This week I am featuring someone I consider a great in the handmade business world- Amy from Always Amy. Her items really reflect her as a person, upbeat , positive, and lots of fun! Who wouldn't want a little of that to wear off on them while sporting her adorable jewelry?
1.Tell us a little about your craft, what is it and how did you get started in it?
Well, I think most people know my Etsy shop (AlwaysAmy) best for it's quirky, fun handmade jewelry. I would say my jewelry is a little bit kitsch, a dash of retro feel & a heaping helping of color. It's always changing as I explore new ways to repurpose vintage trinkets & I adore every minute of it.
Recently I have added another Etsy store front to my business, AlsoAmy. There you will find me exploring my love for paper crafting, crochet, painting, photography, mixed media art, sewing & whatever else floats my boat. It's really a hodgepodge of crafty goodness.
I've always, always been crafty & interested in art. I can remember my mom keeping me busy at restaurants with scraps of paper & pens from her purse. So it really was just a matter of time before I made this my profession.
I ran my own brick & mortar shop for about 4 years. New businesses are always strapped for cash & ours was no different in the beginning, so it wasn't long before I was handcrafting all sorts of things we needed for the shop. I made everything from hand painted Ouija boards to hemp knotted necklaces to help our little shop cut costs. Along the way I fell in love with making those things, the process, the care, and the time. I fell 'out of love' with the structure & demands of running my own B&M.
After a couple of years my handmade stuff was selling faster then most everything else we carried in the B&M. I had been on Etsy for a short while & decided to make a go of selling online. I chose to close down the shop & move home to change the focus of my business & cut out the overhead. I have to say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I've been happily creating (almost full time) ever since!
2.What inspires you or helps you create?
COLOR! I love color, texture, and vintage everything. Since my work is mostly based on nostalgic, vintage pieces I am inspired by digging through antique stores & thrift stores. I see so many amazing things along the way & a lot of them find their way into my work in one way or another.
KAWAII ROBOT BEAR Silver Black Japanese - Dangly Dangle Earrings
KAWAII ROBOT BEAR Silver Black Japanese - Dangly Dangle Earrings3.What do you love most about being a crafter/artist?
I love that I get to work from home. I get to be the night owl that I truly am. I get to spend more time with my family & I can (& do) drop everything when I need to be there for them. I'm my own boss which is good. I'm motivated by knowing that success & failure are both up to me. I make crafty things for a living – who doesn’t love that?
4.What one thing would you tell a new designer that you wish you had known when you first started?
Work hard & then work harder. If you treat it like a hobby, it will be a hobby. If you are willing to put in the time and energy – treat yourself & your work, as a real business then that is what it will be. Just be patient & tenacious! (Although I am awful at the patient part!)
5.Where do you see yourself in five years?
Iceland? :) My husband & I are very interested in moving out of the US. I guess I will have to do some research about shipping from there! Oh, we can dream!
Besides a big move, I hope my future will still allow me to be creating all sorts of things & living off of my crafty hands. I hope I am healthy, still happily married to the love of my life, going to bed each night tired & happy & waking each morning inspired.
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