Verso (Melanie Brauner)

Melanie Brauner is a metalsmith, papermaker, and artist based out of Everett, Washington. The beautiful jewelry she makes for her small business, Verso, is from metal forms that are cast in handmade paper.

The process: the metal is dipped into a pulp made up of water and finely beaten paper fibers from a plant called abaca. The fibers cling to the metal, shrink as they dry, and, after successive dips, form a tight, translucent paper skin. The pieces are then hand-dyed and sealed with resin to make them durable.

Melanie’s pieces are inspired by the beautiful oceans, forests, mountains, and wetlands of the Pacific Northwest. Her studio is tucked at the back of the garden of her 1928 storybook cottage in Everett. Interesting tidbit: the term "Verso" refers to the back side of a leaf or the left-hand page of an open book.