Personal FX, located on Main Street and Correas, opened in 1998. Works by local designers and artists have been displayed along with an eclectic array of treasures from around the world.
"I wanted to open a shop to showcase my pieces and to have the kind of store I would like to shop in," explained Kathleen Bristol, jewelry designer and owner of Personal FX.
 From left, Dianne Vantomme, Carol Brehm and Libby Mayor stand in front of Kathleen Bristol, who celebrates her fifth year in business downtown and 25 years of designing custom beaded adornment at Personal FX. |
This line includes hand-forged sterling silver and pearl pendants and earrings, knitted sterling silver and gemstone.
"Most small businesses fail within the first four years, according to statistics from the United States Chamber of Commerce, and I decided to celebrate my good fortune by collaborating with colleagues on a new line," Bristol said.
Mayor, a metalsmith for nine years, has been making jewelry for 15 years. She resides in San Francisco, but is originally from the Midwest, and finds working with Bristol "inspirational."
And that feeling is apparently mutual.
"Libby is my silversmith and muse and with her talents for hand-forging sterling, we came up with shapes and elements that brought the whole line into focus," Bristol said.
Brehm, who has lived on the coast for 22 years and works at Moon News, has a watercolor show currently running at M Coffee and also creates jewelry. For the Signatures line, she has made very fun gemstone bracelets in an array of colors.
"I have always been interested in art and I love to play with pretty rocks," said Brehm. She and Bristol worked together on a show at Enso last year, but their collaborative effort started just this year.
Vantomme is a wood sculptor, painter and knitter who lives in Pescadero. She has sold her scarves at Personal FX, but as an artist, has worked in solitude and felt the collaboration was a chance to come out of her shell.
Bristol wanted there to be many signatures and this to be an inclusive, not exclusive line.
"Collaboration of design can be very rewarding, you gain skills that you may or may not have to a better degree," said Bristol.
Her vision for the future is to market the line to other galleries, museums and shops. She also wants to search out other California designers and include them in her offerings.
"I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with a new beginning and that's what this line is, it's a dream come true," exclaimed Bristol.
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