1. Men in womens wedge type short boots. Oh yes. This was everywhere. Nothing else to say but they pulled it off well.
2. Long thin jewelry with barely visible charms. These wispy little things were in 90% of the jewelry displays. Booths almost seemed see-through with this inventory of barely noticeable items. And they weren't inexpensive. I took a pass. Although, most of the sales people couldn't be bothered to look up from their phones anyways.
3. There were a few bold souls who brought out my favorites, as in pearls. One did some unique bead work to go with her pearls on leather for cuffs. Some took pearls and added strings of chain or intermingled beads and gems.  I might try that. I also saw suede instead of leather and it was nice too.

Not everything was awesome at #Magic & #WINN

We walked and we walked and we walked-- 9.72 miles on Monday after flying in from Denver. Our son lives there so we stopped in on our way from Maryland over the weekend for his birthday. But that meant a 3 am wake up Denver time. Went to bed at like 8 o'clock the first night in Vegas.  Is that even allowed in Vegas?  We walked another 7.94 miles Tuesday. Gotta get new shoes now. Boo hoo. But the event shuttles were awesome, stocked with ice cold water and running every 15 minutes, so we hardly had to wait.  And the lunch at #WINN was great too!

Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere though.  One booth was so bold as to request a $2500 opening order before they let us see their goods and frowned upon us for not knowing who they were.  Probably was very nice.  I'll never know.  Or Care.  Other cool "name brands" required an appointment to get in behind the walls so we didn't learn much about their Spring 2017 fashion offerings. Worst of all, there were the eye cream people who followed you down the aisle like you were prey. Maybe I'll wear my running shoes next trip.

Old Friends
One reason to attend is catching up with great friends from around the country.  We share ideas and worries.  We plan our escapes at the next show and introduce each other to people who can bring something to the group.  I did get to see (some of) my girls at Bali Queen. We do several shows together throughout the year. Love these ladies.  

Oh, and I ran into some fellow Surf Expo Orlando veterans from Bead Relief only to find out I missed my Surf Expo rep by a day. She had to go do "paperwork for that pesky little show" coming up.  I'll see them all in three weeks at the September Orlando Surf Expo. It opens September 8-10, 2016.  I am in booth #4130 right across from the Boutique Lounge.  

New Finds
I rarely do this but I picked up some items from a girl who travels to Haiti and hires local Haitians to assemble her designs. A noble thing I think. I got some cow horn hoop earrings that I might just keep for myself. Their colors and texture are sure to get noticed. They had hand rolled and painted clay beads for bracelets that I bought along with some antiqued gold which will be for earrings. I don't do gold but these were interesting. I will take them to a few outdoor shows and post on my retail site, Kurbaga Artisans. It felt good to throw her some support and you should too. Hit up Beljoy Haiti on Facebook.

Best of all was the time spent with my husband, John. He is my roadie, a voice of reason and great at carrying all the stuff one collects at these things.

Enjoy!!

Jackie

What I design and create in jewelry is made by my hand. From me to you so you can have art to wear every day. I could buy from China

and mark it up or string some beads but I don't. When I first thought about going out on my own, I had to figure out the

difference.I relied on my own buying habits and it became clear that I wanted to design jewelry that I liked and that I would be proud to see someone else wear.

For me, jewelry design is accomplished in a bunch of ways. Some days its planned with a sketch pad. Most of the time it's trial and error. As I work a piece of metal it sort of tells me what it wants to be. My work bench is a mess with pieces and parts all over it. Once I have it all spread out I can put combinations together. This is the fun part...trying something that don't usually belong together and seeing it work out well.  That is when I know it will be art to someone. 

Other times its my take on something that caught my eye. This happens in the weirdest places. I'll see something but only focus one small part because of shape, texture, or color. It like tunnel vision. I become oblivious to everything else. Later, back at my studio, I try including that memory in a piece of jewelry. Those are fun and challenging. Take my JACKIE LEAF earrings for example. Saw a lady drop an earring while fidgeting with a scarf. Turns out it was some expensive Silpada sterling. She was mad. "This always happens, its my third pair", she said. As I picked it up and handed it back to her the light bulb went on. I tried three or four different things until...the JACKIE LEAF.  The trick here is the long ear wire and the return piece that catches on the back of your earlobe before the wire is anywhere close to coming out of the hole.  Basically it has to be laid horizontal in order to pass the ear wire through the earlobe.  Wahlaa!  Problem solved. Not a single earring lost in the 4 years I've made the Jackie Leaf Earring.

I am heading out to Las Vegas as I write this for the WINN and MAGIC fashion expos to see what else is trending in the fashion jewelry world. I'll update you in a few days.

If you have an idea of your own, or saw something you find interesting but don't know who to ask about it,  comment below or email me and I will be happy to do a consultation and see if we can set up a commissioned piece.   If it works out, we'll name it after you.

Jackie

As a jewelry designer, I often refer back to history for inspiration.  

