Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Castillo.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was in medical billing for twelve years and never really felt fulfilled creatively. I’ve always wanted to work with my hands and work on my own timeline. Very suddenly, the company I worked for remotely decided to outsource their entire billing department over seas and I found myself unemployed. My wonderful husband suggested I take the opportunity to start the business I’d always dreamed about while I look for another job.
We were lucky that a neighbor and friend had decided to sell their glowforge laser cutting machine and we got an amazing deal on it so, I began by designing and cutting wooden lanterns. Business was slow but steady until I decided to add hand painted earrings to my shop. Business has picked up tremendously and now, two and a half years later, I have fully made Ash’s Artifacts my career and I couldn’t be happier.
I love the freedom that running my own business has afforded me. I sell mostly online but I try to do local markets once a month and it has been so rewarding be able to sell my own designs in person and to see people’s reactions. I design and make things based on what I love and it’s the best feeling in the world when someone else loves and appreciates your work too. Making the leap into starting my own business and working for myself is definitely one of the scariest things I have ever done but it has also been the best decision I have ever made!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Getting started is the hardest part. There’s always an upfront cost and it’s scary not knowing whether or not you’ll make that money back. I went through a lot of not really knowing what to design and what would sell well but eventually, I started to notice patterns and themes that were more successful than others. Selling at local markets was also a huge help because I was able to actually see what was popular and what got the best feedback.
There are definitely good months and bad months money wise, especially in the beginning, but as you progress and you gain more orders, followers, and reviews, it gets much easier.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in wood cut, laser engraved and hand painted items. I started out making lanterns with scenes from Disney, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, basically all of the things I loved! As time went on and I experimented more, I fell into making wooden earrings and once I started, I couldn’t stop! I have over 100 different earring designs now and hundreds more ideas in the works!
One of my favorite things to do is design custom orders. I am honored that I have had several brides reach out to me requesting custom lantern designs to fit different themes for their reception tables. It’s a great way to get me out of my comfort zone and create designs that I never would have considered myself and it’s such an amazing thing to be a part of such a big day for someone else.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I am in control of every step of the creation process of everything I make. I design every lantern and earring on my computer using Illustrator. I do use a laser cutting machine to cut the wood and then I hand paint each earring myself. The handmade nature of my items makes each piece a bit unique and because I design everything, I am able to create anything or make any changes that my customers want.
What does success mean to you?
I define success as being happy with what you do. Of course, being able to support yourself is a huge part of success as well but I would have never found out that I can support myself by selling my art unless I followed what made me happy.
Pricing:
- Stud earrings are $10
- Dangle earrings are $12
- Lanterns are between $25-$45
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashsartifacts.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ashsartifacts
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/ashsartifacts
- Other: https://ashsartifacts.etsy.com
