“So this is what kind of launched the idea for metal designs,” said Jill Lilly, Owner of Metal Latitude Designs.

She’s standing in front of the laser cut stainless steel house sign she and her husband created about five years ago.

It’s got a compass cut out, along with the family name across the top and the city and state on the bottom — Bradenton, Florida.

Oh, and the coordinates too — longitude and latitude.

After the pandemic interrupted her career in health care finance, she started using her laptop for more than spreadsheets. 

“So to do the design work I use a program call AutoCAD,” she said, explaining how the drafting program gives her the power to make anything.

Her favorite and much requested design — longitudinal and latitudinal numbers.

Lilly’s favorite part — to see her dream take physical form.

“I really do,” said Lilly. “It’s really fun to see the finished products come home from the shop.”

Giving it to the customer is also a treat, and thanks to markets like the one on Coquina Beach, she gets to see their reaction when they pick up their finished piece of art.

“I’ve met a lot of great people at the Coquina Beach Market, Lilly said.

By finding a new space in her life, she is helping others celebrate theirs —v one set of coordinates at a time.