Cure for a cloudy day
February 19, 2024
People move to Florida for two reasons, tax breaks and the weather. Assuming the first reason is issue free, the weather down here in Florida can be stunning with blue skies and moderate humidity, hot and humid, rainy and humid, and my favorite for killing any desire to go outdoors, heavy grey overcast sky. When that happens I have two choices, zone out of life by trying to find something worthwhile to watch on the 42 streaming services we subscribe to or jump out of my recliner, set up a tabletop studio in the apartment and fire up those creative juices I have been blessed with.
My friend Elyse, also blessed with creativity … and marketing chops which I sadly lack, makes bracelets using beads of sterling silver, 14k gold filled, freshwater pearls, semi precious stone, as well as a mix of crystal, resins, metals, wood, and ceramics. I enjoy her creations and as such, she has an open invitation to call on me whenever she needs photos. It just so happened this time it coincided with one of those depressing cloudy weather periods.
Elyse started this venture 20 years ago on her kitchen counter with about $300 worth of beads. Now she collaborates with support staff in Nashville, Seattle and Thailand selling her jewelry in her online store, a couple of shops and QVC. A major part of this effort is supporting philanthropies such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Stand Up to Cancer, the American Heart Association and more, for which she has raised well over $1,000,000 dollars.
She also makes jewelry in a variety of collections like Happy Hearts below.
Of course there is more, a lot more, this is but a taste …
As always, I want my photographs to be distinctive, and to that end we looked for objects that set off the jewelry well without competing with it, except for the celestial vibe photo at the top of this post. Elyse has a robust online presence. If you want to check out her collections you can visit her web site, www.elyseryan.com, Instagram @elyseryanjewelry and TikTok @elyseryanbracelets. Yes, I will shill for a friend, especially one who is doing so much good with her work. For me, I look forward to another heavily clouded day leavened with colorful beads.