The winner is...

Dannelle, #5!

Congrats to you on winning the Sunset Mini Necklace! Please email me the address of where you would like it sent so that I can get this out to you asap.

As of right now, I am "out of the office" pending the return of order to my new house. Hopefully by mid-month I'll be able to start making jewelry again, but for the time being everything is still packed, hence the hiatus. I appreciate your patience! If you need something done for Christmas be sure to let me know in the next couple of weeks so that I can work on that first when I come back. Thanks everybody!

Spotlight: Daisy Chain Dangles ($38)

Sometimes a plain old post just isn't enough. That's where these vintage earrings step in. Versatile, mod and lightweight, these vintage Avon earrings have been revamped with a white glass bead and new post. (In their previous life they were clip-ons.) Make them a part of your wardrobe today! (Available on Etsy now)

Materials: gold plated post (never worn), white glass bead, vintage daisies on vintage pins

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Giveaway: Sunset Mini Necklace ($22)

The crisp breeze sends a chill as you walk outside, bundled in your favorite sweater. Your boots crunch on leaves falling gracefully in shades of red, orange and yellow. You take a sip of your apple cider, it's earthy cinnamon spice and the cool air awakening your senses on this beautiful autumn morning.

Materials: high quality gold-filled chain, tiny agate coins (smaller than a pencil eraser), gold plated findings.

I love fall. Is it obvious? This month's giveaway is perfect for the season! Harvest hues of agate are hung from a delicate gold-filled chain, at about 17" long. This simple necklace is part of a collection, which I will be putting up on Etsy later today. You can win the Sunset Mini Necklace by adding a comment to this post anytime from now until Friday, October 29th. Good luck!

The winner is...

Julie, #15!

Congratulations! Please send me your address so that I can get this shipped out to you!

For everyone else...don't fret, there is another giveaway starting Monday so be sure to check back and enter again! Have a fantastic Friday and happy October!

New blog design coming soon!

My brother and I have been collaborating to come up with a new look for Ruth Parker and I am loving the new direction. It sure is nice to have a family of artists, lemme tell ya. Fingers crossed we will be rolling out the new design sometime next week! I can't wait! It's been a long time coming and I can't wait to see what everyone thinks. I have a couple of new items to post soon as well so keep checking back for those!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway,

follow me on twitter,

"like" me on facebook,

and suggest me to all of your friends! :)

Also, here's my jewelry inspiration of the day...gotta love those earrings and I am always a huge fan of Grace Kelly.

Photo courtesy of newcritics.com

Giveaway: Pink Lemonade

Giveaways are BACK!

This month I'm giving away a brand new necklace, the Pink Lemonade! It is simple and sweet and if you win this drawing, it can be yours FREE! Comment once on this post to be entered to win. The winner will be announced Friday, October 1st and a new giveaway will be posted the same day. Please leave a way for me to get a hold of you should you win. Thanks!

Spotlight: Pink Lemonade, Greek Goddess, & Those are not acorns

Here I am delivering, as promised! Three new necklaces on spotlight today, and one has already been featured on an Etsy treasury! For those who don't know, treasuries are a way for people to display they're favorite items in a collection and occasionally the editors at Etsy will pick their favorites to display on the front page! When you go to the Etsy homepage, the first thing you see is a treasury that someone created, so if they pick the lovely treasury I was featured in, it would mean a lot of exposure for me. Moving on...

Here we have Pink Lemonade ($24), my favorite new wear-everyday necklace! It is bright, fun and very summery, which is why I will be wearing it all through the winter when the snow starts falling.

Materials: glass leaves, opaque glass yellow bead, gold plated flower charm, fuschia glass bead, gold plated chain. Hangs right at the collarbone, about 16" long, not adjustable

Next in line is the Greek Goddess ($42) which is made of natural stones and hangs from two different chains. It is simple but still makes a statement!

