When Yin Mei Kelly made her first sale at the Woodbridge market, sitting at her little card table beside a vegetable stall, she may not have realised just how far it might take her. Two years later, she is a successful designer maker, selling online and distributing into six boutique stores around the country. After talking to her for an hour however, I'm not surprised at anything!
Born and raised in Singapore, Yin Mei worked as a banker and later, a Manager with Accenture, an international business and IT consulting company. After working on a large banking merger however, where many people lost their jobs, Yin Mei decided it was time to take some time off.
It still seems a long way from a life nestled in the countryside of southern Tasmania!
She laughs that her change in lifestyle took her by surprise too. Planning on a move to Melbourne, she and her husband bought their property while on holiday in Tasmania. 'When I saw the countryside in the Channel area, my jaw just dropped'.
The move to Tasmania has had its challenges. Arriving in mid-July, to a
house needing renovations, seems madness for us seasoned locals - let alone for
someone who had not experienced a winter before. 'We had one gas heater for 3
weeks, with a director's chair, while we waited for our furniture', Yin Mei reminisces.
'I can laugh about it now!' Experiencing the seasons, having a garden, pets, the quiet, are all new experiences which Yin Mei has had to learn about. When her friends visit, they marvel at the space, and the children love the animals and lifestyle. She cautions however that while it is quiet, it is busy. Running chooks, lambs, ducks and cats and a vegie garden can be quite demanding!
Yin Mei still tries to visit Singapore each year. 'It is my roots' she says. 'And my parents feed me up, and my friends take me to all their favourite places so it is also a lot of fun!'
But how does a banker end up as a jewellery designer and maker? Watching a lady make jewellery in Richmond proved the inspiration. Yin Mei had never done handicraft before, other than some self-described 'horrible' knitting for scarves. Well, her scarves may be bad, but her jewellery is a delight!
Delicate, feminine, and inspired by the 1920s, it is easy to see the appeal of Yin Mei’s business, My Sinfonia. So how does Yin Mei remember her feelings at her first sale that day in Woodbridge? Relief!
To visit My Sinfonia and Yin Mei's beautiful range of jewellery, just click here
