SOUTH MILWUAKEE — South Milwaukee artist Briana Hibbs is celebrating the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a pari of earrings she made herself — and she will be selling them in person at the city's second World Cup block party Friday afternoon outside Moran's on Milwaukee St. in South Milwaukee.
"This has got me pumped and excited and to learn more about the World Cup. So we have some official 2026 balls that I made for earrings so you can celebrate and honor this year's World Cup," Briana said.
Briana gave up the corporate world a few years ago to focus on her passion for making jewelry. Her business grew out of a Friendsgiving gathering where she wore her first handmade pair to test the reaction.
Watch: South Milwaukee artist makes soccer-inspired earrings:
"I wore my first pair of earrings that I made to see if my friends liked them. And I was like, well, I'll just wear these, see if anybody says anything or wants a pair. And then my friends were like, 'Wait, you made those? Can I have a pair?' So it kind of started out like that, and then people kept seeing them and then asking where to get their own pair, and it kind of just blew up from there," Briana said.
Made by the Lake has since grown into more than a business — it has become a community. Briana runs a Facebook group by the same name where customers share photos of themselves wearing her earrings, which fans have nicknamed "ear-fees."
"People share their selfies, which people call them their ear-fees, you know, so you share your ears, what earrings you're wearing, and then people also recognize each other that way too, which is really fun that they share the stories with me that they go to like the doctor's office for instance, and their nurse is wearing my earrings and they're like Made by the Lake, and they're like, yeah, Made by the Lake. So it's like we're like a little community too, which is fun," Briana said.
Briana, who was born and raised in South Milwaukee and still lives there with her husband — her middle school sweetheart — said she is looking forward to setting up as a vendor at the block party.
"The block party is awesome. Any excuse to get out and be outside and celebrating with the community, which is really fun." Briana said.
Her jewelry is available through her Facebook group and Instagram. She will also be on-site as a vendor Friday afternoon during Moran's Pub second World Cup Block Party, you can learn more by clicking here.
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