Local business Mags and Gilly, known for its sensory-friendly jewelry and art, will be at the Saline Craft Show on Nov. 9th at Saline Middle School.

Over a decade ago Kelly Van Singel assisted in an autism awareness fundraising event by making beaded jewelry. The cause held a personal meaning for her; both her daughters, whom Mags and Gilly is named after, are autistic.

“It was Autism Awareness Month, and I was like, why don’t we make some bracelets or something, for my daughter’s special ed classroom?” she said. “And I just really enjoyed it, and kind of discovered a new form of artistic expression and making jewelry, and especially doing it in an unexpected way by incorporating fiber.”

Van Singel takes care to make sure her art and jewelry are able to be worn by those who have special needs.

“The biggest thought process behind the jewelry is that it be touchable and wearable,” she said. “Really lightweight to wear. It’s known as sensory-friendly, if you will. You know, everything has an adjustable fit, so it’s easy to change the length, but also it’s just fun and affordable and a little whimsical, a little quirky, a kind of unexpected combination of materials.”

Van Singel incorporates fiber into her work instead of just traditional metals, and chooses beads that serve as statement pieces of their own.

“I get drawn to really interesting beads,” she said. “I find a lot of beads made by artisans themselves, like on Etsy or at other bead shows, and then I’ll incorporate those into the work.”

Van Singel first became a part of the Saline Craft Show nearly eight years ago. The show itself is ranked as the 4th best in the country according to Sunshine Artist Magazine.

“I really got my start at the Saline farmers’ market, and then initially got into the Saline Craft Show off the waiting list,” Singel said. “That’s a really great way for people who apply and don’t get in to maybe get in and get their foot in the door, because there are so many applications, especially in jewelry.”

She has since been “juried in” at the Saline Craft Show, meaning she has been voted in by community members who form the committee that decides what artisans will be selected each year.

“It’s a big community effort, because there is a $5 entrance fee, and then all of that admissions goes back to support school clubs, school sports, student organizations, a lot of those student groups, organizations and clubs,” she said. “Students also volunteer at the show, especially the night before. During setup and take down, there’s always a group of kids there to help you take your stuff to the car. There’s no other show like that where there’s this cute little village, a village of support.”

Saline’s community is what drew Kelly and her family to the town in the first place. Highly recommended to them for the education and support that could be provided for their daughters, Magdalyn and Gillian, the Van Singel family relocated from Ann Arbor early into their education. 

“With the firstborn, of course, you’re ignorant,” she said in regards to receiving her oldest daughter’s autism diagnosis. “You have no idea, right? And it was around age two, she still wasn’t speaking, had really limited interests, and so we went to Early On and received a diagnosis from them, and also a developmental pediatrician. And when we got Magdalene diagnosed, I was probably two or three months pregnant with her sister. We thought: there’s no way. Lightning won’t strike twice. That won’t happen, but around age 18 months, we started to notice some of the same things.”

Despite similarities in their earliest years, Magdalyn and Gillian are both unique individuals who bring their own abilities into the world and in the way they help with the business.

“If you meet one kid with autism, you’ve met one kid with autism,” Kelly said. “They are not the same at all. Even though Gilly is completely non verbal, she is very astute and gifted at what we call multimodal communication, communicating with gestures, with body language, and also assistive technology. She uses an iPad to talk, and sign language. And her older sister has some spoken language.”

Magdalyn has also been involved in some aspects of Mags and Gilly outside of being the inspiration for the business. With older products or jewelry that Kelly decides to make different use of, Magdalyn and her caregiver will disassemble the jewelry and create “upcycled bead kits” for people to make their own bracelets and necklaces with.

“That’s kind of where we’re at, and potentially exploring some other things that they would make themselves,” Kelly said. “But we’re not quite there yet, so they’re really mostly involved in namesake, with a lot of potential for what’s ahead.”

Kelly is excited for the future possibilities available to Mags and Gilly, and she looks forward to the Saline Craft Show every year. Her jewelry and art has given her a way to become a part of the community and express herself.

“It mostly is a creative outlet, a stress relief, if you will, because being a caregiver can take a lot out of you, but it’s also a joy.”