Are you a Fan?

Facebook Fan's of Aly Dahl Designs Jewelry got an early Christmas present today....

Are you a fan?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aly-Dahl-Designs

Become a fan before November 5th and check the wall posts for the current promotion!

This business started with fingerprint jewelry and that's what I am celebrating today..

So join us on facebook and get a reward! 

FIRST BIRTHDAY WHAT?

So it has officially been 1 year since I started this adventure called Aly Dahl Designs. 

What does that mean you ask?  Well yes it's true I have been making and playing with jewellery for most of my life.  Addicted to fashion at a young age, in fact I still have a lady crush on Jeanne Beker from Fashion Television.  I can remember being a young girl in Courtenay, watching one of our 3 channels and seeing Jeanne for the first time.. MAGICAL.  So poised, she knew ALL the designers, to me Jeanne was/is the "package".  I have always dreamed to be interviewed by Jeanne, or at the least meet her.  Sheer perfection.

She taught me SO much about fashion and I really credit her with my passion for fashion and why I have chosen this route in my life.

So here I am turning one. Although I have been doing this for years, it is really my dream coming true that is turning ONE!!!  This makes me so incredibly happy,  you see my dream has always been to own my own business, to be creative and to be in fashion.  The fact that I took my dream and have turned it into my reality still stuns me every morning I wake up and get to be me. 

So here it is, my first Birthday event.  Please come, please forward to friends, please send to events happening blogs, media, whoever you know who can help me make this a huge success.. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping me make my dream not only come true, but successful!

IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY!

Aly Dahl Designs has turned ONE!

Can you believe it has been an entire year since I have dedicated myself to growing and launching Aly Dahl Designs?

So much has happened in the past year!

-          I have expanded my line from fingerprints to four full collections

-          You can now find my lines at retailers in BC

-           I recently launched a home sales department

-          I have been named one of BC’s top new designers to watch by Portabello West

-          I have had numerous write ups in magazines all over the province

-          And to top it all off... I now have a manufacturer helping me with my designs so I can continue to grow and expand!  

Come meet the designer and shop the full collection at the Aly Dahl Designs Open House on 

Wednesday, November 10^th from 6:00pm-9:00pm.

Everything will be on sale!

You can find the event in the community room of Rossmoor townhouses, located at 9101 Forest Grove Drive in Burnaby; (look for the balloons) light refreshments will be served.

Make sure to enter the draw for a $75.00 gift certificate just for showing up!

To view the invitation on Facebook click: Aly Dahl Designs Birthday Invite

Totally Turquoise

I like to only have pieces in my collection that I love.  With that comes the heart-break when something sells.. the same comes when it's ready to part with.  I have had a piece of jewellery that I sometimes take out at a show with hesitation and fear that it may in fact one day sell.  Today I take the first step in parting with it. 

So here it goes, here is my favourite necklace:

The reason I love it is because of it's imperfections.  The amount of turquoise, and the handmade feel of it.  It is a very organic piece.  Each piece of turquoise is different in colour, some with many lines, some with very few.   It to me is beauty. 
Some would dis-regard some of the turquoise as "not good enough" or "too many imperfections".. but to me, it is why I love it.  The character of each piece is like people, we are all the same, but different.  Our unique lines and depth is what makes us special.

This piece is priced at $475 and is not yet on my site.. as that will take a few more days of talking myself into selling it :)

Aly

The Collection

Very Excited!!!

My first Official Collection is starting to take form.  I am not hand-making these items personally, however they are still handmade and they are an Aly Dahl Design.

I always new in the back of my mind that I would not be hand making each piece for ever, it just is not possible or profitable.  My time is better spent designing, researching and making connections with people.  It's like hiring an accountant, yes I can do it, but is that really the best way to spend my time?

This is not to say I am no longer making jewellery, I will continue to do both, after all it is my passion. The fingerprint jewelry will always be made by me and I will continue to create one of a kinds that will be available for sale on my website and at shows.

I have uploaded some pictures to my facebook fan page,  please join my page if you have not already.  To see the pictures please click on:  Aly Dahl Designs Facebook Fan Page

I only have one of each of these pieces, if you are interested in any of these pieces please contact me at:
aly@silverfingerprints.ca

The photo's are not website quality yet so they are not on www.alydahl.com yet.

Cheers!

Aly :)

What a High

I am just home from my first photo-shoot for my Aly Dahl Impressions line.  The display boards, and packaging are soon to be completed and they LOOK AMAZING!!!

Here are some quick pic's taken with my cell phone from the afternoon:

The shoot from my point of view before it started was nerve racking, and that fear of "Is it good enough"... until I saw the first picture.  It was amazing, my model Naomi who is one of the worlds most naturally beautiful women was fantastic.  She took direction like a pro and her perfect skin was the ultimate back-drop for my impressions line.
The photographer Amanda Skuse was terrific to work with, she has a great eye for detail and the lighting was luxurious.
Cory from Exhibit A Design Group directed the shoot,  the shoot is for our upcoming promotional material and display boards. He did such a great job, knowing exactly what he wanted and needed and as an out-sider watching, I was very impressed at the ability he had to know precisely what needed to happen.

I can not accurately describe in words the excitement I have inside of me to see the final product... The least I can say is VERY EXCITED :)

Thanks to Naomi, Cory and Amanda for a wonderful afternoon.

