Happy Autumnal Equinox, When Imitation Really Isn’t the Sincerest Form of Flattery and TorCon Crunch Time

Posted on September 22, 2013 by eldwenne

The Autumnal Equinox is here today! For those on the Pagan path, it is known as Mabon. Mabon is the day where the day is perfectly balanced between daylight and night. It’s a time to pay respect to the harvest.

Most of us, I assume, are not farmers.

It’s not just about produce, my friends. What we cultivate in our lives, be it gardens, spirituality, our bonds with our family and friends, as far as I’m concerned, are all points of reflection as we wind down the Wheel of the Year towards Samhain.

We did an early celebration last weekend by walking through my favorite place on the planet – Stokes State Forest, and took awe in nature’s beauty.

Salamander enjoying my husband’s Pink Floyd cuff

Every living thing we encountered was something to be marveled and appreciated. Listening to the sounds of the forest was soothing.

My son, Phoenix, calming down poor salamnder after trippy experience with my husband’s Pink Floyd cuff

Can you find the critter in this pic?
An adorable tree frog clings to his tree, praying that we leave him in peace! (We did).

Here are some of my autumn-inspired pieces, all of which are available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com

A ring gorgeous crimson red and gold glass bead wrapped in silver – inspired by the fallen leaves

Elegant, simple, yet sophisticated

Beach stone wrapped in woven silver goddess spirals on an umber organza cord

Amber mosaic tile wrapped in silver, framed with thick silver and embellished with a crystal and pentacle drop

Burnt orange and brown feather earrings with ruby Swarovski crystals on chains earrings

Goddess spiral glass wrap bracelet in browns, golds, and wines

And don’t forget, all September long I am offering FREE SHIPPING TO THE US with coupon code FSSEPT!! I hope all of you find something to reflect upon and appreciate today! Now on to something I really DON’T appreciate (yes…rant…slowly…building…look out…danger, danger, Mr. Robinson…)

Remember the old, trite expression your mom always told you when your little sister kept mimicking your every move? “Dear, it’s because she looks up to you! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Maybe the imitator’s intent is to flatter, but to the imitatee whose hard work is being ripped off, capitalizing off my hard work – It’s rather insulting.

I spend HOURS each day reading and researching how to build my brand and how to make my mark unique and standout. This is on top of spending inordinate hours honing my craft, learning new techniques, scheduling events, creating the actual pieces, etc. It’s a labor of love because I do look at my business as if it’s a living, breathing thing that needs to be nurtured, cared for, and encouraged; like a child.

I’ve always been extremely open to giving advice, being a shoulder to lean on, and mentoring people. I’ve always done this and continue to do this all the time. If someone asks for help, I’m there with bells on. I just find it distasteful to blatantly use the same design elements, tag lines, and discount offers (at the same TIME as my offers, no less, with practically the same coupon code!!). I worked very closely with a graphic designer to develop my own unique flavor:

MINE MINE MINE!!! No, I’m not territorial…really! Well..maybe a tad…

If I had been asked, I might’ve been able to offer advice, to help them develop their own sense of self that worked more fittingly with their products. In the world of the creative, one would think that the journey of finding one’s niche, building one’s own identity would be relished and devoured to the point of coming up with some kick-ass stuff.

I refuse to change my brand just because others have decided to take my hard work as their own. I still believe that my brand is a strong one and even though there may be a slew of copycats out there in the creative world, I refuse to let them bring me down.

And now that my rant for the week is over (for now!), let’s talk about the upcoming Salute to Supernatural event that’s coming up next month – TorCon!!

I’m super excited to be going – I’ve been told that TorCon is going to outdo VanCon by a longshot – so I’ve put my nose to the grindstone and have been delving even harder into broadening my horizons from a design standpoint.

Hand-stamped pieces are getting to be more sophisticated, as I learned how to do some great texturing effects, like on this piece: I will be ready, willing and able to take on most stamping requests, so if you’ve got a stamping need, I’m your woman! The pieces can be anything you want!!

