Wonderfully Made is happy to spotlight Jeannine Hoyte from Ocean to Earth Jewelry. Each piece is one of a kind, handcrafted by Jeannine, the founder and creator. Jeannine’s jewelry is inspired by her experiences living most of her life in South Africa and her later life in Southern California with her husband and two daughters. A percentage of the profits from Ocean to Earth Jewelry go to support one of four non-profits that are near and dear to Jeannine’s heart.
What does a typical day look like for you?
First things first – getting my kids to school on time! If I can do that, with love and kind words, then my day is off to a good start! Two or three times a week I’ll go for a surf and then head to our surfboard factory, Hoyte Surfboards, where I help run the business as well as have my jewelry studio set up. The office is divided between the two — jewelry on the left, surfboard admin on the right. Kid pick up is at 2:30 and I then try to focus on home and family. ‘Try’ being the honest truth. My kids are used to the work/home juggling.
What inspires your art and jewelry?
What inspires originates in my love for our fabulous coastlines and the colors found in and around the ocean – fused with my fascination with the creative and colorful beads that originate from my home continent, Africa. I was born and raised in Southern Africa and am amazed at the talent and ingenuity of the African people in using their natural and recycled resources to create job opportunities AND art. The combination of these inspirations has allowed me to create jewelry that is authentic to my heritage, personality and personal taste. I create what I would love to wear.
What is the significance of Ocean to Earth as the name of your jewelry company?
About 15 years ago when I had to create an email account, the name just came to me. From that moment onwards, I knew that I wanted to create a jewelry line with that name. It seems even more appropriate now that a lot of the beads I work with look like sea glass (Ghanaian recycled glass beads) and are African inspired – Ethiopian silver and brass; natural, high-quality gem stones; and natural leather and suede.
Each collection is connected to a non-profit. How did you decide which non-profit your jewelry sales will support?
I wanted to support local charities and global charities after hearing a message on the benefit of doing both. Each charity is close to my heart for different reasons. We need to support the poor, homeless and hungry, hence a local charity Project Understanding that does that; I have friends in Solvang, CA who run the Haiti charity, U2U World; The Mocha Fund supports clean water, education, economic freedom and orphan care in Africa, my home continent; Waves For Change is run out of my hometown Cape Town and gets troubled and traumatized youth from the township into surfing and the A21 Campaign deals with the very current and ongoing global problem of sex trafficking.
Each charity is relevant to the name of the five different collections I have and each piece is symbolic of the name of the collection!
How would you like to see Ocean to Earth grow in the future?
My vision is to see the website really take off nationally. Every piece on there is one of a kind so when it’s sold, it’s sold. Then I get to create more! I would also like to participate in multiple community events as I believe that people like to support locally as well as contribute to a bigger cause. That’s why I got started. Jewelry making alone wouldn’t have been satisfying. But being a part of a cause as well makes it satisfying.
What are you passionate about beyond jewelry making?
My two spunky, creative and completely unique daughters and my incredibly loyal, hard working and loving husband – they have my heart!
But I also love to surf. The moment I get in the water I feel alive, peaceful and I smile! I’m a bit of a goofball in the water, not the silent surfer type, especially when I’m with my girlfriends surfing, because it brings me joy! As the wife of a very talented shaper I am extremely fortunate to have excellent boards under my feet! We also have an amazing community of friends here in Ventura, CA. We love them deeply and so for my husband and I, we are passionate about their lives. We are extremely fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people.
How can the public get involved to support Ocean to Earth and the non-profits?
Firstly, they should read my Local To Global page on the website. That will give them an understanding of each charity and why Ocean To Earth is involved with them. Visit the charity’s websites too and get involved; there are many ways on each website to donate and participate. Secondly, purchase some jewelry! Not only do you get to wear something unique and special but you get to support a wonderful cause and look beautiful doing it!
Most of our readers for Wonderfully Made are women and girls in their late teens and early twenties. Can you comment on what being “wonderfully made” looks like for you personally?
As a mom of two young girls, I am acutely aware of how they feel about themselves.
I’m teaching them to look around themselves and to make an effort to see through different eyes – to see that the reality of how we are created has NOTHING to do with what is portrayed in the media as perfection or what some of their peers may say unkindly to them. I’m teaching them to love their own talents, giftings, bodies, uniqueness — to embrace the uniqueness in others, to speak words of kindness to people that build up and not tear down. To treat others with the knowledge that THEY are wonderfully made.
For me personally, to embrace the concept of being ‘wonderfully made’, has come to mean over the years that I’m confident in not only my body, but in my being. The Creator of the universe has made me in His image.
I am surrounded by some very beautiful women and could spend a lot of time comparing myself to them, but I have grown confident in my identity as a daughter of God. I like who I am. And when I don’t, I work on changing it. That includes character flaws, as well as my perception of myself and my body. I’m far from perfect, but I’m teachable. And the ONLY person that I want to please is God. Only HE has created me. And only HIS opinion about me matters. Fortunately, by grace, a universal amount of love and mercy, HIS opinion about me is the highest! I am even more beautiful in HIS sight, than my beautiful daughters are in mine because He sees my innermost being. That’s huge! I am wonderfully made!
