One Year Later

Posted on June 6, 2015 by eldwenne

One Year Later

Where am I?

Here I am, in the quaint town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. I flew down here 1 year ago this week, ready to take on the world by teaching math to children with learning disabilities in an economically disadvantaged middle school, by continuing to build my jewelry business, and by helping my family adapt to southern living.

Just a few little things.

Most of us know how the teaching gig went, right? I always had the utmost respect for my children’s teachers – but now?? HOLY FUCKSHIT THEY NEED TO BE CANNONIZED.

I enjoyed teaching very much. I LOVE the kids, even the ones that I’m sure were trying to kill me slowly, But my biggest challenge was dealing with an administration that did not have a strong special education background (not that I did either), and was fighting me to the hilt on everything.

Most of my time was spent speaking to other special education teachers to get their opinions, ideas, suggestions, and borrowing materials in order to be successful. Methods I garnered from special education veterans were disparaged by administration.

Simple example – kids with learning disabilities benefit from repetition. One of my methods of implementing that was something akin to a game of telephone.

I asked, “What is the formula for perimeter, Jose?”

“Add all sides!” he proudly replied.

“Great! Now tell your neighbor, Jonathan.”
“Jonathan, the formula for perimeter is add all sides.”
I then said, “Jonathan, please tell your neighbor, Daniel, the formula for perimeter.”

This would go around the class and the last student would then repeat the formula to me.

The principal stated that instead of doing that I should’ve had them repeat it in unison. And she deducted points off my rating for that.

Really? Having the class repeat in unison where maybe three kids actually say it, two kids lip sync it and the rest of the class just sit there is more effective than having each student accountable for repeating it and being actively engaged in an activity??

This is just one of many examples of how the administration made it impossible for me to do my job.

I was teaching a Life Skills class, switched out of said Life Skills class into resource classes, then criticized 5 days later for not making significant impacts in the resource classes. After teaching these children less than 1 week.

I began to dread coming in to school. I was leaving my home at 5:45 every morning, getting to school at 7am, working nonstop until 4:30, then driving home for an hour and then continuing to work from home on lesson plans and activities, trying to run my business which was floundering, and deal with the fact that my husband, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was not adjusting well at all to our new life, AND let’s not forget I’m a mother with 3 young kids at home (and an adult kid that I miss terribly) really hit me hard.

I began to have panic attacks several times a day every day. I was having nightmares every night.

My anxiety and depression was triggered anew. I had to leave the job.

Most of you who know me know that my childhood was shit. I lost my mother under dubious circumstances when I was very young and then dealt with an unstable and very physically and emotionally abusive environment at home from the time I was 9 until I was an adult.

I will never blame my circumstances on the past. But I will say the past helped mold me and played part in decisions I’ve made, both good and bad.

The past destroyed my self-esteem and here I am at age 44 still trying to build it up. I was on an upward swing because here I was, accepted into a prestigious program that tens of thousands of people were vying to get into, hired by a school I thought was going to work well for me, and giving my husband and kids the better quality of life they deserve.

And then school happened and I felt myself slip backwards into a quagmire of self-loathing, anxiety, depression, and a constant fear that something bad was going to happen. It was debilitating.

Always Keep Fighting and I am Stigma Free

At VegasCon I had the privilege of speaking to Jared Padalecki about the Always Keep Fighting campaign. Jared had just launched the campaign and was selling shirts to raise funds for the cause.

I had designed a bracelet that I felt best represented the message: an aluminum cuff stamped simply with the words “always keep fighting”. I had chosen aluminum because it’s lightweight and meant to make us feel as if burdens are being lifted away by the message; it wasn’t weighing us down.

I explained to Jared that I wanted to sell these bracelets and donate a portion of the proceeds to the cause and his words were, “This is awesome! I say go for it!”

With his blessing I began to make the bracelets.

Always Keep Fighting – Jared Approved, SPNFamily Supported

I created a leather version as well for those who have metal allergies or just prefer the look.

The response from all of you has been so overwhelming. I am beyond grateful for your support!

Mitch Kosterman has his Always Keep Fighting cuff – and he also helped me understand I am Stigma Free

In speaking with Mitch Kosterman, I realized that not only do we need a message to remind us to always keep fighting, but we need to address the judgment that is passed by those who don’t understand mental illness. The assumptions that are made.

“Oh, man up and get over it already.”

“He’s just being lazy.”

“Throwing a pity party.”

“Looking for attention.”

“Trying to get out of working. I saw him laughing earlier, there’s nothing wrong.”

These are all things I’ve heard either about myself or a loved one that is suffering from a mental illness.

Mitch really helped me understand that it’s a widespread issue and not just my own isolated experiences.

So I introduced another piece, I am Stigma Free. I believe that both messages support each other and that we cannot be successful in fighting if we don’t shed the stigma that comes along with our illness.

I am stigma free – never apologize for who you are

I am donating 50% of the proceeds from each and every Always Keep Fighting and I Am Stigma Free bracelet.

To date, we have raised $1,208 for Always Keep Fighting. I am so proud of us.

Paying it Forward with Rock the Monkey, Homeboy Industries, & SupportSPN

Rock the Monkey:

Part of what helps me heal is doing things for others. I have a Random Acts approved fundraiser called Rock the Monkey where I am donating 100% of the proceeds to the cause. Here’s Osric modeling one of the barrettes (coming soon!).

Osric is the perfect model for the upcoming Rock the Monkey barrettes!

Available right now are earrings and necklaces!

Rock the Monkey Necklace Round Style!

Rock the Monkey Necklace Teardrop Style!

Rock the Monkey Earrings!

Homeboy Industries:

The lovely Lauren Tom introduced me to Homeboy Industries at SeaCon several months ago – the good that this organization does defies description. They provide so many free services to former gang members in the LA area. You can help by donating to my Homeboy Industries page where I am raising funds to benefit this awesome organization! View my page here: https://support.homeboyindustries.org/fundraise?fcid=449205

The beautiful Lauren Tom wearing the Love of Mrs. Tran, which she Lauren auctioned off in Europe to raise funds for Homeboy Industries!

Carry On

This site is a plethora of support for Supernatural fans and their friends and families. I designed a bracelet where a portion of the proceeds is donated to this wonderful group: http://t.co/LkMVAaCBUv

Now What?

I finally got it through my head that the only time I work well is when I work for myself, so I’ve thrown myself full time into my jewelry. I’m determined (desperate??) to make this work.

If you want to know how you can be a part of making this happen and also to earn gift certificates towards my jewelry, you can do so via my GoFundMe page:

http://www.gofundme.com/EldwennesFantasySPN
My Go Fund Me campaign allows me to buy supplies, cover travel expenses so I can vend at conventions, and keep my business afloat until it’s strong enough to sustain itself.

I also have a livestream show, So Get This on my YouTube channel where I chat with you about Supernatural, being a Supernatural fan, and sometimes have kick ass guests such as previous guests Briana Buckmaster, Nicki Aycox, Ruth Connell, Lauren Tom, Katherine Ramdeen, and YOU! Shannon Price of Chickie and Bean, Carrie Anderson, and Debbi Bachman have all graced me with their presence and you can catch their episodes here on my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOf8tnzLHRP8fN0j0n_0BoA

I’m still struggling with anxiety and depression. I always will, it’s engrained in who I am. I’m not apologetic for it – I refuse to be. Are people apologizing because they have heart disease or diabetes? Of course not.

I am not apologizing for being sick. I am stigma free. I will always keep fighting, thanks to you, my #SPNFamily.

Customer Feature – Adina!!

Posted on March 28, 2014 by eldwenne

Jodi here – Adina is one of the most passionate souls I’ve met through this glorious fandom we call the SPN Family.

A little selfie action with me and the amazing Adina!

Adina is the epitome of what the fandom really means to me – warm, compassionate, driven, supportive, and has an impeccable taste for quality, handmade jewelry (ok, so sue me, lol!)

Seriously though – this woman rocks and as you read through her interview you’re gonna see exactly how and why.

Take it away, Adina!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’re comfortable sharing, work, family, philosophy, etc. Also, if you have a website or a brick & mortar business, please feel free to include that here!

I like to describe myself as dedicated and passionate; also, a deep fangirl. I love analyzing characters and plots.

