Autumn is here and so is my GIVEAWAY!

Happy Equinox to everyone!  I hope today finds you balanced and well.

Now, onto the important stuff.  I am holding a GIVEAWAY!  I want to drum up some traffic,views, and perhaps even some sales in my Artfire studio.  I also want to giveaway gift certificates to my Artfire studio!  How cool is that?  I'll be giving away THREE gift certificates to my studio on September 30th.  There are tons of ways to enter.  Some activities will earn you more "chances" to win.  So... here's the skinny....
1.) Like my Facebook page= 1 chance
2.) Make a comment on my Facebook page that doesn't include a link to another shop= 3 chances
3.) Make a comment on my Facebook page telling me about one of my jewelry pieces= 5 chances
4.) Follow my on Twitter= 1 chance
5.) Tweet about my blog or giveaway= 2 chances
6.) Tweet my Artfire studio or a piece from my Artfire studio= 4 chances
7.) Follow me on Tumblr= 1 chance
8.) Like a post on my Tumblr= 1 chance
9.) Reblog a post on my Tumblr= 3 chances
10.) Follow my blog= 1 chance
11.) Blog about my giveaway on your blog including links= 5 chances
12.) Make a comment on a blog entry on my blog= 3 chances
13.) Make a purchase from my Artfire studio= 7 chances

Now that you know how to get your name entered, here's the information you will need to get started.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/FoolsandJewels  Facebook page for my jewelry
http://divapixie.tumblr.com/
http://divapixie.blogspot.com/
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/divapixie
http://www.twitter.com/divapixie

If you tweet something, please send me an email with a copy of the tweet, the link for the tweet and your name to be entered.  If you blog about my giveaway, please email me the link to your blog entry.  I can be emailed at divapixie25@gmail.com

And now... the REALLY important stuff.... more info on the PRIZES!  I will be drawing three names on September 30th.  First prize will we a $50 gift certificate to my Artfire studio.  Second prize will be a $25 gift certificate to my studio and third prize will be a $10 gift certificate to my studio.  These certificates will be emailed codes that can be used in my studio on Artfire.  If the amount of your certificate does not fully cover the cost of your order, the difference will be owed.  A gift certificate does not imply free shipping.

So, get out there and get entered to win!

The muse is still visiting!

I am still creating new pieces.... lots of them.  I seem to be inspired and motivated and these are the results.

    
      
All these pieces and MORE can be found at my Artfire Studio. http://www.artfire.com/users/divapixie

More new pieces

I have been a whirlwind of creating recently... and I want to share some new pieces with you, my readers.

 

I have big plans to start working on some new pendants and rings this evening as well.  I have started making pieces for a lady with a fashion website that offers clothing, jewelry and accesories for dwarves.  I thought it was a great idea and agreed to do larger bulk orders for her.  She wanted rings that are more adjustable for that exact purpose.  I am planning to work on those shortly.

APRIL FOOL'S SALE!

Since today is the last day of my Spring Cleaning Sale, I decided to up the anty as it were.  Today only, everything in my studio is a whopping 20% OFF!  Yes, everything.... new pieces, old stock, puppets, destash..... EVERYTHING!
Fools and Jewels

Come on over to my studio and check it out!

Beaded crystal prisms~ a new endeavor

A while back I asked my sister what she wanted for Christmas and she gave me a simple answer.  She wanted a couple of crystal prisms to hang in her kitchen window.  My nieces like to chase the rainbows that they make.  i can remember clearing doing this with my sister when I was a kid as well.  I decided I would bead a wire to attach the prism to for her. 
As I was doing this one evening, my boyfriend remarked how lovely it looked and pointed out the prisms in my livingroom window.  He inquired about perhaps beading them as well.  And then once I had finished them and hung them up, he stated that there was the possibility others may be interested in them as well and they could be an item that may sell well.  I don't know about that but they sure turned out nice.

