Aug 11, 2007

Sweet ‘n’ stylish; Winnipegger’s candy jewelry is cute, colourful and cavity-freeBy Cheryl BinningWinnipegFreePress.com

Designer Janet BrightCorne’s creations won’t melt in your mouth or in your hands.

As little girls, we wore colourful candy necklaces around our necks and pretended to be all grown up. Unfortunately, the jewelry didn’t last for very wrong — the temptation to eat it was far too great.But candy isn’t just for kids. And it isn’t just to eat anymore. It has become a fashion item.

A collection of handcrafted jewelry created by Winnipegger Janet BrightCorne features necklaces dripping with colourful jelly beans and Chicklet gum, rather than diamonds or pearls.

It looks good enough to eat. But don’t worry about the calories.

While the jewelry looks like real candy, it’s actually made of acrylic beads.

“Candy is beautiful,” says BrightCorne, who designs the jewelry out of her River Heights home. “I love its colours and shapes and the way it makes people feel. Candy is all about childhood memories. It’s associated with good and happy thoughts.”

The Candyware line of jelly-bean and Chicklet necklaces and bracelets can be found in several Winnipeg stores, such as Tiber River Naturals (408 Academy Rd.), Sugar Mountain (791 Corydon Ave.) and Lake Life (440 Academy Rd.). BrightCorne also sells the collection (necklaces and bracelets are $12.99 each) on her website, www.candyware.com.

The candy jewelry is also available in several shops in New York City and Miami, Fla., and there are plans to expand the line into other cities. BrightCorne recently returned from a jewelry trade show in Chicago where she met with distributors who are interested in repping her collection.

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