fun new pieces from susan nickles

I've been hard at work today, taking photos and then editing them  for the online store.  I just haven't gotten that far yet....nothing's up on the store but it is waiting in the wings. 

Here are a few of the images from today's shoot:

Sterling silver and tumbled blue glass from a Sapphire Gin bottle

Sterling silver and tumbled "beach" glass from a wine bottle

Sterling silver 2-1 chain necklace with a 1"

domed/pounded disc and a toggle closure, 19"

Sterling silver rings with a drop pearl and lobster claw clasp, 20"

Sue makes each sterling ring and embellishment herself - great technique and a transitional (and very wearable) aesthetic.  Call me if you want to grab any of these before they go up on the online store.







a bad news day

I received some bad news today.

I needed to contact my sign guy today,the person who had made numerous signs for the two different JOOLZ locations, about a new sign needed for a neighborhood group.  I knew with his artistic bent and construction talents, he could do a great job at a reasonable price.

I called his number and his wife answered the phone.  That, in itself, was a little off.  He always answered the phone himself, usually from  the extension in the shop.  I asked for Brent and she told me he wasn't there.  I launched into a message for him and then she stopped me, telling me that he had passed away in March from  a massive stroke. 

At age 59.

In otherwise excellent health.

He'd had oatmeal for breakfast that morning.

I was dumbfounded.

Brent Gillette was an artist, an avid outdoorsman, a hiker and a biker.  He was a fair and honest businessman and a pleasure to work with.  I found him only by chance, having driven by a local hair salon whose sign was eye-catching.  I stopped to speak to the owner to find out who had made her sign and she gave me Brent's name and contact info.  He made inside and outside signs for JOOLZ at both stores, together with vinyl applications for the doors and windows.  Everything was top notch.

Brent Gillette at JOOLZ, May 2007

My deepest sympathy to his wife Robin, their two sons and his grandson.  He will be missed.



getting into (double) trouble

It's been a while, hasn't it?  I apologize, but I've been busy!  After we returned from  our beach holiday, I dove right back into the major volunteer job that I had started in the late fall.  We finally wrapped that up at the end of June and it's been fun and family, family, family since then.  Now it's time to get back to work and to get our online store back up and running.  Lots of images to take and edit, joolz to be measured and info to be uploaded to the store software.  Soon....I promise.

But today was a bus man's holiday for me.  The annual outdoor Arts at the Gardens art and craft show, held on the grounds of Canandaigua's lovely Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens, kicked off at 10:00am  this morning.  I was there at 9:50, ready to stroll and look and NOT buy anything.  I keep telling myself that I will never pay retail jewelry prices again.  That good intention went out the door at 10:05am, when I stopped to see what new creations Linda Lawrence had in her booth. By 10:10am, I owned this fun piece:

Colorful, whimsical, eye-catching, one-of-a-kind.....all the things I like in playful, glass bead jewelry.

And to make it a business-related transaction, I asked Linda how she liked using Square for her show credit card processing program.  (She loves it!).  Thanks, Linda - great necklace and a fair retail price.....even though I am  never paying retail again....

Until I got to Barbara and Rick Umbel's booth:

You'll remember from  my last blog post in March that I had met Barbara and Rick while on vacation, and fell in love with their shell and precious metal jewelry.  I reintroduced myself and fell in love with their work all over again, this time walking away with this aqua limpet and blue topaz pendant and multi-strand cable necklace:

You'll note that Barbara has changed the design of the piece a bit, so it's not exactly like the one I saw in Florida.  But it is smashing and I know I will wear it often.  And by the way, Barbara loves Square, too.

The show was beautifully organized by friendly, helpful volunteers and the lineup of artists was topnotch.  Even Mother Nature cooperated, with temps in the high 60"s and sunny skies.  I saw lots of friends and even was able to spend some time walking the show with my youngest brother and his wife, who are staying in the area for a while.  All in all, a very nice morning, despite the fact that I got in (double) retail-priced jewelry trouble!

my kind of shelling at the beach

Our annual vacation at the beach has been a delight so far. We've relaxed, eaten well, read numerous books, seen friends from near and far and are expecting our kids to start arriving tomorrow. But it's not always play and no work, as I'm always on the prowl to find new artists.