While I was asked to do a ton of SPN-related pieces, I also was asked to do a ton more of personal, non-SPN pieces as well. Stamping allows me to customize something specifically for YOU! So don’t be shy to ask me for anything!

Rev up the impala with this necklace!

Every driver’s motto

Additionally, I have so many new pieces waiting at the helm to be revealed and I look forward to sharing them with you! Many more wrap-necklaces, wrap-bracelets, one of a kind rings, earrings, etc are all going to be waiting for you!! While I gear up for TorCon, I am still in need of support. I have both a Click Start Me campaign as well as a Go Fund Me campaign. I started with the Go Fund Me campaign a while back and then discovered Click Start Me, which has been much more visible. Go Fund Me link is: http://www.gofundme.com/EldwennesFantasySPN Click Start Me link is: http://tinycs.me/9T Both campaigns offer the same kick-ass incentives! For each donation, you will receive a gift certificate worth the amount of your donation! The gift certificates never expire, so no time crunch to use ’em or lose ’em. They’re good until you spend them! They are good towards all jewelry in my shop http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com

Gift certificate given for EVERY donation, in the amount of your donation! $25 or more will receive an ADDITIONAL $25 added!

If you donate $25 or more, I will add an ADDITIONAL $25 to your gift certificate! For example: A donation of $10 – you will receive a gift certificate worth $10! A donation of $25 – you will receive a gift certificate worth $50!! A donation of $50 – you will receive a gift certificate worth $75!!! And so on and son on…. If you can’t donate, I’d really appreciate it if you spread the word by sharing these links – it’s not just about getting me to TorCon – it’s about helping a woman jumpstart her small business.

The boys enjoying the handmade jewelry I gave them for their beautiful wives

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

Thank you and I look forward to hopefully seeing you at TorCon!!

Prepping for TorCon, Being Anti-Trendy, and Who Wants to be my Featured Customer of the Month?!?

Posted on September 14, 2013 by eldwenne

TorCon – the final frontier. These are the voyages of the blue-haired one-boot wearing jewelry designer…

Sorry for the cheese, I was just really struggling with an opening line.

So as you can tell from the title of this post – TorCon is happening and I’m busy as a bee (btw – bees never really looked too busy to me- they look more like drunken little things and their flower-hopping is the equivalent to a pub crawl).

Anyway, I thought a post about my prepping process might be a tad interesting.

The first thing I always do is take an inventory of the pieces that I have on hand to see where I’m short, for example, I have close to 150 necklaces but only 35 pairs of earrings.

That at least gives me a push in what area to work on.

Then I take a good look at the designs of the pieces that I have. Do I have a decent variety? Or do I have the same design done to death on most of them?

More often than not I find that I need to push my creative boundaries and challenge myself with a new design element or technique.

Once I find that I need to change things up a bit – the motivation bug bites (not the drunken bee sting) and I start reading tons of materials on new weaving techniques that I haven’t tried or have only tried once or twice.

Another thing I’ll do is dig into my older supplies to find mediums/stones/crystals/etc. that I haven’t ever used or haven’t used in a long time. Sometimes just looking at the supplies makes 1,000 ideas pop into my head all at once!

The one thing you will NEVER see in my shop or at a convention – trends. Call me weird, call me crazy, call me anti-profit – I REFUSE to make pieces that are ‘the latest thing’ or ‘in Vogue’ or whatever. That’s not why I make jewelry.

My jewelry – each and every piece – is about creative expression. Uniqueness. You’re not going to see pieces that look like something store-bought where everything is so perfect that it looks as if a machine made it.

You’re going to find pieces that have very human elements. You’re going to see that one of the rows in a weave may be slightly crooked. You’re going to see asymmetry. Because it’s about demonstrating the humanity in the work. I don’t want to emulate a machine, I am producing what my hands produce.

I can’t tell you how many people tell me how my work is so different than most and I find that to be such a tremendous compliment.

I’ve gotten the snide remark here and there as well. “Oh, your stuff is, um – different.” Damn straight.

