Jewelry from Hawaii

Black Friday!

2008-11-16T15:24:00.001-08:00

Check out the Black Friday event at the Little Black Box (click on the picture to take you there). There are going to be some great sales offered! Some of the stores participating are up now, but a lot are keeping it a secret. Trust me, there will be great offers!

Phone charms!

2008-11-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

I found these adorable animals the other day while doing some supply shopping, and just had to make something out of them. So I started a new collection of phone charms! The three pictured here are what I have made so far. I have a whole lot more animals, so be on the lookout for more cute little phone charms!

DementiaCare Foundation

2008-11-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to check out my Faith & Hope line. 50% of all sales from this line go to the DementiaCare Foundation. The DementiaCare Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the care and research of those suffering from dementia. Check out their website for more information.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I guess this is the last day that my "Trick-Or-Treat" Earrings will be for sale in ErinT Fashion Accessories, at least for this year. I am of course, also wearing my Halloween earrings, along with a great t-shirt from my dear friend and awesome roommate of Hi+T (custom t-shirts). It's made of 100% organic cotton and hand-printed with a skull on the front of it. Perfect for Halloween, because it came from her grand-opening "Halloween" line last year. I'm so proud of her!

I can't believe it's the end of October already. Which means that we're fast approaching the Christmas season. I am definitely not ready! But then again, I say that every year, and I always pull through.

Have a happy and SAFE Halloween!

Yummy!

2008-10-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the new "yummy" treats I've added to my shop. Sorry, they're not edible! But I though they were a cute new way to cure those sweets cravings I know we all have, minus the calories and the cavities! You can find "Sweet Cookies", "Strawberry Goodness" and "Cute as a Cupcake", all in my store. I've also included a photo of my Halloween "Trick-or-Treat" earrings, perfect to get you in the mood for this upcoming holiday.

Lollishops

2008-10-12T15:34:00.001-07:00

Shop Handmade

2008-10-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

Gift Time!

2008-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted! Shame on me! I thought I'd show some photos of what I've been up to, since I haven't been around for awhile. The first is actually a pair of earrings that I created a long time ago, but I just updated it and took some better photos of it. Check out "Fiery Passion" earrings that I just listed in the store. I also added gift wrapping and gift certificate options to the store, just in time for the holidays. Check those out as well...perfect gift options!

I also just ordered a whole bunch of new materials, and can't wait to get them in. That's one of the downsides of living in Hawaii though...the long transit time for some items. But I'll be adding some yummy new items once they're in (you'll see what I'm talking about)

Weekend Plans

2008-09-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

As per my earlier post about my laziness and how I'm not getting anything done, I've decided to set some weekly goals for myself. Not anything big, because I've never been very good at that, but I thought that if I at least set some small goals for myself, I can make sure to get the important things done by the end of the week. This week, I decided to keep it small, since I know I'm going to want to fit in some birthday celebrating :) But I have decided that by Sunday night, I want to have all my samples packed up and ready to be shipped. I'm participating in a couple of small "samplers" being put on by other independent artists. I have made all of the earrings that I want to be included in my packages as well as put together all my matchbook notepads that I am using for the promo materials. But I still have to put each little packet together and put them in the box to ship them off. They've been sitting around for awhile now, and I know that I really need to get on it or I'll miss the deadline. So by Sunday night, they will be done. Then I can mail them out Monday morning and get to work on my next weekly goal. Wish me luck, as I can be an expert procrastinator at times ;)

2008-09-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to keep up with everyone and everything, but lately it seems as though there's never enough time. I always feel like I'm one step behind. I do, however, feel that most of this has to do with my laziness more than me being busy. I could, after all, work immediately on packaging my promos or making new jewelry designs as soon as I get home from work everyday, but instead I decide to grab a snack, sit down, and relax in front of the TV. So really, it's my own fault. :) I have found time, despite my laziness, to continue practicing my "photography". It's in quotes, because I really have no idea what I'm doing. The photos at the top are the results of my experimentation. Are they getting any better?

