about me

Hello and Welcome!

I am passionate about creating high quality folk art and leather goods. I have been making things for as long as I can remember, and always love to learn more about art, craft, and design. I live with my husband Wayne in Iowa and we are currently trying to turn shoe-making and this blog into a profitable full time business. In addition to doing this blog, I sell shoes, bags and a few other items on Etsy.

My blog and company name, ceruleanJAY is a mashup of two words, cerulean, a beautiful shade of blue, and JAY, and in blue jay. So there you go! Fancy pants blue jay renamed cerulean. It also sounds like a name of a movie character. To me anyways. Something cool enough sounding and vague enough that the blog can change and evolve as things change.

Shoe making started out as a crazy desire to learn how to make something most people don't know how to make or don't usually bother to make.
How I decided on shoes I am not sure, but my passion for the aboriginal tribes of the Americas led me to create my first pair of moccasins in about 5th grade. They were AWESOME and I wore them until the stitching fell apart and I made a new, better pair which I also wore out. I think about then I discovered peer pressure and pre-teen awkwardness and left off on the costume and historical footwear making until I got a job in the costume shop in college.

Find these and similar items at my etsy store, ceruleanJAY

In any case, I made another pair of moccasins this last summer to see if I could make a pair with a real sole that could be worn for a long time without needing replacing, and came up with a pretty good little moccasin.

The body is made with genuine deerskin which is an ideal shoe material as it is strong, flexible, and will stretch a little over time, all contributing to a shoe that is long lasting and wonderfully comfortable.

The sole base is twofold, with a thick piece of durable cowhide and a piece of reclaimed rubber taken from old treadmill belts that will make your shoes last a long time even when walking on modern materials such as concrete. After finalizing the design, I placed my moccasins up for sale on Etsy and create custom sized moccasins. I have also created a 4 part tutorial explaining my process to anyone interested in trying to make their own pair of moccasins.

In short, I am passionate about making leather products inspired by the past and can be used for years. I am currently pursuing a minimalist lifestyle, and have loved the amount of use I can get out of my leather products. Leather is a durable product that often looks better with age. I focus on making products that are custom made for the person, so that it can suit their needs on a regular basis, so there is no need for multiple similar products.

Hope you can learn a bit about moccasins, shoe-making, and whatever else I happen to post about here, and that you enjoy going on my adventures with me!