Materials: white Malaysian jade, green turquoise, gold plated chains, gold plated bead caps. Hangs around 24" long, is finished off with a toggle clasp and is not adjustable

And last, but not least, is Those are not acorns ($26). You'll have to go to the Etsy shop to see why it has such a weird name. There's a story behind it. This one is made from a REAL, live pine cone that has been electroplated in gold. Every necklace will be slightly different because every pine cone is slightly different.

Materials: gold electroplated pine cone (While cone-like in shape, these are actually the flowers of the alder tree. As this is a natural product, size and shape vary.), dark brown wooden beads, gold filled chain. Adjustable; hangs from about 17" to 18 1/2" long

Scheduling...

I am working jewelry making back into my schedule and am excited to start showing off some brand new pieces. I have decided not to take any classes this semester; with a toddler now running around and another bundle of joy on the way, it was just too much to handle. I am working out a child care routine so that I will have some time to myself to really devote to my business and I am so excited about it. With the little guy out of the house I can finally experiment with some resin and do some drilling...it might not sound like a big deal, but it is to me! I had a couple of sales this past week so that too was very motivating! You will be hearing from me again soon! :)

Sunny Inquisition ($26) and Indigo and Lace ($42) Earrings

I'm baaaaaack! Today is going to be short and sweet; I'm in the process of packing to go out of town for the 4th so I'm short on time.

Two new pairs of earrings available this week: first I have the Sunny Inquisition earrings, which are Spanish inspired, with a glass yellow bead and a dark green jade cabochon encircled in a gold plated filigree setting.

Second are the Indigo and Lace earrings, Native American inspired, with carved bone, indigo blue and chocolate brown beads. Both are available on Etsy today so be sure to stop by and check them out!

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend! Happy 4th of July!

Hiatus

As you've probably noticed, I've been off the radar here for a few weeks now. I have gotten the itch back to start making some pieces again and am looking forward to it. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who missed me; it meant a lot! I am hoping to post some new items next week, and fingers crossed, we will have another giveaway in June. Thanks guys! I'll see you soon.

Winner!

Congratulations to Renee, number 4! She's the lucky winner of March's giveaway. Be sure to check back next week for the new item up for grabs in April!

Spotlight: Madrid Necklace ($58)

As one of the most powerful, populated cities in all of Europe and the most influential in its' own country, one might expect Madrid to have a showy, dominant looking coat of arms and flag. I did, at least. While researching Madrid as the namesake for my newest summer necklace, however, I found that their city emblems portray a standing bear at a tree with red fruit.

No swords? No crazy medieval helmets? After a little more digging, I found that the city of Madrid was founded by the Moors in the 9th century and was known as "land of the bears". Turns out that the tree pictured on both the coat of arms and city flag is called a Strawberry Tree, and is native to the area. The bear and the strawberry tree shield is thought to date back to 1212, when it was first used at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. (an important battle for Spain during the Crusades) Little red beads, strawberry tree...Madrid is even more of a perfect name than I had thought! The thing that I love about this city (and what makes me want to visit even more than I already did) is the fact that they honor their history. Not just with the symbols of their city, but also the city itself. There is a lot of emphasis and importance put on preserving the historical buildings and streets throughout Madrid and I most definitely respect that. In a culture where most of our history gets torn down to accommodate the new and modern, I appreciate a place that restores and preserves their past. I hope you like the newest addition to my International Collection:

the Madrid Necklace.

Materials: glass beads, gold plated 5 strand clasp

Only a few more days to be entered into the Giveaway for March! You have until Thursday, the 25th at midnight to be entered to win! Just click on the giveaway button to the right, comment on the post, and that's it! Good luck!

Spotlight: Rancho Palos Verdes Necklace ($42)

Materials: Clear quartz, chrysoprase, peridot, serpentine, glass, ceramic, and acrylic beads, gold plated chain & toggle

The city of Rancho Palos Verdes lies south of the heart of Los Angeles, on a gorgeous peninsula with spectacular views of the Pacific. A couple of fun facts: the affluent suburb is the home of the Trump National Golf Club (in case you were curious as to what it looks like...wow!) and many scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean movie were shot right off the coast and on their bluffs. It truly is a gorgeous area, which is why I named this gorgeous necklace after it! (And for those of you who aren't familiar with Spanish, "verde" means green.) It is almost entirely gemstone beads, and this is the ONLY ONE available EVER so if you love it, you need to snatch it up before it's gone!