Some fantastic news that I forgot to include is that a select few of my pieces can now be found at Trendy Shoppes and The Bonbi Forest Indie Emporium. I am stoked :)

Birthday Over

2008-09-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the birthday sale is over, which means that the birthday is over! Despite a minor disagreement with the other half at the end of the night, it was a pretty good day. I got 2 bouquets of flowers from different family members. I never got flowers for my birthday before, and it actually brought a huge smile to my face. Too bad I forgot to take photos of them! They're both beautiful. My parents got me a special dinner of some of my favorite foods, and I got to go over to their house, watch tv, and relax and eat dinner with them. I liked that :) And of course, my gift from my honey. He got me a work bench to work on my jewelry! I've been wanting one for a long time...ever since I started taking those jewelry design courses. He was originally going to make one for me with a friend, but they realized after a little planning that it would take them way too long with their work schedules and school schedules, not to mention that buying the supplies would cost just as much as buying an assembled one. So I guess he decided to just buy one for me. All I have to do is clean up the walk-in closet and he said he'd set it up there. I'm so excited! I know he doesn't like it when I tell the whole world that he got me a gift, so hopefully he never sees this! I still have dinner with my family this Friday and some "hang out" time with a few of my best friends this weekend, so there's still a little something to look forward to even though the actual day is over.

I know it's a little silly coming from a 25 year old, but I still love to get pampered on my birthday :) Just like I did when I was 5...shows how much I've matured! hehe...

Birthday!

2008-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday, and because it's not usually a very eventful day for me, I'd like to offer all of you something special. Today only, take 15% off your entire order at ErinT Fashion Accessories. Simply type in "birthday" in the Notes to Seller at checkout and I'll send you a revised invoice with your discount. Enjoy!

2008-09-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

More new design & photography endeavors/experiments. This is fun!

2008-09-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

In addition to creating two of my absolute favorite earrings the other night, I did some major studying on photographing things like jewelry yesterday. I learned all sorts of techniques and decided to try some out. I like the results! I know it still needs a lot of work, but I'm getting there. Practice makes perfect! I could never take photographs with backgrounds like this before, so I think I'm already improving! Check out my latest pieces at (as always) my store.

2008-09-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

I just ordered some great new supplies from Etsy sellers and can't wait for them to come in. Until then, I've been working on packaging some samples for a couple of "samplers" that I'm participating in. It's so fun to put together all of the goodies and I really hope they pay off! I have found some time to create a couple new earrings for my collection. I like them both because they seem so elegant and simple. The photos of them are above. Find them both at my Etsy Store.

The Little Black Box

2008-09-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

I was more than a little bummed that my package didn't make it to Kim to be included in the August "Little Black Box", but she was kind enough to use my items for the September issue as they finally reached her. I am very excited and hope that people like what I'm offering :) I wasn't able to make a whole lot, so if you do purchase one of the boxes, hopefully you'll get one that has one of my packages in it. I've included a pair of earrings from my collection, a small hand mirror, a "matchbook" notepad and a discount coupon in each of the packages. Too bad I didn't think to take photos of all the goodies before I packed them up and sent them off.

Labor Day Weekend Sale!

2008-08-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

I am offering a Labor Day Weekend Sale to readers of my blog for my Etsy store. Get 20% off your entire order placed Saturday (8/30/08) through Monday (9/1/08). Just type in "Labor Day Sale" in the notes to seller before checking out. I'll send you a revised invoice with your discounted price. Find modern and contemporary jewelry at ErinT Fashion Accessories.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend everyone!

New Creations

2008-08-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

I finally got back to work adding new pieces to the store. Those pictured are the latest. Click on the photo to take you to the item in the store. I'll be back soon with the newest creations!

More New

2008-08-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Now that I have all these great new materials, I just can't stop creating! It's like a disease! A fun one though, so I'm not complaining! Check out the new pieces, as always, in my shop.

On a totally unrelated note, my boyfriend's nephew said the cutest thing the other day (I think it's cute, anyway) that I just had to share. He noticed the bandage on my leg, and asked what happened. I told him "I have an 'owie'". He asked me if I fell down, and when I said no, he said "Well then you don't have an owie, Aunty!". I thought that was pretty cute.

New New New!

2008-07-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I get new supplies. I get obsessed and I end up working all night just because I keep coming up with new ideas. It's okay though, because it's SO MUCH FUN! Anyway, here's the latest of my new designs. They're all posted in the shop now, so feel free to take a look. I'll probably be taking a break tonight, but not to worry, because I know I'll be back soon with all the ideas and designs I've been sketching out.

