New Necklaces & An Interview!

As you can see, I finally made another necklace in the same style as the one that sold almost instantly last week! That one was in greens and white, and this one is similar, but with blue. It's made using carved Lapis Lazuli stones--Lapis is another one of my favorite gemstones. There's something really elegant and special about the stone--the blue is so bright and bold, and it sometimes looks like it's swirled with gold, because of the pyrite that is sometimes in the stone. So pretty and interesting to look at! Good quality lapis lazuli is really expensive to buy, so I don't usually use too much of it in my designs--lately though, I keep finding stones that I just have to have. You can see the two necklaces that have resulted on this page! There are more pictures of both on my website, so check out imprintbyeileen.com if you want to see more...

I love this second necklace too. I kind of really don't want to sell it, but if the right person sees it on Etsy and feels like they have to have it, then I will feel good about it sending it to its new home! I went back to the store where I bought these stones yesterday, but they don't have any more. So this very well may be the one and only of its kind! I did find some other beautiful stones while I was out shopping though, so more jewelry will be coming to my website soon....

Also! I did an interview about my business with the lovely Eliza Gale earlier this week. You can read that interview HERE, if you'd like to learn more about me and my company! I really can't believe that I'm less than a month away from celebrating my one year anniversary in business. If you'd told me a year ago that I would have a store and be running my company full time, I would have thought you were crazy. It is funny how life works! And fun too, because you never know what's coming next....

At The Park (in NYC)!

The High Line is one of my favorite places to hang out here in New York City--it's a super cool, beautifully designed park that spans more than twenty blocks up the west side of the city. Part of what makes the park so interesting is that the city built it directly on top of old elevated train track lines--freight trains used to ship supplies into the city using those tracks, but they haven't been in use since, oh, 1980. And a few years ago, the city turned them into this beautiful park.

I really don't go all the way over to the west side all that often--I live in the East Village, and it's surprisingly easy to get lazy about going so far across town (I know, I know, it's pathetic!). But for some reason I keep finding myself at the High Line this year--I've been more than three times now just over the past two months!

Anyway, I love this place and I always leave feeling really inspired. I think it's the combination of nature and all the cool artistic elements, both in the park, and on neighboring rooftops.... All the photos here are from my last trip a few weeks ago, with my boyfriend and his brother. It's such a fun place to take visitors--it's scenic, it's free, and it means I have a good excuse to go! You can see in the first picture how the architecture of the city really becomes part of the park experience.

In the second picture, you can see something I found last time called "The High Line Zoo"--an artistically created zoo of styrofoam animals on a nearby rooftop. It's not even an actual part of the park--somebody just made it for fun, for park visitors to enjoy. I love it.

It's fun to look at all the things around that aren't actually part of the park--all the nearby rooftop gardens with their sculptures and flowers, graffiti sprayed onto the sides buildings, and so on. The park is right by the water too, so around sunset it is just beautiful... If you are in New York City and you haven't been to the High Line, you should definitely go. It's a pretty awesome way to spend an afternoon!

Party Invitations=Sent

It's official--I finally sent out the invitations for my jewelry cocktail party today. One of my best friends has already confirmed that she will be there, so even if it just ends up being the two of us drinking sangria in my kitchen, I will be happy!

Now I can stop being so stressed out about invitations and just have fun planning a great night! I was talking to my Dad earlier today, and he suggested I do some kind of jewelry giveaway, which I thought was a great idea. Maybe I can collect business cards and pick one to win a necklace or something? I was also thinking that I could do a little "gift bag" of some kind for every guest, including (of course!) business cards from me and a coupon for my store.

I was also thinking that I could include a small gift for everyone. I have some inventory that would be perfect for this--things that don't quite fit in my store, but that I haven't bothered to post online. Simple, relatively inexpensive pieces of course, but that would still make a really nice gift for everyone to take home with them. Then I also wouldn't have to make a ton of new stuff for this--just go through my back stock and pick out pieces that I think people will like. We will see what I come up with! Depending how many people come, maybe they can even choose their own piece... Now I need to go find some good recipes for sangria! I think I'm going to do a red and a white--any suggestions???

And if you didn't get an invitation from me, but you're in NYC and want to come to my party on August 11th, send me a message and I will send you an invite!! Happy Monday everyone!

The Jewelry Party I'm Afraid To Have Is Happening!!! (maybe)

So. A few weeks ago I wrote about how I was thinking about maybe trying to have a jewelry party sometime soon... Despite my reservations, a combination of recent slow weeks at my store and wanting to try new things has led me to decide that I should do it! However, I really, REALLY don't want it to be a Tupperware-style "sit down and buy my jewelry" type of thing. I would much rather host a cocktail party, where there also happens to be jewelry for sale. My 1st anniversary in business is coming up soon too, so the party will also be a celebration of that. In short--the timing just seems right for this kind of event.

I spent HOURS the other day designing the perfect invitation--choosing the right day, time, wording, etc. And now, I've been staring at the finished invitation for two whole days, too afraid to send it out! Which I realize is ridiculous. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?? That nobody comes? That nobody buys jewelry? Who really cares?!?? I just need to keep trying new things to see if anything actually works!

