And the Winners Are...

On November 1st we drew the winners' names for our most popular raffle ever!  With 100% of proceeds benefiting the Women's Wellness Fund of Dayton (which provides mammograms & services to those who need assistance) and the help of Althea Harper (Project Runway finalist),  our customers raised over $400!  Congratulations to the following winners:

• "It's A Cinch" bag (custom-designed by Althea Harper):  Traci Dohme
• $50 Gift Certificate to JennaClaire:  Patricia Wynn
• $25 Gift Certificate to JennaClaire:  Sue Brake
• $25 Gift Card to The Greene:  Emily Raymond

The donation you all helped raise will provide mammograms to 3 women in the Dayton area who otherwise would not be able to afford this service.  Thanks to all of you who participated!

Army of Women

Had an amazing time yesterday at the Ribbon of Hope luncheon.  This is a  major fundraiser for the Women's Wellness Fund, which the studio has adopted as our Breast Cancer Awareness Month charitable organization (http://www.kmcfoundation.org/events.cfm).  The featured speaker was Dr. Susan Love, who formed a partnership with The Avon Foundation called "Army of Women".  The groundbreaking initiative, which actually partners women volunteers with breast cancer prevention researchers,  strives to eradicate breast cancer and improve the quality of women’s health through innovative research, education, and advocacy. The Foundation works to identify the barriers to research and to then create new solutions.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit their website at http://www.armyofwomen.org/.  Volunteering is simple; you will be periodically emailed information about current research and if you qualify you can choose to respond.  The choice is yours, and it's easy to sign up. 

Tomorrow is also the last day to purchase your raffle tickets to benefit the Women's Wellness Fund!  Prizes include both a $25 & $50 gift certificate to the studio, an $25 gift card to The Greene, and our grand prize is an It's A Cinch bag designed by Althea Harper from Project Runway!  Tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25, available at the studio.  100% of all monies will be donated to the Wellness Fund!

We would like to recognize our workroom manager Mary Z. Bach (who is herself a breast cancer survivor) for her personal act of kindness.  Mary single-handedly created over 50 flower pins which were sold for a donation to the Women's Wellness fund (you can see them in the pictures below).  Mary and her mother Irene, who is also a breast cancer survivor, attended the luncheon along with Daina Levine & Susan Faulkner, Director of Donor Services for the Women's Wellness Fund.

We have had a very successful fund-raiser this month, and wish to thank all of our dear customers who contributed as well!  Bravo!

Find us on Facebook!

We now have our own personal URL for our Facebook page!  We can easily be found at www.facebook.com/jennaclairestudio.  Tell  your friends & sign up for news & updates today!

We Love to PARTY!!!

Who doesn't LOVE a good party???  Well...if you do then you're in luck!  Now through November 21st if you host a party at our Studio we will double your hostess credits!!!  We'll give you & your guests 10% OFF all purchases and you'll receive even more savings with your double hostess credits.  There's always a reason to party at JennaClaire...Girls Night Out, Bridal, Baby, Sorority, or Office.  With the holiday season just around the corner we want to treat you and your friends to a good time.  What could be better we provide the space and the invitations you provide the guests?  No house cleaning, just inviting & arriving!!!  Besides, designing is much more fun with friends and now you can have that perfect handbag or tote for any occassion without spending a fortune.  Contact the Studio at 937.431.1888 or visit our website at http://www.jennaclaire.com/ and click on PARTY.

It's Here! Bid on Althea Harper's custom It's A Cinch bag!

It's here, and you have a chance to win it!  Althea Harper (designer from Project Runway) visited our studio October 3rd to help kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  She created this awesome It's a Cinch bag.  She chose Java Giraffe for the main outside fabric/interior pockets, and Plum Ultrasuede for the lining and belt.  It's a great combo and can be yours if you win our raffle for the Women's Wellness Fund.  An identical bag has been made for Althea.

