Simply Shiny Life

Jewelry giveaway ends on Friday 11/21 at 5 pm!!

The Artisan Beaders Street Team on etsy (of which I am a happy member ) is pleased to present a little holiday present from us to you! Starting October 20th, participating team members will be sponsoring a giveaway of their fabulous handmade items. New giveaways will be posted to the Artisan Beaders Street Team blog each Monday, and winners will be announced the following Friday.

This week, we have a charming (pardon the pun) cell phone charm from Ainsley of Kaskaad Handmade Jewellery! Bright and sunny, this cell phone charm features a glass bead and Swarovski crystals, and is sure to make your phone cheery. Please note: this giveaway is for one charm; the photo above shows two different views.

How to enter to win:
Visit Ainsley’s shop, then leave a comment here* with a link to your favorite item. We will be picking the winner** on Friday, November 21st, at 5:00pm EST, so you have until then to leave a comment. The winner will be announced shortly after, so make sure you check back Friday afternoon. Thanks for playing!

NOTE: Please don’t leave your comments on my blog. To enter the giveaway, you must leave your name and contact info at the link above on the ABSTeam blog. Thanks!

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My artisan handmade jewelry shop was profiled on by Monican of MonasMane on her blog

You can check out her shop here

 

thanks M!

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The Artisan Beaders Street Team (of which I am a happy member ) is pleased to present a little holiday present from us to you! Starting October 20th, participating team members will be sponsoring a giveaway of their fabulous handmade items. New giveaways will be posted to the Artisan Beaders Street Team blog each Monday, and winners will be announced the following Friday.

This week’s giveaway is a gorgeous pair of earrings, thanks to Brenda of The Jewelry Box! These earrings feature green aventurine wavy ovals, fancy faceted jasper briolettes, and sterling silver findings, and they measure 2.75 inches long.

How to enter to win:
Visit Brenda’s shop, then leave a comment here* on the Artisan Beaders Blog with a link to your favorite item.  We will be picking the winner** on Friday, November 7th, at 5:00pm EST, so you have until then to leave a comment. The winner will be announced shortly after, so make sure you check back Friday afternoon. Thanks for playing!*

NOTE: Please don’t leave your comments on my blog. To enter the giveaway, you must leave your name and contact info at the link above on the ABSTeam blog. Thanks!

Don’t miss a single post.
Want to get the latest Simply Shiny post by feed burner? Click here
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artisan handmade green dangle earrings

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Giveaway :: MeriGreenLeaf

The Artisan Beaders Street Team (of which I am a happy member ) is pleased to present a little holiday present from us to you! Starting October 20th, participating team members will be sponsoring a giveaway of their fabulous handmade items. New giveaways will be posted to the Artisan Beaders Street Team blog each Monday, and winners will be announced the following Friday.

This week, the lovely Meri of Elbit Enterprises is giving away an adorable flower brooch! With purple and green, this brooch can transition with you through the seasons. The flower itself measures 1.5 inches wide, and the entire brooch measures 3 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall.

How to enter to win:

Visit Meri’s shop, then leave a comment here* on the ABSTeam blog with a link to your favorite item. We will be picking the winner** on Friday, October 31st, at 5:00pm EST, so you have until then to leave a comment. The winner will be announced shortly after, so make sure you check back Friday afternoon. Thanks for playing!

* If you don’t have a Blogger account, please leave your email address or a way to contact you if you win.
** Winning name will be randomly chosen by using Random.org.

NOTE: Please don’t leave your comments on my blog. To enter the giveaway, you must leave your name and contact info at the link above on the ABSTeam blog. Thanks!

Want to be notified of the latest ShinyAdornments artisan handmade jewelry news, sales and special events? Sign up for my newsletter.

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I was on etsy’s front page! Thanks to fiveforty for featuring my dark horse hoop earrings in this treasury. Yay!What is a treasury? According to sweetestpea, the “Treasury is a member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked items each (plus four alternates). It functions as a high-demand (and pretty!) promotional tool that many devoted Etsians fight to get. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme, or just however they like. The Treasury is not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool things for sale on Etsy. Admin often choose an exceptional Treasury list to promote on the home page and occasionally make them to tie into Storque articles or special events and occasions. ”

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Giveaway :: BrokenTeepeeDesigns

The Artisan Beaders Street Team (of which I am a happy member ) is pleased to present a little holiday present from us to you! Starting October 20th, participating team members will be sponsoring a giveaway of their fabulous handmade items.  New giveaways will be posted to the Artisan Beaders Street Team blog each Monday, and winners  will be announced the following Friday.

This week, we have a gorgeous pair of earrings from Patty of Broken Teepee Designs. These sweet beauties feature prasiolite (green amethyst), mystic blue topaz, and gold filled findings. They measure 1/2 an inch long and are darling!

