With a lifetime of experience making jewelry, clothing and purses for herself, Kelly Lehman, owner and operator of
Flora Sun Jewelry, is following a lifelong dream.
Flora Sun launched in 2008 and Lehman decided she would focus only on jewelry.
“There are a lot of distractions,” Lehman says. “I decided I needed to focus on just one aspect of things I make so I can stay on target.”
With a degree in fine arts and interior design from The College of Mount St. Joseph, Lehman had taken classes in everything from metalworking to pottery.
“I’ve always received compliments from friends, family, even strangers,” Lehman says. “People started offering to buy stuff from me. That’s when I thought I could make this into a business.”
Before launching Flora Sun, Lehman worked as a project manager at an architecture firm for four years. Today, she freelances for production companies and runs Flora Sun.
“I left that job to do something more arts-based,” Lehman says.
Making her jewelry out of her basement studio in her house in Bridgetown, Lehman began to attend any local craft show she could find. The wide variety of materials that she buys or finds serves as her inspiration when she makes jewelry.
“I use whatever catches my eye,” Lehman says. “I never know what I am going to make when I start.”
From coral to semi-precious stones to metal, Lehman hand-makes one-of-a-kind earrings, necklaces and bracelets that sell well at craft shows like the City Flea and the Hyde Park Art Show. Sometimes she has even wiped out her inventory on her Etsy site. Since June of this year, Lehman has participated in eight different art shows around the city.
With business going well, Lehman has thought about opening a storefront, but plans on continuing to work out of her house for the next couple of years.
By Evan Wallis
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