Friday, April 29, 2011

Weekend Artist

Anika Janelle Pettiford of Janelle Beauty always had big dreams. Growing up in the Caribbean isles of Trinidad and Tobago, Anika always had clarity on her ability to go against the grain and create her own reality no matter what the odds.

Anika migrated to the United States and immediately realized her dream to attend college. This was the beginning of a relentless pursuit and a patient perseverance in achieving the American Dream. 

A perseverance that is continuing today as her path has led her to the place she stands today – Founder and President of the emerging Indie brand Janelle Beauty.

Diva Smooth
The Genesis of Janelle Beauty is truly a convergence of all the real world business experience that Anika has garnered over the years, merged with a personal passion to bring “only pure goodness” bath and body care products to the marketplace. The vision is big, but the mission is personal.
Janelle Beauty Hair Trio
Janelle Beauty was the result of a personal crisis in company founder Anika’s life. During a time of uncertainty and despair, Anika discovered that most beauty care products contained synthetic chemicals that were “alleged” carcinogens. Due to her own health scare at the time,

Janelle Beauty Revive Hair Spa Treatment
Anika began actively searching for alternative products that were chock full of nature and skimpy if any on the synthetic ingredients. Coming up short, Anika decided to make her own products to ensure its high content of quality ingredients. One thing led to another, and Janelle Beauty- the only Pure Goodness Company was born.







Janelle Beauty Bath and Body

Janelle Beauty Motherhood Blog
Janelle Beauty Hair Revolution






 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Purple Quartzite Crystals Necklace, Earrings and Bracelet

Purple Quartzite Crystals Necklace, Earrings and Bracelet with magnetic clasp on Necklace and a peweter clasp on bracelet. Just made it today check it out.
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Raige Creations: Walking on Wednesdays - Walking Up To A Snake

Raige Creations: Walking on Wednesdays - Walking Up To A Snake

Get Square

Hey everyone I got the Square check it out if you do craft shows, home shows etc.  

 

What is Square?


Square enables you to accept credit cards and debit cards.
By Square
  • Free card reader
  • Free app
  • Simple pricing: 2.75% per swipe, with no monthly fees
  • No commitments
  • Free shipping

Square is currently only available in the US for iOS and Android devices.
Sign up on squareup.com or via the mobile Square app.


Square makes payments simple.
The story taken from: https://help.squareup.com/customer/portal/articles/11842-what-is-square-

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Jewelry Making Tips for Beginners

This artice was written by:By Alexandra Heep,  A great artice for beginners and a review for the rest of season jewelry makers.

The Plan

When it comes to making jewelry, beginners should be aware of a few things. Everything of course begins with a plan and the proper materials. The plan needs to consider what type of jewelry you will be making (wire, beaded, necklaces, bracelets, etc), and then you find a quality source for those materials.

Sources

To find sources, you can ask established artists whose work you admire where they get their supplies from and what techniques they use. Most areas have local craft stores that will sell supplies to get you started. However, keep in mind that those places cater to the masses and if you want to make something more unique you are more likely to find those supplies online.

Deciding What to Make

Beaded NecklaceAssuming you have already gathered the materials, now what? Before you start a piece of jewelry, ask yourself if it is an item you want to wear, or if you want to give it as a gift or sell it. If you want to sell jewelry or give it as gifts, it's probably better to finish a few pieces, so you can get used to different techniques and practice implementing ideas with your hands.

Decide on a color scheme and the size of the item. What is the item supposed to say? Is it supposed to be bold or dainty? How long is the item supposed to be? Also, many people are inspired by seasons or holidays and pick their color schemes around those events. Don't use too many colors, but don't go all monochrome either as the item will be lost on clothing. Plan to incorporate accents and spacers in silver, gold or of neutral or clear colors in your design.

In the case of bracelets and necklaces you will also need to decide what kind of clasp you want to use. Make sure you know how to affix the clasp and that you have the materials on hand to connect the clasps.

It's probably best if you don't combine too many different materials, sizes of beads etc at first. If you use a stringing technique, always start out with extra material. For example if you are making a necklace that is supposed to be 20 inches long, start with about 30 inches of wire, cord or whatever you are using. This allows for ease of stringing, as well as working with the final clasp.