Finally!

2008-07-29T14:41:00.001-07:00

I'm back! My thumb is still not entirely back to normal, but it's good enough for me to continue doing what I love! I recently got a hand drill and some epoxy, ordered some new materials, and the design ideas keep on coming! These are my latest of my newest techniques and experiments. It's personally right up my alley of style and I may have to make a few pieces for myself to wear. So now that I'm back up to par, I'll probably be spending a lot of time working on new designs. Stay on the lookout for more new pieces!

Christmas in July!!!

2008-07-21T12:07:00.001-07:00

I am participating in the Christmas in July sale, taking place on July 26, 2008 (Saturday). Great deals are being offered by all the participants. Sales will be announced once we go "live". Trust us, these aren't ordinary sales! Check out Black Box Reviews and The Little Black Boxes for more info. There will also be fabulous door prizes given out throughout the day. Check out Black Box Reviews for more info on this, and be sure to bookmark the page so that you can get your chance to win one of the great door prizes!

The day is coming up fast. Don't miss it!

Where's all the New Pieces?

2008-07-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Just in case any of you have been wondering, I thought I'd give a little update on why I haven't had any new items up in awhile and why I haven't been posting here on my blog. I somehow injured my thumb, which makes it very difficult to even write, much less make jewelry. The doctor is still not sure exactly what I did to it, but it may have something to do with the ligament. I'm a little bummed out because I just bought a whole bunch of new supplies and drew out these new designs that don't look like what I normally make. I was excited to get started, but I guess it's going to have to wait, as my thumb decided it was time for me to take a break ;) In any case, I'm hoping for a speedy discovery so that I can get back to creating!

More for Summer

2008-07-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here's more fun items for summer. Pair them with your favorite summer outfits for the perfect and fun fashion statement. Go ahead and take a look!

Earrings Galore

2008-06-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

These are the new earrings I've been working on. I was so excited because I love each one of them. Unfortunately, it looks like no one else does :( I posted the first two awhile ago, and still 0 views. Of course, Etsy has been known to have its bugs, so I shouldn't let it get to me too much. So anyway, I thought I'd share them with you, because I'm so proud of them!

It's been awhile!

2008-06-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

The photo above is of my newest necklace, now available in my store.

Sorry for the delay in posting! It's been crazy busy and stressful at my day job lately, and I have limited time or energy for anything else. I wish I could do jewelry all day, every day, but it's going to be awhile before I'm able to do that.

Amazingly, inspiration has struck me through this incredibly busy time in my life. After careful thought, I've decided on opening a new store, especially for my metal jewelry creations. I've been drawing out a lot of designs lately, and have noticed that each one has gotten its inspiration through something that I found in nature. That is why I named my new store "Nature in Design Jewelry". I have my logo, made out a business card design, and started an Etsy store. You can take a look here: http://natureindesign.etsy.com. It's not open yet, but you can see the logo and such. I thought it was a wise idea to keep my actual metalwork separate from my Fashion Accessories store. Wish me luck on my new endeavor!

Inspiration Strikes!

2008-06-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

I just got these great new supplies in that inspired me to create these amazing earrings. I first started out with those white wood flowers that I had leftover from the other earrings I made awhile ago. Then I moved on to these round wood pendants with a butterfly design and thought they looked great with these light pink glass hearts I had. Soon enough, the inspiration came easily, and before I knew it, I had three more pairs of new earrings that I just love.

I have noticed that I've been making a lot of earrings lately compared to necklaces and bracelets. I don't know what it is about earrings, but I just adore them. I know this sounds strange, being that I create jewelry, but I always find it such a hassle to find the proper jewelry to match the outfit I'm wearing and then put it all on. But earrings are so easy and fun! There are so many different styles, and all I have to do is slip them right in and I'm ready to go. That's probably why I love making them so much.

So that's it for now. It's back to the drawing board for me, because I have even more new supplies that I can't wait to try out and millions of ideas swimming through my brain. If I don't draw them out soon something may escape! I've also been busy with my Jewelry Design and Repair course, and have been learning so many things that I never knew. I can't wait to actually do some hands-on work and create those metal pieces that I've always been longing to do.

New Blue!

