The Hunter and the gatherer

It takes a stylish and confident person to style their jewelry in a way that is bold, interesting and truly unique.

Jesse is wearing three of his new talon necklaces. I met Jesse in October at the Vintage Charlotte holiday market and we instantly bonded over jewelry and style. Jesse is an entrepreneur and small business owner as well. Jesse restyles, redesigns and creates custom created clothing from vintage finds.

I asked Jesse if he’d style his new jewels and wow did he take it and run with the assignment. I love how he went out to the woods to photograph himself wearing his Eilisan Jewels. What do you think? Smokin’ right?

So fellas, YOU TOO can wear jewelry and be an absolute BOSS!

Jesse purchased the Squirrel bone pendant, Hunted owl talon charm and the hawk talon charm. These necklaces truly make a statement with any outfit that showcases them.

Jesse and I are currently working on a custom gold chocker necklaces with charms so that he can style his jewelry with his custom re-worked clothing. I can’t wait to see how our collaboration comes together!

So treat your man to some spiritual and badass jewels.

Holidayzzzzzzz Events and dates to remember

It never fails that I am attacked by how quickly the holidays arrive, and they are here in FULL FORCE!

My dears please keep these dates in mind as you shop with me and your expectations of gift orders. Your orders are a priority for me, and I want to ensure you get them in time.

And if you want to shop with me in person, safely, come visit me at any of the in person shows below (there are virtual ones too so add those to your calendar as well).

Get Your Holiday Orders In Now

Goodness, every year this happens, the end of summer is one day and the next it’s November!?!

I guess I should let ya’ll know some dates for when you can order your gifts in time for Christmas. I do my best to ensure timely delivery, these dates are somewhat flexible depending on where you live. So if there is any hesitation, shoot me an email (info@eilisainjewelry.com) or DM on social media and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.

And friends, whatever you do this holiday season do your best to shop LOCAL and small. The big box stores will survive but your neighbors and family that are small business owners are doing their best to make ends meet, when you shop local & small you are literally putting money in your neighbors pockets.

Thank you and love you all!

Custom Made For You

We all love having something, or wearing something that no one else has. For example, I have this really cool Thai shirt my mom had custom made when we lived in Japan, and it’s the COOLEST shirt I own. It never fails to receive compliments when I’m out and about. My mother had a women sew three beautiful Thai scarves together and it’s simply stunning.

Case in point the eye patch I created for my customer Ana. Ana has worked with me several times and this time did not disappoint. She is a light healer and she works with various animals to bring about change and transformation. When she requested an eye patch, I honestly didn’t think she meant a literal eye patch but she did! And I can’t even begin to describe how fascinating this was to me. Ana wanted to use the eye patch for meditative and journey work. Ana said she wanted a black stone to ward away evil and to utilize some sort of snakeskin (not real though). So I drafted some designs and we settled on the above product. I purchased an eye patch and sewed on faux snakeskin and did the metal work separately.

What do you think? I mean no one will have a custom designed jewel eye patch like this except Ana! Now here is a more tame yet still beautiful collaboration with my friend Heather. We discussed several different types of jewelry but she decided a very powerful strong cuff would suit her best.

I mean, look at how happy Heather is! It just melts my damn heart and fills me with so much joy to work one on one with you.

“ I’ve been working throughout the years on custom jewelry pieces and it’s such an intimate beautiful experience. Especially because more often than not you come up with some pretty beautiful ideas. Ideas I never thought of, so it’s a co-creative experience. ”

— Lisette Fee, owner and designer of Eilisain Jewelry

This pink dragon vein agate really catches the light beautifully!

When you work with me on a custom design here is what you get:

• one on one design consultation

• stone selection, size and style of jewelry

• payment plans are available

I have a form you can fill out right here on my website so we can get this process started. When you are out and about wearing your custom design I GUARANTEE you will have someone comment and compliment you on your jewelry. And look, bottom line, it makes you feel good to wear a piece of your very own custom jewelry, one that you can pass on to future generations.

Death and Decay - Memento Mori

Thanksgiving, when I was about twelve years old, we were living in Northern California at the time and we received a phone call that my Abuelito Rene had passed. We lived on a depressing, beige Army base and I’ll never forget feeling as if we lived in some mirage, miles away from anything colorful or different (aka Panama, where we had moved from prior). I recall hearing my mom crying in my parents bedroom and feeling incredibly sad for her, I wasn’t that close to my Abuelito, I have fond memories of him but at the time I didn’t experience intense sadness for his passing.

