How did I get here? Side hobby to jewellery business
Created by Crossley is more than just a jewellery business to me. As it says in the name, it all started with myself and a little creativity!
Back in 2020, at the beginning of the first COVID lockdown, like many others, I was on the hunt for a new way to spend my time and keep me busy. I’d always loved crafts and little projects but hadn’t yet found anything to really keep my interest.
Then I bought a selection of colourful beads and basic supplies and tried making some beaded earrings. Some were just simple dangly earrings with a short length of beads, while others were experimental shapes and styles, as well as a few pendant necklaces. My mum was my guinea pig with these and still has several pairs from my earliest creations, but before long I had made more pairs than she could ever wear.
Later on, when restrictions had lifted enough for a local church to hold their annual hobbies and collectors fair, my family suggested I get involved and have a table to show off what I’d made and maybe get a little feedback. What I hadn’t considered at this point was selling anything, but was happily surprised to have visitors ask to purchase my jewellery!
This was super exciting as I loved seeing people really enjoy what I had made and it gave me a little more confidence to try signing up for a couple of other small local fairs. I also decided to invest in the materials to start creating resin items too. This was even more fun for me, as there were so many options of resin moulds, colours, and glitters, that I could really expand my collection.
Now that I was building a healthy stock level and making more regular sales, I was able to see trends and bestsellers, mostly pieces that were more unusual in some way, so I adapted my style again, this time to also include charms. This way I could meet customer requests more easily and offer more choice.
For the first few years I was doing this alongside other jobs so didn’t always have the time to dedicate to it that I would have liked, but it was still a big passion for me and something I loved to do. Over time, the charms became the most popular and that collection expanded massively to become my main focus.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and was finding that most jobs I had tried so far were not really working for me. When the opportunity and timing was right, I decided to go full time with the business. It had the flexibility and mixture of logic and creativity that I needed and I wanted to give it a shot.
I got involved with more markets, got fully set up online and on social media and expanded my product range, always experimenting with what worked best for me and my customers. This also brought me to polymer clay, which I make in small batches, mainly led by how I feel on the day and what new techniques I want to try. Some of my most unique and favourite items I made with clay, and it’s something I really enjoy doing.
After a long wait and time trialling medication for my ADHD, I am now settled on one and finding it so much easier to focus and use my energy productively which has been a game changer!
Now I want to get this website completely up to date and grow it all to be something I can continue to do full time in the long term. I’d love it if you would come along with me and follow the rest of my jewellery journey, and thank you for all of your support so far. Every order and positive interaction is truly appreciated and makes a difference to me and my small business!
Watch this space for more blog posts to come as there is so much more behind the scenes, gifting and styling guides, and jewellery info that I have to share.
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Emily x
Created by Crossley