Etsy Crush: There There
Imagine someone patting you on the back with a soothing, “there, there.” This comforting idea inspired the name of Molly Martancik and Lucy Voller’s jewelry and home decor Etsy shop. The college pals started the store in Minneapolis, and the name has taken on a whole new meaning since Martancik moved to Boston last year—their creative and business partnership helps sustain their friendship across the miles.
How did There There start?
Molly Martancik: We’ve always spent so much time together, it just seemed like a really natural progression that we would make stuff together and collaborate. We wanted to make little things for your home or jewelry for mostly women.
Read more about There There…
What do you like to design and what materials do you use?
MM: We both love watercolor, so that’s our main medium if we’re making paintings. Lucy has always been really into collage, though I don’t think we have any collage work up there right now. Then, we make a lot of our beads out of clay, but she has access to a kiln now so we’re hoping to be doing some ceramics in terms of beads. [We use] different metals and natural materials like leather and even cotton cord. I think we both like the idea of mixing different materials together like leather with metal and colorful beads and having it be a juxtaposition of different textures and color.
(Leather and wood earrings with beads, $28)
How did the partnership grow when you moved across the country?
MM: We keep a Google document running. It’s basically an online journal where Lucy will make an entry just about anything, really—about what we’re making, but sometimes just about anything, and then I can respond to it. We type in different colors.
Where do you find inspiration?
MM: There’s a certain feeling that I have when Lucy and I are together and that is the feeling that we want our stuff to have, like kind of dreamy and just fun and creative and unique. Sometimes Lucy will send me music or post a song to the blog or something and that just totally gets me going… I think we also are both just fueled a lot by curiosity of what different materials will look like.
What are your goals for the business?
MM: We really want to get a website up in the next month or two and keep growing—making more things and selling more… We also would both be interested in having our stuff sold in actual shops too… I think that both of us would absolutely love to do this full time, if and when that is a possibility.
— Lisa Kashinsky
(Crystal cluster necklace)
This interview was edited and condensed.
