Having Faith

Having Faith

A Story of Healing

Ten years ago, we adopted two beautiful boxers we affectionately named Angel and Cas (short for Casper).  You wouldn't know it by looking at them, but they were sisters from the same litter.  So lovable and playful, they were the sweetest dogs you could ever want.  Just one look at them could melt your heart.  They were my baby girls.  

These silly girls were funny.  Just watching them grow and their fun loving personalities develop was a joy.  They were true "besties" and extremely close.  I found out how close they were the first time they had to be separated.  It was after we noticed a very strange looking nodule growing inside Cas's ear.  We took her to the Vet who said she would need to have it removed.  I don't remember exactly how old Cas was at the time, but I do remember how upset Angel was when we left to take her in for surgery.  The surgery went well and Angel was thrilled to have her sister come home.

Years seemed to fly by as our family grew.  Then one day everything changed.  Cas started having a seizure.  We rushed her to the ER vet in a panic.  The news was grim.  The Vet believed she had cancer.  I won't go into details because it is to painful for me to discuss.  She deteriorated  very quickly within those few weeks and crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2011.  It was very difficult for me as her Mom, but even more difficult for Angel.  Her whole demeanor changed.  It was as if she was giving up on life.  She was no longer her happy goofy self.  Time passed and it was almost 10 months since Cas had left us, but there was no change in Angel.  I asked the Vet if he had any advice that could help her.  He advised me to adopt another dog in hopes that it might help her depression. 

I took his advice and started searching local rescues for another boxer.  I came across an organization called Dolly's Foundation that had a boxer available for adoption.  I went ahead and contacted them to find out more details.  I gave them the run down on our full house (kids, dog, and cats) and found out we were not a good fit for this particular lovely but they had another dog that they would like us to meet.  I was a bit hesitant, NOT because it was a pit bull mix, but because it was another female white dog!  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't know if I could handle it.  I thought she might remind me of Cas and that it would be too painful.  Then I found out her name was Faith.  What are the chances!  Angel and Faith?  That was it, we had to meet her.

We had our first meet and greet and Angel was so excited.  It was the first glimmer of her old self that we had seen in months.  After seeing how much Angel perked up we were hopeful.  I knew we were making the right decision.  Faith on the other hand was not so sure.  She was quite the shy one.  Little did I know as much as I thought we needed Faith, she needed us just as much.  She was a shy and extremely skittish girl.  So skittish she was afraid to go outside at night for a walk.  I had to admit, I had never seen anything like it.  But Angel helped show her that not everyone is bad and not everything is scarey.  And with a lot of love, time and patience we were able to earn her trust and build her confidence.

We officially adopted Faith in January of 2012.  Angel bounced back almost immediately all thanks to her new sister.  I like to think Faith was meant to be. I mean look at her name it was perfect.  We found a wonderful addition to our family and she found her forever home.  All it took was an Angel a little Faith and a whole lot of healing.

I cannot thank Erica from Dolly's Foundation enough for our baby girl.  During the whole month of November, Alyce n Maille is donating a portion of the proceeds to Dolly's Foundation. This wonderful organization rescues and helps rehome dogs in need. Not only do they rescue, they also offer a massive amount of community support to pet owners in the Central Florida area. They help provide free spay and neuter services to families in need of assistance and also help some owners with caring for their pets. If you would like to learn more about Dolly's Foundation check out their website: www.dollysfoundation.org

I hope you found this story inspirational.  Thank you for reading!

Jen ♥

Handcrafted Artisans and Celebrity Gifting Event Fun

An Artisan's Perspective on Celebrity Event Fun

Have you ever wanted to take a glimpse at what goes into Celebrity gifting events?  Today, I will give you a small glimpse from a Handcrafted Artisan's perspective on what it entails.

Being a member of The Artisan Group has given Alyce n Maille the opportunity to participate in many amazing events.  Not only are the events awesome, so are my fellow team members!  I have come to think of them as family, my circle of trust.  Everyone is so supportive and helpful, not to mention extremely talented.  I have to say, this has been a really eventful and fun year for all of us in TAG (The Artisan Group).

