Meet Delaney Yorio | Handmade Jewelry Artists

We had the good fortune of connecting with Delaney Yorio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Delaney, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Finding a true work life balance has probably been one of the hardest things for me to figure out. After the first year of Delaney and Blu I was absolutely exhausted! When I first started this adventure in 2021, I worked 7 days a week, over 18 hours a day. I was eating horribly, hardly sleeping, and my family barley saw me. You could say it was a bit of an unhealthy lifestyle. I was working like this because I really wanted to make this work for me, I wanted to be successful at this because it was not only something I was passionate about, but it also provided me the freedom to travel back and forth to see my husband in South Africa. After the first year I knew I could not continue to work like this, so in the beginning of 2022 I made it my goal to find a better work life balance. I knew it would not be perfect but I started small and have been working my way to that comfortable balance ever since. My schedule is still a bit of a crazy mess, but I have made it a goal to also listen to my body and mind. If I am being unproductive, if I am feeling tired or under the weather or maybe I just need a small mental break. I make sure to take the time I need to recover. My first year, I would grind through until the work was done. It turns out it’s really not worth it and usually less productive. To work towards that healthier work life balance I started off by giving myself at least one day off, which for me is Monday. I take this day to get my life together, mentally and physically, usually starting with laundry, cleaning, running errands and usually a movie and dinner with my amazing mom ( who usually works my weekend markets with me.) I have also set an “end of work day” for myself, which is to be out of my studio by 11pm or midnight. I know this sounds a little crazy but it is much better than the previous 4 – 5am bedtime I was starting to make habit of. I still have many improvements to make in my work life balance and I believe each day I am gaining a more clear idea of what it really means to have a work life balance. Delaney and Blu is still a young company and I am still a young entrepreneur, I believe I have made mistakes, and still continue to make mistakes but I am also growing and learning. The goals for 2023, sleep better, plan better and do more things that are not “work” orientated.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I will start off with the more complex answer here, which is how I got to where I am today with Delaney and Blu. I really started this business because of the flexibility I needed at the time. It was 2020 and my husband and I were living in Vietnam at the beginning of the year where we had made a home and stayed for 3 years. In January of 2020 we were visiting with my husband’s family in South Africa, little did we know that when we left for our two week vacation we would never return to our home in Vietnam, even still today. Long story short we ended up in America for 6 months in and out of lockdowns and all the crazy stuff we all went through that year. In August of 2020 my husband had to leave America due to visa reasons. We have now been separated and living apart from one another for over two years now while we wait for his visa. When my husband had to leave we were devastated and at a complete loss on how we were going to make this work. After four months of waiting to see my husband I left to visit with him for two weeks, I ended up staying three months. I left my job at home and tried looking for work online while overseas. I struggled to find work and my husband and I were in a tight place, but he told me to revisit my long dream of starting my own clay jewelry business. He got me some clay and tools and I just jumped right in. The beginning was all in fun and about learning, there were many disastrous pieces made! I started to share my work online just to see what people thought and I had a really positive response. My husband then encouraged me to start working on a website and branding and it really took off from there. After three months in South Africa I returned home to the USA and launched Delaney and Blu in April of 2021. The launch was so much better than I had ever expected, even though there were some major complications with my website failing to take card payments! Luckily my customers were still able to pay via PayPal and Amazon Pay. I am so grateful to those first few customers who really lifted me up when I thought I had totally failed at my first big move! How I got here is a whirlwind of chaos, but I feel really proud of myself for making it through and making it work.

Delaney and Blu is now my full time job and I am extremely proud with how my work has developed in the past few years. What really sets my work apart from others I would say is the extreme boldness of my work. I truly believe the bigger, the louder the better. I love using lots of color, unique shapes and complex designs. My new favorite pieces are my hand painted “recycled” clay pieces. I believe these truly reflect me as person and as an artist. How I make these is a super fun process and it all starts with my left over, or scrap clay, which I like to call my “recycled” clay. I take these mushed balls of clay and cut them into tiny little pieces so I am left with a mound of tiny clay bits. I then roll this out to make a large, flat slab of marbled clay. This is always a fun part because the color combinations I get and even sometimes textures I get are totally random and always a surprise. I then take my colorful marbled slab and hand paint on the uncooked clay with acrylic paint. I sometimes paint little faces, flowers, polka dots or even just random squiggles and shapes. This part is where I can really let myself go and flow with my work. I go in with no real plan other than to play with shapes and color. Once I finish painting I then carefully select my shapes and designs, this can take awhile because I really only get one chance to cut it and make it right. I never draw anything or plan beforehand, I like to play with the shapes as I go. After cutting these little creations get a quick bake in my toaster oven, I sand them and then they get a beautiful layer of clear resin to really make the colors, textures and designs really POP! These designs are definitely Delaney and Blu’s bestsellers because they are all one of a kind in their color, shape and design. These pieces can truly never be recreated due to how they are made, I like to think of them as little pieces of art for your lobes.

