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Meet Sharla Samuelson of Sharma Designs, our newest featured artist. Sharla tells us a little bit about herself,
"I live in the Bay Area of California with my 5 month old baby girl. I love
shopping, designing jewelry, being outdoors, hearing my daughter laugh, hanging
out with friends, watching movies, reading, and traveling. I love to buy and
wear things that you don’t see on everyone else – which is why my jewelry
is one of a kind."
Sharla started to make jewelry as a creative outlet when she was working in
a job that had a very stressful environment. "When I first started, I was
just making stretchy bracelets with seed beads that I had purchased from the
local craft store. Unsatisfied with the quality of beads that the craft stores
had to offer I went in search of “true bead stores”. I soon became obsessed
with beads. I searched the web and any book I could get my hand on for jewelry
making instructions. Soon I was making necklaces with all my pretty new beads."
Receiving praise for her jewelry, Sharla decided to sell locally, which
was the beginning of her jewelry business. "I returned to school to finish my degree in psychology. I spent one
summer between semesters living in southern California with my sister.
Since I was only staying for a short time I worked at part time gigs and designed
jewelry in my free time. Everywhere I went people raved about my
jewelry, asking me where I got it and if I sold it locally. One day I actually
sold a necklace right off my neck. This experience gave me the confidence
I needed to begin to sell my creations. Since I was a full time student I
did not want a full time job. Sharma Designs was the perfect solution."
 Working part time as a bookkeeper has allowed Sharla to work part time on Sharma Designs
and full time as a mother. "I’m kind of a workaholic and I like to stay busy."
Sharla sells through her website
www.sharmadesigns.com
and at jewelry parties. "I have also done
shows such as Fashion Coop in LA and San Francisco and Feria Urbana in San
Francisco. I have a few items on consignment at Lizzy Wishes
www.lizzywishes.com.
Coming from a great family, Sharla enjoys the benefits of such a
supportive group.
"My family is SO supportive. The women in my family wear my jewelry everywhere
and the men tell everyone they should be wearing it. They all keep a huge
stack of business cards on hand. My dad even helps out with some of the jewelry
making processes."
Family, work and her jewelry business have their challenges. "Since having the baby I have a hard time finding enough time to devote to
it. My daughter is the most important thing in the world to me so naturally,
she comes first. Who needs sleep right?" Another challenge that
Sharla has to overcome is her shyness. "I am a little shy when it comes to promoting my own business. It’s good
that I have a great network of family and friends to help."
Sharla works out of what she calls The Bead Room. "It is jam packed with
all of my beads, a design area, and a TV to watch while I work."
When asked who Sharla admires, she tells me, "I admire all women who have taken the plunge to start their own business doing
what they love. I have meet some great women online like Carrie at Paper Candies,
Mei-Lynn at Hella Good, Carrie at Sommer Designs and Heather at Lisette Design.
And of course I admire my parents because they always told me I could do anything
I wanted to and have played a big part in helping me follow my dreams."
When looking back at some of Sharla's successes she is proud to have been
featured in some online fashion sites. She also tells us, "I have
great customers from all over the US. I have learned a lot about what it takes to
run a business. My favorite part of running Sharma Designs is the nice letters
I receive from my customers when they have received their jewelry. I also
love when I have been part of making someone’s wedding day exactly the way
they dreamed."
"I think my jewelry is different than a lot of the jewelry out there. I have
a wide variety of styles that are inspired by all of the wonderful women in
my life. Every piece is one of a kind so that the buyer can rest assured that
their piece of jewelry is unique to her." --
Sharla
You can visit Sharla's websites at
www.sharmadesigns.com
Discuss this article on our forum:
Jewelry Making
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