Arctic Poppy Designs

Flair for the office / hospital / wherever it is you may need to have a badge handy!

Badge reels are available in my shop 🪪

I’m going to be adding more of these soon with different design elements 💫

Sooooo many new designs to share!

Here’s just a sampling of some of the gold goodies that are currently en route to AK Starfish Co! 😍

I think my current favorite is the mountain peak with the forget me not below. Or the mountains with the fireweed.

Need a (kinda) last minute Mother’s Day gift?! These babies are ready to ship! DM me to claim and I’ll mail your order asap.

Sea otter
Fireweed
Forget-me-not
Alaska mom

A few photos from a recent order I did for charcuterie!🧀 🥖🥂

I love doing orders like this for other small businesses who appreciate handmade goods.

Shoutout to all the small businesses who support other small businesses! You are awesome ✨

To fill or not fill

My preference is to usually fill impressions with a dark medium to help the design stand out, but some customers request no fill for a more subtle appearance.

What do you think? What is your preference?

Antique silverware is one of my favorite things to stamp

🔨✨

Custom keychain I made over the weekend went out in the mail today 💌

I get a lot of requests for double sided designs. Since I do metal stamping, it’s not always possible because the backside of most pieces gets marred from the hammer and bench block used in the process.

Double sided designs require a thicker piece of metal, and special handling to try to minimize marking on each side. They also tend to cost more because of the extra work involved.

I love getting these requests though because customers usually have a story behind them, which makes the piece more meaningful with the extra customization.

Lots of cute heartfelt gifts have gone out over the past few weeks 🫶

I have some fun new ideas for simple, everyday jewelry that I’m hoping to share soon!

Wanted to share some new Alaska necklaces I made recently 😍

How cute is the little mushroom🍄?! Also love the star cluster✨And the forget me not… and the seaweed…. Who am I kidding, I love them all.

Which one is your favorite?

Gold and Sterling Silver necklaces by Arctic Poppy at AK Starfish Co. In the Anchorage shop and online at akstarfish.com🤍✨
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Labeling and organizing my stones on this dreary day.

This has been the most cathartic project. Handling each stone, finding a spot in the box, writing the price and details down, etc.

It’s taking me back to when I was little and used to rock hound around Alaska during family camping trips. I’d collect all kinds of things and then decorate a “special” container to keep them safe. Usually an old planters mixed nut container or something similar.

Funny how we grow up, but still partake in the same activities. Only now I guess they’re a little more refined 😆

Good morning!

Valentine’s Day gifts have been going out lately. I love seeing the notes and reviews people send after receiving their orders. It fills my cup and reminds me why I do what I do. Handmade heartfelt gifts are simply the best.

WIP: Brooks Lodge cabin keychains

I’m still working on getting caught up over here! I did not anticipate my first week back being as busy as it was. Such a wonderful surprise.

It’s always so fun for me to see where orders come in from. Maybe that’s because I grew up in Alaska and the rest of the US always seemed so far away.

Today I have orders going out to:
TX
MO
UT
FL
WY
NM
OH
MI
CO
NY
MN
WA
CA
MA
WI
AK

How cool is that?! Never ceases to amaze me. Even after all these years, I am still overcome with gratitude when I see a notification for an order pop up. It means so much.

I received some requests over the holidays for some really cute custom gifts. This customer wanted a simple gift for their dog walker/doggy daycare friends. I came up with this design for her 🐶🐾

I am so grateful for all the personal connections I made through my business last year. While last year was one of the slowest years I’ve had, it was also one of the best in terms of connecting with new and old customers. That’s probably my favorite part about having a small business. This year I’m hoping to foster these relationships and create a mailing list to share new products and discounts with my biggest supporters. I will be sharing more on that soon. ✨

I’m bacckkkkkk!

Shop is open!

I’m going to be revamping things a little in the weeks to come. While I enjoy making keychains, stamping spoons, and other personalized items, I want to put an emphasis on jewelry and new stuff this year.

