Made by Mom Gift Guide: On Holiday Jewels offers 'effortlessly cool,' modern jewelry

"Effortlessly cool" is how Shannon Sautter describes the jewelry she creates for her business On Holiday Jewels. Sautter, who lives in Chapel Hill with her husband and two children, creates jewelry with a modern style. And her business is featured in Go Ask Mom's annual Made by Mom Gift Guide. Find out more about the business in my Q&A with Sautter below. And stay tuned for more Q&As of the mom-owned businesses featured in the 2019 guide!

Go Ask Mom: How did On Holiday Jewels get its start? What's the back story?

Shannon Sautter: I began making jewelry when I landed a job at an independent jewelry store in the Five Points area of Raleigh while I was in college circa 2001. I learned a lot and met some great people, one of which I went on to work for 10+ years later. I worked for my blast-from-the-past friend (who is currently a successful jewelry designer in Cary) very part time after my son was born and took a refresher course on jewelry making at Pullen Art Center. Once my son started kindergarten and I suddenly had this big chunk of time on my hands, I knew this was my chance to branch out on my own.

I started posting designs on social media and my website, and applied to all the handmade markets/craft shows … I got a lot of rejection emails. Finally, I was accepted as a vendor at the very first Raleigh Night Market (to this day, I’ve been a vendor at every single Raleigh Night Market, woohoo!). I had no idea what I was doing as far as setting up a booth and marketing my jewelry, but I met so many people and got some great feedback. Best part of the night was at the very end, when I realized I had been pretty dang successful with this passion project and I felt confident and excited about continuing to pursue it!

GAM: Tells us about what you create. What's the aesthetic?

SS: On Holiday is effortlessly cool artisan jewelry that appeals to women who appreciate modern style but enjoy being themselves rather than following trends.

I love creating pieces that look amazing on every woman in any stage of her life - from college students to working professionals to stay-at-home moms to retirees … I love seeing how versatile and complementary jewelry can be!

GAM: A portion of your proceeds are dedicated to ending hunger. How do you do that and why is that something you feel so strongly about?

SS: 10% of each sale is given to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina through twice yearly donations. I recognize that having the capacity to start this small business is a privilege and I’m so honored to be able to pursue this dream while being able to give back to an organization that is doing so much to help end hunger in our state.

GAM: What do you love about what you do?

SS: My absolute favorite part about what I do is chatting with customers at markets. I love talking with people about the designs, the materials I use, how great it’ll look on them, and watching their smile when deciding to purchase On Holiday jewels! I really like that new accessories can be a fun form of self-care that sparks a happy, exciting feeling. Also, working from home in my pjs, I love that too.

GAM: What are your hopes for your business' future?

SS: My goal for On Holiday in 2020 and beyond is to continue building a brand that has a positive impact on our community through my partnership with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, a brand that stands out as not just fashionable but also functional through the use of materials that are durable and non-toxic. I’d also love to continue building relationships with boutiques to grow the reach of On Holiday jewels throughout the state!

Go Ask Mom features local moms every Monday — and even more often in November and December as part of the Made by Mom Gift Guide. Thank you to the Raleigh Night Market for connecting me with On Holiday Jewels!