Custom Creation

After months of creating, editing, recreating, and perfecting I finally finished the custom creation for my big client.  It has been a great process that I am totally proud of...not just for the final product, but also for the journey it took me on....
18K yellow gold, diamonds, and multicolored sapphires dripping from every chain...

Contain Yourself!

On most days my tiny studio is filled with 2 big black pups, a busy one year old daughter, all of her toys, a computer, an iphone, a land line, a camera, lights, hand tools, big tools, magazine clippings, invoices, files and the list goes on.... When my husband walks in he literally has to search to locate our daughter in the rubble.  I try to be organized but I have a team of factors working against me and Miss Mia is leading the charge!  It is hard to imagine a work day where my business cards are not dumped from their container and sprawled all over the floor.  Its pretty amazing if she doesn't locate the ribbon bin and drape herself in spools upon spools of of ribbon. And its even more amazing if my relatively young pups don't shred her toys to pieces causing an all out riot.

BUT when it comes to the jewels I am all about organization!  I love containers, boxes, and bright colors!  My stones are always organized by type, size, and color. And my finished inventory is sorted by collection.  Keeping the stones organized helps me to stay focus and excited about creating jewelry on a daily basis. Plus it saves time and money to know what I have and where it is.


















This months goal is to be as excited about the paperwork as I am about the product. I figure if I spend a month faking it maybe it will become a habit....Fake it till you make it!

ps- on the goal setting front-I am doing okay...2 great stores have bought into the complete collection! Their custom case set up are being made as I type and their beautiful orders have already been delivered. I am excited for several fall and holiday events over the next few months and particularly excited to continue placing my collection in some of the most respected stores in the country!  

Falling Out of Love with Jewelry

When I first moved to Colorado I was determined to take the jewelry industry by storm.  My internship with William Travis Jewelry had me jazzed about being out on my own.  I took on everything and thought I knew how to do everything!  I soon learned that building a business that is respected and successful takes lots of time, dedication, and hard work.  Its not that I wasn't willing to put in the work, I just believed it would come naturally. I worked really hard for about a year before I hit the wall.  Throughout that year the speed bumps were incredibly discouraging.  I was selling, but my technical skills were being challenged everyday and my lack of business experience was evident.  I was starting to hate it....I guess hate is a strong word,  but it was causing me a huge amount of stress.  On top of that I was lonely.  I had moved to a new city and I worked at home.  Besides my dog, Carolina, I was alone most of the day.  When my husband got home from work I would get in his face and chat chat chat chat...Mainly because I had no one to chat with all day long.  

By the end of my first year I was ready to throw in the towel.  Instead, I found a part time job in a totally different industry.  I helped a restauranteur open a restaurant.  It started out about 15 hours a week but, quickly increased to 40 or 50 hours a week.  It was fun, different, and I got to meet tons of people in my neighborhood.  The best thing it did for me was help me to look at my profession with new eyes.  I realized that starting any business is loads of hard work, but it is easier when you are passionate about what you do. I realized that I will always be passionate about the jewelry industry--The creative process, the freedom to make my own decisions, and the quiet focus that it takes to move a new piece form design to creation.  

When I was finally ready to continue on my path I did it with new eyes and new perspective and as a result the jobs kept rolling in.  Now in the spring of 2010 Samantha Louise Jewelry is finally taking off the way I had always hoped it would back in 2007 when I opened.  Several key elements are falling into place.  First, I have a renewed sense of passion for the craft and I cherish the time I have to design and to create.  Second, I have a better vision for what it takes to succeed and I have the dedication to make it possible.  My designs are better, my business practices are improving, and I am throwing myself out there in a way that I have not done in the past. Lastly, it is easier for me to remember that building my business is a marathon, not a sprint.  I am focused on the long term success of my brand and I am committed to seeing it through....

This year I will launch Signature Couture Collection... a little sneak peek below!

Falling in Love with Jewelry

As a teenager I worked for a friend at a local gift store called Turandot.  I enjoyed the store-the silly books, journals, candles, and gift cards, but most of all I loved the jewelry.  By learning about the designers who made the jewelry and understanding their inspiration, I felt connected to their creative process.  I also loved the way the jewelry made me feel.  It was means of self expression; It made me feel different, unique, and special.   Working for the store started my love affair with jewels.

In high school I heard about a class at a local bead shop.  It was for making lamp work beads.  I signed up and spent a 6 hour seminar learning to make beads.  At the end of the class I was totally discouraged.  I had never worked with both of my hands in that capacity before and it was hard!  I walked away with all the tools and none of the motivation to keep practicing.  About a month after I took the class I spent a weekend locked in my bedroom with my torch and a whole lot of determination to figure it out. After a whole weekend I started to get the hang of it.  In high school I had my first show.  I made tons of little beads and invited all of my friends and my parents friends over to look at the jewels and place orders.  It was a small selection of jewelry, but I was so so proud of what I had done.

In College I pursued a degree in Fine Art.  My degree gave me the tools to market and promote my work while teaching me great skills about the creative process.  I could shoot my work and design print material, catalogs, business cards and brochures.  College also introduced me to the world of stone shows.  The Gem Show came to San Diego every six months and I had never seen anything like it!

The next step was really learning the craft.  I enrolled at GIA during my senior year in school and started taking classes at night...I was learning the book side of the trade, but it wasn't until I left GIA and started my apprenticeship with William Travis Jewelry that I truly learned the ins and outs.  It was another huge step when I moved to Colorado and went out on my own.  I have had loads of bumps along the way, but one thing remains my passion to create and my love affair with jewelry....

The Challenge of Following Your Passion

"Creating is a journey that starts with inspiration, continues with struggle, collaboration, breakthroughs, and learning, and comes full circle in success or failure. It is a journey that is worth documenting. It is a journey that others share and will be inspired from."-Tara Gentile


I am not a writer or a sharer by nature, thus the decision to start a blog was not one I took lightly.  I have spent the first 3 months of 2010 wondering what I could possibly say that would be interesting for others to read.  Then I came across this quote from Tara Gentile. She writes a blog called, Scoutie Girl, that promotes handmade crafters.  The quote was my 'AH-HA' moment...


The process of creating is one that challenges me on a daily bases.  The perpetual question-- "How do I balance running a business, being a new mom, staying inspired and all the rest of life's responsibilities?".  I know that my challenges are the same as many entrepreneurs and I cannot say that I have infinite wisdom on how to do any of it successfully.  I have certainly had my fair share of should-a, could-a, would-a's. My hope is that this blog will me help to track my progress--successes, failures, and everything in between.  I won't be arrogant enough to claim that my story is beneficial to anyone other than me, however, if you are reading this--My promise is to document my pursuit to follow my passion and my struggle to do it successfully with honesty and sincerity (and probably a large amount of comedy).


Happy Blogging
Samantha Louise