In my “regular” life, I work for a healthcare consulting firm, fighting insurance denials for hospitals. I’ve been working at the same place for about 10 years, starting at entry level, and recently was promoted to supervisor.

On the side, I’m a certified graphic & web designer (www.squarepins.org) and that spills over into my fandom life. I’ll come back to this for the creative question! I also have a Fandom Page on FB: http://www.facebook.com/AdinaRJ I include celebrity birthdays, fun pics, and encourage interactions.

Just LOOK at the creative ohoto op this woman did with Jensen and Jared! Please come check out her FB page and Like it! It’s addictive!

Do you have any creative outlets? Tell us about them and if you have photos of your work, please feel free to share!

I do have creative outlets! I’m a computer graphic designer by hobby and side business. I mentioned my website earlier (www.squarepins.org). I have designed book covers as well as custom websites. I also make fandom graphics such as The Year of Winchesters, which was my desktop wallpaper for several years. I don’t currently write fanfic, but I did dabble in it for several fandoms over the years. I’m always analyzing shows and thinking “what if” – it just hardly ever turns into an actual story!

Adina’s Graphic Design Biz – Square Pins! LOVE the designs, Adina!!

A fang-tastic (stop groaning, you know you giggled) book cover Adina designed – which is available on Amazon!

A Year of Winchesters – Adina knows how to pick ’em!!

Who would’ve thunk that Chuck + Lucifer = adorable graphics! I LOVE Adina’s work!

What draws you to handmade jewelry as opposed to store-bought, factory manufactured pieces?

I think it’s the personal touch that goes into it. Also, the ability to customize – I went up to Jodi and said “Hey, can you do something like this, but a little different like this?” and she was able to do it right then and there! It’s the knowledge that no one else has something exactly like yours.

Adina and Ally! Wonder Twin Powers ACTIVATE! Form of…TWO AWESOME SPN bracelets!

What types of pieces stand out to you, for example, wire work, crystals, etc., and why?

I would say I notice the crystals first, but I’m more likely to buy the hammered sayings because I’m all about the quotes!

Adina wearing the “Today is Tuesday, but Yesterday was Tuesday Too!” necklace which goes smashingly with her Mystery Spot shirt!

Is there something about Eldwenne’s Fantasy – Quality Handmade Jewelry by Jodi Zulueta that stands out to you?

Jodi herself is so personable and friendly! Her work is lovely and it’s a pleasure to buy from her. Plus, her stuff is different than the typical charms bracelets and necklaces.

Adina wearing a one of a kind piece designed by my son, Phoenix!

Wow – THANK YOU ADINA! I really look forward to seeing you again! Maybe DCCon???

DCCon
That’s right – I’ll be at DCCon this coming May! And not only will I be there – my whole clan will be there too! You’ll get to meet my amazing kids and husband. I might be able to take a bathroom break at this convention – look out! After all that hard work training myself to not pee for 12 straight hours…

I’m in the midst of creating a brand new contest for this upcoming convention since the Crowley vs. Abaddon election was such a great hit! And thanks again to Mark Sheppard and Alaina Huffman for being amazing sports and joining in my madness!

I’m also still holding a promotion that will be ongoing until I get what I want, lol! If ANYONE has the divine influence to get Mark Sheppard to take a selfie wearing my “King of Hell” leather cuff bracelet I made him – I will give you The Deception of Crowley necklace for free!

You can win this necklace!

So in the meantime, I’ll be working on developing the new contest for DCCon.

Are YOU going to DCCon? If so and there’s something you’d like me to have ready and waiting for you there, drop me a line! Either convo me in etsy through my shop at www.eldwenne.etsy.com, or you can reach me on FB at my Eldwenne’s Fantasy page at www.facebook.com/EldwennesFantasy – oh and by the way – I tend to get very VERY generous to peeps who share my links, retweets, etc – so, I’m just sayin’ ; )

And don’t forget I still have a special promotion running for my SPN Necklace series:

Castiel’s Grace, The Deception of Crowley, The Purification of Sam Winchester, The Tenacity of Dean Winchester. Unfortunately The Heart of Castiel is no longer available, but version 2 of this design will be out soon!

These pieces are all marked down to the special convention price of $35 each (regular price is between $40-45) and free US shipping.

This special offer ends on April 15! Please note, The Heart of Castiel is no longer available, however, I am creating a second version of this piece that will be presented on this upcoming Two for Supernatural Tuesday posts on FB, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram! Come follow me! I’m @eldwenne of course!

Next week’s post is going to be something very special – I had the honor of meeting a beautiful young woman named Brittany – she will be doing a guest post for me and it’s going to be extremely powerful. Stay tuned and see ya’ll next week!

Wormstaches, Ruler of Hell Results, Free Necklace Op, & Why SPN Fans are the BEST Bunch of People to Get Your Geek on With!

Posted on March 22, 2014 by eldwenne

Before I delve into my Sin City experience, I want to announce that from this post forward, I will be having a contest for my readers to win a free piece of jewelry each week! Wait until you hear which piece is up for grabs this week – whoo hoo!

VIVA LAS VEGAS – Whew! I arrived in Vegas early Wednesday evening. Wow was it hot. As my friend Ana Marie said to me via text, “You’re in the desert, baby.” Um, yeah. That would be a good reason why I was a tad uncomfortable. I took her advice to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and then set up shop in the vendors room.

I was selling both my wares as well as the best t-shirts and beanies you will ever own – incredibly awesome Clifhager gear!

The Clifhanger table – GET THE GEAR – check out their FB Page!

https://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers

Thursday morning was amazing. Before we opened the vendor’s room, Kat Sloan had a meet and greet with some fans. Kat Sloan is an author whose book ‘Half Blood’ is a MUST READ. It’s been very well-received and I will be designing jewelry based on this epic saga!

The first in the Lycanthropire Saga

You can reach Kat and grab her novel here at http://www.katsloan.com/ – check it out and you won’t be able to put this book down!

After the meet and greet, Kat and I went to our respective tables. Now Kat’s table was so amazing and beautiful and I wish I had a pic of it! Please check her out and see if she posts one – it was like being in a gorgeous Victorian living room!

I thought it would be great fun to have a couple of things going on at my table besides the constant hammering of me making new pieces. So I decided to give everyone that visited my table a memorable moment. I bought gummi worms and offered everyone “FREE WORMSTACHES”

Free Wormstaches! As you can see, I was refilling the bowl QUITE a bit!

It was a huge hit and I got tons of people coming over to do the ‘stache – including a couple of recognizable faces…the Brigade of the Wormstaches will be at the end of this post – if you did a ‘stache for me, come see!

I also thought it would be fun to get the visitors at my table involved in a mock election for their choice for the ruler of Hell. Should Crowley remain as King? Or do we need a woman’s touch via a knight to remember – Abaddon?

Who would YOU have voted for?

The way the contest worked was that at the end of the election, I would take a random name from the Crowley voters and a random name from the Abaddon voters. The Crowley name would receive a King of Hell necklace. The Abaddon name would receive a Queen of Hell necklace.

Alaina Huffman and Mark Sheppard were fantastically supportive of the fun and I updated them with the statistics via Twitter every evening over the course of the convention.

The results? In the beginning of the eletion it was looking like quite a slam dunk for Crowley, however, girl power began to resonate and Abaddon started to gain in popularity.

The tally went from 78%/22%, then 80%/20%, then finally, 77%/23%. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to overthrow the King, but it did demonstrate that the fans are definitely interested in seeing where Abaddon could take things! Congrats to both Mark and Alaina for being their awesome selves!

And a HUGE congrats to the winners of the King of Hell and Queen of Hell Necklaces!

The proud winners of my King/Queen of Hell contest!

There were a couple of really REALLY great Abaddon cosplayers:

The lovely proprietor of The Bone Closet dressed as the Knight of Hell!

I sent this one to Alaina Huffman with the question: “I thought you said you weren’t here?!?”

Free Necklace Op!

