Holiday Shopping From The Other Side Of The Counter

It is the last few days of mayhem in the studio before the quiet of the holiday season is enforced. Last minute orders are still coming if for what we jokingly but lovingly call jewellery emergencies. Some last minute shoppers have that panicked look on their faces while others have achieved a calm nirvana like state of mind as this is their usual routine.

Either way I always enjoy the process of hearing about the loved ones that gifts are being considered for and pulling selections of work to show based on the details you share. Each time a customer comes in, it is like a mini challenge presented to help find the perfect gift. When I am successful, I see a sparkle in your eyes, when not I try to figure out what permutation to try next to chase down that glint that says this is the gift they will love.

After a sale is complete I get to let the artist know someone has picked their work and it is on it's way home to be wrapped and presented for the holidays. This is perhaps the best moment as a maker to know that not only did someone want your work, they thought it perfect for someone else too, that's like double the positive reinforcement!

I guess what this boils down to, is a thank you to everyone who has supported local handmade goods this year. We are proud makers but also love seeing our creations enjoyed. So go forth this holiday wearing beautiful handcrafted items and know your support means the world to us!

Gillian

Give the gift of handmade

Shell Ring by Helena Perez Lafaurie, Flower necklace by Hyewon Jang, Jade Flower Ring by Chia Chien Tsai

Seaweed necklace by Lauren Hanham, Heart Leaf Earrings by Young Ko, Hinged Earrings by Carolyn Cathcart

Spinner Ring by Amanda Henderson, Wood Cufflinks by Zsolt Szekely, Stephen Cufflinks by Sasha Oda

Earrings by Fatima Tataragic, Twig ring by Gillian Batcher, "R' pendant by Alexis Kostuk

It's that time of year again. The Jewel Envy holiday party!
Join us for a glass of wine, homemade apple cider, and snacks...
And save 10% on all jewellery on display in the store!

This party is all about you! Thank you for being Jewel Envy customers. Thank you for being with us just this first year on Roncesvalles. We couldn't do it with out you. Thank you!

See you Friday December 13th from 5-10pm.

DIY: Make Your Rings Fit Better In The Cold Weather

If you're anything like me, the size of your fingers changes with the weather. In the summer heat they're much bigger and once the winter cold sets in they shrink. This can be pesky if you like to wear lots of different rings and even more annoying if they're big top-heavy rings. Add bonus points if you have straight or tapered fingers with no knuckles to help keep things in place and you've got rings flying everywhere!
Sometimes moving the ring to another finger isn't an option or you just really want to wear it on that particular finger. So what can we do? There's a little trick I learned as a temporary fix. Keep in mind, I don't recommend this as a permanent solution to a ring that is always too big. For that, I would get it professionally resized. This is more for the rings you wear from time to time that will fit in the summer but not in the winter when fingers often shrink down from the cold.
Ok! Now that that's clarified, I'll show you what I did to my ring.

Here is the prototype for a ring from my Bed of Bones collection. I really enjoyed wearing this ring in the summer but now it is way too big.Currently it is a size 9 and I don't want to wear it on any other finger because of the large top. I'd heard of people rolling up packing tape or masking tape and putting that on the inside of the ring but I didn't think that would be very comfortable and would be kind of sticky. Then I found this stuff with my band aids:

It's this foam tape that you put in your shoes where they're rubbing against your feet. It's just sticky enough to stay put but it pulls away without any residue. I used scissors to cut a thin strip and placed it inside the ring.

Now the gap is filled and my ring has gone down to a size 7 1/4! It fits much better and isn't flopping around or falling off. I think this works best for rings with big tops or wide bands so it hides the foam tape. I'm not sure how well this would stand up water and sweat but it IS meant to go inside your shoes so it probably has some resistance. Alternatively you could use something much stickier like Moleskin which is meant to go directly on your feet (I swear this isn't a plug for Dr. Scholl's) but that would probably leave some residue behind that would need to cleaned off with alcohol or acetone. If you end up in that territory, be careful of stones or faux stones made of plastic that could be damaged by the chemicals.

Anyways, I hope this was helpful and that you can now comfortably wear your favourite rings in the winter!
-L

DECEMBER!!!!!!

Is it just me, or did we just time warp through an entire year?!  It was summer like, yesterday!  If you're like me, and you're entering this holiday season in a fog of cold denial, then you might need some help in the gift department.  Never fear, we are here to help you with some nifty gifty solutions.

Come in and say hello, and choose something special for someone special!

Have a fantastic week, and happy shopping!