Abigail Bradley-Tyler is used to working behind the scenes with student organizations at the USF St. Petersburg campus. Now she is making bold, vibrant statements with her newest venture as a small business owner.
From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. she works remotely from her home in Tampa, overseeing the campus’s office of Leadership and Student Organizations, but after a quick walk with her dog, she goes right back to business.
She grabs her clay and tools and begins the process of creating custom earrings and necklaces for her shop on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods, art and crafts.
Photos courtesy of Abigail Bradley-Tyler.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradley-Tyler had extra time to dedicate to turning her creative hobby into a money-making side hustle, and in early July, her shop Marylin and Grace was created.
She describes her style as “bold, bright, fun and unique” and inspired by Australian jewelry makers.
“I won’t make anything I won’t wear,” she stated.
Photos courtesy of Abigail Bradley-Tyler.
The idea to start her own business was sparked by her jewelry-loving sister who owns a small dog bakery business in Mobile, Alabama.
“She kind of inspired me that if she can do it I can do it,” she said.
While looking through Etsy earring shops together, Bradley-Tyler was confident that even though she had never worked with clay before, she could make and sell earrings, too.
“I was like, ‘you know what? I am going to start a business. I’m just going to start it and see what happens. It’ll be a fun adventure while it lasts,’” she recalled.
After a failed attempt to create earrings from icing piping bags found in her kitchen, she decided to watch instructional videos and invest in a set of clay tools.
Now, only four months later, she has made 136 sales and grown her Instagram following to over 600.
Photo courtesy of Abigail Bradley-Tyler
Bradley-Tyler began crafting at a young age. Family members taught her how to paint and sew while being a Girl Scout taught her skills like leatherworking and basketweaving.
Today, she is a jack of all crafts, working in a variety of art media and enjoying activities like baking, quilting and all that is in between.
“Sewing was my gateway to the crafting world of earrings,” she said.
“My grandma was a beautiful seamstress, so I grew up sewing with her,” she said. “[It] was my first passion project.”
As an ode to her creative roots, Marylin and Grace is named after her and her wife, Lerren’s, grandmothers.
“It ties in the family aspect,” she said.
Marylin and Grace is more than just a business to her. Although the extra income is nice, she believes it is more about the creative process, which she finds to be “therapeutic.”
“I just want my earrings to be affordable and fun for people to enjoy,” she stated.
“It’s been interesting to be committed to who I am and not stray away from my fun style.”
Shop Marylin and Grace on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarylinandGrace?ref=shop_sugg
Stay connected on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylin_and_grace/