No End in Sight

There is still no convenient computer access on this end. My crashed laptop has been in a local repair shop for the past couple of weeks, with some valiant techs trying to salvage the data from the hard drive. My external backup drive? Toast. R's laptop? Well, working..ish, but, there's no spiffy photos on there. I think I have massive bad karma with windows-based PC's. 

The good news is we're going to the Mac side, and I anticipate having a spiffy new machine to brag about within the next couple of weeks. Despite the software learning curve, I am pretty excited about having a more reliable computer (can we say solid-state hard drive?!) AND lots more amazing jewelry to post pictures of. 

Unfortunately, several hundred photos may be lost on the old hard drive. A good friend and hobbyist photographer is retaking close up shots of jewelry, and we even managed the time for short photo shoot (with a live model!). More details and photos from that will be posted once the new Mac shows up. Woohoo! 

Computer issues (AGAIN!)

A quick note (using an old rickety laptop with a usb keyboard since the laptop is missing half its keys) to mention computer issues....again. My laptop crashed for no apparent reason, and R's laptop (same model as mine) is also broken-the power pin ripped out when he unplugged it. Awesome. Mine had that problem on three separate occasions. We are not happy campers, and plan on raising a fuss to have the laptops returned and our money refunded. We bought the laptops in April of this year, and this will be the 4th time mine is going in for "repair." It wouldn't be so bad if the customer service rep didn't try to tell us it's our fault every time. "Oh, your power pin snapped off? You'll be charged for that!"

Apparently, one is never ever ever supposed to unplug a latptop. Ever.

Crankypants.
If R's desktop (from the same company as the laptops) hadn't crashed a few months back, this would be slightly less of a crummy situation. He's only had the desktop for a couple of years, and it's DOA. Guess who we're never buying computers from again? These guys!

If only MAC's weren't so expensive, and could run our sizeable collection of games & software without needing to shell out even more $ for software compatibility programs.

Fortunately, I have a smart phone and can at least access email (though, sadly, not Etsy at the moment) so I can keep up with any sales and mail out packages quickly. Just no fancy pants printed invoices at the moment. Grumble!

Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and Why I Won't Play Along

Oh, Black Friday. The most reviled day to work retail. The shoppers tend to be beyond rude, overly pushy, and unreasonably demanding. The workers are stressed out and exhausted. The traffic is miserable the entire weekend. Having the occasional panic-attack in large crowds certainly doesn't help my opinion towards this particular shopping frenzy. I prefer to sleep in, eat leftover pie for breakfast, and snuggle up to R watching movies. This year, I'm especially annoyed with "Black Friday," but this time, it's as an Etsy seller.

The enthusiasm in which the Etsy staff is promoting "Black Friday Deals" pisses me off. Etsy is a community of artisans who work their butts off to offer quality items, beautiful unique pieces, and products created with skill and love, and if everything lines up just right, maybe, just maybe will there be a tiny profit after all is said and done. (jackass re-sellers excluded, of course).

 Etsy is a place I go to find something handcrafted and I expect the prices to reflect the quality. When I see an entire shop with sale items, I get suspicious. Occasional sales are great and all, and perfectly understandable when one is trying to move seasonal items or long-sitting products.... but constantly promoting "Sale" or "Clearance" items, and jumping on the "it's a random holiday so sell everything cheaper!" bandwagon just rubs me the wrong way. I find it degrading to the sellers.

As an Etsy seller, I strive to offer lovely, original, quality items at a price that the average Jane could afford, while not short-selling myself. Personally, I rather spend $20 on an original, handmade necklace than I would $10 on a similarish mass produced from a chain retailer. If a seller on etsy happens to have a sale on something I just love, awesome! Being pressured into selling items cheaper to compete with everyone else just strips away the dignity of the (what I think it to be) Etsy experience. Part of the Etsy experience that I absolutely LOVE is knowing that when I purchase something, I am supporting the artist, and encouraging their success, and the continued success of the handmade movement. 

So, being badgered into dropping prices just for some consumer-driven holiday to try to (maybe!possibly!) compete with big-box retailers is insulting. It's disgusting. It makes me cranky. I will buy what I want, when I want it. If it's something super expensive, I will definitely shop around (on the webz) but I (almost) always go back to the pricier handmade thingy.On the rare occasions I actually do go with a "name brand" it's because they have an amazing product that just can't be beat.-like makeup that doesn't make my break out in hives, and jeans that hug my generous curves in all the right places-and I spend a chunk of money on those items anyway. If I'm going to put something on sale, I'll do it when it's the right time for me, and the shop. I refuse to drop prices (and profit!) just because a whole slew of other stores are doing it.

