Upcoming Jewelry Classes

McGowan and McClain has two upcoming classes in chain making! We also offer classes in beading, basic metalsmithing, and casting. Classes are offered in group settings or can be private. Please call the studio if you are interested in setting up a class. 423-648-2290

Studio Location: 100 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 113 Chattanooga, TN 37405

SALE in our Etsy shop!

We're having a sale in our ETSY shop. All pieces are currently marked at AT LEAST 25% off.  Now through FRIDAY, AUGUST 6th, 2010.

Visit the shop, and, well, SHOP!  :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mcgowanmcclain

Garden & Gun Features McGowan & McClain!

We were thrilled, this week, to be featured in the Belle Decor section of the Garden & Gun blog.  If you haven't checked out this fun and funky "Soul of the New South" magazine, or their website, now's the time.  Start with the blog post featuring us!  Click here to read it.

Thanks, Garden & Gun! 

Big Blog KICKOFF Contest!

UPDATE:  THE WINNER OF THE BIG BLOG KICKOFF CONTEST IS JENNIFER CASLIN.  CONGRATULATIONS JENNIFER!

Thanks for stopping by the new McGowan & McClain BLOG!  This is where we'll be posting the FUN stuff about our jewelry lines, road trips, style inspirations and more. 

And, to kick-start our new blog, what could be more fun than a contest?  With a pretty swank prize?  Well, nothing could be more fun.  So, here we go!

Win this Necklace!

The necklace pictured, left, is the prize for our JULY blog kickoff contest.  It is a necklace from our bean collection-sterling silver dipped in 18K gold.  The retail value?  $356!

This necklace is fun for casual wear, but dressy enough for an evening out on the town.  It's from our Carbon line, which is entirely inspired by nature. 

Here's How to Win

The Contest starts on Monday, July 12th and runs through Midnight, EST on Saturday, July 31, 2010.

There are several ways to enter to win this gorgeous necklace.  The important part about your entries is that you MUST come back and comment with a +1 for each entry so that we can look for them and count them when we draw a winner.  Here's what to do:

• Follow McGowan & McClain on twitter  @mcgowanmcclain 
• Become a fan on facebook  http://www.facebook.com/mcgowanandmcclain
• Comment to this blog post telling us why you would like to wear this necklace
• Share one of our blog posts on your Facebook page
• Post a link to our Etsy shop on your facebook page   http://www.etsy.com/shop/mcgowanmcclain
• Tweet a link to our Etsy shop
• Write and publish your own blog about your favorite piece in the McGowan & McClain collection  and link it back to this blog post.  ( +5 entries for this one!)
• Comment to this blog post with the name, website, address, and phone number of your favorite local boutique in your city--the one that you think should be carrying McGowan & McClain pieces so that you can shop locally for our pieces  (+5 for this one)

Remember: In order for your entries to count, you need to comment to this blog with a +1 (or +5) for each entry, and tell what your entry is.  Example:  shared M&M link on facebook  +1.  For tweets, ONLY, you can also tweet with this hashtag  #mcgowanmcclain  so that we can find your entries.

We will randomly select a winner from all of the entries by using a random number generator.  Our winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.  We'll start a new contest on the 5th!

The More Activities you do to help spread the word, the more entries you'll have, and the greater your chance of winning!

Because your life is a circus?

Or, sometimes you feel like a nut?

A lot of people who see our peanut necklace ask us "Why?" Our answer is, really, "Why not?"

We're from the South.  And southerners love their peanuts. 

We're also busy.  Sometimes our lives feel more like a circus than a design business.

And, we're fun.  We love classic styles, but enjoy punching them up a bit with fun accessories. 

A peanut necklace or earrings certainly counts for fun, don't you think?

Visit our Etsy Shop

Now, it is even easier than ever to shop online for McGowan & McClain pieces.  Obviously, it is more fun to try on our necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings in person, but if there's not yet a boutique near you that carries our line, you can still purchase our jewelry for gifts or yourself.  Visit our new Etsy shop.  We're adding items monthly.

And, for a list of retail boutiques with McGowan & McClain, please see our retail shops page.

Bracelet Banana-za

All McGowan & McClain pieces are inspired by nature. One of our most versatile collections is our banana collection, which was inspired by the shapes, textures and details of banana leaves.

Artists in every medium have been inspired by banana leaves-creating everything from jewelry (like us), to wallpaper (the picture center-right is wallpaper from the Beverly Hills Hotel), and center left, is a charcoal banana leaf rug. 

The Banana collection is the very epitome of the "raw, elegant, natural" philosophy that we follow when designing.  Add a little bit of the wild to your wardrobe this fall.

Or, you could get a banana lamp, but jewelry is so much more fun!  We have dangle-earrings, post earrings, bracelets, cuffs and rings.  All pieces are either oxidized sterling silver, or sterling silver with a gold vermeil overlay.

Come See us at the 2010 Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market

Come see us at the Atlanta International Gift Show!

We'll be there this weekend, July 16-21.  We are located in Building 3, on the 4th floor, in booth 1006 (the boutique section).

Marian & Laura

Designers, McGowan & McClain

Congratulations to our Facebook Style Contest Winner

We recently concluded our first-ever Facebook style contest.  We asked participants to upload a picture of an outfit that they thought would look great with these earrings from our banana collection.

The earrings are oxidized silver with beaded accents. 

Our winning entry came from Robyn W., who uploaded a picture (below) and this comment:

I love these earrings! You ladies are so talented! I think they would look lovely with this dress because it is so girly and the earrings would add a little edginess! Love 'em!

Here's the dress that Robyn would pair with these earrings:

Congratulations, Robyn!

Stay tuned for our next Facebook style contest.  In the meantime, become a fan, here:

http://www.facebook.com/mcgowanandmcclain