I don’t mind getting the odd negative reaction. It means that I’m getting honest responses from people and I value that. And as an artist – I like to think about how Andy Warhol recommended to others to not worry about the content of the criticism, but to count the number of responses you’re getting. Kind of like being the kid starving for attention, so you’ll take the negative in with the positive, lol! Attention is attention!

I digress (as per usual). This is my long-winded way of saying my designs are my designs and not remixes or replications of what you will find everywhere else. Why come to me then? What makes my stuff attractive if you can buy the same stuff somewhere else?

Yes, I’m a business and I do need to sell my pieces. But I’m an artist and my jewelry is my art. And my art is all about individuality, uniqueness, and wearing my heart on my sleeve, er, wrap necklace. You get my drift, I hope!

I mean, if it’s good enough for Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki (yes, the boys are holding Eldwenne’s Fantasy jewelry that I made for their wives), then you’re in great company!!

The boys own my jewelry, you can too!

Even Misha Collins enjoyed perusing my table – and remembered my work!!

What I do love to make a lot of, especially when I’m gearing up for a convention, is a lot of Supernatural-themed pieces. Now that I’ve gotten a great response with my hand-stamped jewelry (Son of a Bitch necklace, anyone?), I want to take it to the next level and make new SPN jewelry that mixes hand-stamped with wire-wrapping and see how far I can push the design elements.

I learned that from the…

Dean’s Catch Phrase

Like a bracelet stamped with ‘Moose’ and hammered away with a beautiful texture, holes punched around the perimeter with gorgeous crystals dangling from it. How cool is that?

If there is a Supernatural idea you would like to see me create – let me know! I’d love to make it a reality for you!

As you all know, I feature a customer of the month for the last week of every month. If you’ve bought a piece from me, I’d really love to feature you. I just need you to send me a pic or two of yourself wearing my pieces – eldwenne@yahoo.com.

I’ll then send you five questions where you’ll have the opportunity to talk all about yourself, promote your own business, shout out to whomever you want to, and talk about what handmade means to you.

It’s a great way to connect and I look forward to hearing from you!

So I’m off to now work on more for TorCon. I do hope to see you there – if you’re going, please stop by and say hi! I really love meeting all of you. It helps inspire me to continue to do what I do, and I hope it brings you closer to enjoying handmade art.

I am trying to get to as many conventions as possible in order to build my business so I have a Click Start Me campaign http://tinycs.me/9T

The Click Start Me campaign allows me to help cover my travel expenses and get my business to the point where it’s self-sustaining and enough to support my family. And it also is a way I can give back to YOU – for every donation, you will receive a gift certificate towards my shop: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com.

Gift Certificate for www.eldwenne.etsy.com

Gift Certificate for http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com

The gift certificate will be worth the exact amount of your donation! And it doesn’t stop there. If you donate $25 or more, I will add an ADDITIONAL $25 to your gift certificate! For example:

If you donate $10, you will receive a gift certificate for $10.

If you donate $25, you will receive a gift certificate for $50

If you donate $50, you will receive a gift certificate for $75, and so on and so on!

And you know what totally rocks about my gift certificates? They NEVER EXPIRE! They’re valid until you spend them, so you’re not put into a time crunch to use it or lose it!

I also wanted to remind you that I am having an amazing deal the entire month of September – if you go to my shop http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com – I am offering FREE US SHIPPING!! Just use coupon code FSSEPT at checkout in order to receive your free shipping!!
Thank you for reading and I’ll see you at TorCon!!

In the Thick of Things and Salute to Supernatural VanCon – HERE I COME!

Posted on August 9, 2013 by eldwenne

One of the most important design decisions I make with each of my handmade jewelry pieces is ensuring there are interesting contrasts. One way I like to achieve this is through varying line thicknesses with wire.

Green glass tile ring wrapped with three different wire thicknesses

I’ve explored this design element to a degree that I thought was rather thorough, until I found a wire that blew my mind – 1/4 inch wide silver wire.

As soon as I picked up the spool, my mind raced with all of the design potential – it was insane!

