Naena Jewelry

09/02/2026

Sometimes somebody walks into the booth wearing exactly the outfit a piece of jewelry was apparently waiting for.

She picked out this necklace at RenFest, put it on with that cream-colored dress and… yep. That was the one.

I LOVE getting to see pieces leave the booth already being worn.

Would you have picked something simple with this dress, or gone even bigger?

09/02/2026

Okay, but WHY was nobody adequately preparing me for all the random things you encounter at RenFest?

Because yes.

That is a tortoise.

Walking around Renaissance Festival.

Carrying a tiny basket.

😂😂😂

What is the most random thing you’ve ever seen at RenFest?

09/01/2026

One of the garden quartz two-wrap bracelets that made it onto a wrist at RenFest. 🌿

This is exactly why I love this stone — every bead is different. Clear sections, mossy greens, earthy inclusions, little rusty and golden bits… you can sit there and inspect the individual beads forever.

And somehow all of that looks right at home at Renaissance Festival.

Would you choose garden quartz on black leather like this, or warmer brown leather?

09/01/2026

Okay, the little face tattoos might need to become part of the RenFest uniform. 😂

Costume on, hair braided, a little sparkle woven into it, face tattoos added… THEN I felt ready for the day.

I’m still pretty new to this whole Renaissance Festival thing, so apparently each year we're just going to keep adding another level.

What should I add next year?

09/01/2026

As I repost this, we are 77% of the way to reaching the goal! 💙

This family has always had so much love to give, and I’d love to see our craft fair family and community return some of that love by helping relieve a little bit of the financial burden as they navigate this extremely difficult time in their lives.

We’re so close. If you can give $10 or $20, give that. I know I’ve spent more money on far less important things. And a whole bunch of us giving a little can add up to a whole lot.

If you’ve already donated, thank you. 💙 And if you can’t donate, a share helps too.

Let’s see if we can get them the rest of the way there.

If you've been around the Minnesota and Wisconsin craft fair circuit for any length of time, there's a good chance you've crossed paths with Jarmella Nelson and her family. 💙

Candace Joppa and her sister AnGie Tjoens were always there, helping their mom at shows. Canterbury Park Spring and Autumn Festival, the La Crosse Center Holiday Fair, Little Falls Craft Fair, Anoka Riverfest, Blueberry Festival in Ely, Warrens Cranberry Festival… year after year, show after show, they're there.

That's the thing about doing these events for so many years. The other vendors and their families become part of your craft fair family. You watch each other's kids grow up. You help each other through long setup days and crazy weather and all the things that happen behind the scenes. You see the same faces hundreds of miles from home and somehow it still feels like seeing your neighbors.

And Jarmella's family has always had so much love to give.

Now one of our craft fair mommas is facing the unimaginable loss of her daughter. Candice passed away after a courageous battle with cancer, leaving behind four children and a whole lot of people who loved her.

I'm sharing their fundraiser because right now, this family could use some of that love coming back their way.

If you can give $10 or $20, give that. I know I've spent more money on far less important things. It doesn't have to be a huge donation to matter. A whole bunch of us giving a little can add up to a whole lot.

And if you can't donate right now, please share it. Let's see what this big, weird, wonderful craft fair family of ours can do when one of our own needs us. 💙

https://gofund.me/54ae3ea92

09/01/2026

Okay, apparently THIS was the bracelet from the newest batch. 😂

Holly picked out this lodolite quartz bracelet almost immediately when she came by on Saturday.

Then on Sunday, Nichole picked out the exact same one.

Two of my longtime Naena Jewelry collectors, two completely different collections, and they both zeroed in on the same bracelet from the newest batch.

Holly just sent me this picture showing how well her new lodolite quartz pairs with the first three wraps she ever picked out from me.

Different stones, picked out at different times, and somehow they all work together.

Would this have been the one you grabbed too?

09/01/2026

When one of your longtime Naena Jewelry collectors knows your work well enough to fill in at your booth. 😂

I had two extra employee tickets for RenFest, so I invited Nichole and her son to come spend the day together.

Nichole has been collecting my jewelry for years and knows my work REALLY well — which came in handy when she watched my booth for a little while so I could sneak away and watch Colby over at the bo***ng area.

And, of course, she didn't leave with exactly the same collection she came with. 😂 She added this three-wrap while she was there.

Some of these have been hers for years. Some had been hers for about five minutes when I took this picture.

Which one catches your eye first?

09/01/2026

When your top Naena Jewelry collector comes to visit you at RenFest… obviously we need a wrist picture. 😂

I had two extra tickets for the weekend, so I invited Nichole and her son to come spend the day together at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.

Nichole has been collecting my jewelry for years and has built what I'm pretty sure is the biggest Naena collection out there.

And naturally, she didn't leave RenFest with exactly what she came with. 😂 She added this three-wrap to the collection while she was there.

Some of these bracelets have been hers for years, and some had been hers for about five minutes when I took this picture.

Which one catches your eye first?

09/01/2026

Apparently you can hand a teenager a cardboard sword and shield and suddenly there is nowhere else he needs to be. 😂

Colby found the bo***ng area at RenFest and was OFF... for HOURS!

The shields and weapons were all constructed out of cardboard, and honestly, some of them were pretty impressive.

Have you ever tried bo***ng? Because this was a completely new RenFest discovery for us.

***ng

08/31/2026

Sunday at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival ☀️

New costume for me, same one for Colby — and apparently we accidentally coordinated pretty dang well.

This was only my second year at RenFest, but I’m already pretty sure this is becoming one of those weekends we look forward to all year.

And yes… getting dressed up is absolutely half the fun.

Are you a full-costume RenFest person, or are you perfectly happy going in regular clothes and watching the rest of us? 😂