Ear Sweeps Anyone?



  An Ear Sweep is a bobby-pin style earring that goes in your regular piercing and then sweeps UP your ear! Get the multiple-pierced look without the extra pain! I have more than a dozen styles, in gold or silver and your choice of gemstone or crystal beads. I've been making them for more than 20 years, and I can guarantee they make a great gift. Interesting, unique, and probably not something the person already has! My mom wears them all the time, and says that people are constantly stopping her in the grocery store or at church, asking about the Ear Sweeps. And that's what cool jewelry is all about, right? Getting noticed? (I wear Ear Sweeps myself most of the time, but the only place I go is my store, so the only people that see me are customers. I sell a lot of them because I wear them!)  I have several for sale in my Etsy shop .

 

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Too Busy to Blog

Craziness!  I've mailed out 76 packages in the last 2 weeks.  And that doesn't count the business I've done in the store, and the time it takes to make the stuff I need to make!  So you'll forgive me if I just haven't had time to write any blog posts recently.  I've got to take the business when it comes!

If you'd like to jump on the bandwagon and give a gift of handcrafted jewelry this year, you've got a few days left.  Hop over to my website, my Etsy shop, or my Artfire studio and pick out the perfect present--I won't mind another trip or two to the Post Office!

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Beautiful Jewelry from Scrap Materials, Part 3

These gorgeous rainbow beads are 4mm Swarovski crystal cubes.  I inherited them in a batch of stuff I acquired about 4 years ago.  Periodically I would take the little baggie out and note how pretty all the colors are together, but then put them away again because there aren't more than 7 or 8 of each color and I wasn't sure what to make with those few beads that would do them justice!  For some reason when I ran across them again about two weeks ago, the "rainbow" idea struck me.  I decided on silver wire partly because a lot of people are going for silver these days, and partly because I liked the way the colors really stood out against the metal.  Gold wire would have "warmed" the colors, which is fine, but silver really makes them "pop", don't you think?

This was heading for a listing in my Etsy shop.  I had taken pictures of it a week or so ago, and just finished editing the pictures on Monday.  And guess what...it sold in my store!  I have some more beads, but not enough in the true "rainbow" colors to make another bracelet just like this.  I think what I'll do is just a "multi-color" bracelet in a similar style.  Don't want those beautiful cube crystals to be homeless any longer!

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Beautiful Jewelry From Scrap Materials, Part 2

First I need to remind you that scrap materials means not only little leftover bits and pieces, but also things I've had lying around for so long that they probably gave up hope of every adorning someone's body!  This one is a 5mm (millimeter) heart-shaped iolite that I got in a batch of other sizes and shapes of iolites about 12 years ago.  Hearts are hard to set, because they're fat and round at one end and skinny and pointy at the other.  They will often want to pop out the fat end, or shift sideways so the heart seems to be lying partway on its side.  A 5mm stone is a bit of an odd size, too.  It's very small to be set in wire without being in a pre-made pop-in setting first, with a wire design around it.  I didn't have any heart-shaped settings, so I modified a round setting.  Then I just added a small bit of leftover scrap sterling silver wire to secure the setting and make a bail.  Now it's a cute, dainty little pendant, perfect for a young girl or a woman who likes her jewelry understated!  I'll be listing it on Etsy soon!

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What's In My Purse

This is the next item in the 30-Day Blog Challenge list I've been referring to periodically (when I don't have any new jewelry to show you!)  What's In My Purse... (The picture is not my purse, just a representative.)

• My cell phone
• My son's wallet
• 3 pens
• Some personal pictures
• Some personal notes
• Aspirin/ibuprofen
• My little Flip video camera (one of these days I'm going to figure out how to get the videos OFF it!)
• Mirror
• Reading glasses
• 2 nail files
• Lip balm
• Eye drops
• Comb
• 2 checkbooks
• Sunglasses
• My MP3 player
• My keys
• A couple of old bank receipts
• An envelope with a check for my husband (must remember to give that to him!)
• My wallet (the contents of THAT will make a whole other blog post!)