Preparations for Carnegie Arts Wine Tasting and Art Auction are underway

At least on my end, preparations are underway.  Last year I had the pleasure of being asked to donate a few pieces of my jewelry to the art auction.  Of course I was delighted to do so.  It is a great way to get my jewelrypieces out in the public eye and the proceeds go to benefit a local art gallery.  I made three pieces especially for the auction.  For my trouble, I received a pair of tickets to the event.

A piece from last year's auction, made by myself.

Lee always likes to attend this event so he had been going for years.  We went and had a great time.... except for one thing.  I had donated thre items for the auction.  All three of my items were placed on the Silent Auction table instead of in the actual auction.  I had donated three items in the hopes that they would at least place one in the full blown auction.  I was hurt and upset by this.

Another of the pieces donated to the auction by myself from last year.

This year, I have once again decided to donate items to the cause. I will once again be creating brand new pieces fr this event.  However, I am stipulating that at least one of my items be placed in the actual auction. If they do not agree to this, I wil not donate anything.  I don't really think it's too much to ask.  I just want the exposure of having the auctioneer takes public bids on my item and watch it being displayed by the lovely volunteer "Vanna White"s. 
I have been planning to begin work on these pieces all week.. and have yet to actually sit down and do so.  I have however been giving a lot of thought to what kind of pieces I want to create.  My goal is to once again make three items.  I plan to make one piece out of something vintage that has been repurposed, like an old vintage rhinestone piece or beads or chain from a broken piece of vintage jewelry.  I plan to make one small copper wire wrapped pendant with fresh water pearls.  And the last piece I can not decide on a design yet..... perhaps a large pair of wire wrapped earrings. 

Costume construction: One of my other interests

I am trying to blog about more of my other intersts so as to keep this blog interesting and give myself more blog topics.  Today I'd like to share some of the costumes I've sewn in the past years.
I do have another studio on Artfire just for my costumes, though admittedly I neglect it and the sales show that.  Gypsy Threads
On Etsy I did a fair amount of business, though even that was hit or miss. I did some great kid's costumes and some decent adult costumes but on occassion, like anywhere, I would have a PITA customer (Pain In The Arse).  I no longer opperate either shop on Etsy, for various reasons.


A happy client in his ghost costume.

 Anyways, I enjoy making costumes.  I'm not a professional seamstress by any stretch of the imagination but I do enjoy it and within my given parameters, can turn out some nice things.

This is a picture of my best seller.  I used to make at least a dozen of these every September/October.  It is a cape design that allows a child to be a ghost without having to put a sheet over their heads.  I could also do these in colors and you'd have the ghosts from Pacman.


I also do a lot of Renaissance costumes for myself, friends and family members.  I'm a big fan of Renaissance festivals and always attend in "garb".  I'll share more of those pictures at a later date.  Right now I am having difficulty getting my photos to upload.

What's new today 2-10-11

Well, today was the first day back at work after my two day snow break.  Everything went smoothly.  And we are already to the weekend again.  Wow... what a strange week.

I have a few things to share with you.  I have been working on a custom pendant as a part of a trade I have arranged with a fellow artisan on Artfire. I -finally- finished it this week.  I hope that the recipient enjoys it as much as I've enjoyed creating it.

While I was snowed in my house I also spent quality time with my puppy, Wynton.  He's a little over 4 months old now.  He's a cream colored toy poodle.  We had a good time playing and napping.  I have to brush out his coat once every day or so.  And his hair is so long now I have to band it up out of his eyes.  Normally my boyfriend's mother does his grooming (she used to groom and show poodles for clients) but I have had to learn to take on a bit of the maintainence.  It can be very frustrating, especially when he doesn't want to cooperate. Anyways, here's a picture of him right after he was brushed out.
That's all for this blog entry.  I have several other jewelry pieces in the works, which I will fill you in on at a later date. 

Spring Fever

I was featured recently in a collection based on Spring items!  And I totally have a case of Spring Fever right now too.
Would love it if some of my wonderful readers would go check out the collection on Artfire and give it a comment or rating.  Pretty please?

Longing for Spring

Curated By: daffydill

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Paintings

Photographing my pieces

OK.... I am not a professional photographer and while I have several friends who are, I often find I just can not capture my pieces with my camera.

