An Australian veteran has revealed how she built an earring empire from scratch in just five years after rediscovering her love for art when she left the army.
With her bright pink and purple hair, giant acrylic earrings and sparkling tinsel jacket it is hard to imagine Christie Bavage blending in behind the frontline.
But for eight years the 38-year-old businesswoman worked as a medic for the Australian Defence Force saving lives at home and in Iraq.
Speaking to FEMAIL from her studio in the Northern Rivers region of NSW Christie explained she had always had two passions, helping people and being creative.
‘My love for helping people, that passion for nursing is still there but it is in the background at the moment,’ she said.
‘I have always loved being creative and one of the reasons I left the army is because I felt like I couldn’t express myself.’
An Australian veteran has revealed how she built an earring empire from scratch in just five years after rediscovering her love for art when she left the army
The former medic joined the force at 19 after becoming disillusioned with her university bridging course
She has managed to create $400,000-per-year business following her creative urges and found a way to help people at the same time.
‘I call it my zone of genius, I have found something that helps people and brings me so much joy.’
Part of her collection, a series of brightly coloured poppies, has been created to raise awareness for service men and women who struggle in civilian life.
Many servicemen and women struggle with their mental health and, according to Christie, the rate of suicide from veterans is horrific.
The new poppy range has just been launched in time for an ANZAC Day campaign to raise funds for Wounded Heroes, a not-for-profit helping ex soldiers.
Christie said she could never express herself in her army career – but now she can and has chosen to acknowledge her former career with the poppy range
Last week Christie’s brother died in an accident. He was a military man and had been the one to introduce her to the Wounded Heroes charity.
‘They had helped him when he struggled after he left the army,’ she said.
Despite growing up as a Tom-boy on her family’s potato farm Christie never dreamed of joining the army.
‘When I was at school I was determined to become a nurse or an art teacher,’ she laughed.
It wasn’t until she became disillusioned by a University bridging course after missing out on the marks that she needed to become a nurse that she considered it.
She joined the army to help with her career goals of becoming a nurse and worked as a medic in Iraq where she is pictured
‘I spent most of my time at the shopping centre looking at the fashion jewelry instead of going to uni,’ she said.
‘Then I came across a recruitment booth for the army and they said they could help me get into nursing if I signed up.’
‘I definitely had no idea what I was actually signing up for at the time.’
So she went Kapooka, in Wagga, and completed her basic training before moving to Albury where she was taught everything she needed to know to keep soldiers alive.
She went on to serve in field hospitals in Iraq and helped soldiers brush up on medical knowledge so they could help their mates when they fell ‘beyond the razor wire’.
The earring empire began in 2017 as a hobby before becoming a very serious business
She started making earrings from her kitchen table but now has a studio and enlists the help of her whole family
The family are all hands on and very supportive of the Dented Diva business and passionate supporters of the Wounded Heroes charity
After eight years Christie decided she was no longer being challenged in her role and she left the armed forces.
She was discharged with skills to be a paramedic as well as those to be a nurse but instead decided to work in sales for a medical firm.
About five years later the reality of leaving the army sunk in and she realised she would never truly fit in to society – just like most other veterans.
So she began making earrings from polymer clay as a form of creative meditation.
Before too long she was making the pieces for family and friends and selling about 100 each week at local markets.
Christie’s mum and dad retired as potato farmers to help her with her earrings
But she never thought the creative outlet would become a lucrative and enjoyable business.
‘We have had so much support, especially after we appeared on MasterChef,’ she said.
Last year the self-taught artist made 22,000 pairs of earrings, putting each pair together by hand from the table in her studio.
‘This year I think that number is closer to 40,000,’ she said.
Although the earrings are now made from acrylic which she loves because she is ‘all about sparkles’.
Christie now puts her husband, an army veteran of 20 years, potato-farming mum and dad, sister and her young niece and nephew to work.
Christie has even started letting her sister and husband put earrings together on their own.
The Dented Diva’s owner hopes to raise $10,000 for the charity with this year’s ANZAC Day poppy campaign
‘I was making every set by myself but I have realised I need to step back from that and take on the role of artistic director,’ she said.
As the company goes from strength-to-strength Christie hopes she can continue to raise awareness for veterans and the Wounded Heroes charity.
‘I like Wounded Heroes because there’s no salaried positions – all the money goes straight to the men and women who need them,’ she said.
The Dented Diva’s owner hopes to raise $10,000 for the charity with this year’s ANZAC Day poppy campaign. The range includes plaques and brooches as well as earrings and $5 from every purchase goes to the charity.
Christie says she now sells her earring to customers all around the world after starting from her kitchen table just five years ago.
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