Two-timing design
Today is the first day of a “regular” job that I have had in more than 2 years and I approach the task with the determination and apprehension of a skilled rock climber. The idea of an 8:00 – 5:00-ish gig feels as large as Mt. Everest. While the opportunity of working in an environment filled with team-minded people is appealing, I am somewhat sad to think that my hap hazard design mind will be quieted for 8 or more hours while exposed to this new environment.
Maybe this explains why I have been sketching new design concepts on everything from junk mail envelopes to the white margins of the latest People magazine.
While my days will be spent with suits and strategies, my evenings will still be devoted to brides and bling. This just might just be the balance that my creative mind seeks.
Now, back to work…but you can bet I’m going in with fabulous jewelry!
Second time around
Today’s challenge is to restring a strand of pearls. This to me is such a neat project; especially since it is a strand of vintage pearls that a grandmother is giving to her granddaughter as a wedding gift.
The pearls look to be from the 1950′s or so and have a beautiful glow. I’m not sure if the luster is truly from the pearls or the love that is surrounding these gems.
Just recently I had a similar experience with a strand of pearls of my own. This strand is a strand that was given to me when I was in high school. I hate to admit the year of this “gift” but let’s just say that Izod alligators were infesting the student population on polo shirts and sweaters. Viva la 80′s – oops, secret’s out now…
My pearls lived a hard and carefree life in high school. That was way before I realized that I should treat the strand with respect and care so that they would last long enough to be passed down. Remarkably, they did make it through the rowdy years and have been living in my jewelry box waiting to make their return engagement. It was only after pulling them from solitary confinement that I remembered that my grandmother had taken on the task of re-knotting them for me after one mishap. Her choice of stringing material was none other than waxed dental floss. I remember her showing me how to carefully slip the knot up to the pearl and struggle as she did when it didn’t exactly land where she had hoped.
I have been a practicing “knot-er” for a few years and have worked hard to perfect my craft. Not a time or knot goes by that I don’t think about my grandmother and her dedication to that project. So it is with love and nostalgia that I tackle this necklace for a customer. I hope her memories of this gift are as heartfelt as mine.
Joy and crystals
Well, this was a first…I made the MOB (Mother of the Bride) cry today. Before you tune out and think, “How dare she!” with an indignant scoff, let me explain….
I met a lovely woman during a slow February night when the mall was about to close. She apologized profusely as she said “I NEVER stop at kiosks” but was intrigued by our bridal collections. You see, she was a wedding coordinator and now taking on the new role as Mother of the Bride. As she took my card with promises of returning the next weekend with her daughter, I thought that we had a 50/50 chance of seeing her as a customer.
Fast forward to Saturday night about an hour before closing when my harried MOB returned as promised with the bride and the maid of honor in tow. We pulled swatches and samples and crystals and pearls from the vast supply drawers of my petite boutique until we had be-jeweled the entire bridal party. The family dynamic was such a warm and inviting experience for me that I couldn’t help being drawn into the excitement of the pending nuptials. We parted that night and I let them know that their order would be completed within two weeks.
After phone calls and arranging calendars, we were finally able to meet this morning. It is a beautiful spring day in Nashville today. Crisp, clean air, blue skies and abundant sunshine…picture perfect. I thought about the bride and her mother as I drove to meet them with their order carefully wrapped. It is such a special feeling to be invited as a small part in someone’s wedding. My jewelry will be in photos for all to see and to me, that is an honor that defies words.
As I walked up to greet the bride and her mother, I was met with heartfelt hugs that one reserves for close friends and I was hooked. These two women had such joy in their hearts that it was one of those overwhelming moments that can only be described as all-consuming happiness. Bear in mind…I’m designing JEWELRY! After getting caught up on the latest details, it was my turn to share the love…
I carefully wrap all of the jewelry in delicate pouches that are gift-worthy regardless of the purchase. My big thing is to make even a paperclip look effortlessly elegant! Another one of the signature touches I like to add revolves around the bridal tradition of wearing “something blue”. How many weddings have we all sat through as the groom hunts and pecks his way through miles of tulle and lace in search of the coveted blue garter? I say ICK and started a new blue tradition with my designs. On each necklace, I add a tiny, almost microscopic, light blue crystal to the design to account for the “something blue” tradition. Simple, yet elegant…
We looked and inspected the custom jewelry for the bridal party and the maid of honor before unveiling (pun intended) the bride’s jewelry. The bride was full of excitement as she carefully tried on her earrings and then reached for her necklace. As her mother helped her put on her necklace, the sunlight caught the blue crystal and there it was… the moment I made the Mother of the Bride cry. With true and honest tears of joy in her eyes, she hugged me as the words were caught in up in emotion. I couldn’t ask for a compliment bigger than that.
