Meet Lindsay Sharpe of Odd Little Birdie in Summerhill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Sharpe.

Lindsay, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I had been working in the mental health field since I got out of college and while the work was rewarding, I wasn’t sure that it was the right career path for me anymore. I had been recently dealing with some health issues and my dad also needed care due to a chronic illness. I decided to leave my job, help out with my dad, and think about what I wanted to do next. During this time, I decided to get out my old sewing machine and make some gifts for friends and family. I hadn’t sewn in a long time. My first project was Christmas stockings for my parents. It took me a few tries, but several youtube videos later, I was getting better and better at making stuff. After making a zombie arm neck pillow as a gift for a friend, she suggested that I try to sell them on Etsy, and that’s when I started my shop!

I started out making horror and vintage themed pillows and dolls then added aprons and then started doing hand embroidery. I was selling mostly on Etsy but knew that wasn’t going to be enough. So, I did my very first art show the next year, with many more to follow! My life has changed a lot since I started Odd Little Birdie. My health has gotten a lot better, and I have learned so many new skills and met so many amazing people! Now I focus mostly on hand embroidery, mixed media embroidery and art prints, but am still up for making the occasional spooky pillow or apron.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nope! My dad got really sick and passed away about a year and a half after I started my business, and it has been hard to deal with. But dealing with death and grief has been the inspiration for some of my newest work. Also, my dad loved horror movies. He got a big kick out of seeing things I would make that were based on the movies he liked. It always makes me laugh when I make something now that he would have enjoyed.

Business and marketing have been a struggle for me since I started as well. I had no experience with it, besides working in retail and trying to push add on’s. It’s also really hard for me being one person trying to do all the things. And making money is tough! I am very lucky to have had the support of my boyfriend and mom these past few years. Without them, I definitely would not be able to do this and I am very grateful to them.

Odd Little Birdie – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I create quirky and odd hand embroidered and mixed media pieces inspired by horror, vintage, pop culture and life experiences. My newest creation, Delores Death, is a cute, stylish, grim reaper in training that just wants to be normal and have normal friends, but her only friends are animals. She is based on my everyday thoughts about life and death, and of course, my love of animals! I think what sets me apart are my mixed media acrylic paint and embroidery both on cotton and canvas, as well as my focus on the weird!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Making my first nonfamily member/friend related sale! And being in VoyageATL is pretty cool too!