Bella Art de Nicole Founders Have Built a Beloved Diamond Painting Brand with Heart, Innovation, and Community

When Nicole Drooger first discovered the art of diamond painting while recovering from foot surgery, she couldn’t have imagined that the glittering hobby would one day grow into Bella Art de Nicole, a thriving business that now anchors an entire corner of the diamond painting world. Nor could her husband, Jamie Drooger, who served more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, have predicted that a simple 3D-printed funnel he printed to stop Nicole from spilling her ‘drills’ (tiny resin diamonds) would evolve into a patented product line, a licensed art catalog, and a deeply rooted community enterprise.

But that’s exactly what happened. And at the heart of it all is something that can’t be printed or purchased: a steadfast commitment to service, connection, and community.

The story of Bella Art de Nicole is as much about purpose as it is about products. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Droogers teamed up with two other military families to 3D print and distribute many ear savers and face shield frames for first responders and other front-line workers, completely free of charge.

When demand for that effort began to fade and Nicole, temporarily sidelined by surgery, began dropping diamond drills across the floor, Jamie turned once again to his printers. “He found a 3D printed funnel online and made it for me,” Nicole recalls. “Suddenly, I wasn’t spilling anymore. I posted it on Facebook, and people started asking, ‘Where did you get that?’ And that itself was the beginning.”

Nicole is the artist and aficionado; Jamie is the innovator and engineer. Together, they’ve built a growing line of diamond painting tools, from stackable storage towers to ergonomically designed trays, each one created to solve real pain points experienced by crafters.

“We started out with what we now call the 1.0 tray,” Jamie explains. “Eventually, we improvised. Now we have several sizes, lids with custom licensed prints, and a patented design with trays that line up and flip drills so the faceted side faces up, making them easier to work with.”

The Droogers didn’t just build for themselves. They built it with their customers. Through Facebook groups, Saturday livestreams, and sponsorship of diamond painting events and retreats, they’ve nurtured an engaged community that doesn’t just use their products; it helps shape them.

“Our tagline is enhancing your diamond painting experience,” Nicole says, “and we mean that in every sense, from the tools you use, to the people you meet, to the memories you make.” Whether it’s sponsoring a Golden Girls-themed retreat in Texas or customizing trays to match an event’s theme, Jamie and Nicole are relentless in their pursuit of making diamond painting more joyful, accessible, and creative.

When they acquired a diamond painting kit company in 2022, they didn’t just add inventory; they elevated it.  The Droogers expanded their vision by enhancing what they thought a diamond painting company should offer. They took direct control of the artwork and the materials used in kits. Crucially, they’ve prioritized working only with licensed artists; no “AI-generated imagery.” And that’s a deeply personal decision.

Nicole further shares, “My Mema was a traditional painter. And we turned multiple of her works into diamond paintings kits. We’ve also done the same for other artists we know. They get a portion of every sale of the kits, resin pieces, even trays with their artwork printed on them.”

It’s a full-tilt holistic approach: handmade, heartfelt, and human.

Beyond crafting tools and kits, Bella Art de Nicole is driven by a deeper mission. As a veteran- and family-owned business, they employ military spouses, local community members, and disabled & other veterans. Their workshop is as much a center for employment and inclusion as it is for production.

One of the next big product categories is custom diamond painting frames. Since kits come in countless sizes, framing them is a headache and often expensive. The Droogers plan to change that with affordable, 3-D printed frames made to order. “People should be able to display their work easily and proudly,” Jamie says. “We want to offer color choices, quick turnaround, and keep it affordable.”

The Droogers are also thinking about the planet. Their printers run on spools of filament, much of which they aim to make in-house from recycled plastic waste and misprinted items. The goal is to one day run a closed-loop system where customers can drop off plastic waste to be turned into new, meaningful products.

“Right now, it’s still labor-intensive and more expensive to make our own filament than to buy it,” Jamie admits. “But we hope to secure a grant to upgrade our equipment to scale up and really commit to a circular economy model.”

At the end of the day, Bella Art de Nicole is truly a reflection of the people behind it: Jamie’s discipline and technical skills honed during his military service. Nicole, on the other hand, with her artistic eye, community spirit, and deep personal ties to the crafting world. Together, they’ve built something bigger than a business.