Craft a beloved decoration this fall with Queen Bee Soiree
When you schedule a craft session with Belinda Brunner Kusibab of Queen Bee Soiree, you’re not just supporting a local business; you’re reducing stress and increasing joy.
“Supporting a small business is so important, especially in the economy we’re living in today,” Kusibab said. “But when you’re creating something with your hands, it’s been clinically proven to reduce stress and blood pressure and just increase overall joy in life.”
Kusibab has been crafting since she was sixteen.
“I started crafting with the locals moms,” she said. “I learned how make wreaths and ribbons and everything. Then, as an adult, I would look at things and think, ‘I can make that.’ I was already doing it with groups of people, with neighbors who loved to get together and do things, so it was easy to decide to make this a business.”
Kusibab, at the time, lived in the suburbs near Nashville with her family.
“I used to have quite a different life than I do now,” she said. “I used to be a district manager for a pharmaceutical company. In October 2016, my husband passed away unexpectedly when we were on fall break.
“Almost a year later, we had a massive layoff because we were bought out, and my job ended. It ended up being a good thing for me, because I was dealing with grief and I had two school-aged children and a career that required a lot of travel.”
When her daughter graduated from high school, Kusibab decided it was time to move back to Michigan to be closer to family — and open her own creative events business.
Kusibab grew up in Oscoda, but only returned after college for holidays. When the family first relocated to Michigan, they moved to Romeo.
“I thought I’d move there, buy a historic home, own this business, do creative events, and it sparked,” she said.
It was 2018. Two years later, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
“All of my family was moving back to Oscoda,” Kusibab said. “My son loved it there, so we decided to move. I had a thriving business in Romeo, but during COVID, everything came to a screeching halt. It’s been an uphill battle from there, just because there’s less people to draw from, so I travel a lot.”
Kusibab has a studio in her home, the QBS Historic Ballroom at 300 W. Dwight St.
“I love it,” she said. “Every day, I wake up, I walk through my house with my coffee, and it really brings me joy. I made quite a bit more money in my previous life, and you just really learn that money doesn’t bring you happiness. It’s about cultivating the lifestyle that you want.”
Now, she tries to spread that joy to her customers, who book classes and parties for painting and crafts like faux stained glass, which involves crushed glass, resin and wooden laser-cut shapes.
“People love to work with seaglass,” Kusibab said.
The cost per person for painting starts at $35, though discounts are available for larger groups. The cost per person for crafting depends on the craft, but varies between $45 and $55.
“Downstate, it’s usually about $10 more,” Kusibab said. “I try to keep my prices so everyone can do them.”
The fall season brings painting parties for pumpkins and sunflowers.
“My busiest time is September, October, November, because everybody wants to do holiday decorating.”
Looking to schedule a class? Visit the business on Facebook under Queen Bee Soiree, email queenbeesoiree@gmail.com or call 586-764-4544.
Not great with your hands? That’s alright.
“Whether you think you’re an artist or not, it doesn’t matter. Just create something.”