Okay...now don't fall out of your chair but....

I finally made something other than earrings :D It's a bracelet...I almost didn't post it on Etsy because I kinda wanted it for myself, but I went ahead and posted it anyways. I've named it Freeform. I know...funky name...but that's exactly what it is, a bunch of Sterling Silver that I've freeformed to create the bracelet. The stones are Spiderweb Turquoise, the varying patterns in these stones are beautiful. I think the reason why I like them so much is because their not the normal color that you find with Turquoise...you know...the bright blue (which I've never been a huge fan of), it's just a deeper green/blue with black, perfect for winter.

Pictures say it all...

Isn't that the truth when your trying to sell your wares online. All the buyer has is your photos to refer to and if they don't look good, you may have just lost a sale. After months of fighting with the lighting, shells and sand, I've decided it's time for a change. I picked up some more cardstock for my origami gift boxes and business cards last night and decided to take some pictures of my jewelry with it. Voila...I took 4 photos and used those 4 pictures in an Etsy listing...all I had to do was crop it. I didn't have to adjust the contrast, focus or anything else. It was so nice. I then proceeded to take pictures of 2 other pairs of earrings...and again...first 4 pictures of each were great....sheesh what took me so long to figure this out?? So now comes the task of going through each of my listings and changing the pictures out. Tedious, repetitive work...but it needs to be done. Below are 2 of my newest listings in the Petite Line using the cardstock. Now I'm off to finish making jewelry for my coworkers.

Petite Earring Line

This is my new line of earrings for those of us who love to adorn our ears with beautiful jewelry but don't necessarily want alot of length or weight. Here are a few samples above, the longest pair in this line measure only 1" and the shortest is 3/4" from the top of the earwires. I've listed a couple in my Etsy store.

Look what I got in the mail....

I recently did a trade with recycledideas , a fellow seller on Etsy. I can't say enough about everything I received. Everything that you see in the picture above is Eco-Friendly which is so awesome. In the upper left hand corner is a beautifully colored pencil holder which I'm going to use for my rulers and extra jewelry tools. The upper right hand corner is a handmade box with a picture window top filled with varying colors of mini handmade cards. In the bottom of the picture there are 3 handmade cards embossed with various types of leaves along with envelopes. Oh my...I was so excited to see what she had sent me, and you can ask my family about all the ooo's and awww's that I kept saying over and over again. I think it was driving them nuts...but it truly felt like Christmas when I opened the box filled with such wonderful handmade items. On another note recycledideas is going to be my December Featured Artist so check back for that. If you get a chance check out her store, if you have a friend or family member who loves Eco-Friendly products...this is your one stop shop! You will thoroughly be impressed with her craftsmanship and her eye for detail.

It didn't take long...

before I made another pair of earrings. Actually I've made a few more, but I haven't taken photos of them yet. So here are the pair that I have photographed, they will be available in my Etsy Store Saturday afternoon. I haven't figured out a title/name for them yet, but am pleased with the simplicity of the design. I have to admit that I've really had a lot of fun making my own earwires and findings. I have yet to use my new torch, I have to buy some pickling to use on the sterling silver. I'm also going to purchase some solder to use with ss as well, then the fun is going to begin!

Just Wanted To Wish Everyone A.....

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with the beauty of the season and the joy of sharing it with your loved ones!

Okay...I finally made....

Something other than earrings! Well okay, I'll be honest...the heart charm started out as a pair of earrings but I didn't like how one of them turned out...so voila...you have a necklace. These are a pretty almost steel colored pearls with a hint of lilac. I've strung the heart and pearls on an 18" sterling silver curved link chain with a lobster claw clasp. If your interested this will be available in my Etsy Store Tuesday afternoon. I just thought I would post something different than earrings tonight.

I've been spending entirely too much time on the internet. I'm in need of some beauty sleep, and my house has been neglected. Between, etsy, blogging, youcraft.org, talentdatabase, flickr, indiepublic and etsylove, I'm worn out. One thing that I won't get tired of is making new pieces, and between all of the self advertising I'm also coming up with new ideas for new pieces.

This is the face of Raven my Great Dane, who at the moment is feeling neglected as well, so I'm off to give her alot of love before she paws me to death or mushes me while I sleep. I never thought that a King bed would be too small....but she is a bed hog! Ohh and just so you know, I have two Danes....Kula sleeps with Brandon because there's not enough room on my bed with Raven :D One of these days I'll have to post pics of all the animals I have, two Danes, and 3 cats, I know, I must be crazy!

Earrings...earrings and more earrings

I'm not sure what my facination is here lately with earrings, but that seems to be what I keep making. So here are my newest listings. The first pair is named Abyss. It's made with Spiderweb Turquoise, Onyx and sterling silver.

The second pair is named Flowing. The design reminds me of the ebb and flow of the oceans tide. I've hammered the design for a brushed finish. The earrwires on both earrings are also handforged by me.

Maybe I'll work on some pendants to post. I've got some great Blue Lace Agate that would look nice wire wrapped....hmmm....yup that's what's next then.

My week so far....

It's been a couple of days since I've posted anything. The grove of trees in front of my house is no longer there, torn down to build houses. It has been horribly sad around here. I can't hardly stand to look out my window let alone walk outside. What once felt protected and secluded now feels exposed and unsafe.

Onto a brighter subject...It's been a busy week planning for the Thanksgiving get together. Two dinners this year because of everyones work schedule. I can feel a turkey burn-out coming on!