2008-06-17T15:38:00.001-07:00

For some reason, the color blue has been really inspiring me lately. I love all the different shades that it comes in and the variety of other colors it matches. I probably have a couple dozen blue tops and dresses. But anyway, I went digging through my stash of supplies hoping that I could find some materials to work with. And guess what...I did! The photos above show some of the new pieces I've made with different shades of blue. They're all in my shop, so go ahead and take a look!

I'm on my way!

2008-06-12T14:14:00.001-07:00

I just took two very important (in my opinion) steps to advancing my career in something that I love. The first thing I looked into was my jewelry skills, since that's what I'm concentrating on right now. For a very long time, I've wanted to learn how to make jewelry. I know what you're thinking..."but Erin, you do make jewelry". Yes, but what I wanted to learn was metalwork, casting, soldering, etc. I searched endlessly for courses like that in Hilo and found absolutely nothing. Maybe I've been looking in all the wrong places, but I couldn't find anything at all. So I started my search for online learning, since online is what I seem to do best now days. I found the Jewelry Design & Repair program at Ashworth University. The courses this program offers are pretty much everything that I've been looking for. I did my research to make sure everything is legit, then enrolled. My first shipment of course materials is on its way, and I'm super excited to start learning. As the program progresses, I'll let you know how it goes.

The second step I took was to look for something to enhance my sewing skills. I've always loved to sew, and took sewing classes when I was a lot younger. Since then, my sewing began to taper off, and I don't sew at all anymore. I have a grandmother who sews wonderfully, so I've kind of been taking advantage of her skills lately. However, as I started my interest in the fashion world, I realized how much I wanted to learn actual dressmaking and design. This led me to the Dressmaking and Design program at Penn Foster. It, like the Jewelry Design & Repair program at Ashworth, is a diploma program, so I won't be getting an Associate's Degree or anything like that. But as I reviewed the course materials, I realized this is exactly what I want to do. So I enrolled, and actually began my program today.

I am so excited for these opportunities to learn. I'm very happy that with the Internet, I'm able to do distance learning like this while remaining in the home I love (for the time being - I'm still tempted to start that Apparel Accessory Design Associates Degree in Portland) and keeping my daily schedule pretty close to normal. I'm really not sure how these two programs will turn out, but I'll keep you posted!

Unfortunately, because I've been so busy with this, I haven't made anything new this week. Soon I'll have new arrivals.

All New!

2008-06-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy this weekend. I had tons of new supplies and millions of ideas, so I just kept working. But I love it, so it was fun. Here are the photos of what I've been working on. There are some in the store already, and the rest will be added sometime today.

Inspire, Precious, Dream, Cherish

2008-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing my two latest pieces! I know they aren't really my style, but they both kind of just came to me last night. I didn't even have a design drawn up or anything. I just started putting pieces together and creating. Check them out here. What do you think?

And...good news! I figured out why I couldn't upload the Oregon photos (too large). I made them smaller, so here they are:

See that area I circled? That's where we spontaneously decided to hike to. Pretty ambitious, for three little girls such as ourselves. :)

I snapped a photo of one of the views while we were hiking. It's not so great. I must have been getting tired :-P

And we finally reached our destination! If you think that looks big, you should take a look at the inside!

That is unfortunately all the photos I really have of Oregon. We were so busy having fun that we forgot to document our activities!

Accessories Galore!

2008-06-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

These are just a few of the many new pieces I've been working on. Check out my store for everything that I've been adding. For some reason, I've been really inspired to create lately. I think it's the excitement of **hopefully** getting into the Art Institute of Portland and taking their Apparel Accessory Design program. I've been daydreaming A LOT lately of the sort of things I could do with what I learn there. Jewelry is just a small fraction of apparel accessories, and I'm so excited to learn the techniques and processes that go into designing and creating things like handbags, belts, scarves, ties, shoes, etc., etc., etc. I hope hope HOPE I make it in!

Also, I'm not sure if anyone cares or not, but I unfortunately could not upload my Oregon pictures as promised. Maybe they're too big? There weren't too many, anyway. We were so busy running around and having fun that most times, we forgot to take out our cameras and snap some photos. The only ones I have are from our hike to Pittock Mansion. They are beautiful though. I'll try to figure out why my photos aren't uploading so that I can get them on here and share with you the beauty.

