WEEKEND DEALS!

Virgo Medallion Necklace
25% off + FREE worldwide shipping throughout the store!

A great Labor Day weekend sale awaits you! This is the perfect time to do a little early Holiday shopping, but I bet you'll find something for yourself too...
25% off plus FREE worldwide shipping!
Don't wait! Visit my shop now...the sale ends Monday, September 7th, 2009.
See you there!

An Etsy Experiment...

Green Glass Bauble Earrings

available in my Etsy Shop

Over the next week, Monday through Sunday, I'm going to test a little theory about Etsy. The theory (or it is a myth?) goes something like this; the more you list and renew the more sales you will have. So, the experiment will be to list and renew up to 5-10 times per day at various times during the day. The total cost for this experiment will be somewhere between $7.00 to $14.00. I have read that advertising should comprise 10% of your sales revenue so in order for this experiment to be considered successful I will need to sell somewhere between $70.00 to $140.00 worth of merchandise depending on what my actual listing fees end up being.

I have always renewed and listed as needed as opposed to in a deliberate, "make a sale" type of fashion so I'm interested to see what results this intentional listing & renewing will bring.

Would you like to join me in this experiment? I would love to hear what your results are as well.

I'll report back next Sunday, March 15th...stay tuned!

FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Micro Rhodolite Garnet Earrings in Gold fill

available here

You heard that right!  As a 'feel the love' Valentine's Day gift to all my wonderful customers, I am offering FREE SHIPPING, worldwide <------that's everywhere, in my Etsy shop for the entire month of February!

Now is the perfect time to find that special gift for yourself...or someone else! 

Happy shopping...

What the Hail?

Hail...really???

Last night, around 11:30 thunder struck and hail came crashing down.  Without warning.  It hadn't even been raining before that so it was quite a surprise.  And pretty cool too.  It was SO loud I thought for sure the peanut would wake up, but she didn't.  It was accompanied by a profusion of thunder & lightening and the dogs thought they should probably bark but we kept them quiet somehow.  Of course I had to take photos.  I'm sure some of you think that's ridiculous, but where I come from hail is a rare occurance, hence the urge to run to the computer and eject the memory card, grab the camera and brave the weather.  And I do this all for you.

More hail

The next morning the hail remains...

it wasn't a dream.

300

300 hearts

Show me the love...

I had a couple of pretty simple, year end goals for my Etsy shop.  300 hearts and 50 sales and I reached 300 hearts yesterday!  

BUT, I'm still 2 shy of 50 sales...8 hours and 20 minutes to go. Will I make it?

Vignettes

Sea Shells & Pearls 

Vanity vignette

I love vignettes (at least that's what I refer to them as...tableaus perhaps?), the gathering of treasured objects displayed in one's home.  I love arranging them in my own home and for me they are constantly changing, keeping things interesting and dissuading me from more drastic redecorating like painting the walls or rearranging the furniture (again!)

When I saw this charming collection of sterling and pearl jewelry amongst heaps of lovely sea shells on a friends bathroom vanity, I just had to take a photo.  Here it is...inspiring me now to seek out even more of these delightful groupings and share them with you.  And so the quest begins.

On the Front Page...again!

Etsy Front Page

10/28/08

No sooner had I posted about my own treasury making the Front Page, that I (ok, not me personally...but rather my Carnelian Earrings) was/were on the Front Page!  This is turning out to be a banner week for me at Etsy...yay!  Thank you justCHARMING :)

I need to rest now...

Front Page on Etsy!!!!!

My first treasury...

was on the Front Page 10/27/08!

Many of you know by now I have a shop on Etsy where I sell a selection of my jewelry and headpieces....I joined almost 5 months ago and just recently, last Sunday to be exact, snagged my first ever treasury. If you're not familiar with an Etsy treasury you can read more about it here. 

Of course my theme was "Something Blue" and I pretty much threw it together on the fly.  I had a few items in my favorites but for the most part I combed and searched right then & there, and I was quite pleased with the finished product given the 'spur-of-the-momentness' of it all.  So, imagine my surprise when I took a peek at my treasury the next day only to find it had been on the front page of Etsy!  I could have died!  I wanted to jump up and down, I wanted to tell someone, I wanted to share this exciting accomplishment with someone. Right. That. Minute...

but then I realized no one I knew IRL (in real life) would understand the magnitude of the FRONT PAGE!  I mean just the simple fact that I was able to get a treasury in the first place is practically like winning the lottery and then to have it chosen for the Front Page? Unbelievable!  Especially since it was my first one, ever...have I mentioned that already?  

OK, I done tooting my own horn.

Just when I thought it was all over...

Ta da!

