Featured Artists and 1000 Markets - A Perfect Pair

One of my web sites is with 1000 Markets and one of the markets I belong to is A Perfect Pair. It's all about earrings if you didn't get the gist with the name. So, I'm doing a little marketing on my blog for them. We have a special earring category for the holidays of 20% off and free shipping. HERE is the link. Each artist was allowed 6 pair of earrings for this category. Can you find mine? Here are 5 of them.

There are some really talented jewelry designers out there so take a look around, visit my shop as well as others and get some holiday gifts marked off your list. Be sure to shop early so we can get things out in the mail to you.

Speaking of mail, most of my FB Fans have received their Facebook Fan gifts (except for those that live overseas), so if you haven't, and you sent me your address, hopefully you will soon. The gal at the postoffice did tell me that if we have a lot to mail between now and Christmas, to mail packages on a Tuesday. Monday's are their busiest day of the week. I'm definitely going to do my mailing now on a Tuesday.

Here are a few earrings that I just absolutely love that are in this same market.

This pair is by Oceano SeaGlass

These are by Mosiac Design Jewelry. Can you imagine the work that went into these.

These are just perfect for those with a November birthday. Made by DalMare.

Enjoy!

Up in the Air

It's Tuesday and I missed my Monday tutorial day, so I'll find something today to post that's jewelry related that you can make. The weekend just flew by as it always does when you don't want it to end although the husband and my cold's are much better. The coughing and nose blowing is just so tiring.

I played around a little more with my twig/branch earring design only using labradorite and pearls on one and garnets and tourmaline on the other. I'm not sure I like the garnets...seems a little gaudy to me as I like more simplistic earrings, but who knows, it might just be the ticket for someone else, so I'll go ahead and make the other one to match so there is a pair. They are both made with 28 gauge sterling silver wire.

I won't be working on new jewelry designs today as I'm off to my MIL's house to clean and continue the organization to get ready for an Estate sale. I guess I just never realized how much work there was... or maybe I knew and was blocking it out until it really had to be done. Since we are also going to have some remodeling done over there, I'll take some before and after pics. The bathroom when finished should look amazing. In the kitchen we are still agonizing over a solid surface countertop or granite.

Thanks for reading and if you have some great jewerly ideas or remodeling ideas, I would love to hear both. Dana

Labor Day Weekend Activities

It is a holiday and usually we are at the beach. My husband and I both came down with a cold, it's been rainy and cool and didn't want to spend a cold rainy weekend miserable at the beach, so we stayed home. Today was lovey, turned on the fireplace and watched a movie this afternoon and then went to my mother's for dinner. No cooking, my kind of dinner. I did manage to make a couple of pair of earrings and a pendant yesterday.

I made two pair of earrings since I wasn't sure I liked the first pair. The bottom drop is a faceted black onyx with freshwater pearl and black sapphires and then a smooth round black onyx. The second pair I added small black tourmaline drops with the other stones. The pendant is a design I made up with just 14 gauge silver wire and then wrapped sterling silver wire around it with the gemstones. The bottom of the pendant also has a faceted black onyx.

I wore the set to my mother's tonight and as I thought, she wanted a set for herself. The design of the earrings is a take off one of my gem tree branches. Very simple to make a very flashy. The pendant and at least one pair of the earrings will be available in my ArtFire shop soon, but I need to take some better pictures, this one doesn't do it justice.

With the holidays coming up, I have been trying to decide on packing materials for items that are purchased at some of my upcoming craft shows. I finally decided to make origami boxes out of some of my old greeting cards. I'll just have them out in a basket and when a purchase is made they can pick out their own little gift box. It will be perfect for a pendant or earrings. I'll post pictures of the little boxes later and if you really want the instructions, I'll post those also.

Have a great Labor Day and don't work too hard...oh wait you aren't supposed to work at all on that day. Dana

New Jewelry Posted

This week has been devoted to making earrings and getting some posted for sale. All these pictured are either for sale on my ArtFire or 1000 Markets shop. My favorite is the carved turquoise, coral and apatite. Now to start on some inexpensive pendant/necklace designs for the salon. I have the earrings ready and now to work on the other items that need to get refreshed for Fall. I haven't had a lot of time to devote to making items this Summer due to family needs, but now I'm ready to go again. Just being back in my little craft room has inspired me to continue to remake old jewelry pieces and create new ones.

Today was our Gem and Mineral club picnic, so I did get a little reprieve from my normal routine. As it was a little hard to get going this morning and make the potluck dish I wanted to (swedish meatballs) we opted for an apple pie from Costco. Those pies are so good and this one was no exception...just needed a little vanilla ice cream to go with it.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend and remember to enjoy yourself every moment of the day because life is short and we only have a limited amount of time to make our mark on this world.

Fun Fabric Earring Idea

Okay, I do have to apologize for not posting my regular daily posts. I thought once we returned from Montana I would have loads of time....well family emergencies do take priority and hopefully those will be settling down soon. I am still reading all my favorite blogs and some have such great ideas like this one from Happy Together. They are fabric earrings. Cool idea and so easy to make.

Here is the tutorial. Enjoy.

Jewelry Item of the Week

I didn't know whether I was coming or going this week as I was just trying to recover after last weekends show. I did make a pair of earrings for a challenge on 1000 Markets and a jewelry tree for earrings. The earrings are already for sale HERE, but the tree is not listed yet. I will get listed on my ETSY site once I get a little bit more organized with my completed gem trees and kits and have received all the copies of my book Gem Tree Sculptures. The book is for sale on the publishers web site HERE if you want to take a look at it. It will be for sale on Amazon in about 30 days.

The earrings challenge was from the Jewelry Artists Market on 1000 Markets and for June the theme was to create something based on your favorite song. Well, I have so many favorite songs as you can see from the music mixes that I create, but I chose Pachabels Canon which is a Baroque favorite. I found some Swarovski Baroque crystals and made some charm earrings. All the crystal dangles come off to add one or more at a time.

The jewelry tree was an ETSY alchemy request for a larger black jewelry tree. The only ones I had already made were green and orange and they are listed on my 1000 Markets site HERE, so that didn't work for her. Just waiting to hear back to see if this is what she wanted, if not then it will go up for sale.

Jewelry Items for the Week

This week was all about earring wires. I now make my own and am always trying new styles. The curly cue styles are for removeable charms.
Here are a couple made into earrings.

If you are interested in any handmade ear wires made into earrings, I have them listed on my 1000 Markets site. My favorites are the charm earrings...I have a couple of styles that I use along with some purchased thin hoop earrings. The charms are just crystals, gemstones and pearls that can be taken on and off the earrings.