From Humble Beginnings...

As I've jumped back into working and building Smoke and Ash back up, I can't help but reflect on the incredible journey that Smoke & Ash has experienced over the past eight years. It's wild to see how much this brand has changed and grown during this time!

What kicked off as a few simple stacking rings made on a makeshift desk in my spare room for friends has turned into a thriving brand with a legit studio, over 100 unique products, and a whole new skill set. It really shows what passion and perseverance can do!

A Journey of Growth

Looking back at that tiny desk, I still can’t believe I grew Smoke & Ash into what it is today. From that little corner, I took the plunge to leave my job in London and fully commit to making Smoke & Ash my main gig for the first year I had to work extra part time jobs on the side just to get by. In those early days, my collection had just eight necklaces, five types of rings, and ten types of earrings. I had a vision, but my style was still figuring itself out. I was all over the place, creating whatever caught my fancy—jumping from silver to beads, to tassels, and back again! It wasn't until after the second market I ever did that we could see a future in this and invested in building a proper desk to work from and focusing on a true collection.

Market Memories

Thinking back on my early market setups, I honestly don’t know how I managed to sell anything! The second market was especially memorable for the biting cold. My stall neighbor was super kind and lent me cardboard to stand on, and I had to send Jack home for my snow boots. All part of the learning curve, right? Now I’ve got a long list of essentials I always bring along, especially for those chilly winter markets. Back then, I hand-stamped all the little earring cards and boxes, without a cohesive brand identity or budget for stock. I often had to take orders based on what I had on display, and I’m still not sure how I sold rings without ring sizers—total mystery!

Turning Passion into Profession

But I did it! Fast forward a couple of years, and I successfully turned what started as a side hustle into a full-time gig. Partnering with a website called Wearth brought in over 100 orders each month, plus my sales at regular markets. This new stability let me invest more in stock and branding materials. My collection took off and grew to 100 individual pieces, and so did my skills allowing me to take on commissions and create one of a kind stone pieces. The freedom to be creative on my own schedule was—and still is—a dream come true.

Enhancing the Brand

With a steady income, I could invest in better photography, branded packaging, and most importantly, stock. While there’s still a two-week lead time for many items—especially handmade rings—having stock ready to go has really improved my workflow and what I can show off at markets and events.

Whats to come

It will be interesting now to see what path Smoke & Ash takes now. After taking a significant pause from business expansion and deliberately downsizing for a few years to balance life with two young children, I have rediscovered my enthusiasm. This break has rekindled a passion that I might have lost by the end of 2020 when I was barely keeping my head above the water with the volume of orders. At that point, I felt I'd lost the creativity I had once loved and had turned into more of a manufacturing operation, with no time to focus on creating anything new.

In the past couple of years, I have devoted time to researching and developing new techniques, uncovering a style that feels uniquely mine and of which I am truly proud.