprintsoflove

Facebook: casey melton studio

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