I made Mark a King of Hell leather cuff bracelet that I gave him on Sunday. He seemed, well, very Crowley about it – Mark – if you’re reading this, I’d absolutely love a pic of you wearing the bracelet! If anyone can make that happen I will give you a very special gift:

The Deception of Crowley - blood red glass framed in silver, complemented by a pentagram and skull! Available at www.eldwenne.etsy.com

The Deception of Crowley – blood red glass framed in silver, complemented by a pentagram and skull! Available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com

That’s right. If anyone has the divine influence to get Mark to snap a pic of himself wearing the King of Hell bracelet I made him – I will GIVE you my smash hit necklace, “The Deception of Crowley” for free. This necklace was hot as hell at the con (puns always intended).

My entire series of Supernatural-inspired pieces did very well – especially my Castiel’s Grace piece:

Castiel's Grace neckace. This was a HUGE hit - I couldn't make them fast enough! Also available at www.eldwenne.etsy.com

Castiel’s Grace neckace. This was a HUGE hit – I couldn’t make them fast enough! Also available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com

The entire series is available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com. For a limited time, I will be selling them at the special Convention price of $35 each along with FREE US SHIPPING! This will be ending on April 15th or while supplies last, so come get ’em!

My Supernatural-Inspired Necklace series! Available at my marked down convention price and FREE US SHIPPING!

From top left across:

Castiel’s Grace (which Osric Chau laughed his rear end over for some reason…)

The Deception of Crowley

The Purification of Sam WinchesterThe Tenacity of Dean Winchester

The Heart of Castiel

Here are some of the lovelies wearing theirs!

These gorgeous ladies told me I could call them both Kiki to avoid confusion – the ROCK it!

Angels and Demons – a couple of beauties representing Crowley and Cas!

Cosplaying Crowley – right down to the Deception of Crowley necklace and a glass of…not iced tea

Rocking my “Hello Boys” leather stamped cuff!

One of my fave people from Creation wearing one of my pieces! THANK YOU!

I’ve said this before but I have to say it again – there is no bigger compliment than seeing people adorn themselves with my jewelry.

Like this lady you may recognize – the stunning Kim Rhodes!

The beautiful Kim Rhodes!

I had designed a necklace specifically for Kim. Kim had sent out a tweet asking if anyone had bubble bath. So I tweeted back, “Kim – I’ll give you a GALLON of bubble bath if you come to the vendors room and pick up the jewelry I made you.” SHE SHOWED UP!

Kim immediately put the necklace on and kept it on the entire time she was on stage and in her photo ops. So for those who had a photo op with Kim – the necklace she was wearing was my gift to her – unreal!

Not only did she just run over, grab the necklace and go. She took the time to talk to me. Kim was extremely gracious and we talked about education and kids. She’s extremely dynamic and her energy is infectious, like her beautiful smile!

Thank you for being utterly amazing, Kim! And I think I still owe you a gallon of bubble bath, so for now, please accept this virtual one until the next convention!

My IOU to Kim Rhodes

Talking about how people wearing my jewelry blows my mind, let’s talk about the lovely Jenna. Jenna was one of my first customers EVER at a convention back at NJCon, almost a year ago. She had bought a woven pentagram necklace that she actually had with her in Vegas! She brought it down and wore it to show me she still appreciates my work – how amazing is that??

Jenna wearing one of my first convention sales ever – my woven pentagram neck;ace!

And there’s Adina – Adina is one of those souls that you just connect with and it seems like you’ve been friends with forever, you know? I’m doing a feature on her next week – just watch this space for an amazing post! She’s a woman of talent, drive, and also has some pretty good taste in jewelry, I must say…

Adina wearing the “Today is Tuesday, but Yesterday was Tuesday Too!” necklace which goes smashingly with her Mystery Spot shirt!

Adina introduced me to her friend Ally – another wonderful human being! Ally – I’m coming after you for a guest post too, so if you’re reading this – send me your email address!

Adina and Ally! Wonder Twin Powers ACTIVATE! Form of…TWO AWESOME SPN bracelets!

There are sooooo many people that I’ve met starting with my very first con back in NJ last year to my most current con in Vegas last week. I have to honestly say that I’ve never met a better bunch of people. Ever.

They are all a bunch of generous souls. Here’s an example of random goodness. I was chowing down on some mints the hotel had left by the water cooler in the vendors room.

A woman, Lynn, was also a vendor there and had stopped by my table. She asked how I was and I had a mouthful of mint, so I apologized for eating my ‘lunch’ while talking to her. She couldn’t believe that the mints were my ‘lunch’.

Do you know what Lynn did? This woman went back to her hotel room and MADE me a sandwich with her own two hands. AND gave me a cheese stick as well.

The lovely Lynn! She fed a starving jewelry designer who is ever grateful to her kindness!

Talk about your random acts of kindness – this really epitomized the spirit of the Supernatural fandom. Lynn – if you’re reading this, I need your contact info so that I can do a feature on you!

There was a very important table right next to me – Legacy X. Legacy X is about anti-bullying and building yourself up. I met a bunch of fantastic women, including Brittany.

This girl warmed my heart. It was honor to meet you!

Brittany warmed my heart. It was honor to meet you!

I met a lot of great women such as Brittany, Luvina (Brittany’s awesome mom), Kim, and other amazing women who worked diligently to collect as many anti-bullying messages as possible. Hardcore, dedicated women who each have heart-wrenching stories to share.

Kim’s enthusiasm was catchy to say the least and I was really pleased that she asked me to make pieces related to their cause, such as a Legacy X bracelet and a Recycled Percussion bracelet as gifts for others in their amazing organization like Justin Spencer!

I will be doing a feature on the beautiful Brittany very soon! In the meantime, please check out Legacy X’s site: http://www.legacyx.com/

What Makes Supernatural Fans so Amazing?

I had the honor of being interviewed by Mitch Kosterman for a documentary he is making about the fans of Supernatural. I was asked what it was about the fans of Supernatural that I thought was different than other fandoms.

Supernatural fans are people who go out of their way to support each other. Even total strangers. Everyone looks out for each other. There is such a sense of community, support, and the willingness to do kind things for others without expecting (or wanting) anything in return. There is no other place I’ve experienced people like this, especially all under one roof.

This beautiful young lady came by my table and gave me a lovely marble, wishing me “happy thoughts” – where else do people do that?? Thank you so much, sweetie!!

Some of the strong underlying themes of Supernatural that I get are: doing the best with what you have, putting your loved ones before yourself, helping others, and my personal favorite, ‘family don’t end with blood.’

Every fan I’ve ever spoken to seems to uphold these values to the fullest.

The show has helped me in so many ways it’s unfathomable for me to list them all here – but one thing I will say is that I’ve learned who to surround myself with and who to cut loose. It’s Team Free Will to the fullest, baby! Make the best of what we have, carve your own destiny, and well, CARRY ON!

I had so many amazing experiences and there will be a LOT of features coming out of this convention. So watch this space for much more!

And, as promised, the Wormstache Brigade is here! Look for your ‘stache moment below!!

You know what makes Osric Chau so effing cool? He did the ‘stache for me!

Osric (dressed as CAS!) doing the ‘stache! Thank you for being an amazing sport, Osric!

I bet I’m the only person on the planet who got Executive Producer Jim Michaels to do the ‘stache!

Everyone’s favorite Executive Producer – Jim Michaels doing the ‘stache! Thanks, Jim!

The Ladies of Legacy X Worstaches!

If anyone has pictures of yourselves wearing my jewelry, please feel free to send them along, I’d love to feature them in an upcoming post!!

So don’t forget – if anyone sends me a pic of Mark Sheppard wearing my King of Hell bracelet – you get The Deception of Crowley necklace FREE!

And for a limited time you can get each of my necklace series at the special convention price of $35 each and FREE US SHIPPING!

Watch for next week’s post – a feature on the lovely Adina!!

I leave you with the ONE pic of Elvis I managed to take while in Vegas:

Viva Las Vegas, baby!

My Featured Customer – Ana Marie S. and YOU Can Choose King or Queen of Hell!

Posted on March 7, 2014 by eldwenne

Jodi here! Ana Marie and I met at VanCon last August. She is quite an amazing woman who is talented, driven, and inspiring as all hell! She shares my passion for giving time to charities, she’s an avid Supernatural fan and makes my jewelry sing when she wears it.

Ana Marie and Her Hubby/Best Friend, J!

Take it away, Ana!

Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’re comfortable sharing, family, work, philosophy, etc. also, if you have a website or brick and mortar business, please feel free to include that here!

