Momento Mori

Earlier this year I was given a very deep and personal custom request by an equally deep and close friend.  I'd always wanted to create a momento mori piece but I didn't think or know how creating a piece would make me feel. 

Caroline Hedgepeth (my tattoo artist and friend) had lost her father a year ago and she was incredibly close to her father and since his passing wore his dog tag every day.  Caroline wanted me to create a piece that would hold the tag but also be able to remove it should she pass it to another family member.

I loved this idea and also the challenge.  Being out of art school a jeweler doesn't receive the same type of intense and complex projects unless it's a custom order or submission to an exhibition (unless you're an art jeweler).  Thus began my procrastination of creating Caroline's piece.  It's funny because when we sat down together to discuss her piece I was very thrilled and honored but also completely nervous and scared! What if I messed it up? What if she doesn't like it....all the what if's and it's what kept me from starting the piece.

Until finally I really had no choice as I promised to get it to Caroline before the anniversary of her father's passing.  And deep down, I knew that once I began working on it, I'd love the process. 

Front of the necklace/object.

Back side of the piece/object.

Caroline and I discussed how she wanted to have both her father's birthstone and hers on the piece and something that symbolized her father's changing from death to a new life (aka the crow claws).

I also decided that I needed to rivet the two pieces so that it'd be less stressful for me, as it'd be about 6 solders on one piece if I didn't and that can get messy.  Her father's dog tag fit perfectly, however during the process I had to use a supplement so I used my father's dog tag.  Once the piece was complete and I kept checking for the size of my father's tag it hit me how sentimental and precious this piece would be to Caroline.  I thought, what if it had been my father that had passed? As you can imagine I was hit with a wave of emotion and gratitude.  

When I was finally finished with Caroline's piece I was relieve and just so happy to have been given the opportunity to work on such a sentimental piece of jewelry.  It really changed how I view adornment and the honor I have as a jeweler.

As always, thank you for reading!
Stay lovely,
Lisette
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Buying jewelry for others

The Asteria Collection. 
Photo by Amber Burnette of Dekay Photography

 Jewelry holds a place in the world as one of the best gifts you can give someone, and it holds special meaning for special occasions as you already know (proposals, anniversaries, graduations etc.) but it's also one of the trickiest.

I've learned as jeweler that certain types of jewelry are easier to gift than others.  For example, rings are wonderful and one of my favorite pieces to wear except it's the hardest to gift someone as you may not know their ring size.

My favorite type of jewelry to gift is a necklace. 
#1 - they can always use the chain for another pendant. 
#2 - you don't need to know their size, it's very simple.

Pins and brooches are great too for those same reasons.

The key to purchasing jewelry for a loved one is to pay attention to what they like and wear.  For example, you can pick up whether or not the person loves silver or golden jewelry (doesn't have to be gold, it can be bronze or copper).  And whether or not they enjoy jewelry that has a certain motif, such as elephants or cats.

 Here are some more tips when purchasing jewelry as a gift:

• Ask the jeweler or store if they take exchanges, that way you can use a gift receipt 
• Meticulously check the quality of the piece, if it's stamped and the setting of the stone to ensure it will be a long lasting piece
• Ask for gift wrapping
• check the ratings and referrals and reviews of the jeweler or store
• Request care instructions for the piece of jewelry

The Hunted II silver badger claw necklace with a teardrop moonstone

I hope that these tips and advice assists you in your next jewelry purchase as a gift or even if it's for yourself!

Stay lovely-
Lisette
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Isn't she lovely?

As I prepare for the upcoming holiday season, I'm revving up my new collection and working on having the pieces shot on the body.  Several weeks ago I did a shoot at Starlight Restaurant in Uptown Greenville with Amber Burnette of DeKay Photography, the setting was ideal as we wanted a romantic place to shoot.  

Here is one of the shots featuring the OOAK Vespa necklace.  Jena was a wonderful model and really carries my pieces well.  I can't wait to show you the rest of the shots but for now this will do. 

The beautiful Jena modeling the Vespa necklace and several new pieces of the Asteria
Collection.  Photography be DeKay Photography by Amber Burnette.

'

This really is the perfect necklace for an evening out on the town! Available on Eilisainjewelry.com

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Vespa Triple Goddess Necklace

Every couple of months I get an itch to sort through my unique stones and make a one of kind piece.

I've had these beautiful faceted citrines for awhile, since designing the Vespa collection I had a limited supply of them so thus making this beauty.

I'm naming it after Brigit the Celtic triple Goddess, she represents the Muse, Healer and Smith.  

Now listed exclusively on my website, $360.