This morning was the Lions' Art and Craft Show, where several years ago I found the work of the very popular Joan Sample. Joan's button jewelry is owned by many, many JOOLZ customers; we hit a home run with that find.


We had another good find this morning: Barbara Umbel from Pawley's Island, SC. Barbara works with shells, sterling and 14K yellow gold to create beautilfully crafted, unique pieces.

This is a necklace where the center section can be separated from the chain and worn as a pin:

In talking with Barbara's husband, Rick, I learned that they are going to be exhibiting at Sonnenberg Gardens' Arts at the Gardens show in Canandaigua this coming August. This will be their first time at AATG and I know they will be well-received; Barbara's work is just stunning. Here's an aqua limpet shell slide that can also be worn as a pin:

Definitely my kind of shelling.

a new journey begins

Today was it - the very last day. We went over to the store this evening and I ran the vacuum for the last time, put the brass cover on the floor outlet and said goodbye with a tear in my eye. The rooms are empty, the sconces and pendants have been taken down and the phone and alarm have been disconnected. You'd never know how great it looked unless you had a picture like this:

Having the business has been a wonderful, exciting adventure for me. And as I keep telling myself, I haven't closed the business, I've just closed the store. The adventure will continue, just in a different setting. You'll find a new store, an online store, on our website in the spring. Come along with us on that new journey...and remember the good times on Main Street.

terra cotta warriors

It's been a busy week since we closed the shop's doors last Saturday.


On Sunday, several different groups of local merchants came in to pick up their chosen items: bookcases, tables, chairs, lamps, custom shadow box cases. The room looked pretty naked after they left, but there was still jewelry on the wall shelves and locked in the floor cases. Then it was time to organize the joolz.


All the consignment jewelry had to been inventoried and taken out of QuickBooks for return to its owners. All the wholesale jewelry had to be inventoried and put back in the safe. Believe it or not, the work on the consignment items took several days of computer input and relabeling, finished off with mailing to out of town artists and personal delivery to Rochester area artists. The last box goes out today.


Then I was able to see all the display busts and other black velvet pieces more clearly. In order to count each type, for posting on Craigslist, I organized them by size and lined them up. Doesn't this shot of the big busts remind you of pictures of the Chinese terra cotta warriors?


Yesterday, in clear weather with no snow on the ground, the safe was moved without incident. Remember last time? One day like that was enough. One of the moving company workers injured himself while moving the safe and had to be transported to the hospital. No ED visits this time, thank goodness.




Now all that remains is some more clean out and a final sweep through with the vacuum cleaner. Will the warriors be watching from the top of the case, or will I have stuffed them all into a big plastic bag for the ride home?

closing the store but not closing the business

It's been an interesting couple of weeks since the announcement of my retirement and the closing of the store. Most everyone has been supportive, and other grandmothers have been 100% behind me. I've heard things like "you'll never get this time back with the grandchildren;" "I would do exactly the same thing if I were in your situation;" "carpe diem;" and my favorite, "you GO girl!" While friends and customers alike are on my side about this, some are also downright sad that the store will no longer be a presence on Main Street. And that's when I explain that I'm closing the store, but I'm not closing the business.

Many ask why I'm not selling the business, so that it could stay on Main Street and continue to be a magnet for those who love handcrafted jewelry. I try to explain that it wouldn't be the same if someone else owned it -- different taste, different choices in artists, different customer service. And honestly, I'm not done with it just yet. I want to continue to seek out interesting work and build relationships with artists across the country. I even want to continue doing the books! I just don't want to do that with the responsibility of managing a brick and mortar store, unable to travel to see family, friends and the world, whenever we want.

So instead JOOLZ, the Main Street store, will morph into The JOOLZ Collection, an online shopping experience where you'll find familiar JOOLZ artists and some new ones, too. Same design decision-maker, same excellent customer service, same wide range of prices and styles. You'll be able to find new treasures and I'll be able to live a new life that allows us more travel freedom. It'll be a win-win.