sunday spotlight v.5

name/blog name: katie elderkin, in my own little universe


please tell us a little about yourself. i am a freelance graphic designer, following my dreams of being a full time jewelry designer. i went to kendall college of art and design in michigan. i now live in tampa with my boyfriend chris, my dog star and my two cats, niko and casper. i absolutely love living in florida and i'm so happy i moved down here 8 years ago.


please tell us a little about your etsy shop, my own little universe. my jewelry is a mix of vintage and new...old and modern. i use a lot of mixed metals, chains, rough rocks and crystal. sterling silver is my favorite metal to use. i like my jewelry to have a little bit of an edge, with a little rock and roll feel.

when did you first start designing jewelry? i took my first metal smithing class right after i graduated from college in 2000. i majored in graphic design in college, so i went right into full time employment after graduation. i didn't go back to metal smithing class until maybe 5 years later. i would go off and on just for fun. i have been taking it much more seriously this past year.

where do you get your design inspiration? this might sound strange, but i get a lot of inspiration from cosmos...visually. my favorite stones to work with are druzy stones and they look like something you would find on the moon and sparkle like stars. i am working on finding a good source for those stones, i only get really great ones occasionally. but i would love to have a whole line of druzy jewelry. other than that i get my inspiration from diy style i see online and in blogs. also high fashion and rock and roll. i love to mix modern with old, so i am also inspired by all my vintage finds.

what direction do you hope to move in the future? do you have any big plans? my dream would be to collaborate with big name designers, supplying my jewelry for high fashion runway shows and photoshoots. i want to be known in the design world and make an abundant living solely on my designs.


you recently were part of the mtv movie awards gifting suite. what was that like? it was a blast! i really had such a positive response from my jewelry. and so many people walked away wearing my pieces instead of putting it in their bag. katharine mcphee of american idol wore my necklace on stage during her performance at the event. that was so flattering, i was so proud! having christian siriano of project runway walk away wearing my necklace was also a highlight. everyone was really nice and easy to talk to for the most part. and since then, i have seen pictures of celebs wearing my jewelry at events (pictures on my blog). that is so amazing, makes me feel like anything is possible and maybe my dreams can come true!

what is the best perk of being a designer? the best thing about being a designer is being able to live out my creativity. i have never wanted to do anything else besides something involving art. i would be miserable otherwise. so being able to have a career that is fun and different everyday is such a blessing. and then being able to share that with other people and making them happy with something i have made feels wonderful.

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 thank you so much, katie, for letting me put you in the spotlight this week!