Ten Minutes with Johanna Ely of Good Girls Studio
December 8, 2009
We’ve all envied that It girl with a particular knack for creating stunning sartorial mash-ups out of vintage necklaces, brooches, and other finds scavenged from grandma’s jewelry box. Whenever we try, however, we just end up with a tangled mess of nothing much to look at. Thank goodness for Good Girls Studio jewelry designer Johanna Ely who’s so got the know-how for crafting va-va-va voom out of bits and pieces of vintage finery. Like the Lovestruck cuff—a ruffled bit of bling featuring recycled rhinestone earrings. Or how about the haute and handy Backstabber necklace, which juxtaposes a beautifully patinated pocketknife with a sweet sparkly heart. In other words, thanks to Johanna you can rock your Coro and Trifari at the same time and look damn glam doing it. Read on to learn more about this magic maker.
Oligoville: In five words or less, Good Girls Studio is…
Johanna: Revamped vintage jewelry with a romantic twist!
Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?
Johanna: Flirty & fashionable …she’s not afraid to make a statement!
Oligoville: How’d you end up a designer?
Johanna: The retail company I managed liquidated, and I’d always been interested in designing jewelry. I took my severance package and launched my line. I built a shop on Etsy & started designing my heart out!
Oligoville: Why work with vintage jewelry?
Johanna: As a child I loved digging through my mom and grandmother’s jewelry. Every vintage piece has a past and tells a story written by its previous owner. As a bonus, it’s eco-friendly!
Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?
Johanna: My mother. She started her career as a writer later in life after she raised all us kiddos! I’m also inspired by the Victorian era: women dressed up just to sit around the house! Wouldn’t grocery shopping be so much more fun if you were dolled up and wearing a corset?
Oligoville: What’s 24 hours like in your life?
Johanna: Madness! Wake up, drink some coffee, and get the boy off to school, check the websites, write a blog, drink more coffee, work on new designs, lunch, errands,pick the boy up from school, homework with him, b-ball practice with him a few nights a week, dinner, work on designs some more, and crash. Every day is little different. Some days I’m mostly taking pictures and editing them to update the websites.
Oligoville: What’s in your closet?
Johanna: Umm, which closet!?! Mostly clothes from the years of dressing up and working in retail. Tons of print skirts and jersey dresses. Lots of handmade Tees from Etsy shops! One wardrobe houses my slowly growing collection of Anthropologie sweaters (I’m obsessed!) and jeans. Right now I have on a purple Anthro sweater from last winter and an ancient pair of Old Navy jeans. I’m also wearing a collage pendant necklace that I threw on for a lunch date with a friend.
Oligoville: What’s in your bag?
Johanna: Receipts galore, peppermint teabags(no idea why they are in there), five different lip glosses (I heart Bigelow mint lip gloss!), Hot Wheels cars (from the boy), business cards, a design sketch for a new necklace, and my wallet.
Oligoville: Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned.
Johanna: Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched! I’ve done local markets and done well and then next time around doubled up on stock for those shows and ended up sitting on a ton of jewelry. Trying to find the right balance of stock for the websites and shows has been a work in progress.
Oligoville: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?
Johanna: Being able to work from home and be around for my son is the best reward ever!
Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years.
Johanna: I’d like my designs to be in stores nationwide and to have made their way into fashion magazines.
Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Johanna: Follow your heart and design what you love, not just what you think might sell or what is trendy. Your passion shows in your work!
Oligoville: What’s on your playlist right now?
Johanna: Girl rock: Pandora thinks I’m obsessed with Regina Spektor & Tori Amos!
Giveaway #22 – Winner Sara M. from Cleveland, OH
November 30, 2009
How to Win:
- Log In or Register if you haven’t already!
- Leave us a comment on this posting below.
Oligoville has partnered with Stone and Honey, to bring you another great giveaway! Enter for your chance to win a Hadley Necklace from Stone and Honey.
Hadley necklace features a hand cut silver feather riveted to a slab of brilliant brazilian agate. Choose between a deep purple or jade green stone measuring about 3 by 1.75 inches at widest points. Sterling silver feather has a brushed finish. 16 inches of sterling silver chain, closes with a toggle clasp.
Please note: each of our agate necklaces are handmade and one of a kind. because no two stones are exactly alike, the agate used for each necklace will vary slightly from one pictured.
Care: silver can be cleaned with any standard silver cleaner, or silver polishing cloth. Our agate necklaces should not be worn in chlorinated swimming pools, as chlorine may damage or discolor the stone.
A Little About Stone and Honey
Stone and Honey is the latest project from Smallthings jewelry designer Teresa Robinson. Hand-cut sterling silver combined with brazilian agate, crystals, feathers, and other ephemera, make for a collection that is modern, ethereal, and truly one of a kind.
Registration for this giveaway closes on Monday Dec 07, 2009 at 12:00 AM (CST). The winner will be randomly selected and announced in our next round of newsletters along with information to our next great giveaway. Please note, you must be living within the United States to qualify for this giveaway.
For designers who would like to participate in our Oligo Giveaway events, please email product information to our fashion editor at 
.
Gorgeous Gems from Dana Blair Designs
May 11, 2009
“Like the human spirit, stones are permeable. Each stone brings out those spaces in the spirit that have been drained and help enhance what is naturally within.”—Dana Blair
From tourmaline pendants to strings of freshwater pearls, Dana Blair knows how to capture the unique essence of a woman’s personality in a piece of jewelry.
Dana Blair designs was born when Dana’s hobby of designing accessories for her loved ones grew into something bigger. Her handmade designs are unique, original, and personal. She believes each person has a unique style that should be celebrated. Each piece incorporates pearls, semi-precious stones, gold, or silver.
Dana’s pieces are timeless, beautiful, and always in style—just like the women who wear them.
