Isabel Designs » Artisan Jewelry

Taking Our Show on the Road!

Nancy — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:29:41 +0000

Isabel Designs festival booth

This past weekend, Isabel Designs found herself exhibiting in Marlbank, Ontario at the Red Roof Women’s Festival. Our booth was made of things old, new, borrowed and blue. Not that we were headed to the alter, but it was the first time we took Isabel on the road, and our little store actually did contain all of these things. We had old drawers for shelves, an old screen door, and a well loved trellis for flaunting our wares. We borrowed a table from Dad and covered it with a blue tablecloth. A fancy banner, made by Noella, hanging under the canopy constituted our something new. All in all, I think we looked like seasoned experts – even if I do say so myself!

Sue and I had been – not so secretly – working on a few new products to introduce at the festival. After about an hour of selling, we realized we should have produced more pieces, so thank goodness we brought our tools and supplies with us! We even made custom jewelry and gifts on the spot for a few customers! To say that we were surprised and delighted by the reception we received over the weekend would be an understatement.

Thank you to all our new customers for supporting our work and Ovarian Cancer Research. And thank you to the Red Roof Festival organizers for putting on such a great event! (I was also a performer at the festival and had a blast sharing the stage with so many talented women. See my facebook for photos).

As soon as I catch my breath, I’ll be updating the website with new jewelry and gifts. For now, I’ll leave you with photos of our weekend and a peak at our new products: SunDrops TM, Heart Catchers TM, and Garden Whispers TM.

SunDrops TM

Heart Catchers TM

Garden Whispers TM

Eileen, Nancy & Chris on stage

Great crowd & amazing sunshine all weekend

Summertime Fairs and Festivals

Nancy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:22:14 +0000

Every town or city, big or small, has something to celebrate. One of the great things about summer is the number of festivals and fairs being held all over North America. I have fond memories of cotton candy and ferris wheels at the ‘Newington Fair‘ as a youngster. This annual agricultural event, held on Labour Day weekend, marked both the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year for me and my siblings, and we looked forward to meeting up with our cousins for a day of fun.

The Williamstown Fair, the oldest fair in the province of Ontario, is perhaps still my favourite of all time. It has thrill rides and great food, along with terrific entertainment (I have performed on the ‘Centre Stage’ many times), horse shows, antique machinery & car displays, highland dancing and caber tossing, and so much more. The vendors are always top notch – especially the Sign It Signs & Design booth where you’ll always see carving and painting demonstrations, and even get to try some of the techniques yourself!

Nancy Performs at RRWF

This year I’m being introduced to a new weekend event – The Red Roof Women’s Festival. I’ll be performing there on Sunday, July 19th along with other songwriters and performers who will be taking the stage all weekend. My sister-in-law Eileen will be accompanying me on viola for a few tunes too. And Isabel Designs will be setting up a booth! We’ve signed on to be vendors all weekend, bringing our creations ‘off-line’ so to speak. Maybe I’ll see you there! (You can hear some of my songs and get more info about my music here).

Another festival not to be missed in Eastern Ontario is Cornwall’s Lift Off Balloon Festival. The line up this year is incredible, including Amanda Marshall as the headliner, and my good friend Graham Greer as the opening act for her.

There’s no excuse to stay home this summer. Get out and experience the local flavours of festivals and fairs in your neighbourhood!

The Thrill of the Hunt!

Sue — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:21:22 +0000

A number of years ago, I was introduced to the “auction” when a neighbouring craft and gift shop went out of business and sold all of it’s contents. I still remember the excitement of winning the bid on a ‘job lot’ (which is auction lingo for a box filled with miscellaneous stuff, kind of like an adult surprise bag ). With a friend, we quickly decided that this was an experience we wanted to repeat. That summer we found a few auctions to attend and enjoy together. There was one particularly disappointing day, where after waiting for hours and hours, the items we were interested in sold to a bidder willing to pay more than we were. On our way home, we noticed a sign for a yard sale and stopped in. It was the end of the afternoon, and I now know (being more yard-sale savvy) that the owner was tired and didn’t want to have to put his things back away. As we poked around at the contents on the tables, I found some cute wicker baskets and when I asked how much he was selling them for, he replied $.25 cents. I felt like the lady in the Ikea commercial… “Start the car!!” I thought for sure his wife would come out to yell at him and correct him on the price.

Each yard sale morning is spent wondering around the country side discovering unexpected treasures. Each experience has found one of us particularly excited about something we have found for an unbelievable price. I have honed my bartering skills, something I learned watching my Dad when I was little. Lately, I’ve been searching for old jewelry beads or parts that I can use in my creations.

I was bitten that afternoon by the yard sale bug. I have never since waited through a day at an auction. I have however, willingly and eagerly gotten up extra early on Saturday morning to venture into the thrill of the hunt.

