Why did you start your jewelry business ConsideredJoyCo?

I started making jewelry last year. I just did it as birthday gifts and Christmas gifts at first. When I went to [camp Kanakuk] this summer, I wore my necklaces everyday. My friends were all wearing them, and everybody would ask where they were from. My friends would say, “Brynn makes them.” They would all just come up to me at once. It was just so hard to get all their contact information, so I made an Etsy store. It’s just easier to manage.

Where do you get your ideas for your jewelry?

For designing it, my first designs were really my own, and then I’ve gotten a lot of other ideas from Pura Vida. They make beaded bracelets, and I take the color scheme and make them into necklaces. Then I’ll add a turtle or cross to it. Pinterest also has a lot of ideas, and I have a Jewelry Co that is like a private board that has ideas.

Why is your store called ConsideredJoyCo?

[The name] comes from James 1:2-3: “Consider it pure joy brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” I decided this can be a good reminder to just consider it joy even when you’re in a hard time or good time.

Do you get a profit or is it just for fun? Where do you buy your materials?

I do get profit. It’s definitely more expensive at first. One tube of beads can make a ton of necklaces. Michael’s and Hobby Lobby is where I get most of it. It’s six dollars for a tube of beads and the strings are five dollars. The little clasp is three dollars.

Gallery • 10 Photos

Maggie Hart

Junior Brynn Slattery models a necklace that she has made Sep. 28. Slattery sells this necklace along with other necklaces and bracelets on her Etsy shop, ConsideredJoyCo. photo by Maggie Hart

Does it take up a lot of your time?

It’s time-consuming, because it’s 30 minutes for each necklace, but it’s not as time-consuming as I thought. When I first opened [ConsideredJoyCo], I was juggling it with school, so I was doing an hour a night for making like two necklaces. And I still had six more to do. It’s set up six days before it ships out. It will like warn me two days before, but I normally have it out already by then.

Who normally buys your products?

My best friends have them just because I’ve given them, and they’ll have like four or five of them. I have a friend in Minnesota who puts it on her Instagram, a couple people from my church, a couple [at STA], and a majority of them being in Kansas City. When they order, it puts in their name and address, so I always know who it is. Then it’s a dollar extra for shipping. People that go here just pay me in cash, and I hand deliver it to them.

What new jewelry are you working on?

I have new ones coming out that will have turquoise turtles and starfish. I’m also working on brown cardboard journals. I’ll do this white calligraphy which is what I kind of do with a lot of the envelopes that I send with the jewelry. I’m starting to do the same brown material with a verse on it, so you can pin it on your bulletin board.

What’s the best aspect of having ConsideredJoyCo?

I enjoy making it and it’s fun to see everybody say, “Oh I love that necklace!” And then hear, “Oh Brynn made it!”