off the chain update: pocket full of pendants

It’s funny how things become cool. Then uncool. And years later, cool again. Kind of like those black and neon plastic sunglasses from the 90’s. While I don’t consider Jess LC too old, I have had my first déjà vu design. These Pocket Full of Pendant necklaces now available in the limited edition line, Studio 1423, were first available in 2005 and were one of my most popular styles.

Now the coolness is available on Etsy for just $15 bucks. The necklace comes with a silver plated lobster clasp pendant on a 16″ sterling silver chain and six charms. The idea is that you can customize your necklace with the charms you feel like, switching it up as many times as you like. I recommend wearing 2-4 charms at a time and playing with size and texture. Below are the color options we have available right now. And if these puppies get hot, more combinations will be in the works!

shore

meadow

lilac

carnival

off the chain update: shop chicago 2009

Last Saturday I had at Jess LC booth at the Shop Chicago designer show. I also did the fall show last August in Millennium Park. This spring event was in Union Station. The traffic and vendors were down a slightly from last year, but thankfully we ended up doing better than in the fall!

My favorite part of these shows is meeting customers and enjoying their reactions. This show was no exception. Several wonderful ladies remembered us from the fall show and came back to say hi and buy new pieces. And a few ladies were wearing Jess LC pieces to the show, that was so cool. I took lots of pictures for you to enjoy, so peek around.

Allison, our resident sales guru is always huge help at these kinds of shows. Without her, lets just say… I can’t imagine doing these events without her. Her idea to use a bound notebook to gather emails was genius!

Dress form look familiar? Charlotte helped grab attention and sported some Studio 1423 pieces as well as Jess LC. The Addison bracelet collection was laid out on a wood tray. Soc Chic ended up finding a new home on the table a few minutes after this picture.

This is the final set up: we put the branch with Rush St. necklaces next to Charlotte and Soc Chic along the back.

Necklaces laid out by collection, State St., Elm St., and Southport pictured.

off the chain update: love from portugal

[Soc Chic Giveaway winners]

Daniela in Lisboa, Portugal wearing her new Jess LC necklace.

I mentioned last month that thanks to our efforts "out and about" on the internet, we have seen a big spike in international Jess LC orders and fans. Most recently we added Australia and Portugal to the list.

We always ask our international customers to take a picture of themselves wearing their new Jess LC jewels in their hometown. Daniela of Lisboa, Portugal was happy to supply us with some amazing photos of her sporting her new Southport Cluster Necklace with a stunning backdrop of land and sea.

All I can say is:

First - Thank you Daniela for the great pictures!

Second - Mind if I come and stay for a while? Lisboa sure beats Chicago this time of year!

Such a cutie!

My view of Lake Michigan doesn't hold a candle to this breathtaking sight.

Thanks again, my dear!

soc chic all week: GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Drum roll please. At long last we have the winners of the Soc Chic All Week Giveaway. The lucky ladies from the seven awesome participating blogs are listed below. Winners will be emailed today regarding final details.


But for the 822 people who commented and did not snag a lovely Soc Chic necklace we have a special thank you for participating -

For the next two days (Monday 3/9 and Tuesday 3/10) we have FREE SHIPPING on ALL Jess LC jewelry

This special shipping rate applies to all US shipping- no code needed, it will automatically take affect at checkout.

The Soc Chic All Week Winners:

Coco + Kelly : Match Made in Heaven Necklace - Patricia of PVE Design
La Dolce Vita : Silver Lining Necklace - Angela F.
Delight by Design : Good Intention Necklace - Amanda M.
Heart of Light : Falling Star Necklace - Elizabeth B.
Blah Blah Blahg : Commenter’s Choice - Laura
Design Lovely : Lucky in Bed Necklace - Kit of That Unreliable Girl
The City Sage : Pink Lemonade Necklace - Grace of Poetic Home

Also props for Miss B at The Bright Side Project for getting featured on DailyCandy.com!

studio 1423: fresh in the shop

The pieces from this week's sneak peek are now up on Studio 1423. Check them out. Our inspiration was the colors saffron and aqua. We used a mix of died white jade and vintage beads reworked to create a new, modern look. All pieces are made with either sterling silver or 14k gold-filled metal and cost less than $50.

