Athlone woman's homemade jewellery business thwarts recession

Business success stories may be in short supply during this recession, but an Athlone woman is bucking the trend with her unique jewellery company. Coosan's Jane Walsh personally felt the effects of the retail downturn when her one-year tenure as proprietor of the Bastion Gallery shop in Athlone's Left Bank ended in October 2009. However she has turned this misfortune into an opportunity by starting her own company, The Button Studio. From her home studio in Coosan she now works full-time on this business, crafting colourful jewellery which incorporates a button theme in its design. The range has been very successful to date, with Jane now supplying jewellery to over 100 shops in Ireland, England and Scotland, as well as to a number of outlets in locations such as France, Madrid and Berlin. The company also operates an online store, allowing customers to place orders from anywhere in the world. While the Button Studio is currently a one-person operation, Jane said she will soon have to look into hiring staff, as she is struggling to keep up with the number of orders she's receiving. "Orders are flying in and the response is great," she said. "I think my jewellery line is popular because it is so unique and colourful and affordable. There is a huge renaissance right now in using everyday objects and recycling them into new and wonderful items." She stated that "customers now look for the little extras when spending their hard-earned cash," and so each piece of her jewellery "comes in a handmade presentation box that has a cute little label saying it is handmade and unique." Though the business has not yet reached its first birthday, Jane has already displayed her creations at four trade shows, the most recent of which was in London earlier this month. Her business will also be featured at the upcoming craft fair in Dublin's RDS in December. The Button Studio currently supplies goods to 40 shops in Ireland and 65 stores in England and Scotland. It has a contract with a French company which operates 35 shops, and also supplies to some other outlets in continental Europe. As a result Jane is now extremely busy. She said her typical working day "starts at about 11am and I will not see my bed until around 3 or 4am that night." She receives great support from her family and said the girls at Core gallery in Ballinahown "are always on hand in a crisis!" Jane explained that the jewellery's distinctive button theme "came about by me just playing in the studio." "I first started with M&M sweets, Smarties and Jellybeans, and apart from them not looking so good in the resin I was also eating half the ingredients!" Looking ahead she said that, while things are going well at the moment, she will be striving to ensure the company's offering remains creative. "Things are going really well right now but I am not one to lie down. You have to keep working and keep the brand fresh," she concluded.