Guest Blogger Lizzy Gilligan, One Girl's Opinion

I’ve known Lizzy Gilligan for years and I’m forever impressed by her style and talent.  Lizzy has a fabulous line of unique designer clothes for girls called one girl’s opinion, which I absolutely love.  I’m thrilled to introduce Lizzy as our very first guest blogger on Proof!

Lizzy, I have known you since art school, and you have always had an amazing and original sense of fashion.  How would you describe your style?

Eclectic-whimsical-bohemian?  I've always liked to mix up vintage pieces, current trends and classics. Of course being a mom has brought me down to earth.  I need to work on that.

Who taught you how to sew?

I basically taught myself. I had a little sewing instruction in middle school home-ec but mostly I followed the directions on commercial patterns and winged it.  I still learn new things all the time. The wealth of sewing and crafting blogs and websites can be overwhelming! There is so much information being shared. It's really amazing.

When did you make your first “outfit” and what was it?

I made a cream-colored linen skirt and blazer when I was in 7th or 8th grade.  It was from a Vogue pattern featured in a magazine.  My version didn't look quite the same as the one from the photo.

What or who inspired you to start the “One Girl’s Opinion” line?

It's a bit of a cliché but my daughters were the inspiration for my current business. I started my collection because I couldn't find anything just for school age girls in the handmade market place. Now that I've been marketing the clothing for about a year I've gotten a lot of feedback and I'm trying to develop designs that can work for a broader range of customers.

Can you share a few pictures of recent designs and who they were for?

Here’s an Easter basket of handmade hair accessories that I gave to Veronica. This one is a t-shirt that I did for Cordelia for Valentine’s Day. Here’s a skirt that I made to sell.And here’s a look at a new skirt design I've just started offering.I so admire your craft and your “one of a kind” aesthetic.  Can you describe your process a bit?

I have a hard time staying on task so making each piece a little bit different allows me to stay interested.  I have some basic designs that I use as a starting point and then I individualize each piece either by using different fabrics or different embellishments.

Where do you find your great fabrics?  Is there one particular material that you love working with?

I'm typical of the sewing personality—I love fabric of all kinds and I have way too much stashed away, some left over from projects most of it purchased with great ideas in mind which life never permitted.  Currently I'm working in quilting-weight cottons and I’m loving them!

Who is your favorite customer?

I've been selling through Etsy for a while and last fall I started selling through craft shows.  It's so great to actually meet the people making purchases.  I'm always flattered when another designer buys my work.

These clothes are truly keepsake quality.  Do you have some favorite clothing treasures that you will hand down to your daughters?

I have a fashion history of me that I've been storing away for years. I have some things I made when I was in high school and on through adulthood as well as some designer pieces that the now frugal mommy me can't believe I splurged on back in the 1990s.  My older daughter just turned 10 so we will soon see if these clothes are heirlooms or destined for charitable donation.

If you could choose a Waxing Poetic gift for any occasion, what would it be and to whom would you give it?

I love the insignia charms but I think I would give my younger daughter Veronica the Wish Tonic - Remedy in a Bottle.  It would be perfect for her and to avoid playing favorites I'd give Cordelia, my older girl, the Once Upon a Time Storybook Charm.  She is a great writer of stories.

What is the best part of your day?

Early in the morning before anyone else is awake.  I'll walk the dog while the coffee is brewing and then tackle some work in the studio before I need to get the kids going for the day.  It's a reliably productive time for me.

Thanks Lizzy, I appreciate this!  You can find Lizzy on facebook, twitter, etsy, and flickr.

Behind the Design: Shield Shakedown

We're often asked what inspires our pieces and how the design process works, so Behind the Design will be a weekly feature here on Proof in which we'll tell the story of how a line of Waxing Poetic jewelry came to be.

Here's the story behind one of our favorite designs, the Shield Pendants and Shield Rings.  Patti [Patti Pagliei, Waxing Poetic’s CEO and Creative Director] found a cool antique brass shield fob, filled with a cobalt looking substance.  It’s very traditional and simple but with detailed floral engravings on the backside.  I remember her holding it over her fingers saying, “I want to do big shield rings.”  So we did!  I used vintage lace renderings for the details and hand drew a series of icons for the centers of the shields, which we also related to the mini tonic charms.  The butterfly is my favorite; this spring I’ve been wearing the taupe shield pendant on the long brass twisted link chain and the butterfly tonic charm with any other larger charm, on the deerskin leather necklace.