I recall this as my first association of death, I can say that I’m somewhat fortunate that I haven’t experienced the immense loss of a a loved one that I was close to or even the death of a family pet. And for the most part of my life I haven’t known that loss. It changes a person. Well I’m changed, a week ago we buried my cat Stevie.

Stevie was not the prettiest cat, she was rough around the edges. I found her about eight years ago when I first moved to Eastern North Carolina. She was abandoned by someone and being the cat lover I am, I fed her and next thing you know she’s my second cat.

Stevie obliging a photo.

Stevie had feline aids, so her immune system was weak but not her spirit. She was a chatty cat, always talking to me and she LOVED fresh warm water! What a weirdo! I named her of course after my favorite musician, Stevie Nicks. She truly embodied that name, so sweet and loving.

Her passing has given me a new understanding for life and now death, she struggled towards the end to keep food down, she peed everywhere…my studio was a bit stinky due to her accidents. But I realized that we have to care as much for our beloveds near death as we adore them in the beginning. It’s rough but that is what love is. Our American culture doesn’t like to acknowledge death, we tuck it away, move the body and bury them before even giving them one last hug or kiss.

When I found Stevie outside of my studio, I gave her a last pet, cried quite a bit and lit some sage and said a prayer. I thanked her for her love, her sandpaper licks and all our fun conversations.

The decay, the slow movement of and change of life can be slow and almost seem nonexistant but then you look in the mirror or you see your child grow two inches and you’re reminded of the swift passing of time.

God I miss the moments of holding her in my lap and petting her.

Memento Mori is the concept of acknowledging our mortality everyday, knowing that anything could happen and to appreciate all the the precious moments of life. I try to do this at the end of the day, writing in my journal three things I’m grateful for, the reminder of all that I was blessed with.

My jewelry has meaning in this, the Bast necklace I created from a cat skull was to honor that cats life. My cat claw earrings and charms came from Stevie’s discarded cat nail….the things you find can take on a whole new meaning.

Hold your loved ones, your pets and family close. Tell them you love them and hold them dear. If you ever would like to commemorate the life of your familiar, your pet, I am more than happy to help create a custom piece for you. Click the link below to start the conversation.

Introducing My Wedding Jewelry Page

It’s about time I dedicated one spot on my website for you to shop my ‘wedding’ jewelry. I put that in quotes because if you want, ANY of my jewelry could be wedding jewelry. But honestly, if it makes it easier for you to shop specifically wedding styles then, duh? why not?!!!

I also wanted to highlight some of the custom wedding pieces I’ve created over the years. As you’ve read here before I truly enjoy the process of creating special ritual jewelry - and probably the biggest ritual of our lives will be a wedding!

The earrings below were created as a set for a client who had a perfect set of london blue topaz stones for earrings, a ring and a necklace. These were cast in 18kt karat yellow gold. Aren’t they stunning? I’ll be honest I was a nervous wreck setting them!

“Nontraditional wedding jewelry truly gives you so much more meaning and when YOU are involved in the design process it adds even more intention and joy. ”

— Lisette Fee

Here are the London Blue topaz talon and crow claw bridal set.

Now when it comes to custom orders I always want to err on the caution of enough time, so please do make sure when you are thinking about a custom order that you plan about 3-4 months buffer time. This gives me time to sketch and design, consult with you and then create the pieces.

Nontraditional wedding jewelry truly gives you so much more meaning and when YOU are involved in the design process it adds even more intention and joy.

I also want to add that I’ve created jewelry pieces for the bridal party. One of my clients loves amethyst so I used a small yet sizable amethyst around a simple design piece so that each member of the party felt the appreciation of the bride. I’m more than happy to work around your budget and style - as long as it’s within the realm of Eilisain jewelry.

How cute is this couple?! They got engaged two years ago over the holidays.

Longtime Eilisain Jewelry customers Zach and Maggie got engaged a year ago and Zach had begun the custom order process well in advance to prepare for his proposal. I was so very honored to create the Brigid bridal ring that has cat claws clutching a herkimer diamond. There they are above celebrating. Somedays I honestly can’t believe I get to create jewelry for couples in love!

Wedding season is just around the corner, and I’m here for your BADASS jewelry needs! I’m available for in person consultations, phone calls or emails. Here is a handy form to help you in the process.

It's a Clean Slate

I'm so pumped for this year, it is one of the reasons why I love to the start to the New year, beginning anew. 

