Confession #13: I almost kept this one...

A lot of times when I am done with a piece I am really hesitant to sell it because I like it so much. That was the story on this one.


I called it Roxanne because in some strange way it made me think of the song "Roxanne" by The Police.


It's made of faceted Onyx, round pyrite (some of my favorite beads these days) and silver hill tribe pendant from Thailand.


It's a simple straight forward piece that I see going great with a tee shirt and jeans. That's what I would have worn it with if I kept it....

Here is a close up of the pendant.

To buy Roxanne click here: http://www.thatswhatiwant.us/Roxanne

It was priced at $46, but has been marked down to $30, there is only one available.

Confession #12: I am again playing favorites, featured Necklace of the day

Today's featured necklace is called: Three Rivers
Its been marked down
from: $70 to: $48


Aquamarine (in two cuts) and Amazonite make up the elements of this necklace and is 19.5" in length.

Energy properties of stones:

Aquamarine: This is a stone of courage and mental acuity as well as enhancing spiritual awareness. Aquamarine shifts one’s victim energy and helps attain moderation. It is used in treating disorders of the eye.

Amazonite: Has a calming effect on the wearer, both body and mind. Amazonite also helps one to communicate in the matters of love. It is used in treating muscle spasms.

to connect to it click: http://www.thatswhatiwant.us/ThreeRiversNecklace.

Confession #11: I love working from home, but not always...

I do like it most of the time. Most of the time I am in my pajamas well into the day (like right now). But there are times when I don't get done what I want to and I feel bad. I really loved reading Elena Adams' blog on working from home: http://www.elena-adams.com/. If you go to the April 20, 27 and May 3rd archives she writes a really helpful three part piece on how to work from home without going crazy. Some excellent tips as well as some clarification as to what it is like to work at home.

In honor of Elena's blog, I like to make my list of the things I love about making jewelry from home and the things that are, lets say, less good about working from home.


Good:
1. Work whenever I want to, if I want to make it a 2 hour day or a 14 hour day, it's all up to me.

Less Good:
1. When it needs to be a 14 hour day and I feel like making it a 2 hour day it's really hard to motivate myself.

Bright Side:
1. When I'm on a roll I can work 14 hours and it doesn't feel like 14 hours at all. This is more the rule than the exception and because of that I know that I am doing the right work.


Great:
2. I have loved making jewelry since I was 18 an spend some days as "design days" where all I do all day is make one piece after the other and watch movies or listen to music. This is easily the very BEST part of what I do.

Less Great:
2. Once I have made all of these pieces I have to price them (time consuming), name them (running out of clever things to call them), create price tags for them (really time consuming) and if they are going on my website (as opposed to one of my stores) I have to scan them, format the pictures, and upload all of the information on the website. Some of this is fun, but it is all time consuming.

Bright side:
2. I can control my prices and what I call the pieces. I have a lot of personal jokes and homages in the names of my pieces. Some are named after relatives, some are based on the movie I was watching while I made it and some are just what the piece makes me think about. As for the prices, if I feel that one came out to high, I totally have the power to lower it. And I often do. I am told that I don't price my stuff high enough, that may be true, but I like it to be available to as many people as possible.


Good:
3. I am also a bookkeeper, so I do my own books and don't have to pay or wait for someone else to take care of it.

Less Good:
3. It is always easier to motivate yourself to get someone else's books done, harder when they are your own.

Bright Side:
3. Last minute entries before tax time are a snap.


Good:
4. I get to buy my own materials which is soooooooooooooooo much fun! I love shopping for beads, etc. Whether it's online or at a gem show I am IN LOVE with gemstones (is that the right word? It implies rubies and sapphires and although I love rubies and sapphires, I mean all natural stones like different kinds of jasper, agate, quartz, etc.)

Less Good:
4. I spend too much. It is so much easier to buy stones than it is to sell necklaces.

Bright Side:
4. I have plenty of materials to inspire me whenever I want to work.

Good:
5. All of the money I make is mine to allocate as I see fit.

Less Good:
5. I can't always live on how much money I allocate to me as payment for my work.

Bright Side:
5. I have other work that does so that I can keep making jewelry for as long as I want, and I will.

Confession #10: I like Silpada

I never thought I'd say this but I am considering representing someone else's jewelry.  I was recently introduced to Silpada by a friend who is a rep.  She was just giving me ideas on how to increase my business with home parties, but the moment I saw the jewelry I was in love.  Much of it is the same concept that I use, all natural stones and pearls with silver accents.  They use some other beads too, but they really make it work.  I really didn't expect to like it as much as I do.  A lot of the pieces are ones that I either wish I had made, could make or don't have the skills or resources to make.  

My friend's site is mysilpada.com/sara.lilly.  Check it out, although it looks like I will have my own site soon!  I really didn't anticipate doing something like this, but I do feel that I have a unique background for going into this company.  I still intend to keep making my "Creations by Molly", we all know that I couldn't stop if I wanted to!  Please check out the Silpada site, let me know what you think.  And if you'd like to find out how to get some of that lovely Bling for free, drop me an e-mail.

Confession #9: Talking about jewelry is like dancing about architecture...

That was really a line from a movie called Playing by Heart. The line is talking about love is like dancing about architecture, but you get the idea. There is a certain point beyond which I just don't know what to say. I can talk about how I design and what I like all day, but if you are in aspiring jewelry designer, you gotta find your own way.

I did meet another jewelry designer, but she is what I would call a "jeweler". She makes fine rings that are truly stunning. She does mostly custom work and it is very different from everything I do, but we talk stones and it's nice. I really like her work, if you want to see her site it is: www.evelynH.com. It's nice to check out designers that make something that is nothing like what I make because it causes my mind to bend and shape and come up with new ideas for my own work.

I don't know about you, but I find that I need inspiration. I can't always just sit and start to work. I did see a really great piece that I want to do my version of on an old episode of Ghost Whisperer. It will be very expensive, but I think it will come out nice. I think it's okay to be inspired by another designer's work, out and out copying is actually pretty hard to do, but it's definitely a no-no. Anyway, enough dancing about architecture...