Even as I write this new ideas are popping into my head and I’m getting cracking at them as soon as I post this!

Here’s a peek at just some of the pieces that were born lately:

Rutliated glass with thick silver frame necklace

: Side view of rutilated glass with thick wire frame

Gray agate ring with thick wire band

Beach Stone Wrapped in Thick Wire Frame and Hand Forged Hammered Silver Links Wrapped with Lavender Crystals

It’s been so much fun exploring the potential of the new wire. I’m currently working on a woven bracelet with it – I’m looking forward to sharing the results soon!

Now for my incessant need to tie in my Supernatural obsession – NEW SUPERNATURAL JEWELRY!!!

I’ve been working very diligently, getting ready for the Salute to Supernatural VanCon 2013!!! I’M GOING!!! Thanks to my generous GoFundMe friends, I am now able to embark on one of the greatest experiences in my handmade jewelry career. I will never have a larger audience than at VanCon – thank you all so much! I’m still in need of support, as this is the most expensive convention out of all of my traveling needs. I have more information on how you can be a part of my journey, read on!

To help defray the hotel costs, I tried to find a couple of people who were willing to be roommates with me at the hotel where the convention is taking place. I was very fortunate to meet two fantastic ladies who are on board. Initially we connected in order to help defray the hotel costs, but the three of us really clicked and look forward to spending time together at VanCon – so I’ve made some great friends. We’re already talking about making this an annual event for us.

In getting ready for the convention, I really needed to boost my inventory. I wanted to make some SPN pieces to celebrate being in the mecca of all that is SPN – Vancouver.

Some of the pieces that I’ve been making are heavily focused on stamping – which I am really getting the swing of and enjoying tremendously.

Team Free Will – Sam Dean Cass Hand Forged, Hammered and Stamped Necklace

Team Free Will Sam Dean Cass Hand Stamped Oval Bracelet

All of these pieces are available in my etsy shop: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com

In preparing for Vancouver, I do still need some help from my GoFundMe friends. The traveling expenses have been a heavy burden…any sharing of my GoFundMe link would be most appreciated – and now comes with special offers!

I’m now offering a special discount to anyone who shares my GoFundMe link: http://www.gofundme.com/EldwennesFantasySPN

If you share my link, just send me an email at eldwenne@yahoo.com and show me how you shared it, and I will send you a coupon code for 10% off any item in my shop on etsy http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com (not including gift certificates).

But the gift certificates are special too – don’t forget that with every Go Fund Me donation, you will receive a gift certificate worth MORE than your donation amount! So if you donate $25, you will get a gift certificate for $50! $50 donations receive a gift certificate for $75 – $100 gets $125, and it just keeps getting better! And they never expire!!! They’re valid until you spend them, so there’s no pressure to use them by a certain date.

Donating to my Go Fund Me Campaign is not only about getting me to Vancouver – it’s about jumpstarting a woman’s small business. It’s about believing in what I do and giving me a tiny boost to realize this dream that not only will provide quality handmade jewelry to the masses, but help me provide for my family and build my business to the point of being self-sufficient.

Remember to swing by Go Fund Me at http://www.gofundme.com/EldwennesFantasySPN and check out what special offers I have for you in exchange for jumpstarting a woman’s small business! THANK YOU!

A Feather Isn’t Always Just a Feather and Further Adventures in Supernatural Jewelry Explorations

Posted on August 2, 2013 by eldwenne

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 →

Featuring My Customer of the Month – Julie Anne Rhodes and the Vampire Diaries Convention Countdown!

Posted on June 29, 2013 by eldwenne

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!

Wedding Season, Supernatural Overdosing and Did I Just Become the Avon Lady?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by eldwenne

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!

Jewelry in the Raw! Free Leather Cord Offer!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by eldwenne

I’ve been bitten by the raw gem bug. I got my hands on some absolutely gorgeous raw stones. Not only do I have some beautiful clear quartz crystal points, but some geodes filled with calcite, amethyst, quartz as well…sigh… This … Continue reading →