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!

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!

We’d be happy up here in the north if all April brought were rain showers. A full foot of heavy snow last week cramped everyone’s style and put a damper on spring festivities. Some homes are still without power today. Oh, the price we pay for beauty and quiet.

Meanwhile, the store has begun to receive the first of many orders of new jewelry. Handmade creations of every stripe and color. New sterling silver pieces by Portland’s favorite, Julie Howison. Colorful glass bead necklaces and earrings by Penrose look like strings of candy. Handwrought sterling silver linked chains in great lengths for layering by Thomas Kuhner. New stretchy headbands by Violet Love that hold your hair in style without slipping or giving you that “headband headache”. Lots of fun!

Maybe I’ll just stay indoors for the time being. It seems more like spring in here than out there . . .

Ok, so I jumped the gun on spring. What can I say? It’s Maine! We all know spring is never assured until May, at least.

Mainers are a hardy bunch. Even those from “away” who have lived here for many years and can’t rightly call themselves true Mainers must be brave souls. A good number of Freeport merchants are in this category, having braved the nasty weather to participate in Freeport’s “Spring” Fashion Show at the Hilton. A few merchants had the opportunity to set up displays around the perimeter of the catwalk, thus having perfect views of the fashions as they paraded the runway. It was very impressive, seeing the variety of clothing and accessories available in this little town. Although the turn-out was not as large as expected, everyone there successfully ignored the raging wind and snow outside for a little promise of spring inside.

I figured it was high time the store joined the 21st century. We got the website up and running last year. Well, 2007 is the year of the blog. Wonder what technological advancements 08 will bring?!

Sheila (owner of Earrings and Company) and I spent a very long weekend in Philly last month attending the Buyers Market of American Craft. What a show! Thankfully I wore my Danskos – no blisters on these feet! Imagine aisle upon aisle upon aisle of hand woven textiles, wildly colorful glass, beautifully carved wooden furniture, weird artsy things to put on your wall – you name it. But above all, lots and lots of gorgeous jewelry. We were in heaven. Luckily, most of the jewelry was situated in one section so we could concentrate on our mission: to paw through it all and find what’s new and exciting to bring back home to Freeport.

The Buyers Market features work by all sorts of artisans. So the creativity factor is high. No Walmart vendors in this show. No no. Lampworked beads, blown glass beads, hand-formed millefiori beads, wooden beads. Silversmiths. Goldsmiths. Sculptors. Bracelets and watches made of old silver spoons. Pendants and earrings from thin shavings of fantastic-looking rocks and minerals. Patinaed bronze formed into cuffs and necklaces. Birch bark earrings.

Birch bark? Well, you had to see them. . .

Anyway, Sheila and I managed to walk the entire show in two and a half days. We selected almost a dozen new artists and I can’t wait until the new pieces begin to arrive in the store!