Julie Kingsbury, Lawrence, began making her own jewelry about 30 years ago. She opened a store, Jewelry by Julie, at 19 W. Ninth St., in 2004.

Julie Kingsbury, 44, still wears the earrings she made in metalsmithing class nearly 30 years ago. They symbolize a journey of self-discovery and confidence that has led her to believe in herself and make a living from selling her own work.

As a child, Kingsbury would sit for hours in her grandparents’ Topeka garden.

“Observing nature inspired me to draw and paint what I saw,” she recalls. “I loved art and found I was good at it.”

This talent was developed and encouraged at Shawnee Heights High School in Topeka.

“I was privileged to have four wonderful art teachers, especially metalsmithing teacher Mr. (Ed) Miller,” she says. “Metalsmithing spoke to me. I could take raw materials and make beautiful things I could wear.”

The earrings hooked her. She decided to make her living making jewelry, but her grandparents, products of the Depression, encouraged her to get an education and a “proper job.” She succumbed and enrolled at Kansas University.

“I did graphic design, thinking it would help me get work at someplace like Hallmark,” she explains.

She disliked graphic design, switched courses to become an art teacher, continued doing metalsmithing classes each semester and worked part-time in downtown Lawrence.

In 1987, Professor Jon Havener encouraged her to display her work at the Kansas Union’s holiday arts and crafts show.

“It was the first time I’d sold my work,” she recalls. “I made $400. Woo-hoo! I was so excited and realized that’s what I wanted to do, ‘proper job’ or not.”

She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in metalsmithing and jewelry design in 1989, worked part-time at Natural Way in downtown Lawrence, made jewelry at home and sold it at weekend shows and festivals all over Kansas. She attended 25 shows annually and did really well.

“I also enjoyed retail and meeting people, and loved working in downtown Lawrence; it has such charm,” she says. “I dreamed of owning my own downtown store but thought it’d never happen because rents were so high and I’d been conditioned to believe I needed a ‘proper job’ with regular income.”

She became excited when she saw a rental sign at a downtown store in 2004.

“I talked to the proprietor. I was nervous because of the rent, but it was a small place and I thought I could manage it,” she recalls.

At the same time, her mother saw an ad for second-hand jewelry cases.

“We went to look, got a good deal and bought them,” she says. “I felt it was a sign of everything falling into place. I decided to take the risk and give the store a try because if I didn’t I’d spend the rest of my life wondering about it.”

Kingsbury’s store, Jewelry by Julie at 19 W. Ninth St., opened Nov. 1, 2004, and continues to do well in spite of the economic downturn.

She makes 80 percent of the store’s inventory. Her designs are unique, affordable and worn by people as far away as New Zealand and Norway.

And, yes, her grandparents relaxed.

“They’re proud of me and happy knowing I’m making a living doing something I love,” she says.