What am I comfortable about sharing? Hmm… I have been married to my best buddy since 2006 – we got married in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator (my idea). That should give you a good idea about my personality. My husband is a local musician and we met on the local music scene when I reviewed his band for an online music magazine that I wrote for at the time. (They did a killer metal version of Billy Jean.) We knew each other for about 2 years before we started dating, because when we met he had a girlfriend and I had a boyfriend. But once we both figured out the other was single, we have been together since our first date. It really is true, you always know when it’s the right person (you just make sense).

I am a first generation Spanish-American and am bilingual. I speak with an authentic Castilian accent and visit my family in Spain as often as I can. I love Spain and it is my dream to retire there, so my hubby had better start learning to speak Spanish a little better than he does now (considering he has 20+ years to learn…)

I am a big believer in volunteering. When it comes to charity, I give them my time rather than my money. I don’t have a spare $25 or $35 to donate, but I do have my free time that I can give – and I encourage anyone who reads this to give up some free time too. Nothing is more rewarding. I have volunteered for the Special Olympics, Wounded Warrior and Make-A-Wish. It’s just something that makes my heart smile; there is no other way to put it.

The Lovely Couple – How Awesome are They??

Do you have creative outlets? Tell us about them and if you have photos of your work, please feel free to share!

I actually do have some creative outlets. I like to keep busy, so a lot of my creative outlets lend themselves to personal entertainment. I make jewelry (easy beaded necklaces, earrings and bracelets) for gifts; I am a firm believer in handmade gifts when I have time to do it. I crochet, not well but it helps me think and pass the time. Sometimes I draw – I used to be pretty good, now I am just out of practice. I enjoy it when I have the time and patience with myself to do it.

I also restore classic cars with my brother when we have time and money. We have had a love affair with the Ford Mustang since both of us could walk (we have 3 in this household alone). My brother has a ’66 Mustang that we will be working on hopefully during the Fall. He threw a rod, which is a perfect opportunity to revisit the original 289 block and see what we can coax out of it. I have a ’68 Mustang; her name is Stella (it’s because she is throaty and sexy). We took her apart and rebuilt her from 2008 through 2009, 13 months of Sundays – drinking beers and turning wrenches – it was a blast and I still work on her myself. Right now we would love to find a nice ’64 Falcon and do some fun stuff to it, but I don’t think we can talk our spouses into the expense (well that and the garage space is limited at both our houses).

The Throaty and Sexy ‘Stang – Stella

Ana Marie is also an avid runner – here she is at the Color Run – a well-known 5K – one of the many things I admire about her!

What draws you to handmade jewelry as opposed to store-bought, factory manufactured pieces?

Anyone can buy a ring or necklace at the big named stores that are machine made. Jewelry making is an art. I like to wear pieces that are one of a kind, that are unique and made with craftsmanship and care. I want something that when I wear it I remember who made it, that I found it and it was special treat to me; not something to match an outfit that I wear maybe twice a year.

What types of pieces stand out to you, for example, wire work, crystals, etc. and why?

I am in love (and have been for years) with Celtic knot work jewelry. For 12 years, I have worn a Celtic wheel cross made by a local artist. I bought a similar piece for my husband for our first anniversary. I am fascinated by the attention to detail the work requires and how simple it is – the beauty is in the simplicity of the work. I think that carries over to what I like about jewelry period – something that is beautiful and simple. It doesn’t have to have a big stone or be made of platinum, it has to be pretty and stand alone as being pretty.

Is there something specific about Eldwenne’s Fantasy – Quality Handmade Jewelry by Jodi Zulueta that stands out to you? (Don’t be afraid to say no, Lol!)

I met Jodi at a Supernatural convention in Vancouver in August 2013. I think I scoped out her table for a day and half until I found the perfect thing I could not live without. It was a deconstructed charm bracelet made with wire. Every single time I wear it, I get compliments. It is simple, understated but pretty and unique (and can stand alone). I have since made several more purchases, some for myself (I can’t help it) and for friends for birthdays and this past Christmas. Each piece was made with care, each piece was unique and each piece beautiful. I think what I like most about what Jodi does it that Jodi makes jewelry that makes sense to her – and those that buy from her get that.

Ana Marie with some guy…can’t QUITE place him. Looks familiar…

Jodi here again – THANK YOU ANA MARIE! What a great interview this was. Ana Marie and I are trying to figure out if we can get together at the next BurCon, so hopefully the planets will align properly and we can make that happen.

Ana Marie with Richard Speight Jr – lucky ladies!!

A couple of vamps with a vamp – Ty Olsson!

So I bet you’re wondering what the hell (pun always intended) I meant by ‘You can choose King or Queen of Hell.” I figured it would be fun to let us fans choose, so next week at VegasCon – let’s have some election action! (please note that this is an independent contest that has absolutely NO bearing on the show. This is strictly for fun and a chance to win a piece of my handmade jewelry).

We all know that Crowley and Abaddon are having a little tiff, so I figured let’s try to sort this out the democratic way.

For $1, you can buy a raffle ticket and cast your vote for either Crowley or Abaddon. This will go on during the entire weekend, starting on Wednesday night, for those who are VIP pre-registering, all through noon on Sunday.

An hour before the vendor room closes on Sunday, stop by and find out who the fans have chosen to reign over Hell. I will be selecting a random raffle ticket from the Crowley votes to win a King of Hell necklace and I’ll also be selecting a random raffle ticket from the Abaddon votes to win a Queen of Hell necklace. It’s going to be a ton of fun!

Ana Marie and Erin with Hell royalty – maybe! YOU decide at VegasCon!

At this time next week I’ll be in VegasCon! I can’t believe how quickly it’s approaching. I’ve been working nonstop with brand new designs being done daily. It’s been an amazingly prolific time and I do hope that if you’re going to VegasCon that you come by and see me, just to say hi.

And don’t forget that Kat Sloan and I are running some great promotions – including a meet and greet with the author herself! Come check her out at http://www.katsloan.com and follow her on Twitter via @katsloan7

Kat Sloan’s amazing book – Half Blood

If you can’t be there in person, you can always come say hi to me virtually through my shop www.eldwenne.etsy.com where you have 24/7 access to everything I make!

Looking forward to seeing all of you!!

One of the brand new designs you’ll see at VegasCon!

SPN Bookmarks made of galvanized steel and personalized for YOU at VegasCon!

Viva Las Vegas, Partnering with Kat Sloan, and Saying Goodbye to the Hoboken Shelter

Posted on February 23, 2014 by eldwenne

Better Late Than Never?

Well it certainly has been a long time. I’ve spent the better part of January and February preparing for the second Praxis exam I needed in order to satisfy requirements for Teach for America. I was almost sure that I wasn’t smarter than a fifth grader.

I’m happy to report that I passed the exam (with only a handful of meltdowns!) and am now putting my nose to the grindstone to prepare for the next big event I’ve got coming up – the Salute to Supernatural VegasCon!!

I’ll be arriving on March 12 and the convention will be on from March 13-March 16. This is the first time the Con will be 4 days long, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how it turns out for me!

And as per usual, you’ll find me there selling my handmade jewelry, my custom Supernatural pieces, as well as a pretty damn good supply of custom Walking Dead pieces too! I’ll be taking requests that I hammer out as you wait, as always!
You’ll find some goodies like:

Large Woven Green Glass Necklace

Lavender Crystal Ring

Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet

And of course, brand-spankin’ new Supernatural and The Walking Dead designs!

Tastes Like Molecules…

People in Hell Want Slurpees…only Daryl Dixon can say things so eloquently…

If You’re Gonna Do a Thing…

Additionally, I’ll be manning the Clifhangers table. Clif is the bodyguard for Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Clif has an amazing fanbase, affectionately known as ‘Clifhangers.’ I’ll be selling the best t-shirts ever made, designed by the t-shirt goddess herself, Shannon Price. Come check out the Clifhangers FB page and show some love! https://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers

What is extremely exciting about this upcoming convention is that I will be partnering up with a very talented woman, Kat Sloan. Kat is an author who’s written an amazing book: Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga

Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan

I am going to be designing jewelry based on her book as well as partnering with her at VegasCon to hand out some amazing promotions she and I have put together!

