It's no understatement to say that Elva Fields likely would not be here today were it not for Western North Carolina. Don't get me wrong, this nearly 21-year-old business has SO MUCH for which to be grateful and to which it owes its existence (you, dear reader, being one!) but Asheville and the mountain communities around it (specifically Waynesville and Franklin) provided a much-needed lifeline for me when others simply weren't available. 

You see, four times a year (originally six,) a small gem and bead show takes place in Western North Carolina, offering wholesale materials to the trade only. When I couldn't afford to fly to Tucson, New York, or even to drive the 7 hours to Atlanta for their much-larger shows and markets, I hopped in my car - often with my mother and my daughters in tow - and headed East on I-40 through the Blue Ridge and the Smokies. We'd wind our way through curving mountain highways and along curling rivers and creeks to Western North Carolina, where I could spend 2-3 days gathering beads, clasps, wire, and even source vintage finds in nearby antique shops and flea markets.

So much of Elva Fields and the designs I created these past 20 years came directly from these quarterly trips to Asheville and Franklin. I simply would not have been able to make jewelry in the same way were it not for the vendors who all came from near and far to share their wares at these spots in the mountains.  I think of the hotels, homes, restaurants, and shops I have spent time in over the years. I remember the people who worked in and many of whom built those places.  All of this became part of the experiences of my life as a business owner, mother, sister, daughter, and human, and, thus, incorporated into the designs made by hand as a result of those experiences.

It was a joyful bonus that my younger brother lived in Asheville for over 20 years, so these buying trips were also family gatherings, and though our original family vacations in Asheville started when my grandparents had a home there long ago, Elva Fields allowed our connection to that part of the world to continue and flourish. 

My brother moved here to Kentucky a year ago, and my last trip to Western North Carolina was a year before that, so my visits are less frequent these days. My business is smaller, and I can often source what I need online (which wasn't even a thing when Elva Fields began!) and with dedicated trips to more local flea markets and estate sales.  I had considered heading back next month for the bead show, though, and it is heartbreaking to think that a buying trip to Asheville is likely impossible with Hurricane Helene's devastating impact on the community, let alone the loss of the road that is essentially the only route in. 

Western North Carolina has given so much to me and to my family over the years, and I am hurting with its residents and hopeful we can help that community find its way through this deeply difficult time. Many have lost everything and face an incredibly long road to repair and recovery.  I'd love to help them on their way to resilience and rebuilding, and I'd love for you to join me. I'm offering half of all online sales this week to two incredible organizations working to help Western North Carolina, and I've created a necklace (using pearls I discovered at the bead shows in Asheville and Franklin) that will give 100% of its purchase price to relief efforts. I'll also list some organizations below in case you'd like to help out on your own. While I have my own connection to that part of the world, my "affiliation" doesn't really matter. We're all connected, and I'd like to think we can help wherever and however we can. 

 Elva Fields contributions will be given to:

BeLoved Asheville

World Central Kitchen

Other organizations doing wonderful work:

Samaritan’s Purse (Boone, NC)

Red Cross

Manna Foodbank Asheville

United Way of NC

North Carolina Community Foundation

Operation Airdrop