Local Love Blog Series – Bec Design

Welcome to the very first feature of our Local Love Blog Series!

We are SO excited to be featuring the amazing Rebecca (Bec) Richards from Bec Design! Originally hailing from New Zealand, Bec arrived in Canada 10 years ago with a knack for making her own homemade jewelry. As friends and family showered her with compliments and questions, she eventually gave in and started making jewelry for others.

Soon enough, this blossomed into what is now Bec Design!

The idea for Bec Design properly started in mid-2019, however Bec has been crafty for as long as she can remember. Her first foray into the artisan realm was at the 2019 Banff Christmas Market, and her small business has bloomed ever since with the launch of her Etsy page in April 2020.

But Bec isn’t only creating beautiful earrings…

Her pieces now include earrings, necklaces, bracelets, hair scarves (coming soon!), home décor (trinket dishes, wall hangings, concrete pots), and jewelry organization (hanging and freestanding organizers). Bec draws inspiration from fashion, interior design, and architecture, while always making sure to add her personal touch to make all her pieces totally unique and so very eye-catching!

So we just had to know what Bec’s three go-to daily accessories were:

  1. Bec Design Earrings
  2. Hair Scarf (coming soon to the Bec Design shop!)
  3. Sunnies 😎

Now, along with being a mum of two beautiful girls…

Bec Design allows Bec to work for herself, by herself, in her own time. She gets to spend time with her girls, while also having her own thing to create, to build a community around, and ultimately contribute to her family.

However, we all know this past year has tested everyone differently.

Luckily, Bec and her family stayed healthy and happy throughout the months. Bec Design filled the gaps COVID left in her time and allowed Bec to meet so many amazing people through social media. While in-person markets were difficult to attend, the amazing women Bec has met through social media have been generous with their knowledge and encouragement while sharing her beautiful pieces with their audience!

We also asked Bec what the biggest life lesson was in the past year.

For Bec, her lesson learned in the chaos of COVID was a mixture of being content with her beautiful family, while still prioritizing her creativity. Bec knows that giving herself a channel to focus her creative energy makes her happy, and ultimately helps her be the best version of herself for her friends, family, and amazing Bec Design customers!

So, what keeps her going?

Bec has an unparalleled eye for creating pieces that her customers will feel great wearing! She is truly creating pieces with her customers confidence and beauty in mind. Her love for connecting in a personal way can be felt in every piece she puts together!

It’s no surprise that every single detail has been carefully thought out in her pieces.

Bec carefully blends a mixture of style and aesthetic to create pieces that she loves and would want to wear herself. She often designs based on how she’s feeling that day and where she can imagine the pieces being worn. If she’s feeling bold, we get to see statement earrings. If she’s creating for someone wearing a mask all day, it’s subtly stunning studs. If it’s bright and sunny when she’s creating, you’ll find lots of colour in her pieces from that day!

Bec is a true creative in every sense.

Each piece is handmade in her home studio in Cochrane, AB where she spends her time taking her jewelry from conception to completion. She loves seeing her ideas turn into a physical product that her customers will love! Bec’s pieces are made of polymer clay, silk/cotton tassels, gold, acrylic and resin.

And even better – Bec does custom designs!

She’ll happily design anything from custom bridal pieces to matching earrings for a group of girlfriends, or exclusive designs for retail stores. If the customer brings her a design to replicate, she’ll offer them an interpretation with a little Bec Design flair on the original.

She even does amazing collaborations to help raise funds for charities!

Bec is a strong supporter of the Alberta Children’s Hospital and anything to do with children’s health. She’s passionate about getting behind causes like Build Them Up, and Team Evelyn. Bec has even collaborated with them to raise funds, spreading some of her beauty and light to the lives of those who need it most.

Bec and her family are now based in Cochrane, AB.

They have found a beautiful, welcoming neighbourhood and love their new home. Even still, Bec has lots of love for the mountains of Banff, AB where her family began! She hopes to see the Bow Valley community prioritize the families working so hard to make their home here. Unfortunately, we’re seeing small businesses that were providing essential goods and services to locals being replaced by more tourist-focused businesses, including loss of kids programming. This highlights the importance of supporting local and supporting the community around you! While Bec and her family aren’t far away, the Bow Valley would be a better place with them still living here!

So, what’s next for Bec Design?

While the past year was a careful balancing act between growing her small business and supporting her family with seemingly not enough hours in the day, Bec has no intention of slowing down creating beautiful jewelry and other pieces! Her Etsy shop will stay active, but Bec is also working on putting together her brand-new website right now! Make sure to follow Bec Design on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates!

Interested in being featured in the Local Love Blog Series? Check out more information here and make sure to follow us on Instagram!

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