I'm all about supporting small businesses, and helping preserve the dignity of the people who run them. Way before I sold anything, I recognized the amount of effort small businesses put out, just to survive. I appreciate the small details (like handwritten price tags, or handmade rafia bows). I like the cozy brick-n-mortar shops, the employees that remember my name, the owners that will sit and chat about your day. I like knowing that my purchases positively affect a mom 'n pop kind of shop.

If I wanted deals this weekend, I would brave the masses of shoppers. For quality goods, personalized service, and the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting small businesses, I go to Etsy. So, big E, please stop frothing at the mouth about shops needing to jump on the Black Friday bandwagon. I'm not buyin' it.

That said, Happy Holidays, folks! If you're a Black Friday shopper, you're much braver than I am!

Treasury

Finally got around to making a rock 'n roll themed treasury on etsy (applause, please. Thank you, thank you.)

 Click on the image below to check it out in full color, and don't forget to check out the featured shops!

Mini Feature!

I've been mini-featured! Karen of the  Mystic Wynd blog was kind enough to choose me as this Friday's mini-feature, and theme chooser. Don't know what I'm talking about? Pop over to  Mystic Wynd to read the mini feature on me/my shop, and check out the awesome themed products that go along with it. No spoilers here, folks.

Go...read! Now!

Recycled glass necklaces

Lots of lovely new wire-wrapped pendants are finally going up for sale! I'll be listing small groupings of them everyday, and I'm excited (and a bit nervous) to see what kind of interest is generated. 

If you're interested, the back-story of the pendants can be found here. I hope to eventually buy my very own tumbler so I can create a wider variety of pendants. Especially since the "recycling" center here is super picky about the type of glass they accept. I have a stash of empty wine bottles that I would love to tumble up! Plus, smashing glass bottles is fantastic therapy...

So, on to the only reason you're here. Photos!

I love that this came out tooth-shaped!

Some of the glass comes with interesting "fracture" lines that darken during tumbling. 

There are so many shape, size, and color variations!

The peach glass reminds me of french lingerie. I have no idea why.

Green! There are so few green pieces...

Love that light blue/aqua coloring going on here.

My heart is torn between the green and royal blue pendants.

They're just so....

Awesome.

So, yes, that is what has been keeping me out of trouble lately! The pendants are all wrapped with nickel-plated wire, and will come with vegan suede in a choice of length & color, finished off with ribbon crimps and a lobster clasp. As is, the custom necklaces are $17.50 each. I am also offering the option of having the glass re-wrapped in sterling silver wire, for an additional fee. I know there are folks out there allergic to nickel, or who just might want a different look to the wire. 

Swing by the shop to check out the options!

I'd like to take a break from the regular jewelry posts, and introduce you to some of the staff. Aside from the resident jewelry making monkey (me), that is.

First, there's Marvin. He usually leads the evening wrap-ups, but today he popped in early for the morning staff meeting. Marvin helps mellow us out after a stressful day, and reminds me that I really need to get back to swimming on a regular basis.

Say "Hi," Marvin. 

Then, of course, there's the admin & support team. While they don't deal with much directly, they are crucial to the continued success, and my sanity.

Clockwise, from left, we have the office sweetheart Kira with fluffy-butt support, Maggie our bossy office manager and all around goof ball, and Duke the scrappy foot warmer (a crucial role, especially in winter!). Without their persistent whimpers for attention (Duke), sloppy I-just-drank-a-gallon-of-water-and-want-to-smooch-you kisses (Kira), and mile-long tongue(Maggie), I would be way crazier than I already am. If only I could get them to help out with photo editing....

So there you have it. The calming, fuzzy force that keeps me sane!

Quartz & Pearls

Just a couple of days after listing those gorgeous ice flake quartz earrings, they sold! There was much happy-dancing going on. Hoping for a repeat success, I just posted these beauties in my shop:

This time the quartz beads I used are a slightly darker shade than before, and topped with some really lovely white potato pearls. The pearls have such a fantastic luster to them, and it play so well off the shine and crackle of the quartz. Potato pearls are among my favorite shapes to work with, as each pearl has such a unique quality. It was quite a process to pick through the  pearls to find just the right ones to pair up for these earrings, but so worth it. 

The addition of the pearls definitely ups the "fancy pants" aesthetic. I can easily see these being worn out for a night on the town. Perhaps a dinner date? Swanky lunch meeting?  Some days, I just want to keep everything I make for myself....

