If the brightly colored baubles aren’t enough to catch your eye, the personal attention you receive from proprietors Daisy and Phil Erdaide is sure to draw you in. Tucked on the corner of 2^nd and Washington is Sedona, the family owned and operated gallery of hand-crafted jewelry, leather bags and accessories. Their shop is named for their daughter, who is now eight, and who really prompted them to delve into their artistic side.

“The very first piece he made I hung onto,” said Daisy. “I had to keep it. It’s amazing how much his work has improved.”

The husband wife team has been in business for eight years, a business that grew out of their apartment and began as a hobby. The couple came from the corporate world before tapping into their passion for art and creating jewelry. Daisy worked as an operations manager for the third largest corporate travel agency. Phil first worked as a recruiter and then moved into social work, a job that was both physically and emotionally demanding.

That all changed for them when Daisy became pregnant. Phil bought Daisy $250 worth of jewelry to keep her occupied while she was pregnant and not working. According to Phil, she had two successful jewelry parties. That sparked his own interest in stones. Phil taught himself how to craft jewelry by buying books and practicing.

“When my daughter was born I went and got my vendor’s license and opened up a table in front of La Isla,” says Phil. “As my daughter has grown, so has my business.”

“I had Gypsy Kings’ music going and incense burning. Instead of people leaving if there was a wait for a table they would entertain themselves at my table,” he said.

When they began, many of the pieces were from other artists, as they were learning their craft.

“I’m a firm believer that offering the best quality hand-crafted goods, people will come back,” said Phil.

As their success grew, so did their need for a larger space. They moved from selling wares off of a table to a storefront on Washington Street to their current location on the corner of 2^nd Street. One thing that hasn’t changed is Phil’s talent for jewelry makeovers.

“I would take necklaces that were too long and do makeovers,” he said.

A large portion of their current business is jewelry makeovers and repairs, a skill that is sorely needed as many stores don’t do repairs anymore, he says.

At any given time there is approximately 30 different artists’ work on display in the store. The artists hail from as far away as Poland, Spain, Israel, Turkey, Greece, South America, Italy, among others, to many of the local artisans whose work is displayed seasonally.

While it’s become almost a buzzword to say something is hand-crafted – one look at the work on hand in the store is proof of the quality of work. Each item at Sedona is unique. There is everything from the delicate pendant to bold statement necklaces. In addition to necklaces, there are earrings and rings for women. There is also a fine selection of jewelry for men, including one-of-a-kind watches, rings, wrist bands and pendants.

“A hand-crafted gift is special,” says Phil.

While their success is certainly a blessing, it’s clear their true blessing is their daughter. Any conversation with the two gravitates back to their daughter, who if not helping out mom and dad in the store, is always on their mind. For the spring, they plan to display a new line of jewelry – a mother-daughter line that will be designed by Daisy and their daughter Sedona.

“She has her own mind and speaks her own mind,” says Daisy, who describes her daughter as having a colorful and slightly bossy personality.

“She says to me, ‘Mom, do you have an imagination? Use it,’” said Daisy.

The jewelry will be very earthy and organic, Daisy says, and adds that she and Sedona have similar taste in colors.

“We are so happy,” says Daisy. “We work together all day long.”

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