I believe that uniformity and conformity are overrated, that less is less, in the value of the unique, individual, ornamental and simple, and in the humanity of art.

Handcrafted jewelry is very collaborative. It connects the maker of the beads, with the maker of the piece, with the person who chooses that piece to say something about themselves. It connects us through time and space.

That's part of what I love about the art of personal adornment.

My name is Sarah Kelley and I'm thebeadedlily-- a self-taught southern gal with an intense love for art, beads and jewelry.

I’ve been crafting for as long as I can remember, beading for about 15 years and delighting in different materials, new techniques, imagination and inspiration.

Pieces by thebeadedlily generally fall into three categories.

Stringing: bold, colorful, texture laden designs, often influenced by the artists and artisans who create the beads I work with.

Wirework: simple, clean, and highly primitive. I use ancient wire-working techniques and aim for what the earliest jewelry must have looked like, to create something timeless, like what you'd find in a museum's antiquities exhibit.

Beadwork: totally unique and original one of a kind art pieces.

When I started selling pieces it was to family, friends, and friends of friends. It wasn’t till I found out that I could sell on-line that things really took off for my art. I found Etsy in January of ‘07 and opened a shop there six months later. Early in 2008 I quit my day job and discovered that I could do what I loved for a living. I registered thebeadedlily as a business in January 2009 and I've since opened shops on ArtFire and 1000Markets in addition to my Etsy shop. My own website naturally came next.

When I'm not working I'm sleeping, reading, drinking coffee while I surf handmade on the internet, blogging, taking tea with friends, cuddling my cat, Rip, or the resident rodent, haunting a sushi bar or puzzling with my family.

Whatever I'm doing I carry with me my love of the art of personal adornment. I love its history and I look forward to its future.

My jewelry boxes (yes that's plural) are stuffed with my own work as well as pieces by Ayala Bar, Holly Yashi, Pamela Bloom, Carol Dean Sharpe, Herbert Begaye and more. I have handmade art, vintage and antique pieces from Egypt, Peru, India, Japan, Alaska, Mexico, Kenya, Israel, Australia and other far flung lands.

Beads are art in miniature, which I love! I thrill to wear something that is mine alone, and I want you to as well! And that's the why of it. Love.