12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day 12: Stephanie Du Bois

Welcome to the twelfth and final day of Meylah’s Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway!  On the last day of our Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway, we are so thrilled to introduce you to Stephanie Du Bois and Northwest Beads Designs.  Stephanie makes wonderful custom beaded jewelry and donates for a great cause at the same time.  Read on to meet Stephanie and don’t forget to comment to be eligible to win one of her gorgeous bracelets!

Meylah:  How did you initially learn to make jewelry and what inspires you to create such unique jewelry?
Stephanie:  I was always inspired by my late grandmother who created very unique jewelry and could find art in the most obscure designs, although I never tried to actually create jewelry because of the demands of my full-time job.  Then, 2 years ago, my friend invited me to a "Meet and Greet Jewelry Party", where she had a bunch of her friends over to sip wine and make jewelry.  I was so energized and intrigued to learn how to make jewelry that I decided to pursue jewelry making.  I took some classes, bought some books and I was off starting to make my creations.

Meylah:  For somebody who wants to learn to make jewelry, what are the steps you would recommend?
Stephanie:  Jewelry making is very easy.  There are 3 things that I would recommend.  First, find out if you have any interest.  I would recommend taking 1 to 2 classes and see if you like it and maybe even a passion for it.  When you are in front of your beads and pliers, does it relax you?  Are you inspired to create?  If so, then jewelry making is for you.  Second, reach out to your local community of jewelry artists.  Talk to a few local artists in your area to understand what it takes and why they do it.  Third, pick up some inspirational books on jewelry making and meet with a few friends that share your interest to make jewelry together.  This will really help to strengthen your skills and techniques to become a great artist.

Stephanie:  No, I don’t have an active online presence.  I usually sell all my products offline at trade shows, information boards and meet and greet parties.  I do have my website, but it is only informational. I am putting a lot of focus on learning social media and improving my website so I can reach out to the public and in turn increase my sales.

Meylah:  What do you do when you’re not making jewelry? 
Stephanie:  I spend a lot of time helping local charities. I am very active in my Neighborhood Watch Program and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Today, I am donating one of my famous “Pink Hope Bracelets” (shown in main image above).  This was designed and dedicated to my late grandmother who had passed away from breast cancer.  For every one I sell, I donate 25% to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.

Thank you so much Stephanie - that is a great cause you are supporting!  Today, Stephanie is giving away one of her “Pink Hope Bracelets” so be sure and leave a comment to be eligible to win and stay tuned tomorrow where we will announce all of the lucky winners of our Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaway!