Vintage is Back

Before my blog post, I have some REALLY FUN NEWS! Though it has been years since we at Elizabeth Showers Studio have sold our Vintage Collection, that’s all changing this Thursday, when we will begin offering a few styles from our classic collection online for a limited time.

During our (incredibly successful) moving sale event last month, my staff was thrilled to uncover a treasure trove of our beaded Vintage Collection!  What a surprise!  Customers ask for these designs all the time, so we were so excited to find them. We hope you’ll be excited about them too.

Be sure to pop in to elizabethshowers.com on Thursday to check out the Vintage Collection!

It’s been great looking back through this collection that meant so much to my career and development. Holding these pieces in my hands really got me thinking about the history of my business, its humble beginnings and its not-so-humble aspirations.

The necklace I have on below (at age 26) is the first necklace I ever made, all the way back in 1997.

Okay, this is actually the first unique necklace I ever made. 

I made my first piece of jewelry in 1996—an anklet made of super-cheap round, smooth amethyst beads. It was nothing special, but it was enough to get me hooked.

That first unique necklace was made of 24kt gold leaf Venetian glass beads, which I popularized in the late 1990s. At their peak, I couldn’t design enough styles using Venetian glass gold leaf and silver leaf beads.  Although very simply constructed, they were so popular and distinctive. If only online shopping had been mainstream then!

I started my business at age twenty-four, driven by a mostly-unexplored talent, blind optimism, and a passion for designing and selling jewelry. Like everyone starting out, I was a portrait of youthful naiveté and cluelessness about how to build a successful business. Though I didn’t have anything approximating a sales strategy, nor anything so straightforward as a written business plan, I possessed an incredible surplus of focus, time, and determination.

My first mission was to make my mark with unusual materials that others weren’t using. When I discovered Venetian glass beads, I understood right away that I had found my breakthrough. Specifically 24kt gold leaf Venetian beads in clear (my favorite) and in colors stuck out like magic in the jewelry scene of those days. They were so distinctive and fresh. I knew I was at the beginning of a fun adventure.

I started selling wholesale at Carol Quist showroom in The Apparel Mart, and southern US retailers started writing orders for my jewels right and left. I was a real designer!

Tootsie’s in Dallas was the first retailer to sell in my hometown. Susie Calmes, the buyer there at that time, is a friend of my mother. She called me and said, “When do I get to see your collection?”

I said, “I need more time to prepare for you. Maybe we could meet in a couple of months.”

She said, “Okay, I will see you this Tuesday.”

It was totally nerve-wracking. It would be an understatement to say that Susie has good taste and high standards.

Tootsies in Dallas

Naturally I was terrified of her reaction to my work. But I’m still so grateful to Susie. I’ll never be able to thank her enough for pushing me to be ready before I was. I showed up with my jewels in Ziploc bags with no price tags, and she bought almost everything I took with me that day.  What a life-changing and affirming experience! It really was an occasion to remember.  Thank you, Susie!

All that was just the beginning of the uncertain road that eventually led to my selling at Neiman Marcus, and onward down the path to a lasting business. 

Some of those early pieces I still love as much as the day I made them. In some others I can see the beauty and the good instincts, but they don’t represent me in quite the same way. But all of them are a part of me, part of the work that has led to this moment in my trajectory.

This is me modeling my jewelry!

I’ll talk more about the progression and development of my business in a future post.

In the meantime, please remember to stop by elizabethshowers.com on or after this Thursday to take a look at the pieces that started it all for me.  You just might find the perfect thing you didn’t even know you were looking for!

Feel Beautiful!
Elizabeth

Sweet Memories of My Jewelry Career in Dallas

Dallas has been home for my entire adult life. I went to college in Dallas, at SMU. And not too long after, I started my business here at the age of twenty-four. It began in my humble $450/month, all-bills-paid apartment in Preston Hollow. Those apartments don’t even exist anymore, but I can still remember moving my sofa out to make room for my first employee. We worked together in the living room for a year before I finally leased my first office space in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff.

