Busy Times

I have obviously not posted in quite some time. My life has become really crazy and busy as of late with work, teaching, and being pregnant. This blog has fallen far down the priority list. I will try to get back to it if/when life settles back down a bit.

Thanks for your support!

Upcoming Show: Lehi

I will be one of the vendors at the Lehi Roundup Boutique. In the next month between now and then I will be frantically creating so I have will have a great collection of new items to show. Come see me!

June 19-20
10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Wines Park
600 North Center Street, Lehi

Feature Friday: Rae Gun

I have little girl. One of the fun things about girls is all the adorable clothes that go along with dressing a girl. Girls’ clothes are about a billion times cuter than boys. I especially love fun patterns and girly frills. So when I came across Rae Gun clothing, I was thrilled to see it gushing with cuteness. Marissa, the name behind the clothes, makes adorable items for little kiddos. I am especially fond of the ruffles on the butt.

Her dresses are uber cute and she will happily make you coordinating bloomers. Many of her designs are made to order. She makes all kids sizes from 0-3 months all the way up to size 7. Or, you can send her measurements for your little one and she will custom make the item. Look at these little outfits!


How can you say no? For those with little boys, no fear. She also makes adorable little jumpers for both girlies and your little slugger, like this one!

In addition to making super cute kids clothes she is a graduate student completing her thesis. Plus she's located in Small Salt Lake City, which makes her a friend! So go a check out her shop if you haven't. Chances are either you have kids who need something cute for summer, or you know someone else's who do.

Spring Necklace

I made this necklace a few weeks ago after realizing everything in my shop is darker colors. You can tell when I go through color phases! Even though this has green (which I love!) it's a brighter emerald green using Malachite stone. I love the look of Malachite; it looks like marble. This necklace also uses yellow and purple Swarovski crystal. Purple and yellow make a yummy combination, especially for spring.



See how pretty those stones are? I also really like that they are not cut into a perfect shape, rather they look more like tumbled rocks.

As always, if you would like to see more of my work, please click over to my Etsy shop.

Vacation

Whew. Sorry for the lack of posting. I have been on a fantastic family vacation and still getting back into the swing of things. I'm hoping to be back up and posting soon. I will for sure have a new shop owner for Featured Friday, so stay tuned!

New(ish) Project

I made this pendent a few weeks ago. It has been sitting on my work table every since starring up at me. It's been begging me to be turned into a necklace. But I'm just not sure I can do it. I'm not totally convinced I love it yet and I refuse to list something in my shop unless I love it. So tell me, is it worthy of my shop? Should I put it on a simple chain and call it good? Should I list it as a pendent, or not at all? These decisions are so hard!

Yes, I did just put it on an unfinished chain for that last pic. I wanted to see how it would look.

I made this off an artistic prompt about dreaming. I was trying to create something that looked like the night sky when it contains every shade of night. That time of night after the sun has gone down and the top of the sky is black, but as you look toward the horizon it's still a light blue from the day. This is what I came up with and I like the colors, how it fades from blue to purple to black. But I'm just not sure it I'm in love. Are you?

Feature Friday: Emily Gray Jewels

Etsy is a fantastic place. There are so many incredible artists in all mediums. Because I am a jewelry artist, I am obviously drawn to looking at jewelry. I am blown away by the talent of some of these artists. Today's feature is one of those incredible designers: Emily Gray Jewels.

Emily's designs are breathtaking, beautiful, and in high demand! Emily calls herself an incurable romantic and the femininity of her pieces shine through. Her wire wrapping skills are to be envied especially being self-taught. She uses beautiful gemstones and fine metals to create her works of art. This is one of my favorites.

I love the simple color palate mixed with an intricate design makes for such a cohesive piece.
These earrings take my breath away. The luscious berry colors clustered together like grapes waiting to be plucked on a warm summer day. Heaven!

This necklace is just fantastic. The skill and time she must put into her work is astounding.
This bracelet is so springy. The warm yellow paired with the shades of purple is beautiful.

