Earring Donation to Abby's Closet Prom Dress Giveway

Earrings for Abby's Closet

Here are the studio we have been keeping busy between our orders preparing earrings for Abby's Closet here in Portland, Oregon. The earrings will be a part of the 7th annual Prom Dress Giveway on April 2 and 3. This is the second year I have donated jewelry to this very worthy charity that provides high school girls with a dress and one accessory (maybe our earrings!) for prom for FREE! To me, it is the ultimate in recycling as each dress has been donated by someone in the community and those dresses will help over 2,500 girls this year to get ready for prom. Prom is an important event to many, getting dressed up, feeling pretty, and wearing something special....an event to remember for the rest of your life! We feel very happy to be involved in a charity that helps to create cherished memories for years to come!

Personalize with initial pendants

Garden Decor by Earth Friendly
Sandals by N.D.C. Made By Hand

Created fashion look on www.shopstyle.com

It's pouring down rain here and I am daydreaming of somewhere warm and then found this fashion look tool from shopstyle, mystylebook. Love going through all the catagories to see current fashion items to create my own wishlook! Of course I had to add one of my own jewelry items

Longsleeve Tops at Net-A-Porter
Sandals by Cole Haan

Put a bird on it!

I recently returned from the east coast from selling at the wholesale spring trade shows and when I returned I learned about a new super funny IFC TV show called "Portlandia."

Well, having lived here in Portland much of my life, what can I say, the show captures all the quirks and independence that Portland fosters in a very funny Lorne Michaels (granddaddy of SNL) kind of way.

And you are thinking, what does this have to do with the jewelry business...When I was in NY, customers were asking me what were my best sellers and I had to keep showing them this necklace...most people were shocked...a bird necklace...hmm (there is a super funny skit in Portlandia were they go around and put a bird on everything)...and now it's a catchy phrase and idea about birds as art, a symbol of Portland and our best seller. Who knew that these things would collide. We ship this necklace all over the country and it sells everywhere, not just in Portland! Anyway, we just had this beautiful photo taken of it for the website by Portland photographer, Alexis from www.jasminephotography.com.

Spring is just around the corner!

Leather & Linen wrapped gem bracelets

The Wallin & Buerkle studio just completed this wonderful selection of our linen wrapped leather gem bracelets for a beautiful boutique, Airlie Moon in Wilmington, North Carolina. www.airliemoon.com.
Shipped for Valentines Day, what a great way to show someone that they are loved! Thank you to Julie for finding my work at the Gift show and placing such a lovely order. It is a great pleasure to work with boutique store owners!

Ready for the NYIGF wholesale show

Ready to leave for the New York International Gift Fair. I had a great show at the Atlanta Gift
show even with 4 inches of snow that shut the city down. After the first day, my friends and I were already redecorating the booth. New backdrop for New York and the crate is already shipped on a caravan to arrive at the Pier 92.
NYIGF
New York's Newest
Pier 92
Booth #32021
January 29-February 2, 2011.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there and meet new people too!

Be well,
Sharon

Spring Wholesale Trade Shows for W & B

Spring...oh how I look forward to turning the corner for a new season! New materials and new colors=new jewelry samples! Today I just finished the last orders from December for Sundance for our heirloom engraved item...I felt so bad as I was engraving the orders and looked at the date that the catalog took the order but we oversold the item by 100 pieces and we ran out of parts, no control. Our suppliers were kind enough to make new parts and get them to us in 3 weeks which would normally take 6 weeks so I am grateful, and grateful that everyone was patient for their orders!

So onto spring...the trade show crate was shipped weeks ago to Atlanta and it arrived along with the posters and new postcards. Tomorrow we finish up the spring line and then Wednesday it's off to the airport to fly to the gift show!

If you are attending the show, come visit me!

The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.

January 14-18, 2011.

AmericasMart Building 3, Floor 4, Booth 1023.

I am in the back corner which I happen to like...close to the restroom, coffee cart, and the chikfila for a lunch sandwich-all very important features when you are manning your booth by yourself! I really enjoy getting to see the owners of the stores and talking about business and life.

Alyssa will be here at the studio keeping it running and working on orders!

If you are going to the New York Gift show, NYIGF, come see me at Pier 92 at New York's Newest, Booth 32021 January 29-Feb 2, 2011.

Happy New Year to all!

Sharon