Today we’d like to introduce you to Janaya Buck.
Hi Janaya, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When someone asks me how long I’ve been “going to craft shows,” I always laugh and say “since the womb!” My mother had been doing craft shows since before she was pregnant with me, and during her pregnancy with me. She took me to my first craft show when I was only a few weeks old.
Fast forward about 30+ years and fate finally caught up to me.
I owned an online clothing boutique for several years when the big C hit — Covid. At that time, I had started experiencing a plethora of issues getting my accessory orders from vendors on time, fulfilled properly, etc. One night I was unpacking an order that arrived half incorrect and with several broken items and made a joke out loud (to myself of course), saying “I should just make my own damn accessories,” and within a few months, Onyx & Ivory Handmade was born.
I should also mention that while I owned and operated my online boutique, AND was building Onyx & Ivory Handmade, I was also working at an agency job as a Graphic Designer and a “whatever the hell else they wanted me to do while they paid me pennies and treated me like I didn’t matter past how much money I was bringing in for the owner to fulfill her own dreams.”
What initially started as a means to control which accessories I was able to carry/sell, quickly became my sole career. Due to the success I saw and my extremely loyal clientele that I had spent years building for my boutique (shoutout to My Herd), I was able to quit my full time job at the agency within 2 years. After another year, I quit my online boutique and went all-in on selling my own custom designed apparel, handmade jewelry and other hand-crafted gifts.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
L-O-L. If any small business owner that’s still operating after several years in business tells you they’ve had a smooth road, they’re fibbing.
September 2026 will mark my 5th year with Onyx & Ivory Handmade. Every year, I saw and experienced new challenges. From the initial challenge of teaching myself a brand new craft (polymer clay is my go-to medium), to incorporating fun and new techniques to set myself apart (I’m a Graphic Designer and Illustrator after-all), those were the “easy” challenges.
Throw in an ever-changing world, an administration that continues to preach about how important business ownership is but does everything to get in their way and make it more difficult for them to thrive, tariffs, an unsteady economy… and that’s only the challenges I’ve faced in the last year, not the last 4+.
What I’m getting at is yes, absolutely I struggled. More than that, I made sacrifices. I had several sleepless nights. Countless missed dinners. A multitude of “no’s” to my friends that invited me to parties or dinners. I’ve bled, sweat and cried more than I should be willing to publicly admit.
To me, that’s the part not a lot of people talk about or want to touch on. Social media makes everything seem like sunshine and rainbows, all for the sake of a quick “like” or extra followers. That’s something you won’t see a ton of from me. My approach is, and has always been, to be real, raw and vulnerable every step of the way. To lead with integrity and not shy away from hard conversations or letting people know exactly how difficult a new collection was to make. How much sleep I lost over not being able to nail a technique on the first try. You name it, people want something to relate to, and in today’s world, perfection isn’t it.
In today’s realm, the challenge has become “how can I set myself apart.” Then there’s another layered obstacle on top of that that becomes “who’s stealing my designs this week?” We unfortunately live in a world where blatant theft has become the norm. From big companies overseas to small makers that think it’s okay to copy and steal original artwork, it’s a never-ending battle. Add in AI (screams into the abyss), and well, let me go grab some chocolate and cry in a corner because my goodness is it exhausting trying to keep up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What started off as pretty basic polymer clay pieces has quickly adapted into something that almost no one is able to identify as polymer clay. I specialize in one of a kind pieces in bold, unique colors. There’s a reason why I’m a self-professed “Color Queen,” and I wear the badge with honor.
Two years ago, I was making a “new to me,” style earring. It was a basic daisy shape that I handcrafted to be 3D, so it looked more like a bead than it did a flat piece of jewelry. That “bead” then gets attached to an hoop earring furnishing. I had casually mentioned to my customers that I’d love to someday create more of those little daisies and make what I called “a charm earring situation.”
The situation it turned into was a full-blown, first of it’s kind, handmade earring charm bar experience, which is what I’m best known for today. Customers can choose their favorite earring hoop, between different shapes and metal colors, and can then choose a variety of handmade charms that can be easily changed on the hoops. It’s an inclusive experience that allows the customer to choose what they like most, what speaks to them and be budget-friendly.
When I started my earring charm bar, I can genuinely say I was the only one making charm earrings the way I did, that I knew of. Charm necklaces have been around forever, and even charm earrings to a degree, but I had never seen someone hand crafting charms out of clay. Now, charm jewelry has taken over the maker world and my shift in attention has become, “what can I do to stand out?” Aside from being a very unique, funny and magnetic personality type, of course 😉
Last year, I invested in a 3D printer, and with the help of my incredible husband, we’re able to make our own, super unique and custom shape cutters that I don’t sell to the public. The intention is that I’m the only one that has that particular shape/design, etc. For a little while at least — until someone inevitably copies it. Woof.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Trust your gut. Female intuition is the realest phenomenon out there, and I will die on that hill.
There’s been so many times where I’ve second guessed what to do with a collection, whether it was what colors to use or a subtle change in shape, functionality, etc. In recent months, I’ve really leaned into trusting what feels right, rather than what I think may sell the best or what most people may want.
In doing so, I’ve further enhanced my own unique style and continue to find women who relate to what I’m making on a much deeper level. I cannot even begin to describe how immensely proud that makes me.
My best piece of advice for anyone just starting out is to stay true to yourself. I promise you’ll find customers that resonate with your work because of who you are and what it becomes. You don’t need to make “what’s popular” or “what’s trending this week.” Not everyone will love what you make, and that’s fine. That simply means they’re not your customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://onyxandivoryhandmade.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/onyxandivoryhandmade
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/share/1PmyxmGZHV/?mibextid=wwXlfr
