Shoreline Treasures

Shoreline Treasures is a handmade jewelry and housewares brand of a very crafty lady. Below is a Q&A with Helen, the brains and hands of the operation. Read as she shares with us how she rediscovered a passion that would lead her to discover a whole new side of herself.

1. In two sentences, who are you, where are you from and what do you sell? How are you known at the market?

I am one of 7 children who are all very close.. They all refer to me as THE CRAFTY ONE. I love to knit, bead, scrapbook, cross stitch and even reupholstered my dining room chairs all by myself!

2. How did you get started in your business and what is your vision for the future?

I have loved beads since I was very small, but always felt insecure about trying to actually make “real” jewelry. I made a few half hearted attempts at earrings but could not make those little circles worth a darn! This will sound a little sappy, but I lost my Mom in November of 2008 and on the one year anniversary of her loss I suddenly had the urge to try it again. I bought a few things and picked up some pliers and shazam! My circles were perfect! I have recently begun incorporated my passion for knitting into my inventory.

3. Tell us why you do what you do. What is so special about your business?

My youngest (and last) child is 10 and ever since she turned 3 I have struggled with who I will be once the kids are older. I have been a mom for 19 years and I began to realize that I needed to be ME too. My crafting has unleashed a deep and passionate artistic side of my nature that I did not know was there. Imagine finding out something brand new about yourself at 43 years old!

4. What is your favorite thing about FSM?

I love FSM because of the diversity of the crowd it attracts. Sometimes my customers surprise me by making me look at my creations in a new way. I never really make anything specifically for men but last Saturday a very well built man about my age picked up one of my necklaces and tried it on, and he totally rocked it! I made a sale that I never would have expected and had my eyes opened to a new perspective on my jewelry.

Get to know Helen even more this Saturday at Fenton! Look out for her blue tent and tons of jewelry, knitted housewares, wine glass gems and more!

And check out Shoreline Treasures on the web: http://www.shorelinetreasures.net/