She is one half of the team at Hunter Street Mall’s Studio Melt, which she opened three years ago with business partner Angela Hailey.

The pair met through their children’s school and soon discovered they were both jewellery designers. 

From there the idea of starting a business together developed quickly.

And it was through the Renew Newcastle project that the women found themselves in business just two weeks later. 

‘‘At first it was just Ang and I thinking that we could make enough jewellery to sell to the Newcastle public, but we very soon realised that the demand  was higher than what we could keep up with,’’ Ms Manning said.

That realisation saw the business look to other jewellers to supply the demand and now the studio stocks  the work of more than 25 designers from across the country, as well as the work of former students.

‘‘We saw this beautiful space [in Hunter Street Mall] and we saw the potential,’’ Ms Manning said.

‘‘We were selling jewellery from day dot. 

‘‘The response was overwhelming and it has just grown from there.

With a long career in teaching jewellery design, Ms Manning focuses on  running jewellery workshops, while Ms Hailey focuses on retail.

Her decision to focus on teaching was based on her young family and working nights allowed her to continue her daytime role as a mum.

She said she got great satisfaction from teaching people to make jewellery.

‘‘It’s great to see someone come in who thinks they aren’t creative and they learn a few skills and it ignites a creative passion that they didn’t know they had.’’

The school runs a range of workshops for beginners to advanced, and even classes for children. 

Check the website studiomelt.com.au