Shop for Eilisain in Seattle at Ghost Gallery

Seattle holds a special place in my heart. I visited many years ago on a work trip and I loved the energy and vibe of Seattle. It’s so different from the East Coast cities.

Well fast forward or backwards to ten years ago when I just got started with Eilisain as a business I somehow became connected to Laurie Kearney (owner of Ghost gallery) through Etsy. Laurie and I worked together for about five years with my jewelry in her shop.

Eventually Laurie shifted her business model and still kept Ghost Gallery which is now a beautifully kept gallery and event space. Ghost Gallery is located on Capitol Hill and very cute neighborhood I used to stay when I’d go for work events.

Thus Laurie has been with Eilisain for over ten years and I love that fact and I love that Laurie has stayed committed to sharing and promoting independent artists across the country.

Next time you’re in Seattle I HIGHLY recommend you visit her gallery, you will NOT be disappointed!

I’m OBSESSED with the art work Laurie stocks at her gallery. Laurie has exquisite taste!

The classic owl talon ring which is currently stocked at Ghost Gallery.

How elegant and gorgeous is Ghost Gallery?!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you’d like to learn more about Eilisain and my stockists or get special offer codes, sign up for my email list below!

Featuring YOU and how you style your Eilisain Jewelry jewels

You, YOU are the reason I make my jewelry. To get you in touch with your badass side and to become closer to animals that inspire us.

Below are some new photos of you out and about wearing your Eilisain Jewels.

It was a complete surprise when I ran into this gorgeous lady out and about in Raleigh wearing her bird bone bracelet and Medea snake cuff. She looks so cute in her Santa cape too!

Kristen Hardee, is a G-Vegas local and she’s also an artist, student, mom and friend wearing her Hunted small double owl talon pendant in sterling silver.

Allison Goldfine, a magician in my eyes, this woman is a beautiful human being that is multifaceted. She’s also an artist, a hair stylist, model and multi dimensional human being. Allison is wearing the Keeper II turtle shell ring with garnets.

It truly makes my heart sing to see you wearing my creations. Thank you so much to all of you that love and support my small business. I love ya’ll!!

PS - Permission was granted to share these photos.

Would you like to win a FREE pair of owl talon earrings AND a double talon ring

Ya’ll know I love to celebrate, it’s my Libra moon but also the fact that I truly love gathering with my friends and family and laughing and sharing new memories.

So with that said I want to share in the celebrating with YOU. I’m giving away not one but TWO pieces of jewelry. You only have to do 5 things (that’s not much at all):

1. Sign up for Eilisain’s email list HERE

2. SHARE the IG post with the giveaway on your IG STORY

3. TAG 3 friends in the comments of the IG post

4. LIKE the post

5. FOLLOW Eilisain Jewelry on InstaGram

The winner will be announced on Friday, February 4th round 6am. The winner will be announced on Instagram and the winner will receive an email with confirmation for ring size and shipping address.

I can’t wait to announce the WINNER, maybe it’ll be YOU!

Ten years I've been in business, here's a look back

Ya’ll WHAT! WHAT & HOW have ten years in business gone by?! I remember, in 2012 sitting at my desk planning for what my business would look like in ten years and it felt so far away. Time is like that, a construct we create to manage life on earth. Okay I won’t get all esoteric but seriously!

So I’m going BIG on this anniversary because to be quite honest I’m in awe and surprised at myself. No one truly prepares you for what it’s like to go into business for yourself, it is BRUTAL. Being an entrepreneur means a mirror is held up at you at all times because there is no one but yourself to hold yourself responsible.

But it’s super rewarding and absolutely gratifying to be in the driver’s seat of your own destiny and business. And once my husband and I were ready to start our family, it became so seamless to raise our daughter while also running Eilisain, perhaps not ideal but I have truly loved being home with our daughter especially now.

With that said, here’s some photos of me back in 2013 at Art Avenue, trying to look SO boss! lol, what strikes me as funny is that I had ABSOLUTELY no clue what I was doing, just doing my best.

