Today’s post is an exciting one because I get to share the talents of someone I love very much! My sweet cousin, Stephanie, recently opened up her Etsy shop and her pieces are beautiful!! Shopping small isn’t limited to Christmas – it’s always a great way to give back to your local community and artists.
Stephanie is talented, smart, hilarious, and beautiful! I’m thrilled to showcase Poppy Arts and her gorgeous jewelry – I know you’ll love it (and her) too! Without further ado, here’s Steph!
I’ve always been kind of a crafty person, and so when I started seeing this new clay earring trend, I was intrigued. I did a lot of research, watched some tutorials, and found some fantastic clay artists to follow and learn from. Then, some time in the spring, I finally decided to give it a shot. It’s definitely been a journey, and I have a lot of room to grow, but the learning process has been so much fun. I love having the freedom to come up with different designs and styles. There are just so many different possibilities and variations with patterns, textures, prints, etc.
I didn’t initially start out with the intent to sell my earrings. It was just something fun I wanted to try in my spare time. But, I ended up loving some of the pieces so much, I figured I might as well go for it. It was nerve wracking for sure, sharing my new hobby and art with others. I felt very vulnerable – what if people didn’t like them? What if they didn’t sell? My pieces aren’t always perfect. In fact, I have so many baked pieces just laying around that I don’t know what to do with. They’re not up to my quality standards to sell, but it seems like such a waste to throw them out. Even the pieces I do sell of course have some imperfections – that’s the beauty of buying handmade items.
The shop name, Poppy Arts, comes from my niece’s birth flower, and she’s what brought me back to West Virginia. If you’re local to the Charleston, WV area, my earrings can be found at Shining Lite and Gifts in Saint Albans!
I’ve been very fortunate and have some of the absolute best family and friends who have been so supportive throughout the whole process. I’m still learning and growing, but it’s been an incredible start, and I’m so excited to see where this journey takes me!
Leigh Ann here, shop beautiful handmade earrings at PoppyArtsWV on Etsy (just click the link) and be sure to follow @poppyartswv on Instagram! I’m so happy Steph shared these beauties with us! Which earrings do you love most? I have my eye on the little grey pumpkins, of course!
xoxo Steph and LA
laughingatleighann.com 
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