Musings

Online Exploring Handmade Holiday Shopping Event...vote for handmade with your holiday purchases!

2011-11-20T16:48:00.006-05:00

While checking your list and planning your purchases for the holidays, you'll be missing out if you don't head over to Designs by Debi's Exploring Handmade Online Holiday Shopping Event. Currently in Day 5 of a parade of incredibly talented artisans in a variety of crafts and handmade businesses, you will be treated to a nice, well-rounded offering of what's available as an alternative to big box stores, and impersonal gift offerings. Like me, the artisans represented put heart and soul as well as intense thought and design into everything they make, and most often can also personalize or customize for your intended recipient. Buying handmade shows that you value the cottage industry of artisans worldwide, and votes for that value by placing your gifting budget with those who benefit directly from your thoughtful purchases! So, please...take a look and brace yourself for an eye-opening experience. Gift yourself! Vote for Main Street this Holiday season! Make sure you check out each day of the event, and glance back at the previous days. You won't be disappointed in the talent and accomplishment displayed!

Facelifts and advertising...

2011-09-06T15:14:00.007-04:00

I need a facelift. No, not cosmetic surgery, but my blog and brand need a facelift. As time has come along, my style has changed a little, I've acquired new skills, and my jewelry has taken on a new daring. I'm not afraid to go big. and bold. and chunky. Well, that just suits my personality (and, I'm afraid, my figure!). So with all the wonderful photography being done of my pieces recently by awesome photographers like Araceli Diaz, Sarah Dial, and others, it's pretty much time to give my business a facelift. One that note, please enjoy the following photos, from my recent photo shoots, and model photography... and the new stuff will filter into my online image in the next few weeks! Thanks to the great photogs and models who make it all happen! I appreciate you!

Top photo -- by Araceli Diaz, model is Danyelle...Shell flower and copper wire scrollwork necklace, inspired by the CCC group (Color Combo Challenge) on Facebook. Second photo by Sarah Dial at Dial Photography, model is Heather Portferfield. Third, photo by Appleseed Photography (appleseedphotographyjax.com).

Medusa...of the sea creature kind...

2011-09-02T09:53:00.008-04:00

I'm rocking along with the weekly color challenge! Week 38 brought colors reminiscent of the sea shore, and, since it's late in the summer, this seemed most appropriate. I started musing about the materials I wanted to use, and my first thought was sea glass.

Now, I purchased a lot of sea glass from a lady who lives and combs the beaches in Scotland. When I first joined Etsy, I was looking for some for a project, and it's so beautiful I've only used it sparingly since then. The glass is really old, from a glass company that was located on a bluff near where she picks up the sea glass, and was in business from the 17th to the 19th centuries. So THAT, I thought, was really cool. But I wanted to use more than one piece, being the over-the-top optimist that I am, and then my stash of recycled glass beads sparked an idea. Pulling from a suggestion from a friend of mine, I decided to create a jellyfish pendant, and call it Medusa.

In mythology, Medusa was an evil character whose visage turned people into stone. I wasn't fond of that connotation, but the jellyfish is a different story. Our family trips to various aquariums (especially the one in Atlanta) and the beach have given us plenty of exposure to these gracefully swimming mysterious wonders. Have you ever seen one swimming? Gorgeous! I thought the idea was perfect for my challenge piece.

My "Medusa" is made from recycled "sea glass" beads. Glass is taken, shaped, drilled and tumbled or etched with chemicals, then left in it's frosted and unpolished state, resembling sea glass. The colors of glass used also suggest sea glass that would be gathered on a trip to the beach. I used copper wire and made the frame for the jelly, along with tentacle elements that would suggest the tangle of the tendrils falling from the underside of the actual jellyfish. The pendant was finished, and I chose sea foam green faceted barrels and small white faceted rondelles for the strands suspending the pendant, and added a hand forged clasp with extender chain to make it adjustable. After the necklace was all assembled, the shiny copper frame and "arms" needed a patina.

Metal is so much fun. Shaping it and bending it to your will can be very satisfying. You can pound it with a hammer, burn it with a torch, or texture and shape it with just about any tool. It can also bring out your inner chemist. After remembering the AC repair guy saying that full-strength bleach was too caustic to put in my AC unit, I thought maybe I should do just that to the copper. I used Tilex Mildew Root remover, because it was the strongest bleach spray I could find )plus I happen to use the product in our bathrooms). Lining a plastic container with folded paper towels, I sprayed the piece with the Tilex, snapped the lid on, and set it out on my porch. Bleach degrades when exposed to sunlight, so I changed the contents every couple days and watched the finish develop. I've used household ammonia with sea salt, and I'm told that MiracleGro works as well. I'm not sure if Tilex needs an additive like salt as a catalyst; it seemed to work fine without it, though it was rather slow. 10 days after I first put the necklace into what I've started calling my patina pot, it was ready to be washed and finished.

Where the "Tropical Storm Warning" necklace (in the "Monkey Business" color combo, week 34) had the ammonia/sea salt patina that is very blue, this patina is a verdigris. Spots of lichen-green scale adorn various points along the wire wrapped portions, and the scrollwork has a pale misty green finish. I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

Keeping yourself inspired in your craft...

2011-08-16T22:46:00.012-04:00

Inspiration comes in waves for me. What about you? Sometimes I can be clipping along, jotting down sketches of pieces I want to make, and creating custom orders, but this summer -- no custom orders, so creativity, I was in a genuine slump.

I have a few different techniques that work when I encounter this roadblock to progress. how do you handle it? Here's just a sampling, and then I'll share another technique that's revolutionized my outlook and revitalized my business.

1) Keep a sketchbook handy. Doodles can become masterpieces. Just look at Leonardo da Vinci! You don't have to be an artist to sketch out pieces or crafts you want to create -- your minds-eye will do the rest. But, you DO have to start somewhere. Try sketching shapes that strike you, or textures. Or grab some colored pencils and try some color combos. Try to visualize a focal piece or area, and go from there. Or, make lists. And doodle images of your list points.

2) Set aside time, or a regular period of the day, when you know you're most creative. Hire someone to come do your laundry, or trade housework duties with a friend. Lightening your load may clear your brain.

3) Find music that inspires you. My mood swings back and forth (no, not PMS) between quiet worshipful music, New Age, and classical. I need calming music to clear my mind and let the juices flow. Maybe you need energy and rhythm in your music. Whatever your muse, find it and place the player (or go to Pandora.com and create your own station) in your creating space.

4) Reorganize that mess! If you could see my work space, you'd gasp. Really. It's terrible. I have a photo of my work space about a month ago in my Facebook fan page album. It's hard to create when you can't find your materials, or that ONE thing you bought that came in last week... Now, mind you, it's greatly improved from THAT, but it's a constant battle.

5) Try a new technique. Even if you have to pay for and take a class, this can give you a big shot in the arm. Places like Fusionbeads.com have tutorials. Or your local bead store, which could probably use a boost during this recession, would probably love to show you a few new things.

6) Browse sites with other artists like

yourself. Or pick up some trade magazines when you're out.

AND, the new technique that's really revolutionized my creative flow, join a group that will PUSH you to create. The muse I'm currently JAMMING with is a Facebook group known as CCC Color Combo group. Every week the members vote on a color palette that everyone will use to create a project in their craft. Some choose jewelry, some paint, everybody has the same colors. The photos in this post are the results of recent challenges, and my inspiration from them. Join us, if you'd like!! Such a wonderful group of creative people, and we support each other in our craft. Some of us sell our creations, some do not. Either way, we're having a blast!!

Rings and Things Blog Challenge

2011-07-05T09:22:00.014-04:00

Reading through my past posts on my blog, I realized I've been remiss at posting the results of the blog challenge from Rings and Things!

To recap, On March 24th, Rings and Things drew 15 lucky blog partner participants for their design challenge. These winners received a package of copper beads to craft their entries. Then, when the entries were completed, each participant submitted their photos to Rings and Things for judging.

My entry used the small fluted "seed" beads, the copper heishi, the awesome "Spool" beads that looked like vertebrae, and the oval brushed copper beads. I constructed flowers

with unakite top drilled nuggets from Magpie Gemstones, other unakite beads I picked up elsewhere, and some luscious o

live green beads (I think they're dyed quartz, even though they look like new jade) that I picked up in a de-stash sale on Etsy. I added some nice heavy gauge copper, 14-16 gauge, and hand forged copper findings, and we were off tot he races! Here's the end result -- my submission to the contest.... and another photo as a close-up...

Creating the necklace for this challenge was an interesting journey for me. Once I received the beads, creative sparks started popping like Fourth of July fireworks, and narrowing down the ideas was a real chore! The submission necklace was more about the availability of materials and my opportunity to construct it than a conscious decision on the the best submission to win the contest. Already, though, the necklace has received quite a bit of interest and attention when I've worn it to the various events that I attend. That's the point of it all, anyway, for me. Not the attention, but the opportunity to flew my creative muscle in ways I might not have imagined before. Gemstone flowers are high on my list of creative projects, and I have about 5 of them currently in different stages of production, so hopefully the success of this one will be a catalyst to finish those projects and get them listed in my shop!

And now, for the winner of the competition -- the cutest creation of all of them .... Kym Hunter's felt ring... Congratulations!! Now, if you'd like to see ALL of the deisgns that were posted for the contest, you can do that. Just head over to the Rings & Things blog to take a look.

Concepts and photo shoots and fashion shows, oh MY!

2011-04-07T16:15:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy month. Building your own business takes a lot of effort and time, not to mention building technical skills and finding a niche. I've been very pleased to have found a great circle of creative talent, here in Jacksonville! They're very active and pursuing new venues and looks while building their own businesses as well. I'm having such a great time!

My friend Christy at Christy Whitehead Photography invited me to be part of an innovative photo shoot at a new wedding venue just outside of Jacksonville -- with a big red barn, a covered bridge, and lots of farm equipment to boot. What a thrill! This down-the-back piece was designed just for that event. It features genuine chandelier crystals and wire wrapped focals as a stunning exclamation point for an open-backed dress.

Another fun event this month was the Jacksonville "Relay for Life" Fashion show, hosted by Sarah Dial Photography and The Majestic Planner. You can see photos from the fashion show in this album on Facebook. I was paired with designer Robyn Crews of Reused422 and designed necklace sets to go with her super cute rompers and casual fashions. What fun! We had a night of glamorous fashion to raise funds ($1500!) for the Relay for Life drive with the American Cancer Society. I was there remembering my dad, who died in 2006 from aggressive lung cancer that spread throughout his body, and my grandmother, who died of cancer in 2001.

Last but not least, Bethany Walker of Mady Joe Photography asked to use some of my pieces for a Bridal shoot at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine's historic district. How could I refuse!! Take a look at her beautiful images here , here, and here. I'll try to post some when I get a chance. WHEW!! Now that I have a chance to breathe, I think I'll work on some pieces that I've been ruminating on for a while...

Vintage bling gets a face-lift!

2011-03-21T14:45:00.006-04:00

With spring rolling around, several of my photography and makeup artist friends have been itching to get outside, try out new lenses, and capture some of the gorgeous Florida weather for their portfolios. To my GREAT delight, they've asked me to contribute some new pieces to feature on their models. I love it!! Designing for a photo shoot or fashion show is fun because I get to dream up something new and exciting, and a little "out there." Now, I absolutely LOVE doing custom work, and working inside the constraints of budget, and the customer's vision, as well as designing to fit a particular look, but with fashion designing my mind gets to wander a little, or in this case a LOT!

Here's a sneak preview of a new line I'm starting, featuring metals in all their glory, and surprise! Chandelier crystals! This is the first piece. I purchased these vintage crystals from a salvage vendor on Etsy, one of my favorite places to pick up material for design work. The small beads were obviously hand faceted, and were attached to the crystals by their usual brass findings. Separating them helped me to finish out the concept for this piece. The frame is 16 gauge copper, and the crystals are wired on with smaller gauge copper. The chain is also solid copper. The resulting focal area of the piece is about 5 x 5 1/2, which might be called massive by some, but since I'm sort of known for being a little bit of a loudmouth, or at the least too talkative, it's probably no surprise to the people I know and interact with in my business. By the way, please check out my shop on Etsy, or fan my Facebook page to keep up with new creations and listings. This one is going to the photo shoot this week, then will be listed when I get some good photos of it next week.

I Love a Challenge, don't you?

2011-03-17T18:34:00.003-04:00

Quick Shout Out... about the Rings and Things Design challenge!!

Aren't these Gorgeous!!

One week from today, on Thursday, March 24th, they'll do a drawing & pick 15 lucky participants. Then they'll send those 15 people a packet of these satin-finish copper beads.

Those 15 will have 1 month to provide photos of the jewelry they make with these beads. Out of all those entries, Rings & Things will pick a Design Challenge winner to receive a surprise pack of our jewelry supplies! What's not to like about THAT?

So, right now, run over the the Rings and Things Blog and enter. You have nothing to lose, but awesome beads to gain! WOohoo!

Of Bridal Shows and Wedding Models, part 2!

2011-01-31T14:52:00.023-05:00

Instead of a cheesy Hollywood sequel, today's "Part 2" post continues the bridal show theme, and my recent opportunity to create pieces for the fashion show portion of the Ultimate Bridal Fantasy Show at the Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine's World Golf Village. What a fun show! My friend, Faythe, International Makeup Artist and owner of A Glamour Bride, was over-seeing the affair for the bridal show. I was excited to be working with Bridals and More, a local Mom and Daughter bridal store. Their inventory is GORGEOUS! Check out the photo of the models in part one. Their selection is amazing!

My first set features cornflake (or "keishi") pearls embracing crystal clear glass beads for sparkle. What's fun about this set is the AB (Aurora Borealis, or rainbow) finish that makes the beads look like soap bubbles! With the warm softness of the cream-colored pearls and the iridescent finish on the glass beads, the necklace has a shimmer that will only (barely) mirror the glow on the bride's face.

Next, two strands of glass pearls are lassoed by

rhinestone spacers, and accented by crystal drops for an elegant collar. Everything about this necklace can be customized, from the color of the pearls, to the metal, gold silver or even copper can be used, and my spacer supplier has 1000s of different styles that we could use as well. The depth of the scallops can also be altered.

The clasp is a fold-over magnetic clasp. It will not come off if, for some reason, Aunt Ethel tackles you with one of her big rib-snapping hugs (you know the one).I'll make matching complementary earrings, of course.

My next creation is more contemporary. Many brides will choose a traditional gown, to please their family, and then add a snazzy necklace set to suit their personality. Whatever floats your boat! It's your day. LIVE IT!

This set has hand-knapped quartz

rectangular beads, and I wanted to accent their roughness with the beauty of flowers.

These little brass beauties are filled with sparkly seed beads, and are framed with gold and silver chain. The scalloped chain is graduated, meeting in the back with two strands ended in crystal.

Last, and certainly not least, is a custom order I was creating at the same time as all of the other pieces for the Bridal show. A lovely Etsy bride ordered a hair comb from my shop, and hers was my 100th sale during my time on Etsy.

To celebrate, I made her some matching hair pins as extras for her hair stylist, in case they wanted to use them during her hair trial and on the "big day." It's so much fun to create these bridal hair accessories! Part sculpture and part jewelry, the end effect with an "updo" is stunning, and can be the finishing touch for the bridal look. Can't wait to see her lovely photos.

I really enjoy working with brides. The joy, anticipation and the thrill of a wedding is contagious. It's like creating the embodiment of their happiness. Tall order, but inspiring nonetheless. To capture the essence of their personality, and their optimism for their new life is pure satisfaction.

Of Bridal Shows and Wedding Models...

2011-01-24T16:30:00.027-05:00

I was recently picked to design the bridal jewelry for the fashion show at The Ultimate Bridal Fantasy Show, held at the convention center in the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village. A daunting task, for sure, when I was informed there were nine (9!) models, and no opportunity to see the dresses beforehand to get an idea of the designs I needed to create! Well, as most things do, everything turned out just right.
Here are a few photos of the pieces made for the show, as well as the beautiful models. Photography of the models by Stephie Joy Photography.

First item up for consideration is a piece I started for a bride married last September. When her design needs changed, I liked where this one was going, so I soldiered on. Freshwater pearls and rhinestones accent faceted Swarovski Crystal flowers and pendants, and are held together by an Argentium Silver swirled wirework frame. I balled the ends of the frame with my torch for a more delicate presentation. Meant to sit at the collarbone, the chain is adjustable to fit different shapes and sizes.

Next up is a bridal comb that could be a matching piece to the one above, or separate. It's a small comb, but it makes a statement. Rhinestones and crystals and swirls of silver will add a glimmer to your updo, or serve as an anchor for a birdcage veil.

