Having a teammate

Ya'll have heard me sing the praises of having Ashton Neibel in the studio, and it's true.  Not only is it fantastic having her assistance but also it's amazing having someone to bounce off ideas and share the ups and downs of being a jeweler.

I look back over the past six months of having Ashton in the studio with me and I cringe to think of how I would've survived if I hadn't had her help.  Obviously I'd survived but it would've been incredibly stressful.
It's not just having her help that has made my life in the studio easier but also mentoring Ashton and watching her grow has given me a sense of purpose, pride and made me more aware of my habits and work ethic.

So here are some fun and candid shots Aileen Devlin took of us in the studio.  Laughing, working and being silly.  Oh and side note, can you tell I love to accumulate notes, inspirational cards and stuff?!

This is the true spirit of my studio, being real and having fun!

On the grind, literally.

Talking out ideas, upcoming events and our adventures from the weekend.

We're trying to be cool here. 

Ashton Neibel in the zone...jewelry zone

Thank you for reading and indulging me in celebrating my amazing intern!
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Why you should sign up for my newsletter

I'm sure you get inundated, like myself with lots of emails.  And half the time you may not even open them.

However I will tell you that there are probably a handful of newsletters that I truly enjoy getting and that I KNOW I'll learn something new.

One of our most recent email offers.

With that said, I want to give you some very good reasons as to why you should sign up for my E-LIST.

• I'll tell you how to take care of your Eilisain Jewelry, as well as all of your jewelry.  Such as, how to remove tarnish on silver.

• You'll understand how to wear your jewelry - new and fun ways to be creative with adornment 

• You get special invitations to shows and events across the country 

• Find out more about our future collections and what we're doing in the studio 

• And lastly - you get FIRST dibs on new collections and SALES
  Whoops, last and BEST reason why? You get 15% off your first order when you sign up!
  

I provide to my subscribers the first chance on sales and first pick to new pieces.  And also I won't spam you, yes I email about once a week which pales in comparison to the deluge of emails you will probably get from other sources.  

So I hope these reasons will only further encourage you to sign up. 
As always - stay golden!
xoxo
Lisette
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Re design and changing

This is the year of change and transformation, for myself and my business.  As you know, if you've been reading my blog, I learned quite a bit last year especially about running a business.  I had a big learning curve participating in craft shows as well as managing new collections etc.  

So with that said, I am in the process of having my logo redesigned and I'll be migrating to a new website/platform within the next 6 months. My current website, as much as I love the ease and functions of it, does not have some necessary features I want in a website.  Part of my vision for my website is for it to be easy to navigate and purchase pieces and learn more about Eilisain Jewelry.

I share these goals with you because my audience is a big reason for these changes, including myself.  Online shopping is a major part of our lives these days, and I like mixing my brick and mortar shopping with online.  And to be honest, it makes life extremely easier when you're busy running around, working and you don't have time to go store to store.  I'm incredibly hopeful about these changes, I'm working with a fantastic graphic designer and I'm planning the future of my business so it's sustainable and successful. 

 

 As always, thank you for reading and joining me on this journey!

 

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Necklace sizing chart

I just discovered this handy chart! All of our chains are 28" which hang just in the middle of the chest.  However with the next collection we chose 20" to display our prominent pendants - don't worry you will see soon!

I thought some of you may appreciate this chart, next time your shopping for chains or you need a guide to help you determine what chain is best for you. 

As always thanks for stoppin' by!

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Poem of the day - Guide to the Other Gallery

Guide to the Other Gallery

by Dana Gioia 

 

This is the hall of broken limbs
Where splintered marble athletes lie
Beside the arms of cherubim.
Nothing is ever thrown away.

These butterflies are set in rows.
So small and gray inside their case
They look alike now. I suppose
Death makes most creatures commonplace.

These portraits here of the unknown
Are hung three high, frame piled on frame.
Each potent soul who craved renown,
Immortalized without a name.

Here are the shelves of unread books,
Millions of pages turning brown.
Visitors wander through the stacks,
But no one ever takes one down.

I wish I were a better guide.
There’s so much more that you should see—
Rows of bottles with nothing inside,
Displays of locks which have no key.

You’d like to go? I wish you could.
This room has such a peaceful view.
Look at that case of antique wood
Without a label. It’s for you.

