Hello there, Rosebuds! So nice to see you back here! We have a very special article today. Today, we are doing a highlight on the creator of Rose & Clay, Kelsey Sorenson. Since it was her birthday this last week, I thought it would be fun to do a behind the scenes of the creation of Rose & Clay Earrings. A while back ago I sat down with Kelsey to interview her. I’m going to be drawing from that interview to help you get to know our first ever Rosebud.
I guess this is when I toss my hair over my shoulder and claim that I knew Kelsey before she created this business. Her older sister and I were friends in high school and Kelsey and I attended the same university. I often saw her in the Liberal Arts Building catching up on school work while mid splits. She has always been a creative spirit. And a flexible one at that! We also moved cross country to Boston within a month of each other. I’ve been lucky enough to see this business grow and witness this remarkable woman and creator in action.
It was her intention to create miniature, wearable pieces of art. The studs, dangles, and clips she molded out of clay became the perfect way to dress up anyone’s day. These clay earrings and clips are now what I call wearable poetry.
But the intention and creation started off a little differently than you might have guessed.
From a Single Desire to Create Earrings for Herself, to a Full on Business.
The interesting thing about Rose & Clay Earrings is that it wasn’t originally intended to be a business.
In March of 2020, Kelsey was about to graduate with a BA in Dance & Choreography when the pandemic struck and she was forced to finish from home. Woof! Missing out on her crowning glory, her senior showcase, she turned to crafting to find a way to fill her creative void.
“My favorite part of dance was actually choreography. I always love making dance. I just like making.” - Kelsey
This desire to create led her to, yep that’s right, her Pinterest board (thanks, Pinterest!). She found polymer clay earrings and thought, “I can make that.” Her initial desire was to create earrings for herself, but as she researched more into it, she realized there was so much more than just clay needed. To justify her spending, she decided to sell a few earrings to her friends to cover the cost of supplies.
It wasn’t meant to be a thing. But, when it started taking off, she realized she wanted it to become a thing, or rather, a fully-fledged business.
She jetéd into running a small, artsy business.
Business VS Creation
Although, she confessed that the hardest part of it all was the business side of it. The creative side, however, came much more easily.
“I am inspired by the prettiest things in nature. So, to me, the obvious things are definitely florals. Gemstones as well. Also, different things in space, like stars, and moons have been inspiring to me. There's just something dreamy about them. So, I think all of those things in different combinations and different versions have definitely been inspirational to me. It feels true to my core as a human, and just what I want my brand to be.” - Kelsey
These inspirations have developed into crowd favorites like the Poppy Hoop that keeps selling out, or her Selene Dangle that is making appearances in fun, different colors, like in the recent collection. That Mother of Pearl is stunning!
Finding Her Brand Identity
for a while, finding her brand identity and aesthetic was a bit of struggle at the beginning for this artist. Her goal is to make women feel beautiful, but how would that desire translate into her designs and her brand? Well, it actually became her brand.
“I know what it feels like to not feel beautiful. I also know what it feels like to wear an awesome outfit and feel absolutely stunning. If I could have one positive impact from my business, it would be helping someone feel beautiful.” - Kelsey
Coupled with this desire and her inspirational designs, Kelsey has done just that. Kelsey began creating earrings that she finally felt were authentic to her and her brand. One of these earrings was her incredibly popular Eve Dangle.
This earring is one of her most inventive designs because it can be a simple stud or a dangle. The wearer can choose to add an extra piece to the backing to create a dangle & stud combo that looks like leaves cascading down. It is a stunning effect. Miniature, wearable art, just as she professed.
“It was probably one of the first pieces that actually sparked me into thinking: What is my brand, because it was the first piece that felt so authentic to me.” - Kelsey
Taking inspiration from this earring, she finally felt like she found her brand identity and authenticity. From my own speculations, her brand is so authentic because Kelsey started out creating for herself, and still does—she only designs earrings she would wear.
The Mission: Inspire and Uplift Women
Her philosophy, creativity, and compassion for women have interwoven into her brand, one that we trust and love, often (maybe more frequent than often) coming back for more.
The ingenuity and authenticity of this creator is what we are all here for and can express as we wear the poetry she designs for us all.
A Tribute
We sure are grateful she decided to sell her creations, because wow do we benefit from these statement earrings. I know for me that my outfit feels more completed, and upscaled, when I wear a Rose & Clay earring. Her mission to uplift women is truly inspiring and I hope it translates to all who wear a piece of her. Thank you, Kelsey, and Happy Birthday to the effervescent creator in you!
We wish you well, Rosebuds, and can’t wait to share more sneak peaks and behind the scenes or Rose & Clay Earrings. Until next time!
XOXO
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