My next creation is a reproduction of a reproduction. I've created and produced a reproduction of Scarlett O'Hara's necklace from the Bar-B-Que in Gone With the Wind, and it's available for purchase in my shop. I love the design, so I decided to render it with the same findings, but in pearls, rhinestones, and crystal. Success! The result is as delicate as the original piece, but suitable for a bridal set.

Fourth in line is a simple strand of not-so-simple elements. These netted beaded beads are a design from a tutorial by Beadinfinitum.com In these beads, I used Moonstone, with a pretty blue flash, teardrop seed beads, czech glass, and silver-lined seed beads. Paired with mother-of-pearl coins and alternated with crystal, this simple necklace is elegant, intricate and graceful. Matching earrings complete the set.

This is Part 1 of my amazing January Bridal journey. Part 2, coming soon! Probably tomorrow...

2010-11-29T17:36:00.007-05:00

A medieval tradition among the Troubador poets of Provance equated the hunt of the hart (male deer) with the hunt of the heart(pursuit of the beloved [or love itself] by the lover).

In Medieval times, the hart was a highly respected animal, and had great symbolic and mythological significance. It was often compared to Christ for its suffering; a well-known story tells of how St. Eustace was converted to Christianity by seeing a crucifix between the antlers of a stag while hunting. Images of the stag dominate historical texts, testifying to the prominence of the deer in culture. It signified royalty, and only kings and the aristocracy were allowed to hunt for this magnificent animal.

It's hard to come up with words to describe this necklace. Honey-colored tumbled agate and bold rounds of red agate accent a breathtaking hand-carved stag pendant. The wire wrapping for this piece is in anti-tarnish 18 gauge brass wire, and the individual yellow agate beads are also wrapped with brass wire. The pendant features a stag in flight, bounding over the land, full of grace and power. It is rendered in a medieval style image, and, sadly, the photos do not give it justice. The earrings are matching red agate rounds, with luminous yellow tumbled agate on brass kidney wires. I will be sad to part with it, but it will be a great addition to the wardrobe of just the right lady.

From Concept to Creation....

2010-08-16T16:31:00.009-04:00

My newest creation was a fun collaboration between a beautiful bride and myself. After creating her bridesmaids' necklaces for her September wedding, we started to work on her bridal necklace (still under construction) and a necklace originally for her rehearsal dinner, but now to be worn as a statement piece at a friends wedding.

The color palette includes coral, green, champagne, crystal, pink, and cream. Wired gemstone and glass flowers have been on the top of my list for creating for a while, and with her own hand drawn design concept in hand, plus a nod to her bridesmaid necklaces, I created a handful of flowers, wired them to an anti-tarnish trellis of sorts, and nestled them in between juicy apple-green and other czech glass "leaves". Strawberry quartz is the focal color, with a central flower and "buds" hanging from the crystal leaf vines, and accents of crystal, seed beads, and organza round out the design. I'm really pleased with the result, and, more importantly, so is the bride!

Ariel's treasure lost but now found...

2010-08-02T17:15:00.009-04:00

This necklace was a custom creation commissioned by a pretty lady in Texas for a beach-themed formal event. The trick was to make flowers, but keep it beachy. So, why not use beachy to make the flowers? I was up for it.

The natural beauty and colors of these shells and coral are what makes the necklace. They're showcased in all their glory, and highlighted by gold, czech glass and recycled "sea glass" beads. These beads are not sea glass, but recycled glass designed to LOOK like real sea glass. They're also available in cobalt, which is a very rare sea glass color, and very beautiful.

The conch-like shell at the bottom is wrapped around the top with glass and pearls to tie it in with the focal "flower" and gold heishi plays hide-and-seek with different loose beads for extra sparkle. Closeup photos of this necklace set can be viewed in my "sold items" portfolio in my Etsy shop, here.

I really should take the time to learn the names of these beautiful shells, and go to the local shell conventions that showcase and sell these treasures from the deep. I'd like to use them in future creations. The textures and colors are striking, and will be sure to start conversation wherever they are worn, don't you think so?

If you are interested in a creation all your own, please contact me through my Etsy shop, click "Request Custom Item" or this link.

WOWsers, now THAT's a STATEMENT necklace!

2010-06-18T20:18:00.012-04:00

I had the opportunity recently to work with a lovely Etsy customer from California. I had at first bid on making a blue agate tangled chain necklace for her, which I completed in April. Check it out! Then she requested another tangled chain necklace, this time in bright, cheery, summery colors. I was thrilled! the hunt for the perfect beads turned up some sunshine yellow and apple green dyed magnesite, and when complementary beads were added, WOW!! Where the first

necklace was silver, gold, and gunmetal, this one has no antiqued finishes at all. There's a double pendant, for balance, and big bold chains everywhere. I really liked the finished product.

My lovely customer was invited to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding, so another statement necklace was in order. This time, we went over the top. 8 strands of glass pearls, rhinestones, and amethysts are woven into a 4-strand braid, with 18mm rhinestone balls entwined in the mix. A rhinestone and pearl brooch accents the side, and the sides are silver satin ribbon. Under the main swag of the necklace are two additional strands, one with faceted crystal beads, and one with silver glass pearls. On the bottom pearl strand are vintage chandelier crystals. Their brilliance and flash were fantastic!

These are the boldest statement necklaces I've made to date. Weighing in at 1 1/2 pounds, the pearl one is by far the largest! When I jumped back into jewelry three years ago, I never anticipated these babies! I think that's why custom orders are so fun. You get to know someone, their tastes, and you see things through their eyes. By learning about the statement or vision they are trying to create, you get to participate in their special event, and sometimes it's the most important day of their lives. It's a very gratifying experience!

2010-06-02T17:10:00.008-04:00

A June Bride

A June bride
Blushes with a light rouge
Butterflies fill her stomach
As she awaits the moment
Of destiny before her.
Her train of white
Buries the room like snow.
Her smile makes the
Room glisten.
She takes a deep
Breath as the time
Soon comes,
To join the man
of her dreams
In Holy eternity.

By TheFuzzyOne (About TheFuzzyOne)

These braided pearl bridesmaids' necklace sets were commissioned by a lovely bride through Etsy's "Alchemy." Etsy has a great forum for submitting any request for handmade goods under the sun (you can't imagine the requests I've seen!) and artisans like me lurk there to bid on the custom work opportunity. Thankfully, my customers can also request a custom item directly on my front page in my shop, here. The color palette for these necklaces was "warm, with some chocolate," and with the variety of glass pearls available, easily found by a search through Etsy's sellers. Dark and light chocolate, gold, champagne, ivory and cream glass pearls create an eye-popping symphony of warm, sensual colors that will complement the groomsmen's cummerbunds and highlights in the floral arrangements. The combination is luscious and warm. Gold chain and rings provided the structure for supporting the pearl braid, and a lobster claw clasp kept the necklaces adjustable "just in case." The earrings echo the style of the dangle attached to the extender, and feature hand forged wires.

Working with brides is very exciting, because I feel like I'm participating in their big day, though vicariously. Making their jewelry is a joyous event, and an investment of time well worth the effort. Best wishes to Meagan, and her husband-to-be!!

A little Glitz and Glamour goes a long way....

2010-04-20T20:32:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is work with brides on their wedding and attendant jewelry. Recently, I've had the pleasure of working with a lovely local bride who is getting married this Friday in St. Augustine, Florida. She was looking for a bracelet to match the pattern in the sash on her dress, and wanted to have as much sparkle as possible. She sent me photos of the sash, and we agreed to meet at the bridal store so I could take a look.

My husband is always saying "Brevity is the soul of wit," and with my tendency to be long-winded, that's not always a welcome contribution to our conversations, but in this instance, as in many, many others, he was totally right. The bride's dress was simple, with clean lines and beautiful sea shell ivory silk, and absolutely devastatingly beautiful on her! I made some notes, measured her wrist, we talked a little about the styles she liked, she showed me some pictures, and I left to work on her creation. I'll admit, at first I was a little overwhelmed with the task. After looking around, we settled on a design that mirrored the little rosettes in the sash, as well as on the bustle leading down the back of the dress from the bodice to the end of the train.

Here the the finished product. Crystal clusters are alternated with Swarovski crystal rhinestone balls, and accented by crystal spacers. Each is an individually wired segment, ending at a beautiful 4 strand sterling silver clasp. I'm not much of a photographer, but I'm hoping you can see for yourself how it turned out. The bride was thrilled, and that's good enough for me!

Carnaval...Dancing Quartz, Agate and Sodalite necklace set

2010-03-23T21:37:00.011-04:00

Experience the fun and frivolity of Carnaval with this quartz, agate and sodalite set. The huge seafoam green dyed quartz pendant (a whopping 60mm!) is accented by sodalite, marbled with navy blue, echoed with colonial agate, and surrounded by swirls of tiny droplets of agate and sodalite. You'll find yourself dancing in spite of yourself!

The development of this necklace was so much fun. I've begun a new proces of designing, where each element comes together and ruminates for a while, then is created. I have project bags littering my worktable, awaiting the birth process. Stay tuned! More coming soon!

A spring bouquet bursting into bloom...

2010-03-22T17:34:00.008-04:00

I was recently asked to design a statement necklace for Beth Anderson, the lovely Editor-in-chief of Chic Galleria. Beth is being featured this week in an article about statement necklaces on Luckymag.com, the online presence of Lucky Magazine (link to the article). At first, I wasn't aware that the article was on statement pieces; the necklace was already in her hands and had been worn in her photo shoot by Photographer Jill Solomon. When she mentioned it, I was really glad I'd spent the hours putting it together!

Unless you're like the groundhog, who only checks above ground to see if spring is coming, you're already aware that metal flowers and anything floral are hot-hot-hot this season, so when putting this one together I worked with Beth's stated preference for gold, and incorporated the flower theme. Rose gold, crystal, and pearlescent finishes are highlights that bring the whole piece together and give it a feminine softness.

On my worktable, I've been experimenting with making gemstone flowers for my upcoming bridal line, and decided to make a few to vary the materials used in the flowers on this necklace. Czech glass and mother of pearl beads, with freshwater pearl and crystal, are the components of the main focal, and enamel flowers and brass flower buds make up the remaining elements. Champagne crystal and pearlescent czech rounds give the necklace a soft glow.
I'll be listing this one in my Etsy shop this week, coordinating with the publishing of the article on Luckymag.com.

Oooh La Larimar bracelets!

2010-02-26T11:01:00.010-05:00

One aspect of making jewelry is the artistry involved in finding the right look. An artist has to pick just the right pigment, paint, subject and medium for a project, and also has to feel the "vibe" of the project. The use, intent and feel of the item has to match with the materials, colors, and textures used. Likewise with a jewelry designer; both painting and jewelry piece are a form of artistic expression.

This is the first prototype of a Larimar multiple bracelet commission by a lovely bride on Etsy. It features a Thai silver starfish by Aardvark Silver on Etsy, and Larimar from Szarka at Magpie Gemstones. The bracelet is a 3-strand treasure trove of ocean bounty, with recycled glass, mother-of-pearl, shell and a mix of gorgeous ocean colored seed beads. For sparkle, I added some 4mm sterling silver beads. The result? well, it speaks for itself. I think Hans Christian Anderson's "Little Mermaid" is missing something from her jewelry box, don't you think?

Something old, Something new, Something borrowed... and Something blue!

2009-12-28T12:12:00.010-05:00

This wedding necklace has been my Custom project for December. A custom order won through a bid in Etsy's alchemy section, the task was to recreate the necklace in the low-resolution photo, and turn it into something fabulous for my bride's Vegas-casino/midnight on New Years' Eve wedding. You can view the bid, and the finished photos, here in my shop.

To recreate the necklace, we used oval mother of pearl, glass coin pearl, blue opal, and alexandrite crystal rosebuds with a vitrail finish. The teardrop "leaves" are faceted emerald crystal teardrops. The flower focals were created in polymer clay with swarovski crystal centers by beetreebyme on Etsy. She took our custom requests and turned them into absolutely fabulous focal flowers! What a treat and a pleasure to work with her!

Custom orders are really high on my list of favorite things to do. Of course I LOVE the free-creating process; I think they're both very fulfilling. My pleasure in the custom creation process lies in taking the customer's need and turning it into

something that is much more than they expected. What fun!

Heartfelt congratulations

to Crystal on her upcoming wedding, this New Years' Eve. Blessings and Best wishes for a long and happy lifetime of love and family.

Caribbean Blue Larimar is an eye-pleasing treat!

2009-11-24T12:48:00.014-05:00

I think I fell in love with Larimar the first time that I saw it. My first experience with Larimar was a click on a new listing on Etsy's main page. The listing was for a Larimar and coin pearl necklace that had other beautiful elements, and I was entranced. Since I make jewelry (can you guess?) I didn't automatically purchase it, but I should have. After researching a little about this beautiful stone, I came to like it even more. Mined ONLY in the Dominican Republic, on ONE dormant volcano, Larimar's pure blue tones remind me of the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. I can't get enough of it!

Wikipedia describes Larimar as " rare blue variety of pectolite," which makes it related to other intriguing stones like prehite, serpentine, and calcite, as well as sugilite. They're crystalline, and the splinters of it are brittle. This makes me think that maybe it is also related to Kyanite. I have an intriguing specimin that I plan to use as a pendant very soon.

This two-strand necklace has a sterling silver wire-wrapped bail and mount, with silver spacer beads and smoky quartz to bring out the rich blue color. Matching earrings, as always, round out the set.

Owning a necklace set made with Larimar is like owning a part of the sky. It's easy to catch yourself staring at it, trying to absorb it's cool blue-ness. It's absolutely mesmerizing! See it in person and tell me you don't agree. Larimar just makes you want to drink it in, like a tall glass of ice water on a summer day in Florida. Spectacular!

If you want to read more about Larimar, there's an incredible article from the Lapidary Journal, here.

Here comes the bride....

2009-11-06T13:57:00.013-05:00

My latest bridal collection was an alchemy bid that I won wayyyyy back in May. I'm so happy when brides plan ahead of time, because then I can make the most of my connections to get just the right materials. I probably went to 4 beads shows to get the elements that I used for this one, plus purchased supplies from Etsy sellers, too. To get closer-up photos of the whole set, you can click this link to go to the "sold" listing in my shop.

The bride was wearing a Maggie Sottero gown, here, in champagne or ecru satin, and was looking for "something like" the model's jewelry in the photo. I picked up some micro-faceted champagne-colored crystal globes, ecru and bronze glass pearls, and some other faceted czech glass beads in an iridescent, not quite AB, finish. Then I fashioned the Japanese lantern-style bead clusters with swarovski crystal, 4mm glass pearls, and AB delicas in addition to the bronze glass pearls. All of the metal, with the exception of the 26G wire used on the clasp and the lantern beads, is sterling silver. The set includes a two-strand necklace, a three-strand bracelet, and matching earrings. These photos are really bad. I had a friend lined up to take some in her studio, but I didn't have time for a break, since my customer was getting married Nov. 7, and I had to get them in the mail.

The flower girls have sets that are similar to the bride's, as they're wearing similar colors. I used the same glass pearls, crystals, and hand-wired segments. the pendant is a link with a perforated bead disc, like the bridesmaids' earrings, but with a flat back. The glass pearl teardrop adds a little drama and glamor. The earrings are teardrops on standard ear wires. Nice and simple, but really dainty and feminine. The clasps have chains that can adjust up to 15 inches or so as the girls grow. Hopefully they can continue to wear them for a long time. I think they'd make great First Communion or Confirmation jewelry, or jewelry for a christening, don't you think?

The attendants' ensembles were fun, too. I've posted previously about the copper-dipped Maple leaves, and here is the result. Aventurine in peach, yellow, red and white was mixed with goldstone and toffee-colored faceted crystal to reflect the glory of fall leaves and color.

The earrings were created with similar materials, in addition to a 6mm goldstone focal bead, and copper foil-lined "e" beads around the outside for sparkle. They're mounted on the same vintage-style elements as the flower girl pendants, this time with ear posts. There's also a tiny copper maple leaf peeking out from under the beads on the earrings. I'm hoping the bridesmaids will get wear out of these necklaces for many different occasions besides the wedding. The bride was careful to make sure that the design we settled on would last for all of her attendants.

There's always a bit of anxiety when your creation leaves your hands. Will the customer be pleased? Is it exactly what she was hoping? Will the item fit? Match? Get there in one piece? All of those questions swirl around in my head while I'm waiting for the customer's feedback. So, when she wrote a couple of days ago, my sigh of relief was heard all over the house. Here's what she wrote:

WOW words can't describe how perfect everything is! Sorry it took me a while to let you know I got them, things have been crazy. The bridal necklace is so perfect. I could never have imagined anything like that. The design and scale are perfect for the dress. The bridesmaids necklaces are so awesome in person! I know the girls will love them. The flower girl necklaces are adorable! They will be so excited to have something pretty like the big girls.

Laura I'm so happy. This is just the perfect touch. I'll have plenty of pictures for you, I know they will be gorgeous! Thank you so much!

