Ava Foster has considered throwing in the towel a time or two before. Moreso in the last two years, because of the nature of the economic times, this fine craft jewellery designer and maker has pondered her alternatives.
Founder of Leona’s Creations, Foster started out of curiosity and a desire to find something that could bring in some money. She took several courses between 2009 and 2011, where she learnt the basics of bead work, wire bending and crafting and has since been using what she learnt to make a living for herself.
“I saw a training ad in the classifieds and I was interested. This was in 2009, and it was only about four weeks then, so I did a number of different courses at different intervals. As something came up and I got interested I would go and do the class, and I started getting customers from then on,” she explained from her home in Westbury Road, St Michael, which is the base for her business as well.
Her interest rubbed off on her daughter who also got involved and Foster began teaching her as well how to create the handmade necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and broaches from scratch. It was her love for nice pieces that kept her doing it since 2009 – that and knowing that what she created was different.
With so many fine craft vendors offering handcrafted wire jewellery, she said she often tried to create pieces that were unique, rather than run-of-the-mill work, and sometimes would find herself with pencil in hand sketching a design that popped into her head.
“In the beginning, it was really booming, but then last year and earlier this year business just start to get slow. I got some encouragement from my daughter and friends telling me don’t give up. Seeing how things were so slow and not selling, it could be a bit frustrating at times,” she said.
Now she said though, it was becoming even harder. “Now in these times you need something else, another income because it is rather slow. It’s been hard . . . My most successful year would have been between 2011 and 2012. I did my first Bridgetown Market in 2011 and it worked, but things got slow after that. I did Sky Mall last November for Independence and again this year for Heritage and I can’t complain, it was very good.
“At Bridgetown Market this year, customers that remembered me from last year came back and brought a whole host of friends, so that is how the majority of my earrings were sold off, for like work and such.”
It would help if there was somewhere in the heart of the City, she said, where craft persons like herself could establish themselves. She said given that Palmetto Mall was full and Pelican Village did not attract everyday clientele, some assistance was definitely needed.
“If Government could pitch in and provide somewhere other than Pelican. Pelican don’t pull in people how you would like. We need somewhere central and that would help a lot. I’ve been asking about Swan Street and I was told all the stalls in Palmetto were filled, but we need somewhere central that we can set up ourselves, even if we had to pay a small fee monthly.”
For now, she is making do with the clients that come back to her and from whatever craft markets or events she can attend to sell some of her more popular pieces. Although frustration is at her door, Foster is not quite yet ready to give it all up. (Green Bananas Media)