That being said.... I have been trying repeatedly to find and try new ways of photographing my jewelry pieces.  Recently I took a few pieces and tried using some different backgrounds and props.  See the example below:



This photo is taken in daylight out in my front yard on a bench under a tree.  I like natural light and at first found this gave me the best photo results.




This one was taken on the same bench in the same location and using natural sunlight as well.

 


This is utilizing the same natural sunlight in my front yard only using a few pieces of colored cardstock and a lovely rock I found in my yard. 

Another picture taken using a colored cardstock background and natural sunlight.

Now, I'm not certain which I personally like better. Each has their good points. So I ask you readers... which photo makes you want to purchase the necklace more? And why...?



I intend to try some new things in the future in regards to photographing my jewelry pieces. I shall kep you all informed as this project evolves.

In Home Jewelry Parties

A recently sold piece from my Artfire studio.

I've done blogs about jewelry parties in the past. I've done some research, conducted interviews with other artists and even attempted to get friends and family to host a jewelry party for me.  However, today I would like to blog about the one type of jewelry party that has brought me at least some measurable amount of success.... the "in home" jewelry party.

Let's face it, in these tough economical times it is very difficult to find people willing to host any kind of party in their homes let alone get guests to come to those parties with the intention of purchasing what ever items are being shown.  I myself have not found anyone willing to host a showing of my jewelry in their home yet.  It is tough.  But I didn't and won't allow that to discourage me.  No.  I found another route to take.  I figured if I couldn't find someone else to host me, why not host myself? 
So, I began doing "in home" jewelry parties or jewelry showings.  If I put out snacks for the guests, I would call it a "jewelry party" and if there was no snacks and I offered tours of my studio space, then it became a "jewelry showing". It's a simple, minor detail but for me it was necessary to establish. 

A pair of earrings currently for sale in a local boutique.

I use Facebook to send out the initial invites and then I start inviting my friends, family and work colleagues in person.  I encourage them to bring guests of their own.  In the weeks/days prior to the event I make sure to post pictures on my Facebook of new items and items available for sale.  It grabs the buyer's attention and gets them interested.  If they see one piece that interests them, they are more likely to attend.  They want to see the item in person sometimes before making the purchase decision.
I use my dinningroom in my house for my showings, though you could use any room you feel is appropriate.  My dinningroom is large, has lots of chairs and my dinningroom table is large enough to display nearly all my current pieces. I also set up a smaller card table in a corner with bead and supply catelogues for those who want to have something custom made.  I also put out some of my beads and supplies on the card table as examples.  It helps your guests know you take custom orders and can even inspire them to ask for a specially created piece.
I also have my tools handy.  I have quite a few repair customers who bring me things they have purchased, whether from me or another artist, that need some repairs done.  I often do these right on the spot unless they require more time or complicated methods (usually they don't).
I also have things on display throughout my local area in art galleries and boutiques.  An in home jewelry party is a good way for you to get the word out to people in your area that your pieces are available online, in person and throughout your comunity.  The more places your work is available,the easier it will be for people to recommend your work or even recognize your work.

In conclusion,  don't be afraid to host your own party or showing to get your work out in the public eye. It tends to be simpler and chances are you'll have better turn out and sales results if you go out on a limb.  Plus, you never know when one of your guests may decide to host you in their home after seeing your things in yours.

Briolettes~ faceted wonders

One of my absolute favorite materials to use in my jewelry making is the faceted briolette.  Whether made of gemstone, crystal or glass, the shape and sparkle of a briolette is magical to me.  And it's the shape and sparkle of these that capture the imagination of many a artisan as well as their customers.

To better understand the history of briolettes, I decided to research a litle more about the process of faceting.  Lapidary, or the art of cutting and polishing gemstones, has been around for centuries.  There is evidence that as far back as 5000 BC humans were utilizing lapidary skills to create smoothed and carved gemstone pieces and tools.  There are also referrences that say the earliest proof of faceted gemstones occurs in a piece of literature referring to crudely cut gemstones in India.
The technique of cutting gemstones to certain shapes as well as the refining of diamond cutting techniques were developed in Europe.  Many of these same techniques are still used in lapidary work today.