I just had to crow about that. Custom work is very rewarding for me. I spend a WHOLE lot of time on it, and nromally for sweatshop-style wages, but it's fun, and I get to be a part of someone's special story. It's like writing a page or a chapter in a book. I like it very much.

And the feathers were flying....

2009-11-02T20:50:00.003-05:00

Had some fun recently with some Pheasant feathers! A lovely Etsy customer contacted me to commission a necklace that featured these beautiful orange-tipped feathers. I was intrigued by the design, and set to work. She sent 9-10 feathers for me to work with, and they were all just gorgeous! I chose 7 of them to mount onto the necklace, and she'll have the rest to use as replacements if the original ones are damaged in any way. What a fun project!

The front part of the necklace has a chain that features antique gold finish leaves, and chain. a center piece of chain also runs across the front. The sides of the necklace are hand-wired with round onyx beads and matching chain links. The wire used for mounting the feathers is Artistic wire, in a bronze finish. I completed the set with earrings that are descending clusters of onyx, hung on short pieces of the leaf chain that stretches across the middle of the front of the necklace. Since the necklace is a long 32", I skipped the clasp.

Work in Progress....

2009-10-27T14:36:00.005-04:00

I have to replace the previous tree necklace in my inventory, since it sold last weekend, so I've been working on a concept varying from the standard square or round tree of life pendant. This one started out as a long rectangle, and I raised the ceiling on the pendant , sort of like an umbrella, giving the idea of a sheltering tree. Really cool czech glass lentil beads coated with a metallic finish are the "leaves" for the tree, and the wire is bronze, copper and brass. The bails at the top will be attached to links or segments of stone beads wired together. The pendant still needs to be tweeked a little, but, a work in progress is just that. I've got my work cut out for me!

I think I'll find and use some of the newer frosted metallic czech glass beads, along with some vintaj brass findings. I thought I'd made a deal with myself to NOT buy any more beads for a while...

Can't get enough of those fall colors!

2009-10-24T00:24:00.005-04:00

This was a really fun project. Carnelian beads in rounds and ovals accented with tiny Citrine rondelles and bronze seed beads. The frame is anti-tarnish brass, and the beads are wired on with anti-tarnish copper. With a warm metal palette and fiery orange palette, you can tel what's on my mind -- that's right, autumn!! Boy it's soooo good to have a cooling off here in Florida. It's been a scorching hot summer. This "Tree of Life" pendant, though it's done in Fall colors, and, yeah, I know the tree of life is always alive, never loses it's leaves, etc., but I just had to render this one in the beautiful fall colors that the mountains are bathed in this time of year.

When I lived in South Carolina, we would see the glorious changing of the leaves, and go for day trips into the mountains. I haven't done that in years! Sadly, my oldest has never seen the mountains. I'm going to remedy that, and hopefully soon. Meanwhile, I can make pretty "joolry" to make up for this loss.

This necklace set is gone....picked up first thing at the Mandarin United Methodist Church Fall Festival last weekend. I'll be re-visiting this topic again, as soon as I catch up on my custom work, and finish some sets for a model shoot this weekend here in Jacksonville. It's too hot a combo to let go, at least while I still have the beads!!

Cloisonne captures the imagination...

2009-10-11T18:08:00.007-04:00

Two different strands of cloisonne beads just LEAPED into my hands during a recent trip to my favorite bead shop (River City Beads) here in Jacksonville. They have a whole wall full of them, and I need to go get more. I never stopped to consider the particular beauty that they possess. Sure I knew that wire is soldered onto a metal base, and that enamel is painted into the resulting voids and then fired in a kiln, but I had never really considered the jewelry possibilities beyond a couple pretty beads on a strand, accented by solid-colored beads that would complement their color. I have considered getting a nice selection of these to attach to bookmarks and hair sticks. But Jeude, the owner, had mocked up a few bracelets, and I was just captivated.

You can find these beauties in my shop right now. I'll be adding more in the future. They're just too pretty to not revisit in another color scheme, very soon!

New listings from a frenzied weekend!

2009-09-28T18:59:00.004-04:00

I listed 5 items today on Etsy, no thanks to my Slllooowwwwww laptop. It took nearly all day (that, and taking care of my croup-y 3 year old). I'll post them little by little for the rest of the week. I hit a beading frenzy yesterday, and was like a woman on a mission! Now I'm back to custom work. Shows are coming up, so I should continue to create more to fill the new display busts I bought.

First up is a faceted Amazonite and lemon quartz necklace set with gold heishi spacers. I've had the Amazonite for a while, waiting for the right accent beads to come along. If these aren't the ones, I don't know what else! For more photos, check out the listing.

The Amazonite beads are a beautiful sea-foam-green-teal mixture that reminds me of the water in Key West when my husband and I went snorkeling on our honeymoon. The lemon quartz beads are hand-faceted in a free form sort of way, and look like tiny Jolly Ranchers or distilled sunlight. I can't get enough of looking at them! I paired them with Gold-plated heishi wafers, for added sparkle. I don't usually work with gold, so this is a welcome change of pace. I'm going to a show this weekend, so this one might be gone by Saturday evening. That is, of course, if I don't decide to keep it myself!

I'll be back with more tomorrow. Right now I have to cook dinner!

Tentative custom bridesmaid necklace

2009-09-21T11:01:00.007-04:00

Well, the jury of one (my beautiful bridal customer) is out on this one, which is a mockup of a brdesmaids' set for her upcoming November wedding. I posted the materials previously, and here's the next step.

The glorious fall colors make a beautiful statement in white, yellow, peach and red aventurine with the Maple leaf; it's studded with carnelian, and highlighted with sparkly copper spacers and goldstone.

The earrings will be clusters of the aventurine, with tiny copper seed beads and copper maple leaf charms, woven onto perforated bead discs like the Scarlett earrings and the earrings that matched my tulle bridesmaids' sets.

Another custom work from my beading table...

2009-09-17T22:42:00.008-04:00

A sweet customer commissioned a reproduction of this beautiful necklace from Gone with the Wind. I was able to locate vintage findings, and the perfect coral beads for the necklace. During the antebellum and civil war period, coral was used extensively for jewelry, so choosing it for this necklace, after studying the picture, was a natural thing. The chain is gold-plated. Vivien Leigh was a small lady, so the measurements had to be altered a little for fit, but on the whole it's a fairly faithful reproduction. I looked everywhere to try to find the designer and the possible location of the original necklace so that I could give credit to those who dreamed it up, but I haven't been able to find a clue. I can't even tell if Leigh kept the jewelry after the film, or if it was in her possession before the movie. I'd love it if someone had the information so that I could give credit where it is due.

I managed to get my hands on enough materials to make three more of these, and would love to talk to you if you're interested in acquiring one. I'll make the length to fit to your measurements.

Make a statement in turquoise...

2009-09-12T00:59:00.005-04:00

Dyed Howlite and dyed magnesite are fantastic alternatives to expensive turquoise. The veining can be rich and varied, and the coloring almost exactly like it's rarer counterpart, turquoise. Sure, I'd like to own and design with the genuine stone, but when Howlite is as affordable as it is, why not own 3 or 4 pieces to one of genuine turquoise? More is, well, more. More or less. Less costs more, but is not more. Right?

This necklace was finished this evening, and is awaiting approval by my customer. She's looking for a turquoise and silver statement necklace that is elegant and not clunky, and that has a nice silver sparkle without having a chunky chain. I hope I've satisfied her criteria, because I have certainly enjoyed creating this necklace! I can see varying the metals and the gemstones (or their less expensive alternatives), can't you? Copper with Unakite, bronze with white turquoise (magnesite, actually), silver with red coral, lava rocks and any metal, the list goes on and one. Maybe even some labradorite? That would be interesting!

I really like the movement and texture in this piece. It was fun to create, and I'm hoping my customer enjoys wearing it. I love custom work. It's always such an adventure! Next up, a surprise in salmon coral and brass. (hint: it's a reproduction of a famous piece from a very old southern antebellum movie) Can't wait to get that one posted! I have a museum that wants to see it when it's done!

Pink Crazy Lace Agate and gifts from the sea

2009-09-10T21:05:00.023-04:00

Here's my most recent custom set creation. My customer provided the shark's teeth, and specified the pink crazy lace agate, after looking through some of the items in my shop. The chain is sterling silver, and the pink crazy lace agate is wired on with sterling silver as well. The small agate pendants are wired on with fine silver headpins, balled with my torch. The oval agate bead is wirewrapped with tiny sterling silver beads, and the ring is adjustable.
The next couple necklaces carry one the sharks teeth theme, with the addition of coin pearls, and recycled glass beads that look like tumbled sea glass. The chains are also sterling silver.
I guess I should have checked that last necklace before I snapped the picture...the shell turned around backward! oops!

Mystery stone and the creative process

2009-08-19T08:06:00.010-04:00

Wandering around a bead show recently, I happened upon my favorite vendors and their well-stocked booth. Rows upon rows of semi-precious and other beads beckoned me to browse. Just before I rounded the end of the table to pick through the bargain bin, I spied these treasures. First drawn by their high gloss, I stopped to examine their texture, and scan the tag. Finding none, I asked the owner what she thought they were. Surprisingly, she didn't know, either!

I had to have them. The beads were just too gorgeous to put back. I was already finished purchasing my finds, but the card came back out again, and I bought these, too.

My first opinion was that is was Crazy Horse Jasper. But I had never seen a high gloss like this on that kind of stone. All of mine were rather matte in finish. And there was an interesting mustard yellow that I was not familiar with in Crazy Horse Jasper. I decided to turn to trusted Etsy sellers in the Etsy forums for help.

Etsy is an amazing place. If you are a crafter of any kind, it is worth your while to investigate selling your goods there online. They require a minimal charge of 3.5% only on a sale, and each four-month listing costs $.20. That's twenty cents. Amazing!! Compare that to the big daddy auction house! Etsy is also a great place to meet other craftspeople, and, for the most part, is a very cooperative environment where mutual promotion and cooperation is the norm rather than the exception. I've been very happy as an Etsy buyer AND seller.

After posting a query about this "mystery stone," other bead-holics and lapidarists weighed in with their opinions. Crazy Horse Jasper seemed to be the consensus, with one particular jewelry artisan explaining her position that it is Apache Dendritic Jasper, which is mines not far from her house. After Google-searching both terms, I've decided that both are right. They seem to be the same kind of stone. Crazy Horse, the real-life man, was not an Apache. The Apache tribe originated in the area now known as New Mexico, where this stone is mined. Because of this, I'm calling it Apache Dendritic Jasper. Crazy Horse is secure in his place in history, and doesn't need this particular semi-precious stone to protect this legacy.

I paired these luscious beads with Rhodolite Garnet, a perfect match for the raspberry highlights, and tiny citrine button rondelles. The beauty of the mustard color in the beads was just too juicy to ignore. Fastening the back is a hand made copper S-clasp. Mexico is the largest producer of copper in the world, and the United States is second. Currently our most productive copper mining is done in Utah and Arizona. Copper was just perfect for this color combination. What do you think?

I might have to keep this necklace set. Rarely do I take one for myself, since I want to list everything that I make, "just in case." But these beads are just too beautiful to pass up. I'll use perforated beading discs to make some vintage-inspired earrings to complete this set. Encrusted with 8mm Apache Dendritic Jasper, and the rest of the Rhodolite garnet and citrine, along with copper beads and wire. Dangles of the last two beads from the jasper strand will finish the pair.

On my Beading Table Today....

2009-08-17T08:59:00.007-04:00

Continuing on the theme of fall colors, I hit my local bead show really hard yesterday, and came home with this juicy combination, among other treasures. Yellow jaspers and red and orange aventurine reflect the glorious fall colors reminiscent of the Blue Ridge mountains in the fall. Paired with copper spacers and the extraordinary copper-dipped Maple leaf I'd already purchased from Etsy sellers, my next project will be a 3 strand collar, similar to the previous carnelian one I posted. I think I will also add some brown goldstone, which should pick up and carry the sparkle from the leaf all the way around the necklace. Time to get the Round Tuit out again, and get this thing assembled!!

My favorite bead show sellers were these, with their fabulous selection, as usual, and I picked up some lava rock rounds and barrels, some blister pearls, pink and red coral buttons and rounds, and some larger red coral nuggets. I also found some carnelian rondelles and barrels. I could have broken the bank with all of the beautiful beads I found yesterday! This time, though, I was able to control myself. Maybe having my three-year-old there with me was a good thing, because by the time I got my treasures purchased I'd only hit two tables and he was ready to go. Next time he'll stay home!!

You CAN get it done, when you have a Round TUIT charm or pendant

2009-08-13T20:02:00.005-04:00

This 16mm fine silver charm has a long history, even though it was just finished today. When I was little, my dad carried around a wooden nickel in his pocket with the word "TUIT" stamped on it in red ink. When I'd say I'd get around to cleaning my room, he'd pull it out. "Now you have one, go ahead and do it, " he'd say, laughing. I miss his smile and the twinkle in his eyes when he was pulling my leg.

The highest-hitting post on my blog is about having a round TUIT. I posted the graphic, and people hit on it off of Google like crazy. So I figured that people everywhere are looking for a round TUIT, and I thought I'd make one available in fine silver. This charm is fashioned from PMC silver, which starts as recycled silver in an organic clay binder. When fired in a kiln, it becomes pure silver metal. This one has a particularly rustic finish, and is oxidized with liver of sulfur. I can remake it with a brushed or shiny silver finish, with or without oxidation. This one will be an open edition, as everyone needs a ROUND TUIT.

I can create a bracelet or a necklace, or even mount this to a bookmark, so you can read that book you've been putting off, or a hair stick. The sky's the limit. If you'd like a custom order, please convo me. I can also make pairs of these into earrings, if you'd like.

New creations for the day...

2009-08-08T16:15:00.009-04:00

I've been so busy promoting my jewelry that I've not been creating much lately. I have a stack of custom orders on my desk, and I couldn't be happier. Beads are in the mail, on the way to my house. Every day the mailman brings new toys to play with. I'm happy as a clam! Creating is very therapeutic for me. Do I need therapy? Maybe -- ask my kids! But as I'm finishing new pretties for my customers, I'm going to post them and tell a little of their story. Otherwise I'll burst. That would not be pretty!

First up is a pair of earrings I created for my mother for her birthday --- which is TODAY! Happy Birthday, Mom! She gets them next week when she comes for a visit. Juicy little faceted Rhodonite rondelles are embraced by copper wire, and are accented by tiny Tierracast hummingbirds. They're my mom's favorite. Hat's off to you, Mom! Just what you needed, more jewelry, right?

Next up are two pendants created for very special people in very special situations. "neveah" is for the mommy of a very special little girl, and "angela" is for a newlywed soldier stationed in Afghanistan until November. Each are fashioned out of PMC silver clay, then fired. The pure silver that results is then polished and oxidized, then buffed for character. I'm hoping to send these out on Monday.

Next? I'm still working on that. I have about 7 custom orders on my desk, and I'll be working my way through it. First up, a bridal order! A multi-strand bridal necklace and bracelet set with glass pearls, crystal, and other sparkles, and bridesmaids' necklace sets with those beautiful copper-dipped Maple leaves in the last post. Also coming soon: Amazonite graduated rounds with hand-knapped red agate and gold heishi; more blue larimar, this time with lava rocks; Apache dendritic jasper with rhodolite garnets and citrine; faceted chunks of amazonite with rough-cut citrine nuggets; Blue Dyed crazy lace agate with silver and teal..something, not sure yet; white turquoise with carnelian and copper; I have a list a mile long and a heap-big-stash of beads. Time to roll up my sleeves and dig out my Round TUIT!!

Autumnal Equinox Carnelian and copper necklace with real copper-dipped Maple Leaf

2009-07-31T22:52:00.011-04:00

I like to sit back and admire this necklace. Three strands of carnelian and copper alternate and join at a glorious copper-dipped Maple leaf. Handmade wire clasp is hidden under Maple leaf. The detail and color of this leaf is mesmerizing. Delicate and bold at the same time, a rainbow of irridescence glistens. When you look at it really close, you can see the fibrous detail of the veins and structures in the leaf. Breathtaking! Expect many compliments when you show off this beautiful fall ornament.

The necklace measures 16 inches (40.64 cm); I'm making earrings to match. I'll use a copper leaf charm on each, and more of these lovely carnelian beads.These are available for purchase in quantities, as I can acquire more of these gorgeous leaves. Chunkier beads would produce an equally glorious but different look.

****UPDATE!! Mary, on her blog "Living with Walls: Flourishing behind the Walls of Multiple Sclerosis" has featured my Maple leaf necklace as the illustration for a beautiful poem "What is it About Leaves?" I was moved by her poem, and by the recognition. If you're a fan of autumn, like I am, you might want to go take a look, and contemplate her poem. She has incredible talent!!

New treasury!