A recent yard sale find!

Always Something New To Learn

Nancy — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:27:58 +0000

Over the winter I had the opportunity to take a jewelry making class. Yes, I already know how to make some jewelry, but there is a such a vast array of materials and techniques associated with this craft that a lesson or two here and there is essential. So Jewelry 101 taught me how to shape metals – silver, bronze and copper – using a jeweler’s saw with a tiny, delicate blade, along with files, grinders, and polishers. I also learned how to solder metals using a torch – the lesson here being that I love playing with fire!

Have you ever wondered how they get those beautiful textures in the metal jewelry you wear? Well I have…and now I know. There is a machine called a ‘rolling mill’ that looks a little like Mom’s old ringer-washing machine, except it’s a tad more sophisticated. I was able to create an impression of a feather, and imbed the profile of a guitar string in metal. Simply a remarkable tool that I enjoyed experimenting with.

There are aspects of every trade that are mysterious until you get a chance to ‘tour the studio’. Once the curtain is pulled back, it shines light on a plethora of possibilities. Down the road, I hope to implement some of this new knowledge into pieces for Isabel Design. For now I leave you with photos of two items I made in class: a guitar string ring, and a musical wave broach with a bezel setting.

Ocean Inspiration

Nancy — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:54:50 +0000

I love to work with my hands to create things I feel with my heart. Jewelry has been a relatively new ‘craft’ for me, especially the pieces that can be seen at Isabeldesigns.com. I first experimented with necklace making when I was on tour with my band and choir on the East Coast of Canada in 1998. Between gigs, we spent time at ‘Point Michaud Beach’ on Cape Breton Island. The shore was lined with ocean tossed stones; their beautiful colours and markings exposed as waves curled to shore and washed over them.

I left the beach that day with my pockets full of precious treasure. Treasures that were then fashioned into “Crossrocks”. I have since made over a hundred of these necklaces, and sold them at concerts and online for the next few years. They are still a popular gift for confirmations and other special spiritual occasions. I am always moved when I see someone wearing one, and they continue to remind me that no matter how small an object, or how tiny a deed, who we are and what we do matters.

Valentine Count Down

isabel — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:45:56 +0000

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the middle of January. Not that I’m complaining – I’ll be glad to see spring come. I don’t know if we inherited our intolerance for cold from our Mom or Dad, but all my siblings seem to be ‘fair weather’ residents. I’m already dreaming of the smell of melted snow and mud, the familiar song of the robin, and warm sunshine hatching freckles on my nose. Though we’re still a couple of solid months away from these things, we’re less than a month away from Valentine’s Day, and here at Isabel Design, we’re busy making preparations. Sue and I have been collecting precious stones, beads, crystals and charms which will inevitably find their way into our February catalogue. It’s a great way to pass the hours of a cold and snowy winter day, savouring warm thoughts of love for people in our lives.

The Inspiration for Isabel Designs

isabel — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:08:18 +0000

Susan and I are really excited to be working at this project together. Isabel Designs was born one afternoon while we were wire wrapping and beading. It was obvious we were having fun and really connecting so we thought we should do something to keep up the momentum. Anytime Sue and I get together we inevitably talk about Mom, so using her middle name to identify our business seemed appropriate. Now every bead we string and pendant we hang gets wrapped up with her energy. Oh yeh, and for every sale we make on the website, a portion of the sale will be donated to Ovarian Cancer Canada for research and the cure!

If you haven’t visited the website yet, please go to http://www.isabeldesigns.com – and tell your friends to do the same! In the meantime, here’s a little information about our jewelry:

Each piece of jewelry is individually handmade using a combination of materials from both new and renewed sources. Many of our creations are inspired by abandoned vintage jewelry, reclaimed objects from our surroundings and natural beauties of the earth. We hope you like what you see.

Nancy

A Place to Share Stories

isabel — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:49:46 +0000

We are sisters – Susan and Nancy. We treasure the simple things in life. From the time we were little girls, we were encouraged to practice traditions commonly passed on from mothers to daughters. The most cherished lessons were taught by our Mother’s example. As children, our Mom used to make all our clothes. She baked cookies for our school lunches. At home every meal was an opportunity to celebrate family. We grew up understanding that hard work reaped great rewards, that being thrifty meant we had more to share, and that working with our hands and our heart is a wonderful way to breathe life into the world. Our Mother’s name was Marie Isabel. She lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2001, but the legacy she left us continues. It is in this spirit that we create for Isabel Designs.

Now we want to hear your story. This blog is intended to be a place where we can all share the legacies that our Mother’s created. If you are carrying on traditions handed down to you from your Mother or Grandmother, we’d like to hear about it. If it’s as simple as following her recipes, or having similar penmanship, tell us why it’s special to you.