I stopped in for a visit with my grandmother sometime shortly before I graduated from college. At one point during our chat, she went into the file box where she kept all of her important papers and dug out the engagement ring that my grandfather had given to her back in 1930. She had worn the ring for so many years that the band had worn clean through, making it resemble the letter C rather than the typical O. We went to the local jeweler together to have the stone removed from its original setting and placed into a new setting for me. Today, we begin a new month and honor the diamond as its birthstone. Thank you, Grandma, for such a thoughtful graduation gift. It is the one token I possess that links me to both of you, and I cherish it.
Category: Other
Weekend recap
While this weekend was certainly more productive than the last, I still finished fewer projects than I had hoped. Isn’t that always the case? I worked up two flower shaped pendants made of Swarovski crystal hearts and bicones on Sunday morning, but I didn’t have quite enough time to photograph them or add them to my Etsy shop. Looks like I will be in the photography studio at least one night this week. I also spent considerable time promoting my latest listings on Pinterest and in the Etsy teams, but other errands and household duties needed attention as well. So several craft projects sit half finished, but at least there are fewer dust bunnies hopping around the house!
Featured Friday – Maven Metals
This week’s featured Etsy shop is Maven Metals in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Shop owners Julie and Ben create personalized hand stamped metal jewelry and gifts. My favorite items are the latitude longitude GPS leather bracelets. Maybe I should order one stamped with the coordinates of my family’s farm in upstate New York. My heart will always be at home there after all.
Weekend recap
I would like to say that I accomplished all sorts of great things this weekend – finished some jewelry projects, worked on my online marketing, added items to my Etsy shop – but no. Instead, I spent many hours editing this blog to make it ready for prime time. Importing my existing posts from Tumblr was easy enough, but the subsequent clean up has not been fun. The media gallery was a mess, posts looked ugly, pages had weird names, ugh. So I started with the oldest post and began working forward. I’m about halfway done at this point, and I just have to keep chipping away at it, tedious and boring as it may be. It always amazes me how much time must be spent on the non creative side of a creative business.
Inspirational Beading blog
Anyone interested in beadweaving should check out the Inspirational Beading blog here. Features include tutorials, book reviews, photos of works in progress, and more!
Blue cubic zirconia earrings
Blue cubic zirconia leverback earrings.
Wedding rings
Swarovski BeCharmed line
Swarovski has come up with yet another innovative industry first, perfectly timed to surf the tidal wave of excitement surrounding the punk couture trend that has caught the fashion industry by storm. The new BeCharmed range for pre season spring / summer 2015 is sheer show stopping theater. Inspired by the rebellious punk movement and overlaid with a 21st century sophistication, these BeCharmed novelties give jewelry and accessories high octane, standout appeal — pure “punk couture”.
Jewelry guide for clothing choices
In this article, Leslie McLane provides some helpful tips on how to accessorize your clothing with jewelry that both complements and flatters. Several design ideas from Fire Mountain Gems are featured. Click on a design idea photo to see a list of materials required to create the look yourself.
Shoe love
Jimmy Choo. Simply amazing.
