Aug. 12, 2020 — Branson/Lakes Area, Mo. – A Branson/Lakes Area business owner has found a way to use her unique skill set to help others make the best of the current situation and encourage them to have a little fun while protecting themselves and others. Sue Braun, the owner of Classic Creations & More, a shop that specializes in “bling-ing” things, has offered to accessorize cloth face masks for free until her supplies run out.
Since 2016, Sue has been adding shimmer and personality to all kinds of clothing and accessories, earning the business of locals and visitors alike. She’s also carved out an enviable niche working with Branson’s many live shows, and her handiwork can be seen on many of the performers who grace the town’s stages … and on items for sale in the gift shops of those shows. She can take an ordinary piece of clothing and transform it into a glittery fashion statement in record time. After years of creating dazzling duds, Sue has a nice collection of spare sparkle at her disposal.
When the Branson City Council approved an ordinance requiring everyone to wear masks in public places from August 1 until September 8, the decision was met with mixed emotions around town. But it also gave Sue the glimmer of an idea: She could be helpful to others while also encouraging them to abide by the new rule … and give those face masks a little flair in the process.
“We hope that in some small way this helps people to have a positive attitude about the mask situation. It’s like an immunization: nobody likes the needle, but you to do it to stay healthy,” says Sue. “We feel that this offer will give people the opportunity to make the best of the situation and protect themselves and others … and maybe get a few grins about the designs.”
All customers must arrive at the store wearing a mask and practice social distancing while they’re at Classic Creations & More. Sue requests that they bring in new and clean masks made from cotton or polyester; synthetic materials like nylon or rayon cannot be decorated because of the amount of heat and pressure involved in the process. She’ll use the materials she has on hand, which means that masks will be decorated with Sue’s choice of design. However, she can create a “custom” design using materials of the customer’s choice for a fee of $6 per mask.
Customers are limited to two masks per day, and Sue says she’ll offer free mask-blinging services until all her spare materials are gone. She estimates that she has enough surplus shiny stuff to decorate about 500 masks. She asks nothing in return for this service, just that customers use their flashy new masks for personal wear and refrain from selling them.
Classic Creations & More is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The shop is located at 3000 Green Mountain Drive in Branson.
