The Day Before New Year's Eve....

And I finally worked something new into the shop before 2009! Yay!

These are fabulous! They are the Chelsea hoops - LARGE and in charge. They are about 2 and 1/4" across, but have posts so they are sturdy in your ears.

And right now I am offering them at an introductory price, so hurry in to my shop!

Take A Peek Tuesday

I have been busy and finally have put some new designs in my shop. Take a look!

These are my new bangles:

The Lily Bangle


Custom Initial Bangle



Autism Awareness Bangle



Heart On Your Sleeve Bangle

Hello there, Beautiful Greetings!

One of the great things about Etsy is every time you look you will find a store you have never seen before. I found one today and it is fabulous. The name of the shop is Beautiful Greetings Card Shoppe.

I got a chance to speak with the owner, Peggy Russell and I would like to share the experience with you:

1. What is it that you make? I make handcrafted greeting cards for many occasions. I also do special orders for invitations and list gift tags. 2. What mediums do you enjoy working in most? I love to stamp. I usually make my stamps 3 dimensional and watercolor them for a soft effect. I always add glitter for a little sparkle! I am a glitter-aholic! 3. How long have you been creating your craft? I have been making cards for almost 8 years now. It has been a growing hobby for me and now is a lucrative passion. 4. How did you get started making cards? I started making cards when one of my best friends asked me to help her with her wedding invitations. I loved it so much that I ran out to buy my own supplies. I have definitely improved over the years but I still try new things all the time! 5. Where does the name of your shop come from? Last year I participated in a large Christmas bazaar. The application asked for a booth name and after much contemplation, Beautiful Greetings was born. 6. What would you most want people to know about your work? I make each card completely unique. My cards are never exactly the same unless ordered that way. I always add something extra to my cards such as 3-d characters, hardware, ribbon and of course glitter! 7. What words of advice do you have for other artists? Nothing feels better than selling your craft, especially if you love making them. Knowing that others love your work as much as you do is so fulfilling! Please take a minute and check out Peggy's shop, Beautiful Greetings. You will be so glad that you did! Whatever the occasion, Peggy has something special just for you! -Jen

Still lovin' custom orders....

I have said this before and I will say it again: I love custom orders. I mean, the piece is already sold. No worries there. What could be better?

And I really like the set my customer came up with. She wanted Three's Not a Crowd plus a Dotted Ring. No problem! And I love how the four of them look together!

I am thinking of listing it as a set in my shop.




This is the Three's Not A Crowd set. Still one of my most popular sterling ring sets. It consists of two shiny hammered bands and one oxidized hammered band. I think of it as a classic!

This is the Dotted Ring set. It is a perfect addition to any set to add interest, or looks great on its own.



I hope you are all having a wonderful Tuesday. At least it is no longer Monday!
-Jen

Adding New Things

As promised I have been working hard to come up with some new designs for the shop and I have even more under way.

This is my Eternity Necklace that was made with gold-filled materials. I just love its simplistic beauty. I also have a similar Eternity Necklace in sterling silver.

Below is my Past Present & Future Necklace. It will most likely be added later today with a sterling silver one to follow. (Update: I just listed it!)

I am so excited! I just loved adding new pieces to my shop! Please stop by!


I would really appreciate your thoughts on my new pieces. I am always open to feedback! Just remember to be totally and brutally honest when you tell me how much you love them!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

-Jen

Time To Refuel

I am a simple girl and it doesn't take much to make me happy. It seems I am forever buying butane to refuel my torch. Well, everyone else must need it too because the most I have ever been able to get at one time was four cans.

Well, I went to Walmart yesterday and found some cans of th 2.75 oz and I am so happy! (Please do not send me hate mail for going to Walmart. It is not like I can make my own butane after all!) I usually can only find the 1.48 oz so this was great. Of course, this was at a Walmart a little further from the one I usually go to, but I will go back there for fuel from now on!

