Beaky Be
Lovely Bonita, the designer-maker behind BeakyBe came for a pop-up stall at our Artisan Fair, everyone loved her jewellery so much we couldn't let her leave!
If you love all things crystal jewellery and handmade homeware & textiles, then you'll love all things Beaky.
Let's get to know her a little more...
How, where and why BeakyBe all began.
Always the creative type, Bonita says making things is just part of who she is!
Bonita started her selling journey about 15 years ago, in 2007, when her children were small.
She was working evenings and wanted to make a little extra money to ensure that she could stay at home with them. (The mum juggle that many of us know and understand!)
Initially, she made hand-sewn and crocheted items. Over the years this has evolved into making both sterling silver and crystal jewellery, and teaching creative courses.
Having built a loyal following, and once her children were in their teenage years, Bonita registered as BeakyBe in January 2021 and quit her day job to work on the business full time in Oct 2021!
Thus making it officially official!
Why join the Eco Village?
With BeakyBe, it is important for Bonita to waste as little as possible and reuse as much as possible.
Having joined us with a stall at two of our Artisan Fairs, the response from customers and Villagers alike was wonderful - we knew we had to recruit her into the fold!
Bonita loves everything the EcoVillage stands for and has a very similar ethos herself. So she was delighted when approached to become a Villager and joined us in early 2022!
Sustainability factors for BeakyBe.
Bonita sources all her supplies & components for her handmade products from UK businesses and those with sustainability values at their heart.
As with all of our Villagers it seems, she reuses everything that she can! She doesn't like the term hoarder but believes in reusing everything that can be reused. Quite right, too!
Bonita keeps everything from scraps of string, card and packing paper, and will repurpose these however she can.
For her handmade jewellery, she prefers to use recycled silver. Although it costs a little more financially, it fits with her approach to not use more of the earth's natural resources unnecessarily.
All of her packaging materials are plastic-free and jewellery boxes made from recycled materials.
Very true.
Future goals for BeakyBe.
As with all of our creatives here at the Village, Bonita has a head swimming with more ideas!
She is planning to launch a reloved jewellery range very soon.
Named Beco, these will be made from broken, unloved jewellery and created into unique, limited pieces. Making them beautifully eco! We love the sound of it.
Bonita finds it very rewarding to share her knowledge with others in the courses she teaches, and for everyone to leave with new skills. Being proud of what they have achieved, inspiring creativity and well-being is something she finds extremely fulfilling.
Bonita would love to develop her creative courses further by providing more classes, and developing them to support mental health and well-being on a further level.
We love the sound of this, too!
Things you probably didn't know about Bonita.
- Johnny Ball (that'll be Zoe Ball's dad, younger people) once asked her for directions.
- She loves horror films, vintage finds, her garden, and cooking & eating. Not all at the same time we hope.
- Bonita loves a challenge, and has run the London Marathon and climbed Ben Nevis, too. Not on the same day.
- She learnt to drive at the ripe old age of 43! Let's hope she sent Johnny Ball the right way....
Discover more about BeakyBe.
Here at the Village, the beautiful hand-crafted sterling silver, and beaded crystal jewellery can be found in our eco gift emporium that is known as the Main Room.
To find out more about BeakyBe, you can visit her website, or discover her latest makes on Instagram.
