Never give all the heart

Photo by Aileen Devlin

Never give all the heart

by William Butler Yeats 

 

Never give all the heart, for love
Will hardly seem worth thinking of
To passionate women if it seem
Certain, and they never dream
That it fades out from kiss to kiss;
For everything that’s lovely is
But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.
O never give the heart outright,
For they, for all smooth lips can say,
Have given their hearts up to the play.
And who could play it well enough
If deaf and dumb and blind with love?
He that made this knows all the cost,
For he gave all his heart and lost.

“Never give all the heart” by William Butler Yeats. Public Domain.

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More upcoming shows and The Bast Collection

Somedays I feel like I'm in a time warp.  I try to focus on the here and now but then I'm constantly planning for the future.  It's a good thing I like to juggle several projects at once! However I've read several studies that say it isn't always a good thing to multi-task. 

Annnnywho, this random thought leads me to the blog post about upcoming events and my very much anticipated Bast Collection! As I was preparing and sketching for my Fall/Winter Collection, these bones (aka cat spine bone) and pieces were coming together and really much as led me to the Bast Collection....CATS.

If you follow me on social media, y'know I really do love cats and the craze has increased with every year that I have my own cats.    With the Brigid Collection I used tiny cat claws and I feel that it has led me in this direction.

Painting by Susan Seddon Boulet

Bast is one of the Egyptian Goddess' and has domain over several aspects, protectiveness, playfulness and many other characteristics of cats.  You can learn more about Bast, or Bastet here.

And in other news, I will once again be participating in the fun Durham Patchwork mini-market this coming Saturday at Fullsteam Brewery.  I had a great time earlier this month when I first participated and I'm really looking forward to doing it again! We will be there 12-4pm and lemme tell ya, the Brew is seriously tasty!

The Brigid Collection will be on sale at the event this Saturday!

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Pocosin Arts Workshops

 Living in North Carolina, I've come to realize is a hub for makers and crafters.  In addition, there are quite a few schools and places to learn trades and take workshops.

As you know from my posts from several years ago, Penland is one of them (up in the Western mountains of NC) as well as Pocosin Arts, on the other side of the state.

I'm a bit embarrassed that I've never attended a workshop at Pocosin nor have I written a post about how wonderful this Art center is! Pocosin Arts has a great metalsmithing studio along with residencies and workshops (many of my friends have been instructors there).

Thus I want you to know about the upcoming workshops at Pocosin Arts, one of them being taught by my good friend Laritza Garcia (aka my Mexican adventure traveling buddy). 

Laritza's work uses the method of powdercoating to add color and durability to her pieces.  They're super fun and vibrant, just like Laritza! 

Check out this workshop and apply for the scholarship, you just might get one!

As always, thanks for reading!

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Staying connected

It's been a bit since I've done a lil reminder about following Eilisain Jewelry on social media, so here are the links so you can stay up to date on what's happening in our world!

So here are all the links to the Eilisain Jewelry social media, quick and easy to follow. 

Facebook is great for keeping in touch, just make sure to FOLLOW us after you 'like' the page. 

You can follow on the app or here!

I'm not as busy on Pinterest but I'd like to be.

the same goes for Twitter, I'm only one person, but still I do use twitter.

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Fellow maker profile: BellaBellota shirts

As you know, I love a good trade and several months ago I was excited to get an email from fellow maker and Eilisain Jewelry fan, Jahlelah.  When I saw her tshirt designs I was definitely excited about a trade.

Jahlelah initially found Eilisain Jewelry at my stockist in Portland, Altar.  Then she found me on Etsy and the rest is history.  BellaBellota designs are beautiful and creative.  She mixes animals with beautiful imagery.  You can shop for her tshirts on Etsy, and if you order I recommend a size up as most likely the cotton may shrink. 

Lovely card with an  even sweeter note.  I love good packaging!

My new favorite tank top.

I plan on matching The Hunted double owl talon pendant with this thsirt.

As always thanks for reading!
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5 Reasons why you should invest in handmade jewelry

In my studio at Art Avenue.  Photo by Becky Parker

Per usual I was thinking about my next blog topic and this one hit me smack in the face! It seems like a no brainer but maybe that's why I've never written about it, as it should be assumed that you should buy handmade jewelry.

But of course there is a why?  So I'll address my own personal reasons and ones that I believe you will most likely agree with. 

1.  Handmade jewelry is an investment.  Which means longevity.  It has personal meaning which means you will care for it that much more.

2.  You are connected to the maker of that object and they've probably put blood, sweat and tears into it (literally, I know this has happened!).