Laying out your Materials

If you are making beaded jewelry, it's best if you lay out your beads first. For necklaces, start with the focal piece (pendant), and then work in a matching pattern to each side of the pendant. A bead board will be a great tool to assist with your layout. Also remember the smaller the beads the harder they will be to handle. Make sure the holes of the beads are large enough to accommodate your wire or stringing material.

Some people like to make jewelry with asymmetrical looks (having assorted individual pieces go all the way around). In that case it's a good idea to have them of somewhat equal weight or size because in the case of necklaces they will not stay centered on your neck if you don't balance the weight. This means you may find yourself constantly tugging and rotating it to keep the clasp in the back.

For earrings, it's simpler but you will need to match up your stones or individual pieces really well to make sure each earring looks as identical to its mate as possible.

If you are connecting links to make chains, it's a good idea to lay out your individual links beforehand. Even if you are assembling a linked chain without a pendant, it's easier if you work from the center up each side towards the back where the clasps will go.

Final Thought

Once you are ready for the actual assembly of your piece, make sure you are in an area where you will not be disturbed. Many people can work with distractions, but in the beginning it's best if you set time aside where you know you won't be bothered with phone calls or kids bursting in.

Don't worry if your first piece does not turn out like you wanted. You will find that each piece will get easier to complete as your hands get used to crafting. Practice does make perfect and what matters is that you enjoy what you do.

The article can be found at:  Jewelry Making Tips for Beginners





                                         

Friday, April 22, 2011

Weekend Artist

Raige Creations - where Creating and Vintage is all the Raige! You can find handmade original items made by Rebecca and an eclectic mix of Vintage items.

Rebecca, and began Raige Creations after a thoughtful gift of a crochet hook and yarn for Christmas which brought back memories of her late family members creating art and music.   She said it was a long journey to get to Raige, but without each step, she wouldn’t be where she is today. Rebecca said she is lucky to say her childhood was heavily influenced with art and music, even though she chose to study Business.  Rebecca found the courage to venture out on her own leaving the corporate world and create some Raige.
 

Her family gives her continuous support and loads of inspiration.  Rebecca's family is her first passion. She is a mother of 3 creative teens and a wonderfully creative husband.  

 

She thinks of them first, take care of them, and try to include them in everything she does.   They all help a little with Raige Creations, with either taking pictures, modeling, giving opinions, or giving ideas. They ALL think Creating is all the Raige!  

 

She also love walking, and enjoying nature. She have recently been taking more photographs of nature and scenery, and she really enjoys that. Her mother was one of the first female professional photographers from RIT.

 

What inspires Rebecca is that she loves to create fun things, to try to change people’s ideas of crochet. It’s not just old fashioned stuff it can be cool and fun. What she really love is using things that were once something else, and giving them new form.




 Rebecca's  have recently added Vintage Raige to her shop, and Rebecca is loving it! From many years of auctions and estate and yard sales, Rebecca is sharing unique and fun vintage items to find them a new home.
  

In the future she would like to be able to say Raige Creations is a self sustaining, thriving venue of an eclectic mix of mediums and quality items. 

 She was featured a couple weeks ago on 
Zibbet:   Raige Creations featured on Zibbet
 

Visit Rebecca's Beautiful Shops Today




Read and Follow Rebecca here 












                

Monday, April 18, 2011

Inside a Z Box

ZBoxTV  -   Z Box is a company dedicated to introducing you to the shops on ZIbbet, and their products via a sampler box program!!

This give customers a small glimpse inside a Z Box, filled with wonderful "samples" from awesome Zibbet Shop owners selling their handmade, vintage, and supply wares!

You can order your own ZBox at : ZBox Orders Here


I did and it was so exciting to receive so many different types of crafts and coupons to some of the shops on Zibbet.

Please take some time to check it out this is very awesome.

ZBox youtube











The Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques/a Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary TechniquesThe Complete Jewelry Making Course: Principles, Practice and Techniques: A Beginner's Course for Aspiring Jewelry Makers

Friday, April 15, 2011

Weekend Artist


Faye Goode said she love just being alive. She also said  there is so much of the world to explore and such a wonderful support group around her. Faye's passion is quickly evolving as a jewelry designer though in another life she was an equally passionate Canadian Realtor.She enjoy using castoff elements from my friend's jewel boxes or from garage sale finds and combining them with some nice sparkly new elements to create a pleasant marriage between old and new in unique jewelry designs. Nothing is duplicated in her shop. 

