Meet Amy Venlos of Wyoming MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Venlos

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I still have my very first bead; I got it when I was living in North Canton OH. My beading “obsession” started in the early 1980s when I visited a long-gone boutique called Little Bohemia in downtown Grand Rapids MI. I first learned to bead on nylon-coated wire and then waxed linen. My waxed linen use really took off when I joined the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) in the 1990s. At that point, I delved into research on jewelry from those times and made creations based on prototypical pieces, especially Viking jewelry.

I made a LOT of jewelry for myself and others during this time, and I managed to get a little money for some of my creations. Mostly, though, I gave away my work. I presented a basket full of 100 hand-knotted beaded bracelets that I’d made to the regional queen at one event, for her to present to others as she saw fit. I enjoyed teaching beading to kids and anyone who wanted to learn what I did and how I did it. What I do was and still is a simple style of stringing beads on a strand of wire or cord.

I have been immersed in science fiction & fantasy fandom since I was a young adult and took that interest up again after the SCA. I attended some SF&F fan-run conventions and eventually sold my creations in their dealers’ rooms. At one convention, I placed some of my work in their Art Show. I hadn’t considered myself an artist, just a crafter; this changed that. I like to think I fall somewhere between a craft show crafter and a juried artist.

Recently, I began selling my jewelry and accessories through my company, Bumble’s Baubles, at a couple of shops in the area, Waken Soul and Puzzles Oddities, and through my website, bumblesbauble.com. I make a lot of metaphysical pieces and have enjoyed celebrating Pride Month with pieces utilizing the colors of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. I also repair jewelry whenever I am asked and have the capability. My favorite thing to do, though, was and still is to make custom pieces for clients! I will be teaching my techniques at several of the Kent District Library’s area libraries in the fall.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My business has witnessed its fair share of challenges and obstacles. One of the biggest challenges has been how to price out my pieces for sale. I finally came up with a formula that works for me, that takes into account the cost of the materials and a reasonable labor rate. I find that I’m still able to sell below the average price for a similar piece, so I think I’m ahead of the game. I also use this formula when considering the cost to repair jewelry or make custom pieces.

Another challenge has been to find outlets in which to sell my work. I have done craft shows in churches and veterans’ halls, and these have not worked very well for me. The worst experiences were ones where a customer has said to me, “I could make that for a lot less.” I just want to respond with, “well you aren’t. Why not?”

I especially enjoy selling at outdoor events in good weather. These have their own challenges, and I’ve learned to adapt with my own canopy, tables, displays, weights, sunscreen and bug spray! I recently made several unique sun catchers for a Pride event, and I found I had no way to display them. That challenge has been overcome now, though, and my next event will showcase them. That event will likely have its own challenges; I’d like to think I’m ready for them!

Personally, I find that my need for a walker keeps me from accepting some outdoor event invitations – using a walker on gravel or grass can be not so fun. My handicap doesn’t generally stop me, but I try to be realistic about what I can do when I’m vending. I do prefer to work indoors, in my studio or with a workshop or class, but I also try to be flexible.

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?
I make unique beaded jewelry and accessories. My handiwork is beads-on-a-wire/cord, not bead weaving, for example. I have a very large assortment of glass, metal, wood, shell, seed, stone and bone beads that I use to create my pieces. I prefer to avoid acrylic and resin but use them sometimes when the piece calls for it. I try to keep nature in mind when I design jewelry and accessories.

I specialize in unique pieces of jewelry and accessories such as keyrings, sun catchers and amulets. The pieces that I make are generally not available elsewhere, and I often cannot repeat the design because the beads are so rare. I mean rare in that the beads were made for another piece that I took apart and repurposed. I cannot get those beads again. I think the uniqueness of my jewelry and accessories is what I’m best known for. I get a kick out of making exclusive necklaces and bookmarks, for instance.

I think the work I created while in the SCA is what I’m most proud of. I did extensive research and recreated from today’s materials what I could of 7th century grave goods. I’m fascinated with what people chose in jewelry and decorations at the time to include in the burials. I’m intrigued with the idea of beads being so well appreciated that they buried their dead with particular beaded jewelry and decorations. It is something we continue to do today.

I guess what sets me apart from others is my imagination. I fashion accessories and jewelry pieces that others don’t even think of. Granted, I also make a reasonable number of bracelets or earrings that can be and have been repeated, because that particular stone or charm is appealing to a number of people. But my work started with exclusive designs, and that’s what I love to make the most. They can be harder to sell, but they have my whole heart in them.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I think of myself as having been a wild child. I was the youngest and therefore had the least discipline or expectations. As early as 7 years old, I had a cat that we allowed to roam the neighborhood. I’d go looking for her every night, calling her name (which was easy, it was Kitty!) and bringing her home to sleep with me. She was my best pal.

I had (and still have) a very active imagination and started my own newspaper when I was still in elementary school. I created my own world to play in too. I was lucky enough to grow up where I could play outside, in the quiet street or the local woods, without much fear of anything happening to me. I would bicycle miles away from home sometimes too. I frequently walked with my tape player, singing along to the music.

We moved a lot when I was a kid, from Indiana to Michigan to North Carolina to Tennessee to Ohio. I made friends easily, figuring out what people wanted from me, whether I was true to myself or not. I started wearing glasses when I was in second grade and had a speech impediment when I was little too. I was in the Brownies (precursor to Girl Scouts) and 4H and Young Life. My favorite class was English and my favorite extracurricular activity was the theater group at school.

Pricing:

• the availability of the beads
• the cost of the materials
• my labor rate
• the cost of shipping
• the tax (if it’s a Michigan sale)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://BumblesBaubles.com
• Instagram: @bumblesbaubles on Instagram
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BumblesBaubles on Facebook