Finally listed my new line... Native Salvage™!

Lately in my personal life I have been moving toward a greener and more sustainable way of living... starting my garden, increasing my recycling and decreasing my waste.  Now that I am learning more and more about being green, I have made steps to bring the same values into my business... and I am proud to introduce my newest design line... Native Salvage™!

I have been going out once a week to various beaches on the North Shore and have found beautiful shells, seeds, glass and driftwood to add to my designs.  I just listed 2 necklaces using some of these finds, and have a few more that need to be shot, edited and listed this week...

Wishing everyone a beautiful day!  ~*~ Keala

Express Yourself! Heading back to the beginning...

A couple of days ago I was cleaning out my closet and found some blank canvas's and my box of oil pastels... it has been sooooo long since I put any time into my art and I decided to dedicate a few days to creating something that I felt embodied Keala Legacy... and here it is!

Mother Earth, Poly Style!

I believe this pretty much sums up the design style of my jewelry and the impact I want to make on people... Keala Legacy is about taking what is traditional and adding a new twist!  All about utilizing the natural style and culture of the islands and adding a bit of character... a splash of color... a touch of uniqueness that can be found only in what I design.

I realize now that what I create doesnt cater to fashionistas... and Im totally okay with that!  Because the people who do purchase my designs LOVE them... and if I can share the way I see Hawaii by selling one piece at a time, I am doing exactly what I set out to do.

So be bold and express yourself and your view of the world!  Me ke aloha pumehana... ~*~ Keala ~*~

*Original canvas will be available for sale shortly... just needs to finish drying and get a few coats of varnish!  Medium is pastels and oil paint.

Handmade vs. Manufactured Jewelry

Heres a question for ya... have you ever gone to a craft fair and said "THAT costs $25 Dollars?!"  or  "Theres a reseller the next aisle up that has about a dozen similar designs for much less..." ?  I have a confession to make... I used to do that all the time!  BUT because I create my own jewelry and I know how much time and love goes into every piece, I tend to be willing to pay more for a unique handmade item vs. a manufactured item that has dozens of the exact same thing on display.

It all comes down to who is doing the work, the amount of time put into each piece and the cost of supplies to get it done.

Who is doing the work:  I have been designing my own jewelry for the past 4 years.  In those 4 years I have learned techniques and tricks to create the designs I love... and that make me proud to create my jewelry.  I still have alot to learn, but I am constantly working to improve my skills.  Now that I have more time to dedicate to my craft, I plan on taking courses and moving into other unique aspects of jewelry design like Precious Metal Clay (PMC) and metal working.

Amount of time:  Let me tell you... its not as easy as it looks to be a one woman/man show!  I just spent 2 hours shooting new pictures of my designs.  That totalled over 436 pictures... for about 25-30 items... each in different angles that capture the jewelry just right.    I still have to crop and edit my images so that you as a customer will get the best representation of my product, list each item and describe it as accurately as possible, and then promote that item to my target market to sell.  And thats not even including the time it took to make each piece!  Keep in mind that all of my designs are unique and one of a kind, so I do this everytime I make something new.  And now that I am collecting and using sea shells fresh off the beach, there are days dedicated to the cleaning, buffing and varnishing of each one.

Supplies:  If you put me in a bead shop... STEP ASIDE!  Im like a kid in a candy store and can spend hours looking for the right wire, the right crystal, the right color turquoise.  And while I try to keep my cost down as a designer, when I fall in love with a strand of beads... I have to have it!  There are so many places to go to find quality supplies and so many choices available.  I am slowly moving more into sterling silver designs which cost a little more, but I still offer copper and gold & silver plated to have a wide range of prices and design choices.

When I go to a craft fair now, I am more likely to stop by to look at the handcarved wooden jewelry box than its cheaper pre-fabricated version becuase I know all of the things that I listed above.  This piece is unique, time and effort went into into making it a beautiful one of a kind creation that is quality made.

I hope that the next time you go shopping at a craft fair you remember this little blurb from my experience as a buyer and seller... and I hope it helps you find that one of a kind piece that was somehow made especially for you.

Me ke aloha pumehana ~*~ Keala

www.KealaLegacyGifts.com is Finally Open!

After 2 years of procrastination I have finally opened my own website to feature and sell my jewelry, hair accessories, home decor and photography!


Check out my Grand Opening May Day Sale! For today only, get all items On Sale, 10% off! Offer ends at midnight tonight Hawaii time.

Im pretty nervous about this new adventure but I am also extremely excited, especially since I made a sale within the first hour of being open!!! WOOOHOOOOO!

And the best thing about it? I dont pay any fees to anyone else for my listings. I decide what my site looks like, color schemes, links and featured products. Im not in competition with thousands of other jewelry designers... and I can focus my marketing to the people who enjoy my design style!

Just want to thank my Etsy friends for being supportive and offering advice, hugs and many blessings.

A huge thank you goes out to my family... for their amazing support and dealing with my craziness as I constantly called for html help.

