Easing into business on the common
By Karen Mann

Helen Yetman-Bellows shows off some of the jewelry she sells at Squirrel-Eze & Friends.

When Helen Yetman-Bellows has a problem, she fixes it. This is what led her to invent the product known as Squirrel-Eze.

After having problems keeping her jewelry neat and organized, Yetman-Bellows decided she needed to build something to help her do so. She went to the hardware store, bought some materials, and built a stand for her jewelry. Now, ten years later, Helen and her husband, Jim, own a store in the center of town featuring these stands.

The Squirrel-Eze, which was named so after Yetman- Bellows watched a squirrel "gather her treasures with ease," is a wooden frame with mesh in the middle. The piece can hang, stand or stack, and are portable. Some have designs on the wood; some are simply plain.

The Bellows refer to the Squirrel- Eze as "a nutty idea that works."

Yetman-Bellows started by making the stands for interested friends and family members. As they became more popular, she brought them to craft shows and fairs, and then on to craft shows and fairs, and then on to stores. As her business became more popular, her husband joined on to help her.

They, then, decided it was time to start making jewelry for the stands.

To start this part of the adventure, the couple took classes on wire wrapping and beading. Their line of jewelry, Designs by HAY & JAB, features an assortment of sterling silver and stone pieces. Yetman-Bellows says that she and her husband, who will celebrate their 25 wedding anniversary

this year, have very different styles, but that's what makes it work.

"Our jewelry speaks to different things," she said.

Jim's style is bold, she said, while hers is more delicate but both of their styles are nature-inspired.

As the business started to expand, the Bellows were presented with another problem - a lack of space to run their business. Once again, Yetman-Bellows decided to fix that problem.

The Bellows opened a store, Squirrel-Eze & Friends, in the center of Townsend. The store is located in the same building as Evans on the Common.

The store celebrated its first anniversary in August. Although the Bellows reside in Pepperell, they have enjoyed being in Townsend.

"Townsend has been good," said Yetman-Bellows. "The common is real active."

She says most of their customers are regulars, and she often remembers them, although not by their faces but by a piece of jewelry they have bought or expressed interest in.

The Bellows are adding to their repertoire now by offering three different beading classes. The first class - stringing basics - teaches how to make basic beaded jewelry. The next one - coils - teaches how to make wire

coils in order to make drop necklaces or dangle anklets. The final class - bails - teaches participants how to make a bail for drilled stones or other objects to turn them into a pendant.

The classes are one-on-one during store hours.

The store also contains items made by friends of the Bellows, from scarves, to wooden toys, to bars of soap. Thirty-five different artisans are featured in Squirrel-Eze & Friends.

When asked how she decides what to sell in her shop from other artisans, Yetman-Bellows joked: you have to be their friend.

She looks for people who are not only talented, but also passionate about their work and passionate about the business aspect of it. The items featured in the store come from all over the country from by coming through people they have met while participating in various craft shows.

Traveling has been a large part of their business. They sell more items at shows then at their store because people go to shows to buy not to browse, according to Yetman- Bates.

She said they even have groupies, known as "squirrelets."

Her husband does most of the traveling now. He goes to a show every weekend and sometimes during the week.

"Jim still loves it," said Yetman-Bellows, who only goes to selected shows. "It was exciting at first, but after nine years, it got tiring for me to be on the road."

Although she is constantly "going, thinking, and planning," she is not sure what the future holds, but is not worried about it.

"I like what I do," said Yetman-Bellows. "My worst day is still fantastic."

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Karen Mann is a 2006 graduate of Emerson College, in Boston, where she studied journalism. She resides in Townsend with her parents.