William's Gift Shop On Etsy

I have to tell you I spend wayyyyy too much time in the forums on etsy. Hours that may be better spent creating stuff but then again I have to say that they are probably one of the most helpful and nice forums to be found on the web. They have certainly provided me with a fount of information that has shortened my learning curve about online selling probably by years. And I have also made some great friends, found some fabulous artists and some people who are just consistanly kind, honest and down to earth.

Having said that this shop pretty much embodies what the etsy community is all about but the reason I really noticed this shop (other than the above mentioned accolades) is the fact that she make some seriously cool asthma inhalor carriers. My son has asthma and is constantly looking for a better way to carry his. So of course my interest was immediately piqued when I ran across BeaG in the forums. Check out the great variety of inhaler carriers that she makes! Something for everyone in a huge variety of colors. She also make lip balm holders, wine bottle covers, cell phone holders and more, many of which come with a key chain so they are easy to access and keep track off. Mind you this is just a tiny sampling of the items in her shop and she not only does wonderful crochet and knit items but also has some other items for sale including some eclectic jewelry. But if you want a glimpse of those you will just have to go to her shop here and check it. Hint, Hint, PERFECT for gift giving this holiday season.

Trip to Put in Bay Ohio

We decided to do a spur of the moment trip to Put In Bay as the last of summer is slowly moving out. This was of course a last minute decision and since it is a two to two and half hour drive to get to the ferry and a half an hour to get to the island we left it a bit late (we left our house at 1 pm lol). So we get there (the ferry was just pulling out as we parked, they run every half an hour.) and it is now three thirty. I'm asking when the last ferry comes back! They said 8:30 which was fine that is plenty of time to go to dinner and drive the golf cart around the important parts of the island. Off to the island we go. It really is a pretty trip over and it was a beautiful day. Not to hot and not too cold. Until you get on the ferry and get out on Lake Erie. Brrrrrrrrrrr! I was wishing for a jacket the whole way over lol! Fortunately the scenery was lovely and it is always nice to be out on the water. We get to the island and rent a golf cart for the remainder of the day. (got there about four so we got a discount on the cart Yay!) Headed over to the tourist side of the island to get some food at the boardwalk. (They are famous for their lobster bisque, which they make on premise). We then left the touristy parts of the island and just took a slow cruise through the residential areas (very slow, those golf carts are painful, I wanted to get out and push a couple of times lol) and checked out some of the great bed and breakfasts that are available on the island. We made a quick stop and Dairy Queen (gotta love it lol) and then decided that if we wanted to make the fairy we should at least head in the direction of the dock (since the golf carts are soooo slow lol). All in all it was a very relaxing and low stress day, and since it was my husband, me, my mother in law and my 18 year old son that ranks as an excellent day in my book! If you are ever in Ohio and close to Marblehead you should plan at least a day trip to this island.

Another Great Esty Artist Find

Yes I know I have been on it this week lol! Hope I can keep up the momentum. Here is an awesome etsy artist who as far as I can tell has totally unique items for people who sew. Her shop is LoveLaurie and you can find her here. These
needle threaders, pin cushions and seem rippers are so fun and funky even if you don't sew you may want to start just so you have an excuse to have one lol! And by the way these would make excellent gifts for friends and family. And in case you don't think about it, needle threaders are useful for people who make beaded jewerly since a lot of that involves needle and thread. All of her designs are original and can you believe they are made from polymer clay!?! So cool.

Looks Good Enough To Eat!!----->

Here is what Laurie has to say about why she started this whole thing.

How The Sewl Mates were born:
One night while my husband and I were out with friends, I happened to mention that I love to sew and craft. They all looked very surprised, and one of them said, “Really? You don’t seem like the type.” This started me thinking, is there really a”type?” If so, I couldn’t put my finger on it. My family, for example, consists of stay at home moms and women with various careers who sew, craft, and scrapbook. An RN and a PHD who are very talented quilters, a businessman who is a woodworker, an engineer who loves to needlepoint…… I could go on and on. I was thinking about this while putting pins into the dress form pincushion that I had recently made, and the Idea for The Sewl Mates was born. Each one is inspired by a special person in my life, and I hope you will cherish her as much as I do. Can't find your SewlMate? Not to worry, just convo me and together we will create one just for you!

