Megan Howard still has the first bracelet she made at a U Design Jewelry party.

The Silverdale mom now makes all kinds of bracelets, necklaces and earrings as the county’s newest U Design Jewelry representative.

Howard first learned of U Design Jewelry a few months ago when she attended a home party at her neighbor’s house.

“My neighbor had a party and invited me and, miracle of miracles, I got there on time with a 1-month-old and a husband out to sea,” Howard said.

Howard, a Navy wife and mother of a now-4-month-old, enjoyed the U Design Jewelry party and said it was different than other home parties. She said there was no long presentation about the product, just a quick 5-10 minute presentation and then party-goers started designing their own jewelry.

“It was not like one of those boring home parties,” Howard said.

She did interior design, specifically in the kitchen and bath industry, for 11 years, but when she and her husband had their daughter, Rylee, in April, childcare looked expensive and the first-time mom wanted to both work and stay home with her daughter.

Howard talked to Amy Hendricks, the U Design Jewelry representative who put together Howard’s neighbor’s party, and discovered U Design Jewelry might be a good business venture.

She hosted an open house at her Silverdale home and organized her first U Design Jewelry party a few weeks ago at a friend’s Bonney Lake house.

“The other jewelry home party companies I’ve heard about don’t let you design your own jewelry,” Howard said.

She said U Design Jewelry uses quality products such as beads, freshwater pearls, real jewels and stones, so people can create both casual and more formal pieces of jewelry.

“You’re not getting plastic costume jewelry, you’re getting real jewelry,” Howard said.

She said people are guaranteed to get a piece of jewelry they like because they create it themselves.

“You get something that is exactly what you want and fits you perfectly,” she said. “It’s totally up to you — your style and color is up to you.”

Once people design their jewelry, Howard will take the samples and make the pieces herself. She will then distribute the finished jewelry pieces to the party hostess who will give the party-goers their finished bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

Howard said she’s never been the crafty type, but she enjoys making the jewelry and giving people beautiful pieces they’re sure to love.

“It lets me work with my hands a little bit and gives me a creative outlet,” she said.

People also can order pieces of jewelry from the catalog.

“You don’t have to have a party,” Howard said.

Howard said she now wears lots of jewelry and loves it. She currently has four U Design Jewelry parties scheduled and looks forward to making more jewelry.

“I’ve started wearing a lot more jewelry since I started doing this,” Howard said. “It used to be a challenge to get out of the house with my wedding rings on.”

To schedule a U Design Jewelry party or learn more about Howard, visit her Web site at www.udesignjewelry.com/rep/meganhoward.