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About Triplelle Designs
The Artist
Triplelle Designs is named after the owner and creator of the pieces you see here, Lisa L. Linderman. Since her initials are all "L", a friend came up with the nicknames "L-cubed" and "Triplelle", which seemed a fitting thing to call her designs.
Lisa lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband, daughter, and two cranky cats. She has been crafting most of her life, and at various times has done needlepoint, crochet, cross-stitch, polymer clay figurines, knitting, stained glass, lampworking, jewelry, leatherworking, etched glass, woodburning, candlemaking, soapmaking, altered art, and metalworking. Her creations have been shown at local Science Fiction convention art shows, Portland's Sisterspirit PaganFaire, PDX Pagan Pride, America's Largest Christmas Bazaar, and numerous local area shows. She is a member of the Oregon Glass Guild.
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The Creations
The items in my shop are all made by hand, one at a time. There are no mass-produced pieces here! I like to keep a broad range of prices and styles available to fit many lifestyles, and so our materials vary. I enjoy being inspired by themes or motifs, or particularly interesting items like stones, crystals, and charms.
Each piece is described individually; some are crafted of 14K gold-filled findings, fine Swarovski crystal, genuine semi-precious stones, solid sterling silver, and other top-quality materials. Others are more "fun", crafted to be easy to own and wear, and created of reclaimed buttons, coated copper wire, glass, and other less expensive but high-quality materials.
Community Connections
I recycle and reuse packaging materials to keep waste to a minimum and help protect the environment. I have donated fine jewelry pieces to the Humane Society of Southwest Washington, the Southwest Washington Human Resource Management Association, Second Chance Companions Pet Shelter, Michelle's Heart Emergency Fund, and several individual drives.
Do You Really Give Pieces Away?
Actually, yes. It's a tactic commonly known as "guerrilla marketing". I make small, quick, inexpensive pieces such as simple rings, earrings, or pendants, place them in a ziploc baggie, and attach a Finders Keepers card. I've placed them around the Greater Portland area, often in restaurants, waiting rooms, coffee shops, or sometimes just in random locations like hanging from a tree. If you find one, it's yours to keep and do with as you wish. It's just my way of getting my name out there.
How Do You Arrive At Your Prices?
I see many items that require specialized skills and take hours to produce being sold for insanely low prices, and I see other items that are relatively quick and inexpensive being sold for large sums. We sometimes see the label "hand-crafted" on many imported items, and while it's true in the strictest sense, the artisans in question may earn mere pennies a day for their hard work, which means the products can be sold cheaply on the retail market. That gives a false impression of the item's true value, and does not meet Fair Trade practices. We're so used to WalMart-style pricing that it's easy to expect it, when in reality fairly priced, hand-crafted, unique items cost much more than the mass-produced things we see every day. A seemingly simple necklace can take 2-4 hours to design and craft. Items created using lost-wax casting take several times that, including time to create the wax model, cast it in plaster, burn it out, cast it in metal, then hours of polishing and finish work. Stained glass created by hand is a painstaking process requiring precision cuts. Fused glass can take days to finish, and may include cold-working the glass repeatedly and multiple visits to the kiln. Lampwork beads can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours or more each, depending on the intricacy of the design, number of colors, and size of the bead. While it's true you can get similar beads cheaply from India or China, the difference in color and quality is apparent to anyone who spends time with beads or knows jewelry. And as with most things, typically you get what you pay for; high-quality costs more than low-quality.
In general, I take into account the cost of materials and time. Some items take very little time, while others take several hours or more. Sometimes I use plain, coated-copper wire and glass or plastic, sometimes I choose solid sterling silver or gold-filled findings, Swarovski crystal, and semi-precious stones. My prices reflect all that goes into a particular item, and I strive very hard to keep even my highest-quality items within a price range that isn't out of reach of the average consumer, as I would rather see my items worn and enjoyed than admired from afar.
How Do You Ship?
Unless otherwise noted, shipping is first class within the US and Canada. For more expensive pieces, heavier pieces, or upon special request, I ship Priority Mail. International Shipping is also First Class where possible (under 13 ounces), otherwise it's Global Priority. I try to keep my shipping and handling charges reasonable and very close to actual postage. Please bear in mind that S&H covers not only the cost of postage but the cost of wrapping and shipping materials, enclosures, and time. I do combine shipping whenever possible. For more on shipping and return policies, please see the Online Store.
Do You Wholesale? Or Sell On Commission?
Because I am a one-person shop, I don't usually "wholesale" as it is normally defined. However, on some items (such as my rings or glass wire-wrapped pendants, for example) I am happy to give a discount to folks interested in purchasing in wholesale-size lots. I am also open to selling on reasonable commissions, though I prefer those to be local shops I can visit. Please contact me if you're interested!
Do You Gift Wrap?
Most of my items are sent in small boxes with organza bags, which are essentially ready for giving. I'm happy to gift box and wrap your items upon request. I'm also happy to add a small card or note and send directly to the recipient! If it is a gift, please let me know as my standard practice is to include a Packing Slip with the description of the item and price paid.
Do You Have Gift Certificates?
Want to give someone a gift from our site, but not exactly sure what they'd like? Or maybe someone wants a custom-made gift, and you'd like them to work directly with us? We offer gift certificates in any amount. Choose e-mailed or hard-copy, depending on your needs.
Contact us at sales@triplelle.com.
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