By DIANA NEWTON dnewton@pioneerlocal.com
The heart clasp is a popular feature that Kris Peterson’s jewelry customers love, and it’s fitting because the Lindenhurst designer pours her own heart into each of her handcrafted pieces.
One of Peterson’s missions is to use her jewelry creations to help charities.
Peterson recently received permission from Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago to create a custom bracelet as a fund-raiser for the hospital. A portion of all proceeds from the bracelet will go to Children’s Memorial Hospital.
Peterson also designed fund-raising bracelets for two young boys with leukemia and one for a school for children with autism. She will be creating a bracelet to benefit multiple sclerosis and doing a fund-raising show for MS from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 25 at Fellowship of Faith in McHenry.
“I love doing the fund-raising bracelets,” Peterson said. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be a part of that.”
The Children’s Memorial Hospital bracelet will sell for $95. Peterson said she uses all high-end materials, including Bali sterling silver beads and Swarovski crystal.
“I try to use whatever pretty, unique things I can find,” she said. “The heart clasp is one of my favorites. Everyone gets that one.”
Peterson discovered her passion for jewelry design seven years ago. While accompanying her husband, Jason, on a trip so that he could take a class on cutting gemstones, she decided to sign up for a beginning beading class.
“I haven’t stopped beading, I love it,” Peterson said. “I hope to make something big of it. I’ve always loved jewelry.
“The mother’s bracelet or the grandmother’s bracelet are the most popular,” Peterson said.
On the mother’s bracelet, the names of her children are spelled out. A portion of the sales from mother’s bracelets also will go to Children’s Memorial Hospital.
Strangers sometimes stop Peterson to find out where she got her unique jewelry.
“The other day I sold the pair of earrings I was wearing,” she said with a laugh.
Peterson sells her work through home parties and the Internet. She also hosts birthday parties and girls-night-out parties where children or adults can make their own pieces.
Customers also come to her for jewelry refurbishing or repair. She can remake an older, sentimental piece of jewelry into something current, and she can hand-knot a pearl necklace.
Peterson’s son, Adam, 4, often sits alongside her and makes his own sports-themed jewelry for children. He was excited to have sold $100 worth of jewelry.
Even though it’s a tough economy to sell jewelry, Peterson is determined to reach her dream of making it big as a jewelry designer.
“I love doing it so I don’t get discouraged,” she said.
Her pieces range from $32 to more than $200. For information about her jewelry, including the fund-raising bracelets, visit www.brilliantdesignsbykristin.com.
Source: www.pioneerlocal.com
