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About Julie Bunch Originals
In my family, I come from a long line of inspirational women. My Mother and Gram and Great Grandmother have been my inspiration since I could talk. My Gram was the ultimate crafter. As a child, we would visit and it was always a craft project of some kind to give as gifts for Christmas and other occasions. We would decoupage plaster ornaments, paint pottery,make beaded ornaments, and constructed scrapbooks out of old greeting cards. We bedazzled shirts, she taught me how to knit, and even tried to teach me to crochet but that was one thing I could never grasp. We did needle point and I learned how to sew at age 9 when my mom bought me my first little hand crank sewing machine. It was pretty awful, and I can see why people get so frustrated with the sewing machine itself because they can be a real pain to deal with. The thread is always breaking, and you have to get the tension just right, and then you get all that figured out and you then run out of bobbin thread so you have to fill that up.. it goes on and on. My Gram had a lot of patience and I guess that's where I get that from because crafts need to be fun to continue on and when they start to get complicated and you loose your sanity on a project, that's when a lot of them would end up either put back in the closet and never finished or worse yet, in the trash! I was notorious for starting things and not finishing them. As I matured, I found such enjoyment in giving people things I made. I was always working on projects that had to be completed then. I enjoyed the feeling of finishing something and seeing the excitement of the receiver.
It was in 1989 when I got my first Spiegel Catalog in the mail and fell in love with interior design. I poured through that catalog for hours, looking at all the ideas. Since money was tight, I had to make what I had work with very little budget. I decided to make my window treatments, since the ones in the catalog weren't quite what I wanted. I decided to go to a certified school for interior design and got my first job in that field at JCPenny. I worked in the Custom Decorating Studio for a short time before starting my own decorating business. It was a wonderful time in my life. I was a young mom and worked my own hours and built a nice business for 10 years. I made everything from custom window treatments, to hanging wallpaper and faux painting. I also sold carpet and furniture and made floral designs.
As an associate, one thing they made us do was take one of the classes that they offered. So, I was talked into taking a jewelry class. It was a nightmare! First of all, there wasn't much I hadn't already done from working at a craft store and being in the design business for so many years. But I must say, the bead department at Michaels was my least favorite aisle. There were many things there that I had no clue about how it worked. If you ever had a customer ask you about something in the bead isle, I would just shudder because it was always a mess and things were difficult to find. So, I take the jewelry class and it turns out to be a disaster! I always prided myself in doing things well. When I couldn't get that fishing line to quit breaking every time I crimped it, I got so frustrated! At the end of the night, everyone was showing off their finished necklaces and mine wasn't even past the first step!!! I had $60 in materials and tools. The teacher felt bad for me and offered me another class to take. I hesitated because I was so busy at work with Christmas floral production that I really wasn't into it. But since I was already out the 60 bucks, I decided to give it another go. This time, the project was a little less complicated for me and I fell in love with my necklace. It was truly a life changing night and I wore my creation the next day and I was giddy with excitement. Of course, the compliments were a big part of me deciding to continue my new hobby, and so I to took a few more classes. I started having people offer to buy my jewelry right off my neck! I decide to take it a step further.
My daughter, Jacqui, is also a huge help to me. With this business, I was able to put her through college! She graduated from Miami University with a degree in Computer Information Technology, and she was able to design this website for me because that is what she wants to do for a career. So in a way, we help each other out. She also helps me with production and office work when I need it. This year, I would like to focus more on my website and marketing, and a little less travel. My husband and I both have family in Indiana, so I try to do a lot of shows there so I can visit too. Our oldest daughter, Jessie, and her husband, Eric, live in Lafayette with our 2 grandkids, Jordan and Luke. We try to go home when we can so I can also get my fix of my grandbabies! It is my hope that I will get to meet many of you and share my special gift of creativity and vision that God has blessed me with. |
One thing my Gram and Mom were not good at was hair. As a young girl, I remember getting my bangs cut by my mom as she used pink
tape to hold them in place while she cut them with her sewing scissors. I had some pretty horrific hair-dos, so as I got older I decided to learn how to
do hair. After high school, I attended Lafayette Beauty Academy and was finally on my way to a new career. What I loved most about doing hair was getting
to know my customer and building a relationship with them. I truly loved my job. After a few years, I got married to my high school sweetheart, Paul, in
1984. He was attending Purdue University and accepted a job in Cincinnati. We had our first daughter Jessie in 1986. We then moved to Indianapolis in 1987
and had another daughter, Jacqui. We lived there for 10 years.
In 1996, my husband got a job promotion and we moved back to the Cincinnati area. After a few years of traveling back and forth to finish
design jobs in Indy, I decided to close my business and take a job with Michaels as Head Floral Designer. This was a wonderful experience for me. I learned
so much about production and putting my visions into designs and display. I loved seeing the excitement of people enjoying my work and sharing in the success
I was able to bring to Michaels.
My parents live in Monticello, Indiana. There is a festival we go to every year there and my mom talked me into setting up a booth to sell
my jewelry. For the next 4 months, I became a serious beader. There were several nights I was up until dawn, making my designs and learning new techniques.
My first show was a great success and I was absolutely thrilled with the response. I did another show that year with even bigger sales and had two shops
take on selling my jewelry. After much thought, I decide to leave Michaels after 10 years, and in 2006, I started my own jewelry company. Coming up with
the name was easy because working at Michaels, customers and coworkers always would look at my floral designs and say "Now that is a Julie
Bunch Original!" ..so then came the name and endearing thoughts behind it. In 2007, we built a studio which my family named the "BEADATORIUM" as a joke
and I booked 10 more shows. In 2008, I got 2 more shops to sell from and booked 25 shows. It was also my first year to attend the Tucson Gem Show in Arizona.
My parents and I had a wonderful trip and brought home 66 lbs. of beads that year. My poor father had to get rid of an old pair of shoes out of his suitcase
so we could bring it all home on the plane! That was when the airlines started charging you for your extra bags, so we had to make it all fit in one carryon
suitcase! I could see my designs building excitement after getting so many wonderful gemstones and findings. Needing another bead fix and vacation, I attended
the Tucson Gem Show again in 2009. In the fall of 2010, I was able to purchase a separate van for my business and my husband and I took it on a road trip out
west to attend the Gem Shows again in February. We also did a lot of sight seeing and visiting with family. We drove 5000 mile in 10 days and saw 11 states!
My hubby, Paul, has been my rock through this whole adventure. He provided for me so I could really make a go at this and helped me build my
studio. He has been my favorite roadie, by helping me set up and tear down for shows. He has given me full freedom to make my own decisions when it comes to
the business. He has even helped package and string designs for me! He is my hero and best friend, and I wouldn't be where I am today with out him!
