Valerie
was born in 1961 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, and grew up on a dairy farm
just outside of Keene on the north shore of Rice Lake.
She
started making jewellery at the age of 19, when she began an apprenticeship
program with Libby Smyth, a local craftsperson. Valerie carried on her studies
at Sheridan College School of Crafts and Design and graduated in 1984 from the
Metal and Jewellery Arts program. Shortly thereafter, Valerie was awarded a
residency at the Harbourfront Craft Studios in Toronto, Ontario. She worked creating
her own designs and teaching out of the Harbourfront jewellery studio.
A
desire to return to a more pastoral lifestyle took Valerie to the north, where
she and husband, David Bond lived in Moonstone. Valerie was one of the founding
members of Celeden Studios, a craft co-operative venture which operated from
1986-1988 in Barrie, Ontario.
In
September 1988, their first daughter was born - Alice. Not long after this, the
family moved back to the Peterborough area and eventually built a house on the
family farm. Since then, Valerie has continued to create jewellery from her home
based studio, and raise her children with the addition of Charlie, in 1992 and
Sarah Jean in 1994.