Emily has many other fantastic designs in her Etsy shop and I highly recommend you stop by. If not to buy, then to put a smile on your face and admire a true artist.

Bridal Chandelier

My brother is getting married in less than two weeks. As a wedding gift to his soon-to-be bride, I offered to make her wedding jewelry. We got together to discuss what style she likes, colors, stones, etc. She choose a simple floating necklace with small chandelier earrings in clear Swarovski crystal with stardust beads and sterling silver. I love stardust beads because they sparkle magnificently and look like they've been dipped in diamonds.

I was so excited after I finished the necklace that I didn't think to take pictures before I gave it to the bride. I did remember to take a few shots of the earrings that I wanted to share. At some point, I'll get some shots of the necklace and post that too.

It's so exciting and flattering to make wedding jewelry. I love being part of a brides' special day in a way that makes her feel like a princess. I love doing custom work and it was so fun to do this for my new sister in law.

Booth Setup

Last weekend I had a boutique show. I finally took some pictures of my setup and wanted to share it along with some tips.

This show provided tables and I had two narrow tables pushed together to make my table. I used bed risers to hoist up the back table to create the different heights. (I still use bed risers when I just have one table.) I try to create different heights using my display stands as well. I use two tablecloths, one that reaches the floor and hides my storage underneath, and the second that adds more depth and provides a backdrop to make my pieces pop. I also brought a lamp to add extra light to show off the sparkle of the crystal. I hung my banner off the front of my table, but I'm working on finding a better way to display it. Always bring a mirror!

During this show I was also paying attention to what pieces people looked at. Just based off this show, the pieces that were laying flat and upfront got the most attention. Even with different heights, the pieces hanging on the bar in the back got no attention. Because of this, I like to mix up where I place pieces for shows and sometimes even during the day at the same show. It's all about rotating the pieces so each one gets the attention it deserves.

Feature Friday: Paper Cakes by Rachel

I love paper. I'm a scrapbooker and I love going to the craft store and look at the aisles of printed paper. I love the patterns, colors, and textures. People can make the most amazing things with paper. Everything from cards, to flowers, to cakes. Today's Friday Feature is Paper Cakes. Never heard of a paper cake? Neither had I until I met Rachel on Etsy.

Rachel makes these incredible party favors out of paper that look like cake. If you saw this cake, you would never guess that it isn't made form eggs, flour, and frosting. I'm not sure it I should be disappointed or impressed! I'm going for the later.

Each piece is an individual party favor that can be filled with candy, toys, or any other small trinket. These cakes make a beautiful centerpiece and double as a party favor. How fun! Rachel makes all her cakes to order so you can get any size color or embellishment you want. These cakes are perfect for any party occasion - birthdays, showers, or girls night out.

Perfect for the upcoming summer baby showers.
Unless you looked close you wouldn't know it was paper. This will impress your party guests!

M&M filled cake. Need I say more. Yum!

Go visit Paper Cakes by Rachel and order a lovely one today. Tell her I sent you.

Blog Button

I have wanted a blog button for quite some time. But I'm not savvy in the graphic arts and I'm too lazy to figure it out. I have a great blogfriend offer to make me my very own blog button. I was thrilled! Brittany was kind enough to whip up this fabulous little friend who will live on my sidebar. Everyone say hello and make her feel welcome (Hello!)

Show Banner

I am finally done with my banner! I am so excited about how it turned out. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a big vinyl banner (even though that would be great). Instead I decided to create my own from cute paper and ribbon.

I used big scrapbook letters. The ones I got were actually unfinished so I painted them brown. Then I cut the shapes and attached it all together. I strung on string and tied ribbons between the letters. As I was standing back to admire, my husband walked in and asked "Aren't you going to put some gems on the Jessica's Gems banner?" I'm a little slow and had honestly not thought of that. What a brilliant (yet painfully obvious) suggestion. So on went some huge crystals to add a little bling. What do you think?

