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!