The Seaside Fantasy collection is my most intentional collection/release to date.
When I was first starting out, I had no direction, but I also had minimal fear. I would make one-off designs and I experimented with different techniques, materials, and styles. And I put them all out there for the world to see.
After two and a half years of doing that, I started to recognize that I needed to find my voice, but I also needed to make some money - all of that experimenting took a financial and emotional toll. So I started applying to any and every market that I could, and I started making “straightforward” designs, hoping to appeal to the masses. By the end of 2023, I realized that I had lost my way. I was over making mass-appeal pieces and hoping I would encounter people willing to buy them from me. I decided to slow down, focus on learning more, and rethink my approach.
I reminded myself of my mission - to create jewelry that celebrates the complexities of our lived experiences and honors who we are as a result. From day one, I’ve wanted to create for the people who are often overlooked - the people who don’t fit into society’s narrow definitions. I want those people to see a D’s Delights piece and feel seen, understood, and appreciated.
I became more focused on keeping my mission at the center of all I do. I decided that I would start creating themed collections. Not to be gimmicky, but to tie the story together. Being honest with myself and you, my early attempts were not great. I was essentially still making random pieces without direction, and then grouping them in some arbitrary manner.
Looking back, my first instinct is to cringe at the memory of those days. But they are part of my journey, a part of my story, and essential to my growth as a person and an artist.
The Seaside Fantasy collection is dear to me because I have worked on it, on and off, for almost 2 years. I bought some of the materials that long ago because they reminded me of the ocean/sea. However, I didn’t have a clear vision of how I wanted to tell the story. Even after I completed the collection, I held onto it for months, because I knew it deserved an appropriate launch.
The sea, to me (especially the Caribbean Sea), is calming and soothing. I could linger in the clear, blue, beautiful waters for hours on end. It’s a happy place that I don’t get to experience enough - especially living in NYC. It is so beautiful and filled with majestic marine life. Some of which we may never know.
I’m also aware that the sea can be extremely dangerous. The same beautiful depths that create and hold life can take life in an instant. Who knows how many untold stories it holds?
That is what led me to create the Seaside Fantasy collection. Just as I believe in honoring and celebrating the complexities and layers that make you who you are, I believe the complexities of the sea should be honored and respected as well.
The Seaside Fantasy collection features agate, mother-of-pearl, freshwater pearls, and natural seashells throughout. The beauty of the sand is represented in the colors of the mother-of-pearl and freshwater pearls. The agate in varying shades of blue represents and honors the depths of the sea. And you know it wouldn’t be a D’s Delights piece if the gemstone beads didn’t feature beautiful textures and patterns that further represent complexity.
I hope that you’ve even made it this far (this was a long one, I know). If you are still reading, I hope that when you see the pieces in the Seaside Fantasy collection, you are also transported to a tranquil seaside escape. A place where you believe your wildest dreams can become reality, your worries are dissolved, your nervous system is at ease, and you can lose yourself in beauty, calm, and peace.
