creative Beading 25Profile
in galleries and tourist information centres,
and she also had stalls at the local
markets. once her name became known
in the area, she stopped selling at the
markets, as people began to approach her
to create some one-of-a-kind jewellery for
them. Sam mentions that she has often
been approached by ‘friends of friends of
friends’, who request she makes a special
piece of jewellery to match their clothes.
her favourite story is about when a woman
asked her to make a piece of jewellery in a
hurry to match her top. Sam had the perfect
shade of quartz, and after the 9.30 am
request, the lady had her piece of jewellery
by 10.00 am. that’s service!
in addition to making gorgeous one-off
pieces of jewellery, Sam now holds jewellery
parties every couple of months. She doesn’t
advertise, and relies on word of mouth,
particularly from friends and ladies from her
children’s playgroup, to introduce her to
new people.
Sam also runs classes from her home every
tuesday, and says these have turned into fun
events, particularly as her husband michael
(a baker by trade) brings them home-made
delicacies to enjoy with their morning tea. She
says: “the jewellery classes are a wonderful
way to bring like-minded people together,
as new skills and techniques are learnt in a
friendly and positive environment.”
michael and Sam are currently building
a new home, with plans for a large area
where she can display and sell her jewellery,
and also conduct her classes. in addition
to stocking jewellery lines, the shop will
also have ‘new age’ books, bead books,
and homewares such as exquisite beaded
lampshades, and most of these lines will be
purchased from australian suppliers. She’s
already started a stockpile for the store,
and admits to having around 600 pairs of
earrings and 400 necklaces just waiting to
adorn the new shelves, not to mention the
collection of stunning stones and beads.
Sam says she doesn’t specialise in any
particular type of jewellery, nor for any
particular age of clientele, and finds her style
keeps changing, making everything from
the latest fashions to vintage gothic designs.
children’s necklaces, hair accessories,
wedding accessories and shell jewellery for
teenagers have all been made with Sam’s
clever hands. She has a keen interest in
georgian and elizabethan designs, and has
just started making stone clips and pendants
from natural materials.
Sam is very influenced by the forces of
nature, and says that in tasmania she is
able to experience four completely different
seasons, and she enjoys creating different
jewellery for each season. autumn sees her
reaching for the natural, earthy tones such as
the beautiful amber shades, while winter sees
her using white and clear crystals and beads.
in spring Sam is drawn to vibrant greens
and pinks, while the summer season means