There's still a giveaway going on so don't forget to add your comments to be entered to win!

Over the past few days I have been working on updating my Etsy shop, making new items, and getting my taxes together. All fun, except the taxes. My sister was here for a (very) short time last week and was able to get a few new pictures taken of my jewelry, so you should definitely head over to my Etsy shop and check them out. I have a couple of new necklaces going up later this week so check back often! Also, don't forget to enter the giveaway for the Cleopatra Earrings! This month's drawing will end Friday, March 26th so don't wait!

Giveaway: Cleopatra Earrings ($12)

Materials: gold plated laser cut fans, jumprings, earwire

This month's giveaway is an amazing pair of chandelier earrings called Cleopatra. For those days when you don't feel like doing anything at all but laying around on your chaise lounge, getting fanned with palm fronds by loyal servants, and eating grapes on the beach. (Or when you wake up: sitting on a plastic chair, getting splashed by the kids, eating raisins by the kiddie pool) Either way, these earrings are great for whatever luxurious (or realistic) plans you have this spring and summer.

The winner is...

Brooke #8!

Congratulations on winning February's giveaway! A new giveaway will be up on Monday- everyone have a great weekend!

(Hopefully with some better weather all around the country? Please, Mother Nature?)

Spotlight: Italian Mosaic Necklace, ME!

I have been working on a custom necklace for a friend of mine that I wanted to share with everyone today. I liked the design of it so much that I'm going to duplicate it with something else. The way the chain sits reminds me of a vintage feel thin collar dress, like this one atModCloth.

Also, this week I was featured on Glamour weddings. Check it out here. Kind of crazy, right? Thanks to an awesome photographer, amazing shoes and my husband for helping me make that very unique and memorable cuff and earrings set for our wedding day. It's really cool to be noticed, especially by a company as huge as Glamour! Thank you, whoever you are, for adding me to the mix this week!

Only 2 more days to enter to win this month's GIVEAWAY! All you have to do is add your comment to the post to be entered to win. See ya Friday!

Growing up in California definitely had it's perks...namely, NO SNOW. But you have to have seasons, right? WRONG! I lived most of my life perfectly happy without them. Sunshine is never boring in my book. And so it is, that right about this time every year I hit the winter wall. It hasn't even been bad in Utah this year and I'm still over it! That's how much of a wimp I am. I'm always freezing. (I hate layering and wearing socks) Everything else is frozen. (I refuse to go for a walk if I come back colder than I was when I left) There's no color anywhere. This week, instead of feeding my depression, I thought I would share a few of my favorite things that have inspired me lately and are helping me get through these last few weeks (hopefully!) of winter. (You will soon see the products that came from these inspirations too!)

My very favorite: Sunshine, and lots of it

Grass, preferably freshly mowed

Sailing

Water in general...pools, beaches, running through the sprinklers

Strawberries

Camping

Also, I want to thank my friend Renee for spotlighting me on her blog last week. Her site is one I check often because she has a great eye and excellent taste! I love seeing what she's going to post next. Be sure to check it out here.

Don't forget this month's giveaway ends on Thursday at midnight! Get your comment in and win a FREE necklace! See you Wednesday for another Spotlight!

Another Feature!

I was featured on another blog this week: One Crazy Stampin' Mama. It is the site of my friend Julie who is an amazing crafter and stamper extraordinaire. I just wanted to come on and thank her for the love and spread a little of my own her way. Check out the post she did on my jewelry here.