As you can see by the photos these are definitely a unique product. I think this is a must have for anyone who is looking to make sewing a little bit more fun. I know that I smile everytime I see the items in her shop.

Another Treasury

So I finally had the time to catch another treasury over on etsy. Check it out and let me know what you think. It kind of caught me by surprise since I wasn't really trying for it. Not too bad for an on the fly attempt. If you want a really good look at just click on the picture and it will take you to the original. Which looks way better than the screen shot lol!

Mini Scrap Book Challenge On Etsy

So I ran across this thread in the forums and as soon as I saw the word challenge I just had to click on it. As you know Designed by Lucinda, Santiam Design, and I hosted two beading challenges so of course my interest was immediately peaked lol! And sometimes I'm just nosy. So here is the original post by Designed by Lucinda. As you can see all of the basics were provided by Sewphisticate.

Ever wonder what Scrappers will do with the same basic material? This is a Challenge to see how YOU can turn a mini-scrapbook into a Showcase item! Sewphisticate (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5318640) has extra mini scrapbooks she is willing to mail to you FREE of charge just to see what you can make of it! No rules, no guidelines, just a free mini scrapbook to decorate and then send her the pictures to feature on her blog (HOW COOL IS THAT? Free book, free mail, free blog publicity - - AND you can sell the finished product here on Etsy to recoup your labor costs!)

I am going to show you one photo of one of the entries (sorry to be such a tease lol) and then I am going to give you the link to sewphisticate's blog since she has all of the pictures and BONUS she has also interviewed each person who entered. It's a great read and wonderful way to get to know some of the people behind the shops at etsy. It's also just fun to see what they came up with. So here is one sample by Coffee Monkey. To see the rest you will have to go to Sewphisticate's blog. How cool is that! The creativity and diversity that people continue to show is just amazing! So go look, what are you waiting for!

Featured Etsy Store

So I am hoping to be a little more active with posting since school is now back in session and things are "hopefully" settling down a little bit. Although my daughter has decide to go back to ballet (she is 15) so that is one night a week from 8:30 to 9:00pm and I am taking a twelve week metal smithing class one night a week from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Life never does seem to slow down as much as I would like. Next year she can drive herself YAY!

Anyhow I have been meaning to do this feature for 2 and half months so here it is. I ran into Little Bugs Boutique in the forums and while she does jewelry it is a much different style than the jewelry that I make. She has a bright, cheery shop with great prices and lots to choose from. She has an excellent eye for color.Her polymer clay bracelets are bright, colorful and really adorable. And each one is unique since the polymer clay figures are made by hand for each bracelet. Her pendants are awesome and she has a great selection to choose from. Her stuff is way cute for the younger kids and tweens and she has awesome custom photo pendants. Definitely a shop that you will want to check out for your holiday shopping. Her custom photo pendants would make a great gift for grand parents or moms. So go check her out and get some of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time. You will be glad you did!

Check out this website!

For those of you who are fans of etsy here is a website to check out every day. Sharon has devoted this website as a giant etsy show case of her favorite picks of the the day. Each day features a different theme with different items from all over etsy. She featured red the other day and was kind enough to put my stich markers, shown in the picture, in her showcase. What a a nice thing to do for us! Thanks Sharon! http://www.redladyart.com

So for all of you who are looking for cool place to shop for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, baby showers and everything in between go check it out every day. You are sure to find something for everyone on your list and you won't even have to leave the house.

Expanding my selling horizons

So I have been gone for a bit figuratively speaking anyway. Nothing as exciting as a vacation or leaving town or anything lol, I have just been really busy. I have started several new avenues for selling and am pretty excited about it. I have always known that etsy was not the only area I needed to pursue to be successful although it will always hold a special place in my business heart. The direction at etsy seems to be changing and not for the better as far as hand made is concerned and while I took this into consideration it is not the only reason that I am expanding my market. The old adage to not put all of your eggs in one basket is a good one for many reasons.

