Big thank you to the Times Colonist and Sarah Petrescu for doing such a great article for me.
My brother called me this morning, very excited to see that I was not only in the paper but full front page of the Life & Arts Page. (My brother is an extremly talented artist, I think he was proud of his big sis)..
Here is the link to the article: http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Jewelry+uniquely+yours/4282406/story.html
And now the article:
The universe couldn't have sent Alyson Johnson an opportunity at a better time.
The 34-year-old jewelry designer and mother of two was wondering if she'd have to go back to her day job to make ends meet. Her husband, an elevator mechanic, had been out of work for 18 months, taking jobs here and there.
"We were probably months away from going in the red or selling the house, or me having to go back to work full-time," Johnson told me from her home in Burnaby.
Then a few weeks ago, the Island-raised designer got an email from celebrity gift suite maven Jayneoni Moore inviting her to an exclusive pre-Oscar showroom, the Baby Boom Boom Room.
"Apparently, her assistant found me on Twitter and was obsessed with my stuff," Johnson said. Johnson's line, Aly Dahl Designs, is custom-made fingerprint silver jewelry.
The Boom Boom Room is invite-only, with about 85 vendors set up in the Beverly Hills Hilton Ballroom where the Golden Globes take place. It's a marketing gifting suite, where celebrities are given samples of the hand-picked brands in hopes that they will model and endorse the wares.
"At first I thought I couldn't do it, but then I thought of the investment. I thought, 'This is it,' " she said. Similar shows, without the same cachet, were charging up to $10,000 for a vendor spot.
Celebrities who have come through the Boom Boom Room include Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Ali Landry, Heidi Klum and many more. The event is also covered by celebrity magazines and shows like US Weekly, People and Entertainment Tonight.
"I'd love if the Beckhams came through. They're fashion icons ... If Angelina and Brad show up with their kids I might go broke," Johnson joked.
She believes the high-profile exposure is just what she needs to launch her unique line, which was inspired by a request from her husband.
"My husband had asked me to make him something with the kids' prints," she said, there being a lack of unique men's jewelry on the market. So she made him a dog tag necklace with their toddlers' prints and names.
"He absolutely loved it. Now every guy in our complex wants one."
The line evolved to include paw and nose prints for pet lovers, pendants, tags, rings and earrings. Each piece is made with a kit, sent to the customer, to take their impression on a putty-like substance. From that, Johnson casts a mould and can make to-order pieces from the print, ranging from $125 to $350.
Johnson was so committed to her idea that she took a buyout from her job in the investment industry in 2008 to pursue her own business and has been working at it full-time since 2009.
She said she's been enthralled with fashion since she was a young child, growing up in Courtenay and then Victoria.
"I watched Jeanne Beker on Fashion Television religiously," said the Victoria High School grad. She credits her art teacher with motivating her to try metalwork. The eight years of Sundays she spent working at the high-end consignment boutique My Sister's Closet honed her eye for design.
While Johnson's pieces are mail-order only, stars at the Academy Awards are not the only ones who can get a firsthand glimpse. Aly Dahl Designs samples and kits are available in Victoria at Brandi Wein for Hair at Shoal Point, 15-21 Dallas Rd.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Jewelry+uniquely+yours/4282406/story.html#ixzz1E4CHyKkK
My brother called me this morning, very excited to see that I was not only in the paper but full front page of the Life & Arts Page. (My brother is an extremly talented artist, I think he was proud of his big sis)..
 |
| The whole page is about me!!! How cool is that! |
And now the article:
The universe couldn't have sent Alyson Johnson an opportunity at a better time.
The 34-year-old jewelry designer and mother of two was wondering if she'd have to go back to her day job to make ends meet. Her husband, an elevator mechanic, had been out of work for 18 months, taking jobs here and there.
"We were probably months away from going in the red or selling the house, or me having to go back to work full-time," Johnson told me from her home in Burnaby.
Then a few weeks ago, the Island-raised designer got an email from celebrity gift suite maven Jayneoni Moore inviting her to an exclusive pre-Oscar showroom, the Baby Boom Boom Room.
"Apparently, her assistant found me on Twitter and was obsessed with my stuff," Johnson said. Johnson's line, Aly Dahl Designs, is custom-made fingerprint silver jewelry.
The Boom Boom Room is invite-only, with about 85 vendors set up in the Beverly Hills Hilton Ballroom where the Golden Globes take place. It's a marketing gifting suite, where celebrities are given samples of the hand-picked brands in hopes that they will model and endorse the wares.
"At first I thought I couldn't do it, but then I thought of the investment. I thought, 'This is it,' " she said. Similar shows, without the same cachet, were charging up to $10,000 for a vendor spot.
Celebrities who have come through the Boom Boom Room include Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Ali Landry, Heidi Klum and many more. The event is also covered by celebrity magazines and shows like US Weekly, People and Entertainment Tonight.
"I'd love if the Beckhams came through. They're fashion icons ... If Angelina and Brad show up with their kids I might go broke," Johnson joked.
She believes the high-profile exposure is just what she needs to launch her unique line, which was inspired by a request from her husband.
"My husband had asked me to make him something with the kids' prints," she said, there being a lack of unique men's jewelry on the market. So she made him a dog tag necklace with their toddlers' prints and names.
"He absolutely loved it. Now every guy in our complex wants one."
The line evolved to include paw and nose prints for pet lovers, pendants, tags, rings and earrings. Each piece is made with a kit, sent to the customer, to take their impression on a putty-like substance. From that, Johnson casts a mould and can make to-order pieces from the print, ranging from $125 to $350.
Johnson was so committed to her idea that she took a buyout from her job in the investment industry in 2008 to pursue her own business and has been working at it full-time since 2009.
She said she's been enthralled with fashion since she was a young child, growing up in Courtenay and then Victoria.
"I watched Jeanne Beker on Fashion Television religiously," said the Victoria High School grad. She credits her art teacher with motivating her to try metalwork. The eight years of Sundays she spent working at the high-end consignment boutique My Sister's Closet honed her eye for design.
While Johnson's pieces are mail-order only, stars at the Academy Awards are not the only ones who can get a firsthand glimpse. Aly Dahl Designs samples and kits are available in Victoria at Brandi Wein for Hair at Shoal Point, 15-21 Dallas Rd.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Jewelry+uniquely+yours/4282406/story.html#ixzz1E4CHyKkK
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you deserve the whole front page! <3
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