Made It Jewelry By Lynn Kemp At Gatewood Hall

You are going to love this story! After selling his ceramics company “Our Name is Mud” a few years ago, John Nelsen realized his gift and passion is finding talented local artisans and helping them “make it” big. Today, a journey that began with handmade ceramics... has evolved into a new venture helping handmade jewelry artists called “Made It!”.

The interesting twist this time around is after finding a handful of great handmade jewelry artists, instead of producing product he likes, the final vote of whose product gets made goes to the people buying it... you the customers. An online voting system fueled by social media and national publicity campaigns drives consumers to participate in choosing their favorite artists and jewelry. Then the top vote getters get made. Consumers get what they want jewelry designs already in demand in retail stores. The business model is sort of like American Idol but with fabulous jewelry artists!

More importantly, this opportunity is helping very talented small local jewelry designers share their inspired creations in a way they couldn’t do alone because John will have it manufactured. And how rewarding to know that every “Made It” designer presented has a pre-established fan base with consumers that love their jewelry, looking for stores like Gatewood Hall that carry their designs.

But wait it gets better!! What makes this story even better is that one of the first three artists selected is our very own Lynn Kemp from right here in Blue Ridge! We have been fortunate enough to have known Lynn for awhile now, not only is she just a wonderful person, she is a wife and mother that we just love she is also a very, talented jewelry designer that is driven by fashion and inspired by nature! Straight out of the gate Lynn’s leather bangles were named a top seller at the winter shows.

We were thrilled and very proud that we would be able to sell Lynn’s “Made it!” designs. We picked up the line at the unveiling in January and we received a partial shipment this week! You will love Lynn’s designs and they are perfect for Mother’s Day! Come in this weekend and check them out