WEST WINDSOR Grown-ups aren’t the only ones who deserve to look pretty.
By: Gwen McNamara
That’s the philoso phy of Mary Ann Springer, creator of Pink Papillon a line of handcrafted jewelry for children.
Ms. Springer, a former elementary school teacher in the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District, came up with the idea for her business two years ago shortly after the christening of her daughter, Hope.
"Originally, it wasn’t an idea for a business," Ms. Springer said. "I had a baby and had seen these teeny name bracelets. With my daughter’s christening coming up, I thought it would be neat to find something for my mom to match as the godparent.
"I bought something on eBay, but thought ‘I could make that,’" she continued. "So at Christmas, I made gifts for all my friends, and it just exploded from there."
Today, Ms. Springer makes bracelets, necklaces, earrings and barrettes for children. Some items are themed for special occasions like birthdays, christenings or First Communion others are just for fun. She works with pearls, beads anything that sparks her interest.
"I get inspired when I see beads I like," she said. "For a while, I was into vintage Lucite flowers. I’ll put them together and see what happens. I also look at catalogues and in stores to see what’s new and create my own versions."
Her children Hope, 22 months, and Noah, 3½, keep her inspired, as well.
"I get a lot of ideas and work there," she said. "Especially with Hope, often we’ll be in a store and someone will see something she’s wearing. They’ll ask: ‘Did you get that at Disney,’ and I’ll say: ‘Well, no … ‘"
Ms. Springer, who grew up in West Windsor, went to Rider University and thought about being an art major before settling on teaching. She taught in Bordentown before coming to the Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor.
"I’ve seen parents who are disappointed I didn’t come back after maternity leave, but I had no idea how this would turn out," said Ms. Springer, now a Crosswicks resident. "I never thought this would be a big business, but now that it has turned out that way, I’m looking at how to expand."
Pink Papillon is a one-woman show, with Ms. Springer doing all the design work, hand-crafting, marketing, sales and shipping.
"I used to have a business partner, but she had to leave with her husband’s transfer to North Carolina," Ms. Springer said. "So far, I’ve had no trouble keeping up with demand. Still, it might be nice to have an extra hand to help out."
Ms. Springer’s pieces are sold on eBay, at stores like Blue Tulip in West Windsor’s Nassau Park shopping center, and through her Web site, www.pinkpapillon.com.
"For Blue Tulip alone, I sent out at least 500 items just for them," she said. "That’s not including the Web. It can be pretty hectic, but I enjoy it."
Prices for Ms. Springer’s items in both collections are $25 and up.