West Milford woman turns her hobby into a business

| 29 Sep 2011 | 12:09

WEST MILFORD — Barbara Senyszyn, of West Milford, has always loved making jewelry, so several years ago, she decided it was time to see if she could turn a profit from her passion and she created BB’s Beadwork. “I have always loved making jewelry,” she said. “And one day I realized first of all, that I couldn’t wear it all myself and secondly that it may just be a nice little business.” Senyszyn sells her jewelry to friends, but mostly through craft fairs such as last weekend’s Wilbur’s Country Fair. “It was a little rainy when it started on Saturday,” Senyszyn said. “But [by Saturday afternoon,] the rain was gone, the crowds were rolling in and we only had a little wind to contend with.” With her daughter at her side, Senyszyn enthusiastically showed off her creations to passers by explaining how she’d made each piece. “It’s really my passion and when you love what you do, it makes it easy to sell things. The biggest part of it is I’m so proud of my work.” A customer, Sally Heinz, who came to the fair all the way from Bear, Delaware, was fascinated with Senyszyn’s jewelry. “I’ve heard about this fair for a few years now,” she said, “We have friends in the area, so this year I was sure to get out here.” As for BB’s Beadworks, Heinz couldn’t say enough. “She’s created some really unique pieces.” After visiting Senyszyn, Heinz was off to peruse the other 50 plus vendors’ set ups. Wilbur’s Craft Fair has been held every fall for the past 27 or 28 years, said Wilbur’s owner, Jenny Lester. “People put it on their calendars and they come from all over.” When Senyszyn had to cancel her reservation to be a vendor at Wilbur’s spring craft show, Lester understood her unexpected family illness and transferred her spot to the fall show. “It was really nice of her to understand,” Senyszyn said, “This fair is really professionally run and we’ll be back every year.” Senyszyn’s daughter, Valerie, was at her side to assist. Woodwork, jewelry, yard holiday ornaments, small quilts, and even brightly colored dog leashes could be found all over the grounds. The back venue featured a food tent run by the Knowlton United Methodist Church, and an adjoining tent sold funnel cakes.