Maybe it's because I'm coming off from a relaxed time at my parents house this past weekend during New Years or that I've got new stones in the studio to play with.  Either way, I'm ready to take on this year with new projects, goals and plans. 

Goofing around in my studio during my shoot with Aileen.

Albeit even with a sweet almost-toddler, she's now 9 months old! I know deep down that I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to, it just takes careful crafting of time and balance.

Some of my plans for this year I want to share with you. 

1. Create a new collection! Hint, hint if you've seen some of the new pieces I've been posting on instagram with the Ondine element you'll see where I'm headed.

2. Create a program for YOU to recycle your old metal (aka silver and gold - no bronze tho) that way we can recycle and reuse. still working on this but stay tuned.

3. Share more stone magic with you and how to incorporate your jewelry not just in your outfit but in ritual and mindfulness.

4. Streamline my in studio processes, so that I'm more efficient and spend less time on repetitive tasks.

“My biggest goal is to make it easier and more informative for you to shop on Eilisain Jewelry. I want you to be involved in the experience and it be customized to you!”

Every year I learn so much about how I want to run my business and where I want it to go, and what I've learned mainly from 2017 is that cultivating relationships with my customers/friends creates such a happy and positive experience for both myself and you.   Especially with those that are local. 

As always thank you for reading and I look forward to sharing more!

Five Holiday Tips for Purchasing Jewelry as a Gift

Can you believe it, the holidays are nearly here, in my head they are already here! I'm in holiday show prep mode but I'm also thinking - I've got to get my holiday gifts in order.

With that said, I'm sure you're also planning gifts and we all need a bit of help and advice when it comes to jewelry especially as a gift.  So here are my tips for purchasing for a loved one.

1.  When in doubt, buy a necklace - Why? Because you don't need any sort of measurements (except for maybe chain length) but really a necklace is super easy and one that most people love.

2.  Observe what kind of metal they like - Some people are strictly gold or silver and some love both.  Pay attention to what they wear on a daily basis then pick your metal.

3.   Order three to four weeks ahead of the holidays - As you know we're all in prep mode so it can take a bit longer to get your orders out the door and in your loved ones hands.

4.   Gems catch the eye - Who doesn't love bling? If you can purchase a piece with some stones or ones that are their birthstone, this is usually a big hit with women.

5.    Know the gift receipts and exchange policies - Most jewelers do not offer returns, especially small business BUT you can usually get a gift receipt or exchange receipt just in case your recipient isn't completely happy.

I hope these tips help you this holiday season and if you have any questions or additional tips - let me know!

And here's your chance to get some holiday shopping done now - click the button below.

A Red, Red Rose

Who doesn't love roses? Speaking of which, I need to buy some soon.  I love having flowers around, it's just calming.  And I'm lucky that with our new house we have rose bushes by our front door entrance. 

Spring is just around the corner, and with that comes all the gorgeous blooming, freshness that we've come to expect.  And that also means Valentine's Day and Wedding season!! Yes, yes, valentine's day is VERY commercialized, I know, but in defense it's honestly fun to share love and appreciation for people you care about - not just partners. 

I just participated in my first bridal show last weekend, and it was SO much fun! It was an indie show meaning - alterna - not your typical bridal show (which I'll be honest I've never been to one, but I know it wasn't as cool and hip as this one).  The Bourbon Bridal show featured vendors that aren't your typical bridal fare, run of the mill.  Participating in the show makes me want to get married all over again!  And I'm happy to say, the organizers of the show will be doing it again - biannually.  

It did get me thinking about all the times I have made rings and jewelry for weddings over the years and it is such a special treat! My first was back in northern Virginia when I was just beginning my education in jewelry, i was commissioned to make earrings and necklaces for the bridesmaids of my coworkers.  I made delicate dangle earrings with grey and blue crystal beads almost mimicking grape vines. 

With that said, I want you to know that I'm here for you for your wedding and Valentine's day needs - but if you are planning to order jewelry please ORDER now, so we can get it to you in time!  And I do love doing custom orders, we can select a special stone, setting and finish for your piece. 

Take a minute and watch one of my favorite videos of the Brigid Bridal Collection - super romantic, dreamy and lovey-dovey (I'm a die hard romantic, can't you tell?)

The Brigid Collection is not just a bridal collection but jewelry that is for lovers and dreamers; these pieces are romantic and fulflill that part in all of us that believes in everlasting love. The collection is named after the Celtic Goddess Brigid, she is also known as the triune patron deity of healing, smiths and fertility and poetry.