Kat and I will be hosting a meet and greet on the morning of the Con’s opening on Thursday, March 13 at 8:30am. For more information, please check her page: http://www.katsloan.com/upcoming-events.html – GREAT giveaways exclusively for our guests!

If you’re going to VegasCon and want to join in the fun at the VIP Party, just click on this link: http://www.katsloan.com/vegas-con-exclusive-vip-giveaway.html

Want a wild ride? Go buy Half Blood! It’s available for purchase on her beautifully-done website: http://www.katsloan.com/shop.html

Kat Sloan’s website where you can buy her book; Half Blood, as well as see all of her upcoming events!

Please follow Kat on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLycanthropireSaga/

Her Twitter is @KatSloan7

Please drop by and tell her I sent ya!

What’s After VegasCon?

After VegasCon, life will become quite a blur of activity. For about 11 or 12 days my daughter and I will be in Santa Monica visiting family, then after being home for about say, 2 days or so, I’m back on a plane going to Nashville for a job fair with various principals from the Nashville board of Education. Teach for America will have circulated my resume and this will be my chance to meet and hopefully get hired by one of the great school districts.

After several days of being home from the job fair, it’s back to the convention circuit and this time it will be Washington D.C. – very cool!

For five weeks starting on June 1 I’ll be in Nashville again beginning the “Institute” portion of my life with Teach for America. This time will not only be spent immersing myself in TFA philosophies and techniques, but it will also be my chance to search for a place for my family to settle in.

At the end of July, we’ll be officially moved into Nashville.

Saying Goodbye to The Hoboken Shelter

All of these upcoming events mean that I have to end something that has been a part of my life for a long time – teaching art at the Hoboken Shelter.

I handed in my resignation this past Monday with a very heavy heart. My last class will be taught on Monday, March 24. The people that I’ve met throughout my time at the Shelter have become an extended family to me. I have people who are no longer guests of the shelter and still hop on a bus from out of town and come into class every Monday night – that means more than you can possibly imagine.

Everyone I’ve met has wound up teaching me so much about life, about spirit, and how creativity really has no bounds. I’m taking these experiences with me to Nashville and will ensure that my students benefit from all of this.

If you’d like to volunteer at the Hoboken Shelter, please contact the shelter at http://www.hobokenshelter.org

Next week’s post is going to be another AWESOME feature with my customer Judy!! We’ve met her before, and you’re gonna love her even more after this next post!

See ya’ll then!

Two Days to Goal, The Walking Dead is Ruining My Life, and to All Those Who Have Screwed Me Over in 2013- I THANK YOU!

Posted on December 28, 2013 by eldwenne

Today marks two days left before my Click Start Me campaign comes to an end. I’ve made $200 of my $5,000 goal…I want to thank all of you who have donated and supported my campaign.

The campaign is needed in order to grow my handmade jewelry business, Eldwenne’s Fantasy. Eldwenne’s Fantasy has two specific components; an online presence via my etsy shop: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com and I travel all over the country (and to Canada) selling my jewelry at Salute to Supernatural conventions, where I specialize in making custom Supernatural-themed pieces for you.

Misha Collins shopping around at my table at a Salute to Supernatural convention – if it’s good enough for Misha…

I’m in good company here…

With just two days to go, I’m trying to rally the troops – if you could please share my link for my campaign – http://funding.clickstartme.com/project/help-fund-my-handmade-jewelry-traveling-business/

You’ll be helping me jumpstart my dream by providing the resources to grow Eldwenne’s Fantasy into a healthy, flourishing business where I can provide you with quality, handmade jewelry. My jewelry is original, one of a kind, and also inspired by the hit show Supernatural.

Inspired by the episode of the same name – Cas’ first episode as a human

Family Don’t End with Blood – Bobby Singer, you’ve never been more right.

I love working with wire and glass to create ethereal, one of a kind pieces

Making ordinary materials extraordinary

And now a new fandom has wormed its way into my life – The Walking Dead. SERIOUSLY?? Screw you Netflix, The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus, crossbows, the whole shebang! My husband and I have made it our mission to catch up on the entire series. We’re 4 episodes shy as of this writing. We only started watching it about a week and a half ago. Yup. This is serious, personal, and now the jewelry ideas are brimming. Watch this space for my The Walking Dead inspired pieces!! AMC – bunch of jerks. THANK YOU AMC AND FRANK DARABONT – WE LOVE YOU!

The Walking Dead – aka my new life-ruiner.

And now, as we all prepare to kiss (or kick) 2013 goodbye, I took some time to reflect on the year in general. As most of you know, my husband got sick in September 2012 (and still is.) I lost my job on January 23, 2013. I’ll never forget that day for as long as I live. It was quite literally the end of an era.

I spent the past 20+ years of my life on the corporate treadmill, terrified of jumping off. We couldn’t afford for me to not continue to work in the financial industry. But my former job took that choice away from me. As I left the human resources office, I called my husband, got into my car, and by the time I met up with him 20 minutes later, already had my plan formulated to start a new life for all of us.

So while losing my job was definitely not something I planned on, not something I was happy about, it was definitely something that needed to happen in order for me to take my life by the reins and move forward.

Within a short period of time I was able to start doing flea markets and eventually my first Salute to Supernatural convention. That was a life-changing event for me if there ever was one. The convention showed me that my jewelry is desired, wanted, even demanded! The wonderful people I met encouraged me to plow ahead and make a name for myself in the convention circuit.

This year I was able to sell my handmade jewelry at NJCon, VanCon, TorCon, and most recently, BurCon. Each of these events were a success for me and allowed me to learn how to do things better. If I can continue to do this, it would mean the world to me. Thank you all for being so incredibly supportive!

We had setbacks. My husband got sicker. Our 11 year old was so severely bullied we had to take it to court. Things spiraled out of control. The saying is to “roll with the punches.” Nope. I’m putting my arms up and swinging back. Rolling with the punches got me 20+ years of my life being thrown down a corporate toilet.

The universe has thrown some balance into my life and allowed me to pursue my other dream – to become a teacher. Through an extremely arduous application and interviewing process, I was proudly accepted into the Teach for America program!

Providing education equality and my passion for teaching!

The organization has made it possible for my family and me to have a brand new life. We will all be moving to Nashville, Tennessee by the end of July 2014! A brand new environment will help us all thrive.

Another eye-opener this year has been that I definitely needed to pare down the baggage in my life. You’ve heard the rant before – when things are going well, cheerleaders are in your face. When things start to fall apart, ‘friends’ and ‘family’ kind of take several (many?) steps back in the opposite direction. Run to the hills. Start judging and blaming. The few times you do wind up hearing from them is for them to have the balls to actually try to one up me on the crap things that happen scale.

Seriously, there are so many people, just in my life alone, that thrive on “wow, your husband’s sick? I had a nightmare and think I may have the same problem your husband does.” “You lost your job? Wow. Sucks. Sorry it took me so long to write, but I was busy working a full time job.” Yes, I’ve gotten emails like that. That last gem was written about a month after I lost my job.

As a result of these things (and many others that I really don’t think I’ll post here – yet!), I’ve decided to remove those people from my life equation. Wow, that felt GOOD!

This pretty much describes exactly how I feel!

2014 is a clean slate, a fresh start and any other cliche you can think of. It’s been liberating, honestly.

So to those of you who have screwed me over, went out of your way to kick me when I was down, to judge me, my family, I want to thank you. Without you all showing your true colors, I’d be jumping right back onto that corporate treadmill going nowhere exceptionally fast and setting myself up for continued failures. Thank you for revealing who you really are and I thank the universe my eyes were open enough to finally see things for what they really were.

In 2014, I will be doing the things that make me happy for the first time ever. I think I’ve earned that.

Goodbye 2013 and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!

Goodbye 2013 – Hello NEW LIFE!

T-Minus Ten Days, Christmas Crunching and Habla Espanol?

Posted on December 20, 2013 by eldwenne

Today marks the beginning of the 10 day countdown to the end of my Click Start Me campaign.

It will end at 4pm on December 30, 2013. My birthday, of all things. The campaign has been wildly popular in terms of views – Click Start Me has put me FIRST on their Featured Projects page – come look!! http://crowdfunding.clickstartme.com/projects/featured-projects

Misha Collins shopping around at my table at a Salute to Supernatural convention

VERY exciting! Not only that – my project was awarded the “Most Popular Projects” badge because it’s made it to the first page of the “Most Popular Projects” search results!