Spring has finally arrived!

White Jade and Mustard Vintage Bead Necklace

White Jade and Aqua Vintage Bead Necklace

Vintage Glass and Gold Necklace

Turquoise and Sterling Necklace

PS- Don't forget to comment on our One Week All Chic Soc Chic giveaway - tomorrow the winners will be picked! (And a huge shout out to all that commented already.)

Our NEW ETSY Jewelry Line: Studio 1423

Big news! Busy bees have been buzzing around our jewelry studio the last few weeks getting ready to launch a new sister line for Jess LC, Studio 1423. We named the line Studio 1423 because it's our actual studio number and it sounds like a cool name for a jewelry collection. Don't you think?

our logo, and actual door tag

This new line will be mostly one-of-a-kind designs or limited editions that use lots of color, texture, and fun while still keeping the Jess LC clean lines and "naturally graceful" silhouettes. And the best part is the pieces are budget friendly!

Pink Jade and Gold Necklace

We like to think of these pieces as "mash-ups" like the tunes my part-time girls Gertie and Susie listen to while they work. These necklaces and earrings are made from new, vintage, and reused materials. We plan to update the Etsy store throughout each week and we can even do minor changes to the pieces if you fall in love with a piece, but want some small alterations.

So stay tuned for more designs as we get this little puppy off the ground and let us know which pieces you are loving. Some new Studio 1423 pieces might just inspire future Jess LC designs.

Coral and Gold Necklace

Coral and Gold Earrings

Coral Slice Necklace (only $16!)

Off the Chain Update: Interview on City Sage

Anne at City Sage has just posted a great interview I did for her blog regarding Jess LC. Check out how I design collections, and how the line has evolved since I was 15-years-old.

off the chain update: new addison collection

After listening a good long while to customers at jewelry shows last fall we realized at Jess LC that we were missing a very important accessory in our line: bracelets. Believe it or not, before yesterday we only had one bracelet in the entire Chicago collection. So the new Addison Collection is long overdue.

Below are a few pieces from the collection. We repeated themes from other collections like the links from Rush St. and the gems from Southport, so the pieces can be mixed and matched.

Addison Alternating Pearl and Cable Bracelet

Addison Thick Cable Chain with Links

Addison Thick Cable and Heart Bracelet

shout out for Jess LC

Check out the Jess LC spotlight on Bloomacious.com.

off the chain update: 1,000 pounds of thanks

As you can imagine with this year's economy, many people have asked me how Jess LC is fairing. I understand their concern and I can say, that thanks to all of you, our online sales have seen an incredible increase! INCREDIBLE!

If you told me last August what kind of traffic and response we would get from online sales and retail orders in 2009, I would have fainted. I am humbled and thankful that so many people have purchased, referred, volunteered, spread the word, and supported Jess LC overall. Though our distribution in boutiques is substantial, the orders we get from readers has seen an unbelievable spike. UNBELIEVABLE!

Thank you. A ton.

aww, shucks!

Reading Jill's entry on her blog, The Good Life for Less, is like a giant hug on this cold, rainy, dark Chicago afternoon. Check out her feature on the Jess LC Lucky In Bed necklace and MakeunderMyLife!

Thanks, Jill. Good thing it was a cyber hug, I wouldn't want my soaking jacket to get you wet.

off the chain update: teaching team in training

Saturday started bright and early. I had a Jess LC Soc Chic event with Team in Training in Elmhurst, Illinois. My trusty friend Kaitlyn (in the photo above) was both my partner in crime and navigator. For four hours we met Team In Training participants raising money for endurance events, and taught them how to fundraise with our Silver Lining Necklace.
The morning was a huge success and we sold out of the Silver Lining necklaces we brought for the event. For those participating in a Team In Training events, information about using the Silver Lining Necklace to fundraise can be found here.

off the chain update: a bit of sunshine on a cloudy, cold, Chicago day

See Anne of City Sage's original post.

Jess LC goes international

Exciting news! Jess LC has gone global. Over the past week we have shipped to Quebec, London, and Singapore.

Two points for pictures submitted with Jess LC jewelry worn outside the US!

Jess LC International - by Jess LC on Polyvore.com