So for those of you who don't know I also sell stitch markers for knitters and crocheters. That started out as a way to use left over beads and has morphed into into a line of business that is a lot of fun. I find that when I bead shop now some beads say jewelry and some say stitch markers. Some of them say both lol! Anyway my shop on etsy silverriverstitches
is doing quite well. I was approached by a wonderful lady with and offer to sell my stitch markers on line in her shop that caters solely to people who use yarn to craft. Yarny-Goodness
She offered me a great deal, and excellent contract and with the extra advertising she is doing my product will hopefully become more well known. This is one of the ways I have expanded a bit as far as going beyond etsy as a source for customers. I feel this can only be a good thing and I did some serious research before I jumped in. I made sure that the contract that was offered had what I wanted in it before I committed or sent any product. Pam has been wonderful to work with and quite frankly if this works out as well as I hope I may end up sending them all to her since she is the one doing the hard stuff like photographing the pictures, and doing all of the packaging and shipping.

So I am doing several other things with the jewelry including a local farmers market (which has turned out to be surprisingly successful), I have place a good portion of my higher end items in a fabulous gallery and I am building my own website from scratch with a web building program that will allow me to sell directly off my own site. (this is turning out to not be as difficult as I thought it would be, just very time consuming). Considering the amount of money I am saving building it myself, it will be worth the time it takes. And I like to do as much as I can myself anyway. I have designed a logo and applied it to my business cards, earring cards, price tags etc so that I have a "brand" that people will recognize. I will be showing those off in another post. I am also looking to possibly do several craft shows before Christmas.

Hopefully I will be posting a little more regularly in the future as summer winds down and we all spend more time indoors. For those of you who knit, crochet, and felt make sure you check out the artists on Yarny-Goodness for some great yarn and yarn accessories.

Featured on The Indiego

So I woke up to a convo on etsy this morning stating that I was the featured artist of the week on The Indiego. This is an advertising network for creative professional. Needless to say I was thrilled and excited. What a nice way to start the day. Go check out the site it has lots of interesting information and many opportunities for indie artists to advertise and be seen. Don't forget about the Christmas in July sale in my etsy shop it ends at midnight tonite!

Christmas in July Sale

Just wanted to remind everyone that I am having a Christmas in July sale until the 31st! Just click on the link Silver River Jewelry . Put Christmas in July in your notes to seller and I will refund you through pay pal. Also there are at 400+ other sellers on Etsy that are also doing their own Christmas in July sale. Just type in Christmas in July and you should pull up lots of shops that are participating. Now is a great time to get started on your Christmas shopping! Not only will you save some money but you will be much less stressed the rest of the year. I have 3 birthdays in August that I have to buy for before I can start my Christmas shopping but you can bet that I am checking out the sales on etsy for those birthday gifts.

Treasury!

I do love to make these treasuries. They are really quite addicting. I don't know what do you think, is it front page worthy?


I can never tell lol! None of my treasuries have ever hit the front page. Maybe I just don't have an eye for them or something. Anyway they are a ton of fun to do and a lot of fun to look through also. I am constantly discovering new shops this way. Go check them out! Feel free to click on the treasury here and leave a comment on the treasury there.

Christmas in July Sale

Just a head's up for everyone there are a group of people on etsy that will be doing a Christmas in July sale. Starting July 20th to July 31st everyone on the list will be doing some kind of a special for the sale. I will include the link to the forum post that has everyone that will be participating. You can also type in Christmas in July in the tags and that will also pull up everyone who is participating. I have about 15 items tagged at the moment but everything in my store will be 10% off for those dates. Make sure that you mention Christmas in July in the comments to seller section to get your discount. The shipping price is not included in the discount. Happy shopping everyone and I hope you all get a good head start on your Christmas shopping.

Here is the link
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5653719

The Things That People Say Part 2

So I am back with more interesting things that people say to vendors at craft fairs/shows. It is always amazing to me that people do not understand the time and effort it takes to make things. Not just the amount of time physically spent making items but the time we spend online and in person hunting down reputable, affordable dealers for supplies, and the amount of time that we spend perfecting what we do. I also know from personal experience and know this to be true of many other artists as well, we never stop learning new things, and trying to perfect the techniques that we already know. For most of us it is never good enough and this drives us to continue pushing our personal envelope. This is one of the reasons that many of us are unwilling to divulge the source of our materials and many of the techniques that we use just for the asking. We want you to learn by doing just like we did. It tends to make you a better artist than if someone just hands you all of the information. Most of us are more than willing to point you in the right direction to get you started but please, don't expect us to give up all of our secrets we worked so hard to acquire.