Sometimes you have to wonder what our mommas were thinking though, as in "what was up with those gloves"?  Oh, but check out the pearls.  

What do you wear with your 2016 wardrobe staples? Of course you have the all purpose white blouse, black slacks, dark blue jeans, a pencil skirt and flip flops. But do you have pearls? How many colors of pearls do you own?  What about different sizes and textures like the nucleus pearl?  Or a thin strand of coin pearls on a bracelet with your favorite charm dangling off? Do you combine pearls with anything else? Have you tried leather with your pearls?Pearls are the oceans gift to women. The mollusks from around the world give up these precious gems in colors and textures to fit any outfit, mood or task. Treasured for generations and spawning trade around the world, pearls are a language we all understand.

Pearls provide a sense of beauty, class, adventure, meaning and kinship. That last thing is the one that gets me the most.

My Momma was famous for wearing her pearls in our neighborhood. Daddy gave them to her way before us kids came around. She let me wear them once, to the prom.  For me, there is sentiment and kinship in pearls not found with other gems. When I design a new piece of jewelry or assemble a piece that is already available on my website, I always think about the elegance and grace of these women. My Momma is gone now, but when I handle pearls, I feel her presence. 

Momma's Lessons about caring for pearls handed down from generations 

• Be sure to always lay your pearls flat when you take them off so they don't stretch.   
• Restring your pearls annually, if you wear them daily.  
• Cleaning with anything other than mild soapy water and a wet cloth is likely to damage the luster of your pearls. There are some commercially available pearl cleaners out there, but  stick with mild soap and water, its what your momma used.  
• Hairspray, perfume, makeup and acidic foods on your fingers will cause discoloration and can really damage the pearls' luster.  Remember, these were once living organisms so acids will eat into them if you are not careful.

And did you know the oil from your skin is good for pearl jewelry?  Pearls are organic, and as such, need moisture.  Pearls also soak up oils from the skin which will add to their luster, making it deeper over time and keeping their value as an everyday part of your wardrobe. 

I have a friend, Maura, who got me going back to Pearls. She spends half the year running a B&B on Cayuga Lake, NY and half the year sailing the blue oceans of the Caribbean.  Two vastly different venues.  You won't find her without her pearls. Ever. Cooking, cleaning, working the garden (where this amazing chef grows nearly everything she uses for cooking). On land, on the water, in the water, whatever she wears, the pearls go on first.

Feel History when Wearing Pearls

So many of the great ladies in history wore pearls. Think Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Coco Channel, Lady Di, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush.  These strong women speak to me about what it means to be a lady, doing the hard work, standing for something, being refined when you don't feel like it, being flexible and adapting to any situation; being the calm in the storm and the embracing the load we all carry on our 

shoulders.  

And they did it all in Pearls.  So can you in 2016!

 I am busy working on several new pieces. 

Needless to say, a favorite I have right now is combining fresh water pearls with Limpet shells from Sanibel Island, FL.  When I found these limpets on the beach at Sanibel, I knew the blues inside the limpet shell would cast a remarkable hew over the pearls. 

This is a necklace named after a little girl who stole my heart. Her name is Ireland and her mommy works at the Pop Gallery in Disney Springs where some of my creations are sold.  I can't walk down the street with out someone stopping to ask where I got that necklace and earrings.  Several times I have sold them right off my neck after I tell them who I am, that I collected the shells, hand-picked the pearls and assembled them myself at my studio in Crofton, Maryland.

Jewelry Design is a very creative endeavor.  

With pearl jewelry in particular, I try to make things that can be worn everyday by women of all ages.  I have the standards, of course, but I am also stocked with leather and pearl bracelets and necklaces that go with anything for any size woman.  I exclusively use sterling silver chains and wires on my earrings because they are the best. My Pearl Earrings come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and often feature special handmade touches also done in sterling silver.  This Fall's collection is about ready and will feature the limpets and pearls along with a few surprises for buyers of all ages, even men!. 

More of a cowgirl at heart?  Check out these leather and pearls on choker necklaces (from my Retail Site called Kurbaga Artisans) .  Click around to see my Jackie Gallagher Designs bracelets and pearl earrings too. These are very popular as a semi-choker with the young ladies

If you are buying for younger woman, there is no time like the present to get them started with pearls.  History says you should.  Dressing up for a night out or heading to the beach for the day?  

Put on some pearls.  

My jewelry creations are clearly "Not Your Momma's Pearls".                                 I think she would be proud.  

And I would be proud to have you wear something I made.  

--Jackie

Need to buy for someone special and have an idea for a custom commissioned piece, I do those too. 

Contact me here

Thanks to all of those who stopped by to see us!

We are on the road again in March, we will be at the Mid Atlantic Gift Show in Ocean City, Md on March 17 - 19 2015 at the Ocean City Convention Center.  Hope to see you there!

Thank you so much for your continued support.