Lowe's didn't have ANY a couple of weeks ago when I went. I mean NO butane, just propane. Apparently everyone gets wiped out of butane around here. Who knew it was such a hot commodity?

I apologize for this if it bores you!

Happy egg hunting!

-Jen

Happy Good Friday!

Ever since I was a little girl I would always get a new dress for Easter. It was usually something frilly and pink with a big white hat with a ribbon on it.

Now that I am older I still follow that tradition with a few amendments, no hats or frills for example. Last year it was a navy blue and white polka dotted dress and this year it is the one above.

I just love this dress! It is actually quite chaste because it hangs well below my knees and is not revealing at all. Hanging there on the closet door it looks much more skimpy than it actually is.

I just wish the picture could relay the thick feel of the fabric. It is just wonderful!

Happy Good Friday, everyone! I hope you all have a great Easter!

-Jen

Something New

And I love it! After making the Petal Earrings yesterday, I decided to make a matching necklace! I have also, of course, made a set for moi. I just love how simple and elegant it is!

Photographing it was IMPOSSIBLE because of how shiny it is, but I did my best. I always hate it when people say their photographs don't do their product justice, but it is true here. Seriously.

Have a great Thursday!

Jen

Just Like Stars On The Water.....

I made these two pairs of earrings today because I am trying to carry more than just rings in my shop.

The above pair is named "Stars On The Water" and they are made from solid 24 gauge sterling silver. I have hammered them to a beautiful multi-faced finish that photo does not give justice to. I made the ear wires from 22 gauge sterling silver.

The earrings below are my Petal earrings. They are also made from the same 24 gauge sterling silver and I have hammered them to a multi-faceted finish. The ear wires were also formed from 22 gauge sterling.

I really love the simplicity of these earrings and I hope you do too!

Have a great Wednesday,

Jen

Mixed Feelings About Alchemy

I don't think I hold the popular opinion here because all I have ever heard is "bring back Alchemy!" Well, I say "take it back!"

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, Etsy has a big message board they call Alchemy where anyone can post whatever they would like made for them at whatever price they find ideal. Yeah, right.

Those of you who are quick on your feet may have already guessed what has happened. People are making requests for items and wanting them at very unreasonable prices, while sellers desperate for a sale rush to accommodate them. Sad really. Most Etsians already undervalue their time and talent and now there is an acceptable forum for them to do it even more.

There are also inane requests, such as dirty pictures of your mom, an eternal soul, and I am sure you can imagine. Is this what we want Etsy to look like? Yes, it may be worth a chuckle, but c'mon. Etsy needs some respectability so that buyers will want to come and check it out.

There is also a private Alchemy that sellers can opt in and out of. At first glance I thought this was okay, but now I am not so sure. This feature allows buyers to send private conversations to the seller to request something and then the seller can reject or accept it. Wait, didn't we already do this before in private convos?

Yes, but now it is fancier. And may not be as a private either. I am waiting to find out all the facts, but there may be a glitch in the system. A good friend of mine put in a request to a seller yesterday and just got a conversation from a DIFFERENT seller today saying that she would love to assist her with what she wants. WHAT??? We are waiting to find out what is going on here.

So, as for me, I think I will opt out of this. I have always accepted custom orders and I will continue to do so through private communication with the buyer. I do not want to put my customers at risk of spam intrusion.

/end rant

Have a great Thursday!

-Jen

I love custom orders!

The only thing I love more than wholesale orders, is custom orders. Isn't it great to list something you KNOW is going to sell? It really takes out the guesswork doesn't it?

Of course, there is always the anxiety of whether or not the customer will like it.

Well today that was a sterling silver cuff bracelet for one of my good friends! Yay! And she says she loves it!

Maybe tomorrow I can create something new?

Have a happy Wednesday!

-Jen

New Stuff--Come Check It Out!

I am very excited because I have added some new pieces to my my shop, A Blond And A Torch!



I just love this set, Eternal Love. As soon as I have some extra time (yeah, right) I am going to make myself one!