3.  Jewelry is timeless and even more so if it is handmade.  And with time accrues interest and it's value.  Depending on the maker of the jewelry, it could be worth quite a bit in 50-100 years.

4.  One of a kind jewelry makes a big statement.  I can't tell you how many times I've been complimented on the handmade jewelry I wear, whether it's my wedding ring to earrings by my fellow friends/makers.  People notice it more than the cheap wal-mart jewelry.

5.  You are supporting an independent business owner and artist.  This means so much to each one of us that is out there creating a dream. 

I hope that this post gives you more pause and encouragement to support the handmade movement and save a bit more money for that special piece of jewelry.  It'll mean so much more to you!

Thanks for reading!
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See thru someone else's eyes

How brilliant! I love his ingenuity.  
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Neither Out Far Nor In Deep

Photo by Bayardo Caceres, Model: Rosie Nova, Make up by Meagan Wilson

Neither Out Far Nor In Deep
by Robert Frost 

 

The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.

As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull.

The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be—
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.

They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?

“Neither Out Far Nor In Deep” by Robert Frost from Complete Poems of Robert Frost.

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The eye has to move

As I'd mentioned in my post about layering jewelry, I've always been a bit of a fashionista.  When I say that I mean more that I've always loved fashion and design.

In elementary school I can vividly recall watching the early 90's shows like Fashion File and MTV's House of Style and loving the way they dissected new fashion designers and how to combine outfits.  I also recall writing an essay on how I wanted to be a fashion designer and provided several drawings in color of my creations.  I still have that essay and cherish that my teacher said 'maybe one day I'll be wearing Lisette Fee designs'....perhaps it was an omen?

With that said, I'm excited to write a post about personal style and how to cultivate your own personal style. I believe fiercely that personal style speaks volumes without having to say a word.

Me, finally with purple hair! 

It's in my Pisces nature that I'm all over the place when it comes to personal taste (food, clothing, music, movies - you name it!).  So I love  mixing it up, one day I'll be grungy the next day punk and the day after that vintage old school.  You can see the difference in the above two photos.  I believe the key to owning your personal style is to be unapologetic.  Case in point, my love for the color purple is well known, so I finally had my hair colored purple and I loved it - but that didn't mean I dressed in head (literally) to toe purple.

Wearing a vintage dress I got in Atlanta, and all vintage gold jewelry from my Mom's stash

So here are some basics on developing your personal style. 

• Embrace what makes you unique, whether it's your red hair, wide smile or deep blue eyes.  Play them up! Case in point, I still get a bit worried that I smile too much.  I've been reminded though that I have a great smile - so why not smile more often!
• Use your best color to your advantage.  If red or blue looks good against your skin, wear it more often.  I've found that turquoise matches my olive skin beautifully. 
• Match your style to your personality.  If you're a quiet person, go with monochrome pieces, like a vest in black or camel.  Or if you love punk music or the entire movement, wear black tanks or animal print. This is not a rule by any means - you can dress in any style daily.
• Mimick or shadow one of your idols/mentors/shero.  One of my all time favorite stylish woman/designer is Diane Von Furstenburg.  She exudes glamour and class. I pay attention to how she accessorizes and styles her outfits.

With my cousins, Mom and Abuelita in Panama.  All of these ladies have influenced me in style and design.

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The Laurel of Asheville Big Crafty event review

It's almost the holiday weekend and I couldn't be more excited as I've got some great events coming up and I just got this news that Eilisain Jewelry was featured in local magazine, The Laurel of Asheville reviewing the Big Crafty event next weekend at the Asheville Art Museum.

I'm super excited for The Big Crafty show for a number of reasons, I love Asheville and the people there AND I get to spend time with my Mom as she is going to be helping me at my booth.  Pretty great combo if you ask me. 

 If you live in the Western NC area I hope to see you at the show, and as always thank you for reading!
xoxo
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How to layer your jewelry

I've always been a bit of a fashionista, I love fashion and the art of dressing well.  So recently I got an email from Who What Wear about how "It fashion girls" layer jewelry.  I loved the post so I wanted to share with you some images of how Eilisain Jewelry fans layer their jewelry.

Nicole DeCarlo Spruill mixing Cartier and the Hunted II owl talon cuff.

Brigid Collection with the Vespa ring and the Hunted cocktail ring.  Photo by Aileen Devlin.

My tattoo artist and friend Caroline Hedgepeth layering her Brigid rings. 

 Layering jewelry is a great way to add volume and heighten the look of your jewelry and overall outfit.  I hope this post gives you courage and ideas on how to intermix your jewelry collections.

As always, thank you for reading!
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