Christmas Rush

There are only eighteen more days till Christmas and I have not finish making gifts for the family. My gifts consist of handmade earrings and a couple of rings. I am finishing up the last of the scarf and hat sets and will be buying some gift cards.

What gifts I have bought have been online away from the frenzied mall and outlet crowd. No Black Friday or Monday for me. No pushing, no shoving, no rude remarks, no "but I had that first"... No!!

I have made online purchases from some incredibly nice and considerate sellers...some I know personally. These sellers have shipped my goodies to me with speed and offer great customer service to boot. The kind of service one does not see enough of in the physical stores anymore.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great time being with friends and family this holiday season. Take care and be safe.

Rings and Things

So I have since received my ear wire gadget and have been making ear wires from silver plate, copper and my all time favorite sterling silver. The gadget is a great little tool but its parts are mostly hard plastic. It is a fantastic tool for occasional use but because I will be mass producing my earrings I will be needing something a bit more sturdy. I have found just what I needed.

Pictures of some of the ear wires and jump rings I have made. I used a wooden dowel to make the jump rings. I do have mandrels for making the rings but a dowel or even a pencil can be used.

The second picture shows my SS ear wires. I will hammer them a bit to make them stronger and add some thinner SS coils near the hoop.



I have also ventured into making wire wrapped rings and here is my first attempt. There are a lot of mistakes but I do like the look and will keep at it until I get it just right. The stone is carnelian and the wire is brownish in color...makes for a great combination.

More beads....

So I am still going bead crazy...have been ordering more beads, findings and other neat gadgets. Found a really cool tool for making ear wires called "Easy Ear Wire" found it here http://www.rings-things.com/ The tool comes with instructions but if you want to see how it works you can find the short video here http://www.eurotool.com/video2.html

I think I will be saving a lot of money making my own earwires especially since I like using sterling silver. I have lots of SS wire just waiting to be used. I am waiting impatiently for my new toy to arrive!

In between my beadfest I have been seriously considering starting my own business...won't tell until I get everything situated. I have been wanting my own business since before time. I have been selling since I was 9 or 10. I have done the flea market thing...love...love the life! I would be out there selling in the rain, heat, sleet and falling ash. I have sold online for over six years and now I am ready to take the big plunge.

I have started writing my business plan, am looking at the licenses I will need and available storefronts. I have almost all the equipment, displays, shelves and other stuff I will need to place merchandise on. I will not be open for business for another six months...I think. I just want everything to go smoothly. I am so excited!

One bead...two bead...three bead...

So I'm getting back into jewelry making....

I have so much "stuff" already...findings, hooks, toggles, beads, books and more. I have spent the last three weeks ordering more "stuff"....semi precious gemstones, more findings, wire wrapping dvd's, wire, leather cord, more books and tools. I am so excited!!

Right now I am getting myself, my "stuff" and my space organized. I bought some of those clear containers in various sizes and labeling everything. This is way to cool!!

I am also looking forward to taking some jewelry classes or even a certification course...will have to look into it some more.

An Exciting New Year!

Wow...I have neglected this blog for to many months. Last year was kinda of stressful and my blog was the least important priorities on my list.