Anywho, let’s get back to the FUN part. Ten years ago I graduated from East Carolina University and promptly moved my jewelers bench to a co-op studio in Uptown Greenville, NC. It was one of the best experiences of my life, I never thought that I’d get to share the experience and support of beginning my business if it hadn’t be for Art Avenue. Because once Art Avenue closed in 2016 my husband and I moved into a house in which I could have my own studio.

Over the years I’ve been blessed to hire interns and assistants that helped me along the way. My second intern, Ashton is here with me in my small studio. It was tight and cozy and I loved it.

I want to go back a bit further though, back in 2007, when I was working full time in Washington, D.C. I DREAMED of this life I have now. I dreamed of a family and working in my studio creating and making. At that time, I was working a desk job and it was not suited for me. I got easily distracted and pretty much doodled jewelry designs in meetings.

My old bench in school at East Carolina University.

So when I look at my life here & now, I’m so GRATEFUL for the chance I took, for the risk. That’s what I want you to take away from my 10 year anniversary. YOU CAN FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, you just have to believe in them with every fiber of your being.

Badass bossbabe Kelly Boutilier wearing the Hunted badger claw pendant.

And let me say, that my journey is your journey, of discovery and curiosity and wonder for animals. Thank you for joining me on this journey. THANK YOU for supporting me, sharing Eilisain Jewelry, sharing YOUR story.

So if you live in the Greenville NC area, please come and celebrate with me. Safely of course, with masks and loads of hand sanitizer. Join me for a party of jewelry and badassery!

New stockist - The Sojourner Whole Earth Provisions

Holy cow I’m SO excited to say that Eilisain is now being carried by my favorite local witchy/pagan shop, The Sojourner Whole Earth Provisions!!!

I have shopped with Michelle since I moved to Greenville and it’s pretty awesome timing that Michelle just released a book!

If you live in the Greenville area, shopping at Sojo’s is a destination, her tarot stock has exploded, she has an array of ceremonial candles, crystals, books, and so much more. I never thought my jewelry would be stocked there but it is and it’s just such an honor.

You can also shop at Sojo’s online. Either way, I wanted to share this exciting news with you. If you have ANY suggestions on stock shops please let me know! You can email me at info@eilisanjewelry.com

Thank you as always for reading and following me on this journey.

You are a BIG blessing in this universe.

You Wore it Best...How Eilisain Customers Style Their Jewels

Here’s an update on how you style your Eilisain jewels. There were so many good ones from this holiday season (aka Halloween).

I really love seeing how you wear your jewels because it shows them in real life on REAL humans.

My friend Allison is dressed as the Goblin King (yesssss!) wearing her moonstone and badger claw pendant.

Below is my friend Rosie and her wild cat with the owl talon earrings. Rosie and I went to ECU together and she works with animals at home and work. She is such a badass.

My friend Katie is Medusa and how absolutely appropriate is it that she’s wearing several Medea pieces? Katie is a badass as well, she has gone thru the fire and back and I’m so lucky to call her a friend.

How fabulous is this lady and her red nails with the rose gold plated Hunted owl talon arch ring? It looks so good on her! I met this lady and the silver fox below in Norfolk at the New Moon Market last weekend. I always have such a good time when I do shows in Norfolk.

I truly LOVE photos of YOU in your jewels. You are a badass and you should show it off!

thank you as always for reading and popping on by!

How to shop intentionally...for the greater good

I was thinking about this several weeks ago as I was preparing to shop for birthday gifts. And how it may benefit YOU on how I shop intentionally.

BENEFITS for you to shopping intentionally:

• You create a stronger bond with your community

• You create a story of where the gift came from

• You save money & time

Okay so WHAT IS shopping intentionally? It’s exactly that, shopping with presence & love. Before you even step outside of your home, create a list. I do this with my morning coffee, or as I’m planning my day. I create a list of what I need and how I can use my errands or work trips to maximize my time.

YOUR TIME IS PRECIOUS - PLAN IT WISELY.

