Unlike shiny golden pirate treasures, preserving treasure begins with identifying what brings joy to your soul. Moms have jokes too, so like a pirate with treasure, let's do some deep digging. How are you preserving those special memories that instantly put you in a moment? An iridescent shell fragment, casually collected while watching family walk to the water...this instantly brings a hug of summer heat to your skin. Holding that same fragment between frigid winter fingers warms them up with a summer breeze that forces you to smile. How lucky were you that others walked past that priceless shell? Although around for decades, it finally broke in pieces, went unnoticed on the shoreline until you found its unique beauty and here you are experiencing a moment you'll never get back again? How are you preserving this feeling? Treasures that rewind your brain, like a song on the radio, the last song you heard with a loved one before they passed or the one from your wedding that stops you in a store's isle? A treasure is the hug your preteen occasionally gives you when you've done something right, LOL. How are your preserving these treasures? I can help. Let me design a piece that takes you back in that moment for years instead of stuffing that shell into dusty old jar or throwing it into a flower bed's old mulch with the others. It's not random decor, it's your treasure.
Let's dig into the evolution of Clearly Crystal. Once thought of as my only creative outlet, perceived as a hobby, often told I should make more crafty trinkets that everyone would buy, creativity is not meant to be understood by everyone and I'm not interested in trendy trinkets, even if they sell quickly. That is probably the most disrespectful thing to say to a creative...be like everyone else. I want a purchase to be because someone is uniquely drawn to their own treasure, carefully chosen to bring joy as a a gift or for some self love. I have been most joyful when a couple purchased their first piece to hang in a new home and when designing first and sadly last pairs of dangle earrings. "She sells jewelry" or hearing shoppers tell one another about their try at the latest trendy resin craft stings because I don't make trendy little resin projects and am not just another jewelry seller. It's clearly not Crystal. I design. I create treasures of joy, not trendy trinkets. I preserve important moments, memories, real treasures.
My family, nature, and giving back are what I treasure most. My work reflects family, where I am preserving something special of a memory that bought joy. I find joy in preserving the memory of sinking footprints in the east coast wet sand. My daughter was once stung by a bee and instead of being angry at the bee who had already met its final destination, we talked about how important that little hard working bee was in systems of our world and honored it by preserving it into something beautiful. I appreciate preserving the necessity and beauty of nature.
Releasing my tired feet into sinking sand, feeling the Earth on my toes as I step into backyard or park grass, is a simple luxury I embrace.
Giving back is also something I embrace. Quite honestly giving my last dollar away because someone needs it more than myself, is something that is very important to me. As I've recently been added to our local library's Board of Directors, I've been reflecting on this more. Let me preface that the smartest man I ever knew was my grandfather who because of the era and war, never completed school post 8th grade. He read books and studied life. I would stand there and watch history unfold with him, like the movement of the Hatteras Lighthouse and question why he always signed the books he owned. As I became a parent and wrote our name in books, I learned how much the importance of literacy and those moments live with me. I honestly hug those books with his signatures because that's when decades later, I feel connected to him. Literacy takes us there, back to the memories, so you'll learn more about a project I'm working on below.
Due to my family's medical history with diabetes and the need to change my girls' generation, I'm now collaborating with the local American Diabetes Association as an ambassador of information that is vital in our community. These are treasures to me. Cancer, autism, prematurity, these are conversations that you will get me talking your ear off with passion. If you're reading this, welcome to the launch of a new platform within my little biz, supporting organizations that are community changers, Clearly Crystal style!
First in my giving back vision is this lovely featured bracelet. I have very intentionally designed this treasure with pearls of wisdom that reading books provides and vibrant colors of coastal flare. These colors of the sea also represent how strong our community is together and includes a little centerpiece silver book charm. After all, silver is reappearing in trends, according to an expert I recently heard, Melissa Garcia, on The Today Show. Only available until October 1st, then this bracelet design will then be gone forever! Reserve yours in support of literacy for all community members, as $5 from every $15 bracelet purchase will be donated to the Virginia Beach Library Foundation. Intentionally designed bookmarks are also following to 'bookmark' the importance of literacy in our community. Message me from this website form to order yours! Local delivery or $5 flat shipping. In October, I will be highlighting prematurity awareness with a designed piece, as World Prematurity Day approaches, also honoring the attendance of our girls' 12th year NICU reunion in October. All with hope of beginning a foundation for my girls in the incredible space of heroes/sheroes where they were the first babies in a local hospital NICU. In October, I will then be sharing my autism awareness designs as well. This is in honor of all I have learned from my daughter and the world that is not yet educated enough for her to live comfortably in it. These designs will be added to the website and will only be available only in October. Portions of those proceeds will also be donated to support. What is your passion? What drives the passion behind an organization you'd like to support? Let's chat.
Let's design a piece together that represents the passion you have for an organization & one that you'd like to support. Let me craft a treasure that will help you to give back to an organization that you'd like to support. I'm happy to donate a portion of proceeds in support. Invite me to upcoming events that support your community. I'm happy to come out to show support with a trunk show that will support through proceeds giving back. Let's chat if you have an idea!
Until then, I'll be focusing on preserving the most broken shells into something beautiful. I will be putting my family, spiritual, and mental health first where they absolutely belong. I'll be giving back to where my soul guides. If you are heading south on a fall vacay, towards the Outer Banks, stop in the Southland Artisan Gift Shop, where I have a case of pretties. Start that holiday shopping early! I'll be in the school drop off line reflected in the pic above. If you like my glass iced coffee cup, you can order your very own that is just as peachy here with a 15% discount code CRYSTALCOLOHAN. Everything tastes better in glass, including the straw!
I'm a super extra coastal girl that finds peace in creating and thankful for the support it provides my family and our community! Real talk, all star cheer & both of my kids' big dreams are expensive ya'll and this momma is doing her best! I look forward to giving back and being part of your community. I'm Clearly Crystal. Have a beautiful, intentional day & let's chat soon to design your treasure and/or community changing piece!
-Crystal
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