 

That was 1999, at the dawn of the Bishop Arts' revitalization. That same year, Neiman Marcus picked up my collection. I thought life couldn't get any better.



My first office is now a restaurant, Café Veracruz



Earrings from the collection I was selling at that time,
 now we call it our Vintage Collection

In 2002, I leased a warehouse-style space on Monitor Street, north of the Design District, and hired my first sales person. Then I hired another. And another.

That office is now a gallery (pictured below). And they still have the security bars that I had installed!

 

We were in that space for five years before relocating in 2007 to our current showroom overlooking Turtle Creek. That’s when I launched my first 18k yellow gold collection, followed a few years later by my first semi-precious silver collection.

Turtle Creek in Dallas

Our showroom overlooking Turtle Creek

I live in Fort Worth now.  I bought my first house in Dallas in 2007, and had great fun making it my own style and giving dinner parties there.  I sold my house in Dallas and moved west in October of 2013, see my blog post here.  

An article in PaperCity on my home in Dallas

These past couple of years, I've kept my business and showroom on Turtle Creek, and I’ve been commuting, sometimes spending the night in Dallas to make the transition a little easier.

Now, after a lot of thought, I've decided to relocate my business at last. We are moving in two weeks!

“We can’t become what we need to be by remaining where we are.”

- Oprah

I can hardly believe it. I’m sad to be leaving Dallas, but I’m excited about finally jumping in with both feet, and truly living and working in Fort Worth.

Many of you know that I grew up in the small town of Hillsboro. After that upbringing, in many ways Fort Worth seems like a perfect fit. It has a calm, small town feel—as much, anyway, as any city with nearly 800,000 people could. The city is absolutely filled with incredible things to see and do. I’ve fallen in love with its energy and spirit. And I get the best of all worlds—the small town feel and the big city adventure. I’m excited, and, you know, life is good.

Elizabeth Showers' earrings from past to present

Looking back at every phase of my life and business, I can also trace the trajectory of my evolving style, tastes, and skills. A focus on vintage, then stones, learning about metals, gold, silver. Learning about myself and what I could do, where my own creativity could take me. Every new place and experience has informed and deepened my work in a way that now seems like a critical part of my artistic development.

I know this new phase and locale will have the same effect. Every time I take a leap, I’m rewarded. I hope you’ll continue to follow me as I make this one.

Stay tuned for details on another major leap in my life! (hint: Molly from A Piece of Toast leaked it here!)

“Every day is a journey, and the journey
itself is home.”

- Matsuo Basho

Feel Beautiful,

Elizabeth

From Me, To You

I’ve been delaying my reboot of this blog for a couple of reasons. First, because of some internal, self-generated pressure that before I proceed it has to be perfect. And besides, everyone has a blog these days, so who’s going to read it anyway, right? 

 

E.B. White says:  “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.”  Thank you E.B., I needed to hear that.

 

Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings’ Blog

 



I recently finished reading “Share Your Work,” a short book by Austin Kleon recommended by my beloved cousin Drew. Thanks to Austin’s words of encouragement, regardless of what the future might bring, I feel it’s imperative that I write this, and begin to “share my work,” even if it’s imperfect.

 

Get 'Share Your Work' Here



From the outside, my work appears to be as a jewelry designer, and yes, jewelry is a result of my "work." But my truest, most important work -- and my purpose in this life -- is to simply remind you of how beautiful you already are. You are precious, regardless of your outward appearance or any piece of clothing and jewelry you could ever put on your body. 

 

wearing my jewelry to serve as a reminder of my preciousness in this world

I need a daily personal reminder of this, especially on days when I didn't get a solid night's sleep. Fatigue inevitably turns up the volume on that awful internal critic of mine, and alas, the temptation to dump coffee/caffeine over my wearied self tends to work in the inverse.

 

Thank the goodness in this world that I have fantastic solutions for getting out of a less than optimal mental space since simply going back to sleep isn't always an option.

