Biography - Shelby Pugsley

Shelby Pugsley, owner and artist behind Idaho Me Artfully. Photo By Magnolia And Fern Creative

Shelby Pugsley was born and raised in Idaho, and currently resides in Middleton. She worked in property management for 6 years before starting Idaho Artfully, a small business selling jewelry including hand fabricated sterling silver and hand beaded pieces.

Now, she works part-time as an office manager, which allows her to focus on her jewelry business and spend more time with her family.

“My dad has been self-employed my entire life, and I loved the freedom he had when I was growing up to set his own hours,” Shelby said. “I wanted to be able to have a more creative and free work environment.”

Shelby is a creative force and a life-long learner, constantly growing her knowledge in both beading and silversmithing to allow her to create unique pieces.

She learned her craft through beading with her grandmother when she was a kid and relearned her craft when she launched Idaho Me Artfully in 2020.

In the summer of 2021, Shelby took a weeklong silversmithing class from local artist, Kay Seurat, where she learned additional beading techniques.

“I love the creativity and challenge that comes with making things by hand. With silversmithing, there are always new challenges,” she said. “It’s fun to me to be able to overcome these challenges. I also love the beading because it can be very relaxing sometimes.”

Idaho Artfully offers sterling silver earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces, as well as handwoven beaded earrings, and a combination of both sterling silver and beaded styles with stone pendant settings and beaded fringes.

With her craft, Shelby hopes to create something people can be proud of, with custom orders and unique hand-crafted pieces. Idaho Artfully pieces and designs stand out from the crowd, because they’re more than jewelry—they’re wearable art.

Through her woman-owned business, Shelby hopes to inspire others to do what makes them happy. She leads by example through an important philosophy in her life and work:

“Love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life,” she said. “Starting a business was the first step in a long journey towards doing more of what makes me happy and less of what doesn’t.”