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“May I take something out of the case for you to look at—or better yet, to try on?”
Adding to the long list of amazing that Ladies of MTG has brought into my life, today I present to you my interview with Texas-based jewelry artist and Magic enthusiast Shannon Smith Vinecke.
Vinecke, a Simic bioartificer, makes beautiful things.
Vinecke’s Etsy store Paragone features designs inspired by a diverse array of influences including Magic, steampunk, and autism. The quality of Vinecke’s work and her eye for detail drew my attention when she posted some items in our ladies Facebook group. In addition to big swords and Blightning, I do have very lustful feelings around jewelry and shoe shopping. I asked my husband to get me the Avacyn Restored necklace for Valentine’s Day, and impressed with that piece, I contacted Vinecke about a possible custom commission.
Turns out Vinecke did play the custom commission game and had done custom work before. I told her about my idea—I wanted a multi-strand Deathmark necklace. Back when I started playing Magic, my husband and I bonded over designing a deck for a Magic Game Day at our local Guardian Games. Part of the “tech” for our meta was main-decking Deathmark, and our deck, “Mrs. Smith,” helped my husband to a great finish. Plus, Steven Belledin’s art on Deathmark is just ridiculously sick.
This was my first time commissioning a custom piece of jewelry, and I can’t imagine a better experience. Vinecke sent me a ton of photos and regular updates and involved me in the design process. A family woman, artist, and player, it was great to get to know Vinecke during the commission process. I’ve spattered pics relating to my Deathmark necklace throughout this article, and you can see the finished product at the end.
Vinecke’s pieces run $15 or more, with most averaging around $40. She does earrings, charm bracelets, necklaces—and probably more if you ask her. A custom piece of jewelry is an unforgettable gift and an incredible value when you want something truly special.
So . . . normally, this is a pretty boring question, but I think in your case, it would be enlightening: How did you get into Magic? Looks like you have a pretty creative family; is it a genetic thing?
My eighteen-year-old started playing a couple of years ago when he started college, and of course, his younger brother had to get into it, too. I started playing Magic because my boys kept bugging me to learn to play. Every night it was, “Mom, play with me, please!” I decided to give it a try and, I spent a whole day at one of our local card shops learning the game of Magic. My first real FNM was during the M13 release, so I have not been playing for too long. I am still learning the mechanics of the game. Everyone who knows me at our card shop knows I play for fun, and I try not to take it too seriously. My boys are awesome at playing; they can tell me what any card can do, the converted mana cost, and how I should be playing it. My eighteen-year-old is a killer deck-builder. I don’t know about it being genetic—my fourteen-year-old daughter and husband think we are crazy to play the game; however, they are huge supporters of it—because at Magic, I’m still learning, and they kick my booty. I do know that it has definitely brought me closer to my boys, especially my oldest.
Tell us about your academic and career background and how it led you into jewelry—did you study art? Did it start with one exorbitant Orzhov commission? Did you ever have a booth set up in Tin Street Alley? Was it more of a hobby at first? What appeals to you about this art?
Believe it or not, I am a hairdresser by trade . . . so you could say I had to be pretty creative at my job. I started fooling around with jewelry after taking some classes with my daughter. I loved the idea of taking something and making it into a new and beautiful piece of work. It definitely was a hobby at first, but after a while, it became a new trade. I started out having my jewelry in a friend’s hair salon in California; I’ve only lived in Texas for a little over five years. My Magic: The Gathering collection came about pretty recently. My really good friend Andrea Wallace (I play Magic with her at our favorite shop – Bad Wolf Trading in Houston, TX) and I wanted something fun to wear to the StarCityGames Open Series tournament in Fort Worth. I made for her a Sorin necklace and for myself a guild bracelet for myself with all the guild symbols.
We had so many people asking us about the jewelry and wanting to buy it. I never thought in a million years it would be such a unique item. It was nice to be able to actually have a use for the token and insert cards that come in your packs! Jewelry as an art appeals to me because it tells the people around you a little bit about your style and your personality. Take me for instance: I wear Merfolk and Elves.
Without giving too much away, can you give us a rundown of your tools of the trade, sourcing, and requisite skills—i.e. What would it take for someone interested to get into this art?
Designing jewelry is not hard to do. You just have to have a little bit of patience, a little bit of style, and a whole lot of craziness. My medium has changed from when I first started designing. I go through phases . . . it usually starts because I want something to wear or I like an idea. My standard tools of the trade are natural and solid brass, copper, sterling silver, and leather. I also only use genuine gemstones and Swarovski crystals. My designs almost always incorporate stamped or worked metal, and I use a lot of resin when I make Magic: The Gathering designs.
I try to use local businesses to purchase my supplies. I also use Etsy a lot for my bezels; I like giving back and supporting my fellow tradesmen. The natural brass comes from Vintaj, and most of my copper comes from the hardware store. Because I’m a small business and I do not make any design exactly alike, it’s easier to find my supplies closer to home. The Magic cards I pick up by buying or trading, and most of the time, my friends give them to me! At Drafts, everyone knows to give Shannon the token and inserts! I’ve received a lot of really cool cards from my fellow Magic players; they love the idea that the cards are being used for something fun. But I do get some pretty weird looks when players see I’ve upcycled a popular card or one that costs a little more than most.
