OUTSIDE THE SHOP is a monthly recap of everything fun and exciting happening outside of that small and cozy space where I spend the majority of my time (my shop). This is a place to make connections, discuss passions, and reap the rewards of monthly jewelry giveaways.
Welcome to OUTSIDE THE SHOP!
When you are self-employed, the lines where “work” begins and ends are oftentimes very hazy. As a result your family becomes very involved in business life…everything from going on supply runs, to being there when you answer phone calls and emails. Even at this very moment my son Rain is sitting on my lap and trying to reach the keyboard as I type. please stop. 🙂
Truth be told, my family is just as much a part of Modern Goldsmith as I am.
As such, I will probably be referring to them a lot in this monthly series. This first post will mostly be spent with introductions and of course, giving away jewelry!
GETTING TO KNOW US
JORDAN MICHAEL
Hi! I’m Jordan, the founder of Modern Goldsmith. I’ve had many nicknames throughout the years: Jordo, Jard, Jordaniel, but none of them are quite as good as my very first nickname, the one my father gave me as a child: “JB” (short for “Jordan Bud”)
That’s right, I AM a bud! Can we be buds?
I’m like one of those colleges with a 100% acceptance rate…the college of buds. All you have to do is apply…
If you want to learn more about me and how I got into the wonderful world of goldsmithing, I suggest you check out the about page.
BROOKE DANAE
This is Brooke! The light of our family, the queen bee, the beautiful young lady who is, in spite of my best efforts, slightly funnier than I am. We are always trying to “out-funny” each other, so I’m happy to take any win I can get.
Brooke’s current passions include cooking, baking, and trying to make our small home as cozy and heart-warming as possible (Think shiplap, blankets, wallpaper, etc.). She is hands down the best thrifter I have ever known. She buys all my clothes.
FEN LORENZO
You may be thinking,
“Fen Lorenzo? Greeeaaaat, another young couple naming their kids strange and non-traditional names.”
Well, you’re right! But honestly, it’s 2016…you can’t just be naming your son “Bruce” anymore. (If there are any Bruce’s reading this right now, I love you).
Besides, we DO have a bit of a theme going with our names. We decided to do a water theme when naming our children since I, Jordan, was named after a river, and a “brook” is a small stream. A “fen” is a type of wetlands, and “rain” is that watery stuff that falls from the sky. So there you have it!
I can’t say myself, but explaining your child’s name to someone is probably similar to how it feels explaining the meaning of a tattoo. It really doesn’t matter…it’s your own decision, but sometimes people ask, and other times you just feel like letting people in on the secret.
Anyway, this is Fen! He loves singing to himself. He turns 3 next month. Send all the presents.
RAIN FIELDING
This kid is the happiest child on earth, but if you ever bring your children over for a “play date”, just be aware that Rain will probably attempt to eat your child’s face off. The remedy is simple, just put on some tunes and watch his tush go to work.
KINGSLEY & PRIM
These adorbs kitties are named after characters from Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Before the kids, these were the only babies in our lives, these sweet bundles of furry joy.
We got Kingsley from a co-worker of mine in Utah in 2011 when he was just 6 weeks old. Brooke and I had only been married three weeks, so he was a fun addition to the new chapter in our lives. I don’t think Brooke was quite ready, but the first night we got Kingsley he meowed all night and wanted to sleep in Brookes hair for comfort. I thought it was the cutest thing ever (I grew up with cats), Brooke on the other hand was already wondering what she got herself into.
After we moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2012, Brooke and I were working full-time. Feeling bad for our poor Kingsley being left alone all day, we adopted Prim from the Humane Society in Portland, Oregon. She’s an older kitty and the sweetest lap cat.
So, that’s us! We are the Mantzkes.
MONTHLY GIVEAWAY!
In the spirit of HALLOWEEN, I thought it would be fun to make something that had a “spooky” theme, so I chose BLOODSTONES. Theres actually not much spooky about them beyond the name. I love how no two stones are exactly the same, the red splashes make each stone unique in of itself. Ethically sourced and set in 14kt white gold!
HOW TO ENTER
For a chance to win, do the following two things:
- Join our mailing list. To do this, simply enter your email address into the box below the comment section of this page (for mobile users) or on the right side-bar of this post (for desktop users). Don’t forget to check your inbox and confirm your subscription!
- Leave a comment on this post! Yes, I’m forcing you to talk us. 🙂 Let us know any thoughts you have on this post, or even better, tell us a little bit about yourself. (We reserve the right to moderate comments as needed. Please be respectful to others.)
OFFICIAL SWEEPSTAKES RULES: Entries will be counted from October 31 through November 4th, Contest ends on Friday, Nov 4th at 6:00 pm PST. Participants must follow the two rules outlined above to be considered eligible. Only one valid entry per person will be counted. Winner will receive one pair of 14kt white gold blood stone earrings with an Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of $150. Winner will be notified via email and will also be posted in the comments section of this page. Winner will be chosen at random. Odds of winning depend on the number or eligible participants. Only US residents over the age of 18 are eligible. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Thanks friends! I will see you again next month for more “OUTSIDE THE SHOP” fun, with more jewelry to give away!
Until then, feel free to check out other goldsmithing projects I am working on.
M O D E R N G O L D S M I T H
Hi! I’ve been friends with your brother Taylor for years, and heard you were doing this! Someday I hope to have money and that money will buy me custom jewelry! Your work is beautiful, and so is your family!
Thanks for the kind words! Any friend of Taylor is a friend of mine.
Jordan, it’s so fun seeing the family and business you have created! I still remember when you were apprenticing at the same little jeweler in Provo that my dad used to work at. I love seeing your work on instagram 🙂 Hope this turns into a big thing for you guys!
I totally forgot you telling me about your dad! Haha that’s so awesome you remember that…those were certainly the “early days” 🙂
Love this family! I’m excited to finally meet mme little “”ephews” . Brooke will always be the funniest. You just can’t win.
I feel like I could hear you guys laughing at each other throughout this whole post!!❤️
You are so funny, Jord!!! I can’t wait to read next month’s blog post. Also, Brooke. Serious smoking hot babe. And I miss Rain eating Eli’s face. Okay. The end. Also, I want those earrings. The end. For real.
Hahahaha poor Eli
I had no idea of the meanings behind all your names! So awesome! I don’t care if your kids names are Steven, or Timbuktu, someone will ALWAYS have something to say about it. So you might as well choose something YOU like! 😉 I would love to win those earrings! The contest ends on my husband and my 11th wedding anniversary, so just saying.
Beautiful work and Beautiful family Jordan. I am proud of you and the hard work you put in to be living your dream. May God continue blessing you and your family!
I love LOVE LOVE this blog/site!!! It makes me giggle! you guys make me smile and make me so happy!! I love to watch people pursue their dreams!
It is great to “meet” the family. And I love seeing your awesome projects.
Love your work absolutely wonderful
Your family is so beautiful! I served my mission with Brooke and loved her so much, so it’s so fun to see what your family is up to now! All the jewelry you make is gorgeous!
Love your website! We miss seeing you guys!
I love it, Jor!!! You’ll always be funniest to me 🙂 Brooke is funny too… On a more serious note… The Mantzke family tv show should still be created.
I concur.
P.s. I love all of your names and never made the water connection. That is awesome!
You concur that I’m the funniest, or you concur that there should be a Mantzke TV show?….hahaha.
You guys are the cutest and finniest. Miss those boys running around here!
I love your work and your boys! Looking forward to the next update. 🙂
Jordan,
I adore your family. It has been a joy to watch them grow up. I also admire your work as a goldsmith….pure talent. I am so happy with the necklace you created for me. It will always be my favorite.
Aw, I’m SO happy you love it so much. I need to take some pictures of it next time I see you! 🙂
Hey Jordan! I love seeing all of your Goldsmith-ing dreams come to life! All of your jewelry is beautiful. One day, when I have lots of money, I will have you custom make me this ring that a lady had me clean for her way back during our days at Precision Time. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head! Until then, I’ll keep entering all of your contests
Hey Alie! Ahhh…who could forget the memorable PT days? haha! I hope you and your cute lil fam are doing well. By all means, keep entering all my giveaways!
Such a generous giveaway.
It’s such a treat to see the brilliant things you are making and sharing with the world.
Thanks for the love.
HAHAHAHA. I will forever think your middle name is Bruce now.
I’ve known & loved your family long before you were even thought about! Your grandma & grandpa Weber were friends of ours & your mom was probably 10 years when we first met your family. She has always been one of the very favorite kids that I watched growing up. Although you don’t know me, I have received pictures of you every Christmas since you were born. Your beautiful wife looks very much like your mom did at her age & your adorable boys resemble the many little blonde Weber tikes.
Congratulations on finding what makes your heart happy in life!
