Hi! Welcome to Mama Beads & Baby Baubles! My name is Amy Martin and I'm the owner/designer behind the brand. I was born in Birmingham, AL., grew up outside of Philadelphia and have lived in Hawaii, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and San Francisco.
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​While living on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii and attending college for Marine Biology, I made jewelry using glass seed beads and sold them at craft fairs around the island. In the evening, I worked as a line cook in various restaurants. After one semester, I realized my dream of training dolphins at Sea World probably wasn’t meant to be, so I dug into my other passion: Cooking.
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​I moved to Los Angeles, worked in several restaurants, and then decided to move to San Francisco to attend culinary school. Throughout my 20+ year career in the restaurant industry, I worked my way up to the title of Executive Chef of several well-known, upscale restaurants in both San Francisco and Philadelphia. It was my hope to open my own restaurant one day.
​I decided it was finally time and I left my high stress, 24x7 gig as an Executive Chef at a Philadelphia restaurant to work on my business plan. I took a daytime job at a small catering business to have time to focus on that plan. Then one day, I began feeling strange tingling sensations in my feet and legs. By the next morning I could barely walk! In the following year and a half, I would have two episodes of temporary paralysis and receive a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, thus ending my career as I had known it. That was about 17 years ago.
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​After attempting to stay in the restaurant biz, but not in the kitchen, my heart just wasn't in it. Not long after I met the man I would marry, we moved to the “burbs” of Philadelphia. I worked at the front desk of my dad’s chiropractic office until giving birth to our two amazing children; Ray & Annika, and then my next career as a stay-at-home-mommy began.​ I was in love with my kiddos and spent every waking moment taking care of them. Although motherhood is truly the most amazing gift I’ve ever been given, I began to forget who I was as a woman, not just a wife and a mother. I was desperate for a creative outlet and pulled out my old bead collection. Originally, I thought of making beaded bracelets for moms using their children's birthstone colors. Then one day a fellow mom posted a photo of a chunky bead necklace in a Facebook group and asked if anyone could make it for her daughter. I said I could do it and then I set off to find the beads. That was the catalyst for Mama Beads & Baby Baubles.
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Flash forward seven years later, a bit wiser about small business, social media and having a blast creating whimsical, quality jewelry and accessories and bringing our “make your own jewelry parties” to your celebration. It is my pleasure to continue to create pieces for you and your little ones! Thank you for your continued support of my small shop.
XOXO,
Amy (AKA Mama)