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Epona revisited

Several weeks ago, I did a mini photo shoot with my photographer Aileen Devlin.  We were shooting my new collection Valkyrie, however the overall images didn't come out as I'd planned.  We will reshoot the collection, however I snuck in the Epona necklace, I made way back in 2011.  I'm so glad I did, Madison, my model rocks it!

The necklace has made somewhat of a resurgence, interest by press has surfaced and I've now been commissioned to make a second necklace.  It's got me thinking that I need to make several more statement pieces; especially in preparation for my trip to Italy for the Origins fair.   I will keep you posted on these pieces.  Now, all I need to do is find the time to make them!

Epona Necklace, 2011, owned by Nan Lapata.  Sterling silver, steer antler and steel.

Photo by Aileen Devlin. Model Madison Schiller

As always, thank you for reading.  

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Boys & Girls

When I first began my Hunted line of jewelry or for that matter most of my jewelry, I never really considered if it was meant to be worn by a man or woman.  And when I think upon the subject, I am certain that jewelry should be genderless  (not that I don't believe a jeweler can have the intention for which gender it is meant for) .  So with that said, I love it that my jewelry is so unisex; it goes beyond what gender the wearer is and becomes a talisman of sorts. 

Jodie Bakker wearing her new Hunted bronze double badger claw necklace.

NIkki wearing the same necklace and his owl talon ring. 

I really am so lucky to be friends with quite a few of my customers and that they take the time to send me photos of them wearing it - thank you Jodie and Nikki!!

And thank YOU for reading. 

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A couple of things

So as you can imagine, with the holidays coming up...these next several months are going to be insanely busy.  But I don't mind, it's great to have a challenge and work towards finishing projects.

Not only am I getting ready for holiday sales but also some great exhibition opportunities.  I've been invited to participate in Kathleen Sommers 5th annual bracelet show, SO psyched about this opportunity and I just discovered that my Maybe Sparrow necklace was featured on the exhibition postcard for the Dia de Los Muertos event at Equinox Gallery!

I'm also preparing work to send off to several new galleries, Twilight Gallery in Seattle and Michele Tuegel Contemporary Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I have been seriously blessed this year.  

Photo taken by Ken Bova.  Maybe Sparrow necklace, 2013.

Thank you for reading and for YOUR support!
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I won the Makery Competition

Thank you to everyone that voted for me.  Its such a warm fuzzy feeling when your friends and family support you and take a little time out of their day to vote, thank you again!

Next week I'll be featured on The Makery website and possibly sell my jewelry.  The concept is wonderful, to support North Carolina artisans and celebrate how they make their work.  North Carolina has a very rich history of craft and I'm honored to become a part of that fabric.   

I'll keep you posted on my interaction with the Makery.

In other news, I finally photographed this sweet little pendant I finished several weeks ago.  I bought the gorgeous rudilated quartz crystal at Points of Light and found it perfect with the original beetle I cast last year.  

Since last year I've seemed to acquire even more bugs! My future mother in law found a beautiful dragonfly and a lizard....hmmm, the question is should I make them into jewelry? I'm contemplating it.

For now, this pretty baby is on sale! 

Now on sale on my website and etsy!

Thank you for reading and happy Friday!!

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artist statement

So I finally finished and edited my artist statement. I'm pleased with it and think it reflects who I am as an artist.

Let me know what you think!

I can vividly recall, when I was a young girl, asking my mother if I could play with her jewelry and then ask her where she bought it. Perhaps it was a silver chased brooch she bought in Thailand or the ruby, pearl and gold earrings that were her aunts from Panama. Stories and memories are carried through her jewelry. My work expresses my own journey and conversation with the material. My habit of collecting natural and found objects such as shells, coral, tagua nuts, deer antler, seeds, and rough stones reflect where I’ve lived and what I experienced at the time.

Body adornment is a significant part of our human culture and history. Archeologists and historians have uncovered a wealth of information from the jewelry and body adornment left behind by our ancestors. I translate my own life, ideas and thoughts through the jewelry I create.

There is a wildness and foreign sense in my jewelry, as if it was found in a remote and undiscovered part of the world. For example, the Epona necklace evokes images of a matriarchal huntress wearing it proudly at a ceremony and my Rebirth ring conjures visions of female anatomy; a ring that perhaps a shaman would wear. My work reflects my own desire to create a world full of fascinating and intriguing ‘artifacts’.

Thanks for reading.
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Epona necklace

Here is a fuzzy photo of my recently finished necklace for my Jewelry I class with Mi-Sook Hur.

I'm very proud of it - particularly the box catch I made - it was a challenge but SO gratifying to be able to make such a small component of a necklace (the clasp).

I'm definitely going to rock this crazy-ass necklace.

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