2009-07-30T09:05:00.003-04:00

Another Treasury! Marine Blue! How pretty! Check it out!! Thanks for noticing my earrings!.

.

<---------They're right here...

Caribbean Blue Larimar will capture you!

2009-07-20T22:21:00.006-04:00

Look out, Larimar is on the loose. I was captivated by this stone the first time I saw it, but was not aware of how special it was, so I didn't purchase the set I saw. My mistake. Even though I make jewelry, I'd scoop this stuff up any time the design is right!

From Wikipedia: Larimar (also lorimar) is a rare blue variety of pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. Its coloration varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue. The deep blue variant is known as volcanic blue.

I've only recently become aware of Larimar, but have developed an intense liking for this gorgeous stone. The higher quality stones are incredibly expensive, so when I saw this strand I knew I had to have it. Baby blue with areas of more intense blue, these stones remind me of the sky and water in Key Wesy, Florida. The have a rustic, almost tumbled character, but have a nice gloss at the same time. Very organic look. I've never been to the Dominican Republic, but I know that if I do I'll be bringing back as much as I can carry.

This 18 1/2" (47cm) necklace features rectangular Larinar beads, silver (I don't think Larmiar looks good at all with yellow gold) and heather grey czech glass heishi beads. The earrings are 2.25" (5.72cm) from the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the end bead. The overall efect is a classy, elegant look that brings out the blue in these beautiful beads. I'll be buying more Larimar as my budget permits, but for now, I'm content!

Ta-Da!! Wedding jewelry with a garden theme!

2009-06-26T14:47:00.009-04:00

I'm so excited to finish this beautiful Bridal set with a Thai Silver dragonfly, Lilac Stone, Amethyst, Czech glass, florite, and fine silver. It funny to think about how a set comes together on the worktable, and where all the materials come from. Almost like a symphony, every element works together to create a finished piece. They're a fusion of different materials, techniques, and color combinations. Plain, pale lilac stone takes on a new look when paired with amethyst and grape-colored czech glass .

In this set, the lilac stone pendant came from an etsy seller in North Carolina, and the 8mm lilac stone beads came from Glen Allen, California. The 10mm lilac stone beads came from Oakland, California, and the Dragonfly cam from Thailand via my favorite bead store here in Jacksonville! The czech glass flowers on the pendant are from a cute little bead store I found in Tallahassee, Florida, last summer when we went to my husband's family reunion. The fine silver wire came from an Etsy seller Texas, was torched by a great find at Lowe's, and hammered by an antique hammer passed down from my husband's grandfather, who is also my son's namesake, Emanuel. The Precious Metal Clay used for the leaf tag, inscribed with her wedding date and hanging on the pendant, is only made in Japan. My rawhide mallet, used in the hand-forged ear wires, belonged to my grandfather, who was a jeweler.

And the set goes to a lovely lady in Tennessee, getting married outside in a Japanese garden. She'll be wearing a hemp silk dress, and silver flip-flops. She's a beautiful lady who teaches music lessons, and was so great to work with I'd like to consider her as my friend. On July 5th, we'll toast her wedding day from Jacksonville, and pray for a long life of love and laughter for her and her husband.

Sometimes it's fun to stop for a minute and think about the design process from concept to design to finish. So much goes into the creation of a One-of-a-kind set that it's hard to take credit for any of it. I'm pleased to have had one page in the story.

My Magnum Opus...to date

2009-06-15T08:42:00.017-04:00

It's finished! I finished my first wedding set and the mailman whisked it away over the weekend. I never would have put these materials together myself, but I must say they turned out very nice.

They're constructed on a base of lightest grey tulle, with a hint of a metallic sheen. The wedding colors are grey and canary, and the bride wanted rhinestones, and a vintage look. Each necklace has a set of vintage earrings as anchors to each side of the front swag, and on the fronts of each are strung rows of glass and freshwater pearls, mother of pearl beads, crystal, rhinestone, Swarovski wheel rondelles, silver spacers, and sparkly glass beads. The junior bridesmaid's necklace, the lowest on the right, has a central vintage brooch instead of the earring anchors. The people at my local antique mall (2 miles from my house!) were extremely accommodating to me as I combed all of the displays for materials that would work for my project. I get so many ideas when I look at vintage jewelry that I just have to write them down! You can also find wonderful materials to recycle, especially beads and pearls to re-string. I found a Mother of pearl necklace, hand knotted, with beads shaped like the Eclipse mints you get in the grocery store. They're barrel shaped rounded end cylinders, and they're not made any more. They wanted only $45 for about a 22" double strand necklace! I might have to go back and get that one!

The earrings were also a challenge, but I ran across the hardware online after I saw another pair like it in an antique mall, and it clicked. I'll have to do more of those. Even my 17 year old daughter likes them! They are constructed on perforated steel disks that snap into pads that are premade with posts. You can also get them with clips. Basically you wire your beads onto the disks, then attach the disks to the backs. A seamless, flawless finish makes these earrings a super finish for these necklaces, and complements the vintage look perfectly. I'm so happy I found them. The hardware is inexpensive, and though the earrings are time consuming to assemble, the look is well worth it.

Also worth it was the bride for whom I completed the project. She was incredibly easy to work with, and it was a joy bringing these necklace sets to life. Blessings and wishes for a happy wedding day, and a long life of love together!!

Busy Busy Busy!!

2009-06-08T14:51:00.008-04:00

I must say, I've been pretty slack about posting on my blog. I've been haunting Etsy's Custom request forum for a while, bidding on and picking up custom work, and I've had little time for anything else! I did pick up some beautiful beads just for fun, recently, and here's the new creation I just listed. This is Red picture Jasper, bottom drilled briolettes drilled so that they overlap the adjacent stones. I found some lava rock lentils that have the same overlapping quality, and they're devastatingly beautiful. Take a look! I have another batch in a different color that came at the same time as these, so I'm working on putting something together with those.

On my beading table this week:

I found some AWESOME magnesite chips (well, they're bigger than chips, more like heishi-type nuggets, with soft edges; they look like toasted marshmellows all squished together on a skewer) at my favorite bead store, River City Beads here in Jacksonville, FL. I've been taking classes there to learn new skills and brush up on old ones, and while I'm there I get whiplash from looking at all of the lovely things hanging there for me to buy! This time was no exception. I also picked up a Hot Pot for firing PMC, solder pickle, thongs, and a bunch of pairs of beads to make some cute earrings. These magnesite yummies will be paired with copper, a large carnelian donut, maybe some fire agate, and I'm going to try some spiny oyster heishi...the colors are out of this WORLD! I might make one long one, about 24-30" and one shorter one, about 18". We'll see what happens.

I have some gorgeous blue faceted agate from Mintdestash.etsy.com and I'm going to pair it with some golden tumbled agate nuggets. Maybe I'll throw in some gold spacers, and maybe a large glass pearl, maybe not. I also bought some leopardskin jasper hexagon brios from her that will be absolutely gorgeous with black onyx and maybe some coral or carnelian.

I have abouty 4 pieces already gathered and waiting to be strung -- a fossilized coral pendant with attending carnelian, and smaller coral beads; Paintbrush Jasper with beauty the likes that I've NEVER seen, paired with Raspberry Rhodelite Garnet Faceted Rondelles; some chinese unakite donuts and red picture jasper that I'll pair with some other stones I haven't found yet, and I think I'll take some cute little millifiori and make a simple but sweet wire-segmented necklace, the kind my daughter loves.

But those are just my playdates with beads...I have four other custom orders on my table that have to be done before I can start to play. TWO Precious Metal Clay projects, and TWO wedding ensembles that have to be shipped out by the end of the week. The photo to the right is a dreamy pearl and crystal and vintage element trio, the first of six bridesmaids' sets for this week, and the other will be a lilac stone pendant combo with a Thai silver dragonfly as an accent/focal. Can't wait to post that one! I have another that is due in September. I absolutely LOVE to do custom work!!

So stay tuned. More to come! "I've been making custom or-ders, ALL the live-long day!...I've been making perty jewl-ry, just to pass the time a-way....Can't you hear the mailman comin', box 'em up and get 'em out the door! ....Can't you hear the people shoutin', please come make some more!! (to the tune of "I've been working on the railroad")

LOVE IT, Love it, LOVE IT!!

New Listing, just in time for Mother's Day!

2009-04-27T23:46:00.009-04:00

Large and beautiful Cross of Christ beads, these Andalusian Chiastolite beads come from the Andalusian mountains in Spain. It is the only place it is found and has to be cut very carefully to ensure a complete cross shows. The Cross is formed by carbon inclusions in the stone.

I haven't seen much of this stone at bead shows recently, so when I saw these beautiful beads, I knew I had to have them! The necklace is a succulent combination of sterling silver Bali beads, onyx, silver spacers, and Andelusian Chaistolite. Wavy Onyx beads are the exclamation point. Together these beautiful elements create a stunning and elegant 20" (50.8 cm) necklace set that can be a silent but eloquent testimony and conversation starter. The earrings are just as unique, with 3" (7.62 cm) dangle featuring sterling wire, onyx, coordinating Chaistolite and handmade 1" sterling silver ear wires (21G). With a total length of 4" (10.16 cm) these earrings are long and dramatic. I can design smaller less flashy earrings to match, if desired.

What better realization of Luke 19:40 ... “I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

New Treasury! Check it out!

2009-04-23T09:29:00.006-04:00

One of my earring collections has made it into a Treasury! THis time, on Treasury West. "Lemonade Stand" is bursting with that puckery-sweet lemon-y goodness that we have to look forward to this summer! Go check it out! Give it some love! Comment!

The curator of this Treasury is MossRoseDesigns.etsy.com, a fellow North Florida Craft Revolution Street Team member Street Teams on Etsy are a great way to combine forces to market your products, and share tips and techniques. The NFCR is a great bunch of ladies who are awesomely talented. If you search "teamNFCR" from Etsy's main page, you'll find hundreds of products by these great Etsy Artisans. Just in Time for Mother's Day, too!

Here's one of MossRoseDesigns' creations. My daughters and I love handbags, and this is one of my favorites in her shop. You'll love them, too, if you take a look:

For a limited time, purchase any handbag and receive a sunglasses case for free. At checkout, simply enter which case you would like in message to seller ( I re-printed this from her chop announcement).

So if you're stumped for Mother's Day and you need some inspiration, head on over to the Treasury West, check out the Treasury, and MossRoseDesigns' beautiful handbags. And if you need some jewelry...

New listings today! Plus, I love custom work!! See my newest creations!!

2009-04-21T17:09:00.012-04:00

Here's another 3-in-1 combo set hot off my beading table. Recently I'm giving more emphasis to everyday pieces that can be worn to the office, the grocery store, and the ballpark. I love love love to create statement pieces, and have a few custom orders for them right now, but creating items with beauty AND utility has been my main emphasis in my shop for a while. In this set, czech glass apples in peachy pink and green are accented by leafy green droplets and spacers, then hand wired together to create a delicate jumble of smooth pendants and eye-pleasing color. Antiqued brass chain doubles the bracelet and adds a rustic, vintage-like flourish that you'll wear over and over again. This set would be perfect for a lady who avoids ostentatious jewelry, but likes a feminine, flirty touch to wear every day. The front section detaches at twin toggle clasps to form a bracelet, and the 15.5" necklace extender can also double as an additional bracelet. The earrings closely match the design of the bracelet, and can also be worn alone. Czech glass apples anchor the earrings, and they're surrounded by droplets of green and crowned with cherry quartz and antiqued brass.

My other new listing is a cute little pair of earrings featuring carved onyx beads, and mother of pearl. These will please just about any girl who likes floral, feminine fashions, and likes a little dangle to swing when she turns her head. I'm that kind of girl, maybe that's why I make earrings like these!

I know I've said before that I love custom work, but did I mention that I LOVE custom work? Maybe I did. I really love doing custom work. I've had a few jobs lately that have been extremely fun, and stretching at the same time. Here are a few...

Here they are, from left to right: The first one is a sea-themed bracelet, with TierraCast charms, from Lytha Studios. They are not only a TierraCast distributor, but also designers of beautiful jewelry. Kits are available on their site, or you can ask people like me to assemble them for you ;) I also did these earrings for the same customer, but the pictures didn't come out very well. The second is a Fine Silver charm in a line I'm working on for my Etsy shop. The top one was oxidized, and the identical bottom charm is a photo taken before oxidation. Stay tuned for more information, coming soon! I'll offer customized bracelets and necklaces based on themes like Mother's Day, New Baby, Wedding, Graduation, Engagement, and other life's milestones. The last photo on the top is a pair of wire-wrapped "statement" earrings. They're as flashy and swinging as a miniskirt at a club in Miami's South Beach. Imagine the attention you'd get wearing those babies! The bottom charms are all Fine Silver charms, and the one on the right, f.r.o.g. stands for "fully rely on God," from a line of missions fund-raiser jewelry I'm working on at the moment.
I've been a busy girl. For a while the discouraging economy really got me down, but I've found that when I am able to create things that people like, I don't have time to worry about anything else.

Mother's Day GIVEAWAY!! Etsy Jewelry Design and Supply Shops

2009-04-20T15:03:00.005-04:00

One Etsy Street Team of incredibly talented Artsians, Etsy Jewelry Design & Supply Shops, is holding a Mother's Day Giveaway to promote their member's shops for you Mother's Day shopping fun. A handful of winners will win multiple prizes each. I'm giving away a white turquoise and carnelian earring set...like in this photo...

Check out the details of the promotion, under "how to enter" here.

In short, all you have to do is visit the team blog, click on 10 different shops listed, (including mine, of course!) and look in the featured items (i.e. the top 3 photos in each shop). Our mom's first names are placed inside one of the photos. Write down the name of the shop and the mom's name, then email the promotion leader at the email address provided on the team blog page in the "how to enter" section. While you're browsing, make sure you take a look at the awesome talent represented by the EJDSS street team. That's it! Hope you win!

Blockhead Radio Artisan's Challenge --VOTE for ME, Please!

2009-04-20T14:32:00.006-04:00

Blockhead Radio Live is holding their Artisan's Challenge, and this week one of my necklaces was selected to compete! Please VOTE HERE! Every week 60 different artisans face off in 12 different categories to see who has the best handmade item. The weekly challenge is the previous weeks winners in each category. The winner of the weekly challenge will receive an audio commercial with banner the following week on BHR. "Indian Summer" features leopardskin and poppy jasper alternating between hand-made copper wire spirals. It is listed for sale in my Etsy shop, here. I wish they'd picked another photo to represent the necklace, but maybe it was me who uploaded the wrong one. Here are a couple of other photos so you can take a good look...

Coming soon...how are YOU keeping your business going during this slower period in sales? Want to sound off on how you're making a difference in your bottom line? I'll have interviews and more information coming soon. The great benefit of featuring someone in my blog is that their success and experience can add to my own. When we share our ideas, together we have two. Let's put our heads together and see if we can figure out how to sail these often frustrating waters until the economy picks up again!

I've been featured!

2009-03-22T17:23:00.008-04:00

Kayla, at The Eclectic Element, offered to do a feature and critique on my shop. She's a fellow jewelry designer, and you can visit her shop, TheEclecticElement, here.

Now, I have a pretty thick skin, but even so an artist is so connected with their work that it can be pretty scary asking for a critique, at least for me. But Kayla was thrilled! (I was thrilled that she was thrilled, too! Read her review on her blog.

Here a photo of a beautiful bracelet from her shop. She's a Lyme disease survivor, and jewelry is one place where she finds strength and purpose. I'm posting a few of her Lyme disease-themed pieces, because they are for a good cause, and because they are beautiful. Her pieces have a simple beauty that is both gorgeous and calming. Her pieces exude a feeling of peace and tranquility, in the midst of her storm.

Thanks for the feature, Kayla! I'm glad you liked my work! I hope that your pay-it-forward was a great investment for you, and that it will come back to you multiplied.

Two more treasuries! I'm so excited!

2009-03-21T23:58:00.009-04:00

Two more Treasuries! Wow! I'm so pleased!

First, I forgot to properly thank monogrammingbytammy for featuring me in the "pretty in pink" FEST treasury in my previous post. Thanks, Tammy. My first treasury! That was awesome!

The first of two new treasuries with my items another FEST team Treasury, this time by PickMePaperDesigns. FEST is a street team that represents Florida Etsy Artisans. Their blog and other information on their members is here.

The second is a BNR by CraftedFromTheHeart. BNR means Buy and Replace, where an Etsy seller can purchase an item from the Treasury and have one of their items placed in the vacant spot. I was carried forward in this one from a purchase I made in the previous treasury. What a great way to see some items that you didn't know you needed!;)

It's a Pretty Pink Treasury! AND a great BNR!!

2009-03-18T13:51:00.009-04:00

I'm in TWO treasuries! Check them out. Just click, and the photo will bring you to the real thing.

