Filed under: Jewelry Related Sites
Everyone’s favorite source for jewelry making supplies, Fire Mountain Gems, has just changed their assortability process. Instead of each type of product having its own assortability, we can now assort everything together. This makes it so much easier to know how quantities will affect costs, and ends the confusion, once and for all.
I say, this is a great day for jewelry makers! Let’s all go and show them how much we appreciate it! 
Technorati tags: wearable art, jewelry design, jewelry, metal clay, beading
October 19, 2006
Ana Romero Monteiro from Lisbon, Portugal, has a great jewelry related blog called Handmade Design. She features a different jewelry designer each Friday on her blog and calls the post “Creative Friends”. I’m honored to say that Ana chose my blog for her Friday Creative Friends post this week!
Thanks, Ana!!
Technorati tags: blogging, jewelry design, jewelry, metal clay, beading
September 18, 2006
Yes, this is the very first edition of the Carnival of Jewelry Design. I’ll moderate it for a month or so, then ask for volunteers from other designers to act as ‘guest moderators’ now and then, to add some spice to the postings.
You say that you’re unfamiliar with a blog carnival or what its purpose could be? No problem! I’ll explain. We bloggers pour our hearts out into our blogs and then hope people manage to stumble across them and read them. If left alone, this would be a pretty haphazard process, at best. So some very clever people have thought of some good ways to help each other gain traffic, and hopefully, regular readers for each other. If all goes well, we all win in the end!
You say that you have a blog, would love to increase your traffic, but don’t blog about anything remotely similar to jewelry? That’s ok too! You can sift through hundreds of blog carnivals here, where you’ll surely find at least one carnival that your blog will fit perfectly.
Now, back to this month’s carnival. Since it’s the first time we’ve had a jewelry design carnival, the entries were few. But not to worry, the entries we got were outstanding! You’ll see what I mean…
Dawn White is a lampwork bead artist whose work I have admired (and bought) for years! And I assure you, I’ll be a future customer of hers as well. First of all, I would like to compliment her on a fun blog, overall. She posts about her family, her trips and everyday adventures…much like I do. But she also posts her latest bead masterpieces as well. She is much better than me at keeping the photos of her work current on her blog and they’re always breathtaking!
Here’s her official carnival entry: Dawn presents Blue Necklace posted at Duda Designs.
But, don’t stop with that post! Here’s one that I’m absolutely in love with! Fabulous!!
Our second carnival entry is Mazel Tov! Jewelry Treasures. Here’s the official entry: Cyndi Lavin presents Mazel Tov! Jewelry Treasures posted at Mazel Tov! Jewelry Treasures.
Cyndi and her friends have created a great collaborative project involving a “Charming” necklace! They have all contributed charms for the necklace, then are passing it around for all to enjoy. Once all have had it, they will auction it off for some as-yet unnamed charity. What a fun idea! I’m thinking of joining this too the next time!!
Again, Cyndi’s site is full of great pieces she’s created. This one is simply spectacular!
You’ll want to browse through all the previous posts too.
I have both of these terrific blogs in my news reader so I can keep up with every new post they make. If you’re a fan of jewelry or of jewelry design, you might consider doing the same.
Now the next step in a blog carnival is that each of the entry blogs will post an entry linking to this carnival post. That way, we all benefit from added exposure and, hopefully, find new readers.
I know I’ve enjoyed telling you about both of these blogs and their treasures. If you have a blog related to jewelry design, I hope you’ll consider entering next month’s blog carnival of jewelry design. And spread the word! The more, the merrier!!
The next edition of the Carnival of Jewelry Design will be posted on Monday, October 16. That means that all entries must be received by 5:00 pm CST on October 13 in order to be included. Submit your latest brag pieces here!
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, beading, blog carnival, blogging
September 18, 2006
I ran across a fun blog about jewelry design and just had to share it with you. Ana Romero Monteiro who lives in Lisbon, Portugal, has a blog called Handmade Design. Her lively, fresh style is so fun and looks great! I love the way she customizes her bangle bracelets with all kinds of interesting fibers.
Here’s a bracelet that I really like – the colors are fabulous!
Keep up the great work, Ana!
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry
September 8, 2006
Have you checked out the online magazine, Bead Bugle? If not, you should!
The site offers tons of projects with detailed project instructions that are downloadable in PDF format. There’s also a section where you can submit your own brag pieces to the site. They are actively seeking people to submit articles, projects and brag pieces to the magazine.
Here are some more details from the newsletter I received. All three areas (articles, projects, and brag page) require that you email them at info@beadbugle.com :
“Call For Authors Our magazine is about beads, things made from beads and the people that surround beads. We are looking for feature articles, stories, reviews, tips, tricks and profiles. If you write about beads and/or bead people, we would like to review and possibly publish your work. Single articles, series and regular columns are all considered. We are happy to offer a link to your website from the article in compensation.
