Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lowe.
Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Although my military family did not have much I always seemed to have enough to make purchases of bright, shiney objects at flea markets and yard sales during our travels. My Aunts contributed to my collection with broken bits and baubles. A passion for beads and jewelry was born and I continue to this day.
After years of working for “the man” after college I was offered a job managung a fri3nds bead store. The perfect job except I was doing all the work and not reaping any monetary benefits. Duting this time I wss awarded a scholarship to study with the renowned bead artist Joyce Scott at the Split Rock Arts Summer Program and had been recognized woth numerpis awsrds doe my hewelry designs. After a few years I set out on my own and opened Beaded Venus in Mount Pleasant SC using my entire savings, the support of my boyfriend, later husband and my personal bead collection. The store was an instant hit and within a few years had saved enough for a car and downpayment on a home in the suburbs. A Beaded sculpture I made won one of 50 spots in the Interweave bead contest. ” Venus on the Halfshell” travelled to museums all over the country with the last stop at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC. A career highlight! By then multiple craft retailers and several rival bead shops had open3d in town and I had to rethink the plan. My now husband became disabled with Parkinsons and it was difficult to continue running the store. After 12 years of beads, classes, birthday parties, kids camp and alot of love for the Shop, I moved the store to a very small room.in an antique mall. Without emplyees and the stress of my own store I started to return to my creative roots and the rime i had previously spent on managing a full retail space I spent creating again. I started to make more money doing repiairs and cuatom design than selling beads. I loved restoring peopes bead and jewelry treasures. My long history of old and loved beads came full circle. I stared doing local markets to get exposure and sell my jewelry and found I loved this bohemian existence. In March of 2020 the store was closed ” temporarily ” and I never re opened. The freedom of doing markets was a relief and being out in the community was just what I needed.
I continue to make my living doing what I love. The passion of using previously loved,meaningful treasure to create is so rewarding. My lifetime of handling old broken jewelry has given me a knowledge of beads from all over the world as well as jeweley making techniques that is a part of my being.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
When I look.back, struggles I have made it through seem not so terrible in hindsight. Be prepared to fail. Its not all going to go as planned.
Sometimes you have to take stock of your resources and regroup.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My relationship with beads began early. At 3 I stuffed an opal gemstone from my mom’s jewelry box up into a nostril. Never to be seen again.
My tagline says ” Creating with a curiosity for the meaningful object. “
The 18th Century Mother of Pearl gaming tokens are a perfect example. These are genuime pieces of womens history. When I make jewelry out of these, I feel the history of a time when ladies used these exquisite,handcarved pieces for. a ladies entertainment. Most of my materials have a story. These elements combined with classic pearls and styling are
Any big plans?
My future plsns include a more active online presemce. I have alot of destash and product to sell.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beadedvenusdesigns.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beadedvenus?igsh=NzlsMnoxbTd2Y2dn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19UPAfqRbz/
