J’adore – Jewelsies

This is not the first time that I have written about how much I adore Kate and her jewelry shops Jewelsies and Half Hours. As a francophile, her items call to me. But beyond the French or Parisian-themed necklaces, earrings and pendants, she also crafts beautiful art deco, antique-styles and mix metal pieces that appeal to just about anyone. Kate is delightful, hard-working and extremely talented and I lover her work. If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you will know that it is important to me to support small business owners, particularly women, so I wanted to share a little more of Kate and her gorgeous work.

Saturday I shared a post from Andi Perullo of My Beautiful Adventures in which she shared earrings that a reader had made for her which truly reflect the sparkling beauty that Andi is. I had the very same experience with Kate. She created for me three custom pendants (one even has an Eiffel Tower on it!) with my Misadventures with Andi logo on it. I love them. Above all, I love the kindness and generosity that Kate showed in creating these piece for me “just because.”

Kate and I have cooked up a giveaway, but before I provide more detail, I wanted to share more background on Kate. She graciously agreed to answer a few questions.

[MWA] You took a little break since we last saw you in 2011, what have you been up to and what motivated you to re-launch Jewelsies?

[Kate] Yes, last year I moved to a charming town just outside Chicago. I also gave birth to my third baby. It made sense to temporarily close my shops to help us adjust to our new life. Three kiddos make life busy, but we are getting into a groove so I recently reopened my shops. During this time I’ve experienced a real surge of creative energy. There’s nothing like new motherhood to get all the creative and crafty ions flowing 🙂

I’ve also been creating a lot of new Paris inspired pieces. As you well know, I love all things french. My French inspired pieces have been kicked up a notch with my new resin obsession. I simply adore the Eiffel tower, but wanted to create some non-traditional french pieces. These pieces highlight other Parisian treasures, such as, the Arc de Triumph, and Notre Dame, etc.

[MWA] I am pleased that I was a small inspiration to you in your latest jewelry making obsession! What’s the process that you went through to feed this obsession?

[Kate] Me too – thanks for that! I’ve always wanted to delve into more mixed media / altered art projects. When you and I started talking about turning your logo into a pendant, it was the perfect reason for me to dive right in. I experimented with several different glazes and resins until I found the perfect one to create these gorgeous, personal, and wearable works of art. As a result, my latest jewelry obsession was born.

[MWA] This is a really fun way for bloggers to advertise their blogs at conferences, or heck…even just while walking down the street…how do you plan to offer customization for bloggers going forward?<

[Kate] Thank you – I’m so glad you think so! I can create a simple pendant with any logo or image. The process can be pretty straightforward – you send me an electronic image and I transform it into a pendant – et voila! I also create more detailed pieces that can include other objects or mini-collages. For instance, one of your pieces has your logo on one side, and a collage of things you love – map of Paris and a fleur-de-lis – on the other side. I love working with someone to ensure we create the piece they want. Especially for a blog – it’s so personal and such a big part of who someone is. The great thing with this technique is that you can showcase all sorts of objects. This helps create a real feel for the blog and/or the person wearing the piece.

I have also created keepsake pieces by using a photo or an image of a favorite place. I have even captured natural elements such as a teeny, tiny starfish and petals from a flower. I love jewelry that holds special meaning. By wearing the piece you are carrying that treasured memory, person, place, or favorite object with you.

Thanks Kate!

I absolutely love the pieces Kate made for me. You can find them acting as models on Kate’s store here and here (plus you can see them in the photo above).

Now on to some fun stuff. A giveaway! Kate and I have collaborated to give someone a chance to see just how great her stuff is, okay, we might not be objective, but trust me, you’ll love it!

Kate has sent along these beautiful art deco rhinestone encrusted earrings.

And I have thrown in $40 towards any item on any of Kate’s stores: Jewelsies or Half Hours. There are plenty of pieces under $40 or you can spend whatever you like, and have $40 credited to your total. For instance, you can order a custom piece for your blog or with your photo and just pay the difference (either $2 or $16 depending on which one you choose).

How about that??!!

Check out Kate’s shops Jewelsies and Half Hours NOW and pick-up something for the holidays today. Buy an item, print out the photo from the shop and stick it in a box, the recipient will get a surprise on Christmas Day and a surprise when it comes in the mail (I’ve totally done that before)!

Happy shopping!