I have taken a few silversmith classes and really want to do more one of a kind small batch type of things. Which means I’ll more than likely be setting up a dedicated website and mailing list. I just want things to feel a little more intentional and personal, if that makes sense. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the “what is selling right now” world on Etsy, and get lost amongst the non-handmade junk now available on that platform. I don’t want to be that kind of maker. I want to make things that bring me joy and that feel special.

ALSO hoping to have tufcufs available soon! Super excited for those.

Thanks for being here 🫶

Merry Christmas!

Here’s a few pairs of earrings I made for gifts this year.

I didn’t do too much shopping or gifting this year. Didn’t put my tree up or decorate and do any special meals or have any gatherings. I just didn’t have the bandwidth for it this year, so I didn’t do it. That was a gift to myself. 😆

I did get a few things for a few special people that have been pretty selfless this year, dealing with pretty heavy life and family things. I thought they may need a few extra goodies under the tree this year.

Doing things a little more intentionally this year feels nice. It has been a peaceful season, instead of one filled with stress and anxiety. Taking a step back and not allowing myself to get overwhelmed, only taking on what I was mentally and physically capable of doing, closing my store early, and taking some time for myself…it has been wonderful!

Hopefully everyone can make some time for themselves over the next few days and take a breather. Take a walk outside. Go get a nice coffee. Take a NAP. You deserve a break, too.

I’m still on “vacation” and enjoying this downtime very much! Here’s a few earrings I made before my break.

Thanks for all of the kind messages lately. I will be back soon and I’m hoping to have new stuff available after the new year. 👀

Happy holidays, friends! I hope you’re able to take a step back, slow down a little, and truly enjoy this time.

Someone please adopt this girl! She looks exactly like my Poppy girl.

Love these simple mountain earrings 🏔️

Wildflower inspired pieces

Alaska themed jewelry! Available
Designs in both sterling silver and 14k gold fill

Cute stuff that will be available soon at in Cedar City 🏔️

30/30 - Tuf Cuff Covers

This is an idea I originally came up with during Covid. I had a lot of free time and was mostly alone during this time and was looking for projects and ways to be creative. I had a pair of tufs that didn’t have a pretty lining, so I was trying to come up with a way to decorate them. I considered painting them, using sharpies, but then it dawned on me that I could you fabric and stretch it around the boot to make an interchangable cover. Was this ambitious for someone like me with limited experience sewing who didn’t own a sewing machine? Yes and yes.

I was off to Joann’s to buy fabric to make a few prototypes. I played around with different fabric types and stitched the first few by hand. I decided I wanted to make more and gift some to friends to test out for me and report back with how they liked them. Luckily I have friends like Liz Williams who was so incredibly kind and generous and gifted me her old sewing machine.

I made a few more covers and gave them to friends and family. I didn’t hear back from anyone except for my mom, who has worn these on her boots pretty much since the day I gave them to her three years ago (thanks, mom). The dark blue pair pictured is the same pair I have had on my boots for the last three years as well. I am very pleased with how they have held up, because these types of boots aren’t typically worn in the best of conditions. They’ve been pretty beat up and washed quite a few times, and they still look pretty dang good.

I was really, really excited about this idea, but I haven’t “released” it or shared it publicly because I let things get in the way. I struggled with what to call them. Tuf cuff covers seems like a mouth full. And I’m not exactly sure if I can even use the term “tuf” (hello potential copyright infringement?) I also played around with creating a separate business entity for these, but what small business has time for that? After all, I do advertise “handcrafted jewelry and GIFTS” and this falls under the gift category, no?

**Continued in comments**

🎄Get ready for a burst of color with my zipper pouches, complete with charms made by Arctic Poppy Designs. Mark your calendars for December 8th at 6pm, when my restock goes live on the website. Don't miss out on these vibrant bags, headbands, and a limited selection of cozy quilts! Www.ashleyolanna.com