Julie Jerman-Melka and Jeffrey Melka
Having a special promotion to celebrate Flying Anvil Designs being in business for 22 years. Starting November 22, 2022, the first 22 orders placed will receive a 22% discount. Our way of saying thank you to everyone for a great 22 years. Be sure to use code 22in2022 during checkout. Also if something is showing out of stock or you have something in mind not on the site, feel free to contact us and we can work with you. Thank you again for keeping us creating for 22 years.
Julie and Jeffrey
Finding endless inspiration along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to create what you see below and on the following pages
Click Shop Now to see
pieces new to the
website for 2022...
Shoreline Sonata
Hand forged sterling silver, basalt beach pebbles, white topaz and freshwater pearls. Adjustable from 16" to 18".
Earrings, necklace and ring by Larry Sanders Photography
ABOUT US
We are a wife and husband team located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a very small community in the Keweenaw Peninsula, very remote and beautiful, and inspirational for the work you see on these pages.
Julie has been a metalsmith and jewelry designer for her entire career. Many years were spent in Colorado, where the metalsmithing skills were honed and fine tuned, and where Julie also earned her M.F.A.in metalsmithing and jewelry design at Colorado State University. This allowed her to teach her love of the medium on a college level which she did for many years, while slowly building her own business: Flying Anvil Designs.
I was always the back of the house assistant, and in 2007 joined as a full time business partner, which was an easy transition as we've been life partners for approximately 35 years now.
Julie is and will always be the main design force for all of the pieces in the collection, which we call the Gentle Current Series, because it utilizes basalt beach stones that we collect on our almost daily walks along the shores of Lake Superior. All the meticulous metalwork, stone setting and finishing work are done by her.
My focus on the business is drilling and coring the stones, and mostly doing what I refer to as "the necessary evil", all back of the house business tasks that are part of running any business. Thank goodness for that often under utilized accounting degree.
We relocated back to the Upper Peninsula eight years ago and feel very fortunate to live in the area where we were both born and raised. Each day and season brings its own unique inspiration and outdoor recreation that we love: Paddleboarding and sculling in the summer, hiking in the incredible fall colors, cross country skiing in our famously long winters, and looking forward to spring and the cycle starting over, all the while creating new pieces for the line.
Julie and Jeffrey
Shows and Galleries
2023 Show Schedule...Coming Soon
Thank you everyone for a fantastic 2022. We are finished with all shows for 2022. Starting to get jury results for 2023 and the list will be made official soon. For the Show Groupies, so far think Coconut Grove, Gasparilla, Winter Park, and Main Street Fort Worth.
Also, it's on the Home Page that we are having an online promotion celebrating 22 years of Flying Anvil Designs being in business. Happy shopping and hope to see everyone in 2023.
California:
Artisana
146 North Mail Street
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-829-3036
Colorado
Balefire Goods
7513 Grandview Avenue
Arvada, CO 80002
720-479-8434
Florida:
Brenda McMahon Gallery
2901 Beach Blvd South #104
Gulfport, FL 33707
518-692-7742
Massachusetts:
London Ventures Company
2 Dock Square
Rockport, MA 01966
978-546-7161
Michigan:
Joe Graci Gallery
555 East Michigan Street
Marquette, MI 49855
Wisconsin:
Bell Street Gallery
807 Bell Street
La Pointe, WI 54850
(on Madeline Island in the beautiful Apostle Islands)
715-747-2092
Cappaert Contemporary Gallery
7901 State Highway 42
Egg Harbor, WI 54209
920-868-3987
(Open May 1-October 31)
Galleries
CONTACT
You can contact us through the form on the left, or the phone numbers below. We do our best to respond within 1-2 days. Thank you.
970-310-4904 cell
906-934-2372 yes, we still have a land line