We had the good fortune of connecting with Carissa Martinez and Annaliese Kosmicki and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Carissa and Annaliese, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
We met two summers ago as we sat and chatted while our daughters were taking swim lessons at our neighborhood pool. We quickly bonded over motherhood, and our love for crafting and DIY home projects. During our time home raising our babies we have both had several types of small shops. From selling bows and digital files on Etsy, to handcrafted plant stands and a variety of earrings. When permanent jewelry started gracing our social media feeds- we knew this was a market we should be a part of. Not only is creating our jam- permanent jewelry allows us to get out and be social with the people we are creating for! We love that we don’t have to spend hours on the backend creating materials to take to the show or ship off like both of our previous businesses have required. We can spend that time shopping for beautiful, high quality products for our customers, and create special custom pieces right there with them.
We created the brand Alpine Collective to not just be permanent jewelry. We have big plans to expand our brand and offer all kinds of creative experiences for our clients! We want to always provide space for community and connection as well as really beautiful things.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We create custom, seamless, clasp free bracelets, necklaces, anklets and rings! Customers select from our large variety of chain styles in 14k solid white and yellow gold, 14k gold filled, stainless steel & sterling silver. We then fit the chain perfectly to their liking before welding the chain around their wrist, neck, ankle, or finger! All our chains are made in the USA and our solid gold chains are made 100% from recycled metals and hold certification with the Responsible Jewelry Council. Our goal for Alpine Collective is to bring customers high quality, sustainable jewelry, while creating space for community and we aren’t stopping with just permanent jewelry! We have some fun plans and dreams to expand and add several other personal items to the Collective.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Must eat in our areas are: Teocalli in Lafayette for the best margarita and perfect street tacos. Birdhouse in Erie for some delicious Ramen. Brew in Lafayette for a healthy acai bowl and a good cup of coffee.
Shopping: Due South in Lafayette for beautiful clothing and jewelry (bonus- it’s connected to Brew so its a great two for one!). Lottie Lane in Erie for all things home. Flower Wild in Boulder and Longmont for such a fun selection of clothing options and hats!
We also love Boulder for so many beautiful trails to run or hike followed by a walk down Pearl Street for unlimited shopping and eating options.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our shoutout goes to our incredible husbands, Chris and Ryan. Since the day we told them our vision, they were right there saying, “LET’S GO FOR IT!” It has been so fun to have them involved too. They have been flexible in their time as we devoted a lot of upfront work to getting things up and running. It’s so fun when they ‘pop – in’ with our kids at our pop-up events.
Website: www.alpinecollective.us
Instagram: @alpinecollectivecolorado
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089769098870
Image Credits
Kelly Doctor