Now, my husband thinks these are really cool. They are my Trifecta Earrings and I think they are really unique.




Now, I am torn between two loves.One is for the Eternal Love ring set, and the other for this set. This is Always & Forever and I just adore it as well.


Maybe you can help me choose?

Have a terrific Tuesday!

-Jen

Rainy Monday

It is just one of those days. Nothing seems to be going right. I have already set off the smoke alarm twice making jewelry! This makes me want to lay in bed all day and stare at the ceiling.

It is raining outside so I cannot take any decent pictures. *stomps foot* And I have to stay home because I am waiting on the satellite guy to get here.

But, on a brighter note, my plants are all getting watered without me lifting a finger. The birds are still chirping away and my dogs are running around the yard loving the feel of the rain.

And I pulled the battery out of my smoke alarm for a while. See? All better :)

A Few New Designs For Spring...

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I got up early this morning and snapped a few pictures of three of my latest designs that will soon be added to my shop.

These are my small Beaded Eternity Hoops. I just love their simplicity. They go with EVERYTHING, from the office to a night out. How great is that?



These are my large Beaded Eternity Hoops earrings. Just like the small hoops, but BIGGER!




This is my new favorite ring set! This one already has a home, but when I have some time I am making me a set too! I am calling it my Eternal Love ring set. All three rings were made from solid sterling silver and can be ordered in any size.


Maybe I can take some better photos later. I took these at 7 AM and the light wasn't all that great. But I think you can get the idea from these! I am really excited and I cannot wait to add them to my Etsy shop.

Have a great day!

-Jen

You've Been Warned

James Patterson is always good for a light read. His books are a great escape when you don't want to think about anything or have to think too hard. Most are very enjoyable as well, and, since he is using coauthors, he is spitting them out one after the other.

I recently read "7th Heaven" and "Quickie". I really liked "Quickie" and I would recommend you read it if you are a Patterson fan.

Last night I finished "You've Been Warned" simply because it is the ONLY Patterson book I have never read. Well, I have mixed feelings about it. It is definitely different than most of his other books, but it was interesting and it does make you want to find out what it really going on.

And if you are a Patterson fan you already know that most of the pages in the book are blank and each chapter is only a couple of pages long. Easy, easy read. Go on and read it, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Have a beautiful Saturday!

-Jen

A Thousand Splendid Suns

When I am not making jewelry I am usually reading. I read just about anything I can get my hands on. Two Christmases ago my mother-in-law in North Carolina gave me "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini, his very first novel. It was so great and I also enjoyed the movie a few months ago.

This Christmas she sent me back to Texas with "A Thousand Splendid Suns" also by Khaled Hosseini. I read it and cried and cried and just couldn't stop reading or crying! What a fabulous book!

I highly recommend that you go get this book right now if you like to read! You will not be disappointed!

-Jen

Infinity & Beyond

I have really been trying to add new designs to my Etsy shop, A Blond And A Torch, and I came up with these earrings. I am really pleased with them.

I have decided to call them Infinity. I just love how simple they are!



I also made these earrings below with three circles. So far no name, so I am open to suggestions!


Have a great day!


-Jen

Happy Day After Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Valentine's day and got lots of flowers, candy, and jewelry. And if you didn't have a sweetie, then I hope you take all the money you would have spent on him or her and buy yourself something absolutely frivolous!

If that something frivolous for you is jewelry, then let me recommend that you try Passementerie. She has some to-die-for jewelry, all of it high quality gem stones and materials, and some of it is even being featured in an upcoming major motion picture! You can read all about Passementerie here.

Don't be fooled by imitations, Passementerie is the best!


Before I started making beaded and metal jewelry my husband would buy me so much of it. Gorgeous stuff, all of it. Last Valentine's day he gave me a beautiful diamond and topaz ring that I love! This year he finally stopped getting me jewelry because I have so much. But can a girl really have too much jewelry? I don't think so. I will have to direct him to Passementerie!

