We raised money for CHORDOMA!

This Past Friday my friends and I attended a Bowling event to honor the memory of Tyler Seaman, a recent graduate of Calhoun High School on Long Island, and younger brother of my friend Marley Jay. Tyler passed this past month of CHORDOMA, a relentless bone cancer that affects the area where the spine meets the skull. The message of the evening was that we wanted to remember Tyler as he lived and not as he suffered and passed. This is why they chose to have a Bowling event and not a Memorial Service.

Throughout the evening my friend Irene and I sold our Teardrop for CHORDOMA Necklaces. From those sales we were able to raise over $200 for the Chordoma Foundation!! I got the money order and will be sending it out tomorrow! I am so proud of the mulryjewels team and supporters who are supporting this effort and I hope that this is just a beginning and we can continue to bring awareness and support to this cause and perhaps some others.

Shop Local, Handmade, and NOT CRAZY this holiday

The midnight sales, the traffic, arguing people over the last bowling game for the Wii, Retail workers getting TRAMPLED at walmart....Really, shoppers? Really?

RELAX! The Handmade world is online and ready to help! The {NewNew} Etsy Street Team is a group of handmade artists and artisans from the New York City area (including Long Island, thank-you-very-much.) We are having a crazy Black Friday/ Cyber Monday Sale of our own.

These artists are seriously talented and the items can be personalized or made one of a kind! This way you know you are getting what you want. Sales are ranging from 10-30%off selected items and many have free shipping! Here is a list of the participating Members:

Adornments NYC - Jewelry
Amitown Creatures- Toys/Accessories
Alton Weekes - Cards
Aperture Agog- Artwork/photograpy
Art By Iris - Original Art
A Studio by the Sea - Handmade artglass beads and jewelry


Beadscarf - Jewelry and Accessories
Caja Jewelry - Jewelry


C Line Creations - Original Art, Cards and Accessories
Deborah Julian- Cards/Photos
Ellis Design- Hats and Accessories
Felt it - Felt accessories and apparel
Fine Artist - Original Art
Groundsel - Upcycled Handbags
Jantar - Jewelry
J Davis Studio - Jewelry
Journalistic Tendency - Hand-bound journals
K Batty- Stationary
Key Element- Jewelry
KimmChi - Women's apparel
Kim Last- Jewelry
Kipi- Artwork
Kitty Jones- Toys for Dogs & Cats
Knitting Guru- Accessories
Knock Knock Studio- Jewelry/accessories
L'Atelier des Bijoux - Jewelry
Lingua Nigra - Jewelry
Loella Medina - Jewelry
Luis Fernando - Jewelry
Meliannaa- Jewelry
Owliday Inn - Jewelry
OffTheMat - Yoga inspired beauty and lifestyle products
Panda With Cookie - Plush Toys
The Peach Tree- Jewelry
PepperSprouts - Housewares
Persuede- Jewelry
Projects By Carm- Toys/Accessories
Pria Vanda- Stationary
Pulp Sushi - Jewelry
Rose McKay Designs- Jewelry
Romi Ceramics- Ceramics
RosiRouge- Baby Items
Sans Map- Accessories
Stephanie Monroe- Toys / Accessories
SDV Designs- Jewelry
Webbedware - Jewelry
WarpeDesign - Cards + Paper housewares
Windows of Agate - Plush toys
Wish By Felicity - Jewelry



Check out these great deals and, of course, you can check out Mulryjewels too!

Jewelry for Charity

A Good friend of mine recently lost his younger brother to Chordoma. He was only 18. Chordoma is described by the Chordoma Foundation as "a primary malignant bone cancer that develops from remnants of embryonic notochord in the skull-base (head) and spine." In lamens terms it is a tragedy. There is no cure and no known sucessful treatment. Survival time is about 7 years. A Tragedy
I have no words to describe the situation and, frankly, it is not my story to tell.

In honor of the family I have designed this pendant:

The "Teardrop for Chordoma" will be sold in my etsy shop as well as my ustrendy store. The cost is $35 and between $15 and $20 of the purchase will go straight to the Chordoma Foundation. It will also be featured in select retail locations in the NY area.

Chordoma is not well known but it is just as tragic as any other cancer and there is no known treatment for it as it is a bone cancer. Please help by purchasing a Teardrop Necklace or donating to the Chordoma Foundation. Thanks to all supporters and happy holidays.

Bad Events

Ok so, yeah, some events are going to be duds and you are not going to sell anything. Usually you don't take it personally and you chalk it up to experience and move on. Tonight I am feeling particularly hormonal about the event I just did. Mostly because I think that it was the planners fault and not just the way the cards fell.

This was a holiday sale in a very small venue that can fit about 60 people max. WHY were there 10 vendors? And WHY were almost half of them jewelry vendors??? At some point some responsibility should fall on the event planner to make sure that this event will actually bring in money for the vendors, especially if we PAID, yes, PAID to be there.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for sharing and having different styles suit different tastes. However, the sparse turnout at that the event left little room for Anyone to make money, let alone FOUR jewelry vendors. I was not the only one who didn't make a cent at selling jewelry. And, let's face it, handmade jewelry costs more than mass produced sparkly crap. oh yes, I said crap. I can't compete with that. I can't sell a big chunky bracelet for 15 dollars. Its just not going to happen. I am not willing to compromise in quality. My pieces are made with my heart and my time. They are (almost always) my original designs. That stuff takes time, and swarovski is not cheap.

