Bio
Kelly C. Torres
New Orleans, Louisiana
It is said that small opportunities are often the beginning of
great enterprises. Artist Kelly Colleen Torres’s career is a perfect example.
After her daughter Isabella was born, Kelly finished maternity
leave and returned to her job as a marketing and sales professional. Soon she found she just
couldn’t come to terms with being away from her baby all day. She quit—and decided to turn
her hobby of crafting fine jewelry into a profession.
A native of New Orleans, Kelly credits her design skills to her inventive father. She remembers
being Daddy’s little helper watching him work at his drafting board. He often let her help him
build his projects and even taught her Old English Calligraphy when she was just eight. Kelly’s
obsession with jewelry design began after she was introduced to it by her younger sister.
Kelly is blessed with an eye for color and shape and texture and her work uses these in fun and interesting combinations. Working with a wide assortment of materials including Swarovski crystals and pearls and sterling silver, Kelly designs gorgeous pieces that are a pleasure to wear, own and sell.
Kelly’s stretch rings, her most popular offering, have won her an ardent fan following around the country. Wholesalers find their customers snap them all up. It’s no wonder they are called “counter candy.” The stretch rings can be customized with a breathtaking variety of center stones. Customers love to buy one in every color. Interestingly enough, Kelly designed these as a practical solution to the swollen fingers she had to deal with during pregnancy.
Kelly has lived in New Orleans all her life and a special series—the Fleur de Lis--captures the essence of the Crescent City. Kelly hopes to expand her work to include a wider range of materials. She is eager to work with glass but wants to wait until her children are older and can understand the concept of blowtorches!
Kelly’s husband, best friend, sister, sisters-in-law and three grown nieces all work for the small business either full or part-time. Little Isabella has her own independent set of beading supplies. A small business owner herself, Kelly is committed to the success of the retailers she works with.
What began as a hobby many years ago is now a flourishing family business. But Kelly has never lost sight of the small details that have made her enterprise a success. With the help of her beautiful jewelry, Kelly continues to build her business the old-fashioned way—one satisfied customer at a time.