czech beads | Bead Happily Ever After

Giveaway: Flirty Fuchsia Earrings

Posted on March 22, 2009 by crystal

Welcome to the weekly giveaway!

Fingers crossed that you will win! If you are not the winner, but really had your heart set on these earrings, there’s one more pair available for purchase in my webstore. Click here to find them! 🙂

This week’s giveaway will be these fun and flirty earrings which feature baroque-shaped CZECH glass beads in a fabulous, girly girl shade of FUCHSIA pink!

Flirty Fuchsia Dangle Earrings

I’ve accented the Czech beads with sparkling SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS in both fuchsia and clear aurora borealis. All metal embellishments & findings are made of STERLING SILVER! They measure approximately 2″ long, including the sterling earwires.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

1. For your first chance to win: Leave a comment with the menu that you like to serve to guests. It doesn’t have to be a formal meal. It could be for a summer cookout or a birthday buffet or even the hors d’oeuvres you serve for a casual evening get-together. If you are naming something that’s going to make us all hungry – feel free to leave the recipe, too! 🙂

2. For a second chance to win, leave a second comment that answers the question: If you had to give up your computer and your TV, what would you do for entertainment? Which of the two would be harder to give up?

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment on any other post on this blog.

You can choose any one or all of the above chances to enter.

A valid email address must be given at time of entry. You must be 18 yrs. old.
The name of the winner will be listed here after the completion of the contest. The winner will be notified by email. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen.
All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 03/29/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 03/30/09.

Giveaway – Plum Blossoms Earrings

Posted on March 16, 2009 by crystal

Today I’ve reached a bit of a milestone. This is my 100th post! 🙂

It’s fun that it just happened to fall on a Monday – the day I post my new weekly giveaway. Seems a good way to celebrate!

Speaking of fun, a very bright young lady named Aik recently asked if she could “interview” me for her blog. I was delighted to accept and I really enjoyed answering her thoughtful questions. If you’d like to see the interview, drop by Aik’s blog!

Now on to this week’s giveaway:

Plum Blossoms Earrings in Purple and Rose

These earrings are so sweet. The photo doesn’t capture how pretty they are in person!

I’ve used beautiful and intricate polymer clay floral beads, which were created by the very talented Cheryl Harris.

The polymer clay beads are embellished with gorgeous 3-dimensional flowers and leaves in fabulous shades of plum purple, rose pink, and lavender!

For accents, I’ve added sparkling Swarovski amethyst aurora borealis crystal beads; and all metal components and findings are sterling silver!

Measurements: 1-5/8″ long (including the sterling silver earwires).

Contest Rules and How To Enter

You have up to 3 chances to win. . .

1. Leave a comment that answers the question: What makes you laugh? That will give you one chance to win.

2. For a second chance to win, leave a comment that answers the question: How do you think being a ten-year-old today is different from when you were ten years old.

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment on another post on this blog.

You can choose any one, or all, of the above chances to enter.

A valid email address must be given at time of entry. You must be 18 yrs. old.

The name of the winner will be listed here after the completion of the contest.

The winner will be notified by email, and the prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 03/22/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 03/23/09.

Thanks for participating and Good Luck to all! 🙂

Over the Rainbow

Posted on February 19, 2009 by crystal

Do not adjust your set – this picture is not upside down. 😉

I had to take it at this angle to get the colors to photograph realistically!

Here’s a necklace and earrings that I made for a special order. Can you see that the button-shaped beads have a swirled texture and an iridescent finish? I used a mixture of Czech and Swarovski beads, and the color scheme is a rainbow of teal, violet purple, and royal blue, along with touches of black.

Taking pictures of jewelry can be quite a challenge, especially if the piece is very reflective, or glittery, or in this case – has an aurora borealis flash on it.

From time to time, a customer will write to me, after she has received a piece of my jewelry, and say that it’s even “prettier in person”. I hesitate to write those words in a description, because I fear that it sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s often true! Most jewelry really is more beautiful when you have it in your hands. A photo just can’t capture the sparkle and 3-dimensional shape.

