For the last few months New Englanders were spoiled with much-needed 50-60 degree weather. I love it but it makes me nervous.  Nervous because last winter was so brutal with cold days and snow that wouldn’t go away I keep thinking….uh-oh…Here it comes.

But no, great weather abound. Until today. So I can’t complain.

My daughter and I needed a rainy day project. One that has fast results.

I like to paint with her and if she had her way, she would paint everyday.

So we started out with paint on colored construction paper. I used washable (always washable) glitter paint. I love glitter!

After blow-drying the painting dry (because we have no patience) we got out the kid scissors. We the proceeded to cut out (with adult help of course) different shapes. You can fold the painting in half and cut shapes like circles, hearts, leaves. Whatever you desire. I did leaf shapes. I helped with most of the cutting.

Break out the glue stick and start gluing!! This is the fun part. All the swirly colors make pretty patterns.

Pretty soon you’ll have your own masterpiece together!! I gently blotted the painting with paper towels before blow drying the painting in the beginning. It also left a cool pattern on the painting. Try different paints, brushes and stamps to make patterns. A comb makes cool waves too.

UGH
Boy, do I have my homework!! I have a whole bunch of work to do to my site, with updates and big decisions about web site providers, squidoo lenses, social linking etc. etc.

So any traffic from any site is much appreciated!

It’s also hard to compete with stores that have the clothes right there to match the jewelry, but here’s 7 reasons for considering buying from your local artisan.

1. I can bring the jewelry to you. (Within Massachusetts and bordering N.H. and R.I. towns). No baby sitter required. I come to your home with jewelry ready to buy and wrap.  Like a private show. No you don’t have to make me coffee (unless you insist, cream and sugar please).
   
2. I care about what you think. Yes I do. Kohl’s and Macy’s do not. So I want to know did aunt Bessie like the bracelet? Are you still wearing your earrings? Is it a comfortable necklace? feedback and word of mouth is everything.
3. Free gift wrapping! I know most stores do this but I still get excited about it.
4. I am very happy to deliver the jewelry to your gift recipient or you. (Within Massachusetts and bordering N.H. and R.I. towns). No I will not wear a costume.
   
5. I love a challenge. I love when someone gives me a swatch of fabric to match beads to, a vintage brooch to make into a necklace, all their old earrings or mismatched earrings and charms to make a bracelet with or just something to match someone’s style like the necklace below:
6. You can take your jewelry home with you. I have many home parties all around M.A. You don’t have to wait to get your stuff. I have plenty of inventory (result of my beading addiction) to pick from. If you get a custom order it still won’t take as long as some catalog parties.
7. You will probably never see a piece exactly like mine. As far as I can help it. I try to tweak everything I make  to make it really unique including my own polymer clay beads to really make the jewelry special.

I used an inxpensive but lightweight loop bracelet I bought online. I then made the charms with polymer clay. I used a fine end tool to etch the names in each charm of each dog. Then I filled in the etched in areas with a fine tip permanent marker and sealed the top.

Great tip for doing something like this, make extra charms…you never know when another doggie comes along:)

For jewelry artists there’s a special relationship we have with our jewelry that we sell. It’s like fostering kittens. At some point we have to give them to new homes.  Some artists have an issue with this, I used to. But if I love the piece that much it will be a new challenge to me to make a new one EVEN BETTER!

Jewelry making is therapeutic for us girls too. Not just the pieces themselves being magnetic and made with healing stones but the process of making the jewelry is good for the soul. Have you ever looked at a piece of jewelry and remembered a moment in time when you were making that piece? It’s like a snapshot in your head.

I have a detailed seed bead necklace in electric blue. I remember commuting to work on the commuter train and people periodically asking me what kind of project I was working on.

The train ride was long and the beading project kept me sane.

I also remember beading a bracelet in pretty chocolate colors and brushed silver accents. I was sitting next to my husband in the hospital. He had an intestinal problem, which has since solved, but he was in there for a week.  I was so worried, but the beads kept me centered.

I recall once, making my first piece of jewelry a few weeks after giving birth to my daughter.

Even though my new role of mother was amazing but a little overwhelming at first, I knew I was still I and I still had a little time to make something. As the weeks went by, then months, I have been able to carve out time for jewelry.

