This week, I have such a fun Shop Small Saturday Showcase feature for you! Jonnie, the delightfully quirky girl behind Grey Theory Mill is sharing a bit about her work and life. Actually, when I say a bit, I mean a lot! I love how much thought and detail she gave in her interview, which reflects the same amount of attention she gives to each handmade creation. Also, when I say quirky, I mean it! Check out a couple of the funniest maker photos that I've ever featured below. :)
Seriously, I am in love with just about everything in her store. The jewelry is an awesome mix of geometric designs, fun colors, and sweetness, plus her notebooks are just as pretty! Seriously, when I first saw her booth at Patchwork, I could not decide on just one design. Well, luckily the winner of the giveaway won't have to make the same decision because she is giving away $45 to one lucky reader! And for all of my readers, she is giving a promo to save 15% off at her store.
Stay tuned for that at the end of the interview, but first check out some amazingly creative handmade gems and hear more from Jonnie herself!
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Tell me a little bit about yourself!
My name is Jonnie and I’m a doer-maker-creative-learning-reading-watcher sort of person (or whatever that means). My favorite pastimes include reading, tea-drinking, learning, listening, dancing, being, creating, sharing, cooking, baking, daydreaming, dreaming, pretending, writing, photo-taking, walking, exploring, shopping for supplies, hanging out with my other half/friends/family, and many other present progressives.
I’ve always been rather creative and have always enjoyed an established relationship between my mind and hands. As a very young child (so young this is my mother’s memory), my first masterpiece was a portrait of my mother’s face on the bathroom floor. I had gotten rid of the throw rug and collected every last bit of her makeup and went to town on my linoleum canvas. When she woke up, I was just finishing her piece and I excitedly squealed, “Look momma! It’s you!” She was bummed all her brand new make-up was now diminished, but she said it was really well done. I was also really good at drawing on the walls. So, with that said, I would say I’ve never been too nervous to try out new mediums. If an idea comes to me (whatever it may be) I just figure out how to do it until it can be done. If it can’t, I chalk it up as a learning experience and move on.
I did drama in high school, dabbled in garage bands, and wrote quite a bit. “Art” was something I did on my own time (which was usually collages for my school binder). It wasn’t until my sophomore year of colleg--as an English major--that it struck me I needed to major in art. So I left that college, went back home, completed all the undergrad art courses needed to transfer to a new school and then decided to change my major to Human Development. I started Grey Theory Mill sometime in between and would say that in starting a business, I created my own classroom where I have learned about myself, art, design, online marketing, etc. It wasn’t a clear cut training program, just a conglomeration of personal experience and existing.
Where did the name of your store come from?
