Feathers have always been so fascinating to me. Birds in general – I mean I named three of my four kids after birds – Raven, Phoenix, and Jaden (he likes to think his name is inspired by the blue jay). … Continue reading
Wow, what a weekend!! The Vampire Diaries Convention in Parsippany, NJ came and went so quickly I’m still reeling!
I arrived late Friday night to set up and be ready for the Gold Pass patrons that were there to pre-register.
The location of my table was ideal – I was literally five feet away from the autograph table where a couple of very special guests would be greeting the fantastic TVD fans!
What a challenge it was to arrange my table – I created soooo many new pieces and I just wanted to be able to put them all on display at once. Logistics being what they were, unless I rented three tables it wasn’t happening, lol!
So I tried my best to artfully arrange my wares and my table did receive a lot of attention.
Cluttered, yet classy….I think
This was an incredible learning experience for me. I learned that I do absolutely adore selling in person as opposed to online. I mean I do need to keep a strong online presence, obviously, but nothing takes the place of being there with someone and working with them directly to get to the perfect piece they are looking for, or didn’t realize they were looking for!
Not only were the patrons there amazing, but the other vendors as well. I got to meet some very special people, such as Zephyr and Kierstin. They specialize in autographed posters and photos of celebrities. I can’t tell you what an amazing view I had the entire weekend of a GORGEOUS signed pic of Jensen Ackles directly across the way….sigh….
Then there was the mom and daughter team of Joan and Joanna – a dynamic duo to say the least!
I also met a great couple of best friends Jezzalyn and Lauren. They were looking for matching bracelets to represent their friendship.
The lovely Monica bought a pair of earrings and put them on immediately – warmed my heart!
Zephyr, Kierstin, Joanna, Joan, Jezzalyn, Lauren and Monica are going to be featured next week, so keep your eyes on this space!
I’ve been getting asked “What were your biggest sellers?” – well, I had a couple of really big hits – my wrap necklaces and a lot of my pentagram jewelry.
My wrap necklaces were a big hit! This is my Goddess Spirals Gunmetal Chains and Angel Wings piece
The Ladies of TVDNJ – They will be featured next month, so watch this space!
Also up there were my stamped necklaces.
Damon Stamped Necklace
Stamping is a new medium for me (please refer to my last post “Stamping out The Vampire Diaries – Jewelry That Is!”). I had so much fun doing it and am still enjoying exploring its potential that I’ve come up with a TON of new stamping ideas.
Imagine this – five silver circles stamped with the most memorable quotes and word associations of Supernatural!! Here are some descriptions of what I have on the drawing board:
Dean’s bracelet:
Son of a Bitch
Pie
Eye of the Tiger
Awesome
Jerk
Sam’s bracelet:
Moose
Spectacu-lacular
Salad
Bitch
Clowns
Castiel’s bracelet:
Angel
Trenchcoat
Pizzaman
Ass-butt
I’m God
Crowley’s bracelet:
King of Hell
Morons!
Let’s Make a Deal
Son of a Witch
Hello Boys
I even came up with a other bracelets celebrating Bobby, Charlie, Gabriel, Dick Roman – I can do pretty much any SPN character, just let me know if you have an interest in someone specific or if you want a combined bracelet!
Now, back to the TVDNJ convention!
As I mentioned earlier, my table was so close to the autograph table for a couple of special guests.
First to come in and sign was the most beautiful Torrey DeVitto! She was so stunning and treated each and every fan as if they were the most important person on the planet. A true, genuine person.
My daughter, Raven, insisted on giving her a present! She grabbed one of my geode necklaces (because she said it matched Torrey’s shirt) ran over and gave it to her. Torrey very graciously took the gift and immediately put it on!
Later on came the charismatic Charlie Brewley! He was very upbeat and also treated everyone very nicely.
Raven said we can’t give Torrey a gift without giving one to Charlie as well, it wouldn’t be fair. So I tore apart my table trying to find a piece that could remotely be considered masculine. Aha! I found something!