Yes, it is hung off my stairs so I could get a feel for how it will look hung. I plan to do mostly indoor shows, but do have one outdoor show planned. I'm concerned that a paper banner is not going to hold up so well in the elements. I guess we'll find out!

Feature Friday: Marie's Cosy Cushions

I am on a home decorating kick. I troll the decorating blogs for fun ways to liven up my home and make it more "ours". I have a large number of items that are awaiting being spray painted as soon as can find a time to get to the store to buy spray paint. I have also recently become obsessed with pillows. I love them. Big, little, patterned, solid, bright, dull. I want them all. My husband has joked that he is surprised we are not currently swimming in pillows because I talk about them often.
"A red pillow would look great on the living room chairs."
"What we need are some pillows to rest on the trunk."
"Pillows would add some great fabric and softness to the room."
"I love these pillow to go on the storage bench I don't currently own, but want."
See, it's a problem for me.

So when I found Maire's Cosy Cushions, I fell in love. It was all I could do to not purchase everything in her shop. So instead of blowing my mortgage payment on puffy love, I will send you there instead. All her items are made to order. These are the ones I really want. The ones that would coordinate in my living room so perfectly.

I also love these organic tree pillows. What a great way to bring the outdoors in.

Who wouldn't love a flower pillow? I know I would!
And if the pillows weren't enough, she also makes wall art in the same fabric as the pillows! How cool is that. I made something similar for my office but it was made from scrapbook paper and Styrofoam, not fabric and canvas. This is the real deal!

So if you haven't seen this great shop from England, go check out Marie's Cosy Cushions. You'll be glad you did.

Shows Next Week

Next week I will be participating in two different shows. I would love to see you at one (or both) of them!

Spring Boutique
Tuesday, April 7
7:00 - 9:00 pm
2304 Pointe Meadow Loop
Lehi, Utah
Vendors: Jessica's Gems, Angela's Accessories, Mymby, Modbe

Spring Spectacular
Saturday, April 11
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Courtyard Marriott
10701 S. Holiday Park Drive
Sandy, Utah
Vendors: Jessica's Gems and too many others to list!

I hope you will come visit me at one of these great boutiques. I will have much more product than is currently listed in my Etsy shop.

Feature Friday: Crystalyn Kae

There are so many incredible artists out there I wanted to start a feature to showcase some of their talent. (I try to not make it all me, all the time!) Most of these artists are people I have met or found online. I think handmade can use all the applause it can get. So, without further ado, I give you this week's featured artist: Crystalyn Kae

I first found Crystaly Kae when looking for a green handbag. I have decided that I want something bright green for spring. Off to Etsy I went searching. This is the bag from CrystalynKae I found.

I love it! I love how it combines the two greens, has pleating with the pattern peaking through. I love that the print gives it just enough to create some interest but is not overwhelming.

A bit about the artist: Crystalyn lives in Seattle and got her BA in Apparel Design and Textiles from Washington State University. She makes gorgeous bags that are sold in boutiques around the country as well as on Etsy. Her style is a mix of classic with a sophisticated touch of modern in the details. It's apparent why she has been featured in many magazines. Here are a few more of her great bags. I wish I could afford one in every color! Go check out her Etsy shop if you haven't discovered her yet! You can also find her on her website.

Featured Artist is Me!

Today Allison from Allison Kelley Designs has featured me as an Etsy seller. How exciting! Thanks Allison! Click here to read the interview and support handmade.

Show Considerations

As I've been seeking out shows to display at, I have found more shows than I can possibly attend. There seems to be a show almost every weekend. Not only do I not have the time to attend every one, but I don't have the financial resources either. In my effort to narrow down the ones that will be the most successful for me, here is a list of questions I have been asking the show curators.

1- What is you average customer attendence?
2- What is the demographic of your customers?
3- What are averagae show sales?
4- How many vendors will be at the show?
5- How many other jewelry vendors will be there?
6- What kind of marketing has been done for the show?
7- What is your checkout process? Each vendor does their own or one central checkout?
8- What is the booth fee and what does it cover?

Ideally, I would like to attend the show and get a feel for it before I commit to the booth fee. But that doesn't always happen. Are there other questions that you ask show curators to decide if the show is right for you? After all, good sales help everyone, the vendor and the curator.

Spring Shows

Spring shows are starting up in full force. This is the first year I will be doing shows and I'm really excited to start! I have been noticing flyers pop up all over the place for various shows. So I have been contacting the boutique hosts as asking about vendor spots. I am late on many of them, but often the host has offered to keep me informed about later summer or fall shows. And that's a great start!

I also put in an application last week for an outdoor summer boutique . I'm still hoping to find someone to split the booth with (assuming I'm accepted). An outdoor show brings on a whole new set of challenges and supplies. I know I'm not fully prepared for that but there's no time like the present!

Indoor stuff I can handle. I have done several home parties and recently did a charity boutique. It's so fun being new, learning so much, and getting to know people in the circuit! My neighbor has been doing this for a while and has offered to help me out. Hurray! Since she is being so nice to me, you should stop by her shop and check her out. She makes cute hats, flowers, and bows.

Custom Sale

Sorry for being MIA this weekend. I was busy at home jumping for joy. I got my first custom order from Etsy this weekend. Hurray! I had placed a bid on Alchemy and was chosen. It was very exciting for me and I spend a good portion of the weekend working on the project. It is for a bride who is looking for a Sapphire pendent. I will be using the same crystal the I use to make this necklace. Tonight I will be photographing it and will post pictures!

I am so excited to get my first real sale from Etsy and look forward to having some feedback.

The rest of my weekend consisted of putting a top coat on my shelves and housework. I'm hoping to get those hung soon.

Fixture Sale

Did you know that the new Fashion Place Nordstrom is open!? Hurray! Did you also know that the old store is selling all their fixtures?

The sale will take place tomorrow, Friday, March 13 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. I stopped by today and peeked in the window to see what kind of stuff they have. It appears to be everything from tables and lamps to chairs and mannequins. They have been selling stuff by appointment, so I don't know how much will actually be available. The sale is cash and carry. I plan to make my way over there tomorrow and see if I can find some display stuff for craft shows at a good price. You should come too!

Sapphire Cluster Drop

Here is my newest piece. It's made from a giant Sapphire colored Swarovski crystal. The cluster is made from Citrine and Swaroski crystal with a few green pops of Malachite. Everything is hand wrapped and hung on sterling silver. It's different than a lot of my other pieces and I kind of like it. What do you think? Click on over and check it out.

Featured Piece

Hurray! My Deep Blue Sea necklace was featured on Indie Spotting. Be sure to visit this great site and submit one of your own (or another one of mine, whatever!) :)

Sold it

Today I went searching for old product photography on my computer. I have several pieces of jewelery that is not currently on my Etsy site that I want to add. For many of those pieces I have photography - somewhere! My husband helped me find it today and I was going through it.

You know what I learned? I have actually sold a lot of my stuff! It was kind of fun to go back through the old photos and say, "Sold that, sold that, don't have that anymore, sold that." I forget how much I have actually sold when I always have a full chest of stuff. That's because I'm constantly creating. It was fun to go back through some of the my old favorites and get inspired by my past portfolio. I may just have to remake a few of them because I loved them so much!

I guess this is a lesson that I need to be more organized about keeping track of what product I have, and what I have sold.

Studio Space

Any crafter needs a space to create. That space should be somewhere they love and is inspiring. I have a studio/crafting space. But it's not somewhere I love. In fact, it's pretty bland and uninspiring. The walls are white. The tables fold and storage is nowhere to be seen. Recently I have been on a mission to turn that blah into Hurrah.

My better half for some unknown, crazy reason didn't want to paint so I graciously agreed. I scratched the original plan and moved on to plan B which left walls white. Since my decorating budget is pretty small, most new furniture is also out of the question. (I have keeping an eye out of Craigslist though.) My office still isn't complete but here are a few things I am doing that will make it fabulous.

I made this great art piece myself out of scrapbook paper and styrofoam. I made a tutorial here if you are interested.

I am excited to see it all come together and have a space I love to be. For even more incredible and beautiful creative spaces, visit here.

Be the Wow!

I have been spending a lot of time cruising the Etsy forums and looking at lots of other shops. I have been flipping through the Buy pages to see what others offer and trying to gain some insight. Most recently I have been trying to really pay attention to the items that catch my eye. Why that one? Is it the colors, the background, the piece? What about it makes me want to click into their shop to see more?

I am slowly starting to realize that for me, it's the WOW factor. I make jewelry. I know how to string beads and thus, am not impressed by strung beads. But, show me a necklace intricately wire wrapped or some difficult metal work, and I am impressed. That's what makes me what to click into a shop. The WOW factor of something that isn't easily replicated.

Along this line of thought I have decided that I want to BE the WOW. The competition is fierce and if I want to make this work, I'm going to have to stand out. I've decided that I want to learn more, advance my skills to be the WOW that only a few possess. The last few nights I have been working on a new piece that is a bit out of my element. I finished it tonight and am still deciding if it's totally done. It's unlike my other work. It took much more time and planning. I am trying to find the balance between my passion for creating and making something others want to buy. But this is the first step for me in becoming the WOW. I am excited to keep walking this path of self discovery.

I am adding this post to Works For Me Wednesday. Be sure to visit to join in on the fun.

Organizing Beads

When I first started making jewelry, I was really excited. I bought a bunch of supplies, beads, wire, etc. I soon realized that I needed a system for all my great supplies since thrown haphazardly into a basket was not working so well for my sanity.

I set off in search of something that would both organize and be efficient. I first came across the flat bead organizers with flip-top lids. I quickly decided that wouldn't work me. Mostly because I didn't want to end up with a stack of 6 bead organizers and have to pull each one off the stack to see what was in the one underneath. Or to pull down the stack every time I wanted a bead from the bottom case. I knew that inevitably the bead I wanted at the moment would be in the bottom case. So I've moved on.

Next I came to the tall, round, plastic organizers. Those are a nice use of vertical space. But round things don't line up as pretty and I wanted something that would hold more that 6 types of beads.

Finally, I made my way out of the craft store and into the hardware store. There I found what I was looking for. Honestly, I'm not sure what they are called, but my dad used something similar to store screws and nails and such. It's a big square organizer with lots of little drawers. The ones I have contain 5 rows of little drawers (6 across) and three rows of big drawers (3 across). In one neat organizer I get 39 drawers.


Initially I thought the big drawers would be too big and less efficient than the smaller drawers. But I have found they come in handy for larger items like wire coils, a bench block, and stringing material.

I got out my trusty label maker and put labels on all the drawers so I can easily see what is in them without opening them. I currently have two of these large containers. One houses all my findings and gemstones. The other holds all my crystal, divided by color.
I have also experimented with keeping beads in the little plastic bags or taking them out. I have found for me, it's easier to keep them in the bags. That way they are always labeled, live with their twins and don't get lost. I also like to keep my silver in their little bags to prevent oxidizing. What organizing has worked for you?

Gemma Chandelier Earrings

I love these earrings. I say that about many of my pieces, but it's true. I love the flow of these earrings. The dark, olive green is a beautiful compliment to the gold. The pearls add more depth and interest than would be there if they were just crystal alone. In addition to loving the look of this piece, I love the memory I have of making it.

One of my good friends was going to be a bridesmaid for her sister-in-law. She showed me a picture of her dress and asked me to create earrings and a necklace to match the dress. After showing her some drawings, we decided on this design. The ones I made for her were actually gold and mocha brown. I loved the design so much, I made them with green and gold too.

The main earring finding is a gold vermeil circle with tiny dots that create a design. I added to that round Swarovski crystals, Swarovski pearls, and gold-filled beads to create the length. All components are attached with gold filled wire. I finished the piece by attaching gold filled fish hook wire. I have gotten many compliments on these earrings, and so has my friend.