Grab a reusable shopping bag & your face mask, this saves you time, each other & the planet. Hit up your local weekly market or craft show. There are A TON of craft shows going on right now, especially as so many small businesses are ready to recoup lost sales from last year (I felt that hard).

Buying locally made products impacts your community on so many levels, but the biggest reason to support local is you tell your friend a story, where you got it, who made it. We really need this right now as the world has shown us through the pandemic how much we truly need each other.

Now I do understand many of you or some of you do not like big crowds, especially now, you can still shop VIRTUALLY, so many artists & entrepreneurs like myself are hosting virtual shopping experiences. Or just shop directly on their website..

I made a decision about two years ago to never shop on Amazon and it has been amazing and still SUPER EASY & CONVENTIENT for me to NOT support Amazon and their terrible working conditions.

Here’s the honest truth, we VOTE & support people with where we shop. For example refusing to purchase prodcuts with harmful ingredients, terrible working conditions enable us to be in control.

How to pick out the right chain length

This question may seem like a simple solution but it really does vary with what kind of necklace or pendant with regards to size and shape.

I decided that ya’ll may need a physical visual of the various chain lengths and what you wear ultimately determines your chain length. For example in this photo below I’m wearing a longer dress with a U shape neckline. I would wear the Third Eye pendant because it’s a larger pendant size and I want it to lay lower.

If i’m wearing a tshirt with a highter neckline I’ll wear a chain that is 22” as it lands right in the middle of my chest abit higher on the neck.

Below is my handy chart for viewing chain lengths on the body.

With the dress I’m wearing I’d prefer to wear a pendant lower on my chest with an 28’’chain.

I do want to say that nearly all of my chains are interchangeablle with any pendant. That way you can order various chain lengths too. My sterling silver 2.4 mm chains are the perfect size and shape for a large pendant. Each chain comes with a spring ring clasp and a small makers mark hallmark tag for authenticity.

I hope my charts help you determine your chain length. And don’t hesitate to reach out for anymore questions (info@eilisainjewelry.com)

My Favorite Small Businesses To Support

Ya’ll know I LOVE to support my fellow makers & shakers cause they’re amazing and we’re in this together! So here is a short list of my new obsessions, and I know each of these personally.

Here’s a quick link list, from above to click on.

The Magick Makers - Erin, the owner is just so talented and amazing. Her creations smell and look amazing.

Velvet Witch - Do you see a theme here? magic + handmade = amazement. Ashley owns Velvet witch and I LOVE everything she stocks in her store.

True Love Crystals - Another theme here, crystals! I ordered a gorgeous labradorite orb from this shop and it helps me to channel my inner teacher. Grab crystals here for your favorite gem obsessed friend.

Heart + Wood Co. - My dear friend Amanda and her husband run this handmade wood products shop and it’s so fun and represents so much of Southern North Carolina.

This season, every year and ESPECIALLY this year please support small businesses, so many families and individuals depend on their shops to keep their household running, myself included.

And thank you as always for popping by and reading. If you want more information like this please sign up for my divinely powerful e-list and you’ll get updates and news about offers, events and more. Click below to sign up my friends.

La Luna Gift Box

Yes BOX gifts are all the rage and I can honestly say I understand why, because you get a fun box full of tiny treasures that you can keep for yourself AND gift some of the box treasures.

Several years ago I purchased a gift box from my fellow maker, Priya Means Love, and it contained wonderful creams and lotions. It made the perfect gift for my close friend.

And so as I was brainstorming gift ideas for you, a giant LIGHTBULB appeared above my head. A Moon inspired gift box. Because as you know I’ve been connecting with the moon phases and this box celebrates the intention and tranquility of syncing ourselves with the moon.

In this gift box are magical tools:

• A round luminous moonstone orb, large enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

• Herkimer earring studs, these will help open your third eye chakra

• A rose sage and lavender cleansing bundle that will last you months

• A silver polishing cloth, to maintain all your favorite Eilisain Jewels

Also a suggestion here, you can use this gift box to cover small gifts for your friends and family, give the sage and lavender wand to that one friend that needs some calm and clarity, or the earrings to gift your mom, they may not be real diamonds, but herkimers are the next BEST thing, and keep the polishing cloth for yourself then use the magical moonstone orb as a touchstone for when you want to open up your crown chakra.

