For the Press Gulf Coast Artist Gives “New Life” to Old Things   Pensacola, FL. January 14, 2012- Local artist Inka Smith is doing something new! The hometown girl who has made a name for herself creating beautiful baubles, assorted gifts, and one of a kind jewelry pieces, is bringing new life to things that were once considered unfixable or even worthless. She has developed a line of broken china jewelry in addition to her other lines which include mosaics, purses, keepsakes, etc. Her broken china pieces are one way she can make a lavish piece of jewelry or even family heirloom out of something like a cracked serving bowl.  A Southerner by birth and experience, Smith has the benefit of having lived both in the mountains of Virginia and along the Gulf Coast, and draws her inspiration, in part, from the diverseness of nature, as evidenced by her collections like “Love Those Birds and Butterflies” and “Girlfriends By the Sea.” She draws from her own life experiences and creates products geared towards a woman’s heart. What stands out about Inka Smith’s work the most is the inspiration she draws from her Christian faith. Her work, she reveals, is inspired by the work her Creator did in her. Though the market for jewelry items made from broken china pieces is growing, Smith is one of a kind in that her concept of giving new life to broken pieces comes from a place of more than the creativity of her fingers, it comes from the honesty of her heart. Some might even refer to Smith as more of a heartist than an artist. This also inspired Smith recently to reconceptualize her website to tell a story- a woman’s story. Inklingsdesigns.com was designed to get the message behind the jewelry out to the women who might be viewing it online.   Smith has participated in shows in Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, North and South Carolina, and Florida, and was featured in the Washington County News in 1997 and Baldwin Register News in 2012. She got her start online in 2007, with Make Mine Pink Boutiques, Shabby Lane Shops, and other online malls. Currently, Smith appears in various art shows throughout the Gulf Coast area and her work can be viewed at Jennifer’s on Gulf Beach Hwy or online at Inklingsdesigns.com. Smith is also available for trunk shows, or private viewings of her work.