Meet Liz Thomas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Thomas.

Hi Liz, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey y’all! My name is Liz Thomas, owner of Liz Made Jewelry, and I design and handcraft earrings using polymer clay! I was working in the wedding industry in the greater KC area as a photographer for the last five years. Right before Covid hit, I had an itch to start making art with my hands again, something I had loved to do before photography. In February of 2020, I saved enough to purchase the basics for this style of jewelry making. I sent a few dozen of my creations to a local shop at the first of March and hopped on a plane to Mexico to shoot a wedding. By the time my feet hit American soil again, I knew I would need to find a different way to put food on the table. The wedding industry, and consequently my entire profession, was put on hold indefinitely, but I found that my earrings had sold well! And the rest is history!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Struggles? Oh sure. Starting a new business during the height of a global pandemic is not for the faint of heart, but there were so many more victories by comparison. It was easy to stay the course!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Over the past year and a half, I’ve rarely made the same batch of earrings twice, with the exception of a few styles, one being my most popular – my Body Positivity line.

Photoshop and filters; diet culture and purity culture; the comparison opportunities of advertising and social media… All of this and more is just waiting for women to consume, getting sucked into the idea that their body isn’t good because it’s not “perfect”. I want to interrupt those negative messages that breed self-doubt and self-harm and replace them with messages of self-love and celebration.

All bodies are good bodies. It’s my hope that my Body Positive earrings can be a little reminder to women of all shapes, colors, and sizes that we possess innate beauty and unwavering worth that is always worth celebrating.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
When it comes to dishing out credit where credit is due, it goes without saying that my friends and family have been a huge support! Another pillar in the building blocks of my success is, without a doubt, the support of my hometown! St. Joseph, MO has a thriving downtown scene that is filled to the brim with wonderful small businesses and even better people! The support of those in my area who shop small and support local art is essential and much appreciated!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.nestinggoods.com/liz-made-jewelry-drop
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizmadejewelry/