16 posts tagged “jewelry”
Hmmmm, it's been such a long time since I posted here. I was trying to keep 2 blogs, one for just my jewelry and another one for my knitting and everything else about me. My other blog is Uli's Needleworkworld. It kind of got too much to maintain two individual sites and I thought about why I should separate myself into two blogs. I figured my faithful readers of my other blog would be interested in me as a whole and not just "all about Uli" minus the jewelry and business aspect. So I started combining posts about "all of it" including my Etsy shop and my jewelry and abandoned this blog over here. But I like the set-up over here and just figured I should pop back in and see what I can do to keep this one alive, too. I wonder if anyone pops in to read along here? Probably not.
We had a busy Christmas and with craft fairs almost every weekend in November, things certainly heated up leading to Christmas. I did okay at the craft fairs except my first one was rained out and my last one snowed out. Can you believe it??? The forces of nature interfered with me twice. Here's one picture of my set-up:
Small and inexpensive but fun was my craft show best-seller, the guardian angel cell phone charm:
I had these guys in all kinds of little colours and am totally sold out now. I'd like to make some more and might have an order for a whole bunch of them going to Germany in the new year.
And to kind of work my love for knitting into it, I've been working on lots of these little chell phone charms just suited for a little knitting gift for a friend or a secret pal:
And here is one for those who love to crochet:
I have a few other styles including one with a sweater in progress, a ball of yarn with needles, and a spinning wheel. More will appear in the shop as soon as I can get some decent pictures but the two I'm showing are currently up for grabs here and here. (oh, and here and here - I forgot about those).
I've also been doing a bit of knitting and am showcasing some cuddly and fun coloured toddler mittens - and yes, I have and will continue to make adult ones in the same bright colours if requested.
Aren't these fun - both sets of mittens are toddler (size 2-4) sized.
So that's what's new!!! I've been busy, busy, busy.
It's been a long time. We just came back from vacation yesterday and we had a wonderful time. Look at how many little stars I created in our family down time ie. when baby was napping and we weren't on the go and when the little guy wasn't destroying our very schwanky cottage.....
There are 24 of them and the Halloween coloured one (black and orange) is available in my store now. Other colour combos may become available but most of these are destined for my fall craft shows.
I also haven't introduced my caterpillar chainmaille titanium bracelet yet. I named it caterpillar because I actually scared off a colleague when I put just a small piece of it over my finger and put it under her nose... I love the slinkiness of the box chain and the coloures of the anodized titanium. I'm a fan of variegated colours in my knitting so I also love to randomly arrange colours in my jewelry creations.
And last but not least, this blue heart pendant had been burning to be made into a necklace. It just took me a while to get it all put together. A simple blue enameled copper and stainless steel 2 X 2 chain turned the pendant into a necklace. I'm so pleased with it....
These are my latest and greatest in the store. While I was away, I got two lovely supply envelopes. :-) So let's see what I can come up with next. I'm a bit behind on posting about my affection with large kidney ear wires and cubes.... that shall be next up. Right now, my 18 month old is single handedley demolishing a kleenex box. I guess a sign I should stop.
A fly-by post and I've got lots more new stuff to show but I'm in total love with these earrings I created yesterday. They're big, they're bold and they are fun. I love the combo of the anitqued copper with the orange/red tones.
And while I'm here, I'm in love with these large sized kidney style ear wires. Here's a pair of gold filled ear wires with just a hint of sparkle, an olivine coloured 8mm Swarovski cube crystal:
All available in my shop now. Have a great weekend all!!!!
I've been busy to say the least. I committed to do my first craft show ever. It's not even until November but I'm going crazy thinking about what to make, how much to have on hand for stock, what to concentrate on, how much variety etc. etc. It's a 2-day show, at my church - I feel comfortable in that setting at least as I know many faces etc. So, I'm planning out what supplies to buy and order and I'm easily sidetracked and led down the path of spending way too much money. More than I'm sure I need and then of course, I forget about the basics like needing headpins and eye pins and ear wires and lobster clasps..... :-) If anyone has any tips, I'd be more than grateful to hear them.
The other thing I really need help with is getting organized and how to find the ideal storage solution for all my beading and chainmaille supplies. Right now, nothing is working for me and last night I couldn't find my gold filled ear wires. Okay, I only have 3 pairs in stock right now and they are in a little 2X2 zip lock baggie so they can easily be missed but come on...... I made a pair of earrings and I want my gold filled ear wires. So I'm probably just going to run to the LBS and grab a pair which will cost me more than double compared to those that I have in stock. I knid of know what I want and my Dad would laugh if he knew. In his working days, when he ran his artistic ironworks business he had this great wall unit that had all these little flip out containers that he used for washers and screws and nails and all the little things that someone like him would need in his shop. It's that wall unit I'm after. I'm sure he's sold it by now and if he hasn't, then he's still using it plus it would take a whole lot of cleaning to get it up to snuff for use with fine jewelry supplies. It came all the way across the water with us when we moved to Canada from Germany many years ago. I think I need to talk to him. Maybe he knows where I can get one just like it.
Well, what's new in my store? A hodge podge of goodies. Some aren't brand new but I just haven't blogged about them yet and others are in the store but I don't have pictures handy here, at the moment. So it's always a good idea to pop on over and check out everything that's in store.
First of all, I'd love to show off the set I made for my daughter's Kindergarten teacher for the end of the school year. I combined some chalk turquoise with some mother of pearl and created a bracelet and earring set. I think she really liked the set and I love the combination of the colours. It's just so summery.
I've also been a bit on a cross kick. I've always loved crosses and for many years, all I would ever wear for a necklace is my sterling silver cross and a sterling silver "God Bless You/Guardian Angel" charm (text in German) - the only thing I own that was given to me by my grandma. It tarnished and I never cleaned it up (silly me and now I've got some great tarnish remover so I should get to it). After learning the persian weave and making some lovely basic key chains and a very pretty sterling silver and copper bracelet, I wanted to learn how to extend that weave and make the crosses so I did and I've been enjoying making them. I love the key chains but I'm especially fond of the small, dainty cross I made from niobium and sterling silver and attached to a sterling silver chain.
Aren't those kind of cool..... of course, if you're not objected to crosses.
And, of course, I'm forever making earrings because if I have no time for anything else, I still have enough time to let my creativity be and make a pair of earrings. I am so very fond of these funky glass beads that I got in pink and blue.
And then here are a few other random earrings that I made. The flower spheres remind others of eye balls which I think is hilarious. I didn't see it until others said it to me but I still don't totally agree but I guess if you want to see eyeballs instead of flowers, be my guest. :-)
Time to be off now. I have more catching up to do later. All these things are available at Sparkles & Fuzz, my Etsy store.
It seems I only get to create anything on the weekends............. so here are last weekend's creations, all listed on Etsy by now:
I love this moebius flower bracelet. It's made from stainless steel and enameled copper in pink and amethyst. The closure is a silver plated lobster clasp. I'm also working on a similar one in a combination of blues.
I call these topaz coloured ear threaders "simple elegance". A simple tear drop shaped Swarovski crystal and looooong ear threads - they are 5 inches long made from sterling silver box chain. These ear threaders are really comfortable to wear and are fun and elegant at the same time.
I like basic, plain things and these little pink drop earrings are also just that:
A simple Swarovski pearl paired with a plain crystal.
And just for fun, here's a pink crackle glass bead anklet for capri and sandal weather........... it will arrive eventually:
Another very simple design but yet, very effective in my opinion.
I have a blog special.............. if you come to my store via this blog and make a purchase, I am offering 10% off the purchase of any one item or 20% off a purchase of two or more items in the same transaction. Indicate to me in the "comments to seller" that you saw the special on the Vox Blog and wait to pay until I send you a revised invoice.
Even though this weekend seemed to go by in a blur, I did get a couple things finished.
I played with this Helm's Chain bracelet in silvered enameled copper:
And these earrings. I tried to make something different but the little rings turned out too little so I changed direction and came up with these earrings:
All available in my shop as of this morning. Stop by for a visit. :-)
With brown and pink combined being all the fashion rage........ or so it seems......... I had been wanting to make this necklace for a while. I finally did it and I'm ready to list it in my store but I'm not sure it will even make it there. One of my colleagues already snatched it but I took it back because I haven't told her the price. With all the sterling links in it etc. it's quite expensive and I'm not sure whether she'll still be interested once I tell her the price. I have a hard time, face to face, telling someone my price and sticking with it..... and I'm already taking it easy on the price with her. So, I'll go tell her in a bit and she can decide. At the same time, I don't want her to buy it just because she feels obligated now........ know what I mean?
Okay, I won't be nervous, I'll go tell her now................... if you check out my store and see it listed later, you'll know that it was too expensive for her. :-)
I love copper and I particularly enjoy weaving copper rings into chainmaille. I only had time for something small this weekend so off the kitchen table jumped these little earrings perfect to show Mom how much she's appreciated.
I love the little two-sided copper plated pewter charm. If my Mom wore earrings, ever, I'd give them to her for Mother's Day or her birthday. Since she doesn't, I think Mom will get a birthstone necklace design for her birthday/mother's day (in my Mom's case, those two events are always only separated by one week).
Just listed over at Sparkles & Fuzz
I just had to try them......... I saw them on my ring supplier's web site and I had to try doing chainmaille with rubber rings. Oh, that's different and kind of fun. It doesn't create fine, delicate jewelry but it's kind of funky, quirky and playful.....
I started out with a pair of earrings and they are listed in my Etsy Shop.
What do you think? I think they are just plain fun. Oh and see the picture on the left..... I just created my own earring cards yesterday. I'm stepping it up a notch.
Now, I'm working on a bracelet. With the rubber rings, the bracelet is not supposed to need a clasp. I'm using the same Japanese 12-1 weave structure and just connecting flowers of different colours with a few rings inbetween for spacing. Maybe I can show it off tomorrow.
Better go finish dinner. I've got a ton of custom earring orders to work on and some other sales that I need to put the finishing touches on.
I'm a purple/pink/red/blue kind of a girl. I step out of my colour comfort zone when I go for the browns and neutral colours. But, in response to requests, I'm stepping out of that comfort zone and loving it. I just created this pair of earrings. They are simple. They are my first time using gold filled findings and beads as well as Swarovskis in very warm shades of copper and gold. I think they are lovely and one pair just went up in my shop today.
I like them. I have some gold filled chain on order and once that arrives, I will also make a matching necklace much like the one I made for myself in silver and purples.
