Whimsy and Romance

I'm back to share with you another new design to debut at Mayfest this weekend. I call them Whimsy and Romance earrings as I think they perfectly evoke both! These are another play on the combination of 14k gold-fill, white freshwater pearls and rubies which I have come to love. I think the pairing is so pretty, feminine and classic.

Click images to enlarge.

The earrings feature vintage brass rosettes with freshwater pearl centers, new brass leaves, hand formed freshwater pearl hoops, ruby briolettes, and 14k gold-filled findings.

The brass rosettes and leaves create the perfect amount of vintage charm and whimsy while the pearls, rubies, and gold create an elegant and romantic look. I love the structure of the top portion of the design mixed with the movement of the ruby weighted chain. These have some great drama and presence.

These are currently one of a kind and I am debating on whether or not I will create another identical pair. I certainly plan to create similar pairs, perhaps with different colored freshwater pearls or other gemstones. For now these are the only of their kind and they will be available at Mayfest. In the event that they don't find a home this weekend, I will likely be listing them in my Etsy shop.

New

I finally have a couple of photos of new designs to share. Despite being busy finishing up papers and studying for the last finals of my college career, I have been trying to produce lots of new designs to debut at Mayfest. Unfortunately I haven't been able to photograph all the new designs as I'd hoped. I am going to try to share more photos this next week before Mayfest begins. In the mean time, here are two new designs, which I have also made available in my Etsy shop.

Forest Nymph earrings, $28

I really love the detail on these vintage brass leaves. I have always paid very close attention to details in my designs and have been complimented numerous times because of it. I consider the impact of each detail of a design and always try to insure that even the unseen part of a design (such as a charm affixed to the back of a pendant) are appealing and unique.

I am just crazy about freshwater pearls and incorporate them into almost all of my designs in some way. Lately I have been forming them into hoops for various earring designs. I think there is something so classic and feminine about a luminous circle of pearls.

Antique Lace earrings, $30

These earrings are actually a new color combination for a design I created last summer. As the name suggests, the colors were inspired by the beauty of faded, antique lace. I love soft, feminine color combinations and these are a current favorite of mine.

As Mayfest approaches, I am becoming excited and anxious. This summer marks the start of my full-fledged career as a jewelry designer. I have been updating my booth layout and trying to streamline my setup. I am hoping to have at least a couple hundred new designs to debut at Mayfest, in addition to some old favorites. Unfortunately I have been rather constrained by time and money so my offerings won't be quite as varied as I would have liked. My supply inventory is still relatively small and it becomes difficult to produce a huge array of styles without the ability to invest in more supplies. Nonetheless, Mayfest will mark my biggest and most elaborate craft fair setup to date. I look forward to seeing how busy and successful May 9th and 10th are!

New Business Cards

In preparing for Mayfest I realized I only had about 100 of the 500 business cards I ordered last summer left. Time to order more! While I still like my old business card design, I felt I had outgrown it a bit. The photo I used was of an old design, one I make back in 2007 when I first started designing jewelry. I felt I needed something a bit more colorful and current. Since I have been crazy busy with end of the semester papers and finals, I didn't have time to take any new photos specifically for business cards. I have a lot of photos of my designs that I love, but I took them all with Etsy in mind, and while Etsy photos are best viewed if they are square, business cards are more rectangular. Therefore I couldn't decide on one specific business card design that I completely loved. Instead I decided to ordered 250 each of two different designs.

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I have never designed a vertical business card before, and while I think it looks interesting, I am definitely more drawn to the traditional horizontal layout. The front is a photo of my Bee's Knees Necklace, which I just adore. The back is just the usual, information about me and my business, where to find me, etc.

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This definitely covers my preference of the traditional business card layout. While I love the Last Leaf Earrings featured on the card, I think the colors are a bit too bland. I want a business card that really stands out and grabs your attention, one you remember and want to hold on to. I always keep business cards that I find particularly unique or pretty and I strive to design one with a distinct look that others will want to keep. I have gotten many compliments in the past on my old business card, I hope the new ones will be well received as well.

I look forward to getting these in the mail. I hope they are as beautiful as I've dreamed. I purchased enough to last me through the summer, maybe a bit longer, but I look forward to finding the time to really sit down and take the perfect photo and create my dream business card.