More fun with recycled glass

Finally getting around to editing some more photos of all that lovely recycled "beach" glass I wrapped! After this pile of photos, I still have quite a few pieces that haven't been photographed yet-yay projects! Here are a few of my favorites from the latest session: 

Peach

Emerald 

Light blue

I'm diggin' the speckling with this light blue glass!

     

                  Faux  suede cord options. Everyone loves choices! 

So far, the peach pendant is the only newly added piece up for sale. Editing is hard work, and thar be double chocolate chip cookies to nom. Enjoy!

Hematite Earrings

I'm a huge fan of hematite. The color, the feel, that gorgeous polished look of silvery-black glinting off every piece. It's embarrassing that I haven't owned a single piece of hematite jewelry. Despite its resurgence in popularity, hematite was difficult to find and prohibitively expensive in my area.

Imagine my glee when I found some fantastic hematite "teeth" during a trip to Austin! They're about 1.25" long, perfect for using in necklaces and earrings alike. My wimpy earlobes can't take heavy earrings for long, so I'm always on the lookout for interesting, light weight materials. These beauties fit the bill nicely, and go so well with a variety of styles.

Looooovely. Lovely, and a little difficult to photograph. I'm still getting the hang of the whole photography thing. It's a process. Anyway, I adore the pair I made for myself so much that I had to share. The above photos are of the pair currently for sale on my etsy shop. Whislt editing this post, the earrings sold!! My first sale on etsy!! Those babies were up for less than a day, holy cow! It's exclamation city right now!!

You may have noticed, I'm a bit excitable at the moment. . . . .

Well, it seems that I'm not the only one with a fondness for hematite jewelry. I see heaps of hematite in my future. 

Ice flake quartz

Once upon a time, I came across a funky vintage store in California. It smelled like stale musk an old feet but it had some pretty nifty jewelry, so I just breathed through the mouth. Tucked in the back of a display case was a once-lovely multi-strand necklace. I say "once" because this particular necklace was crusted in muck, broken and poorly "fixed" with fishing line, and at least half of the beads were chipped, fractured, or otherwise wonky.

I do love a challenge.

I managed to talk the seller down from $50 (for a horribly dirty and  broken necklace? are you freakin' kiddin me??), and walked away with images of re-purposed jewelry swimming in my head. The friend that I was with thought I was nuts (which, I am).

Fortunately the "muck" was pretty easy to clean off-some piping hot water, soap, and a good scrub for every bead did the trick. A fair amount of the beads crumbled when handled, making the task of separating beads from  bits a drawn-out process. Fortunately, it's one easily done while watching Burn Notice.

The broken bits were tossed into some potting mix for some lovely cyclamens, and the remaining beads spent a couple of days hanging out on a cloth to fully dry. Then, they sat in a bead case for about a year, until I finally decided I wanted to do something with them.

Finally, finally, I started using these lovelies! So far there are three different variations on earrings, and this pair is the first up for sale:

I'm a huge fan of the black marbling on these. Ice flake quartz gets that nifty "ice crystal" look from being heated, then rapidly cooled. The interior of the quartz fractures, resulting in the crackled-ice effect. Awesome, no?

I had the itch to make something really simple, with a little splash of color. I love how these dangle off the earlobes, but are short and light so they're not at all in the way. Great for running errands, chasing dogs, and doing adult-like things, with a little splash. After I finished these, a friend pointed out the color is just in time for Autumn. Happy accident! I'm terrible, and do not follow fashion trends, or what "this season's color" is. I should be ashamed, I know. I'm totally not.

Swing by my etsy shop for more photos (or, just to buy a pair!).

And I'm back!

Right after my last post, I ran into computer trouble (again) and had to shut the whole thing down immediately (again) and send it back for repair. Again. Can you sense my annoyance? This is the third time since April that I've had to send my brand new laptop in for repair. For the same problem. Unfortunately the "back up" desktop computer died a dew months ago and we haven't had the funds to fix that beast yet, so I haven't been able to do much online lately. 

Fortunately, my smart phone has internet access, though it's ability to log on & function with many sites (like this one) is seriously limited. I as able to keep an eye on my shop and answer emails, but that was about the limit of my interwebz capability. 

Now that my lovely laptop has been returned we're back in business! I made over 30 pairs of earrings while the computer was out, and have a lot of photos to take, editing to do, and items to post. So, keep an eye out for updates on all the exciting new goodies I have in stock, and don't forget to swing by the estsy store this weekend to see what's new! Glad to be back, folks :) 

Suggestions?

I have this crazy, long list of jewelry I want to make, BUT, I already have enough (for now) to keep me satisfied. What I want to know is what would you like to see? I'm talking about colors, styles, materials, lengths etc.