I do keep trying to get better photos, though! It’s comforting to read that even professional photographers struggle when it comes to pictures of jewelry. In fact, many of the very high-end jewelry stores allocate a hefty portion of their budgets to hire only the most talented photographers for their catalogues and advertisements.

Besides lots of practice, good lighting is key. Carol gave me a tip about using a plastic wastebasket for a light box, and Luciana sent this link, which describes how to make a light tent from a cardboard box! There’s also a wealth of good information on photographing your artwork in the etsy forums.

If you have any tips to share, I know we’d all love to hear them!

In the meantime, you can find me putting the camera on the tripod and practicing . . . some more!

Blog Readers Discount!
20% off on our website thru Feb 28th.
Enter the code “snow” at checkout.

Giveaway – Midnight in Moscow Earrings

Posted on February 15, 2009 by crystal

This week’s giveaway is a gorgeous pair of dangle earrings in classic earth tones of amber, dark brown and jet black!

They’re made with Czech faux amber beads and Swarovski crystals in both Jet Black and also a very rich brown shade, called Jet Nut 2x. All of the findings are 14k gold filled, including the pretty earwires.

The long linear style is both chic and slimming!

Measurements: Approximately 2″ from top to bottom, including the 14k gold filled earwires.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

You have up to 4 chances to win . . .

1. Leave a comment with an answer to the question: What is your favorite cologne/perfume for women, or men, or both? That will give you one chance to win.

2. For a second chance to win, leave a second comment that answers the question: What is your most prized possession (not counting your family and friends)?

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment that answers the question:
Do you prefer to occasionally buy one expensive clothing item that you keep for years, or instead – lots of lesser priced items that only last a season or two?

4. For a fourth chance to win, come back later in the week and leave a comment on any other post on this blog!

You can choose any one, or all, of the above chances to enter.

A valid email address must be given at time of entry. You must be 18 yrs. old.

The name of the winner will be listed here after the completion of the contest.

The winner will be notified by email, and the prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 02/22/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 02/23/09.

Thanks for participating and Good Luck to all! 🙂

Blog Readers Discount!
20% off on our website thru Feb 28th.
Enter the code “snow” at checkout.

The Fun Continues!

Posted on November 17, 2008 by crystal

As I mentioned before, all of your wonderful comments from last week have inspired me to continue Weekly Giveaways through the holiday season!

This week’s prize will be a pretty pair of leverback earrings called “Teal at Twilight”.

~Teal at Twilight~ Earrings

The earrings feature:

Gorgeous three-dimensional “Daisy” beads in sterling silver

Jet black Czech beads in a faceted teardrop shape

Swarovski Indicolite Crystals in a glorious shade of teal!!!

All metal embellishments & findings are sterling silver.

Measurements: approximately 2″ long – including the leverbacks.

They would make a wonderful holiday gift – for you!! 😉

Contest Rules

To enter for chances to win:

Leave a comment that tells me what kind of topics you most enjoy reading about when you visit blogs. Doing that will give you one chance to win.

For an additional chance to win, leave a second comment with hint or a tip for stress-free holidays! Doing that will give you a second chance to win.

For yet another chance to win, leave a comment which lists your family’s favorite holiday tradition. Doing that will give you a third chance to win.

You may choose any or all of the above ways to enter.

Those who posted in last week’s bracelet giveaway will automatically receive one extra chance to win this week!

A valid email address must be given at time of entry.

Entrants must be 18 yrs. old.

The prize: Teal at Twilight Earrings
Approximate retail value is $20.00

Winner will be notified by email.

The name of the winner will be added to this post after the completion of the contest.

If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen.

The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.

All entries must be received by midnight EST on 11/23/08, and the winner will be selected on or about 11/24/08.

Thanks for participating and Good Luck to all! 🙂

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

The winner of the “Teal at Twilight” Earrings is Sarah!

Congratulations, Sarah. Please check your email. I’ll be contacting you for your shipping address.

And again, thank you so much to all who entered!

Remember there will be more giveaways every week through the holiday season!!