 

“Guide to the Other Gallery” by Dana Gioia from 99 Poems.

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Going swimming next month

It's a fun play on words for my venture into wholesale tradeshows.  I'm so nervous and excited that I'll be going to Las Vegas next month to participate in Pooltradeshow.

They say that you have to take risks when you run a business and this is one that I'm praying will pay off.  Sometimes it can be very tricky to know where to invest your money when it comes to shows; as you know I learned alot last year from participating in smaller craft shows. 

This year my goal is to broaden my market and get directly in front of buyers.  So here it goes, next month I take a big trip to the city of Sin!

Here is a fun poster I designed for the show, with my booth number.  And psst. if you're a buyer maybe I'll see you there.

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Awen

I typically don't post on Holidays themselves but I'm celebrating Thanksgiving this Saturday with my husband's family, so I have the day off to relax and blog!

No seriously, I wanted to share with you how thankful I am for my life as a creative person and for you - reading my blog posts and celebrating with me everyday the joy of art and creativity.   It is deep within every person to manifest their feelings and thoughts, whether it be through cooking or even how to problem solve.  Creativity isn't just relegated to art.  I could go on and on but I'll keep it short.

THANK YOU!

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Life in the East feature

Several months ago I was contacted by my friend Abbie Bennett at the Daily Reflector (Greenville's newspaper) to answer questions for a feature on local jewelers.  I was happy to oblige and I'm quite pleased with this full color feature. The insert with this interview is part of the Greenville Life in the East magazine.

There definitely are quite a few local jewelers that have made it on the national scene and it's encouraging to read their stories as well. Below are the interviews.  I hope you enjoy!

As always, thank you for reading.
Stay lovely,
Lisette
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The time is now

...to get your holiday shopping done! I'm already freaking out a bit about what to get everyone on my list!

Speaking of, I finally decided to create a fun Eilisain Jewelry gift guide, some ideas and suggestions to help you get super cool and awesome jewelry for everyone on your list!

As you know all of Eilisain Jewelry is unisex, I don't like to pigeonhole types of jewelry for a certain gender, but this guide is one to help you discern what you could get for each person in your life.

I hope it helps and thank you for reading1

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Durham Patchwork Holiday Market added to our show schedule

I'm just keeping every weekend quite busy up until the day of Christmas! I don't mind though as the holiday season is pretty MAJOR for every independent artists and retailer I know.

And I really can't stress it enough, buying locally made goods/food is SO beneficial to you and your community.  Your hard earned money goes to other people in your area that work hard to make long lasting sustainable goods.  It's just that simple.

With purchasing local, I'm also selling right down the road (sorta) from Greenville.  I love the Durham area and I especially love Morgan Grimm and the work she puts into making the Durham Patchwork market fun!

This year the market will be at the Durham Armory, and we will be there with all our favorite and popular pieces. 

The crow claw earrings, owl talon charm and chain and cat claw earrings - ALL UNDER $100!!

The pieces above are all going to be available at the Durham Patchwork Holiday Market and they are all under $100!!
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Morbid curiosity

This is really the true season of spookiness and macabre attire.  And I LOVE IT! Ha, seriously I've got pumpkins all over my apartment and pumpkin scented candles.

Of course Eilisain Jewelry pieces go so well with this time of year, I created a collection of some of my favorite pieces for the season. 

I hope you enjoy the season as much as I am!

Thanks for reading lovlies,
xoxo
Lisette
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Revamping my website

It took me long enough, I finally migrated my website to a newer version.  I kept putting it off as I usually do for tasks that I can't stand doing.  I'm quite happy though that I made the migration, as the new tools for my website are fantastic!  You can view model shots as well as shots of the jewelry on the same page.

Check it out for yourself! 

And the product views are much better.  So with that said, take a look at my updated site and do some shopping while you're at it!

Thanks so much for reading and stay lovely!
xoxo
Lisette
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Bast continued and pairing jewelry

Just like pairing a certain type of wine with particular foods, I'd akin pairing pieces of jewelry together the same way as well.

For me it also means what kind of outfit and occasion am I wearing them with.  So many factors to consider but I think the one constant is really about you, what looks good on you.

I've brought this up before but essentially pairing your jewelry with who you are as a person can make a BIG difference.  With that said, I've got some recommendations for you on what kind of jewelry works best on several factors.

