Where it's made: See how Stephanie Distler's studio has changed over the years

Here's a look at what Stephanie's studio space looked like when the build-out started in 2016. The studio is at her home in Johnsonburg.

2016 was also the year that Stephanie won the PA Wilds Champion Award for Best Brand Ambassador. Before there was a "Best Brand Ambassador" award, Stephanie Distler was championing the Pennsylvania Wilds brand and pushing the envelope on how private-sector partners could leverage it in the marketplace.

A PA Wilds Juried Artisan and founding member of the PA Wilds Artisan Trail, Stephanie was one of the first artisans to align her hand-forged jewelry designs with the PA Wilds' regional brand. She didn’t stop there. Stephanie was also the first Juried Artisan to create a line of PA Wilds-branded products – a jewelry line.

Even just a few months later in 2016, the studio was already starting to taking form and be a usable space to create her artisan wares. Having a dedicated space in her hometown was important to Stephanie.

Stephanie is proud to have her home and studio in Johnsonburg, a place where she loves to live and is very active in the community. In fact, Stephanie is the 2024 president of the Johnsonburg Community Trust. Stephanie is a fifth-generation native of Johnsonburg, and she's incredibly excited to start working on heritage/history displays, open houses, classes and events for the Heritage Education & Welcome Center.

A muse is typically nearby when Stephanie creates her jewelry and other artisan pieces... in the form of a furry friend. Sweet Delilah quickly found that she loved Stephanie's new studio space. Delilah would usually take up residence in Stephanie's studio, sitting on one of the chairs and basking in the warm sunlight while Stephanie was hard at work.

There is ample natural light in Stephanie Distler's studio in Johnsonburg! At certain times of the day, it's almost as though you don't even need to turn the electric lights on. However, there are plenty of track spotlights to make sure that Stephanie can see what she's working on and carefully do her work as an artisan.

The natural light also allows Stephanie to have lots of potted plants in her studio! You'll notice in the upcoming photos that those plants are important to her, and they often are an inspiration for some of her jewelry.

2020 was certianly a tumultuous year, but it was also a year when Stephanie's art studio's continued to take form into what it is today. She added more tools and organized the space for more effective creation! 

You'll notice that there are plenty of drawers and spaces for Stephanie to keep the supplies she needs to make her products. There are lots of different metals, fabrics, leather, wires, clay, and tools around the studio.

With fresh air being a necessity, especialy in 2020, Stephanie was glad for the cross ventilation in the studio. The doors can be flung open, and fresh air (and fresh ideas) breeze into the studio space.

Here's a view looking down at some of the tools that Stephanie uses to create her products, including her trusty anvil. How many other tools can you name?

You'll also notice the many plants that take up residence in her studio. Some of these plants even provide Stephanie inspiration for some of her pieces of jewelry.

Here Stephanie was preparing before a photoshoot with Corey from Spark Pixel, for images for the PA Wilds Center and the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania.

You can see some of the footage from that photoshoot in this video:

This shot is using the ultra wide setting on the Pixel 8 pro. How fun to see more of the stations at one time.

Left to right, starting with the electric motor for Potter USA's hydraulic press at the garden door, then you can see the front door on the public side next, bead table/storage/design table, desk, rolling mills, kiln, rolling cart for symbol stamps/pliers/mandrels/sandpaper/gauges/etc., soldering station, tumblers, jeweler's bench, stump benches, farrier stump w/anvil center of studio and Foredom lathe coming back to the garden door.

Stephanie's little wooden art models are waving hello to you! Here are some of her pieces that are for sale, properly displayed and getting ready to be shipped out to happy customers. 

You'll also see Stephanie's two PA Wilds Champion Awards... one for the Flemish House Art Gallery in 2010 and the one that was mentioned above in 2016 for Best Brand Ambassador.

Think Stephanie works with just metal? Although it's one of her favorite ways of creating art, she doesn't limit herself. Some of her pieces also include fabric, leatherworking, or clay!

Wouldn't it be boring to have a studio that only includes tools and materials to create products? Instead, Stephanie's studio also includes things that are just meant to inspire her and make her happy.