Trunk Show Lessons

On Saturday I was one of the vendors for the MS Society's Women Against MS Boutique. I know a lot of the staff and it was fun to see them. I went to the show with the hope of selling and the goal of learning all I could from my market. Here are a few lessons I learned.

1. Bring more lighting. Even having a small lamp would have really helped to showcase my pieces a lot more.
2. Reconsider packaging. I love my packaging and I think it sets me apart from my competitors. But the ladies at this show didn't care too much about it.
3. Bring a larger stand-up mirror. I always have a handheld mirror but a larger one would have been nice. These ladies were carrying programs, purses, and champagne. They didn't have an extra hand to hold up a hand mirror.
4. Do more to use vertical space and put my pieces right in front of their faces. I DID buy bed risers to lift my table and I think that helped. But I could/should do more.

I had a lot of fun at this show. I made a few sales (always great!) and saw old friends. Plus I learned a lot. This will help me at the next show I do. I plan to make learning a goal for every show I attend. After all, I can always improve. What have you learned at different shows?

Shopping for a Cause

This Saturday, Feb. 21, I will be a featured vendor at the Women Against MS Luncheon for the National MS Society Utah State Chapter. The luncheon is a fun event where participants can shop, eat, and see a fashion show of spring fashions. 30% of all boutique sales will be donated to the MS Society for research and programs.

Individual tickets are $80. The event begins at 10:30 am with a Champagne Reception and Designers Against MS Boutique (where I will be selling). It would be great to see you there!

Pricing Jewelry

There have been many conversation threads on Etsy and elsewhere about how to do pricing. I tend to think that many of the items I see on Etsy are underpriced. Being a handmade artist doesn't mean you shouldn't pay yourself! Just because you are making and selling you items from home, doesn't mean you don't deserve a fair wage.

In fact, I tend to take the opposite approach. A handcrafted item is worth MORE than some mass-produced item found in a big box store. Double that when you can purchase directly from the artist.

Having said all that, there is a difference between an artist and a manufacturist (is that a word?). An artist is a designer. And artist takes time to create a design, a concept, a collection. A manufacturist simply assembles a piece of jewelry.

I think of myself as an artist. I carry a sketchbook with me to draw ideas when them come. I spend time thinking about different pieces and roll them around in my head, sometimes for months. I see the mountains covered in snow at sunset and think "Wow! How can I turn God's art into a piece of jewelry art."

So how does this all impact pricing? There are many formulas out there about how to do particular mark-ups but here are the basics that need to be considered.
1- Raw material cost (supplies, beads, shipping envelope, etc)
2- Time to assemble
3- Time to design (many forget this part)
4- Overhead costs (tools, the light bill, organization software)
5- Profit

Too many artists stop at #1 in determining a price. Even those who account for 1-4 are missing a piece. #5, profit, is important if you want your business to grow. If you are only covering the basic necessities, you will never have the ability to grow. This is fine for some people, not me. So yes, many will say my prices are too high. I'm ok with that. Not everyone will be interested in my work or able to purchase at my price point. That's alright because, for me, it's more a matter of finding the market that will.

Selling Jewelry on Etsy

As a new seller on Etsy, I have been scouring the forums and reading article after article on how to be successful on Etsy. Truthfully, I am hoping this blog will assist in those efforts.

Jewelry is a heavily saturated market on Etsy. So, if you are going to be successful you need to stand out. And you need to be seen. These seem like no-brainer kinds of suggestions, but how do you do that when your newly listed necklace is one of 15,000 listed? (That was just this morning.) I am not pretending to have the answer to that just yet, but I am hoping to find it. Here are the things I am going to do to stand out and be seen.

1- Visit and comment on forums. Then return and comment again in the same thread. Then do it again.
2- Maintain this blog and promote it through my existing blog network.
3- Keep reading articles on how to be successful and implement those ideas!
4- Learn how to use my fancy SLR camera so my pictures will be stunning.
5- Continue to create and list new pieces.
6- Keep doing all those things again and again and again.

