25 Mar Shop Spotlight | Eliza Gwendalyn
We are thrilled to welcome Eliza of Eliza Gwendalyn to our shop! She is about as sweet as the items she designs and we’re glad to introduce you to her today!
Tell us more about your perfect customer:
I think all customers young and old, male or female are ideal. I am a calligrapher and the joy of being a calligrapher is to keep a special act of the past, writing letters, alive in a world where emails and texts are taking over handwritten notes. It is just as special to see parents still teaching their kids to write handwritten notes to thank a teacher or friend, just as much as it is to see my grandparents old notes during the war when there was no phone or email. At the end of the day anyone who is open to keeping this craft alive is an ideal customer in my book!
Did you always want to be your own boss?
Yes since I was a little kid and I have actually been lucky enough to have called myself ‘my own boss’ since a year after I graduated college. I was in advertising and was let go due to the 2009 market crash. I flew out to California to broaden my graphic design horizon and learn 3D design. I came back at the perfect time while my father, an attorney, was on trial and in need of some help sprucing up one of his trial graphics. I helped him and that was the start of my trial graphics company. I did this for about two years until I merged my company with a bigger firm out in California. It was then that I had a lot of free time and started my stationery line/calligraphy brand and well now I can say I am a full-time calligraphy stationery artist.
Tell us how you relax:
I relax with calligraphy, wine and working out. Working out is crucial for me but I would say wine is a close second. Before calligraphy became my job it was the most therapeutic exercise. It still can be therapeutic when I am not overwhelmed with jobs. The act itself is calming.
Tell us about your favorite book:
I actually have two favorite books. First, the most twisted book of all time, Chuck Palahniuk’s Invisible Monsters. It’s a fiction novel about a model who got shot in the face and lived a twisted life after surviving. The ending is epic. I can’t say much more or I will ruin the entire book but a serious must read for all ages. I first read it in seventh grade and to this day it is still my all time favorite.
My other favorite book is actually nonfiction. I am very big into non-fiction. It’s “The Glitter Plan” by the former CEO’s of Juicy Couture, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor. This book was one of the most inspiring and emotional books I have ever read. It was so well written and relatable being a female entrepreneur and it really gave me a new found respect for these two ladies. I cried at the end of almost every chapter and they weren’t even sad! It was just so moving. I think most of it was tears of joy and memories of being a kid and wearing their clothes.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
I can’t live without water. I always have to have a water bottle in my hand or next to me at all times. Ever since I was in elementary school I always need water by my side. My parents joke I just couldn’t quit the “bottle.” Besides water, my poodle Amy and my family!
Who is your favorite person on Twitter?
Fashion illustrator Jamie Lee Reardin. I think she is one of the most talented people of my generation and not only is her art awesome but her page is always so welcoming, bright and refreshing to follow. The girl has an eye for detail. I love her work so much I actually purchased one of her first driftwood illustrations that I plan to hang in my room when we finish it.
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