Examples

A friend said to me (chatting online): "Maybe you can show me how to make jewelry. I will never have to buy jewelry again!"

My comeback: Logged off.
LOL

I had one of these too!
But then I got really evasive, saying that I buy my wire from the States (via internet), thinking that she might understand my subtleness.. and then she asked me if I could buy the wire for her!

wow, I should think about this a bit more but I did have someone grab my button machine and ask me how it works without asking to touch it. Never touch an artists tools without asking! Don't touch musical instruments, tools that seem like they could be in a tool box like pliers or those fancy artists pens, just don't do it.

Also, every couple of months I get an e-mail from some local person I don't even know who wants to borrow my button machine. They tell me that they want to make buttons and not have to pay my prices!? I usually answers by saying "My button machine is my tool of my trade. I don't think you would ask a random carpenter you didn't know if you could borrow their table saw."

Customer: "where do you get all your supplies?"

Me: *thinking to myself "that is the rudest question to EVER ask a designer"....i said to her w/flat-pan grin "...i get all of it from planet earth." ~ which is a true statement.

"Will you teach me to do that?" (Subtext: "...because I don't want to pay you for something you can teach me for free to make myself...")

"I wonder where she got her supplies"

It's usually "How did you make those?"
To which I usually answer "One at a time."
(One young man of about 13 replied to that, in his best Robert DiNero "So, you ain't gonna tell me?")

I had one guy ask me if I had gold items so he could melt them down. Then he asked me where I got all my stuff.

Ummm... :/

Most often overheard at my booth: a all too common scene:

Nice Lady: "Oh my daughter makes jewelry"

Me: "Yes, I think about 20% of the population does it for a hobby or proffession, it is the sewing of yesterday"

Nice Lady: "My daughter needs to come over here! (calls on cell- "OH daughter- come check this stuff out! You should totally come make this designs and charge so much more!" While looking directly at me)

Me: Is she coming over?

Nice LAdy: Yes, she is, she was just over by the handmade candies

Me: Oh, good, I love to talk with other bead lovers..

Nice lady's daughter : OMG! I love this! Mom, I should totally copy and sell for more! You are so right!!! Hey- you- bead artist, where do you get your beads so I can buy them? I like totally want to make this myself

ME: I have them custom cut and made just for me. Takes 9 months and thousands of dollars (Truth)

Nice LAdy; OH! Daughter! I am so sad for you! You can make so much more money than her if you could do that!

Me: Why dont I give you my bead suppliers name and contact info

Nice Lady 's daughter: That is like so totally unfair! That would take forever!I hate you! I want your beads now! You make it really difficult for others to earn a living at this business!!!

ME: Well, I spent 5 years working for others while doing my jewelry line so I would not spend a dime on credit for supplies and very slowly built up my purchasing abilities. This has taken 11 years for me to get here. No easy road for me.

Nice Lady's daughter: Mom, buy me that necklace so I can resell for 3 times that amount

Me: happy to sell that to you..

Nice ladys daughter: Why dont you just sell me the necklace for what the beads cost you, I think you should because I am a beader too and buy from Fire Mt.

Me: ( It takes me to hear this before I think: WTF????) I am so sorry, but I need to sell at what it is priced at. My babys need food you know!

Nice Lady: Why dont I make it up to you by buying you that nice handbag you want

Nice ladys daughter: Pout....

I love art and craft fairs. I was at the Christmas craft fair last year. There were 2 ladies stop by my booth. They examined everything inside and out the say: "Would you show me how to make this. I don't want to buy, I can make it if you'll show me how" Wow, I said: "Why would I want to do that? How much do you want to pay for the lesson?"
They left without saying a word.

"Where do you get your stuff from? I was thinking of doing the same thing, but I don't know where to get the stuff" !


As you can see most artists and crafters find this type of thing rude and belittling. We really don't mind giving tips about techniques and supplies if you are a serious crafter but don't expect us to give away the farm just so you don't have to pay for something you think you can make yourself.