Tickets may be purchased at our studio for $5 each or 6 for $25.  We will be selling tickets through October 31st and the drawing will be November 1st.  Other prizes include JennaClaire accessories & gift certificates, as well as a gift certificate to The Greene.  100% of ticket proceeds will be donated to Women's Wellness, a great organization which provides mammograms and follow up services to those who need them.

For more info give us a call at 937-431-1888 or email us at info@jennaclaire.com.

Think Pink Events in October!

JennaClaire is all about giving back, so in the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we have decided to donate a portion of our bag sales, in October, to the Women's Wellness Fund of Dayton.  This is a local based organization that provides health services to women who cannot afford them otherwise.  We have numerous ways to help! Besides purchasing a handbag, there are pink fabric flower pins, made by a breast cancer survivor, for $5 and raffle tickets to win Althea Harper's It's a Cinch bag she designed during her visit to our Studio.  Raffle tickets are $5 each or 6 for $25.  All proceeds from the flower pins and raffle tickets will be donated directly to the Women's Wellness Fund.  We are also having Think Pink Events every weekend in October.  This past weekend was Diva Days, women who visited our Studio were given cookies with rings attached and cards that said "Diva's Donate."  Next weekend (Oct. 17th-18th) is Color Me Pink, where we will offer our ready-made totes that can be decorated and taken home that same day, at a discounted price.  A portion of those totes sold will also be donated to the Women's Wellness Fund.  Stay tuned for future Think Pink Events!!!

Althea Harper Visits the Studio!

Althea Harper from Project Runway graciously spent 2 hours in our studio last Saturday answering questions, mingling with customers, and designing a custom It's A Cinch handbag. What a treat to get to know this talented designer- she was truly an inspiration to all who attended. Althea graduated from the University of Cincinnati and during that time had landed internships with design greats such as Anna Sui, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, & Zach Posen. To top it off, she solicited a grant from the fabulous Taroni Fabrics in Italy who provided amazing textiles for the 12 designs in her senior fashion show, entitled "The Raven" (see her website for more information- http://www.altheaharper.com/).

After her morning presentation we joined her and her mother for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory at The Greene. We got to chat some more about her life post-Project Runway. This girl is on the go! After debuting her new Spring/Summer 2010 collection during New York's fashion week (and what seems like a never-ending life of special engagements), she took some time off in Mexico before coming back to Dayton to visit family. We had fun talking about what she's learned about the design industry (now employed by Tori Burch in NYC) and some of her favorite fabric haunts in the garment district. Now living in Brooklyn, it turns out her 2 roommates are actaully Carol Hannah Whitfield and Malvin Vien from Project Runway. As our lunch date concluded, she was off again to The Color of Energy art gallery to show some of her sketches!

Althea's visit was the kickoff event for our breast cancer awareness program entitled "Design for a Cure". During the month of October, JennaClaire will donate a percentage of studio sales to Dayton's Womens Wellness Fund, which provides mammograms & follow-up services to those in need. In addition, we will be raffling some GREAT prizes: Althea's custom It's a Cinch, made of Java Giraffe and Plum Ultrasuede (check out the fabrics in our Fabric Gallery!), plus gift certificates to JennaClaire Studio and The Greene. The tickets are available in the studio (cash or check only). We are proud to say that 100% of the raffle money will be donated to the Women's Wellness Fund! In addition, for the month of October we'll be giving away a free handmade flower pin for purchases $50 and over, or for a donation of $5. These pins are handmade by our workroom manager (Mary Z. Bach) who is herself a breaset cancer survivor. (Available in studio only.)

We hope to see you soon- watch our posts for more fun weekend events throughout October!

Althea Harper from Project Runway to Visit JennaClaire

We are very excited and honored to have (Dayton native) Althea Harper from Project Runway visit our Studio to help us kickoff our "Design for a Cure" this Saturday Oct. 3rd. Althea will speak about her expereinces and collections as a designer. There will be an autograph and design session that people can partake in. Limited tickets available!!! Tickets are FREE and will be given out Saturday Oct. 3rd beginning at 8AM in front of the Studio. Althea will design a JennaClaire Collection by choosing from our designs and fabrics; it will be raffled off to benefit the Women's Wellness Fund. For more information visit our website at http://www.jennaclaire.com/.