I had a very simple dalmation obsidian stone on a black cord. Great! I lean over to retrieve a gift box from my bag on the floor. And promptly stumble over my own two feet and land on my rear end. I look up and I see one of the Creation people trying to help me up, the volunteer at the table with Charlie AND Charlie, all looking over at me with their jaws hanging open.
The Creation lady asked me if I was ok. “Aside from an extreme case of embarrassment, I’m fine,” I replied.
I then looked over at Charlie and said, “Yes – I AM always this graceful. But this is actually your fault.”
“What did I do?” he laughed?
“I was trying to get a box so my daughter could give you this.” I said and walked over with Raven, so she could hand him the necklace.
He looked at it and appeared to like it, I think, lol! He then asked me a bit about my jewelry making, said hi to Raven, and I went back to my table to try to salvage what was left of my dignity.
I want to point out that I do not have photos of the celebrities because there are very strict rules in that you are not supposed to take photos of the celebrities while they are at the autograph table and I respect the rules laid out by both the celebrities and Creation Entertainment.
So overall it was an amazing time filled with fantastic people, learning experiences, and more inspiration to “carry on” and continue my journey on the convention circuit.
Raven was also very inspired by the weekend and told me that she wants to become a jewelry designer when she grows up. I’ve never received a greater compliment.
Raven taking a very well-deserved rest after working such a hard weekend!
I’d also like to thank all of you who have been wonderful customers and those who have been such supporters that have donated to my Go Fund Me Page:
http://www.gofundme.com/EldwennesFantasySPN
It’s because of support like this that I’m able to get my small business started. I still do need a little boost in order to successfully complete the convention circuit for the remainder of the year, if you could please pass my link along I would greatly appreciate that!
Remember, every donation receives a gift certificate worth MORE than the donation amount! And it never expires – so there’s no time limit. It’s good until ya spend it!
Thank you, everyone!!
A great friend of mine suggested I branch out into stamping to see how what I could come up with.
I don’t get out of my comfort zone often enough, so I welcomed the challenge.
I invested in a stamping kit, some beautiful silver discs, and some tools so that I could shape the discs, and I was raring to go!
You see Damon up above, here is Stefan and Elena:
I had so much fun making these. I also learned a couple of new skills. Stamping is not as straightforward as you may think and it takes some concentration to get the desired effects you’re looking for.
And to make the pieces more interesting, I hammered the discs into domes for some dimension.
The finishing touches are a gorgeous bead and black satin cord.
Now you all know me, I need to tie in some Supernatural action, right? Check out my license plate necklace:
I also created so many new pieces, such as my pentagram cuff bracelet, Medusa ring, and my Blue Aurora Borealis and Copper necklace:
Blue Aurora Borealis and Copper Necklace
I’m really looking forward to meeting you at the Vampire Diaries convention this weekend, please do come by and say hi!
I will also be selling gift certificates at the convention, but if you want more bang for your buck, if you make a donation via my Go Fund Me page: http://www.gofundme.com/2kwx90 you’ll receive a gift certificate worth MORE than your donation amount which is good towards all jewelry in my etsy shop at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com! The gift certificates never expire – they’re good until you spend ’em!
For example, if you donate $25, you receive a gift certificate for $50! For a $50 donation you recieve $75! for $100 you receive $125! and it keeps getting better – It’s a great opportunity and you’ll be helping a woman jumpstart her small business dream.
Supernatural and Vampire Diaries fans – I’ve been invited by Creation Entertainment to sell my jewelry at Supernatural and Vampire Diaries conventions!
I have a lot of gorgeous Wiccan and Pagan pieces! New ones uploaded every day into my shop: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com
This is the second customer of the month feature and I’m SUPER excited to present Ms. Julie Anne Rhodes!
Julie Anne is a huge jewelry fan. As a matter of fact, her nickname is Jewels!
Julie Anne and I have much in common, including being incessant workaholics, creative souls, and devoting time to give back to others.
She and I connected by way of her phenomenal site: www.personalchefapproach.com – we worked together to create a pendant that Julie Anne sold out of her shop and we donated 100% of the proceeds to a charity that was near and dear to her heart.
