Featured Artist: Bryn and Jeremiah's

Hi Stephanie! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Stephanie and my business name is Bryn & Jeremiah’s, named after two of my favorite young craft partners who are also my biggest critics when it comes to trying new ideas. Since children are so brutally honest, I love that they are willing to share constructive criticism with me and help me grow. I live in Utah with my husband, two dogs and 15 parrots. We have 2 grown sons, a grandson and a daughter in law.

How did you get started in your handmade business?
My parents groomed me from a young age to develop my ark skills and I always dreamed of becoming a independent artist, but life took some twists and turns and that dream was always on the backburner. I spent a decade on active duty in the military, raised a family, worked in the IT industry, got a degree in Botany, and ran my own pet sitting business before coming back to this. I recently had surgery on my dominant hand and elbow so I started testing out needlecraft and clay work as physical therapy to rebuild my strength and fine motor skills. Since I was out on recovery it only made sense that I find something that I can do from home so here I am!

What are your hopes and aspirations for your store and where do you see yourself going from here? 

I think everyone needs to set high goals for themselves, but when you’re testing out the waters of any new venture it’s easy to get off track trying new things and finding out what works, even with a solid plan in place. I’m still in the experimental stage so my one year goal is to narrow my focus and go from there. Since trends are always changing, my five year goal is to have a solid brand identity in place and develop a unique signature for my style that will work with market trends.

Have you experienced any major accomplishments or recognition?

Of course! I have two grown sons who are healthy, happy and living their own lives on their own terms. And I made it to middle age without going completely insane-now is where the fun begins! It doesn’t get much better than that.

What are three tools in your workspace that you could not live without?
This isn’t the answer you were looking for but I honestly have to say coffee, the sound of my birds in the background and fresh air.

Have you ever experienced a craft disaster? What happened?

I’d have to say my shrunken head polymer clay totem and my Madagascar hissing cockroach brooch were my biggest disasters! I spent hours on these creepy creations and loved both of them, but in the end the designs were just not appealing to anyone but me. I have such a bad case of A.D.D. especially with my art I tend to divert on so many levels even I never know what I’ll create until I sit down to create it!

How much do you social network? Can you link us to your personal social media pages so we can follow you?

Blogger: http://brynandjeremiahs.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrynandJeremiahsHandmade
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrynandJeremiah
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brynandjeremiah/

How important is marketing for your small business and what has been most effective for you?

Marketing is very important for any small business. If customers don’t know you exist, they can’t buy from you.

What are your 2 favorite items from other shops on The CraftStar, with links? What do you like about them?
I like anything Old World, French Country and Steampunk. There are so many great items available it’s nearly impossible to narrow my choices down to just two favorites! I love this necklace from Sea Siren Rockstar and this basket from Retro Slideshow.

 

Best of all.. All readers can score 20% off their orders by using code: FEATURE20 at check out!

Thanks for taking the time to join us today Stephanie. We appreciate you taking time out of our busy schedule so that we could interview you. Happy sales!