This September,myself and many other artisans took part in two main celebrity gifting events. There was the 2013 GBK NYFW Luxury Lounge as well as the 2013 GBK Primetime Emmys Celebrity Gift Lounge.  There is a lot of details and preparation that go into setting up these events.  From beginning to end, I can't even imagine how much hard work Valerie Guerrero the founder of The Artisan Group puts into it!

As an artisan, there is a lot of thought and care that goes into these events as well.  The preparation starts with the difficult process of deciding what we will create all the way down to what color bow or tissue paper we should use when deciding packaging.  We literally are meticulously handcrafting our wares and hand stamping boxes months in advance.  All of this preparation can seem a bit daunting at times, but in the end, it is well worth it since we love what we do.

Alyce n Maille Chainmaille Bracelet - GBK NYFW 2013

For me though, I have to say that the most fun time is the actual day of the celebrity events.  You would think it was Christmas time with all the magic in the air.  If you could only see us.  It involves myself and all of my TAG (The Artisan Group) family patiently waiting "virtually" together online.  Most of us on our fifth cup of coffee (myself included) looking for any important news and tidbits from our tireless leader Valerie and her lovable minions.  We have a blast chatting and commenting as time passes until the first update is posted.  It is so much fun to hear that a particular celebrity and the press now have your product.  That same item that took you hours to carefully handcraft, or that business card that took you forever to design is now in their hands.  It is an amazing feeling.

Alyce n Maille Chainmaille Earrings - GBK Primetime Emmys 2013

As the fun settles down, and the events come to a close there is a sense of accomplishment.  We did it!  The Artisan Group has successfully introduced more celebrities to handcrafted artisans.  It is a little bitter sweet to know that it is over.  But now we can all take a sigh of relief as we sit and hope of hearing from one of the lovelies that were gifted our handcrafted treasures or even a glimpse of them in a photograph with our goodies.  It is time to relax a bit, or at least until the next fun celebrity events approaches.

Nancy Pearson from Bravo TVs Million Dollar Listing NYC

Group thank you from actress Alysia Reiner

I want to give special thanks to Valerie Guerrero and the rest of the team from The Artisan Group for believing in us and giving us a platform to shine.  I would also like to thank all of the media and celebrities who took the time to respond back to us.  It truly means the world to us.  And to those who went above and beyond to write about us and post photos of our products,  words cannot explain my deepest gratitude.  Thank you for supporting handcrafted artisans!

I hope you enjoyed this fun little sneak peak into the world of artisans.  Thank you for reading!

Jen ♥

GBK’s 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge

Getting Ready For GBK’s 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge

This summer has been a very busy one for me.  I just finished packaging my pieces to send out for GBK's 2013 NY Fashion Week Luxury Lounge.  Now it is time for my next event.  I am very excited that I will be participating in the GBK 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge!

In the Beginning There Were Rings

 

I have been given the wonderful opportunity for my business cards to be included in every celebrity gift bag at the GBK 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge.  My unique scale and chainmaille earrings will also be included in special gift bags for the attending press covering this amazing event.  

The Beginning of the Byzantine Weave

When it came to deciding what color variation of earrings to gift, I was in a bit of a dilemma.  There are so many fun and unique combinations I could make that I couldn't decide which to choose at first.  So I did the next best thing and decided to send a variety.

Scales of a Different Color

Each pair of earrings is handwoven using a combination of anodized scale, bright aluminum and anodized aluminum rings.  In all, there will be 5 different color variations of my Alyce n Maille designed scale chainmaille earrings. 







Pink Scale Chainmaille Earrings
Alyce n Maille Design



Turquoise Blue Scale Chainmaille Earrings
Alyce n Maille Design

Above is what the finished chainmaille earrings look like.  I love these earrings.  They are unique and have a bit of a retro feel to them.  I can't wait to send these off to California.  I hope everyone that receives a pair loves them.  I will have to just wait and see.  Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog!