The process of cutting, shaping and poishing briolettes and other faceted stones involves some very specialized equipment.  For example, there is a cutting and grinding wheel that can vary in size from a desk top sized one (pictured right) to one the size of a potter's throwing wheel.  And there are several steps in the cutting process before the shaping and polishing even begin.  I attribute these as factors for te expense of briolettes.
Here are some websites for more information on the process of faceting stones.
http://www.gemcutter.com/getstart.htm
http://www.faceters.com/beginners.shtml
http://scienceray.com/technology/how-to-facet-gems/
I still adore using briolettes in my jewelry work but always have marveled and dismayed about their expense.  I know have a clearer understanding of why they are so expensive.  And one look at them gives you  clear understanding of why they are worth the price.
The definition of briolette literally is "a pear-shaped or oval gem, especially a diamond, cut in long triangular facets."  However, briolettes have evolved to include smooth tear shaped gems as well as many other shapes.
 Briolettes traditionally are shaped like teardrops, rounded on all sides and pointed at one end.  More shapes for briolettes have evolved. There are pear briolettes, which maintain the tear drop shape but are flat on two sides instead of round all the way around.  Heart shape briolettes are similar to pear brios except they have a shorter and wider shape. 
Onion briolettes are short and wide like heart shaped ones but are rounded all the way around like the tear drop shaped ones.  These are by far my favorite earring fodder as far as briolettes go.   I would like to close this blog entry about the briolettes saying this... if you have not yet tried using a briolettes in your jewelry making, by all means spend the money and give them a try.  It is well worth the investment!

NSF fee SALE! ONE DAY ONLY!

Due to a snafu between my vet's office and my bank, I am forced to have a one day 50% OFF sale in my studio!  Yes, for the next 24 hours you can get anything in my studio for 50% OFF in order for me to recoup the NSF fees charged for this mistake.
Get over there and help me out please.
http://www.artfire.com/users/divapixie

AJG~ Guild featured gift guide

I am here to bring you the wonderful work of the member of one the guilds I belong to, AJG.  Here is a look at a few ideas from the guild for your gift buying needs!
How about some bold statement jewelry pieces for that fashionista on your list?
 Bracelet by SecondNatureDesigns
 Bracelet by kimforrerdesigns
 Necklace by popnicute
Or how about something more dainty and intricate for that special loved one?
 Earrings by CanterburyVinesStudios
 Ring by brandybrookdesigns
 Necklace and earring set by Frenchelegantjewelry
Or perhaps you know someone who enjoys the twists and turns of elegant and skilled wire wrapping.
 Bracelet by AllWireUpTOO
 Pendant by TwistedBlissDesigns
 Earrings by AvaDesigns
Or how about that wonderful chainmaille.  For him or her!
 Bracelet by WireWrapJewelry
 Necklace by HarmonyInMetal
 Bracelet by GemsCrystalsAndWire

Whatever your holiday jewelry and gift giving needs are, AJG has everything you need to make that special someone's season merry and bright!
http://artfireajg.blogspot.com/
Please check out all the member of the AJG!  You will find so many unique gift ideas!

Gift Guide #4~ Gifts for Mothers, Grandmothers and all those other female relatives!

I asked for gifts for mothers and grandmothers but felt these ideas really would apply to any female relative one might have.  Here are some wonderful ideas for holiday gift giving!
Originalsbycindy

ForgetMeNotSoapShop

LisaRaspino

MJsKraze

acadienne

CaliforniaCottageCreations

GalleriadiGiani

Hi-StrungDesignsJewelry

BadInkClothing

FlameFlyCreations

Bycamille

Patchtique

LilBritknits

Valmade

Hope45942

EntwinedVines

AndreaTJewelry

ShinyCatCreations

Gingers-Garden

STEMDesigns

VickyVK

Wickdchaos