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gdesign is one year old as of August 8! What a year this has been! I started the company on 08-08-2008, a lucky number according to the Chinese, with some lottery money I had won. Double lucky! And that was a good idea. This last year has exceeded my expectations!
I found support, great ideas, new things to think about and new contacts everywhere. From the charities I supported to the customers I made jewelry for, it has been a whirlwind of new people and ideas. I welcome them all.
This next year proves to be even better. I am actively expanding the gdesign community. The Birthday Contest will increase the mailing list. I am up on Twitter now. And Facebook. Still learning about those. I am advertising in some local magazines. All designed to increase gdesign's outreach.
This next year will be even better. I have a fantastic fall collection with lots of sparkles coming along, many new marketing ideas, and new shows to attend. Hope to see you at one of them. Here's to year 2!
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It's been a long time in the making, but I am proud to announce my very first Spring/Summer Collection. This is what I have been working on for over a year. Many of the trios and duos I first made for myself in completely different forms and then I perfected them for you in the Spring/Summer Collection.
The Deep Blue Sea trio came about from my first foray into making glass beads. The bubble beads were designed expressly to go with those beautiful cloisenne fish. The Flora and Fauna first took shape as a gardener's bracelet with pewter charms until I found those wonderful jade leaves and Hill Tribe Silver charms.
The Silver Lining trio came about from a random purchase of a package of assorted glass beads and my observations of stormy, summer skies last year. I thought I could combine the glass and stones to take you from the dark storm clouds to the blue sky afterwards.
I have truly enjoyed bringing this collection to life. I hope you enjoy wearing it.
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2009 is going to be a tough year. Every day we see more headlines about massive layoffs. My heart goes out to those who were employed yesterday and laid off today. But even in these times, we need to be diligent about helping others. Those who depend on our generosity still need help...perhaps even more so in these turbulent times. gdesign has an active program of giving back. See the giving back page.
The most recent contribution was a Hearts in Motion bracelet duo to the 13th Annual New Hampshire Gala for the American Heart Association silent auction. They are doing wonderful work and they deserve your support. If you have a charitable event that you think would benefit from a gdesign donation, please don’t hesitate to contact me at:
info@gdesignontheweb.com
Together, we can hopefully create a better world.
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This isn't the first time I have sold things that I designed. I got started at the tender age of 10 designing mice finger puppets. I saw an article in my mom's Family Circle magazine that described how to make them out of gray felt and discarded toilet paper tubes. I made one and thought it was cute. A friend of my mom's saw it and said I should customize them with the local high school colors and make cheerleaders out of them and...(gasp!) sell them.
I did! And that started my first design venture. I sold them at a local handicraft store in my hometown, called The Henhouse. They were an instant hit and I made all sorts of them in various configurations...a bit like the Vermont Teddy Bears that you can customize nowadays.
I designed more things but the mice were the biggest seller. I learned many things about business and customers and inventory and deadlines back then. All at 10 years old! Served me well my entire life.
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Happy 2009!!! I hope you are anticipating great things in 2009 and that this is your best year ever.
We are all putting 2008 behind us at this point and looking toward the future. This is the time of year that we think about achievements in the past year and what we want to accomplish in the coming year. I have a number of goals I would like to accomplish. The first is to launch my 2009 Spring/Summer collection. I am working on it feverishly now and can't wait to show everyone.
Of course, I have some personal goals...getting healthier and fitter rank right up there. So to help me stay on track, I designed the Follow Your Dreams bracelet duo. It has 2 affirmation rings. The Dream ring reminds me of the things I want to accomplish and the Strength ring helps me stay the course when I am tempted to make unhealthy choices. (ie pick the salad instead of the fries with the burger).
I hope you are looking forward to 2009 and perhaps the New Year, New You bracelet duo will help you realize your dreams.
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Starting in the new year, I will be sending newsletters out monthly. Of course, there will be news about what’s happening at gdesign, new trios and duos available, and events where gdesign will be showing.
There will be a regular section on gemstones and precious metals…where they are mined, how they got their names, what they look like, what they are best used in. For example, did you know that Lapis lazuli has been mined in Afghanistan for 6,500 years, and trade in the stone is ancient enough for lapis jewelry to have been found at Egyptian burial sites? Later, it was ground into powder and used to make ultramarine blue paint. Who knew?
I want to include tips about wearing jewelry as well…which kinds of necklaces go best with v-neck sweaters, what are the coming trends for spring, what kinds of jewelry are best for larger women, what earrings work best with classic pearls, etc.
And of course there will be a section to answer questions from you! Ask me whatever you want. Hopefully I can answer it. Email info@gdesignontheweb.com to get your question in or to add your name to the list. I would love to hear from you.
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gdesign features Spring/Summer and Fall/Holiday collections each year. Each collection has around 9 trios and duos with common themes much like a fashion designer’s collection. I was inspired by Project Runway (I have seen every season!) and liked the idea of a collection that hangs together around a design point of view. The spring collection will be out the first of March. Email me at info@gdesignontheweb.com to get on the sneak preview mailing list.
Of course the flip side of working with collections is that while the world is abuzz with Christmas holidays and reds and greens, I am thinking of summer and sun and blues and aquas. Well, I guess that isn’t all that bad. <grin>
Each collection has limited editions of the trios and duos. The 2009 Spring/Summer collection will feature 3-5 of each trio or duo. I like the idea of unique and exclusive jewelry and limiting the numbers keeps it special so you won’t go to a party or special event and see the same jewelry you are wearing on someone else!
So why the duos and trios? Finding matching earrings or a matching bracelet has always been a pet peeve of mine. If you like jewelry and want to complete an outfit with it, having the complimentary earrings or the matching bracelet makes it so much better. My customers mix and match all the gdesign pieces with others in their own personal collections but when worn together the duos are trios are stunning and complement one another…because I design them that way!
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Welcome to gdesign! After much encouragement from friends, I decided to share my passion for beautiful jewelry with the world. I am focusing on glass, metal and stone because those are the things I love. I get inspiration from the various stones that mother nature has decided to bless us with…lapis, carnelian, jade, turquoise, agate, serpentine, iolite, citrine…what a myriad of colors and textures! Metal wire and beads are perfect complements to the stones and I am working on some original gdesign ways of working with wire. More about that later.
But glass is my true passion. Ever since I set foot in a flameworking studio, I knew the path would lead to more than just a hobby for myself. Making glass beads and pendants is one of the most fun things I have ever done. Seeing the tip of the glass rod glowing at 2000 degrees, working it on the mandrel, and creating a new work of art each time is inspiring every time I do it. I have come up with some interesting things that I hope you like as well.
I would love to hear from you. You can email me anytime at info@gdesignontheweb.com. Feel free to ask questions, tell me your stories, or make suggestions. I will be updating this blog regularly so it will include things from everyone. Look forward to hearing from you!
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