Each creation is an exciting new adventure for her. Faye's wood carving/retired architect/husband and her live in a lovely little cedar chalet with soaring cathedral ceilings tucked up on a hill in a small ski and golf course community. It's a cozy little spot. West Coast native carvings and various other pieces and totems of her husband's incredible carving surround them as they work together on their various creative endeavors. It's a lovely life. 

Faye said; "How did I get to be so lucky?"       

Faye opened her Woodcot Designs Zibbet Shop on June 30, 2010 and on October 19 the “Bauble Bin” jewelry supply shop was born and became the second of her shops to be sheltered by the Zibbet family of friends and helpmates.

Aside from that there are a couple of local gift shops who handle her work and she opened a tiny shop in her home and on days when she feel full of beans she put some professionally designed ‘Jewelry Sale Today’ signs out around her resort community and sell some of her original designs from her  home.
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Woodcot Designs
 Offering HANDCRAFTED BEADED FASHION JEWELRY
 

Description  - Perfect pale blue leaves are adorned by lilac and turquoise crackle glass on silver plated French ear wires.  These darling earrings were the third in my Midsummer's Night Collection of spring and summer earrings.

 

                        
                                        FAN FANTASY Gold Fan Necklace Set


Description -This is about as delicate as it can get in lovely soft shades of blue. A collapsible 24k gold party fan has been salvaged from a friend's treasure trove and will become an interesting conversation piece as people are sure to ask you about it. This set will bring you many compliments for it is so unusual. The necklace is 23 inches long. Cultured pearls in graduated sizes and tiny gold filigree beads are strung on golden wire. The beads groupings are held in place by tiny gold crimps. Add a little bit of light weight lucite and that glorious gold fan and this item is a real show stopper. 

 
 Bauble Bin
 Beader's Paradise. Bauble Heaven. All happening at The Bauble Bin

 

Bezel Bejewelled 14k Gold with 3mm Pink and Clear Crystal

Description - This 14k gold chain is just 5 inches long and it has a 14k gold clasp attached to it on on end. 3mm Pink and clear crystals adorn this beautiful length of chain. You will receive one chain in your package.



Description - This is one pretty heart in a rich cornflower blue and has fabulous markings.  The stone is sea sediment jasper. A wonderful gift of nature.

 

  

 

 

 


Visit Faye's Beautiful Shops Today

 Bauble Bin

Saturday, April 9, 2011

All About The Buttons

All About The Buttons is located in Greer, South Carolina.

Barbara the owner of "All About The Buttons" loves to create. She said since she was a child, she have always been busy with various forms of fiber work including knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery and weaving. Alongside of those interests was that famous old cookie tin of buttons that she loved to play with. 

After a fulfilling career in education followed by the ease of online selling, she now devote myself full-time to combining fibers and buttons. She also love and make clocks, magnets and bookmarks. She love special orders so please don't hesitate to ask. She is proud of her 100% feedback selling online with several hundred items off to new homes.

In April 2007 a book called Button!Button! was published and several of her creations were included (pictures below). It was a very exciting experience.

 

Description

Felt and flowers just seem to go together.
Barbara have a huge stack of felt sheets and shapes and my first instinct was a flower which morphed into a pin. The base is lime green felt with purple petals atop. A clear button holds a deep orange floral button. The closing is a standard pin-back.  Looks great on many colors and can go on t-shirts, sweaters, lapels, even your purse. It measures about 2 1/2" (6cm) across. AllAboutTheButtons-artwork 

See more of her work at:All About The Buttons




Description

Barbara fell in love with this zebra "paper"....it really feels more like velvet fabric with texture. In the 12, 3, 6 and 9 places are black and white brads.

The hands are black and the clock mechanism is quartz. There is a loop in the back for hanging or it can be placed on an easel as shown which is not included. One AA battery is!   Please note: she pack her clocks very carefully and have never had any breakage.


See more of her work at All About The Buttons




 Description
Soft and warm...what more do you need on a chilly day? This was knit with a black yarn that has bits of turquoise and deep pink. It can be rolled down or cuffed. Fun and warm!  It is machine wash cold and lay flat to dry.




                                       


Visit Barbara's Beautiful Shop Today




  The Amy Featuring round and emerald style cuts, row after row of dramatically oversized white rhinestones delicately link into blinding la...