Handcrafted Jewelry News from a Maine Jewelry Store

As promised here is Part 2 of our “Sneak Peek from Orlando!”

The Group of Friends Vases by Jill Henrietta Davis:

Need gifts for a group of friends and you want them to be “the same but different’ for each one? These glass vases could be the answer. Each vase has a color coordinated ribbon tag that has a different friend quality and description on the back. For example, the cobalt blue vase has Loyalty as the friend quality. The vase opening is shaped like a heart too–such a nice detail.  The picture to the right is the owner/glassblower Jill Henrietta Davis in front of her ornament display.

The Group of Friends vases just arrived in the store so come in soon to see them in person!

The Michael Vincent Michaud collection:

The spring collection from newcomer Michael Vincent Michaud is absolutely gorgeous.  Soft shades of teal, violet and pink glass set in brushed gold make this line a standout.  I was surprised at the reasonable prices too.

Whimsical Wall Art:

Sun catchers, sandpipers and dragonflies…I couldn’t resist these unique pieces.

We hope everyone has enjoyed getting this sneak peek from the Florida trade show. Now it’s time to head off to the NYC tradeshow! Look for another blog post next week with more photos of what’s to come.

We found wonderful new work from American artisans at the ACRE show in Florida this weekend. And we are so excited to be able to give you a sneak peek of some of these wonderful collections that you’ll be able to find at Earrings & Company this spring and summer. There were so many wonderful items that we couldn’t even fit it in one blog post. So this is Part 1 of “Sneak Peek from Orlando”:

Headbands are big right now. These “headache-free” headbands by a Florida artisan are embellished with semi precious stones, Swarovski crystals and beads (and they fit little girls too).

Here are some new designs by XoVivo, from the DC area. Lightweight recycled aluminum cuffs, necklaces and earrings are funky, fun and inexpensive.

Cuffs cuffs and more cuffs! These are brand new from Elaine Coyne Designs and feature the most gorgeous Swarovski crystals.

Stay tuned for more beautiful finds in our “Part 2″ post…

Happy 2012! This new year brings lots of exciting happenings here at Earrings & Company. Look for blog posts each week that will not only highlight some of the great products we have at our store and online but also spotlight some of the great artisans we work with, helpful tips, and fun ideas that we know you will all enjoy.

Speaking of things to look forward to, this week we travel to sunny Orlando for a trade show and we will be posting some photos of the beautiful things we see…stay tuned for a sneak peak of what’s to come!

A good customer of ours came in yesterday to show us how she manages her huge collection of Owen Glass earrings.  Her husband found this nifty tray to display them.  Hope he bought two!

October is Maine Lobster Month.  Who knew?

With that in mind I’d like to introduce our latest addition:  our very own Maine Lobster bead. Designed exclusively for Earrings and Company and cast in sterling silver this petite bead has a personality all its own.

http://shop.earringsandcompany.com/750LOBSTER.html

What else would you do with old bottle caps but make magnets for your locker?

That’s what Maddie Bradshaw (age 10) did and she is now president of m3 Girl Designs.  Along with her sister and vice president Margot (age 9) they head a multi-million dollar company.

Seems that ‘tweens (ages 9-12) are crazy about them – wearing the bottle caps on necklaces and bracelets as well as collecting and trading them.

Just imagine what these two entrepreneurs will come up with when they’re teenagers.

Now available in the store and soon to be online.

http://www.m3girldesigns.com/company/about/

Being a retailer in Freeport I was more than happy to see that Yankee Magazine’s readers rated Freeport Maine as their most favorite shopping destination in all of New England.  That’s quite a statement considering all the other shopping choices out there.

But it’s no surprise really.  Freeport Village Station has just about filled its spaces above the new parking garage.  LL Bean has made some attractive upgrades to their campus.  New restaurants have opened.

The flowers are blooming and the benches are out for the men to occupy while the women browse.  It’s spring in Maine and the shopping is good!

I look around my desk and see Made in China everywhere.  Well, except for the shirt I’m wearing. It’s made in Honduras.

The owner of Winter People was in the store the other day.  She started the Freeport – based promotional advertising business over 20 years ago embroidering shirts and aprons.  We talked about the difficulty of doing business today without dealing with China, either directly or indirectly.

There is a ray of hope however, and where else but the Big Apple.  I had no idea there were over 7,000 manufacturers in NY’s five boroughs employing over 100,00 people.  The site Made in NYC is helping to link those manufacturers with buyers.

Maybe China isn’t the only answer.

Earrings and Company has joined the bead frenzy!  We added Chamilia to our line up in November and what a great response we’ve had.  Chamilia is a competitor of Pandora charm bracelets and necklaces. Pandora is the brand most widely known because it has been around much longer.  We chose Chamilia for two reasons: 1- it is family owned and operated in America (Minneapolis to be exact) and 2 – the bead designs are intricate, fresh and bright.

All the beads are designed by Killian Rieder, the founder and owner.  Although the  sterling and gold beads are made overseas, the amazing glass beads are made in Atlanta, Georgia of Murano canes imported directly from Italy.