About La Belle Harmonies' Beginnings

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1st craft fair

designed to use loose beads from a grandmother - probably antique

retro 50s bracelet

created from a broken 1950's necklace

After taking early retirement I needed to find something to occupy and expand my mind and skills. I don’t even remember how I first started. I know it was with size 11 seed beads and amulet bags. But I fell in love with beading. By subscribing to several beading magazines I taught myself the different techniques. A class would have been easier, but I had moved to the country and now lived 45 to 50 miles from the nearest big city. I couldn't even find a bead store. My daughter, Saundra Ingram, joined me in this hobby, specializing in earrings.

I sold enough items at my first crafts fair to encourage me, and to teach me what my potential customers were looking for; (no surprise here)

1. Quality and low prices.
2. Something different, but not too different.
3. A chance to chat about the jewelry.
4. A chance to see the jewelry being made.

Over the next 2 years my skills increased. The quality of my product increased. I added some inexpensive ready made items for the children and the child in the adult. My daughter continued to contribute her skills with earrings.

After 3 years of craft fairs I began looking for a different type of venue to sell my handcrafted jewelry. Anderson-Barnes Antiques opened in mid August 2007. And I rented their last available booth.

That booth became my studio as well as my shop.

Business went well and it was soon noticeable that much of it was rehabilitation, redesign, and repurposing of antique and vintage jewelry and components.

The La Belle Harmonie line was created when I discovered the enjoyment of salvaging vintage jewelry. It began with a shoe box full of odds and ends of estate jewelry. Many pieces needed repair. Some were beyond repair. I have since purchase several box lots of estate jewelry and continue to repair, rehabilitate or redesign many jewelry pieces.

Harvesting parts from those pieces beyond repair, I have created an inventory of usable vintage parts, which I use for rehabilitation and fresh creations - designing and crafting one of a kind, vintage inspired personal statement jewelry.

In some cases I use the saved components to rehabilitate other vintage pieces. In others I use new components. I also, using recovered parts, and new parts where needed, design and craft one of a kind, vintage inspired personal statement jewelry.

Whether rehabilitating vintage and estate jewelry or creating a new piece, I design with a vintage or retro look that tries to do justice to the original components and give great care to maintain the integrity of the original.

I live in a historical area of Alabama. Many of the families have lived here for generations. Beautiful, well loved, costume jewelry has been saved from generation to generation. I love restoring these pieces to a wearable state. The joy I see on the faces of family members who are now able to wear and enjoy family jewelry brings me joy.

In September 2009 my booth was moved to the front of the store and enlarged with the inclusion of a front window. I now have a window display as well as a 10 by 15 foot booth. Business has increased proportionally and I was encouraged to expand to online sales.

Customers from Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia have jewelry purchased or repaired in my shop. Customers from Canada, Australia, England and other foreign countries visit our shop to purchase one of a kind jewelry, to have their favorite fashion jewelry rehabilitated, repaired or to participate in collaborative design.

Head shot of JoAnne