Burlington, Vermont - August 29, 2011
Most 14-year-old girls are busy with their cell phones and boys, but what if on top of that you have your own business?
"I wasn't really meaning for it to go very far, but it kind of just happened and people put in orders," said Jamie Johnson, who started making jewelry when she was eight and now Jamie's Jewels has taken off. "People ask me, 'Did you really make this?' They're surprised I do," she said.
Johnson's pieces range in price from 30-dollars to upwards of 300-hundred. "That one's $300," Johnson pointed out. "It's all sterling silver and high quality turquoise.
Reporter Gina Bullard: "So you're not using play beads."
Jamie Johnson: "No, none of that. This one is Swarovski crystals and fresh water pearls."
That money is also teaching Johnson valuable lessons. "I've learned how to manage my money and follow through with things," she said. "I really like doing it. It's not like, 'oh I have to go make a necklace' -- it's fun."
The 9th grader's favorite part is the design process. "It just keeps me relaxed and gives me something to do with my hands, which I like," she said.
Another lesson Johnson is learning -- beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She keeps her customers in mind rather than just herself. "I don't necessarily like everything I make. I try to, but it's hard," she said.
Sometimes I feel like making necklace instead of a bracelet, or doing something with my hands. It all depends on my mood."
A young Vermonter honing her craft and learning the basics of business.
For more on Jamie's Jewels -- www.etsy.com/shop/jamiesjewels96?ref=pr_shop_more OR jamiesjewelsjewelry@gmail.com
Gina Bullard - WCAX News