How to enter to win:

Visit Patty’s shop, then leave a comment here* on the ABSTeam blog with a link to your favorite item. We will be picking the winner** on Friday, October 24th, at 5:00pm EST, so you have until then to leave a comment. The winner will be announced shortly after, so make sure you check back Friday afternoon. Thanks for playing!

* If you don’t have a Blogger account, please leave your email address or a way to contact you if you win.
** Winning name will be randomly chosen by using Random.org.

NOTE: Please don’t leave your comments on my blog. To enter the giveaway, you must leave your name and contact info at the link above on the ABSTeam blog. Thanks!

Want to be notified of the latest ShinyAdornments artisan handmade jewelry news, sales and special events? Sign up for my newsletter.

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Just in time for Halloween! I love these examples of artisan handmade jewelry I found on etsy. They are creepy and wonderful at the same time, aren’t they?  I really admire the way the artists use the eye forms in their designs. Different mediums, different designs, all gorgeous and great execution of a handmade vision.

 
  
  

Click on each image to check out the artist’s shop on etsy.

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I’ve met many very talented artists on etsy in the teams that I belong. I’ll be highlighting them in the coming weeks on my blog.

Wendy, of IndigoSkye, is a fellow JET team member. She says “My jewelry pieces feature genuine natural stones or handmade art glass set in sterling silver or gold fill findings. I strive for unique but simple designs that can be worn to the office or out on the town with ease. Each piece is lovingly handmade by me one at a time in my studio.”

Etsy shop name: indigoskye
Name: Wendy Van Camp
Where else can we find you and your work?: Various Conventions and
Festivals also my website http://www.indigoskye.com/
Blog: www.indigoskye.com/blog
Your tuts or informational articles you would like to share:
Beadweaving Basics and Pom Pom Earrings

What are your jewelry beginnings? Where did you start and how did you
progress to work you are creating today?
My first jewelry project was making my bridal veil and matching jewelry for my bridesmaids to be used for my wedding twelve years ago. We were trying to save money since we were paying for our wedding ourselves. I found making the veil and jewelry to be very relaxing and took up beadweaving as a hobby. The next year I made a few things to sell at local craft shows and started a website.

During my second year in business I switched from strictly beadweaving to making jewelry with metals via wirewrapping since it was more profitable. I took a basic wirewrapping class at the local bead store and used simple tools from the hardware store. It was enough for me to make the leap into medium level art and craft shows and to begin building a name for myself as an artist. I was working 50% of the time as a television professional and 50% as an artisan jeweler. Jewelry sold during the off peak times of television production so the two fields combined together well. I would end up directing TV shows during the summer months and selling jewelry in the late fall and early spring.

In the sixth year of my business, the television industry started to go bust. Many of the companies that I freelanced for either went under or started to farm their TV commercials overseas. I was a producer/director without clients. However, at the same time the jewelry artisan circuit began to be more profitable for me. A friend of mine had talked me into taking advanced level jewelry making classes in order to increase my skills set. I was rewarded by an increase of sales in my booth that simply got better and better each year. I continue to take jewelry workshops as time allows and am blessed to live in an area where many of the best instructors live and teach. I’ve also been upgrading my tools and feel that I have the basics for a decent jewelry studio.

Now days, I am a full time artisan jeweler. In addition to wirewrapping, I do minor silversmithing, stamping and roller printing in my jewelry lines. I still have a few mid-level craft fairs that I attend, but mainly I sell at large festival events or conventions. I am working on getting my ETSY shop up and running. It’s been difficult due to my busy booth schedule. I simply don’t get a chance to take photos as often as I like, but I’m determined to kick start my online sales and toward this end I joined an Etsy street team called the JETS. They are a fun group of talented artisans and I’ve been learning much about online marketing from them.

What are your favorite materials?
Sterling Silver, Semi-precious stones

What inspires you?
Everything. Sometimes I’m out walking the dog in the park and the way a tree is shaped will translate into a jewelry design at a later time. Sometimes I see a color combination that I like and I remember it for later. You never know where an idea might come to you.

How do you describe your design style?
My designs are simple. I tend to go toward the “less is more” principal. I like the natural texture of the stones or the texture of wire coils or chainmaile to be the focus of the jewelry instead of it being too busy.

What artists have influenced you, and how?
Connie Fox is the biggest influence on my art. I’ve taken several workshops with her and after each one I go home full of new ideas and techniques to try. Eventually these techniques get absorbed into my own styles. Eni Oken is another influence. I met her at a jewelry class that we were both taking, she being an advanced student and I a beginner, and was astounded by the beautiful coiled jewelry she brought along with her. Later, I purchased her online tutorials and have been incorporating a few of her techniques into my jewelry lines. Finally, Don Norris is the last influential artist. I have been learning silversmithing from him via his DVD tutorials. Don’s style is worlds away from anything that I would create myself, but again, I am learning much from his techniques.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Be prepared to work hard and devote a great deal of time to your business in addition to perfecting your art. Take a business course at SCORE and make sure that you understand the tax laws and the basic concepts of running a business. Ask questions. Be patient. Stick with it! Be kind to your customers and fellow artisans. Be true to yourself and know that you are a unique and talented person who deserves to be creating as much as the next person.

