When Garden City's Laura Graney couldn't sleep, which was more often than not, she spent those nights awake designing jewelry. And to Graney's surprise, her bouts with chronic insomnia led to a successful jewelry-making business, which launched in 2005.

Her pieces are now in high demand and selling quickly. They even attract celebrities like Hilary Duff, Gloria Estefan, Brooke Shields, Courteney Cox, Debra Messing and more.

"Gloria Estefan was the first celebrity to contact me. I had sent her a Mother's bracelet made of sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and semi-precious stones, with her children's names on it spelled out in sterling silver. She wore the bracelet on television the week after she received it," Graney, who moved from Floral Park, where she lived for nearly five years, to Garden City, told Anton Community Newspapers back in 2005. "I was also asked to create a necklace and earrings set for Hilary Duff's 18th birthday, so I sent her a carnelian, cubic zirconia and Swarovski crystal drop necklace with matching earrings."

Her earrings were hand selected to be part of the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. Once she did that show, her jewelry making attracted the likes of those taking part in the Country Music Awards.

Buttercup Creations, named after an affectionate nickname Graney's husband, John, gave to her, now sells in 10 stores along the East Coast, including Cate Lewis Jewelry in Bridgehampton; City Folk in Garden City; You-nique Bow-tique formerly of Garden City and now located at 984 Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square; Hip Chik in Nyack; Juli Mei in Spring Lake, NJ; Mermaid's Booty in Hyannis, MA; Periwinkles on Main in Osterville, MA; Lou Babs & Moogs in Port Washington; and White +1 in Glen Head.

Bored and frustrated with running the hardware/software department at New York University, Graney left that job and was able to really focus on her designs. Once she had her daughter, Katie, who is now almost 5, she decided to pursue her passion full time. She found herself scaling back on demanding press and celebrity connections though when her third daughter, Maggie, was born. Now that Maggie is almost 2 years old Graney hopes to pick up the pace.

Graney's 26-year-old daughter Lisa, a pastry chef who lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend and who survived the World Trade Center attack, standing in the stairwell of Tower 2 when the plane hit her building, helped Graney build a website, www.buttercup-creations.com, which Graney said gets a lot of traffic. The site, which was completely redone by Gravitate Design Studios in Vancouver, WA, recently went live.

To date, Graney's designs have been featured in Redbook, Life & Style Weekly, Garden City Life and Floral Park Dispatch, E! Online and Twist magazine, just to name a few.

Graney, who donates more than 30 percent of her profits to charities that benefit children, said any one of her new designs is usually her favorite, although she tends to favor blue agate in any season because it's festive around the holidays but also appropriate for spring and summer.

Part-time assistants help string Buttercup jewelry but Graney designs all of the line's creations, mixing sterling silver with semiprecious stones, turquoise, Swarovski crystal, freshwater pearls, ocean-tumbled (authentic) sea glass, and handmade one-of-a-kind lampwork beads that Laura creates herself. Jewelry prices range anywhere from $20 for a pair of Swarovski crystal drop earrings to $400 for a garnet multistrand necklace.

She also offers jewelry parties to those interested. Participants can receive 20 percent off the total sales plus free jewelry of up to $50 retail. Buttercup Creations takes care of invitations and postage for up to 100 people and even offers a giveaway at each party consisting of at least 14 guests. Contact CustomerService@buttercup-creations.com for more information or to schedule your party!

Buttercup Creations can also be reached at _P.O. Box 263 _Floral Park, NY 11002; 857-2098. To reach the sales and marketing department, email John@buttercup-creations.com.