Leslie Bowes of Elbows
Designs
When Leslie from Elbows Designs
sits down at her worktable in Littleton, Colorado she fulfills a lifelong need
for creativity and self-expression. Early on she expressed herself with
mismatched socks and a wild sense of style. Through the years this was
cultivated into artistic endeavors including hand painted wedding cards and
elaborately decorated mud pies. Leslie has an unrelenting desire to create and to
connect with other people. These desires fuel her jewelry designs.
When I first saw Leslie’s jewelry
designs on her Etsy shop I was taken aback at the bold colors and funky shapes.
I was smitten with an idea (which I had never had before); jewelry could be fun
and that I could wear something with a sense of abandonment and humor! Leslie’s
style will inspire you to have fun with your accessory choices, to embrace a sense
of whimsy, and to live with enthusiasm.
~
LAJ: How did you get started in
Jewelry?
Leslie: I suppose the
combination of being an avid jewelry wearer and inherently creative
person pretty much always had me fiddling with jewelry making, even as a child.
I created mostly beaded things, then I went through a hemp macramé phase in
high school... but it wasn't until I randomly found some wire in my messy supply
box that I really connected with a material. I just loved that a simple
strand could take any turn, with the freedom to become anything my imagination
produced. When I discovered how many colors wire comes in,
that was the end - totally hooked!
LAJ: What inspires your jewelry
designs?
Leslie: I've actually
never given this a thought... but I certainly feel inspired! It must be things
within me that drive my design process; aspects of my personality, like the
concept of unbridled joy balanced with the peace of organization... I ran
across a quote once that describes this dichotomy perfectly: "I adore
spontaneity, providing it is carefully planned". I could identify with
that immediately, and I think it's present in my wild yet harnessed jewelry as
well - thus my tagline "quirky-chic". My inspirations are definitely
abstract things, though - nothing concrete (except for that time I was so
inspired by a homegrown crookneck squash that I had to whip up a silly little
wire version as an ode to its beauty).
LAJ: What kinds of tools do you
use?
Leslie: The vast majority
of my pieces are formed with just my 2 hands. I find that even with my
lettering, a more freeform/organic style is more appealing to me than precision
and perfection would be.
I do have a friendly
arsenal of pliers to form the opening and closing loops of each piece, or when
attaching hardware. My favorite tool is a silly 99-cent slotted knuckle ring
that makes opening and closing jump rings a breeze...Best. Purchase. Ever.
LAJ: What is the process for you
from the start of a design until it ships?
Leslie: The easy and fun
part is forming my vision for a piece into reality, but sometimes it takes a
few drafts to get it right (especially when I'm trying to match earrings!).
Then on to photography -
this involves laying the piece on a large swath of poster board at my desk and
shooting away, trying my best to be artsy but also conveying the needed
information to the customer. When our schedules allow, I also do shoots with my
modeling friend, Lexi.
We always have a blast,
and somehow through the silliness we manage to get some usable shots, haha!
Then it's over to my
laptop for photo editing - usually with PicMonkey. (On that note, I seriously
look forward to getting my first "real" camera soon so I'm not as
frustrated during shooting and editing - yay!) Once the piece is listed, I do my
promoting via Etsy, Pinterest, and I've recently started to explore Instagram.
Once it sells, I enjoy adding in a couple personal touches while assembling the
order to let my customers know how much I appreciate them.
LAJ: Etsy is a great community of
artists and art lovers. How has Etsy positively impacted your business? Are
there any negatives of having your business on Etsy?
Leslie: Etsy has given me
the platform I needed to be able to reach people anywhere - not just the people
who happen to see me, or my friends, wearing my jewelry. Yes, it is quite
difficult to be "found" in the vast sea of jewelers, but I genuinely
enjoy the Etsy experience - getting to "hang out" with fellow artists
and enjoying their creations is both fun and inspiring to me. Overall I feel
like it's a relatively easy and flexible way to sell things that I'd likely be
creating anyway.
LAJ: What advice would you give
yourself of 5 years ago?
Leslie: Get a shop on
Etsy and start learning how to best use it (I've only had my shop for 3 years).
Bite the bullet and get a better camera - it will save you SO much time
and frustration. And list items regularly - every day if possible!
LAJ: What do you hope that people
see/get from your jewelry designs?
Leslie: I hope people see
the whimsy of my personality and the joy that went into creating each piece.
And if I could inspire a spark of creativity in someone else to express
themselves - whether it be through art, music, dance, or even just speech -
that would be wonderful!
~
I don’t know about you,
but I feel inspired to mismatch my socks, wear bold funky jewelry, and feel
fabulous!
Follow Leslie on Istagram: @elbowsdesigns
Leann Burns
Love Actually Jewelry
