For 18-year-old Breanna Da Silva and 19-year-old Sophia Gamboias, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges.
For Gamboias, in her final year at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School in Barrie, it has meant no prom and no graduation ceremony.
Da Silva, who's studying photography at college, suddenly found herself without access to a studio or in-person support. Courses are being offered through ‘distance learning,’ she noted, but it’s hard to be hands-on online.
And with many so businesses and activities shut down until recently, both found themselves without a job this summer.
That’s when they decided to make their own ‘jobs,’ each launching an entrepreneurial venture, making custom jewelry.
Da Silva, whose mom Sonia is co-founder of Embrace and Become community connections for local entrepreneurs, noticed a growing trend.
“I started seeing a lot of people online, our age, starting a jewelry business,” she said.
With the encouragement of her mom, both Breanna and Sophia came up with a business plan and a product line: custom costume jewelry, with a light-hearted and fun twist.
Sophia launched Clover’s Unique Boutique.
“Clover is my cat,” she explained. “I make stuff out of resin.”
Her resin-based pendants and earrings range from tiny angels and elaborate crosses, to custom creations of names, and messages of ‘hope’ and ‘love.’
Think Gummy Bears transformed into jewelry.
Gamboias first saw resin jewelry online.
“I wanted to try it, and I ended up really liking it,” she said, but admitted it’s a time-consuming process.
It can take 24 to 48 hours for a pendant to dry in the mold, and another day to drill the hole and put the pieces together. But it’s also something that can be done in one’s spare time, especially when everything else has been closed down by the pandemic.
Da Silva’s jewelry is more eclectic. She makes earrings and pendants out of everything from Scrabble tiles to pom-poms, clothespins, paperclips and repurposed costume jewelry, full of glitz and glamour.
She has also added a line of adorable panda paperclip bookmarks, and mini candles.
She calls her enterprise Breanna D Boutique – a reference to her Facebook and TikTok presence, as Queen Breanna D.
At last check, the young influencer, who shares her make-up routines on YouTube, had 14,000 followers on TikTok.
In just the last three weeks, the pair have put together a power point presentation highlighting their jewelry, created new Facebook pages and social-media contacts to launch their online boutiques, and have begun selling and taking custom orders.
So far, the response has been really “positive,” said Gamboias.
“It’s been pretty good,” agreed Da Silva.
More importantly, she said, “we have fun!”
Da Silva and Gamboias are hoping to have a booth at the Innisfil Farmers’ Market in the coming weeks, but anyone interested in checking out their attractive and fun custom jewelry and other items can visit Breannadboutique on Facebook or Instagram, or CloversUniqueBoutique on Facebook or Instagram.
It’s more than a hobby for the pair.
It’s a business venture, a new enterprise, and definitely a cure for COVID-19 boredom.