The first, on the left, features Pink items from the

Florida Etsy Street Team, or FEST. FEST is a group of Florida Etsy Artisans who join together to promote each other, and themselves. What a great group! I've really enjoyed my membership. The treasury on the left is a BNR treasury run by Etsy member

Crafted from the Heart. When you purchase an item from her BNR, one of your items can take it's place. I bought a lovely plantable card for my mom. I couldn't wait until Mother's Day, so I sent it to her this week.

I'm so pleased to be included in these treasuries! Check them out! many lovely items for sale!

We have a WINNER!!

2009-03-17T13:54:00.009-04:00

A few days ago I announced a contest to name this necklace that I'm submitting to the Blockhead Radio Live Artisan's Challenge, which begins again on March 23. Check out the comments on the post to see all of the GREAT name suggestions that people offered. It was a hard choice, but I have picked the one that resonates most with me, and what I was thinking about the necklace when I made it.

(DRUM ROLL PLEASE...)

I chose "Indian Summer" by Susan, of Hot Rocks Glass Jewels.

Susan said...
The first thing that struck me were the warm tones that this necklace evokes, with the reds and copper. So what came to mind was "Indian Summer", which is the warm Autumn weather that occurs after the first frost, usually September or early October up here in my neck of the woods. Good luck with the contest, it is a beautiful necklace!

Thanks, Susan! Movement, texture and color are all very important to me when I design a set, and when everything comes together as I think it should, the result is a pleasant feeling of confidence and satisfaction.

In appreciation for her excellent name for my necklace set, I'm giving her a pair of earrings similar to the ones in the set.

Help me name this necklace for a contest...

2009-03-13T15:20:00.009-04:00

I'm scratching my head trying to name this necklace for a contest that I would like to enter. Could you help? This necklace features hand-made copper wire swirls, with Leopardskin and Poppy Jasper. I'm entering it in the Blockhead Radio Artisan's Challenge, that I heard about on RoseWorks Jewelry's blog. I've decided to get my mind off of the economy, and on to having fun with my craft, so I'll be entering contests and playing around, getting to know other crafters and enjoying myself. Personally, I've been a little blue due to lack of sales, and I know this is almost a universal feeling out there in the handcrafted arena. I also know that a little positive energy transfused into my business will stimulate my creativity and my spirits.

That's where YOU come in. I thought I'd have a contest to name this necklace, the first I've entered into any public contest. I will post when it's up for vote. The winning name will be posted on my Etsy site, my blog, and will receive a free pair of earrings made with the same materials as the necklace set you are naming, complete with the handmade ear wires and copper swirls!

I'll look through the entries on Tuesday after noon US Eastern time and choose a winner. I'd like to get the contest entry in by Tuesday evening. Thanks in advance for your participation!

Interview and Perspective by Youniquely Chic...

2009-03-08T15:51:00.013-04:00

Recently I won a contest for Valentine's Day by Youniquely Chic, an Etsy seller specializing in uniquely-designed Swarovski crystal jewelry. I was impressed by the quality of the necklace set, and after browsing her shop, I struck up a conversation with her about her jewelry. The jewelry market is slow right now, with so many people cautious about the economy, and reluctant to buy jewelry for themselves. Mother's Day is coming up, so I thought I'd do a feature on her jewelry, which is very different from my personal style, and though I didn't think I was really into crystal myself, I'm finding it's growing on me! Check out her shop. You'll love what you find!

Youniquely Chic is having a giveaway in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Check it out! not much time left! You could win the Emerald green set below, if you visit her blog and follow the instructions.

1. How when and where did you "get into" jewelry? About a year and a 1/2 ago a friend of mine decided to make jewelry and try to sell it, and she would come to my house to hang out and make it. Well it wasn't long before I couldn't stand it and decided to give it a try myself, I started out making items for myself, because I am a person that believes you can NEVER have too much jewelry! Then I started giving it as gifts and had a pretty favorable reception, but it all changed when I went to a family reunion last summer and everyone in my family was going nuts over my stuff, I made just about everyone there earrings or necklaces... for FREE! They kept telling me I was crazy to just give it away and I should sell it (they would say this as they were taking the set I made for them for free!! lol) When I got home I started doing some research, and decided yeah, I should give it a try. I signed up for an EBay store, then Etsy and now Artfire as well.

2. Do you have any other hobbies or interests? I love to read and watch movies but my business has pretty much become a full time thing so finding time to do anything other than make jewelry or promote my jewelry is pretty hard... I do try though!

3. How are your designs inspired? That is a tough question! I'll admit it I am inspired by other jewelry designers, of course I would never steal someone else's design but sometimes looking at the overall layout of a design will inspire me to make something... I think mostly my inspiration comes from my own imagination... I can sit for hours with a bunch of findings and crystals spread out in front of me and just stare at them, building different designs in my head until I come up with something I love.. And I only make jewelry that I love; I simply cannot make myself create jewelry that I would not be happy wearing myself.

4. Do you have any advice for other crafters, jewelery or not, for selling "in these difficult times?" any success tips? Promote yourself everywhere! That is the single best tip I can give, I am far from an expert in the subject but my sales have greatly increased since I joined social networks... As far as jewelry designers go, we are all very small fish in a very very large pond and if we aren't constantly getting our name and brand out there for people to see it doesn't take long for us to be lost.

5. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first got started? That Sterling Silver wasn't as expensive as I thought it was... also that it is a LOT easier to work with then the cheaper stuff.

6. What's on your horizon -- what skills would you like to acquire, goals that you'd like to accomplish? I plan to take some metal smith classes. I would also love to make the front page on Etsy! My main goal is to just continue to push myself to learn new things!

7. Do you sell to boutiques? Craft fairs? Online Exclusively? Where do you get most of your sales? Yes I do, I sell at just about any craft fair that I can afford to get into and there are a couple of stores here locally that sell my items. Just recently I was put in touch with a great Etsy seller who is opening a boutique at the end of March in downtown Colorado Springs and she has graciously allowed me to sell my items there, it is a great gig because she just charges a monthly space fee for a certain number of items and then when things sell she will send me the money and she takes zero out of sells, can't get any better than that! I'm not sure if she is accepting any more people or not but if anyone is interested you can find her on Etsy at http://kabibimei.etsy.com/

8. Tell me about your giveaway... I am giving away an emerald Swarovski necklace and earring set on my blog.. All you have to do to enter is post a story of good luck in your life. The contest runs until midnight March 9th and I will choose the winner the morning of the 10th and I will ship the item to the winner at no cost.. Everyone is welcome to enter, even those won don't live in the U.S., and I ship worldwide!http://youniquelychic.blogspot.com/

Spring Cleaning Sale!!

2009-03-02T16:33:00.003-05:00

Spring has sprung here in Sunny Florida, and I'm itching to renew my inventory with some fancy new items I've been wanting to make for a long time. SO...in the interest of fiscal responsibility, yours and mine, I've decided to have a Spring Cleaning Sale! For the ENTIRE month of March, I will take 20% off of every item in my shop. When you browse, if the headline says "SALE" in it, you'll know that the price reflects the 20% savings you'll receive when you purchase any item in my shop. AND, if you'll take a look in the right-hand side bar on my blog, here, you'll see links to Dr. Weiman's Marketing Jewelry.com, and if you're a little slow on the selling side, he can give you tips on how to turn that around. People are still buying jewelry. We just have to place ourselves where they can find us. I find the greatest satisfaction when people want to make my jewelry creations their own, and wear them. Dr. Weiman shows you how to accomplish this! Let's have a successful and profitable spring!

Gift Certificates available in my Etsy shop

2009-02-12T14:48:00.007-05:00

OK guys and girls, I know there's some of you well-meaning folks out there who are very busy, like me, and who still need to do Valentine's Day Shopping. So I have an answer to all of your gift-giving woes -- for ladies, that is.

I'm offering Gift Certificates in my Etsy shop in various denominations -- $25, $50, $75 and $100. Any combination of gift certificates can be spent like cash in my shop.

When you purchase a gift certificate, you will receive a .pdf from me with the numbered certificate by email, and my assurance that your purchase will be handled with the greatest care and for the greatest satisfaction of your intended recipient. I have over 53 items listed in my shop (including treasuries of earrings and bracelets), and can also do custom orders to your beloved's exact specifications. If you'll check my feedback, you'll see that I have happy customers on 3 continents. I will also ship your beloved's choice within the United States for free, and internationally for $5 (seperate listing, make sure you put that in your cart, too.) That's the same deal I'm offering in my shop for shipping.

So browse today. Your loved one will be thrilled to receive THEIR CHOICE of items from my shop. No guesswork on your part, and no stress. Just print the Gift certificate and enclose it in your card, that you gift them on Valentine's Day. Hope yours is a happy one!

Jaspers by any name are just as sweet!

2009-02-07T09:51:00.019-05:00

The endless variety and beauty of semiprecious stones gives me a lifetime of possibilities for creating jewelry. One of the broadest varieties is Jasper. My most recent Jasper creation is with Leopardskin Jasper, Poppy Jasper, and handmade Copper coils. And here's what I found out about Jasper, specifically, Leopardskin Jasper...

From Wikipedia, "Jaguar Stone" :
Jaguar Stones are created from a type of mineral known as Leopardskin Jasper -- an opaque tan, brown, and ochre form of impure quartz. This variety of Jasper is most often found in South America, and gets its name from the leopard-like spots covering its surface. The term Jaguar Stone has also been known to refer to stone carvings of jaguar heads created by the Ancient Maya. Not necessarily made out of Leopardskin Jasper, these Jaguar Stones can still be found in Maya temples, including Chichen Itza in modern-day Mexico...

... As one of the oldest known gemstones, Jasper, in all its varieties, has long been thought to have positive mystical properties. Natural healers recommend its use as an aid in the self-healing process. Jaguar Stones specifically have been associated with shaman travel and spiritual discovery, helping their bearers traverse between worlds in order to gain spiritual growth. Among believers, a popular practice is to display a sphere made of Jaguar Stone prominently in the home to promote the flow of positive energy. Also, wearing Jaguar Stones is said to be important to the 1st, 4th and 7th Chakras, and Jaguar Stones are often moulded into jewelry.

And I just thought they were pretty! (I don't give a whole lot of time to the other stuff, but I thought the history was interesting!)

I have two other Jasper listings, one for brown Sesame Jasper with Bronzite and brass, and one for Minty-Green Sesame Jasper. Stop by my shop to take a look!

A bouquet of new listings for Valentine's Day, or any day

2009-02-05T16:24:00.015-05:00

Valentine's day is coming! time to get something special for your sweeties! I've been a busy little critter around here. Finishing 6 new sets since January has left me with a LOT of make-up postings to do. I'll try to post two a day, and dare myself to stay ahead. Gotta continue to create, so the inventory doesn't get stale. To get a sneak peek at what's coming up on my blog, check out my Etsy shop, here, or click on my mini in the right column...

Eeney-meeney-miney-moe, which to pick first? Here's a new favorite design, one I created with labradorite slices and blue aventurine.

Were they dyed? probably, but these are semi-precious stones, and not gems. They're put together in these combinations for their beauty as they are, as part of an overall design. So, hope you enjoy what you see! I think this one looks surprisingly light and airy, in spite of the chunkiness of the stones! If you're familiar with Labradorite, it's a rather plain-looking stone until natural light shines on it and BANG! Blue lightning seems to flash from within the stone! Gorgeous! I paired it with the blue aventurine, which exactly matches the glimmering highlights in the Labradorite. Antiqued brass findings harmonize the piece, and the tiny swinging blue pendants that adorn the set add playfulness and fun. I might make one of these for myself!

The next set features a combination of stones I've had in my drawer for a couple months. I kept looking at them, putting them back, looking at them, then I just started "feeling it" one day and this set is the result. Ever have that kind of experience? These beautiful Tourmalinated Quartz beads and pendant look drop-dead gorgeous when paired with silver, foil-lined "e" beads and onyx. Also known as Black Rutilated Quartz, this quartz stone contains "rutiles", or needle-like inclusions, of black tourmaline.

What do you think? I think it's a keeper! I especially like the small donuts that were so easily filled with onyx. I can't stand it when I see donut beads with wire running through them -- might as well NOT even use those if you're not going to highlight them somehow. OR, use headpins with flat bottoms and leave the donuts empty. That gives the eye a little to consider. Anyway, like I was talking to a fellow jewelry designer the other day -- the elements can be beautiful, but if you screw up the design, that's all anyone will notice anyway. Design will always be just as important as materials.

I won! I won? I won!

2009-02-03T21:22:00.006-05:00

Look what I won!

Tara, over at YouniquelyChic held a contest recently for the best "true story of romance in your life," and I won! Check it out, here.

I've had the pleasure of browsing Tara's shop, (youniquelychic.etsy.com). Her work is not only beautiful, but distinctive. She has an eye for color, and is skilled at jewelry design. Her prices, like mine, are very reasonable for her kind of work. If you purchased something for your Valentine from either of our shops (I know, shameless plug there), I know that you would look incredibly thoughtful, intuitive and demonstrate extraordinary taste! (So what are you waiting for, Christmas? It's Valentines in 11 days! Get to it!)

So for anyone who likes romantic stories, has one to tell, or just likes to read how nicely things can turn out, skip on over to Tara's Blog (promise you'll come back) and read all of the responses to her contest. They really make you believe in happy endings. As for my story, which you can also read, the best is yet to come...

*******Update*********

I received my necklace set today (Feb. 5) and am VERY VERY impressed! If I had purchased it, I would have been a very happy customer. The workmanship is superb. The joints are perfectly executed, and the piece is strong, yet delicate in design. It would have been money well-spent. But I won it! Yay!!

Tara's work at Youniquelychic is both a great value and great buy. Her attention to detail and design sets her work apart from most handmade jewelry. If you give her a chance, you'll be pleased, as I am!

Bloggers Unite! January 26th -- CPSIA Blog-in

2009-01-28T22:36:00.002-05:00

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on 10 February, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.
Article from the American Library Association http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please react.

Cutest little artwork, and kind awards...

2009-01-24T18:12:00.011-05:00

I was recently given three kind awards for my blog, from the same lovely person. Since I do not have the connections or the time to fulfill the awards, I thought I'd give her a plug instead. I've enjoyed her artwork and browsing her site, and I think she has the cutest artwork I've seen in a very long time. There's a lot of talent out there, and she got a high-calorie dose of it! When you take a look, you'll see what I mean.

Her blog is rkdesign88, and her etsy shop is one of the places you can purchase these adorable prints. I love to browse her shop because the pictures are so sweet and fun I can't take my eyes off of them. Seriously! I think she has the chance, if picked up by an ambitious publisher, to be as big as Mary Englebreit or even Hello Kitty. She's currently residing in Jakarta, Indonesia. You meet all kinds of beautiful talented people through the blogs and through Etsy. I'm honored to be associated with them. And a little overwhelmed. Makes me feel so out-classed, you know?

So if you agree with me, I heartily recommend that you skip on over to her shop and pick up a few ACEOs, which are original artworks, and a few prints that strike your

fancy. I plan to purchase a few for myself, and for my daughter's room. She's 11 but she loves these artworks. I wonder if she'd do birth announcements...or framed pictures with the baby's birth statistics on them...Anyway, grab these originals while you can, becuase I think they'll be worth a LOT of cash someday. That way you'll be able to say "I knew her when...."

Truppies, anyone?

2009-01-14T19:09:00.008-05:00

Volleyball season has come around again, and my thoughts turn to -- Truppies? Yep, that's right. Truppies.

What in the world is a "truppy?" Well, you're in for a treat!!

Recently I made a new friend who is an Etsy seller and lives nearby in Middleburg. We met through an Etsy Street Team we both support. When I saw her craft, I just HAD to find out more. She makes these cute little fluffy animals that she calls Truppies, and my first impression was that I just had to have two of them for my daughters. Who knew mop heads could turn out so cute? (At least there's ONE fun use for a mop!) When I contacted her, she was very nice to work with, and we settled on team colors with volleyball charms for my Truppies. Here's a pic of my twin cuties:

So, if you fall in love with them like I did, visit her shop, drop her a note, and order a custom Truppy or two for yourself and for a special person in your life. I think a Valentine Truppy with one of my bracelets on it's neck would be just perfect for Valentines Day, don't you?

2008-12-17T23:13:00.005-05:00

I've uploaded a mess of earrings as one listing on Etsy. Great for last minute gifts and stocking stuffers, these babies can be sent out quickly for your gifting. The prices are unbeatable, too!Check out my listing for the details!

While playing around with my beads or cleaning my table, sometimes I get on a roll. Same thing happens when I just decide to clean up or reorganize a small portion of a countertop -- pretty soon I'm up to my eyeballs. This d=beading session was no exception. I had lots of fun creating sassy little doo-dads of every color, and finding the perfect colored beads to complement the focal beads. Fun, Fun, FUN!!