Pradalphabet

This amazing alphabet caught my eye when I was reading my New York Times Sunday Magazine a few weeks back.  This surreal A-Z is a limited edition series of t-shirts designed by M/M Paris for Prada.  A collector's edition with exclusive 64p book will available in Prada stores soon.  A great fashion treasure (and wouldn't these make incredible mixed metal pendants?).

Surfer Chic in Marie Claire

The June issue of Marie Claire on newsstands now includes a feature with model Tori Praver beautifully adorned in Waxing Poetic jewelry.  Tori’s sexy bohemian look pictured here included Waxing Poetic’s Square Insignia Charm, Fleur de Lis Charm, and Lucky Mojo Horseshoe Charm all strung on the Leather Cord Necklace.  We love the layering of her gauzy top, crocheted sweater, and a variety of flowing necklaces and bracelets in leather and mixed metals.  The resulting look is casual enough for a surfer girl while at the same time totally chic.

Guest Blogging on Layla Grayce

We love Layla Grayce, an online retailer of absolutely beautiful products for the home, mom, and baby that are all hand picked by its cofounders Wendy Estes and Tiffany Harris. Layla Grayce’s tagline of, “Love Your Life, Express Your Style,” connects so directly with our desire to celebrate and treasure the stories of our lives, that we were delighted when Layla Grayce recently became a retailer of the Waxing Poetic line.  If that weren’t great enough, Layla Grayce invited Waxing Poetic’s CEO & Creative Director Patti Pagliei to be featured as a guest blogger.  Read the full interview and enter a giveaway for a Fleur de Lis charm and necklace of your choice by visiting Layla Grayce’s blog.  Thank you Layla Grayce!

Charming Pregnancy Magazine

The latest issue of Pregnancy magazine with Tiffani Thiessen on the cover has a lovely article about jewelry that's great for pregnant and new moms.  We're delighted that Waxing Poetic's Crest Insignia Charm and Silhouette Portrait Charm are featured in the article, both of which make perfect Mother's Day gifts for soon-to-be moms, longtime moms, and anywhere-in-between moms.

Your Heart Is Your Map...

Over the past several months we have been in the throws of our new journey… New innovative jewelry designs that blend perfectly with our classic collections.  A new catalog that mirrors a stunning likeness to storied art books of poetry and gorgeous photography. A revamped website that is home to yes, of course, our jewelry, but also a collective of traditions and the history of the company, our materials and our designs.   In essence…Waxing Poetic's story. And here, now, our new blog. This, our very first blog post, welcomes you behind the scenes on the catalog photo shoot in Laguna Beach, California.

Meet the softly feminine and serene Paisley prepping for a shot, wearing a gold plated Baby Charm on a gold plated Baby Ball chain.  That glow you see coming from the charm… that is a divine memory held close to the heart.  Pretty darn wonderful, isn’t it?

And this is Haddon:  A naturally radiant beauty with a mesmerizing musical talent, wearing the Spirit Brew Remedy in a Bottle charm, a Flip Flourish pendant, and a mix of the Birth Ornament and Banner bracelets, … a fearless blend of novel and classic with a touch of  a hip trendsetting combination.  Who knew that bold and graceful would be a match made in heaven?  We did.  And, now, so do you.

Paisley, exercising wonderful calm and patience while being nudged and poked, is adorned with Storybook Pages’ Everlasting charm,  a Signature Seal pendant, Poetry Fragment bangles, and Banner bracelets.  Timeless gold and silver and earthy leather… and oh my gosh… stunning.

Here's  our resident pixie (wishing on Your Heart is Your Map pocket tokens) soaking in wonder and being a refreshing reminder to absorb the bits of beauty that have been in front of us all along.

We have an inherent ability to create a life sparked by our wishes and hopes; to use our heart as a map.  And if you need these charms and tokens to remind you of your own strength of intention along your odyssey, then so be it.  Amulets are ancient and magical for good reason. They work because we believe, we have faith, and we hope.  And through this, we experience one heck of a thrilling journey.Join us…