My sister just moved away from me last month, but she's coming back in two weeks! The reason why I'm telling you this (aside from the fact that I think you should care) is because she has decided to get into photography and is going to help me out by taking some WAY better pictures for me while she's here. I don't know what I'm supposed to do when she leaves...but we'll have to figure something out. It's super hard because I don't make a ton of any one thing and whenever I create something new I need a picture like, yesterday. Totally. If I was into mass producing it would be a lot easier, but alas...that goes against everything I am about with this little endeavor of mine. Since I only have one or two things to photograph at one time, it makes it a LOT difficult. (As opposed to a little difficult, in case you were questioning my grammar.) I need a live in photographer...ok maybe not that extreme...perhaps an on call photographer. Everyone start buying more jewelry so that I can afford an on call photographer. Thanks. :)

Spotlight: Ice Castles Necklace ($78)

Materials: clear quartz, glass, silver plated findings and chain

Who doesn't love a wedding? With spring drawing near and so many weddings on the way, I thought it would be appropriate to share the first necklace in my bridal collection. This one of a kind stunner is made with clear quartz and glass beads, and is highly adjustable thanks to a very long cable chain at the back. If you are looking for a statement piece of jewelry that will definitely get some attention on your wedding day, this is the necklace for you. It is anything but traditional, and simply extraordinary. I hope you like it!

Don't forget to add your name to the list for this months giveaway. Simply click the button to the right and make a comment on the post to be entered to win!

Valentines Day seems like the perfect time...

To announce the first pieces in my Bridal line! I have a bridesmaid necklace in a variety of colors and one spectacular solid quartz necklace for one lucky bride. These necklaces will be going up on Etsy this weekend, so if you (or anyone you know) are looking for wedding jewelry, definitely keep checking back! I will be adding more and more as Spring nears. And, as always, I also specialize in custom pieces. If you know what you want but can't find it, I'm the girl for you!

Also, I wanted to say thank you to Heather at The Gift Closet, for honoring me with a Friday Feature! Be sure to stop by and check that out...there's a free gift in it for you!

Don't forget to enter this month's Giveaway: the Pasadena Necklace!

Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

New Necklaces!

I have a few new necklaces going up on Etsy today that I thought I'd share. I wasn't able to post them over the weekend because it was so cloudy and dark that I couldn't get a good shot of any of them. Here they are:

Malibu Necklace

Crown of Violets Necklace

Laguna Beach Necklace

Drama Queen Necklace

*Don't forget to enter this month's giveaway!

*The sale continues! Visit my Etsy shop this week to take advantage of the Spring Cleaning sale which ends Sunday! (US orders: If you need something to arrive by Valentines Day, please order by Wednesday morning.)

The SALE continues...

I've decided to keep the Spring Cleaning SALE going because while this week was great, I still have a lot of inventory left. Thank you so very much to everyone who purchased this week! I was super busy, but loved every minute. I appreciate all of your support so much and hope that you LOVE everything you bought. The sale will end Sunday, the 14th; Valentines Day. This is the perfect opportunity to get some great gifts for that special someone (or mom, sisters, aunts, etc) in your life!

Also, one week from today I will be featured on a blog called "The Gift Closet", so be sure to stop by and check that out. I'm really excited about it!

Lastly, I have been designing like crazy this week so I will be putting up new items on Etsy through the weekend. I hope you'll stop by and take a looksie at those too.

Thanks everyone! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Spotlight: Cleopatra Earrings ($12)

This week's spotlight is on something I just made, the Cleopatra Earrings. They are made with laser-cut gold plated filigree fans and are super lightweight, so no worries about the dreaded "ear lobe sag" with these! I imagine Cleopatra on a chaise lounge being fanned and eating grapes while wearing this pair. They are a little bigger than what I normally do, (still not huge) but big dangly earrings are definitely in! They will be up on Etsy today.

Don't forget to stop by my shop and check out the sale that's going on this week. Thanks!

