About the Artist

Hey, y’all!  My name is Laurie Calahan. I’m an artisan jeweler from Shreveport, Louisiana, and I am the creator/owner of Muddy Boot Jewelry. (This name is an endearing play on words of the fact that Louisiana is often referred to as “The Boot” by many Louisianians.) Muddy Boot Jewelry was birthed from my intense love for travel and my desire to take pieces of my most beloved places along with me everywhere I go. Louisiana (my original home) is one of these places. I recognize and honor that the river is a symbol of life, the passage of time, and the power of nature, so I wanted to incorporate this symbol into my jewelry. Since the Red River is the border between the sister cities, Shreveport and Bossier City, where I reside, I decided to create a special mixture of the red soil found in and around the Red River with moldable binders (a sort of “mud,” if you will) to form my jewelry. By doing so, I was able to find a unique way to wear a beautiful symbol of life and take a little piece of home with me everywhere I go. Win-win! Then, I began to incorporate soil/mud from the Mississippi River into my creations!

I also make jewelry out of recycled bottles, vintage items, antiques, and anything with a well-worn story. A portion of the proceeds from ALL of my jewelry lines (Muddy Boot Jewelry, Broken Beauties, The Vintage Vino Collection, On the Rocks, Beerbobs, A Lovely Rosé, The Whinny & Wine Collection, The Garden Spirits Collection, The Irish Spirits Collection, Crowned Royally, Celtic Earth, and S.A.S.S.) supports sexual abuse awareness and the Gingerbread House Children’s Advocacy Center of Bossier/Caddo parishes (Louisiana).

     Another organization that is very dear to my heart is Room Redux. Room Redux is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to facilitate a safe environment for children who have faced abuse by providing room transformations.  I serve as Executive Director of our local chapter of this organization. My mission is to raise awareness and aid in the prevention of sexual abuse, to empower those who have been abused, and to be a very loud voice for survivors everywhere who have not yet found theirs. I want to remind others of the importance of standing in the gap for those who do not have the strength to stand on their own - YET - and to remind them of their beauty and value.

     My Broken Beauties Collection is made from broken and cut recycled bottles, and it conveys my heart about sexual abuse and how, regardless of one's brokenness and pain, like glass, one can be tested by the fire and become even more beautiful than before. Each piece from The Broken Beauties Collection is carefully considered and lovingly named after a strong, beautiful person who has inspired me to always be the best person I can be. I believe that everyone has something broken within them that can be beautifully healed. I love the concept of taking brokenness and making something beautiful out of it … literally and metaphorically. Recycling is the perfect opportunity to do just that. The idea for my Broken Beauties Collection emerged from some very painful experiences of my own, coupled with the outpour of support and encouragement from others who endured their own pain and arose victoriously on the other side. A very wise woman once said: "I am so much better healed, than I could ever have been perfect." I believe that brokenness is part of the unique beauty of each person's life and it is through this brokenness that we all can help each other heal.

     The S.A.S.S. (Sexual Abuse Survivor Support) jewelry collection was created for the specific purpose of drawing awareness to and aiding in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse of which 100% of its proceeds goes to the Gingerbread House Children’s Advocacy Center of Bossier/Caddo parishes to help victims of childhood sexual abuse. This jewelry encompasses three different symbols: the fire rose (a symbol made for and dedicated to survivors of sexual abuse), the pinwheel (this symbol was introduced by Prevent Child Abuse America as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention through Pinwheels for Prevention), and the “Enough” hand (enough sexual abuse, enough silencing, enough victim blaming … enough).

     The Vintage Vino Collection is my first jewelry line to incorporate not only recycled bottles, but also vintage items, and antiques. I love making beautiful, one-of-a-kind jewelry from recycled and repurposed treasures. The Vintage Vino Collection manifests the concept of beauty emerging from age and life experience. We all have a story and, although some of the details are not always pretty, the story can be beautiful … it all depends on what we do with it. May your story be filled with love and beauty! 

Peace, Love, & Light!

Laurie Calahan