Oh I would LOVE something crafted by you Jordan! Amazing work!
I love this!! I loved learning about your cute family! Fun to know the meaning behind your kid’s names! I went to school with Brooke in Sacramento, CA and I agree, she is hilarious. I follow your work on insta and am obsessed! So I’m excited to hear more about your life outside the shop! Also wouldn’t mind winning a gorgeous pair of earrings!
Hi Jordan. Thanks for making my 45 year old wedding ring look purdy again! You are very talented and I enjoyed reading your blog.
This is fantastic! Your family is beautiful and your jewelry design is superb!
So awesome Jordan! You guys are the coolest!!
I had no idea we had such talented, local people in Vancouver. I’m excited to become a customer, and THRILLED you source ethically and responsibly.
Vancouver has a special place in my heart. I hope to meet more great people like yourself! Thanks for the kind words!
Beautiful earrings! And Pacific Northwest? That area is my dream trip! To drive up the Pacific coast highway, up to the Oregon coast and end in Washington. Would love to go to Alaska too!
You definitely SHOULD make that trip…some of the most beautiful scenery my eyes have ever beheld! 🙂
Your work is beautiful, I loved this post and as a parent with a child who has a less than traditional name I loved that aspect of your post from a place in my mommy heart.
I’m in love with those bloodstone earrings Your work is beautiful! At first glance they look like globes! Hope to take them with me on my next adventure!
Super cute site and awesome products! So glad I just stumbled upon this!
Beautiful! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m marrying my best friend this spring and am always on the lookout for ethically-sourced jewelry for the ceremony. So difficult to find in Mississippi! These earrings would be perfect for my woman-of-honor (“maid” is not really our style).
Also, the photo of Rain on the tractor cracks me up!
Nice to meet you Shannon! Congrats on the pending marriage to your best friend. That’s the best. 🙂 When the time comes to mail out announcements you should send us one (hopefully with one of those cute couple pics attached) and we would be happy to gift you a pair of earrings. That is of course if your name isn’t drawn tomorrow night 🙂
Wow! Both your family and your work are gorgeous!! I loved reading everything on your site and I think your family’s names are awesome! I love those bloodstone earrings – the shade of green is so beautiful. My name is Alia and I’m a student at BYU studying microbiology. I used to study geology so I’m very interested in different stones and I’ve always been intrigued by different kinds of jewelry 🙂 Thanks for sharing your work!
Hey Alia! So great to meet you. Geology is def a fun thing to study! (Playa lakes? Haha) Is your microbiology major a pre-Med focus? I actually attended BYU as a guest student for one semester. It was really fun (minus a honor code violation for my beard. Long story) when I applied to get in the school as a regular student though I didn’t get accepted! That actually is what led us to move up here to Vancouver to focus on Goldsmithing instead. It’s been the best.
Love your stuff and personality!
Beautiful jewelry!!!
Fine arts of metal work hope to see much more in the future, nice inlay as well crisp and clean.
Thank you Mark!
Wow, these earrings are beautiful! I also appreciate that they are ethically sourced and that we get to know the artists behind them!
Im happy to have come across this artist. I love the style. Since a child I have always been amazed at the beauty within our earth and the people that bring these gemstones to life with their artistry.
As a former metalsmith turned improv comedy actress, I have a soft spot for beautiful hand crafted jewelry but also need a hearty dose of comedy in my diet. As luck (or internet trackers) would have it, instagram showed me your site which delivers both! Thoughtful funny posts, beautiful jewelry. What more could a girl want?! These earrings are Stunning!
Jessica! Thank you very much for the kind words. If a comedy actress found my post thoughtful and funny, I know I am on the right track! haha, but seriously..thank you thank you! It sounds like you have always gone after what you loved (metalsmithing and then improv) so I certainly have a lot of respect for people like you. I hope to see you around here more!
What a lovely page! So happy to have found you and your beautiful work.
BIG THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I really appreciate the kind words and the connections we’ve made. Let’s do it again! (25 short days until my next OTS post & giveaway)
The winner of this months OUTSIDE THE SHOP giveaway is Kristi! One pair of bloodstone earrings coming your way 🙂
Hi! I’m suzanne! Im also one of those people whose kids have “odd” names. I have a Samuel (dreadfully boring right? Family name), a Corbin (means crow) and Leona (lioness). I agree that you should name your kids what you like-someone is always going to hate it, but that’s their problem. I actually love Fen, btw!
Your childrens names are just lovely. Thanks for the comment!