If you have any questions on any listing, please convo me on Etsy. I'm online all the time!

It's all about the Coffee!!

2008-12-15T19:15:00.011-05:00

A couple months ago, I was looking for gifts for my daughters' volleyball coaches for our end-of-the-season awards receptiona and party. I picked out some cute little coffee cozies by Etsy seller Jenngee, and contacted her about a custom order using volleyball fabric. She was happy to accomodate my request! And, even better, the "coffee corsets", as she calls them, came out PERFECT!! I had such a pleasant experience dealer with her that I thought I'd do a feature with her on my blog. She graciously accepted my offer, and since the party STILL has not happened, I thought I'd sneak this feature in before Christmas, since there's probably more than a couple people who still need gifts for those on their holiday lists.

So, Jenn...How'd you get started making coffee corsets, of all things?

*** I drink coffee. Lots of coffee. Last summer I was reading Quilting Arts magazine and came across an article about making fabric coffee cuffs. I decided to make one of my own using their instructions, but I was unhappy with the "bump" that was formed at the seam. On my sewing table I happened to have a recently purchased bag of eyelets and the idea of lacing up the cuff popped into my head. After many different trials (and errors) I created my own unique product and I named it the Coffee Corset!

Is this a full time or part-time endeavor, and what did you do previously?

*** I am a full time employee at a major university where I am a math nerd and computer geek. Luckily, my job is almost entirely online so I can fit it my part-time obsession with sewing pretty easily.

You have quite a few sales (1102!) in a year-and-a-half. That's phenomenal. To what do you attribute this? How do you market your business?

*** The sales I've gotten through Etsy have amazed me. While I knew I had something fun and unique, I had no idea I'd get this type of response! I attribute my initial success to simply having a unique product that people seemed to want - I did very little advertising for the first 4-5 months that I was selling online. Word of mouth is still, by far, my best marketing strategy. I have tags in every corset so that when someone asks a buyer where they got their corset they always have the website address of my shop right inside their sleeve. Repeat business is extremely important as well and I attribute about 1/4 of my current monthly sales to buyers who have previously shopped with me before. I think that providing excellent customer service, a product that is superbly well made, and an attempt to constantly introduce new/unique styles is the reason people keep coming back for me. As for advertising, I currently try to keep it fairly simple (I twitter, blog, post in the forum! s, use myspace, etc.) and I still rely heavily on word of mouth advertising.

What advice would you give a new Etsy seller trying to establish themselves?

***Post in the Etsy forums! Most of my first sales came from participating in the forums. People can't buy from you if they don't know that you exist. Also, take steps to get non-Etsy people into your shop. For me that meant giving out free/cheap samples to my friends and family who did lots of on-the-ground advertising for me just by using my product. Keep looking for new and fun ways to advertise. You don't have to spend a lot of money (or any money!) if you are creative and willing to put in some effort. Lastly, don't be discouraged if you don't start selling right away. Keep making small improvements to your product, pictures, listings, etc. and eventually the sales will come.
Check out Jenn's other Etsy sites:
http://smallwonderful.etsy.com/
http://uncagedburt.etsy.com/
http://isupply.etsy.com/

...and her blog, for organziational tips for ADD crafters like me (a must-read!!):
http://jenngeorgeburt.blogspot.com/

I'm afraid now I have craft-room envy. I'm now planning a second floor on my house...and Jenn, I think your dogs would just loooove a zipline for those personal moments in the back yard. or you could litterbox train them...

So now I'm off for my first pot of coffee for today. Thanks for the interview, Jenn! I'll be back for more of those corsets!

20% off sale! Save big for Christmas!

2008-12-08T16:01:00.022-05:00

I guess I'm jumping on the bandwagon in the middle of the parade, or maybe I'm just overflowing with Christmas Spirit. Starting today I'm offering 20% off my entire store inventory! Since I have 49 listings, I'll create an adjusted listing for each buyer who contacts me prior to the sale. AND, as an added bonus, whoever mentions my blog in the "notes to seller" section will receive an additional gift! Just enter "blogger" and you'll receive a surprise with your purchase.

Since it's getting so close to Christmas, if you'd like, I'll send your gift directly to it's destination, and include a card with your name on it. I'll send your free gift to your address. To accomplish this, put the giftee's address in the notes to seller section.

New Necklace Set!!

Just going up on Etsy is this Sesame Jasper set. This is an unusual stone, which at first glance looks nothing like my previous sesame jasper posting, but when you look closely, the stones are quite similar, with the exception of the color. These stones are gorgeous, and are set off perfectly with the Bronzite. Alternating black glass beads antique finish brass spacers and a black onyx focal bead in the bail makes the whole design just pop! It should be listed on Etsy tomorrow morning.

From Auntie's Beads....

Bronzite gemstone beads have a lot of personality. This stone is found deep beneath the surface of the Earth and contains iron. The color of Bronzite is either brown or sometimes green. Bronzite has a submetallic luster and the sparkles of bronze light are called shiller.

Luster is right. These beads have a tiger-eye-like shimmer, but deeper color, which gives them depth. They are uniquely drilled, and create an interesting look when strung together. This set has a unique style for ladies who don't want to look like the crowd.

"Sell more of your jewelry by learning..."

2008-12-03T13:31:00.006-05:00

"Sell more of your jewelry by learning the SECRETS to understanding and connecting with buyers of artisan jewelry!"

David Weiman at Marketing Jewelry.com is offering $10 off a 1 year subscription to Jewelry Selling Insights, the #1 newsletter for jewelry makers. I've read through some of his publications, and just the free hints alone have revolutionized the way I look at selling jewelry, even in a tough market like we're experiencing today. I'm purchasing a subscription for myself for Christmas, and I encourage you to do so, as well. Just enter coupon code JS-10 on the checkout page and click "Apply."

Instead of waiting for improvements in the jewelry market, maybe we need to change the way we approach it. David Weiman's postive "can-do" attitude is infectious, and will give you the encouragement and tools you need to jumpstart or revive your dormant customer base.

Here's to a happy, healthy and successful New Year!!

I've been featured!!

2008-11-22T22:54:00.004-05:00

Big-time thanks goes to Rose Works Jewelry for featuring my Tree of Life Pendant (and earrings) on her "Treasury blog." (link)

Her post included 5 different artists currently eaturing trees in their product line.

I'm awed when I think about the caliber of talent found at Etsy. Rose Works is no exception. In addition to creating great jewelry that I would be pleased to wear myself, she has a great blog and a great sense of humor. Check out her other posts while you're veiwing her treasury. I especially liked the "Star Wars" post. My husband and I are fans, too. I never admitted that before I met him...

Here's MY favorite piece from Rose Works' shop: (pictured)

She calls it Brave Heroine Necklace. Pretty, isn't it?

Thanks, Rose Works!

"Tree of Life" Listings, up now!

2008-11-19T15:14:00.017-05:00

(From Wikipedia:) A "tree of life" is a mystical concept, a metaphor for common descent or a motif in various world theologies, mythologies and philosophies. This concept has lent itself also to be used in science and other areas.

The Tree of Life is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, in which it has the potential to grant immortality to Adam and Eve, in Proverbs where it's a simile for a blessing. Etz Chaim, Hebrew for "Tree of Life", is a common term used in Judaism. The expression, found in the Book of Proverbs, is figuratively applied to the Torah itself.

Trees are prevalent in literature, and real life, as well. In J.R.R.Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, "The White Tree of Gondor stood as a symbol of Gondor in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith. The White Tree also appears as a motif upon Gondor's flag." (from Wiki entertainment, here.) In Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series features "Avendesora, "a Tree of Life. In some parts of the Caribbean, coconut trees are given the title of "tree of life", as they can produce everything needed for short/medium term survival. The West African Moringa oleifera tree is regarded as a "tree of life" or "miracle tree" by some because it is arguably the most nutritious source of plant-derived food discovered on the planet. Modern scientists and some missionary groups have considered the plant as a possible solution for the treatment of severe malnutrition and aid for those with HIV/AIDS. (also from Wikipedia, here)

I'm not a tree-hugger. I do however, appreciate the beauty and value of trees. Since I was a little girl, I've loved to travel in the fall to see the changing leaves, and love to see the bare branches of trees covered with snow. For me, the seasons marked by the changes of the trees are a beautiful way to mark the passage of time, and life.

These were my thoughts as I pondered making jewelry that symbolized the Trees of Life, and celebrated their contribution to mankind. I hope you'll enjoy these creations as much as I've enjoyed creating them.

In these sets, I used fancy jasper chips and wired them to copper wire with anti-tarnish brass wire. Copper and 14kt GP beads are alternated by silver spacers, and paired with fancy jasper beads and blocks. The earrings for the necklace set feature tiny 3/4" trees of life created with the same materials, and matching bead segments.

The bracelet set features a smaller tree wired to strands of fancy jasper, copper, gold and silver, and has a hand-made wire toggle clasp. The earrings have "sprigs" of fancy jasper dangling from segments of fancy jasper beads and highlighted by copper, gold and silver.

From time to time I'll revisit the "tree of life" idea. The beauty I've found in nature, expressed by the variety of stones and metals available, would be hard to suppress.

Open, Sesame!

2008-11-12T10:11:00.008-05:00

This piece was made from Sesame Jasper, black onyx, and silver. My oldest daughter loves this stone. The beads look like mint chocolate chip ice cream. Really! My younger daughter made a necklace, bracelet and earring set for her older sister for her 16th birthday. I borrow it all the time. It looks really nice with teal and black, or cool greens. The stone is truly stunning.

One of the best things about making jewelry is being able to work with such beautiful materials. My favorite is semi-precious stone. I am constantly amazed at the variety of stones and their beauty. What a statement as to the glory and wonder of God's creation.

Another custom order finished!!

2008-11-11T17:52:00.006-05:00

I'm so happy about this particular bracelet. It's going to a lady for whom these beads have special meaning, and I enjoyed putting it together for her. It features millifiori glass, AB czech glass, faceted crystal saucers, and hand-made wire-wrapped spacers of anti-tarnish brass. It's always so satisfying to present something to someone, and know that it means more to them than just any piece of jewelry. Hat's off to you, Tina! Best Wishes, too. I hope you really enjoy it.

I've been a busy little critter around here. I finished a Sesame Jasper piece this morning, and will post it tomorrow.

Fossilized coral -- with tiger-eye and carnelian!

2008-11-10T16:44:00.005-05:00

The distributor had this labeled as "flower stone." How odd. It's really fossilized coral, and it's gorgeous, isn't it? The cabochon was free-form wire-wrapped in silver, and wired onto a beaded necklace, strung with carnelian, tiger eye and silver spacers. I'm very excited about this piece! I have another piece of coral, already wire-wrapped, ready to go, and will finish it in a few days. The earrings have the same square coral pillow beads, tiger eye, and carnelian. Eye-popping, and elegant.

It's so nice to be noticed...

2008-11-08T15:26:00.013-05:00

I just got back from the bank, Vystar Credit Union, where I had to get some forms notarized for the upcoming club volleyball season. My kids play with JJVA, Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Assoc., and it's time to get the season tryouts up and going. I really like our bank. They have everything we need, and the people are very, very helpful. They must really screen their employees, because we've always had a great experience there. Anyway, I decided to show my latest necklace set, because I'd bought a new shirt this week that matched the blue foil-lined glass I used perfectly. It caused quite a stir! I was so pleased! The ladies there were so complimentary and so excited about it. I hope that's the feeling it creates wherever it is viewed. I'd like it to find a new home, and soon! The set is made with an adorable starfish, smaller than the one my daughter used in her necklace. It's accented with Topaz foil-lined glass and Ruby-colored beads with beautiful gold accents swirled all around. I paired them with Goldstone, it's become a trend in my shop recently, and faceted crystal globes with AB. Silver Spacers give it even more sparkle. I really like the way it's turned out! I figured I'd lost the pics of the set here, since I hadn't had the chance to list it yet. It's the weekend, prime time for listing, and I should be putting it up, but I'm going out to play "touchdowns" with my two year old instead. No regrets.

Here's another custom creation I just finished. It was an alchemy order (for those of you who have never bid on creating a custom order through Etsy, I highly recommend it) and I bid wayyyy to low for what I eventually made, but this idea just developed until the point that I'd spent wayyyy to much time on it. Oh Well, good blog fodder. At least I'll have a posting out of it. I hope the customer likes it as much as I do. This one is made with pressed glass lady bugs, scarlet-red coral, and black glass beads. The green leaves are also pressed glass, leaves and droplets, and "e" beads. The black bands are strung on elastic, so though the bracelet is a nice 7 1/2", it has no clasp and has a snug cuff-like fit. I have more beads like this, and could do another one, similar to it, if requested. The order did not include earrings, but I have some ideas on how to make a pair that would complement.

Build a bear giveaway!

2008-11-07T11:53:00.006-05:00

AAAWWWwwwwww, Isn't this little guy CUTE? My friend Jacqueline, at Blessings Abound, is giving away a $10 gift card to Build-A-Bear on her blog.

My kids have enjoyed Build-A-Bear ever since they opened at the Avenues Mall here in Jacksonville. What a great program! We had a birthday party there, once. My daughter absolutely loved it.

One thing I like best about the snugglies at Build-A-Bear, besides their cuteness, is the softness of their plush. These animals are the highest quality I've seen anywhere, and the craftsmanship is excellent. When I used to work in retail gift shops, I became very familiar with the different brands of stuffed animals. Even the least expensive $10 bear at Build-A-Bear is one that will last a lifetime.

So head on over to Blessings Abound, and enter her contest. Imagine the delight of the loved one in your life who gets to take a trip to the Build-A-Bear workshop! I'm already planning to take my 2 year old, even if I don't win. It's just time to get him a lifetime little friend.

New Listing! Love Sponge!!

2008-11-04T16:37:00.007-05:00

New Listing! Just finished today, this bracelet set is made of hand-wired links, alternating, of denim-blue sponge coral, and marbled white/grey howlite; and ebony lava rocks are tiny pendants that swing from each ad joining link, providing playful swing and movement. The 8" (20cm) bracelet set includes a 14" (35cm) extender with matching toggle clasp that can make the bracelet into necklace, or be worn as an additional bracelet. The earrings have 1 1/2" (4cm) dangles that match the bracelet perfectly. They're surprisingly light! Blue Sponge Coral and lava are both very porous, so their size does not give you any clue to their weight.

The findings are a gun metal grey finish, matching the howlite perfectly. These materials just belong together, and the result is a stunning set that you'll reach for every day!

On my table now: fossilized coral, leopardskin jasper, carnelian, and some custom work that needs finishing. I finished a cute sea horse set with topaz and ruby-colored foil-lined glass and goldstone that will be up very soon. Stay tuned!

How about a Bloggy Giveaway?

2008-11-03T15:12:00.012-05:00

We were having a discussion about Etsy on Etsy's forums this morning, and sharing our observations that out of everyone we talk to on a daily basis, not enough people know about Etsy. Now, I know this isn't the case as much in the blogosphere, because you can hardly go anywhere without running into an Etsy seller trying to promote their shop. We tossed around the idea that WE have to be responsible for marketing Etsy, since it is US (and the customers, too) who directly benefit from it.

So I've decided to run a contest. How'd you like to win this cute pair of earrings? The dangles are 1 1/2" for a total length of 2". The stones are white turquoise, carnelian and more white turquoise, and the ear wires and spacers are copper. Guys, you can win them too. They're perfect for gift-giving. It's the season to shop for the ladies in your life!!

Here are the rules: You must do three out of four to qualify for the giveaway: Contest runs until November 15.

1. Click this link to sign up for Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/register.php?referral=LauraStaley if you are not already a member. (10 entries) (It is so quick and easy!)

2.) heart my shop (as a buyer, click "add to my favorites"). You'll need to have your favorites set to "public" in order to do this. (5 entries) I'll confirm your signup date (if and heart for your entries.

3.) comment this post and tell me your Etsy user name, and I'll heart you back! (5 entries)

4.) Tell me your favorite item in my shop (5 entries). (Awwww, thanks!)

For the duration of the contest I'll offer another free gift -- a free pair of earrings -- with any purchase, when you mention "bloggy contest" in the notes to seller.

Ready, set....join Etsy! It's super easy, and you won't regret it. While you're browsing, check out your local Etsy Artisans by clicking "Buy" in the header next to the orange "Etsy" on the front page and then clicking "shop local", or take a peek at the "Treasuries"...which are hot, hot, hot in the Etsy community! OR, click on guides and browse items handpicked by the Etsy staff.

Or you could just spend the whole time in my shop. That's just fine by me.

all of the normal disclaimer stuff applies. You get the pair of earrings advertised as being the prize. I'll change to sterling or gold-filled at an extra charge. I guarantee the workmanship, and will give you every measurement I know to make sure you'll like them. Everything else is subjective and I'll do my best to help you. please be patient!

