Buttons are the key to success for Coosan woman

An Athlone woman who has made a full-time business out of making distinctive, quirky jewellery from the humble button will feature on RTE 1's Nationwide tv programme next week. Jane Walsh who runs The Button Studio from her home in Coosan, appears as part of a slot focusing on women in business on the popular television show, presented by Mary Kennedy and Michael Ryan, on the eve of Women in Enterprise Day on Wednesday, November 16 at 7pm. Earlier this year, the cameras followed Jane around for the day as she went through the process of making the unique and colourful jewellery, delivering to suppliers and doing day-to-day tasks associated with promoting her business venture. Up and running just two years now, the company is a real recession good news story as it came about in the wake of the ending her one-year tenure as proprietor of the Bastion Gallery shop in Athlone's Left Bank back in October 2009. When she couldn't find the kind of jewellery she wanted in the shops at the right price, Jane started experimenting in the family garage with M&M sweets, skittles but ended up eating most of her produce. When she hit on using buttons with plastic resins, The Button Studio was born. She now supplies products to 300 outlets, 150 in Ireland, as well as 100 in the UK and to 40 shops which are part of one the leading chain stores in France. The company also operates an online store, allowing customers to place orders from anywhere in the world. Speaking ahead of the broadcast next week Jane, a graduate of the National College of Art and Design, says the tv exposure is a timely boost prior to Christmas. "It's a great boost, a lot of people watch the programme. It's brilliant I have the RDS Craft Show coming up on November 30 to December 4 where I will get to meet customers and this is going out beforehand," she enthuses. "It's very exciting it's great to get it," she says, adding that it takes about three hours to make ten pieces and she also does one-off commissions. Her range now encompasses 30 different pieces from rings, necklace, earrings, bangles and brooches to quirky and fun Christmas trees, button angels and lego men. What they all have in common is buttons, something Jane laughs has become a bit of an addiction for her as she begs, borrows and scours the internet or shops to source unusual buttons. "It's (the business) really good right now. The main thing about the product is that it's affordable," Jane states. "€15 to €40 for a unique and handmade piece is very good value. Each is totally different and colourful and they suit all age groups," she stresses of what is a one-woman operation at the minute with help from her family, her brother helps with the website and her father's garage has become her studio. He also helps with deliveries, something she is extremely grateful for. Looking ahead to the future, Jane has high hopes for her fledgling business even in the depths of a prolonged recession. "Being a small business I can follow trends faster than the bigger companies. I have good scope for expanding and I hope to the get the products to America in the future," she concludes.