DementiaCare Foundation

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.

New New New!

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!

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!

More for Summer

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!

It's been awhile!

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!

Accessories Galore!

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.

Earrings and Necklaces and Pendants, oh my! ;)

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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.