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My Most Popular Ring

In the mood for a sweet little treat?  This little ring is the most popular style I sell.  It's probably because it's so inexpensive, but all the feedback I get says it's cute and fun and a favorite to wear.  I make them in any size you need, from 3 to 14, in gold or silver twist wire.  You can find them for sale in my Etsy shop, sale priced at only $4.00!  Plus only $2.00 for shipping.

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Tiger Eye Multi-Stone Pendant

There's still a lot of interest in pendants made with more than one stone. This one is three graduating sizes of tiger eye, one of the most all-around-popular gemstones out there! A typical tiger eye stone will have lustrous alternating bands of yellow and brown, with a luminescent "eye" of chatoyancy. Roman soldiers wore tiger eye for protection in battle, and it was sometimes thought to help the wearer "see all", due to its appearance.

This pendant measures just about 3-1/4" long including the round bail that will fit a chain or cord up to about 6 millimeters. Each stone is outlined in continuous strands of 14kt gold filled wire. It's bold, it's eye-catching, and it's one-of-a-kind! Hurry...you can buy it in my Etsy shop right now!

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A Clean Work Space

I cleaned my desk Friday.

Such a simple statement, but if you had any idea what it looked like BEFORE Friday, you'd know what a big deal it really is! I haven't seen the top of my desk in over 4 years. I know it's been that long because that's when I emptied out my shop and painted the walls, then put everything back all organized and fresh.

It took me 10 hours. I started at about 10 in the morning and didn't finish until 8 that night. And truth be told, I'm still not quite done. The biggest issue was the years' worth of little wire scraps that were jumbled together in a giant mound covering most of the desk. In order to send the scrap wire back to the refiner, I had to separate the gold from the silver. And I didn't quite finish. I separated about 20 ounces of wire, but I've got 6 or 8 ounces still to separate. I have to wait for my poor, hunched-over shoulders and back to recuperate before I can tackle the rest of it.

But I'm SO excited that my desk is clean! What is it about a clean working surface that just inspires you to get down to business? I've been pretty productive. In fact, that's why it took me a couple days to even blog about it...I've been busy making stuff and didn't want to take time out to take a picture and write a post! Mostly I've been making ear cuffs, and you'll find some new ones listed in my Etsy shop. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to work...

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Photo Backgrounds

There is a guy who is a long-time customer of mine, who is a serious rockhound and who has a lot of spare time on his hands. He happened to come in one day a few weeks ago when I was working on photography and noticed the various backdrops I use to display my jewelry on when I'm taking pictures: a piece of wood with a light "interior" side and a dark bark "exterior" side; 2 different light grey patterned tile pieces, 1 beige patterned tile piece, and a small but very pretty piece of driftwood. (I also shoot outside on the edge of the courtyard water fountain, a cement bench, and various plants and leaves.)

The next day my friend shows up with a huge chunk of pyrite (fool's gold) for me to use in my photography. I'm not kidding, this thing is at least 10 inches long by 8 inches wide by 5 inches deep--the biggest chunk of pyrite I've ever seen. There's one section with glittering little square nuggety protrusions, and other sections where the rock is smoother but still has the "gold" flecks through it. A beautiful specimen, but my first thought was whether it would be too shiny to get a decent picture without glare from the flash.

A couple of days later he comes in with another big rock. This one is honey onyx--layers and striations of soft peach alternating with white, and an uneven, rocky face, which is perfect for displaying jewelry. Just gorgeous, and a nice neutral color that I thought would be great for a background.

Last week I finally got around to shooting some new photography using these unique pieces. You can see the results yourself--the same cameo pendant taken on both rocks. The pyrite is actually not as bad as I thought, but doesn't work well for every color of stone. With the right item, though, it's a really interesting background! And the honey onyx is fantastic--I don't think there was any piece that I tried to photograph that didn't look good on it. I'd love to get some comments on what YOU think!

