SPRING 2020
www.westendallentown.com
Volume 6, Number 1
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SHOP LOCAL
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Longtime Jewelry Seller, Becomes a Jewelry Designer
beauty in random things, even where they’re old or rusty. I suddenly realized I could make jewelry based on the hands’ designs,” she said. Linski points out that her jewelry line doesn’t “upcycle” cast-off
materials or precisely duplicate the hands’ looks. Instead, the pieces reflect certain elements of them. “When you look at a Bella Mani piece, you won’t immediately say ‘That’s a clock hand.’ But if I then showed you the hand, you’d make
ALL PHOTOS SUSAN BELLA JEWELRY
Susan Bella Linski, owner of Susan Bella Jewelry on 19th Street, launched her first-ever branded jewelry line last November. The Bella Mani® (Italian for “beautiful hands”) line was inspired by her collection of antiquarian clock hands, those you might find on old grandfather clocks or European clock towers. “My husband Dan and I travel quite a bit,” she said, “and we’re always looking for different, interesting things. We’re also fascinated by the inner workings of watches and other timepieces. Linski continued: “On one of our trips, we entered an antiques store, and someone had pushpinned eighteenth and nineteenthcentury clock hands to the wall. Even though many were in poor condition, they intrigued me.” “That’s something I’ve done all my life, even as a kid—finding
IN THIS ISSUE 1 Shop Local 3 About Town, Bike Share 4 Focus on the Arts 6 Ron’s Ramblings 7 News to Bank On
7 St. Pat’s 5k Sign Up 8 Health News 9-16 St. Patrick’s Day Info 17 Students of Note 18 Representative News 19 Our Perfect Day
the connection,” she said. Linski said she’s thought about creating her own lines before, “but I’d always get preoccupied with day-to-day business and didn’t follow through. This time, though, we both felt strongly about it, and it became something we could put our hearts into.” The three current collections— Florence, Pienza, and Venice—are named for cities in Italy she’s visited, and each is based upon a single clock hand. “I browse through my collection of hands until I find one that inspires me, and then I sit down with my sketch pad and just let the ideas flow,” Linski said. She then turns her sketched designs over to
20 School News 21 New to the Neighborhood 21 On the Job 22 In the Neighborhood 23 World of Food SPRING 2020 WEST
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