Dreamers & Doers Start-up Contest

Hello! My name is Kelly, I am an Art Director working full-time in Connecticut, and on my free time, I design jewelry. I started making jewelry back when I was five, putting plastic beads on wire because at the time my mom wouldn't allow me to use her beautiful stones or glass beads. Probably a good idea considering I would be hyped about that bracelet I made for about 5 seconds until I moved to start my next craft project.

I'm writing this post because I am applying for the Dreams & Doers Start-Up Contest hosted by Urban Outfitters & SQUARESPACE. I will take this opportunity on this post to chat a bit about me, who I am as an art director, and my passion as a jewelry designer and entrepreneur. 

Back in January 2012, I opened my Etsy shop. I started the shop with embellished children's clothing and bibs. Hence the name Kellembell (Kelly-Embellish). This was my first attempt at starting a business. I took what I was passionate about at the time, sewing and embellishment, and went to the next level by starting an Etsy store. However, just like any creative person, paths and inspiration change. During my senior year at Syracuse University in 2013, many of my friends were asking me to make them custom necklaces because they loved all the unique pieces I make for myself. I quickly saw an opportunity for me to expand my shop - to include jewelry. 

As soon as I started this jewelry venture, and wasn't using plastic beads on wire, I knew very quickly that this was a path I wanted to pursue seriously. However I knew that there are tons of jewelry designers on Etsy, so how would I make myself unique and different? I decided to take that original passion for fabrics and embellishments and apply it to jewelry. I created an untraditional application of textiles - thats jewelry!

This is where my full-time job as an Art Director and passion for jewelry design collide! Every day, I work  for clients coming up with design concepts, designing looks for ideas, and experimenting with color, pattern, type, composition and texture. I am very fortunate that I am constantly learning about new design techniques. While working all day and many overtime hours can be exhausting, I can't wait to get home to apply what I learn at work to what I do in jewelry. I am always looking for that new color or pattern combination for my jewelry pieces, and sometimes that is inspired by a project I have done at work. Or sometimes even the other way around! Pretty much, I am creating all day long and I couldn't be happier about it.

I run my business primarily on Etsy, but I also do shows all the time in Connecticut, and my jewelry has been in a couple stores. I would love to be able to expand my company to be in more stores, or if we are dreaming big here, create my own store. One can dream, right? 

I have started that process by designing a Look Book for the line shown in this post. I believe this collection truly embodies where I would like to go as a brand - using beautiful textiles with incredible textures to create stunning pieces. Creating a Look Book has been a wonderful exploration for me as an Art Director, to bring my graphic design talents into my small business. 

I have also been able to use my Art Direction expertise when doing photoshoots for my work. Working with models, picking out outfits for each necklace, finding the right location for a shoot, and knowing photography have all been important when creating my Look Book.

Check out a sneak peak below of a spread from the book!

All in all, this adventure into my jewelry business has been an unbelievable experience, and I've really only just gotten started! There is a beautiful road ahead, and I can't wait to see where it takes me.