The Tennessean mentions Mad Dash Design Co.
It has been an exciting day for our petite boutique. One of our brides had a wonderful article written about her beautiful wedding in the January 17th issue of The Tennessean newspaper, Nashville’s source for the printed word. What made this even more special for Mad Dash Design Co. was the mention of her necklace that she made herself at our store.
As the late Paul Harvey would often say, “and now, the rest of the story”…
I met Meagan at my first bridal fair in Nashville. She and her maid of honor stopped and chatted about her wedding and creating the perfect necklace for her dress. As we began to talk, I happened to mention that we would love to host a bridal brunch where all of the bridesmaids could sip mimosas and make their jewelry. Meagan and her wedding party jumped at the idea. We had a wonderful time as Meagan and her bridesmaids made jewelry and talked about the upcoming ceremony. This was in October and as I left, I thought how special it was that our jewelry would be part of her wedding memories.
Fast forward to February and another one of our good customers came to the mall to make a purchase. As we were catching up of life’s events from the holidays, she congratulated us on the mention in the newspaper. It caught us by complete surprise but what a wonderful gift.
We have felt that in addition to making jewelry, we are also making a contribution to the wedding memory; one pearl at a time.
The alure of Sterling Silver
For awhile now, I have been quite smitten with sterling. I thought that .925 was amazing unless you were going for the gold…literally. Well, I’ve found a new passion – Hill Tribe Silver. The handmade aspect of beads and clasps is something to treasure. And while the rustic nature of some of the beads and findings may not be to everyone’s liking, there is something inspiring to see the passion that has been handed down through generations of silversmiths.
Our website has started to grow again. Our wedding jewelry has seen a dramatic increase in products. Many of these designs feature…silver. Oooh, silver…
Brides…they are the best!
Freshwater Pearl Necklace
We have had the very good fortune to work with some of the best brides in creating custom designed jewelry for them or for their wedding party. What could be happier than to see the light in a woman’s eye as she dreams about her special day? It is such an honor knowing that we play a small part in that important event.
For me, it is even more exciting because it gives me a chance to talk about pearls. White, cream, gray, silver, coin, potato, rice, dancing…oooh I do love these sea gems.
Fall already??
It’s hard to believe that it’s September. What happened to summer? I had grand plans of pool sitting by day and jewelry design by night. It sounded so calm and controlled. Now I’m faced with a less than stellar tan but some fabulous jewelry designs.
I can’t put my finger on what I love about this most. Is it the thrill of the hunt for the perfect stone, crystal or bead? Is it the anticipation of designing with a new strand? Is it being the first to wear the finished product? Yes, yes and yes! I had the good fortune to fall head over heels into some fabulous rough cut rubies this weekend. Real, red and sparkly – what more could a girl ask for? They are truly a luxury beyond any I have had in the bead world.
What makes a “good” ruby can be very subjective. There is the standard that gemologists follow for cutting the perfect stone and then there is the organic quality that I have come to appreciate. While my rubies are far from gem quality, they are no less beautiful to me than the perfectly cut stones I see at the local jewelers. It is said that one who owns a ruby will find contentment and peace. I think I’ll practice finding my contentment with this new addition to the collection tonight.
Pearls…
I do love pearls – in every shape, size and color. Recently I attended a bead show and found amazing coin pearls that were the size of quarters – oooh la la! I knew the customers that I have been working with will love these and purchased all that the vendor had. Now I’m dreaming of designs that will showcase these beauties.
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