Meet Julia Dennis | Reptile Keeper and Jewelry Artist

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

Hi Julia, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
After acquiring my first pet snake when I was 11, I realized how beautiful I thought their sheds were, and I started saving them. I asked my mother if we could start making jewelry with them, and she said yes. I brought her some of my ideas on the designs for our necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, and we worked together to make our first batch. Soon friends were wanting some of their own pieces of jewelry and suggested that I start selling it. I found my first store, BB’s Boutique, which gladly took 15 pieces from me on consignment. I’ve been stocking my pieces in her store for 3 years this month. I also do many vendor events at farmer’s markets, reptile shows, expos, and specialty crafter’s markets.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have had several challenges to overcome along my journey so far. In the beginning at our vendor events, we were usually passed over because we are “just jewelry.” We decided early on that we needed to be able to quickly differentiate ourselves from other booths by bringing in Betty the Burmese python. She is very eye-catching and draws people into our booth, wondering why she is there. Once people realize our jewelry is designed with snake shed, their eyes usually dart all over and they see our jewelry completely differently.

My second biggest challenge has been in having people understand that I am the owner of my business. My mother likes to let people know she’s only at the booth as my, “professional driver” as I am not even old enough to have my driver’s license yet.

One lesson I have learned along the way has been perseverance. I realized getting my business going, in the beginning, was very slow, but I kept at it, kept applying myself to new events, and slowly but surely I managed to keep my calendar fairly full with events.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For my friend’s week-long visit I would start by taking them on a hike to the White Tanks. We’d definitely have to eat out at Macayo’s. I’d also have to take them to Lake Pleasant for some awesome boating. While at Lake Pleasant we’d stop by Dillon’s at Pleasant Harbor. No visit to the valley is complete without a stop at the Desert Botanical Gardens, so we’d have to swing by there. While in the downtown area, we’d stop for dinner at The Compass on top of the Hyatt Regency. We would absolutely have to drive up to the red rocks of Sedona for a shopping and sightseeing trip.

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?
I would like to recognize my snakes and my mom. I bring my Burmese python Betty with me to nearly every event we do, and she brings a lot of joy to our customers. I have watched numerous people pet a snake for the very first time, and realize how special it is to them.

Website: etsy.com/shop/dragonscalesstudio

Instagram: @dragonscalesstudioaz

Facebook: Dragon Scales Studio

Image Credits
All photos taken by Rayna Dennis