Some of Vinecke’s brew: Autism awareness, crafting between rounds at FNM, Ren Faire fun
You have autism-inspired jewelry on your site. Is this a cause close to your heart?
Autism is very close to my heart; both of my boys are on the spectrum. My eighteen-year-old has Asperger syndrome, and my thirteen-year-old has high-functioning autism. I named my business for them: Paragone, someone of exceptional merit. That is one of the biggest reasons I learned to play Magic: It gave me a connection to both my boys. I think if it were not for me learning to play this past year, my oldest and I would never speak. I always tell other parents dealing with autism about learning to play Magic with their kids; it’s really been a great thing for us!
Shannon’s “Key to Autism” and “I ♥ Someone with Autism” designs alongside Soaring Hope necklace
What deck archetypes do you like to play when you sling Magic cards?
What type of decks do I play? I started with Vampires—not my favorite. It was easy to learn the game on it, though. I enjoyed playing Jund midrange until my oldest wanted his Huntmasters back. My favorites so far have been my G/W populate deck and my new Master Biomancer deck with Biovisionary. You have to love a card that can win you the game while blindsiding your opponent. I am also playing a Dimir mill deck I built during our Gatecrash league; this one has also become my thirteen-year-old’s deck.
I noticed you have a Simic Guildmage and Prime Speaker Zegana on your Facebook page. Is this representative of your guild allegiance?
Very much so. When I started playing, I wanted an Elves or Merfolk deck; my son thought I was a little crazy. He built it for me anyway. When Return to Ravnica came out, I was Selesnya all the way. Then came Gatecrash with the possibility of Merfolk, and when that kind of didn’t happen, I fell in love with the Simic Combine. I immediately wanted to have a deck around Biovisionary. I have no idea why I love the Elves/Merfolk—maybe it’s because they are all about peace, love, helpfulness, and slap you in the face when you get mad. Even my EDH deck is Elves, and I’m slowly building a Merfolk deck for Modern/Legacy.
How do you make time for family, art, and Magic?
There is never enough time! I usually work on jewelry during the day while all the kids are at school. We do a lot as a family together, and also my husband and I split individual time with the kids. My daughter goes with me to festivals, and she is a huge help. She is also my sounding board for designs for teenagers and my living model. I just recently made a few Pokémon necklaces with her help; she picked out all the designs. We play Magic at home; we even have our own mini-tournaments. We have two really great shops where we play Magic: Cards and Comic, which is local, and Bad Wolf Trading, which unfortunately is about forty minutes away. We try to play at least once a weekend—Standard or FNM Draft.
What are some of your favorite pieces of jewelry you've done (and why), and what do you love most about the custom commission process?
I have a couple of favorite pieces. I have a leather bracelet with hand-cut and dyed-blue leather flowers for autism—the middle has a conch with an awareness ribbon. I will be wearing that piece starting in April for Autism Awareness Month and my boys. I made my mom this really cool steampunk necklace for our annual Renaissance Festival in Texas; it is very big and chunky. I incorporated the natural brass with watch parts, nuts, washers, and these really neat working gear conches. I also love all of my Magic designs; I wear them almost every day. I have been drawn to the really awesome artwork on the cards. I am asked about the designs all time; it’s a great conversation piece.
Custom commissions are actually my favorite thing to do. I enjoy working with people, and you can get to know someone’s style by the way he or she wears his or her accessories. It definitely takes me awhile to do a commissioned piece because I involve the customer every step of the way. I find it makes it easier to do the piece, and I always have a happy customer. Last month, I was commissioned to make a set of brass cufflinks with the planeswalker symbol. The gentleman saw my planeswalker earrings and wanted them to wear. They turned out awesome. Turns out he didn’t play Magic; his son did—he just wanted to be stylish at tournaments. Gotta love it!
Do you have a favorite Magic card of all time?
All-time favorite—that’s hard. If I were to choose a card based on the artwork, it would have to be Descendants' Path. I love the story the artwork tells. Favorite playing card: Slaughter Games. It is definitely enjoyable to remove all of your opponent’s best cards. I always call Slaughter Games “Hunger Games”—it somehow reminds me of the book.
Give us your thoughts on women in Magic in three words:
Women in Magic: Overlooked—Underestimated—Awesome!
Interested in acquiring some of Shannon’s work for yourself or for someone you know? Contact her at:
- paragonestore at gmail dot com
- Paragone on Etsy
Thank you to Shannon for her time invested in this interview as well as my Deathmark necklace—I will be clearing Elves and Knights out of my way with it for years to come.
Till next time, may Magic be your upstart idea.
And your upcycled obnoxiously luxe Vorthos pimpstress-chain.
@moxymtg on Twitter