I was told at the time of my "audition" for this event that I was the only handmade jewelry designer and there was one other with manufactured jewelry. If she told me that I would be up against the cheap stuff, the expensive stuff, and some other stuff, AND I had to pay a table fee that was pretty high for what it was. I probably would have stayed home, watched Grey's Anatomy, and had a pleasant evening. Instead I "auditioned" for the event, Spent time and money building inventory, worked on TV night, and was ignored most of the time. I just kept saying "Why am I here??".

I am surprised at my level of complaining here and I know I need to get over myself. I am not complaining, however, at the outcome of the night, so much as the fact that I was basically set up to fail and then charged for it. I learned that sometimes you have to walk away.

Update on Things

Ok, so I am over the worst of my nasty case of Strep Throat and I am no longer contagious! This means I can clean my whole apartemnt (...yay...) and get to work for the upcoming holiday sales. I am admittedly taking it slow this year due to audition season and the amoung of arias I have to work on. Also, I am giving up less of my weekends in the efforts to grow my vocal studio even more than it has been.

Having said that- Here is what is on the the Schedule: (with the blessing of my health holding up)


Thursday, November 11th- Jewelry Night at BEANBERRY Coffee house in Miller Place!
Thursday, Nov 18th- Holiday Sale at Raina's place in Woodbury.
Thursday, December 16th- Recital of Soprano, Lauren Phillips, at the
Hewlett- Woodmere library (featuring duets with me :)
Saturday, Dec 18th- Selling at the Hester Street Holiday Market
Thursday, December 23rd- 2nd Date at Hester St.

Throughout the holiday seasons my jewelry will be displayed at several events sponsored by ALL ABOUT ACCESSORIES. Denise, the owner, has an exquisite eye for jewelry, bags, belts, and all things accessory. She does private parties, retail displays in dress shops and hair salons, etc., and now has a FAB website: www.shopallaboutaccessories.com , a must-see.

Also look for my holiday line including snowflakes, holiday present pendants, etc., at Salvage Chic in Long Beach's East End, Elan Boutique in Smithtown, and Stoopher & Boots on Amsterdam at 79th st. in Manhattan!

JEWELRY NIGHT!

WHEN: November 11th 7pm
WHERE: Beanberry Coffee and Yogurt in Miller Place, NY


The Beanberry is an adorable coffee house with couches and a laid back atmosphere. They have amazing flavored cappucinos as well as other speacialty coffee drinks, desserts, and frozen yogurt with full toppings menu! Its a great place to chill and not worry about spending a lot of money. Located right on Route 25 in Miller Place, they have live music and other activities every week.

November 4th will be our first Jewelry Night! There will be fun, holiday items, sale items, and Mulryjewels signatures. Anyone who mentions this blog will get a 10% discount on your first purchase!

Bon Voyage Sale at the Treasure Chest

Since June 5th, 2010, the {newnew}’s Treasure Chest, a summer pop-up store, has been an oasis of hidden gems from New York City’s wealth of talented artists and artisans. The rich history and classic architecture of the island has proven to be most inspiring to our contributors. Weather it is a specialty magnet from Lenny Mud, a biking-themed messenger bag from Groundsel, an “I love Governors
Island” T- shirt from Aperture Agog, or a necklace featuring local architecture from Citibitz, many of the items in the Treasure Chest
are designed with Governors Island as its main source of inspiration.


The Partnership of Governors Island with the {newnew} Etsy Street Team has proved to be overwhelmingly successful. All through the summer they have provided local shoppers and tourists alike with a unique shopping experience in which they can view and purchase all things handmade. These items include but are not limited to jewelry, clothing, original artwork, lampshades, pottery, house wares, and beauty products.



It’s almost time to say goodbye to summer, but ,on Governors Island,
the farewell is bittersweet. Along with the Island’s closing for the
season comes savings on your favorite handmade goods from the {newnews}’s Treasure Chest. On September 3rd through the 5th you can save 25% on the entire store of local artisan crafted items .

If Governors Island is your favorite summer getaway, you must stop by for
jewelry, clothing, handbags and more, inspired by its serenity,
history and style. If you’ve yet to take the short ferry ride to this
hidden oasis, this is the perfect time to say “bon voyage” to summer
and “hello” to 25% off the best New York area Etsy items.

This magical pop up store has made its home in Historical House 6B in
the Nolan Park section of Governors Island. On September 6th, 2010,
however, the {newnew} will bury its treasure for good, only to be
found on the etsy pages of its contributing artists. Come in and
shop while you still can, landlubbers.

About The {NewNew} Etsy Team

The {NewNew} is a group of independent handmade Etsy artists,
designers, makers and crafters in the Metro New York area who are devoted to fostering a creative and supportive environment among its members. The group encourages a spirit of camaraderie through craftsmanship and strives to help
its members achieve success on both a personal and professional level.
Members come from many different backgrounds and produce fine, handcrafted goods including clothing, home décor, jewelry, accessories, paper goods, bath and body products, and toys. Everything is designed and produced locally by the talented artists of The {NewNew}.

What is Etsy?

Etsy.com is the world’s most vibrant handmade marketplace, offering
millions of unique items from sellers in more than 150 countries. We connect shoppers with independent creators and designers to find inspiring handmade goods, while providing artists and makers a platform on which to build their own
businesses.

WHAT: Treasure Chest: A {NewNew} Etsy Team Pop-Up Shop on Governors Island

WHEN: Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from June 5, 2010 until September 5, 2010.