How do you spend time when you are NOT creating? I love to cook and to garden. My AARS rose bushes are my pride and joy. I also grow exotic hot chile peppers. This past year I’ve taken up OAMC (author’s note: see more info about OAMC here) style cooking in order to save money on groceries and to make the domestic part of my life easier. I’ve always been fond of cooking with my crockpot, but now I’ve added a Nesco Roaster Oven to my arsenal. It leaves me more time for making jewelry or working on other projects.

Where have you been published or profiled?
Two necklaces that I worked on with groups were recently published in Belle Armoire Magazine. I’ve been profiled as an artist in Cyndi Lavin’s Jewelry & Beading Blog. I have published a few tutorials on beadweaving that are still available on the internet. One is “Beadweaving Basics” at: http://www.eebeads.com/Webzine/june/6_10_97.htm
and another is a tutorial on Pom Pom Earrings at: http://www.bead-arts.com/pompom-delica-earrings-by-wendy-van-camp/

You can view more of Wendy’s work at Indigoskye’s etsy shop

Stay tuned in upcoming weeks for more talented etsy artist profiles from my JET and ABS team members.

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I’ve seen quite a few posts on some of the boards I belong lately regarding how to care for sterling silver and copper jewelry.  If you don’t want to read it all, my big tip of the day: Worcestershire sauce is a miracle cleaner for copper. Really.

Here you go:

Sterling
Sterling silver is a beautiful metal that will last for generations with proper care. To prevent tarnish, follow these tips:

• Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place. Silver tarnishes when exposed to air, so it’s a good idea to keep your silver in airtight zip lock plastic bags or an airtight container when not in use. This will help to slow the tarnishing process and protect your jewelry from scratching.

• Remove when cleaning, swimming and taking a shower. Always remove your jewelry before using any product that contains bleach, ammonia, alcohol, fingernail polish removers that contain acetone, and turpentine. Some of these can cause a breakdown in the metal alloys leaving the your jewelry beyond repair and dull or even pit the surface of your gemstones.

• Remove when sleeping. Movement during sleep can also cause stress.

• The best way to clean your jewelry is with a professional jewelry polishing cloth. The cloth is treated with cleaning chemicals and not only will the cloth last a long time, it will give you an amazing shine each and every time. Rub gently and a lengthwise motion and it will also shine the stones.

• Silver polishing cloths are available at major supermarkets, hardware and jewelry stores.

• Use a non-abrasive brand name liquid or paste silver polish to remove heavy tarnish. Rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove all traces of polish from your gemstones. Dry your jewelry before storing it in an airtight zip lock bag or container. Never use toothpaste as it is very abrasive.

• Never dip any silver jewelry in ‘dip’ solutions or commercial cleaning solutions even though it may say that it is for silver jewelry. Dip cleaners will work the first few times, but after that, the silver jewelry may change color and will never look the same. Also stones and beads may be damaged by dip solutions.

• If you find you need more than a polishing cloth, another simple way to clean your silver jewelry is to fill an aluminum pan with really hot (but not boiling) tap water. Add about 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir a bit. Add your jewelry and let soak for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly. (Note: some dyed beads may lose their color when cleaned in this manner. Test first before cleaning the whole piece.)

Brass / Copper
Brass and copper components will patina over time. This is a natural occurrence. However, copper and brass are very simple to care for. While they do tarnish more quickly than sterling silver, they can be restored to their original shine easily. Methods for cleaning and shining copper and brass jewelry are:

• Commercial copper/brass cleaner. Be sure that any stones in the jewelry can withstand the chemicals in the cleaner or do not use it.

• Worcestershire sauce does a great job of cleaning copper and brass jewelry. This method should not be used with gemstones or pearls that cannot be cleaned with chemical cleaners, as the acid in the sauce may affect more delicate stones.

• The acid in the tomato of the ketchup shines up copper and brass quite nicely. This method can be messier than the Worcestershire. Apply it with a toothbrush or soft cloth, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid getting ketchup on the same types of stones as should not be used with chemical cleaners.

As with sterling silver, copper and brass jewelry will tarnish more slowly if stored in an airtight zip lock plastic bag or jewelry case with anti-tarnish paper.

You can find my handmade artisan beaded and wire wrapped sterling silver jewelry at my online shop

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The price of silver is pretty important to me. When I started making jewelry, it was right around $12 an ounce. Now we’re looking at the $16 to $20 range.

I thought having an instantly updated spot silver chart would be helpful so added one at the bottom of the right hand navigation. Helpful huh? 

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