Tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a stay at home mom who attends play dates by day and creates hand stamped jewelry by night. 🙂
Why did you start your Etsy shop?
My friend and I had been Etsy stalkers for awhile and had always wanted to be able to create the beautiful jewelry that we enjoyed so much; so one day we just decided to do it and opened our own shops. I jumped in without knowing what to expect and just hoped I could swim. It was a bit of an investment and a risk but I am so glad I took that leap, I’ve met some amazing and supportive people and have some truly wonderful customers. Best of all, I really enjoy making jewelry that is really personal and special for the person wearing it.
How did you come up with your Etsy shop name?
Actually, my sister came up with the name! I wanted something sweet and kind of playful but had no clue what that was. My sister suggested naming the shop for my daughter and while we were playing around with different combinations, she suggested “Leila’s Lily Pad” and that was it. It was sweet, a little playful, and one of a kind; just like my daughter.
What is your favorite item in your shop and why?
I like everything in my store and have several personal necklaces that I switch between and wear all the time, but my favorite piece right now is my tiny initial cube. I have an initial for my husband’s name, my daughter’s name, and my name, as well as a little heart.
Do any of your pieces have a memorable story behind them?
It is not so much a memorable story as it is a special memory and feeling tied to the piece. I have one necklace in my shop that says “I love you to the moon and back” and it actually comes from one of my daughter’s bed time stories about the boundless love that parents have for their children and that their children have for them. It’s a very sweet little story with a beautiful message and I made that necklace so that I would always be able to carry a simple reminder with me of how wonderful that love is.
What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?
Each piece that I make has it’s own personal message and meaning for the person wearing it; I don’t feel like my jewelry needs to carry a message for everyone, I just want it to be able to speak to the person wearing it.
How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?
Hand stamped jewelry has been a favorite jewelry form of mine for a long time. I had wanted a necklace to wear for my daughter and thought it was beautiful to be able to wear something so personalized and special. In the end, it just seemed like a simple decision to make what I loved.
If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?
I would choose painting. I feel like painters have such a large creative vocabulary to use to express themselves. There are so many colors and textures and strokes to choose from and it just seems there would always be a way to express exactly how you feel through your paintings.
Why should people buy handmade?
I think buying handmade is special in that every item you receive has a really unique history to it. In a lot of cases, you are not buying an item that was made for every other person in the world, you are buying a piece intended for you; there might be other items similar to it, but your piece was made just for you, right from the beginning.
Any advice on selling things handmade?
Make what you love and only sell what you can say you are proud of having made.
Do you have plans for expansion?
Not really, I like the one-on-one relationship I have with my customers and I’d like to be able to keep that close relationship them. I want them to know who is making their jewelry and that they can trust that their items are being made with the kind of care that they would want and expect.
Any other sites you can be found on?
My items are only available on Etsy for the time being.
