Hand-crafted creations

A high school hobby of creating beaded jewellery has led one local down a path of creation and craftsmanship.

Bree Timmins created BLT Jewellery, named using her initials, 10 years ago, with the idea for the business sparked by a desire for a pair of earrings and her ability to create them.

“I had a pair of earrings that I really wanted and I’m one of those annoying people that’s like ‘Yeah I can do that’; but I can,” she said.

“You’re very limited to what you can design by the little metal bits that you could find and buy, so I wanted to learn how to make them.”

Timmins went on to do a short course and fell in love with making jewellery, leading her to drop out of university and start writing letters to all the jewellers she could find in the Yellow Pages.

About 200 letters later and she had two replies: one saying it wasn’t something they did; and another offering her a job, where she completed her traineeship over 18 months.

 

After completing her advanced diploma and working in Melbourne for other jewellers, Timmins moved back to Geelong.

When she became pregnant with her first son, who is now 10, she made the decision to start her own business, and BLT Jewellery was born.

“I went out on my own and started doing markets and making stuff at home so I could stay home with him and I’ve just worked in my spare rooms and sheds, wherever I can put a bench,” she said.

As BLT Jewellery has grown, the mum of three has updated her space, now having her own studio and storefront in Newtown’s Rutland Street.

 

For Timmins, her inspiration isn’t sourced from just one place. Things in her everyday life often make their way into her collections.

Texture is one element that sparks designs, including mountains on a recent trip to Tasmania.

“I was just looking at the ground trying to find rocks, they were the same type of rock, but the big ones just had the greatest texture,” she said.

“I was trying to find ones that I could take home that I could get an impression off.”

The jeweller admitted her brain doesn’t work in an obvious way, and her first thought isn’t always that something would look good in a piece.

“I took photos of moss the other day because I was at my kid’s football game and on the poles that we parked next to was this really cool moss.

“I thought that was cool, that will be something one day.

“It’s always weird stuff that I just don’t think anyone else would think of for jewellery.”

 

With plenty of ideas always ready to go, Timmins’ style hasn’t changed much over her career, expanding and adding to her offerings rather than changing them.

“When I first started working for myself I did little initial discs with initials in them, as me and my friends were all having babies for the first time and I still make those,” she said.

“As you collect things in your head you think I could add this, so it might just be a little bit extra rather than replacing or being different.”

Part of BLT Jewellery’s offerings is geared towards sentimental pieces, often taking fingerprints and imprinting them onto jewellery, or doing repairs and remodels – one of Timmins’ favourite parts.

“I’ve done lots of pieces where not everyone knows that’s an option at the right time, lots of memorial jewellery,” she said.

“I feel like having something to hold when you’re going through something like that is a really nice thing to be able to do.

“I think that’s the best part or just having a crazy idea and running with it and then it turns into something that people like.”

 

Timmins’ love for creating pieces with sentimental value is what sets her apart from other jewellers, as she is always happy to take on the small jobs to bring people joy.

“It’s just a little thing that you can do that means someone can wear something that meant a lot to someone else to bring them some comfort and happiness.”

Timmins aims to make her pieces available to everyone, and as the price of materials continues to rise, her commitment to customers and clients remains the same.

“I’m trying to make it all as user-friendly as possible, so I’ll put one of my pendants on your chain or most things when I price them, like for earrings because you can’t see the back, I’ll price all that in silver so that there’s a lower price point as well,” she said.

“I only get Australian metal because it’s a lot nicer to work with and you know where it’s come from and what it’s got in it and I recycle a lot of stuff where I can.”

For more information, head to bltjewellery.com or @bltjewellery on Instagram.