I know there are countless way to promote an Etsy store both on and off. Right now I am going to focus on these ones, see how they work, and expand slowly. I tend to get really excited about one thing and jump for it before finishing what's in front of me. So this strategy might take some restraint. However, the alternative is overwhelmed, inefficient, and most likely not effective.

Esty Shop Open!

My new Etsy shop is up for business. I hope you will stop by and check out my work. I will be added items frequently. Please visit!
www.jessgems.etsy.com

New Header

See that pretty new header up there? I made it. All by myself! For most people smarter than me, that is not such an accomplishement. But for me, who doesn't know the first thing about photoshop, I was pretty proud of myself. It did take internet research, blog tutorials, and 30 minutes to figure out how to upload it. But I did it! I'm so proud.

Turquoise Bracelet

This bracelet uses huge chunks of turquoise paired with Swarovski crystal and sterling silver. It is actually a double strand bracelet. I used a dark red and almost navy blue crystal to add a little more depth and color to the turquoise. It also contains some fun dangles hanging off it.

I love that this piece combines so many different elements. You get the big, bold appearance from both the size and color of the turquoise. The crystal adds another layer to the color and makes it more than just turquoise. The variation in the sterling silver chain and Bali beads add some texture without overwhelming to color palette. Combine all these elements and you get this stunning piece!

Materials

I take pride in the materials I use to create my pieces. After spending some time examining different bead types, I have chosen to exclusively use Swarovski crystal. Swarovski provides high quality, precision cut beads. They shine spectacularly and are uniform in shape and cut. I, like many consumers, can easily tell the difference between crystal and glass or plastic beads, and prefer the best! Therefore, I only use the best.

All of my metals are 92.5 sterling silver or gold filled. Most people recognize the quality associated with sterling silver, but few understand the differences between gold plating and gold filled. The later actually results in more gold in the piece in addition to being sturdier. Gold-filled items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating. I use gold filled materials to achieve the quality and look of gold without the high cost associated with pure gold.

My jewelry frequently contains pearls. Most of my pearls are Swarovski, but I do have some fresh and cultured pearls as well. Each pieces will specify which type of pearl is used.

I occasionally use other materials such as stones or wood. All stones are carefully selected to ensure high quality. In addition to those materials listed, sometimes I like to try something new and use something unexpected.

Deep Blue Sea

This design is one of my early ones. While making it I envisioned the ocean. The colors transform from a light blues and greens into deeper, darker tones. Just like the ocean as you descend deeper and deeper. I still feel very affectionate about this design. The drop hangs from a sterling silver chain with dapered bars. It is a beautiful piece that works well with everything from a formal gown to jeans.

My Story

I started making my own jewelry when I was about 13. One of the first pieces I remember is a yellow necklace strung from seed beads. It was made to match a bright yellow shirt with lady bugs on it. Back in those days, I strung on fishing wire stolen from my brother's tool box. I didn't know about how to finish properly, so I tied the ends of the string with knot over knot, then used a match to burn the ends, melting it into a "secure" closure/mess.

After high school, I put my creative energies into other crafts. In 2004, at the encouragement of my husband, I decided to pick up jewelry making again. I knew there must be better ways to close a necklace than burning the ends with a match, so I started buying books. I am self-taught and proud of the level of skill I have been able to achieve. I learned (more advanced) stringing, wire wrapping, and how to properly attach a clasp (hurray for crimp beads).

Throughout the journey, I have experimented with different techniques. Some I have learned to love, others are not my thing. There are still many things that I would like to learn, but I love creating. I hope that the buyers of my work will love it as much as I do!

I am inspired by all sorts of random things. I love color and want my pieces to be fun, inspiring, and something that will be a go-to accessory for years to come. I am a bit of a perfectionist and will not call a piece done, until I love it in every way.

On a personal note, I am married and a mother to a toddler daughter.

A New Start

I am so excited to start this blog. This is a place for me to showcase my jewelry, share tips, and hear your feedback. To purchase, please click on the sidebar link to my Etsy shop.