I wanted this gift box to reflect complete intention and sacredness to your life.

Who Doesn't Love a Holiday Gift with Purchase?

I can distinctly recall the memory as a preteen rummaging through my mother’s Clinique gifts with purchase, alipstick or a face cream. She always gave me a little something and I loved it!

And just akin to the joy of a free gift, this year I wanted to try something new, offering you that same feeling, an additional token of generosity. See the wonderful part of gifts with purchase is that you’re taking care of yourself and getting a little something something to gift to someone else. I know that when I go holiday shopping, most of the time I find gifts for myself and with a gift with purchase you cover all the bases!

You guys, these little cloths are a life saver when you need to add that extra shine to your jewels.

Sage and lavender bring a wonderful sense of calm to your life. Why not pass it along? This is a $17 bonus gift!

Now we’re talking, super glam and healing herkimer stud earrings, a sage and lavender with a crystal cleansing wand AND a polishing cloth. This one is fantastic!

Now is the time to get your holiday shopping done, and from the comfort of your own home. Gifting a loved one a handmade piece of jewelry is entirely sentimental and so special. I always recommend purchasing a necklace as a gift because it’s unisex and typically easy for anyone to wear - you don’t need a ring size!

Momboss Journey Update

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve updated you on my momboss journey and I’m in a whole new phase of raising our daughter. She is in the TODDLER phase and if you’ve ever been around a toddler, you know it is no joke!

Tallulah is now 2.5 years old, she will be in 3 years old in March and it’s quite incredible and exhausting watching her grow. When you think about all the parts of life that they are learning, you kinda understand why they have so many tantrums and meltdowns. Like, it’s really hard to learn how to put on a dang sock?!

I had a revelation the other day that her journey is a major challenge and growth for me as well, it’s test to see how much patience and extreme understanding on my part. For example, you have to know ahead of time that wherever you take a toddler, you won’t be there long OR whatever activity you do it’ll last at the most 10 minutes. And that’s really hard because as an adult you want to enjoy the time and not have to leave every time toddlers get bored.

I love being a role model for my daughter, she is so inquisitive and loves being in the studio with me.

Meanwhile, this time of year, October through December are my busy months due to holiday shopping and I need more time than ever in my studio. I’ve been fortunate to befriend a nanny in town and I can hire her for one day a week to watch Tallulah, this is immense! Imagine that you run a business while also watching a child full time - it’s an extreme juggling act.

This made me think, how is it that raising a child and running a business are similar and how can I use my stay at home/work from home status as an advantage?

1. Always be prepared - Answer your clients questions before they are asked = know what your child wants before she wants it. case in point, my daughter and I are out for a bike ride, I bring water and snacks with us, ‘cause I know she’ll be thirsty and hungry. Customer needs their ring size or necklace length, I provide you with charts to make it easy. BOOM!

2. Exceed their expectations - I’d like to think that I’ve got this part, but I’m still working on it. With my customers I try to go above and beyond what they’d expect when their order arrives, a small gift of lavender and sage bundle with a polishing cloth to help protect and maintain their jewelry. With Tallulah, I do the same but in a different way. I ensure my daughter has a surprise daily, whether it’s some candy or a trip to the thrift store where she can pick out a very thrifty present.

3. Plan for the future - Running a small business or any business really means forecasting and planning in my calendar for holidays and Full moons so that I can provide information to my customers and also offers and sales. With Tallulah, we’re already scheduling her preschool and doctor appointments. You see how Mom’s already make excellent business women right?

4. Making community connections - I can’t say it enough how much our lives have improved by making mom friends in our small and tight knit town. I was able to bond with other moms and share stories AND good schools and programs for Tallulah. In addition, my skill at talking has created bonds for my jewelry business and friendships.