Usually, if the person is serious about starting a "craft" and making jewelry I might point that person in the right direction. After all, if they go online they will find the information regardless. I don't really have time to teach. I barely have time to create! And if I was to teach anyone I would definitely charge for my time and supplies.

I have had people ask me oh how do you make that? Basically just to see what information they can get out of me... I laugh and tell them "I can't." or "Sure I can tell you, but I charge $30 an hour for my time." Short, plain, simple, straight to the point.

I still do not understand why people think it is just a hobby. Yes I do have a full time job, but I also work on my jewelry practically full time as well. The fact that we sell our work online, on craft shows/fairs, makes it more than just a hobby, but some people take that for granted.

brynnalex
LoellaMedina
nanouke
brainscan
pattymara
sexygeekwithattitude
TheSilkRoad
GivingGrace
Asianexpressions

Major Milestone

Well I have to say it crept up on me. One day I had a baby boy. The years flew by as they always do with baseball, soccer, basketball, school, friends, going to the park, tennis, best friends, girlfriends, learning to drive. Then it happened. My oldest son GRADUATED from high school! There aren't enough words to convey how very proud I am of my son and the man that he has become. He has faced some serious adversity in the past 18 years and has handled himself in manner far beyond his years. He has developed a wonderful sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and is fun to spend time with. This past year as a senior he has gone to college in the morning (post secondary) gone to high school in the afternoon and held down a job. I am so grateful that despite the many mistakes that my husband and I have made in parenting our kids he has still developed into a this great person who I enjoy spending time with. Great job Brandon!

(I just had to brag a little bit lol!)

The Things That People Say

Part 1
I am going to be doing a series of posts about the crazy and sometimes rude things that people say or do while at a craft fair/show. Please keep in mind that for those of us who do craft shows 99.9% of the people who come through our tent or booth are very nice people who we all appreciate. The other .1% can make a crafter's life, I don't know, shall we say stressful?! The great craftspeople on Etys have been kind enough to share some of their stories with me to share with you. Hopefully some of you will get a laugh and maybe some of you will re think what you say in front of the people who have worked so hard to bring their hand crafted, beautifully made items to the general public.

And just so you don't think that I am being too one sided I will also be sharing some stories about other vendors who can be just as rude and obnoxious to their fellow vendors as anyone else.

The number one thing that people say that tends to irritate artisans is this:

"I can make this myself"
"I can make this myself for less"
"If I had time to take classes I could make it myself"
Lady turns to friend and says "I bet you could make this yourself".

Some true life examples:

"No man alive could make that!"
...to which I (a nice, middle-aged lady, replied, "Well, a woman can!"

My husband once said "I could make that" at a modern art museum. I responded, "But you didn't".

A few years ago a lady was admiring some of my scarves, then she told me she would buy a loom and learn to weave before she bought anything from me cause she could to that herself. Hmm - buy loom, pay for lessons, spend years getting to the level of competence to create what you are holding in your hands before you would pay $60?? I was speechless.

this time i didn't have to have a quick come back...the customer did it for me....bless her little heart!

i owned a B&M shop in MI in the early 90's....i had over 40 artisans in my shop (including my own work). i used to do design work for BH&G magazine (Better Homes & Gardens), one idea i sold them was my button heart design, which started a HUGE trend of hearts covered in buttons that lasted for years....anywaaaaaay....i also sold them in my shop.

...one day a lady picked one up (not knowing i made them) and said "whaaaa?! $18.95 for THAT thing???! i can DO that!" i, of coarse, didn't admit to making them and replied "well, there are over 70-80 buttons & are exceptional vintage mother of pearl....each one is carefully sewn on by hand, plus it is a perfectly shaped stuffed heart their attached too. i don't think it's as easy as the artist makes it look." She snidely said back "oh yea? i got buttons...i'm gonna make one...it'll prob' look even BETTER than those, i'll bring it back & show ya'! $18.95, ya' got to be kidding me!!" off she went.

