Anna & Arlie Handcrafted Originals

I have always been creative growing up. During my childhood I spent a lot of time at my grandparents houses on the weekends playing with fabric scraps making doll clothes. It seems to be something in my blood. My company is named after both of my grandmothers who were makers also. One did crochet & sewing and the other did cross stitch & tatting. It was something I was raised around although my mom jokes that it skipped a generation with her & my dad, lol. I started making jewelry about 25 years ago after being inspired by a handmade bracelet I purchased at a little cafe. I went to a local craft store the next day and bought beads & wire. After practicing & coming up with my own style I made 10 bracelets in different colors & brought them to my office. The ladies loved them & I sold almost all of them that day. Since then I have been creating jewelry of all different styles and I have definitely improved my skills. I taught myself to crochet a few years previous to that but never really sold it until the last 10 years. I enjoy crochet because it is something I can easily take with me on road trips and work on during markets/shows. I got a laser about 6 years ago to add to my creative tools & that has helped me to be able to make duplicatable items like acrylic earrings & engraved kitchen items. Previously 90% of my jewelry & crochet was one-of-a-kind. I still pride myself on on those one-of-a-kind items but being able to duplicate some things has helped me keep up with the demand tremendously! I really enjoy making unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. I think that sets me apart from other creators. I definitely love color and I like to make a lot of things! I have evolved into having a spring/summer line of products & a fall/winter line of products. That keeps me from getting bored making the same things & I get to change up the materials & supplies I use.