With many new things happening in the world of BellamerClay, the start of Bellamer Kandles, and my website upgrade I have decided to start blogging my journey. I have always wanted to blog and there's no time better to start than now.
Hey I'm Arial from New Zealand and this is how it all started back in April 2017 I married my best friend and soul mate Ryan at the time he was almost through his Building apprenticeship, and I was in the cafe world managing one of the highest rated cafes in Hamilton (for 3 years) Not long after we were married I started looking around to see if I could get a job that wasn't so strict on weekend work I had applied for a few jobs as the time and in the mean time Ryan and I found out we were expecting! (Izzy) a couple of days later I got offered a huge opportunity to work in a very high-end pharmacy in Hamilton and my role would be to start up from scratch an in-store cafe. I had to let him know we LITTARLY just found out we were pregnant and for some reason, I'll never know he still wanted me to work for him knowing I'd be short term, so I took the job.
Long story short after working for him for 8 months starting the cafe, growing the business, training the new manager, and working in the Pharmacy side of the company it was time to put my feet up and prepare for the shock of a lifetime parenthood.
My boss at the time said he wouldn't be able to keep my position in the cafe available though he had a Pharmacy role he asked me to take once I was finished with maternity leave. It was an absolute dream opportunity! But it did not take long after having little Izzy Ryan and I decided it would be amazing if I could stay at home and enjoy the special time with her.
A few months in and I realized how much I missed working how much I missed having a purpose, It took the way I was feeling to take me back to my childhood playing with polymer clay creating little figures, and just expressing my artistic side, and that was it I went out to purchase $30-$40 of polymer clay used some of my cake making tools and starting making figures and turning them into earrings late 2018, except it was meant to be just for me! (for fun)
It wasn't long after I had practiced and made so many different earrings I needed to do something with them and decided to fund my hobbies by starting a small business, and BellamerClay was born, named after my daughter Izabella and polymer clay the word Bellamer was made, 5 years later with support from friends and amazing customers we are still here making earrings, keychains, phone pops , hairclips, candles.... and I dont plan on going anywhere.
This is a great opportunity to thank those who have supported me with friendship, and purchases over the years I couldn't have done it without you all.
