Single mom makes jewelry from old parts

FERNDALE, Mich. – Janna Coumoundourus is a 39 year old mother of two who recently made a big life change. 

She became a jewelry designer, thanks to her interest in old typewriters.

Yes, it sounds a bit strange – but her work is catching the attention of artists and the fashion world.

"I got a 1950s typewriter off of freecycle.org and I didn't know what to do with it really, except that I wanted to take it apart." said Coumoundourus. 

So that's exactly what she did.  She turns parts, not only from typewriters, but also old adding machines, and even car parts into jewelry.

Coumoundourus said "l sit down in my studio, at my desk, and just pull out a bunch of large gears, or you know, whatever, and I'll start putting them together and see what works and what doesn't."

The finished products range in price from $20 to $800 and are always a conversation starter.

"They always come up, want to touch it, and ask what it is." she said, "That's the thing too, when you buy it, you're wearing a piece of history. You know? There's a story behind it."

The Ferndale mom said she's proud to be doing exactly what she wants: pursuing her dreams, taking chances, and finding success. 

"I didn't stop," she said. "I didn't let anything stop me. I just went for it, and now I've got my own business, I'm a single mom now, and I'm making it work!"

You can find Janna's work at Shoplilacpop.com


About the Author:

Karen Drew is the anchor of Local 4 News First at 4, weekdays at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. She is also an award-winning investigative reporter.