I want to send a huge thank you to The Artisan Group for sharing another wonderful opportunity with me to be included in GBK's 2013 Primetime Emmys Gift Lounge.

GBK's 2013 NYFW Luxury Lounge

Getting Ready For GBK's 2013 New York Fashion Week Luxury Lounge

So many rings!

I love when I receive my supplies.  It is like Christmas in July!  My latest creative endeavor includes the use of over 18,000 rings of metal and rubber awesomeness.  Needless to say, I will be a very busy bee these next couple of weeks.

Just Keep Weaving...Just Keep Weaving...

These rings will be transformed into gorgeous chainmaille bracelets.  These bracelets will be carefully handwoven by me using bright aluminum and white non-latex rubber rings.  I am very excited to announce that they will be included in the GBK 2013 New York Fashion Week Luxury Lounge.  

Stay on Target

So far, there have been many hours of love spent weaving already on this amazing project.  As you can see, I am not quite done crafting all of the chainmaille bracelets yet.  So there will be many more hours of chainmailling to go.  Did I mention that I love what I do?

Stacked Chainmaille Bracelets

White Stretch Chainmaille Bracelet - Alyce n Maille

Above is what the finished chainmaille bracelet will look like.  Once I am done, I will begin gorgeously packaging these bracelets to send off to NY.  I hope everyone that receives one loves it as much as I loved making it.  I guess I will have to just wait and see.  In the meantime, I have a lot of work to do.  Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog!

I want to send a huge thank you to The Artisan Group for sharing this wonderful opportunity with me for my work to be included in GBK's 2013 NYFW Luxury Lounge.

Through the Looking Glass - Who is Alyce n Maille

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, 
"and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” 

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Emerald Green Glass Caterpillar Bracelet

I think this is the scariest post I will ever have to write.  How does one describe oneself without sounding too pretentious or like a complete goofball?  I am not quite sure how to do that but I will try to do my best.

I guess I will start with a quick touch on who I am in my home life.  My name is Jen.  I am the "Alyce" in Alyce n Maille.  I am a married mom of many.  I say "many" because I count my furry and feathery babies too.  To be specific though, I have 3 amazing boys.  You could say 4 if you count my husband.  Anyone who can put up with my randomness is pretty amazing as well.  As for babies of a different kind, I have two dogs, two cats and two birds.  It is a full house, and if you have boys, you know how lively everyday life can be.  There is never a dull moment in this house.  Being the only female though can definitely be a challenge at times, but I wouldn't change a thing.  Professionally, I am a graphic artist and have been doing graphics for approximately 13 years.  I have a BA in Graphic Design and love anything pertaining to the arts.

For me personally, I like to absorb as much as I can from different sources.  I think it helps feed creativity.  That is how I found my passion for chainmaille.  Besides being beautiful, I think what drew me to it was that it is something that has been around for centuries.  You can look back and see it in various forms ranging from intricate armor to delicate jewelry.  The first piece of chainmaille jewelry that I actually saw was created using the dragonscale weave.  It was multicolored and I thought it was stunning.  After that, I had to learn how to make it.  I researched all over the internet about chainmaille.  It opened me up to a whole new world of artisans.  I found even more cool and unique ways to create chainmaille jewelry.  That was it.  I was hooked.  So I started making some pieces for myself.  Soon I had some interest from family and friends.  After selling some pieces by word of mouth, I decided to take the next step.  Being a graphic artist, I couldn't just go at it so simply.  I needed to come up with a shop name that fit my personality and what I want to sell.  Some say that I have a very active imagination.  I like to say that I am very "open".  Words, pictures and just about anything can trigger songs, thoughts and images in my brain.  That is the randomness I was talking about earlier.  In terms of chainmaille though, every piece has its own "Wonderland" story in my head.  Hence this is where the name "Alyce n Maille" was born.  So I setup a website and opened Alyce n Maille on Etsy in December of 2012.  It was the beginning of my new online adventure.  Maybe I will have to write about that in another post.  :)

Thank you for checking out my blog.

♥ Jen