photos provided by Jamey Essig – Glascock Gifts
A creative outlet became an exciting enterprise for Jamey Essig.
If you are looking for a décor element for your home, Glascock Gifts may be the place you need to visit. Glascock went live on Etsy this past October, and owner Jamey Essig has been fashioning and selling new pieces ever since. Essig designs both original works and custom items, which can often turn into other products.
“We made these great dog ornaments at a client’s request,” Essig says, “but then we made them so they looked like five or six other breeds in the hope that other shoppers might recognize their favorite breed in the ornament.”
Currently, Glascock Gifts features three main lines: Rustic, Paper, and Woodlands. Using these themes and materials, Essig fashions artworks that range from home décor wreaths to Christmas wreaths to ornaments to centerpieces.
While the project opened this past fall, Essig began creating décor elements long before 2017. Designing original works comes naturally to him; craftsmanship runs in Essig’s family. “My grandmother is 85 and still painting China,” he says. “She runs her kiln out of her house. My mom could make clothes without a pattern. She made a lot of my clothes when I was little and growing. My dad is a jack-of-all-trades — if he needs something, he makes it. For me, my designs just began as a personal creative outlet.”
Essig gave the store his grandmother’s maiden name. (She still lives in Essig’s native Hannibal, Missouri.) After attending MU and working in Columbia, Essig made his way to Jefferson City in 2000. Since that time, Essig and his partner, Stacey Halstead, have operated Florissimo Designs, a floral design business, in Jefferson City. It was through Florissimo Designs that Jamey’s creative outlet turned into a marketable product. “There were times where we would spend all day hunting for a particular element to add to the décor,” he says. “Rather than do that, I just started making pieces.”
His inspiration comes from Florissimo’s floral work, clients, and research. “When we decided to build the online store, I researched design themes that would fit with our brand. As we’re working with clients, I also see if there is any specific need they have that we can fill that isn’t already out there.”
With orders coming in from across the country, Essig is already planning and preparing for the 2018 Christmas season. “Right now, I’m designing some pieces for our target shopper that maybe doesn’t want an entire theme for his or her home, but would like one item,” he says. “I’m also tightening up some of our themes. I tried to make sure each theme had four or five component pieces last year, but I would like to have more pieces that transition from one theme to another.”
Glascock Gifts does act as a wholesaler, but when asked about plans for a brick and mortar store, Essig laughed amiably. “With Florissimo and Glascock Gifts, I stay busy enough.”
Glascock Gifts can be found online through Etsy, Facebook, and Instagram.
