You saw the before photo when we were setting up the booth what feels like a million years ago.  As promised, here is the “after” photo.  I finally shaved.

So here is my holiday market booth!  We can do pretty much whatever we want with our spaces, and I put a lot of time into creating a warm and welcoming feeling and to make it easy for you to see and touch the jewelry.  I use wood blocks, which have a really great texture.  And the metals really come alive against the natural wood.

I also have a very powerful heater for my team.  I can get away without wearing a coat in my booth the entire season!  Feel free to stop by and warm up while you’re holiday shopping.  We’re in Booth D24.

Also, don’t forget to enter the Shaya Photo Contest!  You could win a $100 Shaya Gift Card on December 24.

This year, I have a whole line of new designs exclusively at the Union Square Holiday Market. I’ve been doing more work with gunmetal and mixed metals, and people really like them.  Gunmetal is a great material to work with.  It can be edgy, and it can be elegant at the same time.

I am very happy about how this new necklace turned out.  The hand-hammered gold-filled squares have a rich texture and feel.  The fifth off-center gunmetal square and chain add the edginess that makes this piece great for everyday and also for more formal settings.  I’m working on a name for it.

Please come see the new collection and all the classics from Shaya designs at the Union Square Holiday Market!  We’re also at the Nolita Market periodically.  Follow ShayaNYC on Facebook and Twitter for locations, updates, and offers!

And don’t forget to enter the Photo Contest!  to upload a photo of yourself wearing your Shaya jewelry and get your friends to like your picture!  The one with the most votes on December 24 wins a $100 Shaya Gift Card!

Happy Holidays!

~Shaya

Set up and load-in at the Union Square Holiday Market started last night.  It’s great to see old friends from previous years and other markets.  This photo is the “Before” picture of me last night, with my friends who are helping me with the construction and installation.

Urban Space NYC encourages us to create unique spaces in our booths.  Personally, I’ve been planning my holiday market booth for months, and I am very excited for everyone to come see it.  We have three days and nights to set up, and all the market sellers have been painting, installing fixtures and lights, and putting up the final details.  The best part is bringing out and arranging our merchandise.  Actually, that’s not the best part.  The best part is when the market opens and people start coming in for some holiday spirit.

I’ll post the “After” picture when the market opens on Friday.  I can’t wait to show you the new jewelry designs I created especially for the Holiday Market!

So come see me on Friday at the Union Square Holiday Market.  I’m in booth #22.  And I’ll definitely shave by then!

~Shaya

I’m having a Photo Contest to help celebrate the holidays!  Enter to win a $100 Shaya Gift Card!

How to Enter:

All you have to do is upload a photo of yourself wearing a Shaya design to my Facebook page (like my friend Karen in the photo).

How to Win

The photo with the most “likes” by 11:59PM on December 24th is the winner!  So feel free to ask all your friends to like your photo, and I’d appreciate it if they’d like the Shaya page too!

I will post the winner on my Facebook page once the contest is over.  If there is a tie, we’ll do a run-off vote through January 1, 2012.

I can’t wait to see your entries!

No little elves here in the Shaya Studio.  It’s just me and my metal working tools, hammering away and creating jewelry for the Union Square Holiday Market!

This will be my second year with a booth boutique at Union Square, and I am very excited to be back.  Last year was great.  So many nice people buying gifts, and the weather wasn’t even so cold.  I have some great heaters, and my booth was so warm most of the time I didn’t need to wear a jacket.

The market runs for almost six weeks, seven days a week from November 18 – December 24, 2011.  So I have been working on inventory, designing my booth, and trying to get enough sleep to stay energized for the entire season.  This is a fantastic time of year in New York City, and I am really happy to be a part of the holiday spirit!

And, by the way, I’ll be sending out an email newsletter this week with an exclusive discount offer for my subscribers!  Please sign up so you can take advantage of this offer code.

Thank you,

~Shaya

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Must have been a great evening.  And it’s amazing to see my designs accenting her dress.   Lauren is wearing the Twista Gold Bangle Bracelets and also a Shaya ring. (Notice the square and rectangle designs?)

Thank you, Lauren!

~Shaya

A few weeks ago, a customer stopped by the Nolita Market and purchased several pieces of my jewelry.  She was kind and complimentary of my work, and it was a real pleasure to meet her.  She introduced herself as Victoria Nuland, Spokesperson for the US State Department, and she said I should keep an eye out for her wearing my designs in the media.  I thought that was great, and I really have been watching out for her in the news.

Last week a friend of mine spotted my work in her Daily State Department Press Briefing video.  She is wearing the Valentina necklace and Jasmine earrings (currently only available in the market).  I think they look just great on her.

Thank you, Ms. Nuland, for your gracious support of my work.

~Shaya

This video was made a few months ago by Christina Fierro, featuring Jamie Greenberg, my friend and neighbor at the Nolita Market, and myself. Christina wanted to know why we sell our creations in the street and how it works for us. As for myself, she really captured my story and the things I aspire to for my design business.

I really like seeing Jamie’s studio for her Devils May Care line of silk screened t-shirts and belt buckles, and her creative process. We both love selling to customers, one person at a time, and we hope to expand our businesses and reach even more people.

Enjoy the video and come see us at the Nolita Market on Prince Street between Mulberry and Mott. We’re both there almost every weekend!

Liz just had her work featured in the October issue of Germany’s Joy Magazine for a spread called “Shining Light.”  The model Liz styled looks amazing, and she is wearing my Big Cleopatra earrings.

A shout out to FancySexyMe, also a New York jewelry company who made the chain bracelet in the photo.  They sells their great handmade jewelry in the city’s design markets too.

Thank you for all your support, Liz!

~Shaya

I am happy to be participating in a Fall Giveaway with SchoolHouse Kitchen and Markets of New York City.

SchoolHouse Kitchen is a family-owned business, based in Brooklyn, that makes fine fruit spreads (better than jams!), mustards, chutneys, and vinaigrettes.  I know them through the former Old Can Factory Market, and now they sell primarily in the New Amsterdam Market, and also at Whole Foods!  Amazing products!

My work is featured in Markets of New York City: A Guide to the Best Artisan, Farmer, Food & Flea Markets.  Author Karen Seiger continues to write about the markets on her blog, www.MarketsOfNewYork.com. If you want to find out about everything in the markets, visit Karen’s blog!

To welcome the new season, we are giving away these prizes to 3 winners:

• Poppyseed Vinaigrette Revival and Coconut Citrus Vinaigrettes, the newest products from SchoolHouse Kitchen
• Signed Copy of Markets of New York City: A Guide to the Best Artisan, Farmer, Food & Flea Markets
• Priscillia Necklace from Shaya Fine Handcrafted Jewelry

To win:

• Follow us all on Facebook by 11:59 PM on Sunday, September 18th!
  • SchoolHouse Kitchen
  • Markets of New York City
  • Shaya Fine Handcrafted Jewelry

• We will post the winners on the three Facebook pages with an email address for you to send us your shipping information.
• You have to live on the continental US – for shipping purposes.

Thank you for participating.  Please share this page with your friends!

- Shay