Two great honors from Click Start Me!

This is such a huge honor that so many people are interested in my dream of making my handmade jewelry on the convention route a success.

I’ve received a few donations from very generous people and I cannot thank you enough for that!

My goal is $5,000, of which I have raised $100. I have just ten days to try to achieve my goal and then my campaign will be closed by Click Start Me– if you can share my links in the hopes that it will reach someone that will make a donation, I would be greatly appreciative.

As a matter of fact, if you share my link with someone who donates, YOU will receive a gift certificate worth $20!

So far from my goal – help spread the word?

To get an idea of where the money will be used, the money is needed to go towards jewelry making supplies, traveling expenses, and materials that will allow me to develop new techniques and enhance my existing ones.

For every donation you make, you will receive a gift certificate equal to the amount of your donation – my way of thanking you for your generosity and believing in me!

You’ll receive this in the amount of your donation. If your donation is $25 or more – your gift certificate will have an extra $25 value!

If you donate $25 or more, I will add an ADDITIONAL $25 to the value of your gift certificate! So if you donate $25, your gift certificate will be worth $50! If you donate $50, it will be worth $75! There’s no limit!

So if you’re suffering from gift-givers block, the gift certificate comes in super handy! I guarantee that every gift certificate will be emailed to you within 2 hours of donating or if you purchase a gift certificate directly in my shop at www.eldwenne.etsy.com. Emailing is free, of course – no shipping charges!

But if you want more bang for your buck, donating via Click Start Me gets you more, since I’m adding $25 to every donation $25 or greater : )

If you want a hardcopy certificate, today is the last day to guarantee Christmas delivery within the US. I will mail to wherever you like via Priority mail (additional shipping charges will apply).

I can personalize with a message for free as well.

Like many others, I’m still working on my Christmas crunch – just when you think that list is finished, you remember someone else. It never ends!

Are you in the Christmas crunch?!?

I hope that I can help you out of your Christmas crunch – I’m ready, willing, able, (desperate?!?) to make your Christmas gifts a reality! Don’t hesitate to contact me!

Now an update on my impending move to Tennessee and Teach for America – I’ve recently learned that I will be expected to get an endorsement in English as a Second Language instruction for elementary school. This is incredibly exciting for me!

Providing education equality and my passion for teaching!

What this does mean, however, is that I need to cram 6 college credits of Spanish between now and May 2014 – which is going to be QUITE the challenge. And expensive as all hell. Gotta figure that one out.

I took Spanish in high school. 30 years ago. I remember one very important phrase, “Donde esta el cuarto de bano?” I’m sure I spelled most of it wrong, but the gist of it is, “Where is the bathroom?”

We’re in the process of looking at places to rent down in beautiful Murfreesboro, trying to figure out where Raven is going to be (mainstream versus auditory/oral program), and preparing for a trip to Nashville this coming April for a job fair.

Gorgeous shot of the Rutherford County Courthouse

The job fair is going to be super exciting because I’ll be meeting representatives from schools all over Nashville looking to hire.

A lot of new changes are coming up very fast for us. I’m trying to keep up with all of it!

And I hope that all of you try to keep up with me and my newest adventures in making my handmade jewelry accessible to the masses and bridging the gaps in education inequality through Teach for America!

Remember to come to www.eldwenne.etsy.com for all of your handmade jewelry needs, including some kick-ass Supernatural pieces that I will custom make just for you! I’ve created a contact form that you can use right from this post to get a hold of me also!

Red Glass Encased in Woven Silver Necklace

Silver Goddess Spiral Ring

Clear Glass Goddess Spiral Frame Necklace

My Eldwenne’s Fantasy Mystery Hex Bags are always a very fun gift option! Each bag is $16 and contains a fabulous piece of jewelry, keychain or bookmark! If you want it to be SPN-related, just let me know!

Let’s pay some respect to Kevin Tran – aka Kevin Fricking Solo!

Thanks everyone and have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS/YULE/WINTER SOLSTICE!!

The Hoboken Shelter, Nashville in Motion , and ClickStarting Me is Down to the Wire

Posted on December 6, 2013 by eldwenne

I know I promised you a feature on my customer of the month, Melstiel, but we’re running just a bit behind schedule with that, so I will do my best to get that posted next Friday. Today I wanted to … Continue reading →

Thankful for My Family, the BurCon Experience and Phoenix Wins!

Posted on November 30, 2013 by eldwenne

Okay, well first things first – As you all know, I’ve been trying to get to BurCon for quite a while now. And thanks to my family out in California, Aunt Doree and Uncle Jeff – my son Phoenix and I made it!

BurCon was an incredible opportunity because it would be my jewelry’s first West Coast exposure in the US. A completely different demographic that I’ve never had the chance to tap into and meet.

Thanks to my my family’s generosity using my ClickStartMe campaign: http://tinycs.me/9T I was able to fly over from New Jersey to Los Angeles and see a part of the country I’ve never been to. And my son has NEVER been on a plane or left the tri-state area, so this was a special treat for him as well.

This trip wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Thank you, Doree and Jeff. I love you.

My incredibly supportive husband, Merrill, as well as our oldest son David, our younger son, Jaden and our daughter, Raven all are the most amazingly understanding people on the planet and I love all of you so much!

Phoenix channeling his inner William Shatner

Phoenix spent most of the flight doing his homework, since he was going to be missing three days of school. Responsible kid – who ARE you?!?

What made the trip extra special as well was that one of my cousins from Tennessee, Alexis, and her beautiful son, Zane were going to be there as well – a rare treat getting us together!

Upon arrival, seeing my aunt, my cousin and her baby boy were a heartwarming welcome.

Unfortunately my trip was mostly business, which meant I spent most of my time at the convention working while my family took care of Phoenix. But we did sneak in some quality time together and will be doing much more of that in the upcoming months, which I look forward to more than anything!

My first night there was spent learning that the rumors of LA traffic are TRUE! We spent forever on 405N. It was literally a parking lot. For those who chose not to turn their cars off while we waited learned the hard way and there were many stalled cars once the lanes opened up again.

I arrived to the convention late, but still had JUST enough time to set up the majority of my wares. I was very excited about the new coffin jewelry boxes I hand-painted and lined them up along the front of the table.

My very patient aunt Doree waited until the vendors room closed and we went back to her home in Santa Monica.

The next day I was to get a much earlier start and Doree drove me into Burbank. It was great! Almost no traffic! For me. After Doree dropped me off, she got stuck in traffic for hours on her way to work. Sorry!! I still feel terrible about that.

It was a great day. Many people stopped by to check out my table and budget the weekend away. Everyone was trying to figure out where and what to spend their money on. There was so much great stuff around like a makeup table, movie posters, books, a rare gem jeweler, and CLIFHANGERS!

Yup – I was Clifhanging again! I had a great table lined up with Clifhanger shirts and beanies (including rocking grey ones!). My beautiful friend Shannon designed the gear and owns the company with none other than Clif Kosterman – the shirts are amazing, the beanies are rockin’ and you NEED to get the edge and WEAR THE GEAR!

The Clifhanger table – Get the Edge – Wear the Gear

A very happy Clifhanger with her new shirt!

Come visit the Clifhanger page at http://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers

Saturday continued to be pretty eventful for both Phoenix and me. Doree and Jeff took Phoenix to Disneyland! How cool is that?!? He refused to wear the mouse ears, but did get an awesome Jack Skellington baseball hat!

As for me, I met some guy named DJ Qualls….a few weeks ago I had tweeted DJ asking him to come by my table at BurCon so I can give him something. He replied back saying he would. Oh SURE he would!

Would you believe He SHOWED UP?! I showed him the bracelet I made for him and he asked me to put it on him, gave me a huge bear hug and a kiss. I hereby declare that DJ Qualls is one of my favorite people ever!!! What a nice guy!!!

Saturday was when things started to pick up a bit. More people arrived, the excitement was building.

You think that would be the icing on my cake of a day, right? Nope. I had dinner with one of my friends that I hadn’t ever had the pleasure to meet in person. We’d been friends via internet for years, but never had the chance to sit in a room together.

