Welcome to Andrea Lynn HANDMADE!
This is me, Andrea, the individual behind the scenes at Andrea Lynn HANDMADE.
I'm originally from Buffalo, NY and have the best family and some of the best friends a girl could ask for there. Currently, I live in San Diego, California. Quite a change from Buffalo - and far from my family and friends there - but I've been in San Diego since 2005 and I absolutely love it here. Some of my favorite things in life are having my iPod on shuffle, my dog, Lexi, and coffee.
I have a master's degree in Psychology with a concentration in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. I know, I know, total nerd alert! My passion in the field is research. I feel when we know why something is occurring it's easier to proactively help individuals overcome relevant obstacles such as Posttraumatic Stress, Alzheimer's disease and depression.
Yes, my work week is filled with nerdy science and touchy-feely interactions. So, how is it that I'm interested in sewing? Well, I actually find that there's a lot of similarities between my day "job" and my part-time creative passion of sewing. First, I like interacting with and helping people. While I assist people in an emotional realm during the day, I am obsessed with the direct interaction that selling provides. I help people find the right gift for the person they love, or create a clutch to go with that exact dress their wearing to their best friend's wedding. Second, I like solving problems. What's the point of having something that looks great but doesn't function well? Why bother placing your jewelry in a jewelry roll if its not going to keep it protected and tangle-free? Or, what's the point of that cute handbag if it's impossible to find your phone because there's no pockets in it? Lastly, I like being creative. It's important to think outside the box in the research world to come up with new ways to help others and solve problems that people are currently facing. In my sewing, I try to find the best types of materials (typically from renewable resources) for the product that I'm making that also create the overall "look" that is aesthetically pleasing.
My grandmother taught me how to sew as a child but I began sewing in high school as a way to minimize my use of animal-based resources. While I wasn't sewing regularly before completing grad school, I would often make items for my friends and family members. This allowed me to always give them exactly what I had in mind - the right item in the right color and the right size to perfectly fit their personality :)
Now that my schedule is more manageable with grad school out of the way, I've decided to have a permanent place in my life for sewing. I set up a studio space in my condo and got to work. Feel free to follow along with me as I figure this whole Etsy world out.
I'm looking forward to this adventure and getting to know all you wonderful people along the way! Feel free to find me on facebook, twitter, and Etsy or email me - AndreaLynnHANDMADE@gmail.com
Best,
Andrea
