Joy Heemsoth loves little stores.

The new resident discovered Fountain Hills Artists’ Studio Feb. 1. She found a necklace she liked and decided to buy it.

When she went to the counter to pay for the piece, she said she was aware that several artists were huddled together looking at the cash register and checking the price on the necklace.

Everyone was excited. Heemsoth’s purchase put the gallery over the $1 million in sales mark.

The gallery has been holding a contest for the past several weeks anticipating the event. Principals knew the time was coming soon when the winning person would make a purchase and put the gallery over $1 million in sales.

Heemsoth was awarded a $500 gift certificate. Additionally, the gallery awarded $100 gift certificates to three people who came closest to guessing when the award-winning purchase would come in.

The Times interviewed Arlon Sieve, one of the gallery artists, last week. He said the gallery expected the winner to come in within a couple of weeks.

It turned out that Heemsoth came in only two days after that interview.

Heemsoth said one of the nicest things about the purchase was the artist was in the store that day.

Tammy Wentworth created the necklace.

Heemsoth moved to Fountain Hills in mid-January with her husband from Golden, Colo.

“We have visited here many times and just fell in love with Fountain Hills,” she said. “It has the same feel as Golden.”

Since she had such a lucky day Feb. 1, Heemsoth said she bought lottery tickets, which she hadn’t checked. She has not confirmed if she had a lucky day with the tickets, too.