Featured on WhimsicalStars!

2008-11-01T21:13:00.003-04:00

A new Etsy friend, http://whimsicalstars.etsy.com/ has featured me on her blog! In it is a little bit about how I got into jewelry, about art in general, and then I had to pick my 5 favorite Etsy shops. That was a hard one, because I have 287 favorites! If it had been a pop quiz like the ones in school, I would have failed the last one. I couldn't choose just 5.

I really enjoyed reading through Whimsical Stars' blog, because I was able to learn about the lives of fellow Etsians, and their motivation. Etsy has been an incredible experience for me, and I'm in awesomely talented company. So if you have time go on over to Whimsical Stars, and read up on...me (and other Etsy artists)!

Balance, and my desperate struggle to bag that pesky critter!

2008-10-31T22:44:00.007-04:00

4 listings in as many days. Check it out! I plan to double that number over the weekend. I have so many ideas brimming over that it is frustrating at times. As a mom, finding balance is difficult. I did, however, spend some quality time playing with Hot Wheels with my two year old today. We were both giddy with delight. And I didn't once think I should be doing anything else. That was gratifying. And an adequate amount of schoolwork got done.

Though I detest schedules and structure, I need to have both. Acquiring the discipline to conform to it is a never-ending battle. You've heard of falling off your date book -- falling off your schedule is worse. Sometimes I feel like Fred Flintstone in an oil slick on the road. I'm just scampering in place. I need to schedule some serious time for beading, computer time for marketing and promoting, time with hubby (which is what I should be doing now) homeschooling, and playtime with the kids. It's a struggle with carnality, and with balance of doing things for other people vs. what I want to do right this moment, and it's a fight to maintain order. It's exhausting!

How to get a Round Tuit...

2008-10-31T00:04:00.006-04:00

Imagine all of the things you could do if you just had a round Tuit. Well, now you have one. Feel free to copy mine, and hand it out at will. (tell them about my blog and Etsy site, if you feel like it please? we all have to eat)

If you haven't tried Etsy yet, I encourage you to find out what it's all about. After various online selling experiences that were memorable but less than satifying, I stumbled on Etsy through the recommendation of a friend.

What I found has changed my business, and my life. I'm not being melodramatic, either. Etsy's online community is, for the most part, a cooperative community of buyers and sellers, for handmade, vintage, supplies and the like. Outside of my church, I've never met a more encouraging and welcoming group of people.

So, I'm giving you this Round Tuit. Now that you have one, you can get everything done that you've been putting off. Including joining Etsy, here, or buying a beautiful piece of handcrafted, artisan designed jewelry, here. You don't even have to thank me. I will thank YOU!

I'm featured on Love Etsy Feedback!

2008-10-28T21:36:00.004-04:00

Danelle, driving force behind Love Etsy Feedback, is featuring my work on her blog until November 4th. In tandem with the feature, we're giving away a Golden Strawberry Quartz and Freshwater Pearl bracelet from my shop, http://laurastaley.etsy.com

From znetshows.com:

Golden Strawberry pendants are the hot new vogue for those who enjoy the long line of popular quartz designs. Golden strawberry Quartz is based on the popular strawberry quartz with one beautiful addition bright yellow and orange flares across each bead. The base material is still a light pink strawberry quartz, but on top of that is a complex swirl of dark grey and flaming wisps of sunset orange. These beads practically scream energy, making them perfect centerpieces for all your summer and autumn designs. There are no two beads look alike. This type of quartz has a successful processing rate of less than 10 percent, making them very difficult to be mass produced. Very limited quantity available. No other quartz is more unique than these beads.

Golden Strawberry Quartz lives up to the hype. As you can see in the photo, and it really doesn't do it any justice, these stones are luscious, and just plain beautiful. I've paired them with Tiger Eye (and will again soon) freshwater pearls, smoky quartz, Amber glass (see this listing http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12326800) and every time I show it, the result is rave reviews from everyone.

If you feel like it, I encourage you to go on over to http://loveetsyfeedback.blogspot.com and enter her giveaway. If you don't win, you could always buy one. I have a good supplier, and for the near future, since I bought a wagon load of these beads, I'll have enough to make quite a few more.

Are you Serious? I mean, REALLY Serious?

2008-10-16T10:33:00.020-04:00

Have you ever considered -- what makes people plunk down their hard-earned money for your expertly-crafted work? I have. The answer lies in the psychology of the customer, and how your presentation communicates and stimulates a buying activity.

I've sold jewelry before, but I'm not a psychologist. I've had lots of experience selling during shows and to individuals, but I could use some targeted tips on pricing (the big bug-a-boo for crafters) and selling my work to careful consumers. I'd also like to learn exactly what moves my customers to make a jewelry purchase.

Recently I came across a site with resources that do exactly that. Dr. David Weiman, Psychologist and marketing director for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, the world's oldest gem, bead and jewelry arts magazine, has resources to help jewelry makers and jewelry retailers like me "understand the personality of artisan jewelry buyers so that they can make better connections with those buyers." (from his website) I signed up for his free e-newsletter, and it's revolutionized the way I'm approaching sales, at shows or home shows. So can you!

Dr. Weiman's programs speak for themselves. Here are a few titles: ... Introduction to Marketing and Selling Jewelry ... Jewelry Selling Insights ... 5 Keys to Selling Handcrafted Jewelry ... The Jewelry Selling Answer Book ... Ultimate Guide to Your Profitable Jewelry BoothDr. Weiman is the same consultant who teaches Super-Selling techniques at national bead conventions like Bead Fest in Philadelphia. He can teach you in your home, on your schedule. He has a newsletter subscription, for less than the cost of one Starbucks per month, that explores jewelry techniques at greater depth.

He's made his new e-book, a$17 value, 50 Great Jewelry Selling Techniques, available for free download. These tips just blow me away. As I read down the list, there were a few things I was doing right, but his book has opened my eyes to the potential for successfully selling my jewelry. He says this about his programs:

I believe that activity -- doing something! -- is essential for business of all sizes who want to make it through these times effectively.We may not be able to control the economy or what big banks and huge companies are doing, but we can do many things ourselves to make things better in our own businesses. (AMEN!)

You can sign up for his free e-newsletter, The Jewelry Seller, and downloaded his free ebook: Click here to learn more! Do it today! Read his book, sign up for his newsletter, and you'll agree -- this guy knows his stuff!

Selling Jewelry in a tough economy:

I hope you'll take advantage of his offers, and generate more success in your business.

How Many??

2008-10-14T14:02:00.006-04:00

Things have been a little slow on the sales front, and I've been mulling over things I've learned in my many incarnations as a sales person. I've sold signs, Mary Kay, Creative Memories, NestFamily videos, more signs, and jewelry a couple times) and this one always keeps bubbling to the surface: "How Many?"

A Mary Kay friend of mine, Trish, who won diamonds and prizes the good old fashioned way -- by selling product -- used to ask me "how many?" when I needed the odd trade because of a hole in my inventory. I asked her about that one time, because it suddenly struck me as a great way to add to the sale. She said it was the primary way she took her sales to that level (besides good old fashioned work, i.e. skin care classes, etc.).

So when it comes to sales, asking "how many?" makes the customer think about stocking up or giving gifts. It lets them know you're concerned about them, and helping them get what they need. It works for me!

Wow! Thanks!

2008-10-13T12:37:00.005-04:00

Hey! What a nice surprise! I made it on The Art Zoo! Here's a link, if you promise to come back...http://www.theartzoo.com/hoops-dangle-earrings/ They featured a cute little pair of earrings I put together with Sodalite (love that stuff) Howlite (usually what people use for turquoise and dye it blue), silver hoops, and a few jump rings. I really like the way they turned out!
Here's the listing for them on Etsy... http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15242850
They're lightweight, and they sway nicely when you turn your head. I can take this style and re-invent it with other stones, square, round, whatever. I think I'll be doing more of these.

These earrings are listed in an earring treasury I created. I do the treasuries because I want to show all the stuff I make, but don't want them to get lost within my shop. When you use Majaba (http://www.majaba.org/) to track your shop views, you'll notice that when you have two or more pages, you have serious issue of getting people to click through to your second or third or subsequent pages. The "Featured Listings" helps, because you can feature items on your second, third, etc. pages, but it's easy for items to get lost. To organize this, I grouped pairs of earrings and bracelets together and called them treasuries. I've sold whole sets this way, when one nice lady decided she wanted all of the earrings in the treasury. I changed the price on the listing and she bought the listing. Etsy gets their money, I made a sale, everything was just great. I'd group things together by type, by color, or by stone. Everybody wins.

I guess I'm "it" now!

2008-10-09T14:40:00.005-04:00

OK, So now Ive been tagged!
My Etsy friend, Cristi, at 2ifbySea,
(2ifbysea-cristi.blogspot.com) tagged me in the comment section of my Custom Order post. I like a fun game, so I'll play!
Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
So, here are 7 facts little known facts about me:
1. I was born and raised in South Carolina. I consider it to be the larger part of my heritage, even though my parents were from elsewhere.
2. This is my third incarnation as a jewelry maker...I made and sold jewelry in middle school, and then took a "real" jewelry class in college complete with metal work, and returned to it In November of last year, when my oldest decided to make a bracelet for my mom for Christmas. This time, it stuck.
3. My husband and I have 7, yes seven, children all together. His three, my three, and our one. It's a ZOO sometimes!
4. I'm from a long line of craftspeople. My maternal grandfather was a jeweler. He worked with lapidary equipment, faceted stones and made cabochons. My mom makes jewelry, too. I guess that makes me the third generation. My great-grandfather was crafty, too. He hand-painted pin striping on cars, as well as painted as a hobby. My paternal grandmother paints, and owned a florist shop at one time. My sister is crafty, a great cook, and an incredible seamstress. She should be on Etsy, too. She's busy selling houses.
5. I've been skydiving three times. That's right! I was crazy enough to do it two more times. I guess I needed to prove it to ... myself?
6. I home school my kids. I really enjoy being with them!!
7. I was a graphic design student in college, and was in the sign business when I relocated to Florida. If the Internet had been around then, I would have gotten into blog design, computer graphics, etc. Instead I was a Mary Kay consultant for 6 years, and a Creative Memories Scrapbook consultant for 5. I love to scrapbook, and wouldn't mind making greeting cards with the huge inventory I still have in my office.
Maybe I was a little long-winded, (no surprise) and a little boring. But, that's me in a nutshell. OH! and I love sushi. And Italian Food, and Mexican Food. You should probably call me a foodie.
So here are the people I'm tagging:

1. Jacqueline, way up in Alaska, and her beautiful blog http://www.akblessingsabound.blogspot.com/
2. Gina, a fellow home school mompreneur http://www.dewgin.blogspot.com/
3. Lauren, the incredibly talented designing force behind http://restored316designs.com/
4. Danelle, marketing genius and impetus behind http://www.loveetsyfeedback.blogspot.com/
5. Frances and Julie, who graciously posted about my sea glass necklace on http://mindyandlola.blogspot.com/ Their success makes me wish I lived closer to my sister, so we could craft and do shows together
6. Katie, at our much-loved girl-time destination, pottery diva and awesome business owner of http://www.doingdishespotterystudio.blogspot.com/ ( she won't know why in the world I tagged her, since she doesn't know I do jewelry OR that I have a blog!)
7. well, I was going to tag someone else, but she's gotten tagged by somebody already.

Now I'm off to tell them they've been tagged, then post.

Two days left on my sale!

2008-10-09T13:25:00.011-04:00

Only two days left to take advantage of my birthday sale in my Etsy shop. You'll get a free pair of earrings, in addition to the earrings in the necklace sets, when you mention where you heard about my shop. I'll make up a fresh pair for you!

Here's a photo of my one of my favorite sets for sale in my shop right now. One of my favorite color combinations and stones come together for a statement piece that could grace any red carpet in Hollywood...(patting my own back, hope you don't mind)

I started with Chinese Unakite, so richly textured that at first it looked like a beautiful piece of Corian countertop that I considered when I remodeled my kitchen. It just looks too cool to NOT be engineered. But, yes, it's real stone!
From Wikipedia: First discovered in the United States in the Unakas mountains of North Carolina, unakite is an altered granite composed of pink orthoclase feldspar, green epidote, and generally clear quartz. It exists in various shades of green and pink and is usually mottled in appearance. In good quality unakite is considered a semiprecious stone, will take a good polish and is often used in jewelry and other lapidary work such as eggs, spheres and other carvings like animals. It is also referred to as epidotized granite.

The rich rust-colored veins in this particular specimen of Unakite perfectly matched some poppy jasper coin beads and some ceramic saucer beads that I picked up. I also had some 10 mm Tiger Eye, and cute little copper lentil spacers that gave the whole collection just the right touch.

When I design a piece, sometimes I'll lay everything out and just look at it for a couple of days. Once the creative juices are flowing, the piece usually comes together really fast. This particular piece just didn't look right using the doughnut bead as the pendant. I have a couple of those, and they're nice, but I wanted to be more bold with this set. So I used ALL of the doughnuts. They're really nice-sized babies, too. Then I filled them with light green jade (keeping the Chinese theme with the Unakite) and copper seed beads. But it need more. I found some sea foam green crackled resin beads, and I knew I had it. I made a commitment to myself when I first started making jewelry that I wouldn't use plastic. I had to break that rule when I saw all of the beads together. Gorgeous! It was perfect! They're like little globes of light setting off the deeply colored and contrasting stone beads. It will be very difficult to sell this one. My daughter made me promise to make her one just like it. I hope I can find those beads again! My two year old will be disappointed when the "tractor tire" necklace goes away. But, please, if it strikes your fancy, buy it today!

Custom work is a challenge, but worth it!

2008-10-06T17:09:00.012-04:00

When I saw this Karen Hill Tribe Silver butterfly it nearly took my breath away. My oldest daughter's personal mascot has been a butterfly for just about her whole life, as she's a social butterfly that flits here and there, lighting on whatever strikes her fancy. I also like the metamorphosis imagery as it pertains to children growing up. Because she is the same person she was when I held her in my arms for the first time, lips smacking in the silence of the night, but she's different. And she will be a different person as she matures into womanhood,but she'll still be the same.

On her 16th birthday I wanted to make her something special. The butterfly idea kept coming back to me, and I was sure of it when I saw this gorgeous pendant. I chose her favorite colors, lilac, fuchsia, sea foam green, and combined them with black to make a bold statement of style, growing up, my little girl, and my momma's heart. I'm so proud of the person she's becoming. I just had to post this, because I really liked the way the whole piece developed, and I decided to list pictures of it on Etsy, as a custom order. I will probably not be able to get these beads again anyway, so it will remain a One of a Kind, but I can most definitely come close to it, if someone would like a set for their own butterfly, or for themselves.

Custom work is a challenge, but worth it. I think the key is seeing the necklace exactly like the customer sees it. If you can effectively communicate your vision for the piece to the designer, then you'll be able to get pretty close in terms of the supplies available, the designer's vision, expertise, and skill level, and the ultimate conclusion -- your one of a kind treasure. For me, the communication process if fun. Getting to know someone and walking in their shoes for a while is sort of a detective game. Making the pieces, of course, fills me with anticipation. It's almost like Christmas! The nerve-wracking part is when it's presented to the customer for approval. That's when self-doubt sets in! I nervously wonder if I got it right, and if they'll decide it was worth the time. So far, so good. It's been a wonderful process. When the customer is satisfied and we've concluded the deal, then I get an amazing feeling of satisfaction, like the glow after Christmas morning, when all the wrapping has been put away, and you get to admire your loved ones loving their gifts. That's why I like handmade so much. When you give a piece of your heart, it's like your heart grows fuller, and larger, and ...stronger. Sound corny? Then maybe you should try it! You might change your mind.

Errr...Missed again!

2008-10-06T00:56:00.004-04:00

If you Etsy, you know that the prime time to list is on the weekend. Well, this weekend, I have a great new set to list, but didn't. My mother-in-law had surgery Thursday, on her back. She's doing very well now, thankfully! Many prayers went up on her behalf! We have her settled now in a rehab center, and should be busy visiting this week. I noticed the staff at the center wears lanyards...

I have a show next Saturday, at St. Joseph's Catholic School in Mandarin. It's 9 - 4pm, and it should be a good one! I'm excited to be back out showing my stuff again. Maybe I'll get to making stuff this week. I have a bunch of stuff on my table.

If you Etsy, you probably know about alchemy. If you don't, you should. While everyone is talking in the forums about how quiet Etsy's been and how their business is sooo slow, you can be in the alchemy section picking up sales. I managed to snatch two this week! I love custom orders! They grease the business wheel during slow times! and since it's slow, you can really specialize on the details, and develop long-term clients. Custom work rocks!