Here is the stunning Julie Anne wearing Jodi’s Jewel for Jewels, our collaborative effort to fundraise against children’s hunger.
From there we just hit it off and she’s been an endless source of inspiration and support to me. She’s literally transformed my household with her Personal Chef Approach, aka PCA.
1. 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 info here!
First and foremost, I’m a mom to a beautiful daughter. I’m also the proud owner of the Personal Chef Approach.
Family comes first and in this day and age where time is a commodity, I strive to provide ways for families to eat better together.
Julie Anne’s website – http://www.personalchefapproach.com – incredible food and company await you here!
2. Do you have creative outlets? Tell us about them and if you have photos of your work, please feel free to share!
My work is a creative outlet – I paint with flavor! I am constantly challenging myself by experimenting with different ingredients and flavor combinations.
I’m also an avid art fan – I’m always on the prowl for inspiration!
3. What draws you to handmade jewelry as opposed to store-bought, factory manufactured pieces?
I like the personal touch that handmade jewelry has. Every piece is unique and I feel like it’s made just for me.
4. What types of pieces stand out to you, for example, wire work, crystals, etc and why?
I find something to appreciate in all kinds of pieces.
5. 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!)
Jodi puts her heart and soul into every piece she makes and it shows. I always get tons of compliments when I wear her jewelry!
Julie Anne wearing earrings I designed made of Bali sterling silver and Swarovski crystals. These are available in my shop!
Wow, thank you so much, Jewels!! I am fortunate to be a member of her site. Working my tail off every day leaves very little time to plan and cook healthy meals for my family and thanks to her, I’ve been able to do just that!
Please follow Julie Anne on Twitter @julieannerhodes as well as @therovingstove. Her FaceBook page is always a fun place to visit her as well: https://www.facebook.com/therovingstove
My daughter, Raven, is such a huge fan of your recipes and always looks forward to meals!
Thank you so much for taking the time out of your hectic schedule – I’m sending goodies your way!
Next topic on the agenda – gearing up for the Vampire Diaries convention in Parsippany, NJ! Whoo hoo!! I’m so excited and I’ve been cranking out tons of new pieces, including pieces that read “My Heart Belongs to a Vampire”, “Werewolves vs Vampires”, “Peace, Love, and Supernatural” (I know, it’s not Vampire Diaries related, but I have t tie everything in to Supernatural, you know that!)
My Heart Belongs to a Vampire Necklace – available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com
And very importantly – please visit my friends at http://www.carryonsupernatural.com – they provide a huge support network for Supernatural fans that are in need of a little help from their friends. I designed a bracelet celebrating the fantastic work they do and it’s available to purchase through their site. Every purchase will result in $5 being donated to support their hard work!
Keep Calm and Carry On…Peace Love and Supernatural
If you’re coming to the convention next month, please come visit me! Id love to meet you!
Here is my convention schedule for both Vampire Diaries and, of course, SUPERNATURAL!!
– The Vampire Diaries Official Convention 7/13/2013-7/14/2013 in Parsippany, NJ
– Salute to Supernatural 8/23/2013-8/25/2013 in Vancouver
– Salute to Supernatural 10/11/2013-10/13/2013 in Toronto
– Salute to Supernatural 10/25/2013-10/27/2013 in Chicago
– Salute to Supernatural 11/22/2013-11/24/2013 in Los Angeles, CA
– The Vampire Diaries Official Convention 12/14/2013-12/15/2013 in Orlando, FL.
My traveling jewelry business is just in its infancy and I’m really in need of support, so I’ve set up a Go Fund Me page that gives all of you incredible incentives! http://www.gofundme.com/2kwx90
Every donation receives a gift certificate towards any jewelry in my shop: www.eldwenne.etsy.com
If you donate $25, you get a gift certificate for $40! If you donate $50, you get $75! If you donate $75, you get $100!!! Ad it keeps getting better!
