Meet The Owners: Good Gaud Designs

Good Gaud Designs has the right accessories to fit any style you choose.

Allisen Lemay had always dabbled in making jewelry, but really took it on after taking a few classes at the NH Institute of Art. She began making more and more jewelry designs until she ran out of people to give them to and started selling her designs.

Good Gaud offers a wide variety of sterling silver and stone jewelry creations, but also includes hand knit scarves and flower hair clips.

The Wilton native can be found at the Amherst, Wilton, Peterborough, Rindge and Weare farmers’ markets. Her designs can also be found at retail locations such as Accents with Style in Milford, Poppy Seed Studio in Somersworth, Envisage Boutique in Greenfield and Garden Plum in Weare, NH.

Amherst Patch asked Allisen Lemay some questions about her accessory business.

Patch: Why start this as a business?

Allisen: When I graduated from college and got a job, mostly sitting behind a computer all day, I missed all the hands-on, creative things I had done in design school.  I have always tinkered with jewelry making, ever since I was a young kid, so I signed up for a few night classes at the NH Institute of Art.  I started out making things for myself and friends and family, but there are only so many gifts you can give, and eventually I had to make a decision to either slow down on production or try and make something of this. So I designed a logo, registered my business name, and it has grown from there.

Patch: What sets you apart?

Allisen: I think every jewelry designer has their own vision, no one's stuff is exactly alike.  I like to focus on making quality products, I use only sterling silver in all of my designs. I shop around for the most interesting stones I can find, and my designs have been well received, which is encouraging. The best compliment a customer can pay me is saying that my jewelry is different or unique. Recently, I have started working on new pieces while I am at events so people can see my design process at work.  As the trend to support small, local businesses increases, I think consumers genuinely have more interest in knowing where items come from, and how they are made, so I like being able to share that with people.

Patch: What is your favorite thing to make?

Allisen: I just love working with sterling silver and make a lot of stone pendants. A lot of people ask about them, and I love to do spirals. It is kind of my signature thing. Each person has an individual response to my creations.

Patch: What advice would you give to somebody looking to start a similar business?

Allisen: I would say go for it. Just do your research and make sure something like this is a good fit for you. In the beginning you have nothing to lose and you can try out concepts and see if they are marketable. I thought a lot about it before I started and waited for the time to be right. Just give it a try!

Patch: What are the plans for the future?

Allisen: I don't specifically have a five year plan or anything like that.  I'm having fun doing what I do, and taking things as they come for now.  I would like to expand into some additional retail locations to expand my visibility.  Eventually I would like to be able to cut back on public shows and develop more of an active presence in my online store. It has been empty for most of this year, because I am doing so many events and my inventory is changing constantly.  I think for now, my goal is to get my jewelry in front of as many new people as possible.  Reputation and word of mouth are so important to small businesses trying to get off the ground.  I'm hoping that offering a unique, quality product and providing great customer service will help me develop a reliable reputation among my customers and the local business community, and therefore help my business grow.