While part of Susan Karczewski’s self-made business is selling jewelry, she also encourages others to come in and make their own jewelry. She has many drawers filled with a wide variety of beads and charms people can use to create their own, personalized jewelry. She is also happy to share her 25 years worth of experience when it comes to sharing her skills or helping others put together a necklace.

PIERCETON — After having a baby and wanting something to keep her mind occupied, Susan Karczewski began designing jewelry 25 years ago. “I got a craft book, made a few earrings and I really loved it,” she recalled. Since high school she has had an artistic streak and had always dreamed of opening her own boutique.

Growing up in South Bend and attending Washington High School, Karczewski went on to go to business school and earn an accounting degree. She worked in corporate accounting following college until she was laid off. This gave her the opportunity to open her own studio in 2009. “I just took a chance on it,” she commented. This background in accounting “comes in handy when you have to keep your own books for your own store,” she admitted.

She chose Pierceton as the location for Purr-fectly Unique Design Studio and Boutique because she enjoyed the small town feel and antique history with unique stores lining the downtown area. Her store was voted January’s Business of the Month.

Karczewski acts as a one woman show when it comes to running her store. “I believe in building your own business,” she stated. This means she is responsible for her own advertising, which she conducts primarily through email, Facebook and her website as well as running the store three days a week. However, she does have a few retirees and high school students helping her run the store on occasion.

Her business continues to expand as well. While she began carrying just a few clothing items she has expanded to 10 lines of clothing as well as consigned clothing. While clothing is the most difficult and time consuming portion of running her own business, Karczewski claimed, “I started with just a little bit of clothes but everyone liked the clothes so due to demand I had to expand.”

These are just some of the many vintage stones that Karczewski has available in her shop to repair vintage jewelry.

She continues to teach herself new skills to help herself in her business and has her own work station set up behind the counter at her store. In order to repair jewelry she taught herself to solder. She also makes trips to Rhode Island to pick up old stones for repairing or replacing antique jewelry.

Since she is self taught on jewelry making, one of Karczewski’s favorite things to do is teach others how to create jewelry, including her own version of wire wrapping. She also has a group of friends nicknamed Sue’s Sisters who meet once a month and do crafts.

Karczewski lives in Warsaw with her husband, Rory. They moved to the area because he enjoys the hunting. They have three children: Christopher, Patrick and Raeanne and one grandson, Luke. She enjoys going rock hunting, fishing on Pike Lake, looking for antiques and spending time at the beach. She continues to do accounting work three days a week and also works at art shows.

Starting off her artistic life with oil painting in high school, Karczewski hopes to begin oil painting again once she retires.

No matter what Karczewski recommends, “You’re never too old to do what you love.”