Smoooch... Aly

New Collection Slowly getting on line

I have had a line of more affordable items that seems to have taken me WAY to long to post..It's like I never have enough time to wear each hat of running my own business...  

I have just added this collection which was named by a dear friend ages ago and have been waiting for the right collection to use it on....


Here it is... Drum Roll Please.....


All Dahl'ed Up 


Check it out.. Unfortunatley I have not had a chance to add the shopping buttons to this collection yet.. to be honest, I am just happy I finally got these posted! 


Here it is:


www.Alydahl.com/shopalldahledup


If you are interested in any of these pieces email me at order@silverfingerprints.ca

Copper Dreams

I love nothing more than a great season change.. Fall is no exception.. with the first leaf that falls out come my boots and sweaters, crisp jeans and my warm jewellery.
Until I started designing and making jewellery as my full time job I never realized how much I change my jewellery with the seasons.  In the summer I wear a lot of bright beads, turquoise, shiny silver, shells.... but in the fall I tend to be drawn to warmer jewellery, darker stones, and now darker metals as well.  Recently I have been working on new pieces for trade and home shows and without being conscious of it I have been creating with the same intent.  As it turns out, with the fall also came out my silver darkener and rich patina's to give silver and copper warm layers and smooth richness.

In an effort to make some more affordable pieces for some shows I had booked I have created a lot of new earrings ranging from feathers to Eiffel towers.  There is a big range and because of using more affordable base metals I have been able to keep the earring prices ranging from $8-$30.

With that also came some more cherished pieces,  the ones that when I make them I think.. if they don't sell... I will keep them.  This may come as a shock but I have issues letting go or selling a lot of my pieces as I make each one with a dream for it...corny I know, but it's true. 
During one of my "playing sessions"  I found a love for copper..  Here are a few of the more intricate pieces I have recently completed:

"Woman" $130, Copper and silver on copper chain

"Bond" $150, Copper on Copper, with copper chain

I should mention that these pieces were inspired by the incredibly talented Gustav Klimt.  His work not only inspires me, but moves me.  There is a tendernous in each piece that brings my heart joy.  His work (not original) hangs in my room, which is where the inspiration came.

If you are interested in either of these pieces or finding out more about any of my new lines let me know.   As I am a one woman show photographing and posting each new piece is a challenge.  - One I do plan on taking on....it's on the list of things to do.... :)

Have a great day,

Aly

Have I found my niche?

One of the things that gives me incredible anxiety is selling my creations at trade shows or craft fairs.  Although most people are positive there are the few that walk by and make comments about price or "what will they think of next"... I find that part incredibly hard.  People walking by, making a quick judgement never get to hear the story, understand what is put into each piece I create.  I can't and don't want to compete with China (meaning the ability to create inexpensive mass amounts of jewellery) or Hobbyists, this is my lively hood, how I feed my kids.  I believe that everything happens for a reason, sometimes it takes a while to find out why but .. I think I have kind of stumbled upon a way that I love to sell my jewellery, have fun, fits my lifestyle of being Mom, and I don't find it stressful at all...


Last week I was invited to do a private show in my cousin's home on a Friday evening.  It was not the first time I had done a show like this, but it has been almost a year since I had done one.   It was an amazing experience, she had no more than 10 women there, some wine and appies and I set up all my goods (and I have a ton at the moment, most are not on my website).   The best part is I got an audience that I felt comfortable with as they were all women and they were there knowing I was going to be there so the pressure, and the anxious sweats never happened.  The first 3 sentences my voice shook and then as I began to talk about myself and my jewellery, why I do it, the amazing accomplishments I have achieved this year with my jewellery...low and behold I became comfortable.. Actually very comfortable.  I was able to sell my things in a way that showcased them and myself in a way that I have never been able to before.
I sold some beautiful pieces, met some incredible women, had some gut wrenching laughs and at the end of the night I didn't feel like I had been working.  It was FUN!  AND... They asked me to come back again in November so they can Christmas shop,  and one of the guests even booked a party for October!  I came home on a high of all highs, talked my husbands ears off and the next morning.. I started to ask...
I asked those I have on BBM as it is easiest for me.. to host a party.  And to my surprise, many said yes without blinking an eye.  I posted on facebook and got a few more bookings...It was just that easy! I just had to ask, I am constantly surprised at the amount of people who want me to succeed. It is so heart warming..THANK YOU to all of you.

Home sales have always been in the back of my mind as an avenue to sell.  It has always been my mission to hire women that need to earn money but need to work around their children's schedules, other jobs, language barriers, I want to give possibilities to those who don't always have them.   One of the reason's I left working for the Financial Mega Giant was they were no longer willing to work with me to have adjusted hours that allowed me to drop my kids and pick them up according to daycare hours.  I never want one of my employees to ever feel like their job comes first. Family must always come first.  I will never say "you must pick work over family" guaranteed.

That being said, I am currently putting together a sales team, no start up cost to the individual, it will be a commission home sales team, all pieces will be taken on consignment (only pay when item is sold). If you are interested in joining my team please email me at: aly@silverfingerprints.ca
For the time being I am focused on Metro Vancouver, but hope to expand in the near future, if you are not in metro Vancouver and are interested email me anyway and we can discuss ways to set you up.

If you are interested in hosting an Aly Dahl party please email me aly@silverfingerprints.ca to book a date.
I am seriously loving the home sales.. and would LOVE to do one for you.  I hope one day I can look back at this blog as the beginning of something huge.
have a great weekend!!
Aly