5. Good intuition pays off - Again in both aspects, small business and raising a toddler, I just have a good gut for when my daughter needs me and what changes I need to make in my business. I just knew that if I quite my part time job three years ago I could more than double my earning working those days on my business, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Along with knowing when my daughter is about to go no. 2 helps!

Ironically enough when I was updating this post I was listening to a podcast about how women often times make better business women than men and I gotta say I couldn’t agree more. Being a mom has honestly helped me hone my instincts and work ethic so much and I’m amazed at this because years ago I was quite petrified of being a mom and somehow trying to manage a business but as the saying often goes, life tends to know what you can and can’t handle.

I hope that perhaps these points will give you pause to consider creating a family OR perhaps tapping into that mom energy and using it for your own life.

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Get Ready, 'Cause the Holidays are Coming!

So we’ve already got our Halloween decorations out and we’re sipping pumpkin spiced latte - we’re all ready for the weather to cool off so we can bust out the long sleeve pajamas.

Along with that we’re marking our calendars because there are some amazing craft shows coming up. The longer I participate in local handmade shows the more I love shopping for my loved ones at the shows. And I’m participating in several new shows this season.

LIke CraftedVA in Norfolk, Virginia, it’ll be held at O’Connor Craft Brewery on Saturday, October 12th.

I’m also doing the femme empowered Girl Tribe show in Charlotte, NC December 14th &15th.

There are so many great vendors at these shows, ones that are local to the south. These shows are kid friendly and are just a fun outing for the whole family. Did you know when you spend money on locally made products 110% goes back into your community? It’s a win-win situation!

I hope to see you at any of these events - be on the lookout (those on my email list) you’ll be getting a postcard in the mail. And if you aren’t on my list, sign up today!

10 Reasons Why I Love Greenville, NC

Image from my Bast Collection photoshoot at the Tar River in Uptown Greenville.

I have a confession to make, when I moved from a bustling, cultural city like Washington, D.C. to a small college city, Greenville in eastern North Carolina, I was convinced I’d leave after my four years at ECU.

I’m a former Army brat and I was used to moving and I love being around international people and the traps of big city life. But something interesting happened, I grew to like Greenville and even more so I grew to LOVE the community and friends I made here. I swore up and down to my friends that I was leaving after graduation and moving overseas for a residency or something. However, my story turned right around when I met my husband during my last year in school. In addition to meeting my husband I had a perfect opportunity to move into Art Avenue in 2013 with several other friends and classmates from ECU.

Mural wall in Uptwon Greenville

Within the span of ten years of living in Greenville and now Farmville, my love for Greenville and for Eastern Carolina to has grown so much. Because as I said moving around so much, I found that when I settled here I realized that I was actually longing to grow roots and stay put for awhile.

So with that said, I felt I had to share some of the reasons why I love Greenville, (I won’t lie that I do miss the big city immensely tho).

1. The Art Community - It should be no surprise that it’s the major reason I love Gvegas (how’d we get that nickname btw?). We’re a tight knit community. On any given day, you can find my dear friend Sim Asher (photographer, teacher & more) or Jonathan Bowling (sculptor) sharing their artwork or beginning new projects around town or Holly Garriott of the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge organizing another successful community arts project like the Vincent Li mural at the corner of Evans and 5th street in Uptown Greenville. There is just SO much talent in Greenville. My dear friend Kelly Boutilier opened up Moxie Pop, a gallery and pop up shop location specifically to highlight and expose the rich community of artists, musicians and creatives. There is NO shortage of amazing creative talent in Greenville and Pitt County itself.

2. The Tar River & Town Commons - There is always some kind of fun & FREE event going on at the Greenville ampitheater, we love going to the Sundays on the Park events with free live music and food trucks. Or we take Tallulah to the childrens playground & park. The Tar river runs through Greenville and Pitt County and there are tons of treasures to be found, shark teeth, fishing and a gorgeous walk way. Again, Kelly Boutilier also teaches yoga on paddle boards on the Tar River - oh and btw Kelly also helps run Starlight Cafe as well!