The gift certificates never expire! So you can hold onto the as long as you want! They’re only gone when you’ve spent them!
Thanks everyone and I hope I see you at one of the conventions!
Try to wrap your brain around that title for a moment…I’m still trying, actually.
Being unemployed (in the traditional sense) has been a blessing in so many disguises. There’s so much clarity that I now possess, or at least now have access to, that simply wasn’t available before. And no thanks to immersing myself in some Sam and Dean ala Supernatural…sigh….that really does the brain (and eyes!) some good. All eye-candy aside – the writing on that show is fantastic and does actually expand my brain cells a bit. Mix that up with the newfound clarity and some wonderful things happen.
So with that let out to dry, let’s talk about wedding season for a moment, shall we?
Having planned my own wedding all those years ago, I still look back to that time with great fondness. Yes, really. Both my husband and I had a total blast calling the shots since we paid for everything ourselves. Very few people dared to challenge us since they knew our retort was, “Oh, you think we should do X? Are YOU paying for it?”
It was glorious!
What I spent a lot of time fretting over was the bridesmaids’ gifts. Being a jewelry designer, you’d think I would’ve just cranked out some pieces and called it a day. Can you believe I didn’t even make their jewelry?? I was too busy controlling, er, WORKING with the DJ to get the music just right.
Looking back I do regret not making their gifts. To (over)compensate, I came up with a fantastic offer.
Wouldn’t it be the nicest gesture to show your bridal party that not only here is the jewelry that you better effing wear on your special day, but have them CREATE it themselves? Throw them a jewelry-making party with the jewelry hostess with the mostest. Sorry, I truly couldn’t find something less trite.
I will go to your home or venue, sit down and design the pieces right then and there with your bridal party. I’ll teach them how to manipulate wire, how to use the tools, how to create a working design that will last far beyond your wedding day. It’s fun, it’s the whole chick-flick bonding thing, alcohol can be added to the mix for some interesting design inspiration, and it adds another fond memory to planning your wedding.
And the bridesmaids will forever be talking about how fun it was to create something and flaunt it to the masses. A special keepsake.
A wire forged piece can be a fun activity
With that in mind, I’m now offering a whole new line of JODi (Jewelry on Demand) parties:
Children’s parties where I come to the home and using your chosen theme create charm bracelets or necklace/earring/bracelet sets.
Charm bracelets are so versatile and customizable – perfect for kids!
Wedding entertainment – I will go to your wedding with a table set up for your wedding guests to enjoy some jewelry making. Their favor from your wedding will be made by their own two hands. The components will be items of your choosing that have significance, be it found objects, color themes, etc.
Found Objects are great ways to create an elegant yet simple design
The old fashioned jewelry workshop – I will go to your home and do a wire jewelry design instruction workshop.
So with all that in mind, I realized, wow – I’m going to be spending an awful lot of time in people’s homes – have I just become the Avon lady?? Not to worry – I’m not handing out crappy lipstick samples. Just don’t step on the rug in bare feet – you might step on a Swarovski here and there…
Anyone interested in having a jewelry making bash for your princess or to thank your bridesmaids, or to get me into enjoy your wedding while I entertain your guests with some fab jewelry making activities – you can contact me at eldwenne@yahoo.com.
If you mention ILOVEYOURBLOG in your email to me, I’ll knock 10% off the price of the package!
Wow, it’s been a while, huh?
Ok, well lots of things have happened. I lost my day job, started studying to obtain my teaching license, and am considering moving from Jersey City to a suburb outside of Nashville.
And that’s all within the past MONTH.
2013 started out to be quite a challenge, however, it was the kick in the pants that I needed to get my life on track.
My husband and I were running at the track this morning and I was telling him about my new service that I am offering called Jewelry on Demand.
I go to people’s homes (or they come to mine) and I display samples of my unique, handmade jewelry.
My clients point to what they want, I sit down and make it then and there on the spot, in front of them.
There really truly is something behind seeing the product come to life in front of you. I initially got the idea a couple of years ago at a flea market.
