marylou spang wearing a black and white pearl necklace holding earrings

About the Designer

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved creating. When I was very young my mother taught me how to embroider, then how to crochet, and then how to knit. My mom enjoyed sewing and would make all my special occasion outfits for holidays.  We would walk to our local Woolworth’s and spend hours perusing the enormous Butterick and McCall’s pattern books looking for that perfect style. As a teenager I learned how to use a sewing machine and went on to create some of my own clothes as well as dresses for my two young nieces.

For many years there was a bead store in Princeton on Witherspoon Street called The Place to Bead. One day I walked into the store with seven inexpensive bead bracelets strung on elasticized cord which I had purchased on a vacation to New Mexico years earlier. Over time the cords had stretched out and I needed to have them restrung.

The man behind the counter said he could restring the bracelets, but would charge $15.00 per bracelet, which was three times what I had paid to purchase them. Or, he said, he would be happy to show me how to restring them myself. I could buy all the necessary supplies for under $20.00. I took him up on his offer and have never stopped creating. Jewelry design and creation became a hobby, then a passion. In 2005 I left the pharmaceutical world to turn my passion into a full-time business and have never looked back.  I am proud of the fact that each and every piece is personally handcrafted by me. My goal is to make the wearer feel special.

I am often asked what inspires me to create a specific piece of jewelry. I find my inspiration everywhere – in nature, in urban areas, or in the most unlikely of places. A few years back I was in an office building waiting room and became fascinated with the rug under my feet.  The color combination was so unusual and beautiful that I stopped to take a photo with my cell phone camera. Over the next few days I created a necklace with a similar color palette. I’ve learned to be observant of my surroundings because you never know what might stimulate your imagination.

As you browse through my collection, I hope my designs will inspire you to enter the world of Spangles Custom Jewelry Designs!

Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of the jewelry items shown, or to have a custom design created specifically for you, or as a gift for someone special.