For example: If you have dark hair, consider wearing lighter color earrings so they pop against your hair.  I made this mistake once of trading black earrings with a fellow jeweler....now I rarely wear them because it's hard to see them against my dark hair.

With that in mind here are factors to consider:
1. length and color of hair for earrings
2. type of work you do on a daily basis, so you may wear simple earrings or rings
3.  Your skin tone
4. What color will you be wearing that day

It all sounds logical and would make sense to the average person but I really do consider how my jewelry will function with me throughout the day OR when I get to go wild and wear a big statement piece like the Bast necklace below.

Bast One of a kind necklace, $1,000; photo by Tara Locklear

 I've loved the responses to the Bast OOAK necklace - I can't wait until the person snatches this statement piece up!

Bast single spine ring in bronze, $110; photo by Tara Locklear

A more accessible, everyday type of ring. 
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Gettin' crafty

Show season is in full swing and I'm plugging away in my studio.  I'm super excited for Crafty Bastards which is in 1.5 weeks, it's my biggest show of the year and this year I plan to bring even more jewelry and new pieces to show in Washington, DC on Saturday and Sunday September 26-27th.  You can purchase your tickets here.

The Bast Double spine ring will be featured at the Crafty Bastards Show.

So to name a few of the great things about Crafty Bastards:
-Handmade items by the best indie designers
-Food trucks
-street art
-fun for the kids and family
-Beer
-It's at Union Market

And here's a lil video from the awesome people at the City paper.

I'll be at booth #78, so please be sure to stop and shop!

Bast spine earrings with lapis lazuli.

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Pre-SALE of the Bast Collection

Every season I do a pre-sale for my seasonal collections, and this year is no different.  However I'm  posting on here to let YOU know about my pre-sale event - Tuesday, September 8th.   This pre-sale event is for my email list subscribers ONLY. 

So sign up for my email list here.

thank you for reading!
Stay lovely,
Lisette
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2015 Martha Stewart American Made Nominee

Last week I saw the call for entries for the Martha Steward American Made contest, and I thought, why not try?  I mean I could just win and get $10,000 for my business. 

You can officially vote for me on September 21st - don't worry I'll add a reminder on here and all social media.

It's quite exciting to have a profile on Martha Stewart's website, as well as the fact that she is celebrating handmade and many other companies are as well.  This is such a great thing for American makers, that our country is slowly supporting locally and well made products.

Thank you for reading and stay lovely,
Lisette
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Bursting at the seams

One of my flaws is that I can be quite impatient, and want immediacy.  Being a jeweler, most of the time you should be patient so this doesn't always work for me, being impatient.

Which leads me to just a tease, a little morsel of what is to come for the Bast Collection, because honestly I want to release it right now! Ha, but I have a deadline to keep and it's good for me, because it really does build the excitement.

Fifi and Jessi, one perfect moment of stillness

The Bast cuff bracelet, I'm just so in love with this stone!

The Bast Collection will be released on Thursday, September 10th.  Mark your calendars because I'm quite confident this will be a successful collection!
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More holiday show line ups

It's only the middle of August but for jewelers and other small business owners this is the time to prepare for the holidays and I'm lining up my show list and already mentally preparing for the onslaught of orders.

I'm excited and I feel so much more prepared this year than I was last year.  With that said I wanted to let you know early on where Eilisain Jewelry will be headed.

Just got word last night that we will be participating in Crafty Feast in Columbia, SC.  I've never been to Columbia and this time my husband will join me and we will get to know a new city!

In October I'll be headed to Atlanta for the Candler Fall Fest.  It's going to be a very fall/winter season but I"m so ready for it! And if you're in these cities please visit, I'd love to meet you and talk jewelry!

some of the new rings I'll be selling at these shows....and some are from the Bast Collection!

As always thank you for reading!
stay lovely,
Lisette

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Curbside Cookoff here we come

And the fall events begin! 

I was invited by the DMV Food Truck Association to participate in this fun event with other artisans and boutique trucks.  I'm always willing to try something new.  It's also going to be fun as my sister in law will be helping me that day, I love mixing work with family & friends. 

DC will always be home to me and it's great to go back and revisit old haunts and see old friends.  Plus I'm very much looking forward to trying all the delicious food!

My most popular item, The Hunted II talon cuff will most definitely be on sale at the event.

Thanks 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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