Stitches by Ashley Nicole: April 2015

The weird stuff is the best stuff

This weekend we're getting to know a little more about Wilde Designs, and its co-creator/co-owner Beth Howard. (She recently featured Stitches by Ashley Nicole and me on her blog!)

What kind of items do you offer in your shop?

I specialize is jewelry, art and design, but I tend to gravitate toward anything with a geeky or oddball edge, so you never know what might show up.

About the shop:

Wilde Designs consists of Beth and Wes Howard, a pair of geeky professionals from Texas. We both work all day (Wes in technology, and Beth as a graphic designer), then devote our “off hours” to our son and our second job running Wilde Designs. We create together and apart to continually improve and find new things to show all of you.

Is there anything unique about your shop that readers should know about?

As much as possible, I try to include repurposed or reused materials. The domino necklaces in the shop are all made from vintage and hand me down dominos. Wallets and necklaces featuring celebrity or fandom images that aren't illustrations by me are made with pages from calendars, magazines, and other secondhand sources.

What are some fun facts about you that you'd like to share with readers?

I'm a huuuuuuuge geek in case you couldn't tell from my inventory, so my secondary passion is going to conventions and cosplaying. My current favorite character to dress up as is Black Widow (the Marvel cinematic universe version).

What inspires you?

Usually something from pop culture. More often than not, it's a show or a movie I'm obsessed with, though it can be as simple as seeing a really shiny bunch of beads at the craft shop and not being able to walk out without them. My shop features a lot of different types of items because I like trying new things. Experimentation and playing with new techniques inspires me to try even more new stuff.

Who is your favorite musical artist?

That is such a hard question! I love music. I HATE driving if I can't have music. But I think that Duncan Sheik is consistently my favorite. His music has fantastic lyrics and a beautiful sound. My old domain name was named after his song "Bite Your Tongue." Ray Davies, the former lead singer of The Kinks, is a very close second.

What is your favorite song and why?

"Bite Your Tongue" by Duncan Sheik. It's funny and sarcastic and yet hopeful somehow. It's a good song to listen to when you need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and just get stuff done, which I think we all need from time to time.

What is your favorite color?

That varies wildly from day to day depending on my mood, but lime green is always way up on the list for me. I admittedly love some truly, obnoxiously bright colors. They make me happy.

What is your favorite quote?

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde (not coincidentally, I have several items in the shop featuring this quote)