J. Cole Leaves
WHO IS THIS PERSON and how did she get started crafting leaves?
I am, Judy Cole, married 33 years, and have two children. The kids are on their own now and my husband and I are both retired. We live in the beautiful foothills of the Northern California Sierra Mountains (above the Valley fog and below the Mountain snow) surrounded by deer, quail, turkeys and millions of trees. And, we love it here.
I’ve been a crafter since 1976 (before our son was born) and have also promoted craft shows in the Grass Valley area for about 10 years. Promoting was fun and challenging but I’m a crafter at heart. I’ve dabbled in many different crafts, but working with the leaves is, by far, the most fun and rewarding.
Just before Christmas 1997, I bought four ornamental finished leaves from a retiring crafter. The leaves laid on top my dresser for a week until I needed a nice pin for a party dress. 
At that time, I’d already been a crafter for 21 years and had jewelry parts galore. I glued a pin back on one leaf and wore it to the party. The ladies in my office loved it and everyone wanted one. With that feedback, I began researching and hunting for a metal electroplater. Living in the foothills, I already had plenty of leaves. It took almost two years of researching but by fall 1999 I was in the leaf business.
The first couple of shows were real learning experiences. Customers loved my leaves which, at that time, I was selling loose, without findings. “They are beautiful but what would I do with it?” was the question I heard much too often. When I began presenting them as pins and earrings my business took off. The rest, as they say, is history.
Thank you for visiting. If you have questions, send email to leaves4you@yahoo.com
or Phone: 530 432-2759
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