Meet Celeste Kryski! She’s one of the newest members of the Liberty Tabletop team.
Celeste is an apprentice working with our design and tooling team. She’s from the Atlanta, Georgia, area and has made her way to Central New York to help craft new flatware designs. It may get a little cold in the winter for this southerner, but she’s no stranger to cooler temperatures. Celeste completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec.
Earning her degree at Concordia gave Celeste the opportunity to learn an array of design elements through courses like metal and wood shop, 3D printing, industrial design and graphic design. The program allowed her to try different aspects of design work, and through that experience, she found metal crafting to be her favorite. This led her to jewelry design and now, flatware design!
In her words, flatware design is “a middle ground of my interests. I like working with my hands, and I’m not afraid to get dirty; that’s why I liked the idea of taking this apprenticeship. I started making jewelry and working with metal tools, and this job is fun because I get to make the designs and see the process through.”
Because her position at Liberty Tabletop/Sherrill Manufacturing is an apprenticeship, Celeste says the environment allows her to learn without feeling rushed. The low-pressure atmosphere allows her to take her time, ask questions, and really focus on building her skills and gaining as much hands-on experience as possible.
Celeste works closely with her mentor, Eric Lawrence, Lead Tooling Designer at Liberty Tabletop/Sherrill Manufacturing. Eric is certainly aligned with Celeste when it comes to teaching her the craft of metal tooling, and Celeste says he’s a great mentor.
“The vibes just match,” said Celeste. “My learning style and his teaching style pair well. He explains everything so that I can understand what I’m doing before I start, and he tells me why I’m doing what I’m doing.”
Celeste admits she likes to know everything so she can make her own decisions, and that’s how Eric mentors her. It’s a very productive learning environment, and she says she feels no shame in asking questions.
As far as designs go, Celeste is currently in the process of crafting her very own design, and she’s very excited about the prototype. The design features strawberries with flower and swirl accents. Celeste spent a few days developing the design concept and is now putting it to work, practicing her tooling on the die.
Every day is also different, as what she is working on switches up based on what is needed in the factory.
“Who knew something like this existed?” said Celeste. “My dream has always been to putter around in a shop, working with my hands, and now I’m doing it.”
“I feel super content with my life right now. I’m settling in and learning how everything works. It’s nice.”
At the end of the day, Celeste is enjoying her time here, and we’re excited to have her as part of our team. We can’t wait to see what she creates next!
