The Lace Studio Wedding Dress Necklace : Giveaway

I have admired Liz Cater’s jewelry for quite awhile now. I posted about her fabulous idea for wedding dress necklaces back in 2013. What a wonderful way to remind you of your special day. Liz will encase a piece of your wedding dress lace in a clear waterproof resin and sterling silver backed pendant to wear as a necklace. But this idea expands beyond just wedding dress lace. Any special material will work… a hospital baby cap, a piece of your past loved ones favorite shirt or tie, military uniform or any piece of cloth that means something special. I love it Liz! A necklace that reminds me of a moment in time, my very own time capsule. It’s something that I can look down at and feel all warm and fuzzy when I remember that day. Thank you!

I caught up with Liz a few weeks ago for a meet-the-artist interview! She is so nice and offered to send a GIVEAWAY kit to one lucky Bit of Bees Knees reader! And a shoutout to all you guys out there…Valentine’s day is just around the corner and I think this would be the perfect gift for your lovely lady.

-GIVEAWAY RULES-

The contest will be held on my INSTAGRAM at the time of this post and runs until January 23rd.
1. Like this picture and tag 1 friend in a comment below.
2. Check out @the_lace_studio on Instagram and like one of Liz’s pictures.

That’s it! Contest runs until January 23rd! I will notify the winner via private Instagram message the night of the 23rd for your shipping info.

The kit is for the 20mm sterling silver necklace, so a little bigger than the one I’m wearing (mine is 15mm, or dime sized, and the 20mm is nickel sized) and retails for $85. I will mail the lucky winner a necklace kit from The Lace Studio. It comes with complete instructions on how to send in your material, pick a background color and mail it back to Liz (stamps included). Any material can be sent in!

Meet the Artist

L I Z Z C A R T E R

What inspired you to make jewelry?

I was inspired to make lace jewelry from my own wedding. I asked my seamstress to save any lace she cut off during alterations with no real plan on how to use it, I just knew I didn’t want it to go to waste! After searching for gifts to give to my family for helping me plan the wedding I fell short, the typical robes and monogrammed cups were great, but didn’t seem personal enough. I started with the idea of putting the lace in a locket, but really wanted it to last a lifetime, and that’s when I started experimenting with resin. It took many different processes and resins before finding what worked best, but now that I have the basic process down, the ideas are limitless, and I really enjoy encasing all types of materials in resin now, it no longer has to only be lace.

What do you enjoy doing in your off time?

In my time off I enjoy hiking and yoga, and spending time with family. My son is 11 now and it’s a really fun age.

Where can you be found online (websites, social media etc)?

I can be found at thelacestudio.com, on Facebook (facebook.com/thelacestudio), and Instagram (@the_lace_studio), I’m also still on Etsy where I started in 2011 at lacestudio.etsy.com.

What is the most rewarding aspects of starting a handmade business? Do you have any tips?

I love that I am able to be creative and work with my hands. My favorite thing is hearing the stories behind the material that I work with. I am honored that my clients let me be a small part of that story, and that I can help keep that story alive by creating something they can wear everyday. I am so grateful that I am able to work from home with flexible hours, it allows me to put my son on the bus every morning and be here when he gets home from school. My tip to anyone who enjoys creating is to go for it! Even if it starts as a hobby and not your full time job, you never know where it will take you unless you try.

My Best Friend’s Wedding

My best friend got married to her Navy man a few months back! I’ve been holding off on the post, because I wanted to share some of their gorgeous wedding pictures too! Thanks for letting Danny and me be a part of your special day! We love you both so much and wish you all the happiness in the world.

A little MOH love to her best friend and groom.
A small slice of my cheesy speech…

“It is impossible to not see the love, respect and friendship between you. It is the kind of relationship we should all aspire too…one that pushes you to be your best, to trust in your partner and to live by the motto — home is where your heart is / or home is wherever I’m with you.

Love is powerful – it’s the virtue that holds all others together. Whatever plan God may have for your future, you will know with certainty that he gave you each other to get there as a couple

to love each other

to support each other

and to make each other stronger

Cheers to Justin and Shannon and their greatest adventure yet. May you both grow more in love each day and be surrounded by the support of family, friends and God’s immeasurable love. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness.”

A little wedding clip I put together:

“All I Do Is Dream of You” by Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van {S and J’s 1st Dance Song}

Shan’s Bridal Shower

My best friend is getting married and I am her Matron of honor! So neat. She was my Maid of Honor and now I can be hers. I can’t wait to see her get hitched to the man of her dreams in a few short weeks. Here is a little clip of our French Bridal Shower we threw for Shan {they are honeymooning in Paris – Ahhh si fabuleux}. We all love you so much Shan and we are excited for you and Justin to begin your grand adventure together. I am blessed to have you as my friend. You really are the crème de la crème.

Oh So Lucky Studios

My friend Hailey has just opened a fabulous shop called Oh So Lucky Studios “A studio dedicated to celebrating your favorite wedding moments with custom wedding illustrations planned, painted and packaged especially for you!” I am beyond excited for her and thought I should share this beautiful place with all of you.

A note from the artist:

“Hello! My name is Hailey Toohey and I am the Owner, Creative Director, and Illustrator at Oh So Lucky Studios. I am the type who would get married every weekend if I could. I love weddings, I love my husband, and I absolutely love creative design! I decided to combine my passions to see what would happen…

We, the Oh So Lucky Studios team, believe that if you don’t understand people, then you don’t understand business. The core of our company is not what we do, but why we do it. Our illustrations are inspired by you – the happy people, the romantic souls, the creative gift givers, and all you wedding enthusiasts out there! Our goal is to celebrate, spread, inspire, and search for what truly makes people happy. We decided to start with weddings. We believe that healthy marriages are a huge part of a happy life for you, the people around you and most importantly, the people you choose to bring into this world. Between the Bring Beauty Project and our illustrations, we hope, with your help, to leave this world a bit better and a bit more beautiful than when we found it.”

I was lucky enough to be one of her featured brides. Hailey captured my wedding dress lace to a tee ^. I jumped for joy when I came home from work and saw that pretty box delivered on my doorstep. Hailey puts so much love into everything – from her flawless artwork to the sparkly little sticker on the perfectly wrapped tissue paper. You can tell that her heart and soul have gone into every detail. She truly loves what she does.If you are a past, present or future bride, I suggest you check out Oh So Lucky Studios and take a look at Hailey’s amazing work. And to all you grooms and husbands out there, this can be a thoughtful gift for your bride – major brownie points guys! Having a keepsake from your wedding is a very special thing.

An Oregon Farm Wedding

I posted a few weeks ago about our family trip to Oregon. We stayed with my Grandmother on the coast for a few days before we headed to Halsey to help our friends with their wedding. Here are some pictures from that beautiful day. This wedding was a dream. It was perfect — a true farm wedding where the community came together and everyone rolled up their sleeves and pitched in. It was so great to see it all come together.