2008-10-02T17:42:00.003-04:00

Here's a closeup of the sea glass pendant in my newly finished necklace set. For some reason, Blogger wouldn't load this into my blog without turning it on it's side, so I decided to post it through Picasa. I know I'm just doing something wrong, but I couldn't figure it out. So, here it is. Amethyst and aventurine clusters huddle around the top of the hand wired sea glass pendant. Fluorite spheres are suspended on both sides, and a fluorite and aventurine duo accents the knotted double strand of glass beads in the center. The top choker chain is also amethyst, accented with sterling silver beads. The whole 3-strand set is finished in the back by a handmade S-clasp.

Sea Glass Necklace set just finished!!

2008-10-02T15:48:00.018-04:00

It's done! I can't believe it's finally done!

This necklace set took 4 months and 2 days to create. You got it. Four months to gather just the "right" materials, starting with 3 pieces of Genuine Sea Glass gathered on a beach in Scotland. I wire-wrapped the sea glass, then added fluorite, silver, glass, amethyst and light green aventurine.

This necklace gives you a feeling of the ocean. The combination of colors was encouraged by the natural colors in the fluorite and inspired by the wildness and beauty of the sea.

I make earrings for every set I create. This earring set features lever-back findings, aventurine, fluorite and silver rondelle spacer beads. The bottom bead is hanging on it's own head pin, so it will sway back and forth independently of the top segment. I'm going to make a set with two more pieces of sea glass, but they will be listed seperately. All earrings can be converted to clip-in or post with no extra charge.

The clasp is a handmade S-style clasp made with Anti-tarnish silver, and stiffened with my rawhide mallet. I enjoy making clasps like this because they add a special touch to the piece that it adorns. The sea glass is also hand wired. I'll be listing this set on Etsy this weekend.

Through October 10, I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop. When you purchase any item from my shop, if you tell me where you heard about my shop I'll send you a free pair of earrings in addition to your purchase!

Must....create....jewelry.....

2008-09-30T03:09:00.005-04:00

Here I am at 3 am,
need to sleep, but blogging!
what will I do when the kids wake up
and ask why I'm not jogging?

What it is that keeps us from what we love to do when we know we need to do it, but decide to do something else instead?

I love making jewelry. When I have the house quiet (like now, except for the sound of more than one person, and two dogs, snoring) why do I not "power bead?" Why do I spend self-indulgent time on the computer "checking my email," a.k.a. wasting time and sleep, instead of crossing out my to-do list?

Tomorrow will be filled with schoolwork, phone calls for mundane matters, child care, and life. And I'm sitting here, at 3 am, blogging.

Sheesh.

All that Glitters....

2008-09-28T22:11:00.013-04:00

Just look at this cool glass bead shipment I just got in the mail! Many thanks to Vanessa at http://salvagenation.etsy.com/. They have really unusual stuff that is so fun for creating. Those critters are just waiting to play, aren't they? They are lampworked by a local artist in St. Augustine. I don't know which talented person did them, though. They're already spoken for, too. They're waiting for me to give them their beads and they're off to their new home. Custom orders are so fun!

So I'm getting my bead on after a dry spell. How do YOU get your creative juices flowing again after a while? It's been a frustrating couple of weeks. Productive, but not for beading. We started our schooling, I started this blog (wow it takes sooo much time to learn this stuff!) and my computer whacked me on the head and made me spend wayyyy too much time on it. To get reacquainted with my bead table, I had to find it first. Any level surface in our house is in jeopardy of accumulating piles of stuff from the many people and activities that go on here. So, I waded through a mountain, and reorganized. Then I went out and bought a whole bunch of beads.

Originally, I did not intend to spend anything except for what I desperately needed (I was totally out of clasps) but there was this great sale, and... well... Now I have a good dose of motivation. It's been a little quiet on the sales front at Etsy, many people will tell you, but I've always found that you sell more when you're really motivated. Ever invite someone over to your house for dinner when it's a complete mess? If you have, as a motivator for getting it clean, then you know what I mean. It works like charm. Buy beads, get motivation (dang, I need to sell some stuff NOW!!)

Last week Rebekah and I went to a fundraiser craft fair for St. Paul's Catholic School in Riverside. We had a blast. It was our first jewelry show, and it was a complete success for us. She sold some things, I sold some things and met some really great people, and donated some gorgeous blister pearl and Swarovski earrings for a door prize. We were just one of about 5 jewelry tables there, and it was fun to see everyone's craft personality as expressed in their jewelry creations. Not one of us was the same. I met a beautiful lady from Africa, and she told me her story, and about her sisters who send beads to her so she can make her jewelry. It was a very nice night. I hope to be invited back next year. I think the most enjoyable thing about making jewelry is seeing people where it, and enjoy it. When their friends try to talk them into buying it because it "just looks like you, don't you think?" It's supremely satisfying. Yep, I love this stuff!

I got started with jewelry making when I was in 6th grade, I think. My mom was making Christmons for our church Christmas tree here's a link, if you promise to come back...(http://www.crivoice.org/symbols/chrismon.html) These are cross stitch, and they're really nice, but the ones she was making were made of pearls, gold beads, wire, and the like. I was enthralled. I took money from my chores and bought some beads, sequins and other glittery things and made jewelry, mostly earrings, and sold them to my friends. I also took thick art paper and made earrings, painted different colors, added some jewels and different designs. I wore them for years. I took a jewelry class in college, and got into the "real" stuff -- I never knew blow torches could be so fun! We did formed pieces, soldered pieces, made bezels -- I was hooked. Then upon moving to Florida and going to work I pretty much forgot all about it. In fact, I tried to avoid beading altogether, but it sneaked up behind me and captured me when my mom started beading, and my daughter wanted to make her a bracelet last Christmas. There's no going back. I'm in up to my eyeballs. and ear wires...hehehe!

My husband is totally supportive! He encourages my obsession, er.... hobby, and tells me he knows I'm going to do great. Awwww, he so wonderful! It feels so good to have somebody believe in you.

That's my advice: To get motivated,

1. find or clean off your craft table. Dust off your tools.

2. Invest a little scary-ness into your inventory to give you a "have to"

3. Find yourself a cheerleader and tell them you've been a little discouraged lately.

4. Put on some relaxing otherwise motivating music, to set the environment

5. minimize distractions. It's hard when you have a darling little guy like mine who wants to play, but maybe daddy can take him to the park. Or he can take a nap.

6. Get busy! Not many days until Christmas!!

So I can't wait to get started with these beads. They look so festive and ... holiday! I'm thinking some Goldstone, some crystal, some of them with copper wire... We'll make them dangle-y and dripping with glamor. I think I'll put on some Manheim Steamroller Christmas, and bead until my fingers blister. Stay tune for the "after" pictures!!

And Baby Makes Nine!

2008-09-26T16:15:00.029-04:00

OK, time for introductions! Courtney is my oldest. She changed my name to "Mom" 16 years ago. What a delight to have her as a daughter! She's beautiful, a great student, and a wonderful volleyball player. She plays this year for Providence Schools, a private school, but they accept home school students into their athletic programs, since they're with the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) but that is another blog post altogether. If you're wondering how home schooled students can participate in public and high school activities here in Florida, Google the Craig Dickinson Act. (think, Tim Tebow, Heisman trophy winner and currently sophomore at the University of Florida. He was home schooled!) So, we're ready for Courtney's volleyball to get noticed, so we'll have an idea of the direction she'll take for college. I would rather have her play here in town, and go to a local college. I'm not ready for my baby to be grown up and gone yet. One of my 5 best reasons for living, she's my heart! She's twice the young lady I was at her age!

This is Matthew, my oldest son. He's an aspiring actor. At 12 1/2, he plays that guitar whenever he isn't eating or sleeping, taking a short break and playing the computer, or when he is trying to escape his schoolwork. He's really getting very good! One of my 5 best reasons for living, he's my heart! I didn't have brothers growing up. I have one sister, whom I'd consider a best friend (not then, but now, by the Grace of God). So Matthew broke me into the world of little boys quite roughly, without any warnings or preparation. I had no idea what to expect, and though it was love at first sight, It's been a wild ride! He's such a good kid. Witty, brilliant, reserved, contemplative. He's always the one you see in the background of our scrapbook pictures, watching everything. That was true until he discovered acting! Since he began his training with John Robert Powers, he's really come out of himself. My son, who would rather take an "F" than memorize anything, can now memorize and deliver a monologue that will double you over it's so funny. He's put on a sparkle and an intensity that I suspected was there, but he kept hidden. What a wonderful transformation.

He has an agent who said that he would represent him in LA. We're excited about that. I'm not sure what it entails, and I'm not going to be that crazy mom that pushes her son into everything. I'd rather he just do some commercials, maybe a few TV shows, etc. But we're behind him all the way.

This little lady is Rebekah. Goodness GRACIOUS she's growing fast. She's learning how to cook, and is very capable doing anything I ask her to do. She's highly enthusiastic and energetic when it comes to getting things done (and getting her way) and she could easily run our entire house of it were her job. Yay for type-A!! I know she'll do anything she sets her mind to do. She's also a volleyball prodigy. After 6 years of gymnastics, she leaped into volleyball, with her sister's coaching, and is really turning heads on the court. We're hoping for scholarships. That would be really great!!

Rebekah also likes to make jewelry. You'll find some of her creations on my Etsy site at http://laurastaley.etsy.com/. We get to sit together and make stuff, and it's fun to relate that way. She also likes to paint pottery, and do glass etching. I suspect she'll be able to do every craft she sets her hands to, because she does pretty well for a 10 year old already. She has the same restless, itchy, crafty hands that I have. She's another one of my 5 best reasons for living. She's my heart!

And here's my little man. When I was remarried in 2004, I dreamed of having another baby, but it was more wistful imagination than anything. I had the baby bug bad, but was busy working in sign sales, hauling kids All over Florida for sports (we were on two competitive gymnastics teams, and my oldest was playing middle school ball, too. Well, let's just say he was the best souvenir from our first anniversary trip. He's as cute as a Cupie doll, isn't he?

Jimmy seems to think it's his job to crack us up all day. He's a love sponge, and likes to spend time snuggling, playing with his trains, his trucks, and on the computer. Yep, he's a techno junkie. At 2 1/2, he can use the mouse, and navigate around his computer games. Popular titles at the moment are Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, and the Tonka Construction series. Since we home school, we have 5 computers, and thank to Broadband and a wireless router we can all use them at once. He also likes to watch classic Disney clips on You Tube. Donald Duck seems to be his favorite. He's developing an interest in space, so look out Buzz Lightyear, here he comes!

This gorgeous hunk of a man is Donald, my husband and best friend. After my divorce, when I was really wanting to feel normal again. You know, go out and have lunch, be normal, have normal friendships, feel attractive, all of that stuff. I put up a profile on Match.com, and this interesting guy emailed me. The part that caught my eye was that he was a believer, and attended church regularly. Wow. A man that seeks and understands accountability! A rare find! That was just the beginning. We were married that next April, on his birthday. He's the most patient man I've ever met. We've had such a great time being married. Here's a picture of us taken in 2004...

Donald came as a package deal, and so did I. We both had 3 previous kids from our previous marriage. When I met his kids, I fell in love with them immediately. It hasn't been the easiest thing to blend two families together, deal with ex's and their issues, and try to maintain respectful relationships between all of the people in our kids' lives, but we've muddled through it. We've made quite a few mistakes, but we've also done some things right. By God's Grace, we will not only get through it but our children will rise above it and beat society's current odds on divorce. Hopefully we'll pass on to them what we've learned.

Blog design

2008-09-26T14:03:00.006-04:00

Wow, I really feel out of my element with this blog! It'll take a while to get the hang of it. So far, as far as computer stuff I've done digital scrapbooking, ebay, Etsy, I have a profile on Cafemom, and emailing. Now as of this week I have an entrecard that I haven't dropped yet (haven't figured it out), signed up with Scoutle, made my own blog, figured out how to put those cute little square block thingys on my blog, and advertised with Project Wonderful for my Etsy site. I'm cyber-spaced out!

Along the way, I've made some new friends. I was really impressed by Restored316designs.blogspot.com. Lauren's designs were simple, elegant, and classy. Kind of like a massage for the eyes, which you need after spending too much time on the computer. I figure that if I can get people to ahhhhhh, when they hit my blog, then they'll look around, check out my Etsy listings, and look at my ads. Maybe they'll even join my followers list, because they want to come back and look at the beautiful template that she created. If I was a graphic design student today, this is what I'd be doing. back in "my day," we had to mock everything up by hand. Pagemaker was just a cute little word processing program. Hey, it wasn't THAT long ago. It was before Al Gore invented the internet, though.

Well, today I found out that Lauren is having a contest and giving away a blog template! Not that I want anyone to go over there and enter, but, really, you should. At least you should check out her designs, and look around for a while. Make a few comments while you're there. Get the flavor of the blog. What a nice place.

GRRRrrrr. Frustrating.

2008-09-24T13:32:00.005-04:00

Getting my kids to do their schoolwork is like herding a brood of chickens. The minute I lose my focus they're UP and GONE. Why does this happen? It's painful when you realize that they are not as motivated to learn as I am to teach them. Sometimes it's hard to be determined to keep going. We tried lightening things up this morning by playing dominoes, practicing multiplication by stating the product of the two numbers on the tiles as we were playing them. It disintegrated into bickering. (sigh) I wish they'd get along better. Sometimes we can't even play games without someone picking a fight, and the other jumping in, defensively. Sheesh.

LUNCH
Well, in the meantime, we had lunch. Bean burritos. Mixed 3 cans of pinto beans with onion, garlic chili and cumin powder, a bunch of salt, and blended them into oblivion. Then we heated them up in the fry pan, and glopped them onto fat free flour tortillas lined with cheese. drizzled a little enchilada sauce, and faster than you can say Mexican hat dance, we had Taco Bell style bean burritos on our plates. They were actually pretty good. I guess the stuffed peppers have to wait until tomorrow.

So what's for dinner, mom?

I have to blog our current dietary struggle. Try to picture my older son, picky eater#1, coming to grips with vegetarianism when he would rather have chicken wings. To break them into it, I do try to have a baked or broiled meat along with whatever else we're eating. I feel like a short order cook at the Waffle House. "hold the oil, here!" "No onions there" Then I try to feed my youngest son, 2 1/2 years old, but he won't eat ANYTHING that we have sometimes. Mostly rice, fruit, cereal, peanut butter and jelly, and the rare veggie for him. He's very difficult. I suppose that hunger would take over and he'd start to eat what we do, but he's always been small and just getting him to eat has been a struggle. He's 28 lbs now, and short. He looks well-rounded and is rarely sick, so I guess we're doing ok.

Maybe we can get back onto the schoolwork, but I think I've lost them. Somebody's outside in the glorious weather squirting a hose at the window. Maybe we need a nature walk.

What's up for today?

2008-09-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

Our daily schedule fluctuates more than it should, I think. In order to establish more structure and to try to get more accomplished, we're trying a new schedule. That means I won't be on the computer in the mornings, except to check my Etsy shop for new sales or convos. The computer consumes my time like my kids slurp down a smoothie! I guess I'll get the hang of this schedule thing eventually. But I hate it See ya after lunch! MMMMMmmmm, vegan stuffed peppers from last night. (yelling to the kids) "Hey guys! It's already 9:55! Get up and eat lunch!!"

I'll have to blog about our new semi-vegan lifestyle. It's complicated and worth a whole entry by itself. Maybe I'll post recipes that work for us. Then maybe I can invite others to do the same. I don't know enough about this blogging stuff to know what's going on yet.

For instance, this cute little scoutle guy walking everywhere. what's the (181) that was on it this morning? And where is he now? Seems like their service might be down.

Gotta get some coffee. Be back when my fingers have time to fly...but I HAVE to make some jewelry first. (clenching teeth) I have to discipline myself to do that BEFORE computer time.

Today was the day!

2008-09-23T14:52:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking and musing and wondering and plotting, but today was the day. Which day? The day I started my first blog, of course! So, now that I have it, what should I write about?

I have writer's block.

No, not really. I can't wait to get started. My friends and family would tell you that I'm fairly opinionated about many things, and others would just roll their eyes and groan. They know I can't resist opining on just about everything that crosses my path. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect.

I hope you'll join me on the trip of my lifetime -- through the joys and pains of homeschooling, raising kids, seeking balance in the roles of wife, mother, stepmom, businessmom (or mompreneur), and all of the craziness in between. Alternatively witty, corny, rant-y, whiney, I'll try to the best of my ability entertain and inform while changing diapers, teaching fractions, running my house, and seeking better relationships with others, and with God. It sounds like a dartboard of a target, but that's how I roll. So, fasten your seatbelts, we're off to explore the rigors of being a wife and mom in the 21st century.

I'm in awe-inspiring company. The blogs I've read by families who are so accomplished and inspiring will always be around me, and I'm but a little spark of a candle when it somes to their shining beacons. I hope that I'll make friends along the way, and we'll share a virtual cup of coffee from time to time.