JORDAN - If it's small, shiny and colorful, chances are it's sold at Eat it or Bead it.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Sara Holden is the owner of the recently opened Eat It or Bead It in Jordan, a store which sells beads and candy.
Sara Holden is the owner of the recently opened Eat It or Bead It in Jordan, a store which sells beads and candy.
Sara and Greg Holden's new Jordan store brings together candy and beads to cultivate a creative atmosphere - of which sugar highs are only one product.
“There are so many artistic people in the area, so I thought bringing them together would be fun,” Sara said.
The Holdens first conceived of their new business as a candy store, but Sara felt it needed an additional hook to sharpen its appeal. At the time, their 10-year-old daughter Hannah had begun working with beads.
“You can put anything together,” Hannah said of the hobby.
The idea to introduce beads to the store was still fresh when the space on 16 S. Main St. opened up. Within a month, the Holdens moved in. Greg installed the lattice of candy shelves behind the front counter and several wooden grids to stock beads across the store floor.
Since the store's Nov. 1 opening, Sara - a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and mother of three - has logged about 60 hours a week tending to the shop every day but Thanksgiving.
Though she was new to the bead niche before opening the store, Sara has filled the space with several stringables through collaboration with several suppliers. The beads range in price from 2 cents to $5 for centerpiece jewels like sterling silver pendants. Patrons can either pluck the beads they need or create a new necklace, bracelet or keychain on the spot.
Elbridge bead artist Jonna Weaver sells her polymer clay beads through the store and also teaches classes on the craft there.
“It's easy to get into,” Weaver said. “Everyone has more of a sense than they realize for creating. With jewelry, you can make something as simple or as complicated as you want.”
The Speach Family Candy Shoppe in Syracuse supplies some of the more sophisticated confections, such as sponge candy and chocolate-covered pretzels. They round out a wide selection of sugary staples, such as lollipops, candy bars and gum. Patrons like Judith Wheeler-Kinch - who makes frequent stops to pick up cinnamon fire balls - are not likely to miss their favorite sweet twice.
“Sara always makes sure she orders something if she doesn't have it,” Wheeler-Kinch said. “She'll call her husband up and ask him to pick it up on his way home.”
The beads and candy draw similar crowds to Eat It or Bead It. Younger shoppers seek more sugary items and older customers enjoy the specialty candies. Both sets are encompassed by the bead enthusiasts, who range from 10 to 60 years old. Thus far the clientele has leaned female, but men have been trying their hands at beading as well.
“Anyone who wants to learn to make gifts can come in and learn,” Sara said. “I'm learning along too.”
For beading enthusiasts in the Jordan-Elbridge area, Eat It or Bead It offers a closer alternative to shops in Liverpool or Clay. Sara believes her store's prospects are also helped by its proximity to the Jordan-Elbridge schools and placement between other gift-shopping destinations in the village.
“It's definitely something Jordan needed, and there's quite a few of us who would like to see more art and culture in the area,” Weaver said. “And by having a place that fosters creativity, it's a pretty good start.”
The Holdens plan to extend the Eat It or Bead It creative experience through birthday parties, ladies' nights and classes. But they are in no rush to add a third commodity to its shelves.
“I want to make sure I have something for everyone,” Sara said. “But right now it's working for what it is.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
“There are so many artistic people in the area, so I thought bringing them together would be fun,” Sara said.
The Holdens first conceived of their new business as a candy store, but Sara felt it needed an additional hook to sharpen its appeal. At the time, their 10-year-old daughter Hannah had begun working with beads.
“You can put anything together,” Hannah said of the hobby.
The idea to introduce beads to the store was still fresh when the space on 16 S. Main St. opened up. Within a month, the Holdens moved in. Greg installed the lattice of candy shelves behind the front counter and several wooden grids to stock beads across the store floor.
Since the store's Nov. 1 opening, Sara - a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and mother of three - has logged about 60 hours a week tending to the shop every day but Thanksgiving.
Though she was new to the bead niche before opening the store, Sara has filled the space with several stringables through collaboration with several suppliers. The beads range in price from 2 cents to $5 for centerpiece jewels like sterling silver pendants. Patrons can either pluck the beads they need or create a new necklace, bracelet or keychain on the spot.
Elbridge bead artist Jonna Weaver sells her polymer clay beads through the store and also teaches classes on the craft there.
“It's easy to get into,” Weaver said. “Everyone has more of a sense than they realize for creating. With jewelry, you can make something as simple or as complicated as you want.”
The Speach Family Candy Shoppe in Syracuse supplies some of the more sophisticated confections, such as sponge candy and chocolate-covered pretzels. They round out a wide selection of sugary staples, such as lollipops, candy bars and gum. Patrons like Judith Wheeler-Kinch - who makes frequent stops to pick up cinnamon fire balls - are not likely to miss their favorite sweet twice.
“Sara always makes sure she orders something if she doesn't have it,” Wheeler-Kinch said. “She'll call her husband up and ask him to pick it up on his way home.”
The beads and candy draw similar crowds to Eat It or Bead It. Younger shoppers seek more sugary items and older customers enjoy the specialty candies. Both sets are encompassed by the bead enthusiasts, who range from 10 to 60 years old. Thus far the clientele has leaned female, but men have been trying their hands at beading as well.
“Anyone who wants to learn to make gifts can come in and learn,” Sara said. “I'm learning along too.”
For beading enthusiasts in the Jordan-Elbridge area, Eat It or Bead It offers a closer alternative to shops in Liverpool or Clay. Sara believes her store's prospects are also helped by its proximity to the Jordan-Elbridge schools and placement between other gift-shopping destinations in the village.
“It's definitely something Jordan needed, and there's quite a few of us who would like to see more art and culture in the area,” Weaver said. “And by having a place that fosters creativity, it's a pretty good start.”
The Holdens plan to extend the Eat It or Bead It creative experience through birthday parties, ladies' nights and classes. But they are in no rush to add a third commodity to its shelves.
“I want to make sure I have something for everyone,” Sara said. “But right now it's working for what it is.”
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
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