Taking It To the Streets!

Sometimes when work in the office just doesn’t work – we take it to the streets and that’s what Lee Weal of New Jersey has done.

Lee, who just happens to be, like me, in the “late summer of her life,” seems to have done most of it: she’s been a webmaster, an administrative assistant, a parent, a devoted partner to Abel, a doting daughter to an elderly parent, and, now like many, a member of the ranking unemployed. But this has not gotten her down. Oh No!

The Bead Bug bit while Lee was walking through a craft store. Lee has always adored earrings and decided to buy some beads and findings and tried her hand at making some. Abel said to her: “I think I can sell these to friends at work.” Abel was right. She kept making the earrings. Abel kept selling them. One thing led to another and, next thing you know, Lee had a business.

She named her business “Five To Nine Designs” because that was the only time she could make jewelry: after work hours. Then the big “BOOM” of being laid off. But that did not slow her down. She purchased a professional tent, took it to the streets and now does street sales, craft events, school sales, church bazaars, and she consigns at BOHEMA, an artisan and vintage boutique in the Philadelphia area. In addition, one of her earring designs was featured in Bead Trends March/April 2008 magazine. Lee also has a website (http://www.fivetoninedesign.com/), and blog (http://fivetoninedesign.blogspot.com/).

Lee says her goal is to make money, yes, but her biggest goal is to have fun in the process. “The money is the perk.” she told me in our recent interview. “I want to make money and have an income, but to interact with customers at my booth and enjoy the sales process is really so much fun. It’s what keeps me going.”

Be sure to visit Lee’s blog and see her website I have linked here for you. She is an incredible artist, making a line of unique, OOAK earrings from gemstones, Brass Bouquet vintage-aged brass, sterling silver and other delicious findings!

So -- Who's Next??? Let me write an article about you! I'll give you that 15 minutes of semi-fame you want and deserve! Write me at brassbouquet@comcast.net. Tell me about yourself, your jewelry, how you got started. I may just write you and want to do a story about you for my blog. There's a $20.00 gift certificate at the B.B. in it for you!

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Visit the Website at: http://www.brassbouquet.com/

Email Your Comments to: brassbouquet@comcast.net

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and until next time: Pay it Forward. -- Jill