A labor of Love & Lead

By Brandie Majeau
Love & Lead commemorated its fifth anniversary and is still going strong. In 2018,
Angela Budd embarked on what would be a unique journey of passion and dedication,
cultivating a unique lifestyle for herself and her family that would enable her to continue to be
a stay-at-home mother in addition to being able to contribute financially to the household.
Weaving a keen passion of hiking and the outdoors brought her to discuss a possible business
proposal with her husband.
With an incredulous look upon his face, he listened to Budd as she detailed a desire to
create jewelry using spent bullet casings and antlers (foraged sheds). The raw materials were
easily obtained as foraging and hiking trips led them to target shooting areas, where empty
shells littered the ground, and natural spaces offered an abundance of sheds. The idea also
suited her own personality. Mainstream accessories never seemed to suit her, and high-end
jewelry stores lacked the character of humble, outdoorsy, and somewhat redneck style that she
was searching for. Budd’s husband was hesitant, but agreed to see where this undertaking
would lead and help out where he could.
Love & Lead was born. Angela Budd explained the jewelry was more in tune with herself
and the name derived from, “everything I love with a little bit of lead. Love and Lead. But of
course, the bullets don’t have lead, but the name love and bullets didn’t quite work.”
What followed was a whirlwind of learning curves and excitement and successes
punctuated through a labour of love, as with the creation and growth of every new business. As
Budd began to showcase herself at local markets her unique style emerged, drawing customers
to exclusive adornments bearing her brand. The evolution of her growing business has led her
to travel to various locations across Alberta and created opportunities to contribute to
communities and organizations. Her products have been donated to auctions for William’s Lake
Rodeo in British Columbia and other organizations including Ponoka Archery Club and Camrose
Winter Splendor.
As with many small businesses, the arrival of the Covid pandemic created a new set of
challenges to maintain a client base without the ability to attend public markets and sales
spaces. In 2022, Budd and her husband moved to the Waskateneau area and faced a new set of
challenges arising from establishing a new home base and setting up a new household. As Covid
restrictions ended, Love & Lead managed to survive and was presented to the public once
again. And then came her private trials as Budd and her husband separated. She was faced with
a hesitant decision to continue with her business, her passion or lay it to the side to pursue a
stable line of 9 to 5 work.

The work had always been a joint affair between her and her husband as he assisted in
the process of cutting spent casings, polishing, setting and many more tasks involved in the
creative process. Love & Lead had also become more than a business, it was the cumulation of
creativity that they had enjoyed working on together. The process would now lie 100% with
her. In the end, Budd decided to continue on her own. The business was created from her
heart, it reflected who she was, her own creativity and a process that brought her joy. Each
piece, not only artwork, but a way to share something of who she is to those around her.
As Angela Budd continues to display Love & Lead at local markets and beyond, she
delights in younger people discussing their amazement with her jewelry. This allows her to
impart her own personal advice in encouragement to anyone else looking to follow a path
similar to her own. “You can create happiness and a life for yourself by making your hobby an
income. You don’t always need to work a 9-5 to pay the bills if you invest in your passion.”