We recently connected with Jamie and Landon Skelton and have shared our conversation below.

Jamie and Landon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission the drives your brand?

When I (Jamie) was nine years old my grandmother taught me how to crochet. I remember sitting on the couch and crocheting circles over and over. I would pull them apart and redo them until I felt they were perfect. Crochet has always given me an amazing outlet to express myself.

In middle school I actually sold some of my crochet goods to classmates. It was really awesome to see others wearing things I had created. I kept pushing myself to learn different stitches and patterns. Eventually this lead me to be certified with the Craft Yarn Council so that I couldn’t teach crochet at Michaels.

I did put down my crochet hooks for a few years until my now husband (Landon) came to be interested in leatherwork. It was Landon’s idea to try to sell our art and share it with our community.

Landon actually started his craft out of spite since he had bought a very expensive leather belt from a store for our wedding , only to see it fall apart within a few months. As Landon has always been a crafter of sorts, one that has always loved to see his creations being used, he decided to give leatherwork a try. He actually first started doing his leather work on a small desk that was in our bedroom. For months he researched and tried things out until he finally saw that he really had a knack for leatherwork. The rest was history!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

For the crochet goods I like to create unique alternative pieces that you would not see elsewhere. I pride myself on making my own patterns for my plushies. My top sellers include Voodoo Dolls, Cryptids , and Turtle Sigils. I absolutely adore anything Horror related and that definitely translates into my art. I create creepy cute plushies for those looking for something they cannot find in a store. I believe that there is energy in everything and art is just a way to pass energy to someone else.

Landon’s leather goods are also more on the alternative side. Living in Texas most leather workers will make western style designs and wares. However, since Landon is also a Graphic Designer by day he likes to incorporate laser engravings on his leather. Some of his top sellers are Card wallets, Keychains , and Bracelets. These all have been adorned with various designs such as Runes, Triquetras, Ouija boards, and Crescent Moons.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner is my husband. I wasn’t planning on selling any of my crochet goods at the time, I just did it as a hobby and stress reliever. When Landon started leatherwork he realized to get good at making wallets you have to make a thousand wallets, the what do you do with a thousand wallets? So he encouraged me to sell my crochet goods so that he wouldn’t have to sell his leatherwork alone. Which started the journey we are on now.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Networking! One of the most important things we have learned is to network with other artists at your events. When we first started out it was really hard to find the right market for our products. We had many a trial and error at the beginning. Knowing this and living through that has made us more willing to always share market information with our fellow market vendors. You will also find that artists that network are more willing to help each other even when they hardly know each other. We are so grateful that we found the amazing art community in Denton. We have met so many amazing people and have made a few friends along the way as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.skeltonkeycrafts.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/skeltonkeycrafts
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/skeltonkeycrafts
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/skelton_key
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/skeltonkeycrafts