3. Christy’s Europup - Okay I know it’s a bit of an odd thing to put a pub on this list however there are SO many special memories I have of ‘Crusty’s’ as my friend affectionately calls our local pub. The food is always good, the people are the BEST and the atmosphere is like Cheers, seriously, people know and remember name there! And it is the place I met my husband. They also have live music and open mic night.

4. Starlight Cafe - Ha! Can you tell I love food & drinking? More beautiful and fond memories made at my favorite restaurant. Just like Christy’s, when I walk into Starlight it’s like a second home, they know my name and my favorite drink. AND it’s where my husband and I got married so there’s that major reason. But if you’re looking for gourmet cuisine and fine dining this is where you want to go.

5. School of Art & Design at ECU - I mean this is the main reason I came to Greenville to get a degree in jewelry and metal design. The art school has serious talent and though the art building itself is crumbling a bit, the professors & programs they offer are stellar. If you’re an art student looking to learn from world renowned artists and professors then East Carolina University SOAD is where you want to go. The jewelry & metals department has the best professors, when I came I knew that I would get instruction from a wide range of talent and knowledge.

6. The People - I’d say that I have a pretty good understanding of people & places considering I’ve lived in 3 continents and traveled through North & South America, and overall I’ve felt so welcomed and humbled by the generous people I’ve met here. Here’s an example of how generous people are here, when our current President came for one of his ‘rallies’, my favorite breakfast spot The Scullery made national news when they donated a days worth of income (over $5K) to an immigration nonprofit. And an op-ed was published in our newspaper condemning the xenophobic statements made at the rally, stating that Greenville is a diverse and welcoming city. Another example, I was at the Umbrella Market and a friend of mine just met newcomers to Greenville and she introduced me to them so that we could take about the art scene. Hows that for a welcome mat?

7. First Friday ArtWalk - I think this is probably one of my absolute favorite traditions of the month and Uptown Greenville. Back when I had a studio at Art Avenue, we held all sorts of events that landed on the art walk evenings. We held music shows, exhibitions, fashion shows, poetry slam and more. This is where small town culture & art have a major impact on business and exposure. You really get a sense of what Greenville is all about when you walk through town on First Fridays and absorb incredible art and talent.

8. Proximity - Think about it, you’re roughly 2 hours away from amazing beaches, OBX, Atlantic beach and so on. You’re also about an hours drive from other beautiful towns and cities like Wilson, Farmville, Kinston, Belhaven and Bath - all perfect getaways for the weekend. I never would’ve known about these fun adventures had I not lived in Greenville.

9. Dickinson Avenue - If anything has truly evolved and changed it’s this street that used to be super sketchy and mainly the only reason to go was Jonathon Bowling’s epic parties. Now you can choose from a handful of delicious restaurants, throw axes, visit several breweries, shop and pop into an art studio, The Art Lab.

10. The Wildlife and animals - So this last one isn’t specific to just Greenville, it’s more of Eastern North Carolina. Until I moved to Greenville, I had never shot a gun, tasted deer meat, let alone seen a wild bear. I made friends that went hunting, lived on farm land and had that experience of being out in the wild. Now I’m so much more familiar and I love being that close to nature. My jewelry is made by all of the beautiful animals of eastern North Carolina, the barn owl, bear claw, deer antler, sea shells, and so much more.

The ECU metals Guild from 2010, some serious talent in this photo!

One Halloween night at Christy’s Europup.

An image from the Bast Collection shot at the Tar River by Aileen Devlin.

Our wedding in the Starlight Cafe courtyard.

Living in Greenville and traveling and visiting the places of Eastern North Carolina has broadened my concept of community, it has opened my eyes to so much more than the usual offerings of a city. I tell many of my friends back in the DC metro area that it would’ve been so much harder to get my jewelry company off the ground in a bigger city but in Greenville, I was able to grow and expand my business.

Also the cost of living in a smaller city is so much more manageable. You can eat out more, spend your money on local art & culture, and maintain a art studio outside of the home.

I hope this gives you more reasons to visit and stay in Greenville. If you want more of this kind of knowledge and tips on everyday living, sign up for my email list below. Thanks as always for reading friends!