Featured Shop: Melinda Rose Design
Photo by Erich McVey
My name is Melinda, and I design wedding hair accessories for the nature-loving bride under the name Melinda Rose Designs. I work out of my home studio in beautiful Washington state.
I spent much of my childhood daydreaming – I was always imagining and creating beautiful things in my mind, but I never considered myself an artist because I hadn’t yet found a tangible way of expressing my creativity. I went on to purse an education in psychology and was planning to start my master’s when my eldest son was diagnosed with Autism. This time in my life brought about great reflection, and it’s where my journey with Etsy began.
After my son’s diagnosis, my master’s degree plans came to a screeching halt as I focused on getting him all the help he needed. During this time, my soul yearned for a creative outlet, so I started getting into arts and crafts and making different things for my friends and family. In 2011, a friend told me about Etsy and said I should open a shop; after finding great success at a couple of craft fairs, I decided to try it out.
When I started my shop I was selling small hair flowers, but it wasn’t long before I started getting custom order requests from brides. I had a blast creating these custom pieces, and I was also earning money, so I began to devote more time to developing my shop. I followed the Etsy Success newsletters religiously, learned how to take good photos, and released my complete bridal collection in the winter of 2012. Looking back on this period, it’s amazing to see how all the time and effort I put into my shop paid off. I learned so much about being an entrepreneur — and about myself. Now I understand that I’ve always been an artist — I just needed to find a way to release my inner creativity and learn more about myself.
Living in the Pacific Northwest, there is an endless amount of inspiration at my doorstep. I love taking walks and soaking up the fresh air and sunshine – this is when my creativity flows. These moments in nature help me create designs that are a reflection of myself: organic, simple and natural. All of my pieces are handmade in my studio with supplies from companies known for their commitment to workers, fair trade and environmental protection. I hire local talent, and my goals for the future are centered around building a company that pays a livable wage. I believe in the idea that small business can make a big impact. I’m currently working on expanding Melinda Rose Design – keep your eyes peeled!
Maker and studio photos by Melinda Rose Design, product photography by Erich McVey.
