Owner / Designer – Clarice Wilkinson Clarice@shoulderkisses.com

Clarice is an Air Force Brat who answers the question, “where are you from?” with another question, “alphabetically or chronologically?” After popping around the world with her family and doing extensive traveling as an adult, she settled in the beautiful town of Skaneateles NY (www.skaneateles.com) to raise her daughter and spent 23 years as a local accountant.

While on a trip to California, I purchased a gift of bra straps for my daughter from one of the boutiques. The straps had a standard style bra hook, a section of stretchy fishing type wire for adjustability and some seed beads.  The first problem came when the standard style bra hook was so small that it would not fit in any of her bras. We figured a way to cut a hole in her bra so that the mini hook would seat.  During the time she was wearing the straps, the stretchy part did its work but the beads pinched her skin every time she moved… back in the box.  At the second wearing, it was discovered that the stretch part had indeed stretched and now did not go back to the original size… back in the box.

Not one to deny my daughter, I sought out a way to create another set. I had never made any jewelry before and took a quick lesson from my friend, Susanne Howe.  It was fun beading so off I went to the craft store.  The more I played with the idea, the more ideas I got and the notion of modular jewelry began.  I filed a patent in 2010.  The Shoulder Kisses debut was December of 2011 in Skaneateles and online.

I am motivated by big ideas and am told that I have to come back to earth sometimes to handle the small stuff.  I hate small stuff.

I have learned on this journey that you have to believe in yourself in an almost obsessive way.  There are people out there that will hold you down if you let them.  I work to surround myself with people that have positive energy and are enjoying their life’s journey each day. I believe that the super-conscious is conspiring on my behalf and that there is a natural flow that I can trust.

Artist / Designer – Patricia Singer patricia@shoulderkisses.com

~ From The Past To The Future ~

Having been born in Europe during the war, Pat (Patricia) is also very familiar with having a family military background.

My family and I moved to this country when I was around 5 years of age.

Having had an artistic interest at a young age I continued to follow that path while growing up. I also visited Europe with my parents on occasion, to keep the European flair in my life.

I attended the Boston College of Fine Arts, and after two years set out to conquer the world. I found myself working my way thru life doing almost everything, unfortunately most of which had nothing to do with art.

So now here we are, doing what we love, creating and designing a
unique form of art. It is a creative idea and product that is new and
exciting to us, and we hope, to all that see it.

So let me invite you to be one of the first to enjoy Shoulder Kisses. Thanks for your interest.