Just a couple days ago, my customer brought in this FANTASTIC big piece of driftwood for me to use. It's got light and dark sections and lots of lumps, bumps, holes, and protrusions that are going to make for amazing pictures! You can see more examples of the pyrite, the honey onyx, and soon the driftwood in my Etsy shop or my Artfire studio. (Be sure to look at the jewelry itself while you're there!)

Lots of Ear Cuffs!

For several months now, a very large number of the orders I've received online have been for ear cuffs. You know, the little adornment that wraps around the outside cartilage on the side of your ear...? An accent to earrings, or an accessory in and of itself. From simple bands to ornate sweeps, for young and old alike, they're a cute and comfortable, and mostly just fun! I've got several listed for sale in my Artfire studio or my Etsy shop. Pop on over and in just a couple of clicks you can order, pay through PayPal, and have your own ear cuff on its way to you. Trendy, maybe, but inexpensive enough where you can treat yourself and hop on the ear cuff bandwagon!

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Summer Schedule

The thing I love most about summertime is that I get to sleep in a little longer each morning, since I don't have to take my son to school. Not TOO much longer, because I do have to take him to the day camp he attends at his karate school, but long enough for it to feel indulgent. The downside of that lovely sleeping in is that I get to my store later in the morning, and have that much LESS time to get everything done that I need to before I open my doors. Like this, for instance. I'm blogging, and it's already time to be opening my store. I did list some new items in my Etsy shop, but I still have to update my Facebook Fan Page. I did take care of my eBay sales and made a new listing there, but I haven't written the bill payments that need to go with the mailman today.

Adjusting to my summer schedule will require a bit more focus than I am sometimes inclined to have. Today is only the first day. I'm not totally displeased with my progress so far this morning. I'll go update my Facebook Fan Page, write the checks to pay the bills, and then get to work on the gigantic pile of special orders on my clipboard! Since my doors are now open, there's the possibility that customers might walk in, but being in business to sell to the public is what makes all those other things even necessary, right? So if I have to get up from my desk to take care of a customer, that's a GOOD thing! The rest...I'll just keep muddling along!

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Catching Up

I often find myself composing blog posts in my head as I drive to work in the morning. And then by the time I get here, more often than not, the task of writing in my blog completely flies out of my mind. I wish I were a little less scatterbrained sometimes, but I guess that's just part of being an ar-tiste...? Hahaha!

I've been pretty busy in my store. But in a strange way. Not so many customers walking in, really, and those that do are bringing me stuff to set for them. So I've got lots of special orders to be working on. At least three weeks worth, maybe a month. Sometimes I wish people would be a little more interested in buying the stuff I actually have made up, but special orders keep me busy and prevent monotony! And it's not like I'm not selling anything in the store!

I've been getting quite a few online sales, too. I sell on 5 different online venues, and there have been a few days recently that I've sold at least one thing on each of them. I think that's pretty cool! Of course, when I sell something on Etsy or Artfire or Ruby Lane, it's often something that's one-of-a-kind, so my posted inventory goes down. That means I need to take new pictures and post new items, which can be time-consuming. But it keeps my online inventory looking fresh!

So you see that for everything I might gripe about a little, there's something positive to be had as well. And ain't that the way life should be...?!!

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A Little Progress

I have to admit that I haven't been doing very well with my "blog before I go play on Facebook" resolution, but I have taken some time over the last couple of weeks to fill up some of those empty necklace displays! Here's a shot of some of the completed bead necklaces: juicy red jade with red glass teardrops, dark green freshwater pearls accented with glittering tanzanite beads, lovely neutral autumn jasper, a rainbow of colored mother-of-pearl discs, and more! I'm shooting pictures of the individual pieces right now, and you'll be able to purchase them in my Etsy shop or my Artfire studio real soon!

