Fun Fall Colors Are Here!

New Green & Clear AB Crystal Circle Pendant with Center Dangle

Hello Everyone,

Did you have a good week?  I have to admit that this has been a very difficult week for me.  Monday I had to go to Philadelphia (two hours south) to a doctor appointment which went well but getting there was quite a challenge.  Then Tuesday I was totally exhausted.  Wednesday well you don’t really want to know all this stuff so suffice it to say it has been a long week…

Matching Green & Clear AB Crystal Earrings

In spite of it all I was able to make these pretty necklaces and earrings.  Some are Crystal and some are Glass.  There are all different colors from green to red, yellow and orange to Aqua blue.  I am really enjoying these and plan to sell them at the upcoming bazaars (details to follow).

Aqua Glass Bicone & Teardrop Circle Pendant with Center Glass Dangle

I would love your reaction.  What do you think?  They measure about 1 and 1/4 inches across and the earrings are about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, without the earring wire.

Two Tone Green Crystal Circular Pendant with Matching Earrings

I think these are a fun twist on an old favorite.  I can make them in birthstone colors for any birthday or school colors for a little fun this new school year.  What’s your favorite color?

Lovely Mix of Fall Colors in a Circular Pendant with Matching Earrings

Have A Great Weekend!  Fall is coming!

~ Lori

A Friend of Mine…Pam Sani Part 2

For you my Friends,

Well, I promised to fill you in on Pam’s Jewelry Show.  Pam did well  though not as well as I had hoped.   I had been so excited and wanted Pam to do Super, Fantastic.   She passed on some insights that she learned through the process of this show and I thought I would pass them on to you.

Level of Preparedness:

1) To have a Great Show you need to be well prepared…from business cards to pricing.  You need plenty of stock, plenty of promotion and plenty of smiles.

2) Be honest with yourself about how much effort is required to: create your items, prepare them for sale, and to promote your event PLUS your level of willingness to do it .  If you are not up for it either get some help or reschedule, because it’s a lot of work!

3) Shift your focus from what you want, to what your customer needs:  from what you create, to pricing, to presentation it’s all about your customers.  So, make it attractive to them in every way.

4)  Once you’re prepared and everything is in order, enjoy your customers!  Have fun and those perfect customers will come to you!   AND Finally…

 5) Don’t give up!  All the hard work pays off.

These ideas have been very helpful to me as I am preparing for my own fall shows.  There is still a lot of work ahead so keep your chin up and just do the next thing!

Have a Great Week!

~Lori

Happy Friday!

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a great week!  I’ve been busy, busy, busy working on making jewelry for my up coming jewelry shows/bizarre(s).  Here is a picture of my latest creation.  It is a twist on an old favorite.  Let me know what you think.  I have some fun ideas for personalizing them too.  Choose the dangle in the center from any number of fun items from Initials to little characters to beads like the one shown here.

This Fall Glass Circular Pendant has a little dangle in the center that could be your initial, a little character or a bead or beads of your choice. Pick your own colors too. You can also order this one in Swarovski Crystal for added sparkle.

This Fall Glass Circular Pendant has a little dangle in the center that could be your initial, a little character or a bead or beads of your choice. Pick your own colors too. You can also order this one in Swarovski Crystal for added sparkle.

Please send me your opinion.  I would love to hear what you think and even what you would buy as a gift or just for yourself.  This one is Glass but I am working on a Swarovski Crystal version too.

Looking forward to hearing from you…

Have a Great Weekend!

~Lori

A Friend of Mine…Pam Sani

Hi All, Happy Monday!

I know, I know!  I’m really just trying to get myself into a good mind-set to face another week.  How do you prepare yourself for the new week?

I have told you about my friend Pam before.  She is a brave soul!  Last Friday she had a jewelry show in her home.  She worked  so hard preparing for it.   I hope she got a really good return on all her hard work.  She has a good core group of people who come just to see what she makes and they buy from her too.  Can you imagine?  Imagine having repeat business…what a dream.  Just starting out I don’t even have a mailing list.  I would just send an invitation to everyone I know.  That’s about 6 people, ha ha ha.  She has had shows before so it is not as big of deal for her as it is for me but still there is a lot of work that goes into something like that and I know she wants to have good sales as well as a good time.

I’m scared to death to take on something like that, but as you know, anything I’m scared of I wind up walking right into eventually.  So, there is a fall fund-raiser at my church each year called “The Holly & the Ivy”.  I have looked into possibly setting up a table and selling my jewelry there in October.  We will see what happens and if I can pull this off.  It would be a great way just to get my jewelry out there to be seen in the community.

I’ll Keep you posted.

As for Pam…She’s a veteran jewelry show seller  and after having to take some time off she is just getting back into her groove.  I can’t wait to hear how well she did!  I’ll be sure to let you know too.

Have a Great Week!

~ Lori

Exciting News…A Good Dilemma!

Hey,

I hope your week has gone well.  I have some exciting news to share with you.  There is a corner store about 0.5 mile from my house.  It has been closed for 3 or 4 years but just reopened a couple of weeks ago.  It is a little quick shop/deli.  They sell milk, bread, eggs, cold drinks, sandwiches and such.  I was curious and decided to stop in and see what they had done with the place.   So, I stopped in the other day.  They redid the floors, painted and opened up the space for the deli counter.  It all looks really nice.  Of course I got into a conversation with the woman who turned out to be the owner, and in our conversation we talked about small business and trying to make a go of it in this economy.

