Former Eau Claire resident Cat Leonardson is making a bold statement with their collection of colorful polymer clay jewelry.

Leonardson created their Fern Westover jewelry line in January while looking for something to do during quarantine.

“Over the pandemic, I wore more and more earrings,” Leonardson said. “I did a bunch of research and bought a bunch of supplies and started doing it. And I really like it, so I figured I would sell them.”

Leonardson quickly realized there was a lot to be learned about the market and trends surrounding selling earrings and jewelry in general online. “My sales were really good when I first started,” they said, “but summer is just slower in general for sales.”

But Leonardson is still going strong with their most recent “Spooky Season” drop right in time for Halloween. Many statement pieces can be found in this collection, from otherworldly souls and ghosts to jack o’ lanterns to skulls.

But, as spooky season draws to a close, Leonardson looks to the holiday season in their next collection lines. The artist has several collaborations lined up for the coming months and is looking to incorporate different mediums such as beads, woods, and even bone.

“It’s hard for me to commit to collabs sometimes because I have so many individual ideas for myself,” Leonardson said.

Check out Leonardson’s goods at both The Local Store and Barstow Beauty in Eau Claire. Their jewelry is also sold online at fernwestover.com and monsteraplant.co.