JennaClaire's Newest Creation

We listen to our customers and have created The Trio. It has 3 in 1 functionality! It fits all cell phones, most cameras, & MP3 players. Equipped with a convenient card/ID holder and external zip pocket for change. The strap is also multi-functional, able to serve as a wrist strap or attach to another handbag or tote. Strap size can be adjusted to a desirable length. The Trio is not yet available on our website but can be purchased in our Studio or by phone. Check it out and let us know what you think! Visit our website anytime for other products or to give us suggestions www.JennaClaire.com.

Studio Event for Moms

International speaker and best-selling author of "The Momager Guide", Christine Martinello will be at the JennaClaire Studio on Saturday May 9th from 2-3. As a leadership & life balancing expert, she offers fun, inspiring and practical programs & seminars. She will cover the latest and greatest information to keep your body, mind, and spirit balanced and much more. Reservations are preferred, the cost is $20 per person and includes: FREE book, studio coupons/goodies, door prizes & refreshments. Contact the studio for more information 937.431.1888 or visit our website at http://www.jennaclaire.com/.

Epi-Pen Bags are here!

Okay, so you have allergies and must carry an Epi-pen at all times. What's a girl to do? Well, thanks to the creativity of one of our designers (who is in elementary school and was fed up with her boring black nylon bag), we can adapt our "One For All" zippered accessory bags to be used to carry all your emergency essentials. Choose your fabrics & ribbon trims! Visit our studio to custom-design one of your own. A sample is also on display at the office of allergist Dr. Ron Cox, 8379 Yankee Street, Dayton Ohio, 45458.

Beat the Winter Blues- Take a Studio Class!

As many of you have found, the studio is offering monthly "Make It/Take It" classes. Last month we featured on the blog our "Doll & Me Design and Tea" and this continues to be popular amongst our young JennaClaire fans (and has become a hot theme for studio birthday parties!).

On February 7th we had our first Make/Take Greeting Card Class. Tina Shaw (from Stampin' Up) instructed, and those who attended made 3 greeting cards and a darling goodie bag with a purse embellishment. The cards incorporated pieces of fabric along with the beautiful papers Stampin' Up offers.

We will be offering another Doll & Me class on Sunday, Feb. 22nd as well as a Photo Board class on Tuesday the 24th. For more information click here to see our website calendar page.

We'd like to congratulate cute little miss Taylor (who is five and a HALF!) on winning a studio gift certificate at Dayton's Chinese New Year Festival! Taylor stopped by today and chose an awesome "Let's Do Lunch" tote (which matches her pink outfit perfectly).

Go Red for Women

JennaClaire is proud to support "Go Red for Women" and hopes to bring awareness to women's cardiovascular health. With each JennaClaire purchase mention "Go Red" and a percentage of your sale will be donated to The American Heart Association. For more infomation go to The American Heart Association's website at http://www.americanheart.org/. To learn about "Go Red" events held at The Greene Towne Center, visit http://www.thegreene.com/ and click on events.

Doll and Me Design & Tea

Adding to our "Make-It/Take-It" classes, we now offer design sessions where girls can bring their dolls and design "doll & me" matching handbags! The first session was held on January 18, 2009 and it was a great success. Girls with dolls in hand came eager and ready to have some JennaClaire fun! They were served light refreshments and drank pink lemonade out of mini teacups. We offered dress up accessories such as feather boas and hats with complimentary necklaces. The girls enjoyed some creativity as they chose from the many fabrics and ribbon trims JennaClaire offers as they designed their very own handbags. This is a great way to celebrate a birthday or just to treat your daughter to some girly fun. Our next class will be offered on February 22, 2009. Contact us if you would like to hold a private session or to attend our next class.

Here are a few pictures from the design session: