A moment in time

My story

How Estona began

As you might know by now, my name is Bregje. If you are not from the Netherlands, the closest you'll probably get to pronouncing it is 'Brekja'. I was born 45 years ago in a small town, into a big, wonderful and loving family. Something I'm very thankful for.

From an early age I loved arts and crafts, so I went to school to learn how to become an occupational therapist, expecting to be creative all day. It turned out to be something else entirely, but I stumbled upon a beautiful profession. Working with elderly people living with dementia taught me the value of pure, honest contact. What you see is what you get. That is a beautiful way to connect.

I eventually became a manager in a nursing home, and around that same time I met Nicky, also known as Mr. Tutorials. Then life hit me with a curveball. Just a month into dating I threw out my back. What followed was a long, difficult road of hospital visits, treatments and therapy. What we didn't know at this point was that it would leave me severely disabled for 16 years.

Finding my way to metal

Nicky and I defied the odds and started family of our own. And here we are, with our three kids, a happy family of five. To stay sane as a stay-at-home mom, I picked up small creative projects whenever my back allowed it: baking, printed designs, paintings, stained glass. People on social media noticed my work, and before I knew it I was selling. And I was selling a lot. But in my situation too much and too many different things. This was my cue to choose one direction to focus on properly.

I was drawn to milling and engraving, unsure whether to work with wood or metal. Since the wood machine was about 2 meters long, metal won. That's how Estona began: with no knowledge of metalsmithing whatsoever. To learn how to fix my mistakes made with the engraving machine, I took a metalsmithing class. And once again I fell head over heels for a profession.

I love everything about it: the techniques, the material, setting stones. Taking a flat piece of silver and turning it into something else entirely with my bare hands truly makes me happy. And the best part? I get to share it with you!

Where I am now

Let's add a nice bonus at the end of my story. A little over a year ago, after 16 years of debilitating pain, I was finally operated on. I'm at the last stage of my recovery process, and the pain as I knew it is gone. I can breathe again behind my beloved bench. And so she lived happily ever after... Metalsmithing brought me peace, Estona brought me purpose. You have made a difference in my journey.

Thank you for taking an interest in Estona. Whether you're here for a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry or to learn the craft yourself, I'm so happy you made it.

Bregje.