Twin sisters continue to battle cancer by making jewelry
The twin sisters started stringing necklaces as an easy hobby while coping with their individual battles with breast cancer.
The sisters — Joan Shuler of Marietta and Jan McMullen of Kennesaw — grew their pastime into a living-room business that served 35 shops from New Orleans to Hilton Head to stores on the Marietta Square.
When they were featured in a front-page story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in November of 2006 — replete with photos of their folding tables overflowing with bangles, baubles and beads — they were preparing to elevate to the next level.
Well, they did. The sisters went on to triple the number of stores they served. They reveled when “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts sent them an e-mail praising some jewelry they sent her. They were blown away when their work was chosen for the shop of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Throughout, cancer has remained a concern in their lives, as it does for every person who survives it. Both sisters had contracted cancer twice, and both beat back the disease. Their older sister, Linda Brown of Marietta, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
These days, the sisters still enjoy stringing together pearls, beads and semi-precious jewels. Indeed, they enjoy it more since they scaled back their aspirations, Shuler said.
