Today we’d like to introduce you to Skye Winslow
Hi Skye, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Before I started this business, I had about 2 purses and 3 wallets I would change between depending on what I was doing. I got tired of transferring everything between wallets and purses all the time so I began to look for a sort of modular purse and wallet combination. I could not find one that had the features I wanted so I wondered, “If I can’t find it, can I just make it myself?”. From there I dove right in and did a lot of internet searching to find out what kind of tools and techniques I needed. I bought what I thought was a great little kit and leather from amazon – It did have the basics to get me started without investing too much money in case I didn’t like it, but looking back now I cringe a little at the quality of my beginner tools. After I made the first prototype of my purse, which was not great quality anything really, I decided I liked the craft enough to want to continue and invest in a little bit better quality tools and supplies. So after perfecting my modular purse I got some orders from family, friends, and now husband to increase my skill and from there decided to turn it into a business!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think most businesses have obstacles to overcome constantly. For me, one of the biggest challenges as a one person show is having to do all the other jobs required of a business. All I want to do is design and create, but I also have to be the event scheduler, the accountant, the IT department, the photographer, the videographer, and the video editor for the social media marketer (also me). So the business isn’t just my second job but also my third through ninth!
Another struggle I have is pricing & sales. In the modern world with a million suppliers ready at the push of a button, it is very difficult to compete. Many people do not value the amount of time, skill, craftsmanship, and high grade material that goes into these items – they expect these quality leather handmade goods to be sold at Temu prices! I once had a lady scoff at the price of an item at an event – If she hadn’t walked away I could have broke down my pricing and shown her I was barely paying myself minimum wage and not factoring in any overhead costs. It is crazy to me that people will spend 2-10x what I would charge for the name brand leather accessories when they are not that great of quality. I have fixed multiple of these designer bags for family and friends and they are shocked when I tell them its not very well made.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I do woodburning, fiber arts and designs (knitting and crocheting), but I primarily design and create handmade leather goods. I think my specialty is problem solving, if that makes sense. This is probably where my engineering brain comes in but I love custom work because I love a challenge. For example, one of my favorite items I made because I use chapstick a lot but I would always end up accidentally washing it in a pocket or it would melt in the car. I ended up designing and making a wallet with a chapstick holder on it so its always conveniently with you! I like to call my items “functional art” because I rarely create something that isn’t useful.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’ve always been a person with the “can-do” attitude that likes to make things and get my hands dirty – my favorite job I’ve ever had was in college as an assistant bus mechanic. I’ve also always been a creative person that loves all the things the world has to offer. My mom would probably tell you I had a new interest every week when I was younger, which was pretty accurate. However, I didn’t jump from interest to interest because I got bored of the old thing, I was just also interested in learning this new thing. I’ve learned guitar, piano and written songs to record music, I’ve done bead and jewelry making, I’ve grown and propogated gardens and houseplants, I’ve played a lot of videogames, fixed up and modified cars for offroading, I’ve knit and crochet items for friends and family, done pencil drawings, acrylic painting, and oil pastel painting, picked up fabric and garment sewing, and probably a million other things in addition to leathercraft. This hasn’t changed much since I’ve gotten older – I still love all of these activities but I don’t have the time or the resources to do all of them as much as I would like.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.skyebirdcraft.com
- Instagram: @skyebirdcraft
- Facebook: Skyebird Craft
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skye-develasco-696ab7132/