Giveaway: Pasadena Necklace ($31.50)

The Pasadena Necklace, shown with the matching earrings, also on sale this week

The Pasadena necklace is one of my all time favorites, and since I haven't given it away yet, I thought now would be the time since it won't be around much longer. This was one of the very first necklaces I designed, so it has sentimental value for me. It has a large green jade cabochon as the focal which is accented by cloisonne beads and gold plated findings. I love it because it is asymmetrical and fun! If you can't wait to win it this month, be sure to buy one this week while they're on sale! You won't regret it!

THE SPRING CLEANING SALE STARTS TODAY! Be sure to stop by and check it out!

Christina is the winner!

Congratulations to Christina, number 5! Check back Monday for a new giveaway item!

Be sure to stop by Etsy all next week to take advantage of my

Spring Cleaning SALE!

I will be marking down most of last year's inventory by 25, and even 50%!

You definitely don't want to miss this.

Spotlight: Candy Dish Earrings ($24)

I know it's been awhile, but do you remember the Crystal Candy Dish necklace? I finally made a pair of earrings to go with that necklace and they're great! They will definitely go with anything and everything you own. I used a very random mix of beads- from glass, to crystal, to wood- and just about every color possible! I hope you like them.

Materials: glass, crystal, wood, carnelian, coral, mother of pearl, fossil, turquoise, and lapis, all hung on a silver plated hoop.

Big News!

If you're all having a hard time waking up and getting going like I am today, maybe this news will help brighten your Monday. I'm having my first SALE on Etsy! Starting February 1st, most of my pieces from last year will be going on clearance. You can expect anywhere from 25-50% off the current price, just in time for Valentines Day, spring weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, whatever! I will have a lot of new pieces going up in the next few weeks, so I need to sell some of my inventory. That is only ONE WEEK away!

Don't forget that you have until Thursday at midnight to enter the giveaway for this month also! So far, this is the worst giveaway I have ever done as far as numbers go, and it was the first to last an entire month! Come on guys! It's free!

See you Wednesday with a new spotlight piece! Have a great week!

Bangles, Cuffs, Baubles...BRACELETS!

Find these bracelets on Etsy, here

Going along with this weeks Art Deco theme, I thought I would talk about my favorite kinds of bracelets: vintage bakelite and lucite bangles. Bakelite was introduced in the early 1900's and used extensively for jewelry through World War II because of its low price point and popularity. It sets under high heat, is not recyclable, and is a little heavier than lucite, making it perfect for bracelets but not earrings. Bakelite remains very popular with collectors today and can be found pretty much anywhere that sells vintage jewelry.

Lucite was invented by DuPont in 1937 and was the next best thing to Bakelite in jewelry. Its popularity ran from 1940 to 1953, although it is still widely used today. It is lighter than Bakelite and is recyclable! It can be dyed any color, transparent or opaque, and can be carved or inlaid just like Bakelite.

So why am I telling you all of this? I have decided to try my hand at making resin bangles. I ordered the supplies I need and they should be here sometime early next week. Epoxy resin is twice as strong as concrete, seamless, waterproof, and can be dyed any color just like the vintage versions. Now, obviously, vintage bakelite and lucite are second to none...you all know what a huge fan I am of vintage jewelry...but this is something I want to experiment with and am really excited about. You wanted more bracelets, and they are coming soon! In the meantime check out this awesome shop I found on Etsy: Bangin Bangles- they have some amazing stuff!

Also from Bangin Bangles

Don't forget you have less than a week left to enter the

FREE GIVEAWAY for this month!

(Click the button on the sidebar to go straight to that post)

Spotligt: Biscayne Bay Necklace ($58)

Located in Southern Florida, Biscayne Bay is the body of water between the city of Miami and the Atlantic Ocean. Miami Beach, which lies just across the bay and right on the Atlantic, is home to the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. All along Ocean Avenue are the most amazing brightly lit and dramatic hotels built between 1923 and 1943. Geometric shapes and symmetry played a definitive role in Art Deco design, which is why I chose this necklace, with its octagonal beads and circular rings, as the perfect example of a modern take on the style.

This is the first necklace in my International Collection! Check it out on Etsy today.

