Illuminated // Worley's Lighting

Today's post is a special interview with this month's featured sponsor, Shelli of Worley's Lighting.  Shelli is a talented artist who makes insanely gorgeous lamps and lighting decor from organic and found objects.  I hope you enjoy this glimpse into what inspires her and makes her tick!  

Hi Shelli!  Please introduce yourself to Bubby and Bean's readers.
My name is Shelli Worley and I'm the owner of Worley's Lighting.  I live in a cozy little condo in Fort Mill, SC with my husband, Seth, who runs the shop with me.  Besides running Worley's lighting, I work at a desk job to help make ends meet (nothing much to add here, so boring), and my husband plays guitar full time for a Charlotte musician named Andy Cherry.  He also scuba dives!

How did you become interested in creating lighting and home decor?
I've always loved all things crafty.  Growing up I was always drawing, making dolls and animals out of paper and other materials, and even decorating large boxes intricately as homes to hide out in.  When I discovered Etsy in 2010 my love for creating increased.  Browsing all of the handmade and vintage items for sale really inspired me.  This led me to open my own Etsy shop September of 2011, creating and selling home items.  I finally settled on creative lighting as my strength and have really taken off with it ever since.

What are your favorite materials to work with? What types of things most inspire you?
This might sound cliche but nature honestly does inspire me!  My most used/favorite material to work with is definitely natural wood.  I use drift wood, old barn wood and untreated natural limbs of trees right now for my lighting pieces. Wood with some character (not store bought) is a great inspiration in itself.  Nothing is cooler than coming across a great unique piece with an awesome grain that's over 200 years old!  I'm such a nerd! I'm also inspired by modern design.  

What other artists or businesses have influenced your work?
I have a never-ending list of Etsy shops that inspire me, one of my favorites being Theater Clouds.  Even though her art really has nothing to do with lighting, it really gets my creative juices flowing.  Just take a look for yourself!  I try to draw as much inspiration as I can from places other than businesses or other artists, but I do enjoy a good browse though an Anthropologie catalog!

The Bubby and Bean blog focuses on living a creative lifestyle. Aside from photography, are there other things you particularly enjoy creating? 
I'll try creating things using just about any technique.  Though I am not very good at a lot of them, I do enjoy giving pretty much anything a go!  Nothing gets me out of a creative rut like switching to a foreign medium and giving it my best shot!  On another note, I enjoy music and song writing.  I released my first EP on iTunes in September of 2010 called Copies&Repeats.  (Back then my name was Shelli Harsha; if you're interested you can check it out on iTunes. Just search for the album or my name).

If you had to pick one piece of your work that was your favorite, what would it be?
My most popular pieces are definitely my Tree Branch Candle Holders, but MY favorite is probably my Drift Wood Lamp with Edison Bulb.

Where do you see yourself and/or your business in 5 years?
In the next 5 years I plan to be running Worley's Lighting full time from a studio successfully, without needing any supplementary income. We'd love relocate closer to the beach in North Carolina to be closer to family. I'd love to add a dog to our family as well!

One of our most popular series on Bubby and Bean is 'Friday is For Favorites.' Tell us your favorite of each of the following: color, movie, food, and band.
My favorite color is green, my favorite movie is Ratatouille, my favorite food is cream puffs, and my favorite bands are Coldplay and Bon Iver.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
I'm so thankful for Etsy.  Without it, I probably would have never found a way to create as a job.  And thanks to Melissa and Bubby and Bean for an awesome blog and good reads, and for letting me be your featured sponsor! <3

Thanks again to Shelli for taking the time to share a little bit about herself and her work with our readers!  Make sure you take a minute to check out more of Shelli's gorgeous work in her shop.  You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.