Kelly Bussio: When Everything Changes - Finding Love, Craft, and Community After Tragedy

Kelly Bussio was critically injured in an airplane crash 28 years ago where her husband, Brent, and a dear friend were both killed. She became paralyzed from the armpits down and spent many months laying flat on her back grieving.

Not too long after, Kelly retired from her fast paced corporate job and began metalsmithing classes. It was there she fell in love with metal and stone. Kelly has adapted her life to fit her body abilities and has created a lovely, fully accessible jewelry studio in her basement, including a glass elevator. 

Kelly creates silver and gold custom jewelry for the love of her loyal customers and makes each piece with gratitude that she has the means and ability to work every day in a medium she loves. She has curated a beautiful circle of friends who build each other up through kindness and love and considers her family and friends her “small circle.”

She is currently the president of the Utah Metal Arts Guild, a developing organization with a mission to help its members grow and thrive in the metalsmith arts. 

She has remarried the love of her life, J.D. Bussio. They have six children, 20 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. They have two yellow labs and two cats. Kelly is a volunteer and two-time graduate of Canine Companions, an organization that provides service dogs to people with disabilities, at no cost. Torie is her service dog, and Kipper is her studio partner.

Follow Kelly:

Instagram: @j.d.k.design

Website: jdkbussiodesign.com

Kelly's episodes on The 10 Ninety Podcast:

Part 1

Part 2

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