And the biggest, hugest, most totally awesome thank you goes out to my amazing hubs who not only has to deal with me when I dont make sales... but possibly worse... when I do! LOL! (you etsians will know what Im talkin about).

So... yeah... ;)

Working on my Photography Skills!

Waaaaaaaay back in High School I took Photography. I loved being in the dark room, playing with my new photos, making some sepia, some black & white, cropping them until they were just right. I remember making a pinhole camera, and taking some awesome "still shots" with it...

Technology has made photography just a tiny bit easier and more accessible to the general public... for people who don't have access to a professional dark room (although I think even the greatest digital enhancement cannot compare to working in a dark room) like me.

So... here are just some of my most recent photos from the past 2 months (or so). I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them!



Gold Dust Day Gecko - Sunning on my cement wall



Koa Wood Grain - Taken before my nieces Baptism at the Kamehameha Schools Chapel



Sunset Beyond the Ko'olau Mountains



Lovely Yellow Rose - This one I took on a recent trip to California



Through the Bloom - This is another photo I took during my nieces baptism. You can see her in the background... I was playing with angles and focus on this one.

Its Party Time!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU... YOU LIVE IN A ZOO... YOU SMELL LIKE A MONKEY...

AND YOU LOOK LIKE ONE TOO!

Today... my baby boy turns 6 years old! We are gonna do cake and Ice Cream tonight, and then this weekend is a Pizza/Ice Skating Party for him!

I always promised myself that no matter what, I would make sure my Boy gets a Birthday Party (big or small) even with Christmas so close!

I love you fatso boy! Happy Birthday!

Kalani Koa - Somebody to Love

Kalani Koa - Somebody to Love (Music Video)


Aloha Friends! Above is a music video my younger cousin just did for the 2008 Brown Bags to Stardom competition. Hes wearing the red lei in the photo above!

For those who don't know what Brown Bags is... its a local Hawaii music competition for High School students. They have to write the song, play the music and produce the video. The video is then played on OC16 and voting begins!

I am so proud of my cousin for doing this. Last year he won 2nd place male vocalist for his song "My Hawaii"! I was up there skankin as he performed it live... so awesome!

This year, I think his song is even better... and I know he is gonna do really well in this competition and in his musical future!

They do perform for parties... so anybody looking for a new upcoming band to play at your Grad Party, Kalani Koa is the way to go! Not only does he play reggae & island music... he can sing a mean Falsetto!

If voting is open when you check out his video... PLEASE VOTE for Kalani Koa - Somebody to Love!

Mahalo Nui Loa... Keala

New Tattoo!!!

FINALLY!!!

So, this past Saturday I drove out to Hau'ula and met with Miss Laura with Polynesian Tattoo Factory. She is a fantastic artist as well as a tattoo artist and her work is all one of a kind original. I chose to go to Laura after seeing some of her work on flickr and it all just fit.

I arrived at 3:00pm, ink started at 3:30pm and we finished at 10:30pm. Yes... it took 7 hours! I could have done it in 2 sessions, but I figured what the hell... just go for it. I would have been really irritated with myself for not having it completed and I am happy I decided to go on!

She created exactly what I was looking for! And here it is!



The 3 hibiscus flowers represent my children, they also represent my family. My great grand uncle bred hibiscus plants and actually came up with many hybrid species! He named one after my great grandmother Charlotte Keala.

I also have my children's names added, which of course was the most important aspect of my tattoo. They are the reason for this tattoo. I got the ink done on the left side of my ribs so that my children will always be close to my heart and under my arm for love and protection.

And the last part of this tattoo is the Polynesian design. I am of Hawaiian descent and wanted something to represent that. There is weaved Lauhala, Sharks Teeth, and a freehand tribal.

My artist Laura did a fantastic job and the only thing she stenciled on was my kids names. Everything else she freehand sketched on my body. You can see that the design flows with the curve of my body, which makes it look fantastic!

I am just so happy with how it came out!! It was worth every moment of pain and I would do it again this instant... if I had the money!!!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!

A very heartfelt Happy St. Patricks Day to you from the Hawaii Etsy Street Team!

Check out our "Going Green for St. Patty" collection!


Just click on the photo set above to see these Hawaii Creations and MORE!

Building a website from scratch...

Is hard work! I am soooo lucky to have my sister helping me since she is a super wiz with html, but it may as well be in yiddish for all that it makes sense to me! I still have tons of preliminary work to do before I can officially open it up to the public as a sales site.

I originally was hoping to have it ready by March 1st... that deadline is long gone, now I will be happy if I can get it done by June! And I dont have extra funds to hire a professional to have it up for me in a week.

Im also having one heck of a time figuring out how to add a cart to my page... paypals directions are vague at best.

Gah... It takes as much time to create my jewelry as it does to manage the business end of things! But, if I want to make this business work I just have top bite the bullet, put my nose to the grindstone and work 20 hour days! =)

and now... back to work!

HAWAII ETSY ON KHNL NEWS!!

