Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Kelly.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jane. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As far back as I can remember, I have loved tiny things. Tiny furniture, tiny books, tiny anything. As a child, I would make miniature pies out of clay and bottle caps, or tiny cradles out of seashells I’d find along the shores of Cape Cod, where I grew up. I also loved anything magic and whimsical. I grew up in an old sea captain’s home and was always fascinated by the old skeleton keys to the many doors, and the hidden crevices and nooks found in the old homes of Cape Cod. I’d spend hours reading fantasy and magical books, making up stories starring wizards and fairies, and hidden homes inside trees. And The Littles was my absolute favorite Saturday morning cartoon. Even as an adult, I was as obsessed with books like Harry Potter as much as any ten year old. Still, it was not until I had spent several years in advertising and marketing, and several more raising my four kids, that I decided to take this passion and turn it into a business. The day after Christmas of 2014, my Dad passed away. He was a sweet, gentle man who hid tiny gifts from the “Fairies” in a huge Clay Castle he kept tucked in his garden, for his twelve grandchildren to discover. He was the rare person who was science-minded (a neurologist) as well as an artist (he did the flowers for my wedding and served artfully displayed dishes to the many neighbors who’d come for dinner). He taught me to enjoy the journey rather than focus on the destination. It was to honor him that I decided to follow the advice he had given my sisters and me since we were old enough to wonder what we should do with our lives. The advice was always some version of the same line – “just do what will make you happy”. And so, I opened my Etsy store, Keyhole Studio, the day after we laid him rest. I have since gone on to create a second website,
www.keyholestudiocreations.com, add workshops to my offerings, as well as to create the Plymouth Fairy Door Trail – all of which have made me very happy!
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to creating Keyhole Studio has not necessarily been smooth or rough – meandering would be a better term. What started as a desire to create and a passion for the whimsical eventually led to where I am today, and the road is far from at the end. I have no formal artistic training, and while my imagination is probably my biggest asset, I have had to learn to make most of what I do with a trial and error process. I often joke that I have no finger prints left as a result of the millions of times I have burned myself with a glue gun. My biggest struggle along the way has also been my biggest lesson – I have had to learn to put that nagging self-doubt aside. I have had to learn to put myself out there and take these ideas I have and show them to the world. That can be terrifying and humbling, as I am sure any artist, writer, or chef can attest to. Taking your creation and letting other people judge it is a huge step. But once you stop worrying about the reaction of people and focus, instead, on the joy you feel when you create, it’s a lot easier to take that step.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Keyhole Studio’s name was born of my fascination with what is on the ‘other side’ of the world we see. The vision of a secret garden gate, with a keyhole lit from within, is one I love to imagine. What little creatures frolic on the other side of that gate? That world filled with fairies, elves, mushroom houses and fairy dust is what Keyhole Studio is all about. I make tiny, handmade fairies with hand-painted faces, flower skirts and acorn caps. I make fairy babies nestled in tiny baby shoes. I love to make magical kits that, hopefully, provide the spark needed to ignite the imagination of a child. Fairy Finding Kits, Make your Own Fairy Door Kits, Fairy Garden Kits complete with dozens of tiny pieces like treasure maps, stepping stones and teeny keys, are just some of these items. I offer small, inexpensive items like Fairy Dust, mini fairy wands, and Fairy Detecting Dust, as well as larger more elaborate items like fairy homes with two or three levels, hidden staircases and lit chandeliers. One of my most popular fairies is known as the Mini-Me Fairy. The customer can choose the eye color, hair color, and other unique features (like glasses or freckles) that make the fairy a mini version of the recipient. The more details the better! If the recipient loves to read, I will make her with a tiny book. If she loves to cook, a tiny bowl and whisk can be added. Customers can opt to send a Fairy-Gram – a custom fairy sent in a keepsake box, wrapped in special “bark” wrapping paper and stamped with Fairy-gram and Official Fairy Business stamps! In addition to the custom fairy, Fairy-grams come with a tiny wand and a teeny fairy-sized card and envelope. I also offer custom Fairy Houses – you think it up and I will make it happen. This year, I have started to offer workshops such as Fairy Tea Parties, Teacup Gardening Events, and Fairy Birthday Parties! I am thrilled to partner up with Gail Farrell, of New Again, 32 South Park Avenue, to offer Fairy Birthday parties in her event room. I am available for Girl Scout Troop workshops and other group events as well.
When a customer spends an hour at my craft fair booth lost in the magic of it all, or takes the time to message me that she was delighted by my product in some way, I am beyond thrilled. It makes me happy to think I, in some small way, made someone else happy. That’s when I feel most proud.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I am unique in that I do not have a store front. I divide my time between my website and local craft fairs, and pop-up shops, mostly on the South Shore of Boston and in Plymouth, though I have also been at the Boston Flower Show. I have been thrilled to launch the Plymouth Fairy Door Trail in Plymouth and the response from the locals has been fabulous! With the help of the Plymouth Bay Cultural District, I set into motion a wonderful trail of 28 beautiful hand-made fairy doors, made by some of Plymouth’s most talented artists, that stretches down Court Street, through Village Landing, and along the waterfront of Plymouth. Plymouth is a wealth-spring of artistic talent, imaginative residents, and innovative new ideas and businesses. There is so much more to Plymouth than people realize. The Plymouth Fairy Door Trail encourages residents and visitors alike to wander, with a purpose, through the downtown area, in and out of shops, in search of these little portals. During the summer months, Fairy Seekers who venture out on select Fridays even have the chance to win a prize if they are “Fairy Spotted” (Wings help you get spotted by the way!). I cannot imagine another town that is more perfect than Plymouth to start this magical Fairy Door Trail.
Contact Info:
- Address: Studio: 27 Watercourse Place Plymouth, MA
- Website: www.keyholestudiocreations.com. or https://www.etsy.com/shop/KeyholeStudio
- Phone: 617-548-0723
- Email: keyholestudiocreations@gmail.com
- Instagram: keyholestudiocreations
- Facebook: Keyhole Studio @ keyholestudioplymouth
Image Credit:
Ladybug Photography
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