What started off as a hobby and a distraction from bullying has become a business for 13-year-old Ruby Gibson.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The talented teenager started making earrings in 2021 when she was in year 5 and now sells her jewellery through her brand Lilly Rose at businesses in Orange.
"It was just a small sort of family and friends thing that I used to do to spend time with my mum," she said.
"I had really bad bullying at school and it was almost like a safe haven and I could escape that and my anxiety.
"Mum gave me a kit for my 11th birthday and it was just like an alphabetic key ring kit."
From there her interest took off and she recently sold her earrings at the Orange Art Society Christmas market and has been saving the money she earnt to go on holidays with her mother.
She also sells her homemade earrings at the Rudolph and Co. Christmas shop in Peisley Street and through hairdresser House of Hair by Paige.
"I'd like to think I've always been creative from the beginning," Ruby said.
"Mum just thought it would be something nice to spend time and get away from school but it turned into a little business so I think it worked out really well in the long run."
When it came to creating a name and logo Ruby initially wanted to stay anonymous while still having a connection to the brand.
"My full name is Ruby Rose Gibson and the way I got my business name was my dog's name is Lilly Rose and I wanted something that didn't give away who I was but had some sort of connection to me so I put it as her first name and both our middle names," she said.
She also added pink roses to the logo to represent her favourite flower and colour.
What Ruby makes
Ruby said a lot of hair clips she makes do well for little girls and small stud earrings she made for Christmas have sold quite well.
Mum Leianne Walden said bling with a bit of glitter and a sparkle is popular with older customers.
"Ruby does a bit of a mixture," she said.
"It's from resin so they are all her choices in colour and designs.
"We also have acrylic that is cut for us and supplied for us and she still puts it together."
Ruby said with resin mixing the ratios can be a challenge.
"Once you get the hang of it and the moulds and everything it's easy," she said.
Schooling not affected
Ruby does most of her work in the school holidays when she prepares for the next event coming up.
During the Christmas holidays she will work on pieces for Valentines Day, Easter and Mother's Day, in the winter holidays her focus turns towards Halloween.
"It doesn't affect her schooling," Ms Walden said.
The bullying issues have now resolved and Ruby has changed schools and now attends Orange Anglican Grammar where she's made friends who love her jewellery.
"They think it's worked out quite well for me and they support me," Ruby said.
"They buy an earring for every event."
A lot of support
Ms Walden said there's been a lot of positive support.
Some of that support comes from cadets, which Ruby is part of.
Ms Walden said there are also other students at the school who have side businesses.
She said it started out through word of mouth with friends and family and her work colleagues buying Ruby's work.
"Ruby started off sewing with a sewing machine at six and then also does painting so she's always had that little crafty side, but then COVID hit and she had some really bad bullying so that was our next step, our time together and to regroup and calm the anxiety," Ms Walden said.
"Now that she's starting to grow, the adults like Paige at House of Hair and Jules at Rudolph and Co and a few of the other ladies around, they sort of help with her networking and giving her some skills and knowledge, encouragement and support.
"They can teach her other stuff, certainly you've got to start somewhere and can't expect to be at the top or an entrepreneur or anything like that so it's just a little side hustle."
New skills and future plans
Ruby said the experience has also taught her other new skills such as communication, budgeting, negotiation and "really key things you need further in life especially wanting to go and own an own business".
That desire to become a business woman began when she was much younger and sold her finger knitting and shoes at her nan and pops former shop, Jack's in Moulder Street.
"I'd like to have my own business one day and these are really good skills to start learning it at my age," Ruby said.
Ruby also still sews and sometimes drops that sewing off at the hospital to help others.
Ms Walden said she's excited for Ruby.
"It's really brought her out of her shell," she said.
"She's come a really long way and very independent and her confidence is growing, the other women and friends are helping to bring her out of her shell, which is where we want to be."
Ruby is also in the process of getting an Instagram page up and running for Lilly Rose, lillyrose_est2021 but it's still early in it's creation.