It's a Wrap is a business producing handcrafted jewelry, owned and operated by the Lipp family living in the Mid-Hudson Valley area of New York State. (Sue-Mother, Tom-Father, Dave-Son)
The family has always been interested in crafts and would give a different craft gift or tree ornament to our friends at Christmas time.
Sue and Dodger
When Dave was a cub scout he went to a rock auction at the local gem and mineral club. Being that he was interested in rocks and minerals he joined the club and so did we. The following spring the club went to the New York/Canadian border on a rock/mineral collecting trip. On the way back we stopped at a rock shop and they were stringing bracelets. Dave said "Hey! We can do that". When we made the decision to try making jewelry, we decided we would use only quality components and offer a full service business.
That was in 1995 and things have grown and changed. As a family we attended the clubs lapidary school in North Carolina and learned many skills and techniques such as, cab cutting (rock cutting/polishing), silver smithing (silver soldering), wire-wrapping and stone carving. We incorporated these skills into our line of jewelry.
As normally happens, Dave entered his teen years and started to become interested in other things. Sue and I continued to the yearly schools and learned more skills (advanced cab cutting, chain maille, silver filigree, glass fussing, and pewter smithing)
Well it's after college and Dave is back in Dutchess County, working and getting involved in the business again, not making jewelry however (I'm not sure I really need another manager). This is our second web site and most of it's format and organization are his ideas.
We have found that jewelry making has enough variations to satisfy all of our craft interests and we continue to learn. I still love stone cutting and polishing (it gives me a kick when I cut open a hunk of rock and realize I am the first human to see the inside of a stone that is a few hundred million years old)
Jewelry in the making
From the beginning our goal has been to offer tasteful, quality products at a reasonable price and to stand behind the products we sell. That is still the cornerstone of our company and we guarantee the products we sell.
-Tom