Lolly  has arrived

It started out like any other Wednesday.  I dropped the peanut off at school, returned home and started on the breakfast dishes (pretty exciting so far, huh?)  I had just taken out the kitchen trash and as I bent down to grab a new trash bag something caught my eye.  Lolly had emerged!  I was so excited!  Mostly because I had all but given up on her.  I was truly convinced she didn't make it.  It had been forever since she had chrysalized - 15 days to be exact - and I just had a funny feeling.  So, imagine my surprise when she appeared!  I can't believe she was right there on the windowsill, slowly emerging from her cocoon right in front of me and I didn't even notice...I was so engrossed in doing the dishes.

I haven't set her free yet for 2 reasons.  The first, hungry birds are more likely to gobble her up in the early morning and secondly, the peanut needs to see her!  She is glorious to say the least.  I even saw another Giant Swallowtail flitting about the same tangerine tree where I found Lolly, so today must be "Coming Out" day.

I have since moved her to larger diggs and have supplied her with some food (a cotton ball soaked in sugar water) until the peanut gets home and we set her free.  I hope to take some video of her maiden flight and will post it here.

Think Pink!

'Think Pink' charm bracelet

Look good...for a good cause!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month so I have designed a few special "Think Pink" pieces to feature in my Etsy shop and 25% of the proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure fund.  

If you've never visited their website do it today! They have a ton of information there including this Breast Self Exam guide which you can download.  It's all about early detection and prevention...

New Packaging & Branding!

New packaging v.4

hmmm, I wonder what's inside?...

After many years of the same simple (but beautiful) packaging I decided it was time for an upgrade.  I'd had a new identity package put together a couple of years ago, which included tags, so I wanted to utilize those in the new packaging and branding.  A few prototypes later...and here it is!  I'm now using gloss finish, two part jewelry boxes and wrapping them with a gloriously wide (1.5" or 36mm), double faced, satin ribbon in blue (of course!) and topping that with another gorgeous, double faced, satin ribbon (.25" or 6mm) in a chocolate brown which is threaded through the Something Blue tag and tied with a dainty bow.  I love how these turned out and judging by the reaction from my customers it's a definite success!

Design Preview: Fall 2008...

Golden Crocus Earrings
Gorgeous, Green Tourmaline

For the last few weeks I have been designing and creating tons of new pieces for the Something Blue Fall Collection...
I know what you're thinking, a little late, huh? After all, Fall is just around the corner! But circumstances beyond my control, read: toddler underfoot, have kept me from dedicating the quiet time, reflection and physical presence required to accomplish such a task. So I say, better late than never! And quite honestly, these pieces go far beyond Fall, and can definitely be worn year-round.

Petal Necklace

A single, lustrous, Keshi pearl

Here are a few examples of what's to come. You can already purchase a few of these pieces on Etsy ...just think of it as a sneak peek.

Majestic Earrings
Hand carved Fluorite

First Treasury Feature!

My first Treasury Feature on Etsy

Luminesse Earrings

I awoke this morning to an e-mail from clearcutcrafts2007 (who, by the way, have some really beautiful, 3D butterflies in their shop) alerting me to the gorgeous treasury they featured me in.  I think, and this really is my unbiased opinion, that this treasury is definitely worthy of the Front Page on Etsy....time will tell!

What a great way to start the week!

Weekly Feature 3: Something Blue

Because everyone needs a little "Something Blue" in their life...

Sky Filled with Poppies, sugar & creamer set

So sweet

Today's Something Blue feature is Alina Hayes whose pottery & jewelry has an ethereal quality to it, so beautiful...and I'm in love with the unexpected flower elements she uses. Now a fellow Californian, Alina is originally from New York.  She has some wonderful items in her Etsy shop, be sure to take a look!

Petit Tuile Earrings in Turquoise Matte

Really unique

This is what Alina had to say...

Q: How would you describe your 'style'?

A: My style is a balance between contemporary and traditional, but I still tend to lean on the modern side.

Q: What inspires you?

A: I get inspired by nature, plants and flowers.  Organic shapes and colors, other potters and artists.

Q: How long have you been selling on Etsy?

A: I have been selling on Etsy for 11 months :)

Q: What is your favorite shade of blue?

A: My absolute favorite shade of blue is the Robin's Egg Blue. I love how vibrant and rich it is and that you can incorporate it in almost everything.

What a weekend!

Vintage tiara comb

At the risk of this turning into a post about how miserably hot it was this weekend, I shall instead focus on what got done around here (and when I say "here" I mean my humble abode/workspace)

First and foremost, I listed almost all of the SaMpLe SaLe items on Etsy!  That took most of Saturday and thankfully the husband entertained the child for most of the day (thanks honey).

