Layne Freedline - Artisan jeweler Layne Freedline has been passionately metalworking for more than 10 years. Her label, Layne Designs, is dedicated to fi ne quality craftsmanship so that each piece may be treasured as an heirloom. A fascination with the earth’s gems and fossils has peppered her stylish collection with unusual gems from around the world.
Layne’s lifetime interest in jewelry and gems led to a focused pursuit of knowledge and skill. She began her career as a production assistant in a small artisan studio, and worked for another highly skilled craftsman during her college years. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Temple University, and is currently working on her Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America. She was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, by an entrepreneurial family to whom she credits her ambitious attitude, which was steeped in encouragement.
Helen I. Driggs - Helen Driggs is a Senior Editor for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist and an experienced metalsmith who has appeared in several of the magazine’s DVD series, Metalsmith
Essentials. A BFA graduate of Moore College of Art, she has worked as an information graphics artist, art director, writer, and editor. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Society of Goldsmiths, the Colorado Metalsmiths Association, and the Society of North American Goldsmiths.
Steve Ford - Steve Ford grew up in the Midwest, and studied art in St. Louis, Rome, and Philadelphia. He has been a full-time studio artist for the past 20 years. He lives in Philadelphia.