Here’s the view of the other side of the dinner table:

The stunning Julie Anne Rhodes – even more beautiful in person

We had such a great time catching up and talking about our businesses, our kids, life in general. Julie Anne is the owner of http://www.personalchefapproach.com – I’m a proud member and her services have literally changed the way I cook and my family eats. If you’re a busy person – and who isn’t – this website will save you countless hours. Julie Anne has dinner all planned out for you or you can plan it out yourself with her menu builder! Check her out and tell her I sent you!

Julie Anne is extremely passionate about her membership – it’s a cyber family that she cherishes and appreciates so much!

Our selfie:

Julie Anne says hi to all of her amazing PCA members!

Phoenix was absolutely beside himself to meet her – she inspired him to start his own food blog:

phoenixphenomfood.wordpress.com

Sunday was a huge day because Phoenix would be with me for the day – I barely got to spend any time with him.

Phoenix was jet-lagged and a tad cranky, so I decided to take a break from the table and walk him down to the Random Acts table. Random Acts is a charity founded by Misha Collins. They had some cool activities to do at the table, so he decided to write a note in a book to Misha and color a Misha drawing in.

We made a donation and Phoenix’s name was entered into a raffle. Which he WON! Phoenix became the proud owner of a Random Acts journal signed by none other than Misha Collins!

Phoenix accepting his prize from Random Acts

Phoenix and Random Acts

Random Acts tweeted him – he was a bit overwhelmed, lol!

So the lesson Phoenix learned from all of this is “get cranky and miserable and you’ll win an autographed prize from Misha Collins.” YAY!

Then it was photo op time! Phoenix was getting a trio op with Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and Misha Collins – WOW!!

When it was his turn, he showed Misha the journal. I then asked Phoenix if he wanted me in the pic – Misha grabbed me and said, “Of course he does!” and pulled me into the shot. Then Jared tried to pull my Clifhanger beanie off my head for some reason…I’m sure the photo came out well and we’ll have it in the next few weeks.

This was Phoenix’s first photo op and he was very VERY happy.

So what were some of my big sellers? My coffin jewelry boxes were a big hit!

My original coffin jewelry box painted ala the Impala, complete with its own devil’s trap under the hood and handstamped license plate!

Just add a miniature Crowley!

Carry on!

Some other big sellers of mine were my leather cuffs with stamped plates! Such as this one:

Family don’t end with blood bracelet – Sam, Dean, Cas, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Ash, Rufus and Garth

The highlight of my weekend? Meeting YOU!

Ramona with her “Demons I get” “It’s people that are crazy” earrings

I thought she was cosplaying Ruby – does she not have Ruby’s face??? She’s beautiful!! I think she looks just like Gen!

Leah was one of the most interesting people I met – she collects quotes and gave me a couple of her faves”

“No artist tolerates reality” – Nietzsche

“Normality is a paved road – it’s comfortable to walk but no flowers grow on it” – Van Gogh

One of my new friends, Leah! She’s sporting an “I found a liquor store – and I drank it” bracelet

Here’s Leah again with her best friend, Brucie. Great people! They’re wearing matching “Bitch” and “Jerk” bracelets!

Crowley’s woman – Elizabeth!

I had the incredible fortune of meeting this young woman, Shanaya Fastje. She is an accomplished author who specializes on the subject of bullying, which all of you know is near and dear to my heart. I obtained a copy of her book, “Bully in the Mirror” and am sitting down with my son to read it tonight. If you’d like more information, please read on at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanaya_Fastje

Shanaya – a remarkable young woman! She’s wearing my Dean tribute earrings (One reads “Awesome” , the other reads, “Pie”

Susie and Taylar! Susie is wearing one of my woven necklaces and mosaic tile earrings and Tanya is wearing my white feather earrings with the goddess Diana symbols!

There were so many more of you – if you can send me a pic of yourself wearing the jewelry you bought from me to eldwenne@yahoo.com, I’ll publish your photos in an upcoming post!

And next week’s feature is going to be great! It’s going to be a Featured Customer of the month starring Melstiel!! Keep your eyes on this space!

As of today, I am 30 days away from the end of my Click Start Me campaign: http://tinycs.me/9T

Misha Collins shopping around my table at a Salute to Supernatural convention

I will have exactly 30 days to meet my goal to raise funds which will go 100% towards building my handmade jewelry business:Eldwenne’s Fantasy

If you are in need of a gift idea this Black Friday or Cyber Monday – I have FANTASTIC offers!!!

If you donate $25 or more, you will receive a gift certificate from me worth the exact amount of your donation PLUS an additional $25!! Spend it on yourself AND use it to buy gifts – including custom orders!

If you share my Click Start Me campaign with someone who donates – they will receive a gift certificate in the appropriate amount – and YOU will receive a gift certificate for $25! It’s a win/win that costs you nothing!

My business is a primarily online presence which I am in the process of building in two ways: developing my own domain:www.eldwennesfantasy.com – which is currently under construction. In order to get the domain to a point where it provides my customers with an excellent shopping experience, it will cost me in fees and possibly bringing in developers.

The second way I am working on this is to put money into advertising on both Facebook and on Etsy.

I am also building my brand as I tour the convention circuit for Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries. The travel expenses I incur just in airfare and hotel alone are vast and while I am trying to build a strong presence, I am in need of support to get me to the locations that will be successful for the business, such as the upcoming The Vampire Diaries convention in Florida in a couple of weeks.

The supplies I buy are expensive and the funding will help cover those as well.

If you donate to my campaign, know that you are investing not only in my handmade jewelry business’s future, but you are also helping a woman realize her small business dream.

Thank you for reading and sharing!

And THANK YOU to DOREE, JEFF, ALEXIS, JENNY and ZANE!! I MISS YOU GUYS!!

Learning to Recognize Truths, Kicking Emotional Vampires to the Curb, and BurCon is ONE WEEK AWAY!

Posted on November 16, 2013 by eldwenne

Learning to recognize truths. Well what the hell do I mean by that one, you’re thinking. Or not, it’s ok, I can take it – because I CAN RECOGNIZE THAT TRUTH. Get it? Not yet? Let me explain…

As everyone who’s been reading this blog knows, my family and I have had our challenges set out before us. Not gonna get into the specifics of it here, but if you’re so inclined, please check my post from two weeks ago: https://jewelrybyjodizulueta.com/2013/11/01/teaching-for-america-what-kind-of-discounts-move-you-tell-me-and-win-a-gift-certificate-and-do-i-need-to-start-liking-country-music/

As difficult as these experiences have been for us – they’ve been freeing as well. “Sokath, his eyes uncovered!” Go check it out, Trekkies.

There are people we’ve surrounded ourselves with for years. Since childhood. ‘Friends’. ‘Family’.

Bobby Singer had it right when he growled out, “Family don’t end with blood, boy!”

I have people I have known since grammar school, high school, college, etc. I also have family members that have been in my life since childhood. And some family members that I’ve been fortunate enough to reconnect with fairly recently.

Some of these ‘friends’ from grammar school, high school, and college – not one single phone call. Not one single email to say, “Hey, how are you?” I have actually gotten a couple of snarky emails from so-called friends with hints of jealousy that I lost my job of all things. Seriously. They’re upset that I lost my job, but not because I’m unemployed. They’re upset because they’re still employed. Nuts you say?

This is where I began to learn how to recognize the truth. It only took me 4 decades.

So I hadn’t heard from pretty much anyone after I lost my job. Two months later, I emailed one of these ‘friends’, giving her the benefit of the doubt that maybe she does care, since she used to email me multiple times a day every day when I was working.

Now that I wasn’t working in an office (but working my ass off on my jewelry), maybe I was out of sight/out of mind and it’s an honest mistake. I recognize that truth.

She replied a couple of days later and it kind of sent me reeling. Her remark, “I’ve been so busy with holding down a full time job and doing homework with my son every night” took the wind out of my sails. OUCH.

I have never not worked from the time I was 16 years old. I never lost a job before. I never collected unemployment before. So she’s pissed that not only does she have a job BUT she has a child that she has to help do homework??

