Behind the Scenes: Monika Reed of Favor Jewelry

I am always so curious about how each of the brands that I work with got their start. So my first question is, how did you get started making jewelry?

When I was in college I saw my debt piling up and started selling jewelry online as a way to offset my tuition. I had been making it since my first job in a bead store when I was 15. Eventually I was making more money doing that then working my other part time jobs. I convinced myself that I could put myself through grad school if I gave myself a six-month break from school to set up the business to run more efficiently.  I ended up loving it so much I never went back to school!

Where do you draw inspiration for new designs and products?

I believe my best designs come from quiet moments in the studio. I think the trick is to have lots of time to turn my brain off. I naturally want to think about work, systems, and numbers. When I can get my mind to be quiet by hiking or taking some time off, it’s easier to access my creativity. My best work has always come after I return from a trip abroad. I find some inspiration from travel, and when my focus isn’t on the other parts of the business, it is easier for me to let the designs flow.

I’ve never been formally trained, so I work best by just sawing and soldering things together until they look right, then slowly refining the design. I usually come into the studio early when it’s quiet, make myself a cup of tea, and sketch a few ideas that have been swirling around. I’ll take some time to look over my notebook for any other designs I’ve jotted down recently, and then I just get started.

 You have a lot of pieces in each collection that you make. What are currently some of your favorites?

I am always wearing a stack of rings. My favorite combination to wear right now are the Fragment + Slim + Confetti. They overlap really well and are minimal, but interesting. I’ve also been alternating between the Circuit and the Mono Necklaces, as well as really loving the Comet Earrings and the Drip Bangle.

I love the stacking ring combos that you come up with.  Your designs are so light and simple, which makes them the perfect layering pieces.  I personally like to stack the fragment ring with the spike ring. Do you have any other styling tips for your jewelry? 

I’m going to give some stacking recipes that are really good:

. Twin Ring + Stitch Ring + Twin Ring

. Transit Bangle + Fragment Bangle

. Fragment Bangle + Fragment Bangle (especially if you mix one silver with one gold!)

. Layers of Twin Rings

. Fragment Ring + Any Other Stacking Ring (My favorite is Fragment + Slim + Confetti)

. Lasso Posts in second ear piercings

. Taurus Ring + Circa Ring

. Taurus Ring + Gumdrop Ring (but make sure to get the Taurus Ring ½ size large for this to stack well)

. Twin Ring + Circa Ring + Twin Ring

. Black Spike Ring + Clear Spike Ring

What kind of items do you hope to make in the future? Do you think you will ever venture out of jewelry?

I would really love to make some home wares. I’ve been making some functional home pieces lately for myself, and would love to expand them into a full collection.

What is the best part of owning your own business?

I love being able to build something from nothing. It’s a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to look back on where I started and see what has come from it. I am also grateful that I have the power to make acting ethically a priority. We have a lot of collective power to change the world by emphasizing where products come from and how they are made.

You have a sustainable//environmentally friendly message. How did you get started with this? What do you do to make sure that your process follows that message?

I always thought I would work for a non-profit. When I decided to leave school to work on my own business full time, it was very important to me to make sure that I would still be working for something ethically-minded. It started with simply making good quality products that would last and be stylish for years, not just seasons. From there, I focused on working exclusively with American mills that recycle their metals. Then I researched non-toxic metal-smithing and made the decision to never plate any of my metals because of the environmental consequences. It’s a process, and there are always improvements to be made, but I’m so proud of the decisions that we’ve made.

What is the best business advice that you gotten and would want to pass on to others?

Google has all of the answers!

Behind the Scenes: Casey D. Sibley, From Architecture to Home Decor

How did you get started making home decor and what is your background in?

I went to college for architecture and I started my career as an architect. After several years in that field, I decided that it wasn’t the right fit for me creatively. In 2011,  I decided to list some of my acrylic paintings on Etsy. I’d always painted as a hobby, but up until that point had never attempted to sell anything. I was selling mostly to family and friends in the beginning, but was obsessed and energized about creating a business around my creative passions. Eventually, I figured out how to have my artwork printed onto fabric and started experimenting with different textile products.

