Welcome to the latest installment of our History Lesson blog series, where we tell the tale of one of our jewels from conception to completion, giving the scoop on the adventures that brought the materials to the studio and the thought process behind the design.  (If you've ever wondered what exactly we were thinking...good/bad/questionable/awesome/crazy...here you are!) 

This beauty begins nearly two years ago in Elva history, when we took a trip to our favorite city in the world with a beautiful best friend and discovered the most amazing flea market finds on a rainy afternoon that will not soon leave our minds and hearts.  It was magical, really...but isn't everything in Paris?  This shop on the outskirts of the city was filled with the most amazing fashions from years gone by--from flapper frocks to disco duds, 19th-century shoes in pristine condition, sequins sparkling like nothing we'd ever seen lining hems of garments gorgeously glittering.  But the jewels...the buckles and buttons and sew-on ornaments...they went on forever, and we were up to our elbows in stashes of all the incredible pieces of the past.  

Much of the vintage goodness found that day went into the Holiday Collection we were designing at the time, but a few pieces lingered in the studio, including this incredibly, insanely jaw-dropping awesomeness unearthed in the hunt: a collection of Art Deco buttons, still attached to their original card as if sitting for sale in a sundry store.  I think the main reason I left the buttons out of the immediate series of designs upon my return from Paris that summer was because I simply couldn't bear the thought of removing them from their happy home, all together like stylish siblings since the 1930s.  I'd just gaze at them longingly and smitteningly (I know that's not a word, but it seems perfectly fitting right there, so just go with it) and then move along with my day.  This happened for nearly a year and a half.

Then...I used a few of the buttons on a necklace for the aforementioned best friend, since she had been my partner-in-crime that day in the shop...and because I knew she'd love having a souvenir of such a fun week together.  (Not to worry, there will be plenty more, MA!)

And then...a few weeks ago...the handful of buttons that remained just seemed ready for their next adventure, but certainly one in keeping with their Deco past.  Somehow, the striped Kenyan bone beads sitting nearby recalled the geometric border of the card onto which the buttons were sewn, and I loved the black-and-white setting for this colorful crew.  When I found the tiny orange beads, I knew they were the perfect pop of color to bring it all together...

Et, voilà...it is my pleasure to introduce...direct from Paris, Kenya, and Taylorsville, Kentucky....our latest History Lesson...Memory Still Lingers.  Enjoy!

It's no secret that we love a fun art project here at Elva...and we've been known to get crafty once in a while (often when we should be doing something not-so-fun like taxes or inventory, actually) and this latest version of excitement is no exception.  We have this stash of really great markers that seemed ready for action and a fresh tablet of crisp white paper simply screaming for attention, so we made it happen and took inspiration from our Spring Collection mood board to create some fun backdrops for our in-house photo shoots.  

We loved the results so much we thought we'd share the love...not only here on Instagram (below)...

...but in a way you could actually integrate them into your real, very colorful, very happy life!  So...if you're feeling like you'd like some more Elva around to enjoy, help yourself to our hand-crafted fun below by adding us to your digital world with some wallpaper goodness.  And...if you'd like some actual WALL goodness, scroll to the bottom to see how you could win one of these in its original, hand-colored form, framed and ready for hanging 'round your house!  Original art is always a beautiful part of life, and our Elva craftiness is no exception, if we may say so ourselves.

Click  to download this design for your desktop wallpaper!

Click to download this design for your desktop wallpaper!

Want to win the real deal? Follow us on Instagram, find the image of the artwork in our feed, like and comment on it...and we'll pick a winner at random to receive a framed original of the drawing!  Elva Gets Artsy giveaway awesomeness!  Enjoy!

Starting your week off right, we've added a new series to our blog that pairs two of our favorite jewels in a two-is-better-than-one philosophy.  (You KNOW more is always more around here!)  Consider it Monday Funday!  For twenty-four lovely hours each week, we'll offer a match-made-in-heaven pairing (often a necklace with a pair of earrings designed especially for the look) at a special price, and this week is a bold beauty in black and turquoise.

Honoring a resilient spirit and true character, two strands of polished dalmatian jasper (a favorite stone in the studio, by the way) provide a stunning setting for a vintage gilt brass filigree and glass cabochon-jeweled brooch at front center.  We'd been eyeing this beauty for some time before deciding it needed to be part of something wonderful, and we're thrilled with the result.  A gilt copper toggle clasps the necklace at 20.5" in length, and there is hardly any doubt you'll be as honored by the combination of elements as we are.

Earrings 

Chic and simple, vintage faux coral pendants add just the right amount of color to any look. (We're loving the marbled swirls of color that makes each pair unique.)  Measuring approximately 1.75" in length, they suspend from 14 karat gold fill wires.