Materials: pink mother of pearl beads, gold plated rings, green aventurine rings, Ching Hai jade octagonal beads

Pickles and the Art Deco District

I am the very first to admit that my inspiration for things can, at times, stem from very unusual places. I can look at a person, or a plant, or a magazine cover, or even in my fridge and something will spark something else in my head that eventually turns into something spectacular. It's a long line of thoughts...probably more like a web of thoughts (THAT'S why they call it that!)...that if someone were to try to follow they would just end up stuck and SO confused.
PERFECT example: Back in 8th grade, I had this crazy writing final and I was completely stuck on one of the assignments. My teacher had given us at least ten different writing styles that we had to emulate and for some strange reason, my brain train had derailed at RHYME. Really? Rhyme? I spent daaaaaays trying to find inspiration from somewhere, something, anything, to get me going on a sweet rhyme and I was completely and utterly stumped. Then, in a moment of what I like to think of as Divine inspiration, it came to me. I was in the fridge looking for a snack and I saw a giant jar of whole pickles. I love pickles. I used to eat them far too frequently. They're big and sour and dilly...I could go on. I would write a poem-a RHYMING poem-about pickles. Here's the only part that I can remember...it was like a page long and you would've loved it, but this is all I've got:

Pickles

My dad gave me a pickle when I was only three

He thought I would not eat it, but soon I made him see

The only way to wake me up or make me do my chores

Was to bribe me with a pickle from that day forevermore!

Needless to say, the poem was a hit, and the entire class laughed out loud with me when I read it as my personal favorite choice. Last week, I had one of these moments. I was holding a strand of octagonal jade beads, trying to figure out what I was going to make with them. Then I thought about my favorite vacation spot. Next was a certain city I had traveled to while on vacation in my favorite place. Which led to one of my favorite types of architecture. Which led me back to the beads I was holding in my hands. And there you have it. The explanation to what you thought was a very random picture at the beginning of this post. Check back Wednesday to see the final result!

**Remember, you have until the 28th to enter to win the Magnolia and Arlington necklace that is this months giveaway!**

The Gallery and other news...

So, as I mentioned in my new year post, one of my goals was to set up a gallery on this site so that anyone who wants to can see everything I've ever made all in one spot. All you have to do is click on "The Gallery" on the sidebar and voila! There you have it. I will update it every time I make something new, so be sure to take a peek. It was actually really fun for me to set up because I liked seeing the progression of things I've made. I feel like I've come a long way this past year.

Also, if you are on facebook, I have figured out the most AMAZING thing this week and I'm so excited about it. I now have an Etsy tab on my page that connects you from facebook right to my Etsy shop AND this blog! It is amazing. Revolutionary. If you have a facebook, I suggest you become a fan and then check it out. If you are a fellow craftyperson with an Etsy shop, I suggest you add this link to your facebook page. It will change your life. Ok, maybe I'm overreacting, but it seriously made my week. I think I'm so excited because I love streamlining...anything that makes my life easier, obviously I'm going to be all about it. So there you have it! That's the news for today.

Don't forget to ENTER THE GIVEAWAY! It's FREE! One entry per person, until the last Friday of the month. Easy. Simple. Do it!

Spotlight: Trophy Life Necklace ($98), Trophy Life Bracelet ($28), Scatter Shine Earrings ($22), Discothèque Necklace ($18)

I have been BUSY and can't wait to share my newest creations with you! I have 4 things today so here we go....

Over Christmas my husband and I visited his family in California and I had to stop at this crazy antique store in town before we left. The place is huuuuuge, and had a ton of stuff that I would have loved to buy, but I restrained myself (with his help, haha) and ended up going with this amazing Art Deco necklace made of enamel reindeer. It was from the 30's and I just loved how unique and fun it was. Armed with my new find, I set out to discover several items in my collection that would complement it. I found a bracelet I had from the 50's and took apart the links to use it as an accent, the beautiful green fluorite gems that I used in the Beverly Hills necklace, some glass pearls, and gold seed beaded beads. Below is the result. I really feel like I turned a corner with this one! It's different than anything I've done. There are only 4 available, so grab one while you can!

