Etsy Interview with Nicole Steward Designs

My name is Nicole Steward and I'm the obvious creator of Nicole Steward Designs. I promise I'm not that into myself...I just am not clever enough to think of a cute shop name, so I went the easy route.

I'm an East Coast transplant to California where I live with my handsome, professor husband and sweet pup, a bichon frise named Chomsky. My day job is as an intervention social worker for a school district and I'm also a volunteer CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for kids in the foster care system. I have a wonderful family that supports me in everything I do and amazing friends who encourage me along the way.

How and when did you start making jewelry and your other items?

I initially started making friendship bracelets and one-bead-wonders when I was very young. But I started seriously making jewelry about 10 years ago as a form of therapy while working as a social worker. After dealing with crisis and difficult situations during the day, I would come home and bury myself in beautiful beads and wire. It was nice to be only consumed by figuring out which beads matched and how to construct a piece just the way I wanted. It was a fun escape with a very nice reward (great jewelry to wear).

The sewing is a new adventure for me and I'm enjoying it just as much as making jewelry. Again, I started on that pretty young with a Hello Kitty sewing machine. I made Barbie clothes and a very uneven pillow with Strawberry Shortcake fabric for kindergarten nap-time. Now my skills are a bit more mature, or so I'd like to think. I love the process of knowing what I want the end product to look like, then working backward to construct it.

When and how did you originally find Etsy?

I found Etsy a few years back but didn't really have the time to dedicate to my shop. I think my mom mentioned it and I made her repeat the name a few times before I understood what she was saying. I've been on Etsy for about a year now where I've actually been selling and focusing on my craft.

What is unique about Etsy and what about the website do you like the most in regards to your shop?

I think the most unique thing to Etsy is the community of crafters and artists it encourages. I've been on other sites where it seemed that certain sellers got all the attention and you had to do the magic handshake to get any acknowledgement. Etsy allows all artists to be front & center on their own accord, through listing (and relisting), building a treasury, purchasing a showcase, etc.

I also LOVE the Featured Sellers and the Quit Your Day Job posts. It's so encouraging to see folks "just like me" hit on something big. It reminds me that it's possible, even when sales are slow. In regards to my own shop, I like the clean set up and that you can rearrange photos and listings as well as have 3 featured items. Etsy's clean design means I can only mess it up so much, but it still looks nice...

What inspires you the most in regards to your creations?

I know it's a cliché to say everything inspires me, but I am easily inspired. Songs, movies, magazines, vacations, food...everything.

Now that I'm in California, I'm inspired by nature in a way I never thought possible. Every morning when I walk my dog, I see a new flower or a new bird whose color and shape have me running to my sketchbook. Trips to the ocean and the redwoods make my heart swell with optimism and love for our planet and always give me ideas for patterns or color combos.

My most precious inspiration comes from the kids I work with. As a social worker, I've worked with young kids and teens who've dealt with things that no one should ever have to from abandonment, sexual violence, homelessness, physical abuse, and worse. These kids are strong, honest, and find beauty in the smallest things to keep them going. They are the inspiration for most of my pillows (Say What and Vagina is NOT a sign of weakness) and prints that will be coming in the fall.

What is your favorite piece you've created and why?

So far, my favorite piece is the Say What chalkboard quote pillow. It's not a big seller yet, but when I think of my inspiration for that pillow, I always smile.

I was in a meeting with a teenage girl and about 7 social workers from different programs. Everyone was asking this girl questions about her placement, about school, about her future and she was overwhelmed. She didn't feel comfortable speaking in such a large group so she would write me a note and ask me to speak for her. The idea for the Say What pillow hit me on the way home. So I created a pillow (a comfort item for many foster kids) that they could write their feelings on without saying a word. It's also small enough that kids can take this with them when they change placements, which, unfortunately, happens often for these kids.

My other favorite piece is the Mother Pendant. My mom has always encouraged my creativity and when my older sister became a mother I made this for her. She got so many compliments that I had to make it to sell and it is one of the top selling items in my shop.

What do you want to accomplish with your online shop?

While I would love to become a brand name, the main thing I want to accomplish with Nicole Steward Designs is to create an business/organization that allows foster teens to collaborate on designs/slogans for shirts, pillows, and prints and learn to screen print, sew, make and sell what they create. (Think Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, but with art being created). They'd have adult support and guidance but be able to express themselves and learn how a business is run. I'd pay them, but also put aside money for them in a savings account, especially for emancipating youth who are leaving foster care with no family or community safety net.

This is a far-out goal that keeps me moving.

Do you have any new creations in the works? If so, what can shoppers expect to see from you soon?

I just posted some new handbags that I've been working on for a few months. I'm working on some classy friendship bracelets and more simple jewelry that take me back to childhood. I also have some fun prints and pillows coming in the fall, just in time for the Holidays and Valentine's Day.

Where can readers find out about more information regarding your jewelry and other creations and possible special offers (including additional websites, blogs, facebook, etc)?

I'm still working on the social media promotions, but I do have a blog: Radical Tendencies, where folks can see how I create and a few other things that are important to me.