We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liz Floyd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Just recently I had the opportunity to work on a really fun project with Margie Sutton, owner of FLY Modern Apparel in Summerville. Margie has been a longtime supporter of my work, and FLY was the first store to carry my jewelry – making this project very special to me. Twice a year (Spring & Summer), Margie orchestrates an amazing runway show featuring the upcoming season’s fashions that she will feature in store. It is open to the public, and has become a real show-stopper event in our town. For this year’s fall show, I collaborated with Margie on hairpieces to be worn by a few of the models. Once we discussed her initial idea (from styling, to overall look), she allowed me the freedom to create pieces that reflected her vision and my aesthetic. Her trust and confidence in me to design and make the hairpieces, while honoring her vision made me feel validated as an artisan. Not to mention, it was really fun to create something a bit more avant-garde than my typical designs!

Liz, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After a spending a childhood in the Appalachian and Green Mountains, I headed south to Charleston, SC and found myself immersed in a completely different landscape. I no longer looked up at mountains that climbed up into the sky, but out over marsh grasses that waived to the clouds above. Always one for a long walk, a good view, or just time on my porch – I find the most comfort being outside. It’s where I find inspiration. When my mom allowed me to choose what color to paint my bedroom in middle school, I landed on the most vibrant yellow. Not only my favorite color (still, 24 years later), but it was the closest I could get to living in a sunset. When the afternoon light poured into my windows, it sent a warm glow throughout our upstairs hallway. Around the time my bedroom was painted bright yellow, I began making jewelry for myself. I would use my allowance to buy beads that caught my eye, and began to accumulate quite a collection of tools and supplies. It was a hobby that waxed and waned over the years, but was always something I enjoyed. And after marrying my husband Hunter, who coincidentally is from a family full of hunters, I found a new medium to experiment with, and it took me back to nature. Deer horn and turkey fans became my new main components.
As I began to envision different ways of utilizing the deer horn, my set of tools expanded to include a sawzall, belt sander, and a drill press. The ‘slices’ have become a signature component in my jewelry – and although almost every piece I make includes them, each one is as different and unique as the deer horn slices themselves. Their organic shapes and rough edges give each piece of jewelry a one-of-a-kind look.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have always had this mindset that success looks like and is achieved a certain way – perhaps coming from a family with a doctor, an attorney, an architect, and a teacher. Each one has been very successful within their field, and each one of those careers has a relatively clear path towards success. So, upon entering college, I had clear interests, but could not fill in the blank of what I wanted to ‘be.’ Which, I now realize, is completely ok! I have worked many different types of jobs, within many different fields, and acquired valuable skills along the way – all of which have served me well as I build my business as a creator.

And although I have unlearned this mindset to a certain extent, I still catch myself comparing my journey to others, and second guessing what my progress looks like from time to time. But that’s just it – my journey should be just as unique as I am.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It is still difficult for me to describe the absolute joy and excitement I feel when I see someone wearing one of my pieces. As an artisan, each one of my designs is an extension of me, and a reflection of hours at the sander, endless sawing, and assembling slices of deer horn. This makes putting my work out in the world exciting and fun, but also incredibly terrifying. Self-doubt can be such a heavy feeling, but each time I see my work ‘in the wild,’ that weight gets exponentially lighter.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ekdjewelry.com
• Instagram: @e.k.designs111
• Facebook: Fb.me/ekdesignsjewelrybyliz