The pictures in this post are the newest items in my store. I've sold two more pieces and one of them was because a very nice fellow Etsian featured me in her blog. She is going to be my Decembers Featured Artist of the Month, so be sure and check back for that. Business has been good, and I'm definately looking forward to the upcoming holidays. Ohh and I've also been accepted into SRAJD (Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer), I can't wait until it's posted so I can start using the logo.

My mom is very excited about a gift she bought me...she wants to tell me, but I keep stopping her and that is sooo unlike me. I always want to know what my gifts are! I'm just excited to buy gifts for my niece, Abi. She'll be 6 months old and should be alittle more active....I love the baby stage!

Here's my two newest listings...

The first is a pair of Funky Geometrix Earrings and the second is the Wave of Love Ruby gemstone pendant and chain. I really enjoyed making both of these because of the design work with the silver. I hope you enjoy them too.

Orbs...

.....is the name of my newly listed earrings. I told you I wouldn't be able to make these without adding stones to them...sheesh I'm so predictable ;-) The stones are faceted Blue Quartz on wishbone earwires. I made the earwires by hammering them, so the stones stay in place and to harden the sterling silver wire.

Colors Of The Ocean In Jewelry

These were some of my first listings on Etsy. I decided tonight to revamp them and retake the pictures. I love the colors in both of these pieces because they remind me so much of the tropical waters in Hawaii. The blue and green colors are just as soothing to me as listening to the ocean. Though they are more "summer" colors...but why not brighten up the dark days of fall and winter by adding just touch of summer to your wardrobe.

I've relisted the earrings and the necklace in my store.

I'm going to be making some simple hoops and wishbones to sell probably without stones, we'll see though....seems like I can't make anything without adding a piece of nature's beauty to it!

Wishful Thoughts.....

Are the name of my new earrings. I just bought these faceted Smokey Quartz stones yesterday, and I couldn't wait to work with them. I also bought some new Labradorite stones so watch for new pieces!

If you're looking for Christmas presents or Yule gifts be sure to check out Etsy, you'll find a gift for everyone, even the person that's impossible to shop for...we all have one of those!

Featured Etsy Jewelry Designer

I want to introduce a fellow Etsy Jewelry Designer and Artist. Her name is Toni and her store is ToniDesigns. I met Toni in the forums on Etsy, and I have admired her work since I became an Etsy member. We have become fast friends and I can't thank her enough for the support she has given me. Toni has graciously allowed me to ask her a few questions to post in my blog, you can read more about Toni and admire her beautiful jewels below. Be sure to check out her store to see all of the wonderful gems you can adorn yourself or a loved one with.


Shi: Hi Toni, thank you for doing this interview. Can you tell me and the other readers out there alittle bit about yourself and what led you to make jewelry?

Toni: My background is in theatre. Acting primarily. As an adult I briefly spent time writing spec scripts for television sitcoms. I tried my hand at Screenwriting and if I couldn't be designing jewelry that's what I'd like to be doing full time. In fact, I hope some day to be living near the Pacific Ocean which among other things, would make the logistics of pursuing a screenwriting career a whole lot easier. :-) Jewelry was a funny accident. I'd purchased a beaded ring while on vacation in a coastal town in Michigan. For years, everywhere I went, the glittering tiny, silver beads attracted admirers. It became my mission to find a way to make these rings for all of the nice women who'd admired mine. Like any artist, I came up with my own "improved" version of the ring and began selling them in boutiques around Chicago. But rings weren't enough, so I moved on to earrings, bracelets, necklaces, working with wire, metals, etc. I'm still experimenting and loving every moment.

Shi: Where do you get inspiration for your jewelry creations?

Toni: My inspiration comes from my absolute favorite things in the world: My two amazing sons, Gregory and Grant. The beautiful Pacific Ocean. My boyfriend, John. And of course, all of the beautiful women friends I have in my life. I love adorning them with my experiments. Every woman who purchases a piece from me, motivates me all over again.

Shi: Thank you again Toni for allowing me to feature you in my blog. You're jewelry is absolutely stunning and I wish you great success on Etsy!

Toni: My heartfelt thanks to Shi for featuring my work. Her creativity, her imagery and generous spirit are an inspiration to all. I look forward to each new piece she creates. I confess. I am... a Shi fan.

~It's the Holiday Season, say it with love and buy handmade. Buying handmade means your buying an item that was made from the heart, and you're supporting an artist who loves what they do.

It's All In The Packaging...

I've just started making my own gift boxes using heavy textured paper that's acid and lignin free. This includes a handmade box, tissue paper, an organza bag, tea and of course some beautiful baubles. When you purchase my jewelry this is how it will come packaged to you! ~Enjoy

My Dream Home!!

I'm a huge Brian Froud fan, actually the whole Froud family is so very talented. I go to the FaerieWorlds Festival every year, which is put on by the Frouds, Woodland, and Imaginosis. That being said....if I ever win the lottery I'm going to purchase this house. It's a beautiful cottage in England with murals from many artists including Brian Froud. It's my dream....and let me tell you, this is one dream that I hope comes true!

Custom Rings

I'm now offering custom sized rings in my Etsy Store! I made this one using an oval Garnet and 18 gauge sterling silver wire. I used a diamond file to make sure the ends of the wire wouldn't catch on clothing or scratch the skin. I just made one for myself because I liked how it turned out...and it's my birthstone. I really like the look of the birds nest ring but there's already a few people selling them on Etsy so I thought I would do this instead. To me it has a real organic free form look, and I'm pleased at how comfortable it is on the finger.