She rocks
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on July 19, 2018 5:50 AM
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Ashley Blevins with a ring tree she created for her jewelry-making site on Etsy called StonewiseDesign
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News-Argus/PHYLLIS MOORE
Ashley Blevins demonstrates how to incorporate a stone into a wire wrap for her jewelry-making site on Etsy.
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News-Argus/PHYLLIS MOORE
Ashley Blevins shows some of the stones and pieces she uses to create jewelry for her Etsy online craft business, StonewiseDesign.
Ashley Blevins has found a way to parlay her love of rocks, minerals, gems and fossils to good use -- as a sideline business making jewelry on Etsy.
The teacher-turned-data-manager at Wayne Preparatory Academy formerly supported the online marketplace as a customer.
Etsy is a site which features unique gifts, handcrafted products, and one-of-a-kind and vintage items.
"I used to buy a lot of different things off Etsy, just to support smaller businesses," Blevins said.
Then she decided to become one of the artisans.
"I have all these, I just call them 'cool rocks,' sitting around," she said. "I figured I'd put them to good use and make something out of them. I figured I'd give it a shot myself."
What really started it for her, she says, was her own interest in labradorite, which she described as being like "the really flashy kind of rocks" since she had bought all shapes and sizes of jewelry-like pieces.
"I supposed I should do something with them since I already bought them," she said. "They're my favorites."
The fascination actually had its roots in her younger years.
"I've been interested in rocks and minerals since I was in elementary school," she said. "I was the kid, my mom would tell me to stop putting rocks in my pockets from places.
"I was just really science-y and really into different rocks and minerals, and now fossils."
She had tried her hand at different forms of art but the traditional route of drawing and painting didn't hold her interest until she discovered turning wire and stones into jewelry.
"I felt like I wanted to try more physical art. I wanted to turn (things) into something new that more people could use because not everyone just wants a bunch of rocks laying around," she said with a laugh.
She is self-taught, she said, and started out small -- pendants, a couple of rings and rearview mirror charms, the latter which feature a chain to wrap around the car mirror.
The name for her Etsy store, StonewiseDesign, was also well thought out and representative.
"It sounds really silly out loud but it means something to me," she said. "In Egyptian mythology there's a god that has the head of an ibis (bird) in it and he's like the god of wisdom. I wanted to make kind of smart-looking jewelry and that bird has been like a personal symbol for me for a long time, so I put the bird in it.
"It just kind of makes sense that I can use my favorite bird as a logo."
The beauty of her side business is how easily it folds into her lifestyle. It's something she can do on trips or incorporate into a relaxing evening at home.
"Right now it's just more like a hobby -- when I have free time. At night, it's a good way to relax, until it gets really frustrating and the wire keeps breaking," she said, explaining that the typical work station is probably the least structured, "sitting in my bedroom listening to podcasts. This is like a perfect way for me to decompress."
Her inventory, and her product line, right now is starting out small.
She has the beads and crystals and other crafting elements separated into bags and boxes and compartmentalized cases.
The only thing left is to incorporate her imagination and go where the inspiration strikes her.
"Sometimes I have a design in mind of what I want the final project to look like," she said. "No two pieces are alike, even ones I try to do the same thing on are different."
She will take special orders and requests, she says, and would not mind one day taking it on the road, perhaps taking some classes or participating in craft shows.
For now, she is focusing on improving her technique and developing a business mindset.
The personal reward, she says, is a throwback to her younger self picking up interesting stones along the way.
"It kind of gets out that science-y outlet -- I don't know a word for it," she smiled. "But I can research the different stones and find out where they come from and the different properties because some won't work well for certain jewelry, either for their shape or how soft or hard they are. And then, also, it's a creative outlet -- I can make something."
"It gives me a chance to turn all the different things I like into something else. I like the transformation aspect."