Welcoming handmade earrings by Mississippi artist, Ponderosa Drive! Each style presents a one-of-a-kind statement with oblong shapes and small accents. Get to know Ponderosa Drive below :)

The artist behind Ponderosa Drive, Casey Jennings, is a Mississippi native and graphic design graduate. She created Ponderosa Drive in September 2018. The inspiration for Casey to start handcrafting jewelry came from At West End's very own Director of Product Development, Beverly Adair. Casey says that Beverly is "quite the fan of large, statement earrings but dislikes how heavy they tend to be." This statement sparked the idea to use the notoriously lightweight polymer clay that she had once worked with in an undergrad sculpture class.

Successfully constructing her one-of-a-kind lightweight earrings (which quickly gained popularity in the Jackson area), Casey needed a name for her accidental small business.

"I remember making jewelry out of pipe cleaners at my grandmother's when she would babysit. She lived on Ponderosa Drive - instantly I knew what the name had to be." 

Casey's design process for Ponderosa Drive starts on her computer where she draws numerous shapes or patterns. Once she decides on the final design the handmade production process begins. This process includes kneading, rolling, and making the material more "workable" so she can cut out the chosen shapes. The clay is then baked, sanded, and washed before assembly... TADA! you now have a handmade (with love) Ponderosa Drive pair of earrings. 

Casey doesn't do all of this hard work on her own! She has a full team behind her to lend a "helping hand"... or paw! She is accompanied by three furry assistants.

Murphy and Otis are two faithful felines, and the newest addition to the petting zoo is her dog Della. We are so excited to welcome the Ponderosa Drive team to At West End!