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Made by Mom Gift Guide: Becky Wofford Jewelry features pieces inspired by nature

Becky Wofford figured jewelry making would just be a hobby until she took a metalsmithing class. Becky Wofford Jewelry was born.

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Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

At first, jewelry making was just going to be a hobby for Becky Wofford. She figured she'd use her newfound skills to craft Christmas presents for family.

She took a class to learn how to make beaded jewelry about four years ago and followed up with one that focused on metalsmithing. That's when Wofford, a Raleigh mom of two, found her passion. She now designs a line of mostly sterling silver jewelry for men and women.

"Something about it, it's just meant to be," she tells me of working with metals. "It's intuitive for me."

Becky Wofford Jewelry is the final mom-owned business to be featured in our Made by Mom Gift Guide. I caught up with her recently at Epona & Oak, a store that features handmade items in Raleigh's City Market.

Wofford's work is often inspired by nature. There's a maple leaf necklace, for instance, or a bracelet inspired by a Trumpet Creeper flower and vine.

Wofford began the business when her children, now 5 and 7, were still in preschool. She's found that working from home is ideal for her family now that her sons are in school.

"I'm here everyday when they get off the bus," she tells me. "I don't have to call in sick to anyone when the boys are not well and I can make my own schedule work with summer break and holidays. I feel like this is the perfect mix of being able to work and be there for my sons as if I were still a stay at home mom."

Wofford also has opened up her studio to two other jewelry-making moms. Working from home can sometimes be a bit isolating. she says. The camaraderie of the other moms has been welcome (along with the baked goods they give her for sharing the space).

"I have a sense of co-workers," she said. "They have a place to come and work."

And working at home has had another added benefit for Wofford: Her kids get to see what she does for a living.

"They have the added bonus of growing up seeing what my job is and learning how to do some parts of it," she said. "They get everyday lessons in workplace safety and in having a work ethic."

Learn more about Wofford in the video and on her website.
This wraps up Go Ask Mom's Made by Mom Gift Guide for 2011. Click here to see all the featured moms who were part of it. Thank you, again, to Epona & Oak, for helping me find many of them. And check back Friday for a big Made by Mom Contest!

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