Aprils Maker of The Month: Addie Nicholls
Over April, we were thrilled to launch the Maker Of The Month (M.O.T.M) scheme. We used Instagram for this opportunity to discover amazing beading accounts and choose one crafter who stood out to us with their fantastic designs and business. Not only was it a pleasure for us to see so many unique and trendy creations, but it was a great opportunity for our M.O.T.M to nab a gift card to our shop and stock up their bead collections, as well as feature on our blog.
So, without further ado, we would like to introduce our M.O.T.M for April... Addie Nicholls and her amazing business, Addie Jewellery (@shopaddiejewellery).
We see this as a great opportunity to introduce our readers to some incredible small businesses that specialise in beading crafts. This isn't just about showing support, but is also about inspiration and hearing straight from the business owners on how they started their business, what it is all about, their inspiration and more! Check out this Q & A we had with Addie and discover the story behind Addie Jewellery.
Q. When did you start your business?
A. I began my jewellery making during the October of 2019, and at that point I was making extremely simple earrings and perhaps a few necklaces here and there. I was not so much into beading and I must say my work reflected the uninspired state I was in at that point in my life. At this point Depop was a relatively less talked about thing compared to how it is now. I barely made any sales, yet nevertheless I still loved making jewellery. I think my main fascination with jewellery began in jewellery making club in school when I was about 8/9 years old! I still have some of the pieces today and I adore how childishly colourful and carefree they are.
Q. What inspired you to start your business?
A. Honestly I really don’t remember! I think I can recall myself taking old bits of my childhood necklaces apart and upcycling them into new pieces that fell apart about a minute after they were made. I’ve always had an extremely creative mind and I think that I wanted to find a way to gain money from it. Not that I do this for the money, which I absolutely don’t, but when you’re 16 and you’re just legal to get a proper job, I felt a pressure to get some personal savings going to I could enjoy life more independently.
Q. What type of jewellery do you specialise in?
A. I like to think that I have no one speciality! I believe that my pieces are extremely versatile. But, it’s blatant that my jewellery is of that ‘y2k’ inspired trend with lots of colours and chunky beads! Right now, however, I would say I specialise in beaded jewellery- especially necklaces. If you love that kind of patchwork, mismatched print fashion that’s really in at the moment... you’ll love my jewellery.
At a point wire rings were my thing; I managed to get onto that trend early and thus gained a lot of following for it. I still sell those rings, but I like to think I’ve moved onto bigger and better things!
Q. The Evolution of your jewellery: How has it changed?
A. I think this is the thing I like talking about the most because I’m so passionate about doing what YOU want rather than trying to replicate others’ work. I would say that my jewellery has really followed my mindset through my late teenage years. At age 16 and 17 I really had no idea what I was doing (like so many other teens!) and I felt that pressure to be perfect and I was completely self conscious. So, I went along with pieces that really had no ‘wow-factor’. Whilst they did well, I really felt like I wasn’t expressing myself enough. Once I began to find a personal style as I found myself at the end of last year, I began to realise that jewellery was only but another means of art. Bold, fun and completely one of a kind, I began to express myself through my creations more and whilst I wasn’t following any particular trend, I found that people liked my pieces because they were quite simply: me!
There is nothing more satisfying than finding your niche and realising what your style is. Anyone can do it, but it takes patience and time! Every week I would change my packaging slightly or perhaps even something as small as the way I use crimp beads... but each little difference is an improvement working towards something so much bigger! Once you look back on your small business journey and really compare your early work with your latest work, there is no feeling like it! I made an Instagram reel recently where I compared the two directly together and I’ve never felt prouder. I truly feel like when you buy my jewellery, you really receive a part of me and my vision.
Although we saw lots of amazing beading businesses and Instagram accounts, Addie's designs really stood out to us, with her unique twists on trending styles. Her ideas on designing things that you are passionate about, rather than just following others styles was inspiring to us because it highlighted the true versatility of beads. Bead products can be used in endless ways and is a gateway to expressing individual styles. It really is a favourite part of our day to see the variety of designs, especially when we can see our beads in action.
If you would like to see more of Addie's business, head on over to her website!
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