Kathi Palmer Michelle McCall Angela Kennington

Indie Crafters Selling Handmade Goods on Website

Sep 12, 2007 03:53 PM
(KHNL) - If you're looking to buy or even sell a handmade item, there's a website created just for what is called, Indie Crafters.

This site is a user driven online marketplace, with thousands of international homemade items. It's only two years in the making but experts are already saying it could be the next big thing on the net.

Move over Ebay, here comes something etsier.
Local crafters are going global on Etsy.com, a site to buy and sell all things handmade. But unlike Ebay, Etsy uses set prices rather than an auction-based system and everything must be handmade.

With thousands of sellers hailing from around the world, there's a whole list of unique things . From jewelry to blankets and artwork. And that's not all, there's even cupcakes on there.
In Hawaii alone, there are 55 sellers. Kathi Palmer is one of them. She's the creator of Isabella Smiles.

"I personally sell jewelry that I handmade myself," said Palmer. "I sell earrings and bracelets and necklaces."

Michelle McCall sells origami artwork and Angela Kennington sells baby items plus she's working on a line of hand bags.

But these local crafters say Etsy is more than just a place to sell and buy things, it's a community forum.

"Alot of sellers are supportive of each other," said McCall. "You can get a lot of input. It's an inspiration. They inspire you to do something you wouldn't normally do."

And what you wouldn't normally find at your local store, you'll find on Etsy.
"Why spend your money on stuff in Walmart that looks like everything else when you have something special that someone created with love, " said Kennington.

Anyone can set up a free account on Etsy. There are currently 200,000 members internationally and about 38,000 of those use Etsy as a marketplace to sell their handmade goods.

MAKEOVER TIME!!!

So... I feel like I need a new look. I found this fun (and free) website that allows you to "test" out new hairstyles, colors and makeup for a brand new you! What do you think of some of my new looks??

Please take a sec and vote for the one you like best... because I think its time to create a new me!!!

Hawaii Etsy Team on KHNL News!

I am a part of a wonderful new Street Team on Esty, we are the Hawaii Etsy Street Team, hear us roar!

Kathi (http://www.isabellasmiles.etsy.com/) was able to gain interest from KHNL in regards to Etsy and more importantly the Hawaii sellers on Etsy! She, along with Angela (http://www.amkstitches.etsy.com/) and Michelle (http://www.3dcranes.etsy.com/) promoted Etsy, Hawaii Sellers and themselves, which I think is awesome for all of us!

For an inside take of the interview check out their blogs:
http://amkstitches.blogspot.com/2007/09/im-gonna-be-on-tv.html

http://3dcranes.blogspot.com/2007/09/television-cameras-nerves-and-etsy.html

WAY TO GO LADIES!!

I Love My Photography Light Box!!

Just bought myself a photography light box and LOVE it! I have been redoing all of my jewelry photos and see a huge difference. It really shows the quality of my items, which can only help my sales right?

I also finally sat down and did some new jewelry designs. Check these out!

TROPICAL SUNRISE CUFF BRACELET

BLUE HAWAII NECKLACE

DREAMS OF HAWAII NECKLACE

KIDS HAWAIIAN PRINCESS PEARL NECKLACE

For more info on these creations and to see more of my work, please visit my online shop at

http://www.kealalegacy.etsy.com

Aloha A Hui Hou!

Introducing... Keala Legacy Creations!

http://www.KealaLegacy.etsy.com PLEASE VISIT MY WEBPAGE!

This is my very first company. I currently do handmade jewelry for adults and kids, cell phone charms, and hand painted lightswitch covers, but will be adding MUCH MORE as time permits!

A little background into my company:

All items are hand crafted on the north shore of the beautiful Hawaiian island of Oahu. I have lived on the North Shore all of my life and learned many great things from my family about the joys of arts and crafts.

I was first introduced to arts and crafts by my Grandma and Pappap. Grandma used to let me sew my very own stuffed animals. The one I remember most would have to be a little bunny dolly. He was made with White fabric and red rosettes. I was so proud of my little creation and it must have made an impact for me to remember it all these years later! My Pappap taught me how to draw and introduced me to pastels. Some of my very first drawings are pastels, and not too shabby if I might add (I was only 8 years old or so).

My love of creating was also influenced by my mom. She would draw cute pictures for me on my paper bag lunches. I would have a bunny, or a pretty lady or some silly picture just to make me laugh! she also used to sew matching dresses for me and my sister.

My sister is also one of those crafty types. Always the one to say, why dont we just make it ourselves? Her strengths are definitely opposite my weaknesses which actually makes us a pretty crafty pair.

Now, the name Keala Legacy Creations actually came from my mom, and is born from a very deep love of my family and my Gammie. My Gammie was a beautiful woman, strong but kind, loving but stern. She really got us all into jewelry. We used to call her the QVC Queen because she would order all kinds of rings, bracelets and necklaces for us. And I guess the love for jewelry has carried on through the generations! Now my daughter sits with me and watches me create my jewelry.

Thus was born Keala Legacy Creations... from a great love of my family and the influences they have made in my life.

http://www.KealaLegacy.etsy.com PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE!