Kelly Woodcroft jewellery

If Kelly Woodcroft was to have a spirit animal, no doubt it would be the magpie. Instinctively and obsessively drawn to collecting anything miniature or precious that catches her eye, Kelly has amassed an incredible collection of small oddities - all destined to find their place among the stories she weaves within her jewelled creations.
Born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Far North Queensland, by creative and nature-loving parents, Kelly was immersed in and surrounded by traditional crafts, and the scenery of the country echoed by music and style of the ’80s. Perhaps it's this beginning to her story that has now imbued her work with its somewhat contradictory nature? All at once rock & roll and contemporary, precious, spontaneous and methodical and treasured... this could well be a description of Kelly’s inspired roots, itself.

Her individuality, and the expression of that - primarily through clothes, style and the considered presentation of [her]self - is engrained in each piece of jewelry she makes. Each piece, carefully assembled, the arranging and re-arranging of little objects, and precious things, moved and re-placed until they establish a relationship with each other. And tell a story to the viewer.

Moving to Brisbane, Australia, in the late 90s, for 6 years Kelly worked in finance with a leading bank where she formed an entrepreneurial mindset, however, she sought an environment where individuality is nurtured not ignored, and where distinct personalities find common ground through creativity. As an advocate for celebrating individuality. Her unique identity as a designer and her intricate creations were concealed behind a banking roller door, limiting the opportunity for personal expression from craftsperson to customer. In 2009 Kelly experimented with design and metal-smithing. The jump-off point for Kelly to become a jeweller happened when her mother visited her in Brisbane, they would attend a craft market – Kelly’s mother sent her to a wire jewellery making class, It was then that she realised her calling.

"I had always loved the fashion industry, the art world, and the engineering function behind any product. Jewellery design and fabrication seemed to me like the perfect amalgamation of these three fields,” she says.

Kelly soon began her apprenticeship to become accredited and was first signed on at French Door and completed her apprenticeship with widely acclaimed Australian Jeweller James Tyler

Kelly’s heritage and the journey became her inspiration, and her inspiration became her work.

This use of unexpected, and delightfully juxtaposed, materials is where it all started, and over 30 years later, is now firmly her signature style.

Kelly’s work has been featured internationally and, in 2021, in the publication of UK Solstice Magazine

Kelly lives and works in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, two children and thousands of tiny little objects.