Located at 407 East Ohio St., Denson started off by creatively designing her 1,500 square-foot space with a mix of beige walls, black shelves and cases and Brazilian laminated flooring.

In business since May, Treasures has been the place to find one-of-a-kind items inclusive of custom designed leather and suede wear, Italian leather bags, custom made hand-crafted Murano jewelry, and hand-designed T-shirts and accessories. An art gallery displaying works from Pittsburgh’s premier artists, Treasures also hosts private parties, special events, corporate meetings, trainings, rehearsal dinners, runway parties and various creative events.

“Treasures is a dream that allows me to share my passion with others,” said Denson, a flight attendant for more than 20 years. “I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to travel to interesting places seeing beautiful things.” She says her job has taken her to Europe, Paris, Asia, Korea and New Delhi. Always bringing jewelry and noticeable items home, she says friends began placing orders for her to buy merchandise for them. Once in Greenville, S.C., Denson says she visited a shop that sold distinctive merchandise and knew then that was what she wanted to do in Pittsburgh. “It took two years from concept to now,” she proudly says admiring her surroundings.

Almost locating Downtown, which turned out to be too costly, she says the North Side is a much better location. “The landlord is great and the site offers a European feel and puts you in the mind of the Soho District in New York City.” Denson list the North Side Leadership Conference, the Deutschtown Merchant Association, the North Side Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Women Business Owners, Pittsburgh Chapter as a great support base. While in the planning stages she says the assistance from the staff of the Diversity Business Resource Center, the Riverside Center for Innovation and funding from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh has been essential.

“The emphasis on Treasures is that it carries affordable prices and merchandise that is not found in department stores,” Denson points out. Offering a clothing line under the Treasures Label, she designs for women and men. Taught by her grandmother, she says she has been sewing since the age of three.

FROM THESE HANDS—Custom-designed leather goods are a few of the items nestled in Karolyn Denson’s East Ohio Street Treasures Gallery.

“I’ve always designed my own clothes. I stumbled into leather, have a friend with a leather manufacturing company, so it seemed natural to design leather and suede garments and accessories,” she said. Using 100 percent lambskin, buckskin or cowhide, what she considers a good quality of leather, Denson said after measurements it takes no more than a month to receive the product that can come in either of 22 colors in leather, 10 colors in suede, three colors in buckskin and four colors in cowhide.

The only shop in the area that carries Millefior jewelry, she says the hand-painted Murano glass jewelry comes from Venice and other items from Bangkok.

“Our fine jewelry is hand cut precious stones inclusive of turquoise and stingray.” Offering her customers the best, she says .925-carat silver (the purest that can be worn) is a part of Treasures sterling silver collection.

Committed to offering her customers the latest, Treasures recently hosted an exclusive peek of Bosco Designs, a new jewelry line from designer Molly O’Connor. According to Denson, O’Connor has designed for Aretha Franklin and Usher.

“These designs are coming to us before showcasing with the “Real Housewives of Orange County,” she said.

Viewing art as extremely important, Denson provides an outlet for local artists of all kinds a venue to display their masterpieces. Always looking for fresh ideas she suggests that they have at least 10 to 15 pieces ready for display. The works of Robert Sands are exhibited through Christmas. Watercolorist Dan Siemsko will display in January.

Denson, who grew up in North Braddock, received her college education in clothing design from Carnegie Mellon University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh,

Influenced greatly by her late father, James Denson, who had a doctorate in economics and a former executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., Denson, said she and her brother have become entrepreneurs because of him. He operates a hauling and trucking business. “My father’s phrase was “Denson means business,” she said, pointing out that her goal is to expand Treasures into other areas.

Concerned about the community, Denson says her desire is to give back by contributing part of her profits to a non-profit organization she operates that provides financial literacy programming for youths.

With the holiday season fast approaching, Denson said she is stocking up for the season and anticipates her hours to be 12-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 12-5 p.m. on Saturdays. Appointments are available by calling 412-231-0888.