I'm Back!

2008-06-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

These are my two latest projects. They'll be in my store soon, so be sure to check it out.

I'm back from my vacation! It was so much fun, I really didn't even want to come back home. We walked around the Rose Garden (though there weren't too many roses out yet), hiked to Pittock Mansion, did some fondue, ate out at tons of neat restaurants, did "Happy Hour" almost every night, went to a bowling alley/bar, and shopped 'til we almost dropped at lots of cute little boutiques. I have pictures, but I haven't transferred them to my computer yet. I'll be sure to post them as soon as I do.

We also got to tour the Art Institute of Portland, where I'm considering enrolling in the Apparel Accessory Design program. It's such a tiny little school, but I loved everything about it. They have students' projects hanging on their walls, and it was really interesting looking at the kind of things I'd be doing in that school. I also got to see some students at work in the sewing rooms and draping room, and that was pretty cool! I still have a lot to think about, but I'm slowly leaning more toward moving back to Oregon for a few years to take this program. It's nice being at home, but home will always be here when I'm ready to come back. And taking this program would be such a wonderful experience for me, since this is really what I want to do with my life. So I think I'm going to have to take out my pen and paper (or my Microsoft Word) and list out my pros and cons.

But for now, back to the daily grind of things...

Earrings and Necklaces and Pendants, oh my! ;)

2008-05-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know where I found the time to create two new pieces, but I was so inspired by the upcoming summer's bright and sunny weather and the green nature of Hilo that I got out my "designing hat" and out came these earrings and this necklace! Don't you think these colors are so bright and vibrant?

On to another topic; my trip to Oregon is approaching fast! The friend I'm going to visit wants me to come up with some ideas of things to do while I'm there. I haven't been there for such a long time that I don't even remember what kinds of activities there are to do at the end of May. Any ideas? I'm so excited for this trip! I'm much overdue for a nice vacation and some quality time with great friends.

Have a great weekend!

Busy Bee!

2008-05-13T19:36:00.001-07:00

After a long awaited and planned for home "craft show", things are finally starting to settle down. And I can proudly say that I did a lot better than I thought I would. I'm working on a few custom orders and some new pieces, but I haven't gotten as much done as I hoped I would. I'm thinking that I just need a couple days of "rest", then I can get back to normal again.

I have a trip planned to Oregon at the end of this month. Hopefully I'll get some inspiration there. I haven't been to Oregon since I graduated from college almost 3 years ago. I'm also *hoping* to go to Japan with my parents toward the end of this year. That should be tons of fun, and give me lots of new ideas, too!

The pictures show some of the things I've been working on. Find them all at www.erintokuuke.etsy.com

Summer!

2008-05-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Summer's coming fast, and I've just added a few new items perfect for the bright and sunny season. Here's just a couple of many:

Check them all out at http://erintokuuke.etsy.com

All New!

2008-04-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

I've just added a whole bunch of new necklaces to my store

One has even been added to the Faith & Hope line. Come in and check out the new pieces!

New Faith & Hope Line

2008-03-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, my family told me that my grandpa was beginning to forget a lot, was sometimes getting violent (something he never did) and eventually ended up in a senior care facility. We soon found out that it was dementia. It was really hard for the whole family to go through, so I've decided that with my new jewelry business, I'd like to help raise awareness, assist with the care of those with dementia and assist with funding for research.

I've created a new line of jewelry that I named "Faith & Hope". 50% of sales from any of the pieces in this line will be donated to the DementiaCare Foundation. Read about the foundation by following the link, then visit my Faith & Hope line and consider purchasing a piece to help out the cause.

Introduction

2008-03-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

I'm new to this, so please excuse me as I try to figure this out. I'll be using this blog to showcase my jewelry as well as share new findings and events that interest me.

I reside in Hilo, Hawaii, where I create all of my jewelry designs. I work a full-time job, am attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division to get my Bachelor's degree in Fashion & Retail Management and sell my jewelry through my own personal website and through my Etsy store. You can view my work at www.erintokuuke.com and erintokuuke.etsy.com. I'm rather busy as of now, but my goal is to be working with my jewelry full-time within five years. The photos at the top are some of my newest designs. I don't have any events to report right now, but please stay tuned as I plan on updating my blog constantly.