The SaMpLe SaLe currently features bridal headpieces, hairvines & combs but I will be adding hairpins & jewelry over the next week so keep checking back.  These items are greatly reduced and if you're getting married or know someone who is, stop by and grab yourself a fantastic bargain!  Besides, the jewelry isn't just for "brides", so even if you're NOT getting married, take a peek.  And, maybe it's just me, but I think every girl should own a tiara...and wear it, regardless of what day it is.  I even came up with the concept of "Tiara Tuesdays", where every girl could wear her beloved tiara on Tuesday, therefor making "just another day" special. 

C'mon, you know you want to.

The other accomplishment this weekend was finally getting the weeds out of the planting bed in front of the studio.  I was waiting for that insidious grass to die, Die, DIE!...and it finally did.  I won't bore you with a picture of a patch of bare dirt though.

Mini Moo cards have arrived!

I received my first order of Mini Moo cards on Monday and I must say I'm quite pleased!  The quality is far better than I expected.  Even the box they're packed in is pretty cool. It's a hard, white plastic that will certainly be useful long after the cards are gone. I can't wait to start handing these out and including them with my orders.  My only complaint is that the reverse side text is not as customizable as I would have liked, as far as text styles and colors.  But I love that when you download your images from flickr you can include the name of the item (if you have named your photos appropriately prior to this step).  You can see an example of this in the last photo.  

I also ordered the Mini Moo card holder which I was really excited about.  Unfortunately when I opened my package the cardholder was nowhere to be found...I sent a quick e-mail to customer service which was answered the following day by a real, live person named Daniel. Impressive. Daniel told me he was sorry for the inconvenience and a new cardholder was on it's way.  That's my kind of customer service.

I decided to have half the cards printed with the Bridal line and the other half with the Everyday line.  I already have my favorite images and it will be hard not to pass those out first!

Here is an example of the images I chose....

Bridal line & Everyday line

Reverse detail

Now that have these fabulous little cards I'm trying to come up with more ways to use them.  I think I'll poll my fellow etsians...they are always so creative.

Pssst! There is a coupon code for 15% off your first Moo order! (wish I had known about this ahead of time)

So, I thought I would share....the code is: 2RB2CK

Magically Delicious

It's been damn hot here lately, and that's putting it mildly...um, 104º anyone?  

So, the other day I was perusing the ice cream aisle at my neighborhood grocery and happened upon a new Haagen Daz "Reserve" flavor, Fleur de Sel Caramel.  I was intrigued to say the least.  The description; Fleur de Sel caramels covered in a chocolaty coating blended into caramel ice cream with carmel ribbons and, here's the best part, French sea salt accents.  Are you kidding me?  How could one possibly go wrong?  And, there I was in the check out line clutching my precious little jewel. Later that evening...oh, who am I kidding?, I dove right in the second I got home, and it was DIVINE.  I think I polished off the entire container (yeah, sure it's dainty) in 2 days and was back at the grocer looking for more.  Much to my dismay, the shelves were empty.  I searched for weeks to no avail.  Fleur de Sel Caramel was proving to be quite elusive.  This was not good.  I finally found the perfect ice cream and now it was unavailable?  After several weeks of checking and rechecking the ice cream aisle I finally marched into that neighborhood grocery all set to speak with the manager and make sure that Haagen Daz flavor would be ordered and on the next shipment...when, much to my surprise, there it was...and on sale no less!  I must say I am one happy woman.

A work in progress...

I am lucky enough to have my very own studio.  Sure, I have to give it up when guests arrive but mostly it's mine...ALL mine. It doubles as a guest house, has a bathroom with a shower and is a fairly compact unit measuring about 170 square feet. It took ages  to renovate the inside, (at least that's what it felt like) mostly because my fabulously talented husband did it all on his own, and he has a real job after all.  There are a few things that still need getting around to, but for the most part it's perfect.

The exterior is a whole different story.  I would love to have it re-stuccoed (that will definitely have to wait!) then painted.  And, I hate the door overhang. So, eventually I'll replace it with one of those canvas type awnings that are held up with iron spears.

In the meantime, I am going to undertake a little landscaping project.  My inspiration is a mix of Mediterranean meets desert, meets tropical.  In the planting bed in front of the studio I want to plant a red banana tree, directly in front of that ugly pipe that goes up the wall.  Of course the first thing I'll need to do is get rid of all that insidious crab grass, ugh I hate that stuff!  

I also have this really great cast concrete frog fountain which I will utilize in that planting bed as well.

My plan here is to chronicle the progress.  I'll post pictures of my latest plantings or ideas I might have.  Now that I'm accountable I hope I'll be more motivated...stay tuned!