Instead, he gave me some gorgeous flowers, seen above, a music box that plays "What A Wonderful World" and a fancy candle in a ceramic candle holder with the "Love never fails" scripture from the Bible:

I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind...
It always protects, always trusts,
Always hopes and always perseveres.
Love never fails.

I love that passage so much!


I had threatened him not to bring chocolate into the house and he listened. So I am kinda sad. Oh well, I do not need chocolate! I just want it!

Anyway, don't forget to splurge and get yourself something pretty this day after Valentine's day!


-Jen

More Quality Vintage On Etsy!

There has been a lot of grumbling in the Etsy fora about whether or not vintage should be allowed on Etsy. Well, I just want to remind everyone that repurposed vintage is fabulous!

Take a look at this shop run by Tammy Prucka in Detroit, Michigan, Four and Twenty. In here you will find a great array of items inspired by vintage images repurposed for everyday use!

Let's take a look!
Four and Twenty does these great purses made from old books. This one is made from "A Bend In The River" by Norma Newcomb and I think it is great! Of course, I love pink. I really love those pearl handles too.



This one is made from "Morning Star". Just imagine carrying a purse that is not only an eye cater, but also a conversation piece. Not to mention you will be the only one around with it.

Four and Twenty also makes bookmarks. These are perfect for every day gifts because everyone needs bookmarks.

I really like seahorses because it is the male that carries the babies!


Four and Twenty will soon be offering coin purses too, so if you haven't checked this shop out yet, go now!

"Excuse me, but I think you left out an N...."

Um, no. No they didn't! Don't you love well-meaning people? I do too, but they are not always right when they are dishing out their helpful advice. So let me give you some advice as well. Go check out this great Etsy shop Organic Beginings. Oh no! Did I just leave an 'N' out of beginnings? No, I was spelling it the proper way for this shop. But thanks for playing. The owners did it on purpose as well! KTHXBYE! No, seriously, let's take a look at their shop!

Organic Beginings is full of wonderful, natural, eco-friendly products. They use natural unbleached fabrics, organic fabrics and yarns in many of their products.
These fibers are amazingly soft and gentle as no bleach or artificial dye is used ,and the long fibers in the fabric and yarns make them extremely soft and skin friendly. Perfect for baby!

They will even wrap your package in eco friendly wrapping with a pretty ribbon! You can't beat that! And they are more than willing to mix and match items to make a set just for you.






This is a set of 2 burp cloths . One is made from 100% cotton toile ,the other is made with 100% quilted organic cotton and both are backed with 100% organic cotton toweling.
This is giving you the best of both worlds: organic backing next to baby's skin paired with a chic pale green and cream cotton toile and organic quilted cotton.
Beautiful!



























I just love this little hat! If my upcoming IVF-ET is successful (most of you will need to Google that) and I have a girl, or 8 girls as my friends tease, then I will be getting this hat!
























Or this hat if I have one or 13 boys!



But is Organic Beginings just about baby? No way! There are also some things for Mommy!



This scarf is made from Bamboo wool , which is extremely soft and cozy.It is in beautiful sage and vanilla tones and measures 30 inches long .With 3 large wooden buttons to keep it closed , it is worn around the neck like a very cozy sweater neckline.This is the latest European fashion in scarves,and looks very chic.This would make a great warm valentines gift.



This is a beautiful European style scarf/collar also, knitted in extra warm 70% merino and 30% soy wool mix. It is dyed with environmentally friendly warm winter colors and makes the perfect accessory for any of your outfits . It has hand knit flower buttons which have a wonderful depth . It would make a great valentines gift while showing love to a worthy cause.
Organic Beginings is offering this scarf at 50% off with free shipping. All proceeds will go to Dawn's sons .
For those of you who don't know, Dawn had an Etsy shop and was recently killed in a motorcycle accident. Two young boys were left behind.


So, like I said, go check out Organic Beginings and their other shop while you are at it, Cupcake 2 Create for some fabulous jewelry.