I was at a flea market trying desperately to sell my jewelry. A little girl came over and told me how pretty a pair of my earrings were but she wanted to see them in red.
I always bring along my tools and some supplies with me to flea markets so that I have something to do while I wait pathetically for clients, lol! It also comes in handy if a client wants to adjust something, like changing the length of a necklace, for example.
Anyway, I crack out my tools and supplies and get to work making a pair of earrings for the little girl.
Her mother came over and asked me what I was doing. I explained that her daughter wanted to see a different version of the earrings and the mother then said, “Can you make me a pair in blue??”
So I got right on that and before I knew it, I had a line of people waiting for me to create something right there in front of them, to their specifications. It was SO MUCH FUN!
I coined the term “Jewelry on Demand” because that’s pretty much what it is! You demand, I create.
Imagine throwing your daughter a birthday party where the guests walk away with unique, one of a kind jewelry handmade before their eyes….or jewelry that they make themselves under my instruction!
Movement was a key part of this design.
So my husband said, “So you’re throwing JODI parties. Jewelry On Demand Inc. parties!”
Now why didn’t I think of that???
He’s clever like that, so I’ll keep him : )
I am very VERY pleased to announce that JODi parties are now happening and if you live in the NYC metropolitan area, I’d be delighted to come on over!
If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t feel like stressing over having company – come on over to my place instead! I’ll put on some coffee or tea, we’ll have some snacks and I’ll get cranking with some one of a kind designs specifically for you!
MAN it feels so good to take the reins over my life – give it a try!!
So if you’re interested in a JODi party, convo me for a special discount towards your party! AND just because, here is a Coupon Code to use in my etsy shop for 10% off your jewelry purchase in my etsy shop: RETURN10.
Some people manage to get into a creative frenzy when they get depressed.
For me – it seems to strip away any shred of creativity I possess, like a vampire. I can almost feel every idea drain away from me.
I can tackle this one of two ways – spiral into depression (from which I do suffer already), or use it as a springboard to propel me into a new level of creativity.
But first things first – I have already sent myself an invitiation to my pity party.
I’m a very gracious host in my pity parties – I always have a goody bag ready for myself – too much coffee, some comfort food, really awful guilty pleasures like watching Maury, etc.
After the cleanup from said pity party – throwing away the bags of chips (finished or not!), any kleenex that missed the garbage, etc, I force myself to get busy and start creating.
Taking simple pleasures in the mundane can seem like meditation. I usually start with something that comes second nature to me – wire wrapping a nice stone. The repetitive movements are soothing.
I have tons of these gorgeous glass cabochons in green, blue, clear, brown, etc. The possibilities for these are endless so they’re always a great starting point when I’m in a creative rut.
And everyone laughed at me this summer when I dragged home BAGS upon BAGS of beach stones that practically weighed the back on my minivan down to the ground (well, not quite, but you get my drift).
The end results of forcing myself to ‘just do it!’:
The green glass piece is what I nicknamed my “horned necklace” – I took the cabochon, wire wrapped it, but wanted to push the envelope a bit and add another linear element to contrast with the thinner wire I used to wrap the cab.
This can be seen in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/117671647/silver-and-green-wire-wrapped-necklace
The beach stone was gorgeous on its own so I wanted to make sure that whatever I added to it didn’t detract from the natural beauty. I decided to create a juxtaposition of the organic with a bit of industrial. I created a wire frame which I wrapped to the stone.
I then wanted to ensure the viewer’s eye moved throughout the piece, so I added the spiral flourishes at the top:
This piece can be seen in my shop here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120271145/moonstruck-pendant-beach-stone-wire
So the moral of the post today is – always allow yourself to throw pity parties and ride the emotional roller coasters.
We’re all human.
But when it comes down to creativity – don’t let the creativity vampires out there get you! Start with what comes naturally to you and before you know it – your creativity will start flowing anew!
Happy creating – and don’t forget that my Welcome10 coupon code is still valid for 10% off all pendants in my shop at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com through the end of January!
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Down to the Wire - Jewelry by Jodi Zulueta 