skulls and skunks

Yesterday, under briefly sunny skies and with a soft breeze blowing, many of Canandaigua's young children marched along Main Street to collect Halloween treats from various merchants. Our own resident witch, Suzanne, was suited up and ready to hand out chocolate (of course!) candy to the kids.

Along came hippies, ballerinas, several vampires, firemen and cops. This frightening skull creature gave us a steady glare,

while our hearts were stolen by this potentially smelly cutie patootie:


Hope the kids had fun. We sure did!

sparkle plenty

Luscious fall colors...

Glittering Venetian glass...

Statement jewelry...


Need I say more?

southwestern flair

"How do you find your artists?"


I must be asked that question by 80% of our new visitors. I tell them stories of finding artists while traveling, while attending big wholesale shows, while talking to the service manager at my car dealership, while chatting with friends who know someone who knows someone who makes jewelry. It goes on and on...


Most recently I found a new artist, Ad Lopez, while visiting my daughter in Denver. We went to the Junior League Holiday Mart this past Saturday and as luck would have it, we found Ad:

A retired educator and school principal, Ad now uses his artistic talent to create wonderfully colorful jewelry with a southwestern flair, showcasing his Hispanic and Native American heritage. His work has only been available to retail customers at shows throughout the Denver area, but now it is at JOOLZ. We are the first gallery to carry his work and we think our customers will love it. It's so stunning that a good friend wanted the piece I was wearing at dinner Monday evening - I had bought five necklaces but one stayed in Denver with her.

Here are some of the pieces we brought home with us. If they go quickly, and I think they will, daughter Katie is now our designated Ad Lopez buyer. We want to have that southwestern sunshine lighting up JOOLZ all the time...

Vibrant and understated - love 'em!

big is beautiful!

For those of you who love big, statement jewelry, your time has come. Chunky joolz, big stones and a WOW look have all made it to the fashion pages this season. Big is beautiful and big is in!


JOOLZ is happy to welcome new artist Nicole Yacano from Pittsford, NY....who knows how to do "big" in a most beautiful way. Our friend, Jill, found Nicole's work and told her to contact me. She did...and several months later, we have room for her work...but it isn't going to stay around for very long. Nicole and her husband, Joe, brought a selection to the store on Thursday, I made some choices and put the new pieces into inventory after they left. Up into the shadow box cases they went...and within two hours this lovely gold vermeil and turquoise necklace, with matching earrings, had found its new owner:

We have several more necklaces and earrings, including this smashing amber and citrine (dusted with gold leaf) necklace:

and this turquoise and crystal quartz necklace:

Big IS beautiful!

10022006

Generating barcodes - fun, free and just the right black and white graphic design look for JOOLZ. Here's our incorporation date, October 2, 2006, which may find its way to our walls one of these days:

a beautiful place

How's this for gorgeous?....Canandaigua Lake, looking north, with Whaleback on the east side in the foreground, followed by Bare Hill a little further on.

button up, baby - it's cold outside

Ugly day today - cold and rainy. Some folks walking past the store window even were wearing hats, gloves and scarves. Can that white, powdery stuff that comes down from the sky be far behind?


On a happier note, we received a large shipment of fun button joolz from Wisconsin artist Joan Sample yesterday. Always a conversation-starter, Joan's button jewelry is colorful and a hoot to wear. Here's my new favorite from her large box of goodies:


Now be sure to button up...OK?