Built From Ashes: About Me

Name: Ashlyn

Age: Somewhere in my 20's

Location: New Jersey

Zodiac: Scorpio

(This is me wearing: Built From Ashes cream sparkly turban twist (infinity) headband)

I am a total college student homebody who loves to create and design. I am a film major who loves to learn. I love to knit and have opened up my online store in October 2016 to help give people what they want. I do custom designs and give many different options at a reasonable price. Everything I do is handmade and made with TLC. I began to get an interest in knitting early on when my great grandmother and grandmother alike, would knit and crochet me items such as afghan blankets, scarves and other timeless creations. They were always so beautiful, so warm, and just what I wanted.

I've been making art since I was a kid and art has always been my passion as well as my escape. It helps me heal on my worst days and helps me express myself on both my worst and my best days. It's the personal touch of it being handmade that make my pieces so awesome. All my items are washable and dryable. This makes it easier on the consumer to properly take care of each of their items.

I came up with the name, Built From Ashes, because I wanted it to link back to myself and be very broad so I will not be limited in the future for releasing not just knits and crochets, but also canvases, prints, and crafts. I started this business when I got tired of corporate restaurants and realized I would much rather be following my passions than to slave away for something that doesn't feel as rewarding. I had nothing after leaving, no means to an end or way to pay my bills. I built this up by myself and it has been hard but I think I'm finally starting to flourish, for this I consider my business to have risen from nothing but my own passion, just as a Phoenix rises from nothing but ashes. I think this is how everyone should live their lives, not let anything in your life, or your past hold you back, but instead to empower you to be your greatest self. I believe you can learn from every single experience that the universe throws your way. If it doesn't kill you, it can only make you stronger, and more interesting. I see a story there. The darkest places people have been, I see as the most beautiful, its when they are most vulnerable, most genuine, there is empathy, there is feeling, there is meaning. It is a time people are most their true selves, and to see someone flourish and make it out of these dark places into having an open mind, believing in more than yourself, and use that negative knowledge and energy to really understand life on a different level, is just so beautiful. It's what I live for, to learn about others, to understand other people, other cultures, anything, to learn and become the best version of self. The only way I can think to describe this wonderful experience is, Building up from ashes, being Built From Ashes.

I like to have fun, travel, and be with those people (and critters) closest to me. My closest humans are my brothers, RJ and Anthony, my boyfriend, Matthew, and my grandma, who I like to call Mema. They are great supporters of everything I do and I love them unconditionally.

Matthew and I like to travel together and experience all the great (and not so great) parts of the world around us. We haven't gone too many places yet, but nature walks, beach trips and vacations here and there get us around more than you'd think.