Designer Spotlight: Shay D Design

Shayla Rasmussen was born an artist. She was the girl who spent hours on the beach, head down, scouring the rocks to find the perfect gem stone. She would often buy jewelry and tweak it to her liking, and soon after that she began creating her own. The first time Rasmussen realized she could take her hobby to the next level and actually make a career out of it was in the checkout line at a grocery store. The woman behind her asked where Rasmussen had gotten her necklace, and upon hearing it was handmade, offered to buy it off her neck. The women exchanged information, and the newly minted designer left the store with groceries and her first commission.

Rasmussen began taking silversmithing classes, learning to perfect her style. She started becoming known by word of mouth and networking within the local fashion industry. Rasmussen also manages Firehouse Coffee in Ballard where customers regularly inquire about her jewelry. When she started actually making money on her sales, she stepped it up a notch by choosing more expensive gemstones to work with and increasing her classes. She creates her pieces from start to finish, from molding and silversmithing to pearl-stranding and wire-wrapping. Rasmussen obtained her business license in the beginning of 2007 under the name Shay D Design. It was around this time that a friend, the owner of Reputation boutique, offered to showcase her jewelry. Over the next months Rasmussen would meet other local artists and boutique owners through networking.

When asked where her ideas come from, Rasmussen pauses and, in the way of a true artist, grins and claims that they just come to her. Rather than approaching the table with a plan, the designer lets the ideas present themselves. She describes her collection as elegant but funky, an eclectic assortment from milky chalcedony earrings and chunky red coral necklaces to meticulously etched silver wing pendants and dog tags. Her favorite piece is one she made in class long before her dreams of becoming an accomplished designer had taken form. She wears it to this day; a simple silver cuff bracelet with the words “shay d design” inscribed.