Meet Katie Riordan | Crafter & Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Riordan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’ve always wanted to share my jewelry and paintings with other people. I’ve loved making them for gifts for people and sharing them with other people. The name of my business came pretty easily to me as well. My parents always called me Katiebug Ladybug when I was little and I have a collection of little ladybugs. Making my business named Ladybug Designs was immediately my first thought when I decided I wanted to start my business. I also have made earrings with ladybug beads so it all came full circle when I decided to make my business Ladybug Designs Co.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think was sets me apart is that I have been making these things for a long time and recently starting selling them. Crafts has always been an outlet for me and I loving spending my entire weekend working on a project if I have the time. I made earrings for the first time in 2nd grade and had a family friend who also made earrings take me to a bead show when I was younger. I learned to sew in middle school and took apparel classes in high school to expand my knowledge and sew different things. I’ve been painting as long as I can remember and have loved doing all different crafts with paint.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many things I love to do in Chapel Hill. Some of my favorite places to eat are Merritt’s, the Loop, and Sup Dogs. I love to hang out at He’s Not Here and sitting outside when it is nice. I love walking up and down Franklin St and exploring all the different UNC shops including Johnny T-Shirt, Classic Carolina, Shrunken Head, and Chapel Hill Sportswear. I love to go on long walks and one of my favorite places to walk is Carolina North Forest. I also love walking around UNC’s campus and exploring the stadium when they are open as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The people who deserve all the credit are my parents. My mom taught me how to sew, took me on probably thousands of trips to Michael’s and willingly bought me craft supplies and kits. My dad is also creative in the way of wood working and both have always supported me in anything I have wanted to do. They are also always the first ones to like my Instagram and Facebook posts.

Website: sites.google.com/view/ladybugdesignsco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladybugdesignsco/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-riordan-823a731b4/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladybugdesignsco

Image Credits
Meghan Riordan