When I spoke with Jinja Allen, one of our members, she showed me a picture of a couple holding a large ornate monogrammed letter “B”. She had made the “B” at FUSE and the couple had just bought a new house. Their realtor had the monogram made for them and several of their clients, all of which I got to see as Jinja scrolled through the photos on her phone. Jinja got a good look at FUSE before she joined. As an event coordinator for CNMI she had toured the space and even volunteered for our annual Merry Maker Market. During that experience, she decided to take the Laser Etching class and join FUSE Makerspace. By creating her own website, We Got Your Décor (https://wegotyourdecor.com/), and using Facebook Marketplace she has started her own side business selling her creations. Scrolling through her website you can see the variety of things she makes. Holiday items like advent calendars as well as plaques and other customizable pieces to decorate your home. One of her newest items is a hand-painted nursery sign with a monogram, name, and theme suited for a new baby. Jinja has been a member for less than six months and the breadth of what she has created so far indicates some great accomplishments in the future. Like many of the people who start a business at FUSE, she aims to be self-sufficient. She is saving up for her own laser and is getting close to that goal. When I asked her how she would describe FUSE to someone she believed would be interested in becoming a member she replied, “This is a place to get started on your dreams.”. Visit her website to pick up a piece for your home or a gift for someone else’s.