Delaney and Blu has come a long way, and it has not been the easiest venture, it has been stressful and physically/ mentally challenging but I really find it so worth it. I get to create and make things that make me smile and bring me joy and I get to share that with others. The biggest compliment I get from my customers are when they walk into my booth at markets or send me a nice message to tell me that “these just make me happy” or even “these earrings make me feel so beautiful.” Those words push me to keep going and keep creating, they truly make my heart smile. I like to think I am bringing someone, somewhere a little joy, a little happy, a little boldness!

At the end of the day I think it is important for people to know that Delaney and Blu is a brand of one woman with a dream, a love for life and art, a serious obsession with color and design and all I want to bring into this world is little pieces of happiness.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well we would definitely start off the week with my family, they are my rocks and my biggest joy! I am sure we would play lots of games, eats lots of food and probably have a little too much wine. Then my MUST go to restaurants would have to be our local bar and restaurant, just few steps away from my house, Salem Gardens. It is your quintessential neighborhood bar with the best spicy cheese cubes and good vibes. All the servers and bartenders have been there since I was young and it really makes it such a great time. My next restaurant of choice would have to be my favorite Italian spot, Peppe and Delores, the service is aways top notch and their pastas are to die for, I seriously can never choose so I always order two! After Peppe and Delores a night cap of Somerset is definitely the move, they have the best ambiance in Cincinnati and a killer martini, but if you are really looking for the best espresso martini you have to go to Blind Lemon! Blind Lemon is a tiny little spot at the top of Mt. Adams. It has a quaint courtyard where everyone sits around like they’re in their own backyard and they have great live music. If you go here you must try their espresso martini, and if you are feeling a little adventurous get the raspberry espresso martini. If we were feeling like we were in the mood for a good steak I would go to Blinkers in Covington, they have some of the best steaks and salads around. My drink of choice here is their cucumber smash… the best on a hot summer day! If we wanted the best cheeseboard in the USA I would go to Ripple Wine bar also in Covington, KY. They make their own in house Boursin cheese that you will crave every single day of your life after you leave. Really anything on their menu, I think I have had almost everything (my sister and I go often for our “girls nights’) is spectacular and the wines are even better, Ripple Wine bar is a MUST.

I think food is taken care of, after we eat ourselves silly you have to go to a local sporting event, wether it be the Cyclones, The Reds, The Bengals or FCC its a have to. I don’t watch sports or really care all that much for them but Cincinnati does them right. You get to the stadium early, either tailgate or head in early to grab a Skyline hotdog and a drink. I promise even though you may not know what’s going on in the game it will be an amazing time. If we wanted some live music I would take them to see The Heavy Hours an amazing local alternative/ indie band if they were in town, usually they play at Bogarts. If we wanted to have a little fun and games I would highly recommend Pins in OTR, they have bowling and arcade games and an awesome rooftop with a fire pit for chilly nights. Lastly, the best Sunday you could have is heading down to OTR first for a bagel from The Bagelry and then walking or catching the tram to Findley Market, there are a bunch a shops and food stalls to checkout, my favorite shop would be BQuirkie off Elder St. this is owned by an amazing woman named Bella. She sells the coolest vintage clothing!

Other miscellaneous places for good vibes and food would be Echo in Hyde Park (best diner breakfast/ lunch), The National Exemplar for cozy fireplace vibes and amazing mushroom soup, and lastly if its a beautiful day, bring a picnic to Washington Park in OTR. There is usually an awesome crafts market there and they have The Porch where you can enjoy beverages while watching the dogs play at the dog park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow! I really have the best support system and so many people to give a shoutout to, but I think my biggest cheerleader and motivator is my husband Jade. He is the reason I began my business and the reason I am as successful as I am today. Jade was the person who pushed me to share my art and designs with the world when they were just small sketches in my notebook. He helped me to see that I have something unique to share with people. He was the person who not only came up with the name of my company but also helped me mold it into what it is today. Even now when I feel like an imposter or like I am falling short he never fails to raise me up and help me see things from another view. He knows how to pull me out of my little black holes that us creatives tend to fall into. Jade truly has kept me going, kept me motivated, kept me sane!

Website: https://delaneyandblu.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delaneyandblu/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delaneyandblu/