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Ankle Bracelets

I've been making ankle bracelets this week. Although the weather is still very un-Florida-ish, I'm optimistic that springtime will soon be here. Shorts and sandals equal bare legs, and I think all that bare expanse of skin needs a little bling, don't you? Check out what I've got in my Etsy shop, or on my website. Big ankles, skinny ankles?...doesn't matter! Since I make them to order, I can custom-make them any length you need. I can usually have them ready to mail out in 3 days or less, and shipping is only $2.00! Treat yourself!

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Guys' Shopping Habits

Valentine's Day is coming. Would it surprise you if I told you I see a lot of men in my store on February 13th? (December 24th, too!) That's not to knock all guys, of course. Some are pretty good about thinking ahead. (My husband is actually one of them.) But others just can't seem to get it together before the last minute. My late stepfather used to call me the afternoon of December 24th or August 23rd--the eve of their anniversary--and ask, "So what does your mother want?" I'd always try to come up with some suggestions, of course, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "YOU live with her...you don't have any idea what she might like?" And Mom is not that hard to buy for--she pretty much likes anything anyone in her family gives her.

Anyway, for those of you guys who might be considering an online purchase of some really great, unique artisan jewelry, you can check out my Etsy shop or my Artfire shop for ready-to-ship items that I'm sure your lady will love! I ship USPS first class, and your purchase will be in the mail the next day, I promise!

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Amethyst

Amethyst. February's birthstone. And in my experience, one of the most popular colored gemstones around!

Amethyst is purple quartz, ranging in tone from pale lavender to deep, rich, almost-black purple. It is the "stone of meditation", and its energies are said to help amplify intellectual understanding, as well as protect the wearer from intoxication! (Although I certainly can't guarantee you won't get drunk while wearing your favorite amethyst pendant or ring!) It can also be used to attract good luck. I have some fabulous amethyst pendants, earrings, ear sweeps, bracelets, anklets, rings and necklaces. Check out my Etsy shop for ready-to-buy items, or my website for a look at everything I can make. I would be delighted to design something just for you!

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Ear Cuffs

I don't know what the deal is recently, but 8 out of the last 10 orders I've received on my various online venues have been for ear cuffs. Apparently there's a resurgence of these little cuties, and I know from many years' experience that they're not easy to find. Well, I've got 'em, and I've got lots of 'em! From thin, simple bands to ornate, climb-your-ear beauties with lots of beads, I've got a nice selection ready for immediate purchase in my Etsy shop, and I've got more styles available for order on my website. Check them out now!

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Pretty Little Gift Set

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I'd like to mention that I've got these cute little matching pendant & earring sets in many different stones. Because they're handcrafted and unique, they make a thoughtful gift, and they're inexpensive enough to outfit practically every lady on your list! You can see a nice selection of colors, ready-to-purchase in the Pendants section of my Etsy shop! Fast shipping, too--I promise!

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A Little Productivity

I'm happy that I finally got inspired enough to make some pendants last week. Sea glass! I've got tons of it, the finished pendants are quite affordable (average about $20), and it's always a great seller because each one is a unique work of art.

The good news is that it only took one afternoon to make all 10 of these pendants. The bad news is that it's taken me 4 days to shoot and edit the photos for them, so they're not all posted yet. My goal is to have them all up in my Etsy shop and/or my Artfire studio by the end of the day. (Feel free to click over and check on my progress!)

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On The Upswing

September is traditionally the slowest month of the year for me. So you'd think I would get a lot of extra work done, right? Like making more inventory, taking pictures, writing blog posts, updating my Etsy shop and my Artfire studio...

Well, not really. The slower my business is, the slower I seem to move. It's so hard to get motivated. I've spent far too much time the last couple of weeks "playing" rather than getting any productive work done. Oh, I have made some inventory (check out the fire agate pendant picture!) But I've been playing computer games and revising my MP3 playlists, too. Fun, yes, but not particularly helpful for making money!

So I'm glad September is over. It's not that business jumps up by a large amount on the first of October, but the anticipation is there. I'm looking forward to more business, and to being busy. Somehow the more I have to squeeze into my day, the more I do squeeze into my day.

And the cooler weather doesn't hurt, either!
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