Talk about your first world problems…about 18 different memes just came to mind, if only I knew how to make those damn things…

Your heart may belong to a vampire – but an emotional vampire will drain away your soul

What bothered me most of all was something else she had written. She wrote about how she thinks she has what my husband has because of a few nightmares she had. That was the moment I finally recognized the truth.

For anyone who has suffered from depression or has loved someone suffering from depression – you all know you do NOT compare yourself to the one suffering. It’s insulting. Demeaning.

My husband was hospitalized at one point because of his struggles with depression. It’s not the blues, it’s not ‘oh I’m having a bad day/week’, it’s debilitating.

But this isn’t new for her. I should’ve expected it. This is the kind of person where if you have a headache – she’s got brain cancer.

If you stubbed your toe – she’s got an amputation scheduled.

Some people are only happy when they’re unhappy

Do I need this emotional vampire in my life? NOPE! Why? Because I can finally see the truth for what it really is. No more excuses being made for other people’s behaviors and shortcomings.

The family members that we just reunited with not too long ago? They can’t do enough for us. Even if we go for a length of time without emailing, I know in my heart that I am as much in their thoughts as they are in mine. There’s no question.

Last night we had a horrible time with our van. We went out to Staten Island and while making a turn, our wheel fell off our van. Yup – just fell off.

Trying to make light of it, I posted a pic of the mishap to Facebook. I have family that I’ve not seen in the longest time over in Brooklyn and they messaged me last night to make sure we were ok. They have an 8 year old and a 1 year old at home and they were ready to come pick us up and take us back to Jersey City.

Same thing for family in Jersey City that texted me to come into Staten Island and pick us up.

THAT’S FAMILY.

I have friends that I’ve not seen in years who messaged me to make sure we were ok, even though there was nothing they could’ve possibly done, they wanted us to know they were thinking of us.

THAT’S FAMILY.

And the friends that I’ve made in my handmade jewelry journey – I’ve only met them a short while ago and I feel as if I’ve known them forever. And they’ve been more of a friend to me than most have been my entire life.

I LOVE the fact that many of my customers that I’ve met at the Salute to Supernatural conventions and Vampire Diaries conventions friend me on Facebook, take the time to email me and actually become friends with me.

THAT’S FAMILY.

There are some friends that I’ve only met online and they’ve been more supportive than people who have grown up with me.

THAT’S FAMILY.

People in other countries. Other states.

What has this all taught me then? That I choose who I want to surround myself and my family with. It has nothing to do with blood lines, legal documents, just because we’ve known each other X amount of years, etc – IT’S SPRING CLEANING FOR THE EMOTIONAL CLOSETS TIME, GANG!

I’ve seen the light! Recognizing the truth, trusting your instincts – who would’ve thunk??

It’s sooooo liberating. I now can recognize the truth. See things for what they really are. They don’t seem like friends or don’t seem like family BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT.

Listening to that good old gut instinct is so freeing. So if I were to leave one word of advice behind – it would be to always ALWAYS trust your feelings. You feel that way for a reason.

You will feel so much better for being honest with yourself and taking action to make yourself happier.

The floodgates of creativity have been unleashed as a result of my recent introspection:

Family don’t end with blood bracelet – Sam, Dean, Cas, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Ash, Rufus and Garth – who would YOU put on your own Family bracelet?

This is a piece I did with just that in mind. Included on this piece are all of the Supernatural characters – related by blood or by circumstance – that are family.

If you were to make a bracelet like this with people from your life – who would make the cut? Think about that!

I’ve taken the reins and am forging ahead. Too many new and exciting things to look forward to. No need to waste my energy and time on people who are simply just not worth it.

So BurCon, Salute to Supernatural is coming! This time next week I’ll be in the vendor room working my fingers away at custom orders for the amazing fans I’m going to meet – exciting!!

I’m going to have my amazing 9 year old son, Phoenix with me – please be prepared to laugh. He is everything short of a stand-up comedian. And an excellent cook, by the way. If you read his blog – phoenixphenomfood.wordpress.com you’ll know that already.

The Phoenix is coming to BurCon – prepare for belly laughs!

What I’m looking forward to most of all is that I’m going to be with my Aunt Doree. Really looking forward to being able to spend quality time with her, my Uncle Jeff, my cousin Jenny, and her pet snakes (they’re gorgeous!). My cousin Alexis and her beautiful little boy Zane are coming in as well – whoo hoo!

It’s going to be a great time creating a lot of fun memories. And hopefully I’ll be creating some of those memories for YOU!

Like this lovely lady:

She wears it well – Melstiel wearing a custom-ordered I love Castiel necklace – LOVE IT!

She commissioned me to make her an “I love Castiel” necklace back at TorCon – she wears it beautifully!

This is one of my favorite pieces!

I’m really super proud of this piece – it’s one of the coolest things I made there!! I loved how the texturing came out.

I LOVE the fact that she asked for the large wing. I originally wanted to use a different charm but Melstiel insisted on the larger one – and she was 1000% correct – just look at it!! And what Melstiel doesn’t realize is that I’m going to be asking her to be an upcoming Featured Customer of the Month – so Melstiel, if you’re reading this, message me on FB to let me know if you’re cool with that! Nothing like putting my friends on the spot, lol!

I have so many new pieces that are going to be coming your way next week at BurCon – I have gorgeous handpainted coffin jewelry boxes inspired by Supernatural like one that is painted like the Impala (with a devil’s trap when you open the lid!), keychains, and Eldwenne’s Mystery Hex Bags!

Inspired by the episode of the same name – Cas’ first episode as a human

There’s no way you can keep calm and carry on while watching an episode of SPN – but you can certainly try!

The Hex Bags are going to being a blast – you won’t know what’s inside! It could be a necklace, a bracelet, a keychain…who knows??

I’ll be customizing these for you at BurCon!

I’ll also have gift certificates available for sale as well in case you want to get some holiday shopping underway!

You name the denomination! It can be from $5 to $5,000,000! (Well a girl can dream, right?!?)

I’ll also be selling the most awesome t-shirts, hoodies and beanies – Clifhanger gear!!!

My beautiful friend, Shannon designed these groovy wearables and I’ll be doing her and Clif a favor and manning their Clifhanger table at BurCon!

Women’s t-shirt

Men’s t-shirt

Hoodie – THIS IS AMAZING!

Beanie – I’m buying me one of these at BurCon!

If you’re a Supernatural fan, then you’re a Clifhanger – simple as that. Clif Kosterman, Bodyguard4JandJ is the man who keeps Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles safe and sound.

He’s also an incredibly generous soul who cares a lot about the Supernatural fans. Let’s show some Clifhangin’ support and buy the best t-shirts, beanies and hoodies you will ever lay your eyes on!

Come check out the Clifhangers page www.facebook.com/Clifhangers

I wanted to remind you that there are just a little over 30 days left for my Click Start Me campaign and I need your help promoting/sharing my Click Start Me page:

http://tinycs.me/9T

The funds I raise with my Click Start Me campaign go towards the following:

– Travel expenses to get to the conventions where I can meet you and personalize pieces just for you!

– Much needed supplies and materials to create new pieces (that’s how my new line of hand-stamped pieces was born – through your generous donations!)

– Educational opportunities to learn new techniques and mediums

– Some venues charge high table fees to vend with them – this helps make these venues more attainable to me so that I can connect with you in person!

I have great rewards in return for your generosity! ALL donations receive a gift certificate worth the amount of your donation at Eldwenne’s Fantasy: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com INCLUDING CUSTOM ORDERS, by the way!

For example, if you donate $20, you will receive a gift certificate worth $20.

If you donate $25 or more, I will add an ADDITIONAL $25 to your gift certificate!!

For example, if you donate $25, you will receive a gift certificate worth $50! If you donate $50, you will receive a gift certificate worth $75! There’s no limit!! I will always add $25 to all gift certificates on donations of $25 or more!

It doesn’t stop there. I always give rewards to those who share my link with someone who donates!

If you share my link http://tinycs.me/9T with someone who donates, you will receive a gift certificate for $25!

Remember – my gift certificates never expire!! They’re valid until they’re spent! Their value never goes down if you don’t use them right away. A gift certificate’s value is what it is – no fees, no expiration dates – just opportunities to buy one of a kind, handmade jewelry!

Thank you all for reading! I hope to see you all at BurCon next week!! Until then, remember to trust your instincts!!