Not only do we have the gift of making these beauties for friends, or our community, but also we get to see the beauty appear before us as we create these pieces. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with an idea or in the shower (why do I always get my ideas in the shower with no pen and paper??)-Will have to use my daughter’s tub markers sometime!

Jewelry making is like a best friend. Always they’re when you need it. They’re when you need to take a break and decompress.

I have been so busy lately with motherhood, day-to-day activities and part time jobs I sometimes forget to make a piece or two. This is when I really need to remind myself that when the baby naps, kids are at school or you are on your lunch break, it’s time to bring out the beads, the clay, the whatever and create.

Everyone’s got ‘em. But who follows through? Who has done at least one thing on the new year to do list? Please let me know. I always fizzle out and forget them around the end of January and I hate it when it happens!

I am going to pursue at least one thing, that is to improve my website, and update all the jewelry I have made but are not on the website. It’s a whole bunch of work.

• Calculating the price with my handy dandy MS Excel price calculator
• Logging it into the database. I use just a basic Excel spreadsheet with yearly totals
• Photographing it at least 2 ways, on of them on the scanner and the other by my new camera
• Editing the photos in Photoshop
• Uploading all the information on the website and/or loading it on www.artfire.com.
• Adding product descriptions

WHEW. This does take hours!!!!!!! Other things that may or may not happen are a craft show, increase in home parties (SPREAD THE WORD!!!) and possibly a class or two. I would love to spread my knowledge.

I am also going to make a few Valentine’s day products too.  Keep an eye out. Happy snow day people:)

I entered the Fire Mountain Gems contest. I submitted a few pieces. This one made it into the catalog. This company is one of the biggest bead suppliers and has this contest every year. I am glad I have a piece in this catalog. It ships worldwide and has tone of winner’s photos in it for almost every jewelry making category possible.
This bracelet is still for sale on my website www.janinedesign.com.

We've been asked to make several of these:)

Due to popular demand I added a webpage to our existing website www.mom-bracelets.com. The bracelet pictured above is great for any mom—a new Mom, Grandma, Nana, Great Granny etc.

I made one for myself. I used all my favorite beads and a really rugged clasp for durability. I got many compliments and that continued into orders. Making these bracelets are great because they really mean something to the gift receiver.  There are many alternatives ways to really personalize this type of jewelry with additions such as birth stones. I am also making children’s bracelets. They are made for children about 4 years old and up, so that if the beads do come off they will not be a choking hazard. I sold one to someone who is giving the gift to the baby now. It’s something she can wear later. The mother loved it! Just visit www.mom-bracelets.com.

Photo of my personal jewelry collection

1. I have been lucky enough to inherit jewelry from my Great Grandmother. She was from Germany but lived in New York. She loved to go out and go dancing (me too). This bracelet and necklace set in pink is plated but is so pretty and has a nice pearly shine.

2. Not everything in my jewelry box is jewelry. I saw the “Bellydance Superstars” last year with my best friend and belly dance instructor Tara owner of www.bellydancebytara.com. I had no idea there are varying styles of bellydance. They gave out playing cards (business cards) for some of the dancers. This is one dancer. She was fantastic. So trained to do the littlest movements with muscles I didn’t know exist. The bellydance Superstars show was so much fun and very tasteful. Not the kind of bellydance you may think-at all!

3. This is a pin with gorgeous blue crystals. It was from my husband’s Nana. She had a huge collection of  costume jewelry. So much that every woman in the family has a piece, (he has a huge family)!

4. Is a mystery. I found it in my mom’s jewelry box. She has no idea how she got it!! It’s very similar to a Tiffany bracelet that is popular now. Durable beading chain with sterling large hole round silver beads.

5. This is my favorite hair accessory. Its just a simple bobby pin with white crystals in  swirl. It’s very sturdy and sparkly.

6. This is a mass card from  a close relative’s funeral and some photographs in front of it.

7. This is a pin from another jewelry set from my Great Grandmother. I love how they came with a pin, necklace and a bracelet.

8. Another pin. This one is sparkly and reminds me of the 60′s.

9. My daughter’s barrette. I bought it at a craft fair. It’s made of felt.

I hope you enjoyed a look into my jewelry box. Maybe this will inspire you to take a look into yours!