Most of what stresses me out about the jewelry party is my discomfort with "soliciting." I hate the thought of anyone feeling pressured or uncomfortable at the event, or obligated in any way to buy. When I was growing up, a friend's mother would always invite my family to her selling parties--I can't remember the company name (or I can but I don't want to embarrass her in case she's reading!), but it was all kinds of (typically useless) stuff, and I distinctly remember how uncomfortable the whole thing felt. So, I guess I just want to make sure that I don't impose that feeling on anyone else. It's just not worth it to me!

But! I'm not forcing anybody to come. And once they're at my house, I am certainly not going to be making them buy anything. I do of course hope to make some kind of sales, but I just can't have that be the focal of the party in order for me to feel comfortable. I guess I'm just going to have to feel it out and see how this first time goes. And depending on what happens, I can plan to try another party. Or not. At the worst, I will end up drinking sangria by myself in the kitchen! And at the best, I will have a fun, profitable party with my friends :)
Ok, that decides it! I am sending out the invitations by tomorrow at the latest, whether I want to or not. I am having a party, dammit!!!!!

To be continued...

A New Use For Jump Rings!

I apologize for the poor picture quality, but I wanted to post about this necklace today, so what you see here is the best I could come up with from the store! The beautiful and talented Rose Berger (of Yoga Twins jewelry--you can see an example of her work HERE) gave me thousands of bronze jump rings a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to think up something to do with them ever since. Rose makes some beautiful chainmaille pieces in her store, and chainmaille also happens to be an excellent way to use up lots and lots of jump rings! But my style is a little bit "messier"--I really wanted to make something funky, that was also neutral enough for every day.

And this is what I came up with! This necklace took forever to make the first time I did it--I ended up making a second one the next day, and I got my time down to 90 minutes that time. A "quick" project it is not, but I think it's really beautiful, and I also think I will be keeping one for myself! This necklace has been made in mixed metals--bronze as well as copper, but now I am expanding my jump ring horizons. I really want to make a silver version, and maybe even a gold one too. I did end up with a huge, fat blister on one of my fingers from all the opening and closing of jump rings, but it was totally worth it. Just the price you pay for jewelry sometimes!

A Very Good Day

Today something exciting happened--I made a brand new gemstone necklace at my store today, put it out for sale on a display bust, and sold it less than twenty minutes later. That is officially the fastest that I have ever sold a new piece! It was the first thing--and my favorite thing--that I sold at the store all day. I was, of course, very excited to sell the necklace, but I was also a little bit sad that I didn't get to have very much time with it. And, I never got to take it home to properly photograph either!

I did at least manage to snap a quick picture before I wrapped the necklace up, which you can see here. You can't really see all the details, but you get an idea. It really was beautiful, if I do say so myself. And now, the necklace is on its way to Toronto with its lovely new owner. I hope she really enjoys it!!!

I'm also excited about something else today--I am happy to announce that my mother and I are going to be collaborating on an Imprint By Eileen 2012 holiday line! My mom is a super talented, creative, artistic person, and I can't wait to work with her on this. She is also very talented with textiles, and I feel very confident that together, we will create a beautiful line of products. The line will be available starting on Black Friday--online, as well as in my store. We will be starting work on some samples next week, so more news (and pictures!) will be coming very soon. I can't wait!! Have a good weekend everyone!!

Family Time

I just got back from a visit to North Carolina, where my parents, brother, and sister live. I flew down late Sunday night after work, and I got home about an hour ago (just in time for work tomorrow!). It was a quick trip but a GREAT trip. I really needed some quality family time, and I am so happy (and impressed!) that we made it happen.

It was also a great opportunity for me to get away from NYC for a couple of days, and a chance to reexamine the stress I've been feeling lately around my business--especially my store. My wonderful dad spent many hours with me over the course of those three days helping me reevaluate my marketing plan and brainstorming some creative new options for my business. He helped me look at everything with fresh eyes--I got a major and much-needed perspective change, which I am very grateful for. I am so happy to have come back to the city tonight with lots of new ideas and excitement--the opposite, really, of how I was feeling last week. Things at my store haven't been working well lately for a variety of reasons, and because I spend so much time there, it can easily feel like the store is all that matters in the world and all that is important to my business.

But as my dad very rightly pointed out this week, that just isn't true. My business is online too, and there is plenty that I can do to make that part of my business better. I am going to be making lots of changes to my website this week, which I am excited to try (and excited for you to see!). I am also planning another look book shoot for sometime in the next two weeks, and I will actually be printing them this time (and even doing a mailing!). I am so glad to have these things on my mind now--things that have nothing to do with my store and how good or bad my sales numbers there are on any given day or week. I really do need to help myself take the pressure off all of these slow summer weeks, and I need to start getting myself ready (and excited!) for fall. I'm on my way!!

And finally: Thank you! Thank you so much to my wonderful family and my wonderful friends for everything you have done and everything you continue to do to help me on this journey. I've said it before & I'll say it again--a small business like mine just can't happen without the kind of ongoing, loving support that I am lucky enough to have in my life. So thank you. I really do know how lucky I am. And one day, I will find a way to pay it forward...