the next week, sure enough....she showes up, walks right to my counter and plops down a mash of buttons. i said "what's this?" because i couldn't really tell what the devil it was. "well, i REALLY tried to make one of those expensive button hearts...but, DANG, it's REALLY REALLY hard!! how does she get it to look like a HEART? and how does she manage to get 70 buttons to lay right? AND where on earth did find all those mother pearl button?! mine just doesn't look like HER."

i looked her right in the eye and said "well I spent several yrs collecting antique buttons, and it took many tries to develop the right pattern,...blahblahblah.." during MY explanation she turned bright RED realizing all the things that she had said the week before about ME & my work. when i finished my story she walked over to the bowl picked up the last four button hearts that were left and proceeded to buy ALL four....saying "deary, i owe you a HUGE apology....i just realizd what a BIG mouth i have and i won't ever say "oh i can do that!" AGAIN!!!"

before she left, i shared the REAL story of my button heart...."my neighbor lady died on Mother Day's while i was living in CA, and it was that experience that inspired my button heart design....i created a heart for each of her girls to remember their Mother by. they were to attach a different memory to each button, because a button's job is to keep things together." the nasty customer buying the 4 hearts began to weep, walked around the counter and gave me a HUGE hug...."can you make me 10 more hearts, please? that is the loveliest story....i want to share that story AND what a dope i've been w/my daughters and all my best friends i love. the next time i hear one of them say 'oh, i can do that'...i'll say to 'em...."you only THINK you can!"

"my three year old could do that"
I had a brief stint in art school and one year we made this into the school t-shirt!

I was doing shows every weekend and I make tables out of old windows..one of my biggest sellers at the time. Woman and her son came up and she said to son.."I have one of those windows in the basement" Sonsays "I can make one of those for you" Hubby was standing behind me when the son turned to me and said "how do you make that?" Hubby spoke up before I could say anything and said" for $225 you can take it home and take it apart and find out how she made it" With that.. off they went in a huff without my table..

At my last festival/fair, I had a front table with all my jewelry for sale on it, and then off to the side towards the back of the tent, I had a small table in the shade that my husband and I were taking turns working at. A fairly young lady came up to the table and picked up one of my Romanov weave necklaces (not listed on Etsy yet, but will be soon). Now this necklace took me almost three days to complete because it was made with really tiny rings (they blow away easily they are so small) and it's a complicated weave. But she was looking at it, flipped the price tag over, smirked and said she could make it for far less. Husband picked up my bag of rings and my pliers and told her to hop to it. She scoffed and walked off.

We realize that with the right supplies, the time to spend to learn to make something well (sometimes years) and the patience to do "it" you probably could make "it" yourself. However you are standing in front of the table and the vendor is standing behind the table. Please don't be rude and belittle the time and effort it takes for an artist to make the things they do. Chances are good that even if you could make it you won't. Or you would be behind the table not in front of it.

Many thanks to
MrsGotRocks
karenlorrain
TheEclecticDiva
waywarddreams
NORIK
adornedbyrobin
jessicacjewelry
ingeniouslycreative
thebuddhabuilder
warpedandwonderful

Check this out,!

This is really cool. (for me anyway lol). Susan, who does Friday Findings over at Posh Mama, used my textured copper earrings in last Friday's article. I also did the give away for that week. That was pretty exciting in and of itself but when I checked out my updates from Posh Mama, Susan's article has been published in Reuters. Woohoo! I am just so excited. I have been working my you know what off trying to promote everywhere I can think off. More exposure is always good lol! So anyhow here is the article she wrote. Check out the other cool copper items she also featured. The earrings for the give away are at the bottom. Sorry but the winner has already been chosen.
Thanks Susan!

Friday Findings: Cool Copper Jewelry

POSTED: Friday, May 23, 2008

FROM BLOG: Posh Mama Online Magazine and Social Network - Posh Mama Online Magazine and Social Network is a positive community exclusively for women who share information on a variety of topics.

The following blog post is from an independent writer and is not connected with Reuters News. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by Reuters.com.