Trophy Life Necklace ($98)

Materials: glass pearls, gold plated chain and findings, green fluorite gems, antique reindeer charm, seed beaded acrylic beads, gold plated w/glass rhinestones vintage bracelet link

Next, we have the Trophy Life bracelet ($28) made up of the same chain from the necklace, tripled and finished with a toggle clasp.

Materials: gold plated chain, findings, and clasp.

You wanted earrings, so you got earrings! May I present, the Scatter Shine earrings ($22), sure to brighten your day through winter and beyond! Perfect for dressing up any outfit, these dangly beauties will bring a smile to your face on even the snowiest of days. (Can you tell I'm over winter?)

Materials: gold plated hoops, gold filled chain, glass crystal beads in "gold"

And finally, for your viewing pleasure, the Discothèque necklace ($18).

Do the Hustle! This necklace is so versatile! It's big and fun

and ready to party!

Materials: faceted acrylic beads, silver plated findings and clasp.

That's it! Hope you enjoyed todays spotlight pieces. They will all be up on Etsy today so be sure to stop by and check them out in detail!

Giveaway: Magnolia and Arlington Necklace ($32)

It's the first Monday of the month (for me, anyway!) so here is the first giveaway of the year! Check out the original post here to learn about the necklace.

Remember, only one entry per person and you have until the last Friday of the month.

You can always view the Giveaway item by clicking the button on the right.

The necklace is hung on a gold plated chain with three faceted glass crystal teardrops in topaz, aqua, and green. Good luck!

I'll be back on Wednesday to post some amazing new jewelry

for your viewing (and purchasing?) pleasure!

New Year, New Year!

I love the change that a new year brings. It can be daunting to start over again in certain ways (I was just getting used to writing "09" on everything, for example) but I love the feeling of a fresh start. Resolutions, goals, a newfound conviction for all things exercise...it's great! I have had a lot of time over the past couple of weeks to think about my business and the things I want to happen this year. My last post was for advice from you on how to better cater to my customers, and I am so appreciative of all of the wonderful thoughts you shared with me! I was also able to talk to family and friends about it, and I have a much clearer idea of where I want to go than I did at the end of 2009. This is going to be a great year! Here are some of the things that are changing:

Giveaways:

*I will now be giving one item away per MONTH, rather than weekly.

*Only one entry per person. (I will still need you to add your email with your post so that I can contact you should you win.)

*Also, customers who purchase from the Etsy Store will be automatically entered to win that months' giveaway.

* New giveaways will be posted the first Monday of the month, and will be easily accessible by clicking the "giveaway" button on the right side of my blog.

Jewelry:

*More Lost and Found items.

*More "classics"...simple, timeless, elegant designs that hopefully will cater to everyone, rather than a select few.

*More chunky, funky designs, for those of you who want to be trendsetters and like the bulkier, bigger beads and chains.

*More earrings and bracelets!

Lines:

*I am working on new pieces for 2 new lines that I want to introduce very soon for this spring: a bridal collection, and an International collection.

Gallery:

*I am putting together a full overview of everything that I've ever made. (This was suggested by many people.) When you come to my blog, there's no way to easily see everything that I've created, so that also will change very soon.

With the changes to the giveaway, the schedule for posting will change as well. Here's an idea of how things will be laid out from now on:

1st Monday of the month: Giveaway

Wednesdays: Spotlight

Fridays: News, updates, information

Subsequent Mondays: Reminders to enter Giveaway, inspirations and ideas for jewelry

Last Friday of the month: Giveaway winner announced

I hope that this isn't too confusing! I'm super excited for this new year and everything that is to come!

The winner for the "Change of Pace" giveaway is

Stephanie, #3!

Not only did she give great advice, but she added resources as well, which I can always use!

Thanks so much for participating; the next giveaway will start this coming

Monday, January 11th!