Lori Fowler Artisan Jewelry Blog

I survived the holiday madness!

lorifowler — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:14:45 +0000

Wow, this season was an unexpectedly busy time for me! Along with my etsy orders, I was swamped with custom orders from my 4 jewelry shows! My husband thinks I will soon saturate the market with my mother’s necklace. However, I told him that there are always new mothers out there.

Now that all the orders are fulfilled I will now focus on the dreaded tax preparation part of my business. Ugh! How much will Uncle Sam take? But I’m not complaining that I actually made a decent profit this year (compared to my first 3 years of claiming a “loss”).

I am working on a new product to debut in 2009. More on that later . . . .

You know you’ve been slacking when . . .

lorifowler — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:02:46 +0000

your husband tells you to get more jewelry up on your website. I know, I know. I have not been very good at adding new jewelry on www.lorifowler.etsy.com. The reality is I have been creating new pieces with some wonderfully cut gemstones that I found at the Bead and Button Show. But somehow I have not yet photographed them and downloaded them online. Sorry to all those loyal customers who browse through my webstore hoping to find something new, only to be disapppointed yet again. Well, here’s a few photos of some necklaces I recently made with one of my favorite green gemstones – Chrysophase. These pieces will be available at my jewelry party this Sunday at Karen’s home (Rockford, IL).

: Chrysophase on hammered sterling

Girls’ Night

lorifowler — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:49:11 +0000

Just back from my jewelry party in Rockford. This one was with a fun group of girlfriends eager to shop, drink, chat, and have tons of fun. Although the party was set up as an open house format, it was not the case. These gals came at the beginning and stayed for the entire duration – and then some! I had fun getting to know some of the girls and catching up with some high school acquiantances. Of course, the wine and Cherry Bomb was an added bonus, too! I also found it interesting to watch each gal’s jewelry selection unfold throughout the night. Lots of necklaces were mulled over, picked up and put down – only to be picked up again, and several were “fought” over. And what was great was how these friends gave their honest opinions and helped each other find the piece(s) of jewelry that speaks to their personality.

Thanks, Lisa and Carly for throwing a wonderful party! Now I need to get busy fulfilling all the custom orders, which I hope to mail by Wednesday. Back to the workbench I go!

Gearing up for the big Bead & Button Show

lorifowler — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:31:07 +0000

This weekend has finally arrived! The much anticipated Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee. This is the 2nd largest consumer bead show in the U.S. Many vendors will tempt me to buy more than I should. And past experience has proven that my will is not strong. I will break down & buy the beautiful faceted gemstones briolettes - only to hoard them for myself; safely hidden in my bead boxes. But I have become more knowledgeable about which types of beads I will actually transform into a creation. This year I am walking into the B&B Show with the goal of only purchasing beads that instantly inspire me. Yes, there are gemstones that immediately spark my creativity. I know exactly how I will use the bead the moment I lay my eyes on it. However, whether I can actually carry out my imagination is another story. Lately I find myself on my workbench less and less. Maybe it’s the nicer weather and the pending arrival of summer. But I am hoping that the B & B Show will get me back on the horse, so to speak. Now if I can only clear my table for the new beads I’m about to bring home! That’s another project in and of itself! (Above photo of my workbench courtesy of Proud To Introduce Photography – www.proudtointroduce.com)

New photo of Mother’s Necklaces

lorifowler — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:12:33 +0000

I am finally caught up with all my custom orders! Just in time for Mother’s Day! I’m very happy with how they all turned out. Here is a photo that shows the size differences among the 1, 2, and 3 name necklaces. What I love about this product is that I can easily add a disc to the necklace (for future offsprings). Again, e-mail me if you are interested in ordering one for you or someone else. I can send you a secure link to pay by credit card. Expect 2 weeks for receipt of your necklace.

NEW! Mother’s Necklace

lorifowler — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:49:21 +0000

Last month I successfully launched a new product: a customized MOTHER’S NECKLACE. This sterling silver jewelry features each child’s name handstamped on its very own sterling disc. The discs range from 0.75″ to 1.25″ in diameter, depending on the number of names. An open heart charm lovingly rests on top of the layered circles.

This was such a hit at my last jewelry party. I am currently working on fulfilling 16 orders! This product is currently not yet available on my etsy storefront, but will be soon. In the meantime, if you would like to purchase one of your own, post a comment and I’ll get back to you. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee it in time for Mother’s Day. Expect a 2 week turn around for an order. Prices are as follows:

1 name: $40

2 names: $50

3 names: $60

I can do more names if needed. The pendant diameter will increase a quarter of an inch for each name.

Shop for a cause!

lorifowler — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:11:22 +0000

My good friend from high school has a son, Ty, who was diagnosed with autism at 11 months. As you may know, autism is a neurological disorder that impairs the child’s social and mental skills. Kids with autism are characterized by their inability to interact in a social setting and often do self-stimulating behaviors. It’s as if they are in their own world. In order to bring them back into OUR world, extensive and costly therapies are needed at an early age. Unfortunately our nation’s health insurance companies do not cover these expenses, which puts a financial burden on the families. Ty is now five and has shown steady progress from his therapies. He is starting to communicate his needs with words, can write his name, reads and understands some written words, and occassionally makes eye contact. However, there is still more progress to be made.

This year we are doing a fundraiser to help offset the cost of Ty’s therapy programs. You can purchase Ty’s Hope Necklace (above photo) for just $30. 100% of the profits will benefit Ty! The sterling silver pendant is handstamped (by yours truly) and hangs from a sterling chain. A black silk version is also available for only $20. Both of these pieces are available on my etsy store (click the link on the side). What’s more, FREE SHIPPING is being offered for these necklaces, so there’s no excuse not to shop for a cause. You can be a “ray of hope” to Ty and his family! Buy a necklace today!

Assymetrical Beauty

lorifowler — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:27:50 +0000

If you look at jewelry offered at department stores you’ll notice that all of the designs are symmetrical. If there’s a bead on the left side, then the same bead is on the same spot on the right side. While there is nothing wrong with this design (many of my pieces are symmetrical), I think that there is more interest and beauty in designs that are assymetrical but still achieves a sense of overall balance. This “assymetrical balance” can be challenging to obtain. I know I spend more time pondering over my assymetrical necklaces so that it doesn’t lay or look off-kilter. But I am often thrilled with the results. The unexpected design lets others know that the piece of jewelry is unique and handcrafted (with love and care, of course).

Spring Fever!

lorifowler — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:39:37 +0000

This winter has been such a long one. I am dreaming of spring through my latest creations. I bought some wonderful Czech glass beads this past weekend and came up with a great color combination: bright pinks, grassy greens, sparkly cream, and warm brass. FYI, bright colors are the trend for the spring – not pastels. I recently wore some of these pieces with a green shirt. And you know what? It did brighten up my mood and made me dig out my winter white coat in lieu of my usual dark brown one. It goes to prove that a dose of color can change a person’s outlook, or at least make one pretend that spring is just around the corner. Wishful thinking….

Hello world!

lorifowler — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:15:46 +0000

I am new to this blogging world and am trying to take in all the technical language/procedures. This is an exciting day for me. This afternoon I not only started this weblog but also set up shop on etsy.com (see link on the sidebar). I am ready to take my jewelry business to another level and feel that this blog will welcome my customers into my creative world.

What can you expect from this blog? I will post pics of my latest creations, as well as some insight about the fashion industry. After all, jewelry design is tightly interconnected with clothing styles. Those who know me know that I love fashion and keep up to date with the latest trends. So I guess this will be a mix of jewelry and fashion.