Hi! I’m Ashley, owner and designer at Patriot Beads and Brass. Thank you so much for visiting my page and being a part of my small business dream. I am a 12 year veteran of the Army National Guard with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. It was during my deployment to Afghanistan in 2014 that the idea for Patriot Beads and Brass came about. At the end of the deployment when it came time to turn our ammo in I had a random thought, “What do they do with the brass we pick up off the range? How cool would it be to turn it into jewelry!” So with that idea, some time at the range and donated brass from a few friends, Patriot Beads and Brass was born in the summer of 2015.

 

Art has always been a passion of mine.  Having gotten a divorce right before I left for my last deployment, transitioning back into civilian life when I got back proved especially hard. Dealing with the stress of deployments, being a single mom and going back to school brought me back to art and ultimately, helped me heal.  
 

One of the main messages I like to make with my jewelry and art is the idea that service members can and do serve a purpose after their time in service. Much like the casings you use when reloading your ammo wears thinner every time you reload it or some may even crack. Each deployment wears on the mind and body of a service member. And as those casings become too worn to reload they go on to be reused to make beautiful jewelry. As service members our mission may be complete but our purpose drives on in the civilian world.