Today I’m excited to have an interview & giveaway with Yellow Elm, a shop packed with cute accessories that are perfect for spring. In her interview Elizabeth shares how she fell in love with felting & how she fits her handmade business into her life. Contest details are at the end of the interview- good luck! :)

Update: The giveaway is now closed & the winner will be contacted this week- thank you!

Tell us about yourself & Yellow Elm! Who are you, what are you passionate about and what’s your life like?

I’m Elizabeth Blanton, owner and designer of Yellow Elm handcrafted hair accessories. I’m married to a tv news producer, have a degree in graphic design, and enjoy decorating, trying out new recipes, personal craft projects, and reading. My husband and I live in South Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we try to get outside for hikes as often as we can and take advantage of our beautiful surroundings.

photo by getzcreative

What is the story behind Yellow Elm? How did you start and what has your business grown to today?

I took a fiber arts class as an elective in college and fell in love with felting. I originally made large felt wall hangings, but at one point made some small felt brooches as gifts for friends, which is what sparked the idea in my head. I had always loved the look of headbands but hated how uncomfortable they could be, so I found some bands that didn’t give me headaches, put felt pieces on them, and really liked how it turned out. After opening an etsy shop for online sales and having some initial success, I was able to connect with a few local boutiques who were interested in selling Yellow Elm. I did a few craft shows as well. The local feedback and support from shop owners and customers has been fantastic.

Today, I have a tiny studio space, continue to work with several great boutiques, and still sell Yellow Elm products through etsy and local shows. It’s been amazing (and a lot of hard work!) to watch my little business grow over the past few years and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

What is a typical day in your life like, how do you fit Yellow Elm in with all your other roles & commitments?

It can be a bit of a balancing act! A typical day involves working on Yellow Elm for the first half of the day, then going to my part-time job at a law firm in the afternoon, and doing more Yellow Elm work in the evenings. I try to pick a different focus each week, like marketing, new product development, or planning an upcoming local show.

I also enjoy doing a bit of freelance graphic design as I have time. I love doing the design work for Yellow Elm, and I think having some other clients besides myself keeps my design work fresh and current.

What types of materials do you use in your pieces, and how do you design & build your pieces? What is your process like?

Each Yellow Elm piece is crafted using a very ancient traditional wet felting process—similar to how tents in Mongolia are still made today. I start by criss-crossing the fibers of wool, pour soap and boiling water over it, and then scrub until the fibers interlock to make felt. I love that the process uses all natural fibers and has such a rich history.

I then add charming details like beads, ribbon, fabric, or buttons, to give each accessory extra detail. It’s so fun to capture a little piece of the felting technique and make tiny art that people can wear everyday. It’s a timeless connection with distant cultures, fashioned in a very modern way.

You post lots of simple & sweet hair tutorials on your blog, along with great photography of your products. Is styling the model’s hair on your photoshoots your favourite part of creating these looks?

I actually let my models style themselves! Part of my goal in photographing my products is to capture the everyday look of Yellow Elm, so I don’t want to photograph a look that can’t be achieved without a stylist. I am so fortunate to have many sweet and creative friends that are willing to join me for an afternoon to model Yellow Elm, and I give them guidelines like “I’m going for hippie, bohemian, nature-inspired.”

I absolutely love to see what they come up with! It adds so much extra personality and freedom to the photo shoots and makes it such a beautiful collaboration. It has given me such valuable input about how Yellow Elm products can be worn.

What kind of a creative are you- are you in love with the process of making and working with your hands, the end result of creating unique hair accessories, or both?

I love every aspect of creating Yellow Elm—it lets me touch on so many things I enjoy. The felting process is completely hands-on and can be a really great stress release, and I love the next step of turning each little felt piece into a wearable product. I also get to pull from my training in graphic design and photography and create all kinds of fun marketing materials for Yellow Elm.

The Giveaway

Yellow Elm is offering a Sparkling Wildwood headband for you to win!

The Sparkling Wildwood Headband is handcrafted from a circle of soft wool, with a tiny sparkling rhinestone in the middle, surrounded by delicate stitching. You can see it on Etsy here

To enter, visit the Yellow Elm Etsy Shop & leave a comment here with your favourite accessory.

The contest will be open until Friday March 23rd- good luck!

Can’t get enough of Yellow Elm? You can visit the Shop & the Blog to learn more about Elizabeth & her sweet business.