 What kind of stuff do you wear? Ogle? Lust after? Would snatch up if you were a bazillionare or from the future? Maybe it's something that you love the look of, but feel like it's too crazy/simple/classy/trashy to for you. 

That's the kind of stuff I want to hear about. Jewelry is such a personal choice, and that choice really does reflect a bit of out personalities. So tell me who you are in the comments below, and don't forget to include the links!

Tassels galore

I know that some artists hate everything they've done. And some who love it all, equally, in different ways. Like children, or something. But hey, jewelry creations aren't kids (definitely not as messy) so I'm allowed to have favorites. This week, it's a new tassel necklace! 

I really adore that wooden statue...

Quartz chips with gunmetal crimp beads. I added gunmetal crimp covers just to see how it would turn out.

Let me tell you, it turned out beautifully! The best part, for me anyway, is that it chimes. Wait, no, it TINKLES. There, I said it. It tinkles. Like tiny little bells. It was so much fun to stage for photos! Every move brought a delicate "tinkling" sound. So much fun. I love the way the "tassels" move on this series of necklaces- it's interactive modern art for your neck.

Did I mention it's a super great price, too? Since I'm still working out kinks in the production process of these beauties, the prices on the first few will be crazy good ($20 TOTAL, and that includes US shipping). Pop on over to the shop, to check 'em out. Don't forget I love custom orders (I even have a dance set up for when one comes in!) and if you want this, but ya know, kinda different, I'll totally do that. I'm great with super detailed or kinda ambiguous descriptions of what you want.

Tassel goodness

The missing SD card has yet to be recovered, sadly. On the bright side, my wonderful fiance had an SD card stashed in an old camera, and I was able to start the process of taking photos again. Woo! So far I've managed to stage, photograph, and edit photos for two necklaces (it's a long process!)

About these two necklaces: they're pretty neat. I don't quite understand the craze with tassel necklaces, to be honest. Probably because the ones I've seen look exactly like the foofy things my great grandma had hanging from her curtain tie-backs. So, I played around with the idea on my own a bit and came up with a couple of different designs that I'm excited about. 

 Tassel for the ta-ta's! Wait, that's something else entirely.....

 Knock-out carnelians!

Forget diamonds, pearls are a gal's best friend. 

The necklaces above (available at my etsy shop) are made the same way. A series of loops strung on a large jump ring and attached to the main necklace chain. Great for having that tassel effect, without a longer chain to worry about getting caught in anything (which I do, all the time). I don't know about you, but I'm clumsy, and having too much dangling from my neck is a recipe for disaster. 

I love how they look a bit like modern art mixed with some classic design. Curved industrial wire speckled with gemstones and pearls. It's a lovely balance of modern style and traditional materials. I pretty much adore this style right now, and I have two more tassel necklaces (with more long tassely-goodness) in the works. More eye candy coming soon! 

Now go support fluffy dogs & a wedding dress, won't you? 

Dog chow

Pretty sure one of the dogs ate my SD Card. Seriously.
I've spent the past five days tearing up my house looking for it, and it has yet to turn up. Granted, it's a little thing so there's always the possibility that it's hanging out somewhere, taking a vacation from being a nifty storage device. I really, really hope that's the case.

But, see, two of the dogs are tall enough to "table surf" for crumbs (of which I leave many), and one gorgeous fluffer is quite adept at popping her front paws on the kitchen counters and helping herself to a snack. This is the same one that also chewed off the metal bars to her kennel. That's right, chewed off metal bars. So, you see, I don't have much hope for the SD card. I will continue my hunt for my lost card, and probably go buy a couple more this weekend (should have done that sooner, anyway!). Meanwhile, I am checking their, uh, deposits, for any electronic evidence.
And making lots of new lovely jewelry, that I can't photograph right now.

That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it.

Bummin'

I'm pretty bummed this week, so I honestly haven't been working on anything. Several sets of earrings are hanging out waiting to be photographed, there's a whole slew of photos still waiting for my lazy bum to edit them, and a pile o crap I need to sort through before starting any more jewelry. Oy ve. 


The lack of enthusiasm right now has a lot to do with my fiance losing access to communication, and ya know, being deployed in general. I'm also discouraged that I haven't sold anything in my etsy shop, yet, and that a lot of the feedback from folks I know (not exactly friends, but you know, people you happen to run into at the store and say hello to) I'm getting is negative. Stuff like "Oh, well I wouldn't wear anything like that," or, "Don't you think it's a bit....much?" To which I mutter under my breath: Yes, some of the stuff is a little wild. That's the fucking point. 


