Designer Spotlight: @SweetandStoneJewelry 🌸

In today's special Mothers Day Edition of Designer Spotlight we get some tips and tricks from one of our all time favorite jewelry designers Veronica Freire aka @SweetandStoneJewelry. 💙

What sets Veronica's work apart from the crowd is her use of a wide variety of different artisan bead styles. She combines beads from all over the world into her jewelry designs which gives her work a truly one-of-a-kind look. The vibrant pops of color she uses always makes her jewelry the perfect accent piece to accessorize your outfits. 🌻As a busy mom and jewelry designer, how do you balance your work and family responsibilities? 🌻

I design jewelry while my boys are at school Monday - Friday. I take weekends off. The summers are the hardest months. My boys are home from school. And my husband works from home. I capitalize on time. While the boys are engaged in their sports, martial arts practice, and swimming I have my bead basket and get to work.

I also burn the candle on both ends working before and after they go to bed. My motto is boys before beads. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in jewelry design, and how did you get started in the industry? 💙

I was born into creativity. My grandma and her five sisters were all amazing with their hands. They crocheted, sewed, painted, designed clothing, worked with wood and pottery. It’s been passed down to my mom and her sisters and so on. I dabbled in jewelry making in my twenties. This was before social media. I sold to a group of ladies at a Bank and showed my work in a first Friday art walk. I moved back home to Cincinnati and put the beads away for over a decade. In 2020 I was learning my way around Instagram and landed on several handmade jewelry maker feeds. I clicked on profiles and started following people. This escalated quickly and my IG was full of jewelry feeds. I realized the opportunity and starting researching on Etsy, YouTube and Instagram. A few months later I was back to fiddling with beads and stretch cord. Posted my first post on IG and off I went. Can you share any tips or advice for other moms who are interested in pursuing a career in jewelry design? 🌸

BUDGET BUDGET and BUDGET. I follow a strict budget. I have MINT an app that records all my business transactions coming in and out. This helps me track spending daily. I write down must have supplies on post-it notes through out the month. I buy my must haves first then the rest of the budget is for new beads. At any given time I have over $1000 in my Etsy and Bead Chest carts of goodies that I want. But there are months I don’t have money to buy new supplies and beads. I just break down pieces that aren't moving on Etsy and use what I have in my inventory. How do you stay up-to-date with current trends and styles in the jewelry industry? 💚✨

I love earthy hues, as well as, bright colorful patterns mixed with stones, bones, woods, glass and metals. I believe these colors and materials will always be on trend. What do you hope your customers feel when they wear your jewelry? 🌀

I create jewelry that I connect with. Could be an earthy connection with the stones and woods, or happiness with the colorful African beads, metals and glass. Jewelry is very personal. It is a vibe. What that looks like to each person is different. I want people to feel like the jewelry they are wearing is a reflection of them. I am so happy that people resonate with my work. If you're looking for a unique piece of jewelry that's made with love and care, be sure to follow @SweetandStoneJewelry on Instagram! Her stunning creations are sure to inspire you to design more often and embrace your own personal style. 💚 

Happy Mothers Day! 🌸

We just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very happy Mother's Day! Balancing the demands of owning a Jewelry Design business and being a Mom at the same time can be a challenge at times. We are so happy to be able to provide you with the tools and resources to let your creativity and talent thrive. We hope this special days brings you lots of joy.

Keep #Designing and have a spectacular Mother's Day! 🌼

#TheBeadChest 💖