I continued to work as an architect over the years, at first full time and then gradually scaling back my day job hours. Finally, I was able to fully transition to running my design business full time.

I love creating useful products with bright patterns and color palettes, so the progression into home decor textiles and utilitarian accessories has been a natural one. I also have this insane drive to express and encourage happiness through my work. I always think of my designs as a vacation for the mind.  

Your line is so bright and cheerful. All of your patterns bring a smile to my face. Where do you draw inspiration from to create such a fun and happy line?

I always start new work with a color palette in mind. I draw a lot of inspiration from nature, especially tropical plants and colors. Most of my paintings begin as mark-making experiments. I like to let things evolve organically and continue to develop the parts that feel “right” until I have a final composition that I am happy with. It’s a very intuitive process for me. I’ve learned over the years to not try to force it.

I love following you on Instagram because you are always prototyping new items. What direction do you see the Casey D Sibley line going in?

I’m very focused on building a more robust home decor textiles line. I’d eventually love to offer bedding, rugs and kitchen textiles. I’m constantly researching how to make that happen and maintain a high quality in the products, so stay tuned!

In the same vein, another reason why you are so much fun to follow on social media is because you use your products in the most creative ways. I am obsessed with how you place glass jars or pots into a bucket to make it into a planter. Any other styling tips for your buckets?

The buckets are great for bathroom storage (towels, toilet paper) and baby room storage (changing station organization!). I use the smaller ones for sewing supply storage and a bunch of other uses to catch small items around the studio. There are several sizes and they all offer versatile storage options for things you want to keep out in the open but stylishly stored. Many people use my small buckets for their makeup too.

What is the best part about running your own business? Why do you believe in the handmade movement?

The best part about running my own business is the freedom I have, both creatively and schedule-wise. When I worked for someone else, I dreaded the times when things would slow down and I had to sit in an office cubicle. I wanted to be productive and efficient with my time...and I would get so BORED! I love waking up every day and having the choice to do what I do. I can start my day at 6 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m. if I feel like it. Or I can end my day early when I’m not as busy...or take the day off (because I wholeheartedly believe in working hard AND taking breaks to live life). I also love having full creative control over my work--I never really liked having to ask for permission :)

The handmade movement has been great! It has provided a certain amount of permission for a lot of people to give business ownership a shot. It has also fostered this massive awareness about how the things we use every day are made. We have so much access to information these days, and it’s made me way more conscious about the products I make and their impact on the world, as well as the products I buy for myself. I also find it fascinating that our economy is starting to shift to more of a focus on doing fulfilling work--debunking the idea that we should all take a very predictable career path and work just to make a paycheck.

And last words or thoughts that you want to share with others?

“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

It’s so easy to daydream and research endlessly, but at some point you have to take a leap of faith and put yourself out there, or give up the security of the familiar. You WILL figure it out, just start. Even if you don’t think you know everything you need to know yet, just START!

Behind the Scenes: Christina Kwan of Tide & Bloom

Your design process is pretty simple in the sense that you stick to watercolors and illustrations. How did you enjoy working in this medium?

It's what I know best; I've always liked to color, draw, paint, you name it. Drawing and painting media feels like the most immediate way to express a mark. It doesn't take a machine or any chemical processes; it just needs my hand, my tool, and a piece of paper. My favorite medium to work in is acrylic ink, micron pen or pencil. I most often draw inspiration from flowers and nature, but sometimes I'm motivated to create in order to just sort through my emotions. It's like a form of meditation.

What is the best part about selling your art?

Knowing that someone connects to something you made, and thus connects with you. That's why I love the idea of handmade or hand-drawn, it's unique to that single human being. And no one else can replicate it. 

What is the meaning behind the name Tide and Bloom?

Tide & Bloom started as a name of my blog. It references nature, which I often draw inspiration from. It also refers to states of change and metamorphosis, which related to my journey back into making art after college. 

