Kristin has always been a creative spirit. She was known for hauling a caboodle full of beads and elastic wherever she went. Kristin has been creating; she loved making jewelry and accessories from a very young age. Like any artist, Kristin has dabbled in other mediums over the years, too: cross-stitch, embroidery, knitting, felted purses, stained glass, and handmade mittens, but she has always come back to jewelry.
How long have you been making jewelry and what inspired you to begin your own business?
For the longest time, I was a beaded jewelry kind of girl, making matching sets that included necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. I remember watching Fixer Upper many years ago and seeing Joanna Gaines wearing the cutest big leather statement earrings. My first thought was not, “Where can I get those?” but instead, “How can I make those?” So, I went on the hunt for materials at Hobby Lobby.
I got a small collection of leather and went to town. I remember drawing the shapes I liked out on index cards and cutting them out as my patterns. I would then hold the patterns on top of the leather and carefully cut out the earrings. I laugh at the inefficiency of this process now, but you have to start somewhere, right? I wore those cute earrings with such pride and showed them off to my friends at school. I was a kindergarten teacher, and my colleagues loved them too. I soon had requests to bring some into the teacher’s lounge for people to buy for themselves and as gifts. After a bit of success and lots of thought, I decided to start my very own Etsy shop in 2018. The rest is history.
We love how your earrings are filled with whimsical joy, where do you get your inspiration from?
So much of my inspiration comes from the beautiful place that I get to call home, Upper Michigan. The flowers, trees, lakes, and our four seasons. I really try to choose patterns and materials that reflect nature and make me feel happy.
My sister has a little hobby farm, so I added earrings with chickens, goats, and bees. It’s amazing how much joy seeing chickens on earrings brings people at an art show. It’s my hope that Fleece & Fancy earrings help make individuals feel beautiful no matter their circumstances.
Like Stormy Kromer, your brand reflects the value of handmade quality goods. What is the most rewarding part about making a handmade product for your customers?
Right now, Fleece & Fancy is a one-woman show, so every pair of earrings ordered are made by me. I still have “pinch me” moments when I see someone post a professional family portrait and I notice that they are wearing Fleece & Fancy earrings. They intentionally chose Fleece & Fancy, and to me that’s why I do all the hard work.
I have a little plaque that I bought at one of the first shops to carry my earrings that says, “I’m going to make everything around me beautiful—that will be my life.” Elsie de Wolfe. I bought that little plaque the same day a shop bought out my inventory of earrings and cleared my display case. Since then I have made these my words to live by. Handmade, high-quality, beautiful, affordable, something I would want to buy, a product I am insanely proud of, that is Fleece & Fancy.
You’re a Michigan-based company, just like Stormy Kromer. What do you enjoy most about being based in Yooper territory?
I love being a Michigan-based company and being in Yooper territory is even better! I think the best part of being in Yooper territory is just the ability to bring awareness about the Upper Peninsula to the rest of the US about our amazing little corner of the world. I love making UP jewelry and showcasing the better half of Michigan (wink, wink).
Fleece & Fancy incorporates local themes and ideas into your pieces, where do you get the inspiration from?
I’ve had the opportunity to incorporate some local themes into some earrings in ways of custom designs for things like the Continental Cup at Giant Pine Mountain. I also have special designs for the Great Lakes and the Mackinac Bridge, which are very popular for Michigan natives and a very special custom collection of Stormy Kromer Earrings for this collaboration.
What’s your favorite pair of earrings you’ve ever made?
Oh my goodness, that is a nearly impossible question to ask an earring maker! But, I think I would have to say my Dancing Leaves Leather Earrings because I adore the style and can make them in a million different colors.
Kristin wants to leave other creators and dreamers with a word of encouragement. Kristin always dreamed of owning her own little shop where she could make and sell beautiful things for a living. After being an elementary school teacher for 17 years, she always kept her passion alive. During COVID her business exploded, and Fleece & Fancy became more than a hobby.
Kristin wants readers to know she is living proof that a dream doesn’t always happen right away. Just because it doesn’t happen right away, Kristin wants other hobbyists to know that it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
“Keep creating and making beautiful things every single day.” – Kristin Rice
