A Special Collaboration: Long Distance Business

by Janis Evans.
(North Augusta ON and Moncton NB Canada)

My daughter Jessica and I make jewellery from sea glass and handmade lampwork beads. Our jewellery making collaboration is unique in that she lives in Moncton New Brunswick and I live in Ontario, just a short 12 hour drive away from each other.

Necklace with Jessica’s wire wrapped sea glass and Janis’ lampwork bead

We call our jewellery business JaJeJems and our marketing strategy includes selling online and at craft shows. For the most part I look after selling and marketing online and Jessica organizes our craft show displays. We both make jewellery on our own but our inspirations often come from each others components.

Working together at a distance has its challenges but here is how it works for us.

Berries on the Vine – Jessica’s wire bracelet inspired this summer by Janis’ lampwork beads

Jessica’s specialty is wire wrapping and drilling sea glass. Even though we both gather sea glass in eastern Canada along the coast, it always seems to migrate to Jessica’s studio to wire wrap or drill.

Then when we have the opportunity to be together, I take some wrapped or drilled pieces with me to my studio back home. There I work on designs using Jessica’s components with my collection of beads, viking knitting or Kumihimo cords and handmade lampwork beads.

Lampwork beads that inspired Sea Foam bracelet

Here in Ontario I make my own glass beads using the lampworking technique. Although I seem to use quite a few in the jewellery pieces that I design, I always have several boxes with assorted lampwork beads on hand. When Jessica comes home she often raids my stock of handmade beads.

This summer when she was here for a visit, she felt so inspired by some of the lampwork beads that I had been making that she made several pieces while here and took home a supply of lampwork beads that have continued to inspire her!

Sea Foam bracelet with sea glass and lampwork beads

Sea Foam, made with silver wire, lampwork beads and frosty white drilled sea glass is an example of one of these pieces. As with everything that we do in life, it is often the unexpected turns in the road that lead to the most interesting places.

Neither Jessica nor I would have imagined that we could maintain a jewellery business long distance but in many ways the distance has forced us to be creative in spite of ourselves.

Janis Evans
JaJeJems at icrafts
JaJeJems website and blog