Meet Stacey Shelvin
Drawing from her deep love of woodworking and sustainable practices, Stacey's pieces reflect a unique intersection of nature and artistry. Each handcrafted item tells a story, making them perfect for those who appreciate creativity, craftsmanship, and eco-friendly fashion. We asked Stacey some questions and learned more about her incredible art practice.
Learn more below and meet Stacey, on December 14th, just in time for the holidays! ✨
A few years back I partnered with a fellow maker for a short time period. I was going to release a line under their brand. The business relationship didn’t last but our friendship has :) So I decided why not try to do it on my own. I am a tiny bootstrapped business and am doing everything I can to try to get the word out and grow the brand.
I always knew I wanted to work with wood. I am in the process of rehabbing two houses, one in Philly and one on a tiny island in Croatia. It’s been a huge life lesson and a huge undertaking. I tell you this because it was actually kind of perfect - I am left with a lot of scrap wood from these projects and decided to start using it in my designs. In the US I work primarily with Oak, and in Croatia Olive Wood.
What inspires you to create? Everything! Haha. I am actually about to start a blog series on my website that shares exactly this. The first one up will be about abandoned spaces and the beauty they hold in their ruin. I love to surround myself with nature, architectural design, sculpture, you name it. There’s beauty and inspiration to draw from everywhere if you open yourself to it.
Another thing that really affects me is newness - I am one of those people who thrives in new situations, new places around new people. Don’t get me wrong I love my communities, and my friends are my family - but I love discovery. I travel a lot, pretty much any chance I get. Even when I am at home I try to do something new each week.
What are your fashion inspirations? Do you have any favorite jewelry designers or fellow makers that inspire you? So many! It took me a while but I have tailored my Insta feed to just show me design, flowers, travel and animal relationships :)
My fashion inspiration is free flowing and comfortable these days – working from home at a desk or workbench all day has really made me value comfort and it’s really changed my fashion sense and style.
As far as other makers the list is too long: But I am really into painters at the moment: You can check a few out on Insta
@kebirch
@BeckySuss
@ana.falceta
@mvheugten
@katie_oshea_design
@yellenajames
Do you listen to music when you’re in the studio? I listen to music at every moment possible, I am one of those people that only has silence when I am sleeping - if possible. My tastes range from 80’s hits to new wave to current indie and I’ve started listening to a lot of international music as well.
How does wood working and jewelry making work together in your practice? How did you start experimenting with wood working in your pieces? As I mentioned I work a lot with Olive Wood, it’s so beautiful and every piece is so different to the next one. I get scraps from someone here in Croatia and basically just let the piece dictate what shape it will take. I cut all of the pieces by hand on my tiny table saw (it’s the best tool ever!) Then I sand and oil each piece to bring out the natural striations and variations. Sometimes I’ll see a piece by another artist that is made of metal - as most traditional jewelry is, and use that as inspiration to make it out of wood. Sometimes they are just created in the moment.
