Meet Preston Bolles, owner and jewelry designer at Ellison James Designs

With the support of friends, family and football fans, Ellison James Designs was born.

The demand for additional team colors and new designs spread by word of mouth among fellow football fans. Today, Preston sells her line in five boutiques and hopes to expand.

Preston’s earrings featuring bold beadwork and fringe are signature pieces, but she also makes necklaces. Necklaces are $54 to $88 and earrings are $44 to $64. Every single piece is handmade.

With football season ramping up again, I thought it was a perfect time to catch up with Preston about what’s next for Ellison James Designs.

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When did you start designing jewelry?

I began designing jewelry in the fall of 2013, at the start of football season.

When did you realize you could turn your jewelry designs into a business?

My first pair of earrings were a black and blue Carolina Panthers-inspired design. I thought they were cool but it was just for me. Any festive tailgating accessories and I’m on board! Upon wearing them to the game, I received so many compliments from friends and strangers asking me where I had purchased them…those compliments encouraged me to push for more. With the best friends a girl could ask for, SEC graduates and football fans themselves, soon enough the Southeastern Conference was fully represented with my color-coordinated line of earrings. As seasons changed, the line and the style grew along with my passion. The rest is history!

Your signature earring is a bold hoop with intricate beading. Do you handcraft every piece, and how long does it take to complete?

Yes! I made every single design that I sell. Not only is it the most challenging and constructive therapy for me, I truly have a passion for handmade goods in general. I am an advocate for the shop small movement and supporting the local talent. Each piece is different and timing definitely varies, I’m a perfectionist (a weakness at times) but anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour from start to finish. The hoops with the layered beading take about 20 minutes per pair.

What’s it like seeing people wear your designs?

It is the most flattering and joyful feeling ever, seeing anyone from close friends and family to total strangers, knowing that even one person fell in love with a design that I created and endorsed my company is the total compliment. I want to hug them. Anyone that has created something from nothing, knows that powerful feeling when you are no longer the only person in love with what you are doing, it is seriously incredible. That feeling never goes away for me. Every feature post from a blogger, every Instagram tag from a boutique that carries my line, every Snapchat from my girlfriends wearing one of my designs … it only grows more exciting and more surreal.

If you could get your jewelry onto one local celebrity, who would it be?

Samantha Busch. She is such a classic beauty with some seriously fierce style!

What’s next for Ellison James?

That’s a fabulous question! I started about two years ago. I’m currently in five boutiques around North Carolina, so ideally doubling that number would be amazing. The dream is to fully support myself full-time and be able to live a life I love with the man I love. I just want to make beautiful things with my creativity and empower young women to design a life they love as well. I would love to host DIY workshops and mentor younger girls to show them the beauty and therapeutic aspect that creating can bring to their lives.

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