  I'm trying not to let that crud drag me down, but it's hard. So I'm taking a little break to remind myself that I just need to give it time. Obsessively checking in on my store every half hour does me no good. Instead I'm looking at wedding porn and cuddling with my dogs. Which they may or may not enjoy....I can't help but nom ears/ & tickle sleepy dog feet. 
Oh, and I'm thinking up more wild jewelry ideas that are just a bit...much. 

Reigning It In

With the launch of my etsy shop, I enlisted the help of some good friends in critiquing the jewelry, descriptions, and prices. It's been incredibly helpful in the tweaking of things, and through this process it came to my attention that some of the jewelry I make is pretty "wild" for some folks.
I have to say, I totally agree. Of course, I'm the type that loves to wear jewelry that will get noticed. Otherwise, what's the point? With that said, I see the problem: wild jewelry isn't for everyone, all the time.

I needed to sit down and make some more low-key pieces that can appeal to a wider audience, bring more folks into my little shop, and then, hopefully, the right people will see my 'wild side' and fall in love. So, that's what I did today.

I came across a string of gorgeous zebra jasper beads awhile ago, from a jewelry maker getting rid of her excess supplies, and totally fell in love. The problem was, I didn't have anything in mind for them, so the beads just kind of sat around in a container. Until today. It took some puzzling (and lots of mess-ups) but I finally came out with a beautiful, simple design that I hope will appeal to someone.

                                                                 

What do you think? The beads accenting the jasper stone are snowflake obsidian, but are near-flawless black (would that make them just plain obsidian?). All strung up on silver-plated head pins, jump-rings, and silver-plated gunmetal french ear wires. 

I ended up making about four pairs before the dogs started whining for dinner, and then of course I got completely distracted with editing the photos,writing up the listing for one pair, and ya know, blogging about it. I'm still pondering whether or not to post all the pairs at once, or pepper them in between other items. 

The jasper has this amazing marbling that I just adore. I'm making a pair just for me tomorrow. Love these earrings? Pop on over to my etsy shop and grab 'em before someone else does!

Wrapped Glass

I've always had this love affair with the ocean. Probably because, for most of my life, I've been within a few miles of the Pacific. I had the fortune of living by rather pristine beaches. The sand was littered with footprints and driftwood more than anything else. Finding "beach glass" was a rarity in my area, especially considering how diligent the locals are about cleaning up the stray litter. So I've had this strange curiosity with the idea-I mean, it's a lovely thing, this tumbled, frosted bit of glass. Smoothed out by waves and sand.

But, it's also pollution. I've heard stories of folks who break bottles on the shore, so they can come back later for the shards once the waves have shaped it out to be this work of art we call sea glass. And that's always seemed...wrong. I've actually met one of these types, once, who gladly admitted to smashing bottles on rocks to later collect the remains, and sell it off. Profiting off of pollution. Just doesn't sit well with me.

Which is why I was THRILLED to find a stash of "beach glass" looking goodies, that were made fairly local. Bottles and broken glass that wouldn't normally be recycled were broken up and tossed into a large tumbler with sand and water, then tossed about inside the tumbler for a few days, to a few weeks, to create the exact same look as beach glass! In the middle of Texas! So exciting! I couldn't help myself, I bought a few different colors (mostly, with the intention of hording it) and brought it home. Finally got around to doing something with the lovelies, other than stare at it....check it out!

Gaw-geous, no? I'm having so much fun wrapping these babies up! The above pendants & necklaces are for sale on my etsy shop! I can't decide which color I love most, the royal blue or emeral green. Le sigh...

More lovely hand-wrapped glass added weekly, so check by the shop often to see what's new : )

Grand Opening!

Of both Blog, and store! Woohoo!
After months of hording cast-off chains, deconstructed pearl necklaces, and yards (and yards and yards) of faux suede, my etsy store is alive and kickin

Okay, not so much "kickin" just quite yet. That's where you come in.

 I know the blog isn't much right now, but it will be a showcase for upcoming projects, ideas, and of course the first place to learn about new products, events, and special discounts. I know, you're excited. I can tell.

Here's just a peek at what's available right now on my etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/people/BlueDartDesigns

So, here's the scoop. I'm giving away discounts to the first five people to make a comment on this blog posr.

-giveaway is now closed-

Exciting, no? You'll need to register with blogspot (I'm so lame, I know) so's I can hand you your personalized coupon code. That's right, folks. You'll get an awesome discount AND you can customize your own coupon name. If you want to be cool like that, anyhow.

So what are you waiting for? Comment away!