We Made Do Savannah Gift Guide!
I know we talk a lot about our giving back to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for foster children), and now the kids need our help more than ever. Due to events being cancelled because of the pandemic, CASA is lifted from the community's help, but they need much, much more.
We decided to play our part. Kobo Gallery presents an annual Holiday ornament drive for a charity of their choice. Kobo has chosen CASA as their focus, which we are super excited for! So, in liu of Kobo Gallery, we chose to create our own Holiday ornaments which will also be sold at the Gallery in honor of CASA.
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Towards the end of October, I had the honor to be able to present how I got started as an entrepreneur to Coach Lenny William's 8th grade Future Entrepreneur class. A lot of students were surprised when I told them how I got started!
My love for making jewelry actually started in a sculpture class at James Madison University. I was taught how to lay a bead and join two pieces of steel to make a weld. Not long after that- I was handed a plasma cutter and thought- Whoa. This is powerful. My Sculpture teacher encouraged me to take a jewelry making class after he saw how comfortable I was with fire. So I took a jewelry class and loved it so much that I ended up minoring in Jewelry.
But I also always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Even as a child, I captured earthworms and sold them to the local general store near one of my childhood homes in Connecticut. The store sold my earthworms to the local fishermen for bait. But since I also enjoyed drawing and photography so much I thought the best choice of path was graphic design. I mean, that’s where the money was wasn’t it? I didn’t want to be a starving artist. My father was a successful business owner, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps with my own business. At the time I thought Graphic Design would feed all of those passions and monetary requirements, and allow me to be my own boss. Well, two degrees later and trying to make it as a designer after 9/11, I quickly realized it just wasn’t for me.
To supplement my income while I freelanced, I worked my way up the corporate ladder in retail luxury jewelry sales. I eventually was given my own store and I loved everything about running a multi-million dollar business. But I knew that I needed to do something that allowed me to create. While I was already creating relationships with my customers, I wasn’t creating the designs of what I sold. Selling without purpose just wasn’t enough.
So I wanted to go back to what I was really meant to do: create and make with my hands. What if I created my own jewelry line?
We dove into a bit more about my development of process, and ultimately what drove me to create. Stay tuned for the next bit on 'My Story: Part 2'.
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Happy September!! I can't believe that summer is coming to a close. With the closure of summer some new doors are opening for Gillian Trask. . . LITERALLY!
We are so excited to announce THREE new locations that now carry Gillian Trask. You can visit these locations to try on the piece of your choice, and get the feel and fit of the piece that is right for you! (Masks on for safer shopping, of course!)
5500 Abercorn Street Ext
Unit 23A
Savannah, GA 31405
912.354.8137
33 Barnard St
Savannah, GA 31401
912.201.0304
1213 Hwy. 80 Unit D
Tybee Island, GA
507.313.5899
Can't wait to see you there! Swing by and say hi!
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We believe in sustainability, recycling and making sure this beautiful Mother Earth is around for our children's children's children and their great-great grandchildren too.
But sometimes it’s time to set an a piece on fire, and breathe fresh life into the metal. Not before we thank it for the beauty it bestowed upon us and make the bracelet into what it might need to be: a pair of earrings or a sweet little pendant. Trust me, the sterling or gold isn't harmed! I'm allowing it to morph - like a butterfly - into something beautiful!
We believe that our pieces may have multiple lives, and sometimes not always in the form that the piece originated from. So, I wanted to share what happens to a Gillian Trask piece, if it isn't adopted.
We melt it, we reshape it and we bid it adieu in the life form it is now, and look forward to the new piece it will become. It had a beautiful life, and now it is time for the caterpillar to become a butterfly. We rarely go on sale, so if you are able to find an older piece up for adoption, grab it now! It won't stay in that form forever, unless YOU choose it to.
Gillian Trask stands behind empowering others, and helping the community is a great start!
We're of the mindset that every little bit counts, don't you think? We raised $85 this past Thursday to help feed Savannah through Kingdom Life Christian Fellowship church. Pretty good for our first Auction!
It was such a fun show to do with my friend and fellow jeweler, Dierra Jones.
For those of you who know Dierra, or as my daughter calls her, 'Dee', Dierra is a powerhouse. Not only did she recently graduate from SCAD with her MFA in Jewelry, she was asked to speak as a guest artist at the SNAG (Society Of North American Goldsmiths) conference. Let me just say, for those of you who aren't familiar with SNAG- SNAG was created in 1969 as an 'organization for designer craftsmen in the metal arts field and to produce a conference of professional jewlers.' Since then SNAG has 'far exceeded it's original vision by educating and energized a further two generations in the metals community'. - June 13, 2020: Snagmetalsmith.org.
Talk about empowerment! To be invited to speak at this conference of talented jewelers from all over the Nation is an enormous accomplishment. Sadly, SNAG cancelled their conference because of Covid-19, but I'm sure Dierra will be invited back to speak again. Her work as an artist and jeweler speaks volumes to her talent.
Our pieces were a hit, and guests could have a chance bid on one-of-a-kind pieces made especially for the show at low special auction prices:
We hope you'll join us next time!
The Blue Rainbow Topaz Earrings are still available for $225!
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