Featured Artist Handmade Creations by Shelly

Featured Artist Handmade Creations by Shelly

We all learn in different ways. Some are self taught through books and online while others are intentionally taught and still other learn by watching, which is exactly how Shelly got her start. She stood behind her grandmothers as they knitted and crochet and watched their fingers fly. Little did she know that years later, this skill would turn itself into a business where others watch her needles fly as she chats with them!
Shelly was born in Maryland and raised in Connecticut.  After attending college in Boston,  Massachusetts she became a buyer for a woman’s clothing store.  Thanks to the blind date set up by a coworker, Shelly met and married the man of her dreams and has spent the last 42 years raising their family.

When her children were young, Shelly joined the home party business through Tupperware in order to bring in some much needed income and still allow her time with her daughters.  She worked her way through the ranks to manager before moving on to a different company where she taught needlepoint, embroidery and other crafts.  She loved the fun atmosphere of chatting with woman while still doing what she loved and making money at the same time.
After her children were a bit older, Shelly joined the outside workforce doing data entry for a law firm and again climbed the ranks to Comptroller.  When she wasn’t working or raising her family, she would still pick up her needles occasionally.  After a time, Shelly made a move to the mortgage business which was later hard hit by the economy.  Never one to give in, Handmade Creations by Shelly was soon born!
Shelly has an addiction to yarn and feels compelled to try all of the latest yarns in the hottest colors.  She says that she is constantly working on more than one project at a time.  Having no way to use all of her creations, Shelly began working a few craft shows in her area though it is tough to do on her own.  In addition to face to face selling at shows, Shelly is working to make her presence known on the web…which is lucky for those of us that don’t live in her area!
There is a learning curve to online selling, but Shelly is determined to plug through and her business is growing.  She is quick to remind those that are just getting started in the world of online business not to get discouraged in the beginning as it is a lot of ups and downs.  She advises them to make sure they have good photos and descriptions that will draw customers to their shop as well as join forums and teams to get advice from more experienced sellers; after all, no point in repeating others mistakes if you can learn from them!
Shelly is easy to find on HandmadeArtists‘ as well as on Etsy.  You can follow her on Facebook and keep up on her daily goings ons on her Blog.