Kellie's Bead Boutique

The story of Kellie’s Bead Boutique starts in the most unlikely of places: a jail. A former prison guard, Kellie Sutton started making her own jewellery after being introduced to the craft by a friend. Her custom pieces were soon a hit and she decided to branch out and start her own jewellery company. “People were complimenting me on my creations at work,” Kellie says, “and so I decided to try my hand at selling my stuff. It became really popular and soon my pieces were being sold across the country.”

As the owner of a nation-wide jewellery company, Kellie had a chance to see how many of the stores that sold her goods were run and she had some ideas on how to start her own. She decided to set up shop in her hometown of Maple Ridge, and Kellie’s Bead Boutique was born.

“I think one of the things that really sets my store apart from other bead stores is my experience as a jewellery maker,” says Kellie. “A lot of stores are selling you beads without worrying about what you’re going to do with them. We want to encourage people to play around with beads and have fun. Here, we know what you’re going to get out of certain beads. We’re driven by knowledge.”