Featured Artist Melanie of Violet’s Buds

There is no telling what will get the creative sparks flying.  For some, it was apparent from the beginning that creativity was going to be a life long pursuit, while for others, the creative part of their soul was found later.  For Melanie, it was a combination of the two.

As a child, Melanie was much happier indoors painting than outside playing sports but it wasn’t until her darling daughter was born that she really found her passion.  She is currently a stay at home mom, taking care of her daughter, husband and 3 adopted dogs who loves to read, garden, ride a scooter and cook as well as working with animal rescues.  Melanie has a degree in photography with an emphasis on portraits, but has found a love in another direction…fabric!

After her daughter was born, Melanie perused the web for cute things for her.  Not finding what she wanted, she decided to try her hand at creating her own hair accessories…and the addiction was born.  She created a few for her daughter and then her nieces and found that she couldn’t stop.  Her family encouraged her to begin selling her unique designs and Violet’s Buds was born!  She attended a few craft fairs, but the time of setting up and prep with a toddler means she has to be picky about which ones to show at.

Melanie has learned a few things while setting up her business that she is happy to pass along to others interested in selling their handmade creations; the biggest being don’t let negative feedback get you down.  You need to plan plenty of time for marketing and research in order to sell your work; almost as much time as creating new pieces, but the upside is when a customer finds you and falls in love with your pieces it makes it all worthwhile!  Melanie loves it when a customer sends her a photo of their own child wearing one of her creations.

Not one to let will enough alone, Melanie has recently started working with brides to create amazing bridal accessories such as keepsake garters, corsages and fascinators.  This new adventure is sure to help make some wonderfully personal moments for those brides that want to customize their day.

Melanie’s work is so much fun; full of color and styles you won’t find anywhere else that you are sure to find a piece for any occasion.  She loves working with other artists on collaboration projects as well as getting and giving feedback.  She is easy to find on Etsy as well as on Facebook and her own newly formed blog where she plans to host some contests and giveaways!  Don’t blame me though if you suddenly find yourself wanting each and every piece for your own little princess, or even a few for yourself.