Speaking of your blog—I know you write a lot about food, fashion and living in Atlanta. What is your favorite kind of food? Where do you like to go out to eat?

It depends on the category—I have different favorites for different kinds of cravings!  If I had to choose one favorite, it would have to just be Asian restaurants on Buford Highway. Though at the end of the day, I am always craving a bowl of Pho made by my Mom more than anything else.  

I know that you always are working to grow Tide and Bloom and you recently just added some new prints to your collection. What is your favorite print in your collection and what can people expect to see from you in the future?

My favorite piece is one of the newest - the strawberries! It was something I painted on a whim just for fun and I really loved how they turned out. I also recently started making notebooks so I love the strawberries both as a regular print and in the notebook version. In the future, I am hoping to move into home goods items like tea towels, aprons and beddings.

Running a small business can be hard! Have you found any sources that have been great for learning and getting advice? What has been the best words of wisdom that you have received since starting Tide and Bloom?

I've been listening to "How I Built This" on NPR a lot lately and I remember Kendra Scott talking about the importance of asking for help. It can be embarrassing to ask for help, but it's a sign of strength and not weakness. 

And as a blogger, business owner and artist what is the best advice that you can give someone who is just starting out, or trying to decide what to do with their life?

Enjoy the small moments—they are everything. And try new things! You never know what you might love. 

Behind the Scenes: Sarah Cecelia Jewelry and Barware

How did you get started making jewelry and learning about metalworking? I love hearing about how a brand gets started, and I remember when we first spoke that I found your story to be super relatable. 

It all started when the "gold" paint began to wear off of an H&M necklace that I loved. I looked into having a solid version custom made but the quotes were way way out of my reach. I started to look at the construction of the necklace and began to wonder if I could just make it myself. I decided to give it a go and checked out some library books, a few hand tools, and some cheap base metal. 

What does your design process look like?

I always start in the sketchbook. I find technical drawing oddly soothing. From there I move to either wax or metal depending on the design. I really love working in wax. My background is in sculpture, so hand-carving wax really brings me back to that love of modeling. 

I love the geometric, art deco look of your bottle openers. It is so unique. How do you come up with the designs for your work?

 I've always been drawn to shapes and patterns.  I briefly thought abut becoming a textile designer, so I will often notice a little section of a print or fabric that will have a shape or a repeating pattern that just calls to me. I love to take these classic and iconic shapes that catch my eye and reinterpret them into my own designs.

You make really cool bottle openers and cocktail picks. I feel like you may be a happy hour expert! Want to share what your favorite cocktail is?

Oh man, that is SO tough. I tended bar for 15 years so I have a catalog of drinks in my brain. At home I most often make a classic like a Manhattan, but if I am out at a cocktail bar I cannot pass up a good Corpse Reviver #2.

My favorite thing about (Business Name) is that, even though you started as a jewelry brand, you have dabbled in barware and other accessories. I love seeing what kind of unique items you come up with that veer outside of what one would expect from a jewelry brand. What kind of things are you thinking about making for the future? 

I love to bake, so I am hoping to make cookie cutters someday using classic Sarah Cecelia motifs. 

What is the best part about running your own business?  What is the best advice that you've received about working as an artist?

I find owning my own business to be very empowering.  It can be scary sometimes but ultimately there is nothing better than betting on yourself. I feel so lucky to be a maker during a time when people are really becoming more conscientious of buying products that are made with integrity. I spent a lot of time during high school and college making hand thrown pottery. I just loved making items that people could take home and really make part of their lives. That continues through to the products that I make today, I always smile when I walk pass a woman I do not know wearing a piece of my jewelry.

What is the best business advice that you have received and would want to pass on to others?

Well, before I started my business, I asked a fellow artist who was about 15 years older than me and very successful for his best advice when you are just starting out. He told me to never worry about what other people are doing because if you just focus on making your own work great than it will all come together in its own time. I think as a business owner it easy to fret over other businesses that you think are more successful or have more Instagram followers, but I always try to remember to just keep my head down and focus on the work.