Copper is one of the few naturally occurring metals, which means its often found in minerals. In addition to its wonderfully rich, reddish color, the malleability of Copper makes it a favorite material of jewelry designers. I've found some really cool examples of copper jewelry over the last few weeks, am I'm excited to be showcasing these fabulous finds with you today on this week's edition of Friday Findings. Copper Sand Ring from Adobe Sol Designs

For an earthy twist, we'll start today's showcase with a piece from one of my personal favorite rockstars of wire wrap…check out this amazing oxidized copper ring made with 16 gauge copper wire and topped off with a totally gorgeous 9mm lampwork barrel bead by Tiffany McCoy. Created by Adobe Sol Designs in Corrales, NM. Dogwood Pendant from Silent Goddess

Every bit as fresh as the blooms on its namesake plant is this beautiful hand fabricated copper blossom pendant. It measures 1 1/8 inches width and hangs gracefully from an 18" silver-tone chain that closes with a double hook copper clasp. The pendants are made-to-order and entirely hand fabricated by Silent Goddess in Port Orchard, WA. Textured Copper Earrings from Silver River Jewelry

Bright copper cut from bright copper sheet metal, these fabulous copper dangles have been sanded smooth and lightly hammered to provide a rich texture. Carefully hand formed ear wires are also made of copper wire. They are 2 3/4 inches long and are designed by Silver River Jewelry in Akron, OH. A World Away Pendant from Mineralogy

Both exotic and abstract, this distinctive pendant has been fabricated from sterling silver and copper sheet metal. It's been hand cut, shaped, textured and soldered to form this beautiful pendant with a distinctly exotic flair. The pendant is 2" in length and 1 1/8" wide. Designed by Mineralogy in Piedmont Triad, NC. Copper Blade Hoop Earrings from Disco Medusa

Bold made-to-order hammered Copper earrings with a dark and rich heat-treated patina create a deliciously mottled rusty finish with hints of dark red, copper, and pink. They glow when the light hits them just right! Sterling Silver earwires. Designed by Disco Medusa in Portland, OR. That's all we have time for this week! As a side note, I'll be on vacation for a few weeks...so, Friday Findings won't be back until Friday, June 13. But before you go, be sure to congratulate last week's Posh Mama giveaway winner… Pink Lemonade Liz. She will be receiving the Sapphire Swarovski Crystal Necklace and Earring set shown in last week's post from Linda Davis Designs in Los Gatos, CA. Be on the lookout Liz, I'll be emailing you for your shipping address. Enter our Weekly Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive this pair of beautiful royal blue earrings from this week's featured artist, Silver River Jewelry. To enter the contest, leave a comment or compliment about your favorite item(s) from today's post. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Monday, May 26.

Written by Susan Nelson of Capitola Girl Jewelry, where Every Girl Has a Story (and so should her jewelry!). Featured Weekly on Posh Mama Online Magazine.

Is it real or not?

There is a huge amount of information and also a huge amount of mis-information about what a stone is or isn't. Is it man made, is it quartz, is it jade, is it serpentine, is it glass? I am fairly new to stone identification so most of the time I can't answer that question without some help and relying on the dealer or store that sells it to me. I do know that it takes time to learn the differences and trust me, I am going to learn, not only because I don't want to get ripped off myself but I also don't want to steer my customers wrong. Today's learning tidbit is this: If it has bubbles in it, it is almost certainly glass. Yes I know that quartz is considered "glass" but the gemstones with rampant bubbles in them are man made glass not the good stuff so to speak. So if someone tells you it is genuine blue aquamarine and you see bubbles run the other direction. So can you tell? Are these "real" or are they "glass"?

Beading Challenge 2 "The Results"

Okay I am done waiting for everyone to get me their pictures to post this. Those of you who participated and got your earrings done on time THANK YOU! and I am sorry it took so long to post this. Here is a picture of the beads everyone had to work with that DesignedbyLucinda sent out.


AmityD










TexasTesla









tassiewashie









pipsjewellery








reddhynnes









Once again it just goes to prove that it IS possible to have similar looking designs with no prior knowledge of someone else's designs.

I am normally a very even tempered person but I do have to say how terribly disappointed I am in the remaining people who agreed to participate and then did not. DesignedbyLucinda went to a lot of trouble and expense to send those beads out to the participants. Saying you just didn't like the beads or you didn't like the way your design turned out and then choosing not to do the challenge is extremely unprofessional. The exception to this statement is SantiamDesigns who was too ill to participate. I don't know if we will continue to do this or not.