Jewelry | Bead Happily Ever After

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.

Giveaway – Caribbean Waters Earrings

Posted on February 9, 2009 by crystal

148

This week’s giveaway is a pretty pair of dangle earrings in lovely shades of ocean blue, olivine and peridot green!

They’re made with Czech “daisy” shape beads, Czech two-tone baroque teardrops, and Swarovski olivine bicones. Sterling silver Bali spacers accent the earrings, and all of the findings are sterling silver as well.

Equally pretty with jeans or a party dress!

Measurements: Approximately 2″ from top to bottom, including the sterling silver 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: When you were a little kid what did you want to be when you grew up? That will give you one chance to win.

2. For a second chance to win, leave a second comment that answers the question: How do you like your eggs?

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment that answers the question:
What nice thing did you do for someone else? C’mon, it’s ok to mention it – you might inspire the rest of us to do a similar nice thing! 🙂

4. For a fourth 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, 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 02/15/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 02/16/09.

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.

Giveaway – Royal Harlequin Earrings

Posted on January 26, 2009 by crystal

Hi everyone!

Welcome to week twelve of the Monday Giveaways.

This week I’d like to introduce a new element to the weekly contest questions!

We’ll have 2 regular questions – as usual – but for the third chance to win, I’m requesting one of your favorite recipes! Although I did ask for a recipe once before, in the early days of the blog, today I have a new idea for something fun to do with them! If you look to the right of this page, you’ll see a little “recipe box”. I would love to fill it with your favorites, so that everyone can view and enjoy them!

Don’t worry! I won’t be looking for new recipes each week. But, every now and then, one of the weekly giveaway questions might be a recipe request. I think it will be fun for all of us to have this new source for meal suggestions – especially for those days when we’re just “fresh out of ideas”!! 🙂

This week’s giveaway is a beautiful pair of lampwork earrings!

They feature gorgeous artisan-crafted lampwork beads with swirls of sapphire blue, aqua green, and twinkling strands of gold aventurine – which are hard to see in the photo but are so pretty and add a very delicate sparkle!

The lampwork beads are accented with Swarovski crystals in sapphire blue. All of the metal embellishments are gold vermeil or 14 kt. gold-filled.

For pierced ears, the earrings measure 1-3/8 inches in length including the 14 kt. Gold-filled earwires.

Contest Rules and How To Enter:

1. Leave a comment that answers the question: Do you carry anything with you for good luck? That will give you one chance to win.

2. For a second chance to win, leave a second comment that answers the question: What job would you have if you could have any one you wanted?

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment with a recipe you like to make. For example: It can be something quick and easy (We all love those!). Or it can be more time-consuming if you think it’s really worth the extra time. Or maybe you have a favorite “family recipe” to share!

**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 added to this post after the completion of the contest and the winner will be notified by email. The prize will be sent 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 10:00 p.m. EST on 02/01/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 02/02/09.

Thanks for participating and Good Luck to all!

The contest is closed.

The winner is Shelley K. Congratulations Shelley! Please check your email. I will be contacting you for your shipping address.

Making A Memory

Posted on November 3, 2008 by crystal

My daughter and I made a necklace the other day…

She’s all grown up now and currently lives in Europe, but last week she popped in for a surprise visit.

She and I have always shared a love of sparkly baubles, and I’ve designed several pieces of jewelry for her over the years. But after breakfast on Thursday morning, while we were perusing my collection of vintage beads, she decided that she would like to make a little something herself.

During that afternoon, we giggled as we spilled bags of beads all over the kitchen table in a myriad of glittering piles.

“A loooong necklace”, she declared, while experimenting with various colors, shapes, and sizes.

I should mention that this girl of mine was born a fashion maven, and although she hasn’t had much opportunity to make jewelry in the past, on this day it was immediately apparent that she was about to create something gorgeous!!!

Her Dad would have to dine later than usual that evening. At dusk, the table was still blanketed in beads! He said he didn’t mind though, as he shot us a tolerant smile.

When all was said and done, the necklace was breathtaking – a unique treasure, much like the young woman who created it!

Later, I realized that the thrill of viewing the finished piece and the fun we had during the process was only part of the experience.

In the end, the most important thing that my daughter and I made that day was a memory . . .

Is Consignment For You?

Posted on September 22, 2008 by crystal

So, your friends and family have been raving about the jewelry you make, and urging you to try your hand at selling it? Receiving such enthusiastic encouragement can be truly exciting, but you may be a little nervous about entering the retail market.

One way to stick a toe in the water is with consignment. Although there are a few precautions to take, consignment can be an excellent way for you to start small and “test the market”.

Shop owners are always searching for unique, high quality, items to stock their stores, but because of cash flow, they are not always willing to take a chance on buying merchandise with no track record. This is where consignment comes into play, and it can be mutually beneficial for you and the shop owner.

For you, it’s a relatively inexpensive way to place a few of your designs out in the marketplace to see which ones have selling power. You can then focus on creating those particular items, and thus be better able to plan your budget when purchasing supplies. You’ll also gain experience in judging how much of your time you want to devote to your craft. If time-consuming pieces begin to sell quickly, you may decide to concentrate on smaller items that also sell well, but are quicker to create.

Before you enter into any agreement to leave your items on consignment, be sure to consider the following:

Choose an attractive, well-maintained, store where the inventory is of high quality. This will help ensure that your items will be cared for while they are on display.

Be absolutely certain to have a contract where all terms of your agreement with the shop are in writing!

This written agreement should cover:

Percentage that the shop will keep when your items sell.

Length of time your items will be displayed and given the chance to sell.

Who is liable if items are stolen or damaged while on display. (Most shops will stipulate that you are leaving items at your own risk, so as mentioned above – choose the shop carefully!)

How you will be paid when your items sell and how often payments will be made. (Many shops send one check per month for any sales in the previous month.

You may also want a clause that states that you have the right to remove your items earlier than the agreed upon time frame, if you feel that they are not being cared for properly.

Consignment is serious business. It requires that you ask lots of questions, get things in writing, and make good choices about where you place your treasures. But, with a little luck, your items will be selling soon, and the shop owner will be asking for more

You’ll be in business . . . your friends will be delighted 🙂