 

Here are a few ways I drown out the critic: going for a run, reaching out to an uplifting friend, offering help to someone, listening to an educational podcast and escape into learning (like James Altucher's Podcast here and Tim Ferriss' podcast here), sharing my work through posts like this (ah, yes, last night was one of those less-than-six-hours-of-sleep nights), creating a way to enter into the “zone” on a project at work,

 

a sneak peak of a custom jewelry project we're working on

 

sitting in meditation (Sharon Salzberg is a great guide), eating healthy foods ("Eating on the Wild Side" was recommended to me by my friend, Krista), yoga, consciously smiling and relaxing the muscles in my face (a natural facelift!), wearing my jewelry to serve as a reminder of my preciousness in this world, consciously recognizing negative thoughts and turning them around to be positive...

 

yoga clears my mind for a fresh perspective and
Exhale is one of my favorites in Dallas

 

These are just a few solutions that help me disengage with the critic and remember my preciousness, to feel beautiful.

 

Plus, they remind me to focus on seeking progress, not perfection.

 

graphic compliments of Patti Murphy Designs

 

My company’s mantra this year is TO ADD VALUE to the lives of anyone I can reach. I personally want to see, read, experience, and learn things that add value to my own life, and it has become even more important to me to ensure I am doing the same for you.

 

Email me with your favorite quotes, stories, books, podcasts, or any other inspiration that reinforces your confidence.  I would also love to hear from you if you are simply feeling stuck or challenged.  I am committed to fostering a community that lifts each other up!

 

 

Feel beautiful,

Elizabeth

It has been a whirlwind since my last blog post! We have had so many great changes around here. With the biggest change being an additional sales person, Michelle Mims.

My other salesperson of 3 1/2 years, Karen Bates Novakowski, took maternity leave for 3 months to focus on the arrival of her little girl, Eva, and just returned this month.

Personally, I have been busy designing Fall 2011. I took a trip to Tucson in early February, and had quite an amazing adventure. It was unlike any experience I've ever had shopping for gems. Something new has switched on within me, and I am nerdily becoming obsessed with rocks and fossils. If I could use dinasour bones in my jewelry I would. I just haven't figured out a feminine way to do it yet, but I'm sure I will. I went into a trance while shopping and became lost in it. It's truly incredible what comes out of our Earth! These are just a few things I found during my trip. I cannot wait to incorporate some of these beautiful stones into some of my one-of-a kind pieces!

My designs for Spring and Summer are so feminine, like these clothing styles for the season. Our gemstone choices are the perfect fit with the current color pallette. Rather, I should say our gemstone color pallette not only fits "now", but also will remain lasting options moving forward...that is to say, while they work with the current trends, they are not "trendy"!

On a recent trip to New York I spent time with my mom and sister. We are now making an annual trip together. Here is Susanna and my mother at The Waverly Inn.

I'd been wanting to check out the Waverly Inn, especially since I'd seen, "Public Speaking", a Martin Scorsese HBO documentary, which examines the life and work of author Fran Lebowitz. It was filmed almost entirely in "her booth" at The Waverly Inn with Martin Scorsese interviewing her. I highly recommend this film. To say that she is quite hilarious would be a gross understatement. Her favorite thing in life is basically being asked for her opinion on anything.

After my mom and sister left New York, I worked for a couple of days meeting with editors in the city, so this put me in New York on Valentine's Day....so in aniticipation of wanting a dinner date on Valentine's Day night, I had called my sure-to-make-me-laugh friend, Ray Griffiths (a fellow Jewelry Designer who in his previous life designed and hand-crafted tiaras in his homeland of Australia. Yes, that's what I said, tiaras!). We ate a yummy dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, Almond, on East 22nd and 5th Avenue.

I am leaving for Thailand in just a few days to finalize our Fall 2011 Gold and Silver Collections. We are testing a form of making gold jewelry that is new to me and my company--I am excited about this new adventure.

To be continued upon my return....