I told her about my jewelry and she agreed to let me put a little display on her counter!  I am excited and overwhelmed as now I have committed myself to yet more work.  So, I’m on the hunt for a display and this is what I found so far.

It is generic and will hold plenty of earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  I think it is a good start.  What do you think?

Now how to pay for it…?

Have a Great Weekend!

~Lori

Successful Business People’s Weekends

 

Happy Monday Everyone,

I hope you all had a great weekend.  I recently read an article about how successful business people spend their weekends.  I wish I could find the link for you but I can’t seem to find it, sorry.

The article talked about how successful business people know that the best way to be prepared for work on Monday is to use their weekends doing things that rejuvenate them.  From Friday at 6pm to Monday at 6am there are 60 hours for you to do all the things that will refresh you and prepare you for a new week.

You should do things that you have to do during the week as much as possible and only those chores that you can’t do another time, on the weekend.  You should limit “have-to’s”  to only a couple of hours on the weekend.  Spend the rest of your time enjoying what you love, like gardening, sailing, or spending quality time with family and friends.  Schedule time so it will be comfortable for you.  Get that extra rest you need, read that book you have been dying to open, or just play with your children/grandchildren, but no business!  No laptops, No email and No Business calls!  The time is yours so ENJOY!  (If you do get a brainstorm got down a few notes and put it away.)

The article suggested that you just brainstorm and write down everything you can think of including all the big and little things you would like to do, places you would like to visit, people you would like to spend time with and books you would like to read.

This weekend, plan a day trip, go to the movies, go to church or go visit your mom.  Take Time for Yourself, you deserve it, you need it and it’s yours!  So tell me, what are you going to do this weekend?

This is a beautiful spot at a local park that I enjoy visiting.

Have a Great Week Planning your Weekend!

~ Lori

 

A Friend of Mine…Margaret Almon

Hello Everyone,

I want to introduce you to a friend of mine.  Her name is Margaret Almon.  She and I are working on a project together. The reason I wanted you to meet her is because she creates the most beautiful mosaics and I wanted to share one in particular with you.  

She creates beautiful pendants like this one.  Consisting of all kinds of glass they are beautiful and amazing. I work with some small beads but what she does with glass…Wow!  This pendant is 1″ square.  Those pieces are quite small.  Isn’t it beautiful?  Write back and tell me what you think or better yet go tell Margaret directly below.

Margaret does much more than pendants.  You should check out her storefront.  Here’s the link. http://www.etsy.com/search?q=Nutmeg%20Mosaics&view_type=gallery&ship_to=ZZ&min=0&max=0

If this link doesn’t work go to Etsy.com and search Nutmeg Mosaics.  Margaret and her husband Wayne work together making beautiful art! Check them out!  And tell’em Lori sent you. 🙂

~ Lori

Introducing My New Mosaic Matches

Hello Everyone,

I want to introduce you to Mosaic Matches.  A friend of mine Margaret Almon makes Beautiful Mosaics.  We decided to work together and now I am making matching earrings to go with her creative necklaces.  Please go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/nutmegdesigns  and look at all her amazing work.  Then if you find a necklace that you like and I don’t already have a matching pair made, I will make a matching pair for you.

Likewise if you already have a necklace or pair of earrings that you would like something matching to add to it, I would love to design something just for you.  Think about that favorite old necklace that you use to wear all the time but lost one of the earrings or those great earrings that you bought last year but the necklace that you thought they would match clashes instead of blending like you hoped.  I can help you with that.  Tell me what you are looking for and we will tie it all together with “Matches”.  In this economy you can’t just go out and buy a whole new anything on a whim, but together we make a beautiful Match.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ajewelrymasterpiece

Thanks for coming and have a GREAT Weekend!

~ Lori

New Mosaic Matches – Aquamarine & Lime

New Mosaic Matches – Blue & Purple

New Mosaic Matches – Triple Green

New Mosaic Matches – Red, Blue, Orange & Yellow

Graduation…Congratulations!

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you had a great week.  By the time you read this my son, Keith will have graduated from High School.  It is such a proud moment when your children hit huge milestones in their lives…don’t you think?  It is a time when I am full of pride for my son and all he has accomplished.  We all know as parents that they didn’t get there on their own.  They had lots of help along the way from teachers to friends to us, the parents.  So hats off to all this year’s graduates and those who helped them along the way, especially you parents!  You have run the race and finished the course, Congratulations!

And now the reward…Which one would you choose?  Wait…who said you could only choose one?

Shells – An Old Favorite Returns for Summer Necklace, Bracelet & Earrings

Onyx, Amethyst & Sterling Silver Necklace, Bracelet & Earrings

Turquoise, Swarovski Crystal & Glass Necklace

Another Old Favorite – Ceramic, Aqua, Amber & Sage Glass Beads

This is Reilly. How did he get in there?

Blue Crystal & Chain 30″ long

Pastel & Sparkle 24″ with Matching Bracelet

New 3 Strand Floating Black & Silver Glass Necklace

Matching Black & Silver Glass Earrings

Aqua Crystal & Sterling Silver Figaro Chain Necklace with Earrings

Congratulations Again!  Have a Great Weekend!

~ Lori

Wordless Wednesday

3 Strand Floating Black & Silver Glass Necklace Matching Black & Silver Glass Earrings