We Need YOUR Projects! BeadBugle.Com is now scheduling and accepting beading project submissions for the upcoming BeadBugle.Com issues.
All artists interested in submitting projects or project ideas are encourage to email us with their projects and/or ideas. To help evaluate your project, a picture of the finished piece would be appreciated. Compensation is available for complete projects and is based on uniqueness, complexity and completeness. Have a piece that you made and that you are VERY proud of? Send us a picture of the piece, and a brief description of you work and we will feature it in the Brag Pages. Include an optional picture of yourself and a brief bio and we will include that with your piece as well.”
The “magazine” is published twice per month via email and there are two levels of subscriptions, free and premium. Free subscribers have access to fewer things than the premium subscribers, but it could give you a chance to see if you want to subscribe.
The latest issue contains a good article about consigning your pieces: what to expect, how much to charge, etc. There are also a ton of projects to read about and even download instructions.
It’s worth the visit!
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, metal clay, beading
September 5, 2006
Nearly everyone has tried their hand at eBay shopping by now, but it’s often hard to sift through the thousands of items in the category to find the things needed. Especially when it comes to jewelry making supplies or beads. It can be torture!
There’s an auction site that deals only in beads, handmade jewelry and jewelry making supplies. I’ve bought things on this auction site off and on for years. Sometimes the items are truly one of a kind and I’ve been delighted with them!
The site is called JustBeads.com and you should really make it a habit to check to see what’s listed. The items change as things are sold and new ones added, so it pays to check it often.
And don’t forget that it’s a great place to list your own items for sale. You’ll know that the target audience is the right group of people!
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, beading
September 1, 2006
Some days, it’s great to get the mail! Today is one of those great mail days. Not only did I not get any bills, but I got my free SoftFlex samples and my new coffee pod machine.
A week or so ago, I posted about how to get free samples of the various kinds of SoftFlex. That was the day that I ordered my own free samples. Well, good old SoftFlex company, they didn’t waste any time sending them out. I know that in the past when I’ve ordered samples, catalogs, etc. it could take a month or more for them to show up…sometimes I forget that I even ordered them until they actually arrive. Not so with the SoftFlex samples! They sent bracelet-sized samples of seven different kinds of their beading wire with a lot of information about when to use each for the best results. Good Stuff!
Be sure to go order yours here!
And to top it all off, I got the coffee pod maker that I ordered. It’s mango colored (matches my kitchen) and makes a mean cup of java! In fact, as I write, I’m wired for sound. You can check out the one that I ordered here.
I hope all of you have an equally great day for the mail!
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, beading
August 24, 2006
ARTISAN GALLERY AT WOMAN MADE is seeking entries in their upcoming Metal Clay art exhibit!
April 6 – June 21, 2007 / Contents Include: Metal Clay
“We are seeking original crafts from all disciplines that are made entirely of, or that use other materials with, metal clay. This metal clay can be any brand, i.e. Art Metal Clay© or Precious Metal Clay© . These objects can be functional or decorative, but the use of metal clay should be physically or visually proportionate to other materials with which it might be incorporated. The metal clay can be used in any manner you wish, there are no restrictions on other processes or secondary materials.”
Entry Deadline: January 17, 2007
Artist Notifications: February 21
Receipt of Work: March 28-30, 2007 – 12-7pm
Submission Procedures
Send up to 10 images of available work in slide format or as jpgs in an email attachment. Be sure to include your name, dimensions of the work, material/ media, and retail price, not the artist’s price. Please note that there is no entry fee to submit work to the Artisan Gallery. Membership is required upon acceptance.
Sales Policy: The artist will receive 60% of the sales price.
Slide Entries
Send up to 10 slides via mail to: Artisan Gallery at WMG, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622. Please be sure to label each slide with your name, etc. Enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope for return of the slides. Woman Made may keep one slide for our archives.You may use this Entry Form
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, metal clay
August 22, 2006
Anyone who has ever done beading knows about Fire Mountain Gems. They have the most delicious catalogs and the best selection of jewelry making suppies anywhere. Well, you know how those catalogs have amazing jewelry examples in them? Those are the winners of the bead design contests they run each year.
Do you have a piece of which you are particularly proud? Why not enter it in their contest? The grand prizes are really worth it! They have 12 categories in which you can enter (including Art Clay Silver) and the prizes are not shabby! Your piece could earn as much as a $1000 gift certificate to Fire Mountain Gems!
If you’re thinking of entering, you had better hurry, though. The deadline for this year’s entries is August 31. Here are the submission guidelines and contest details…now go bead!
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, metal clay, beading
August 22, 2006
What a hoot! I just heard about the annual ugly necklace contest sponsored by Land of Odds. Now, all of us that make jewelry have experienced that moment when the item we had in mind turned out to be not so wonderful once we actually brought it to life. Most of the time, we just pull it apart and rework the components into something much more beautiful. However, there are some who must enjoy the mistakes as well as the successes they create. Next time you have a necklace that falls short of your original vision, why not enter it here? It’s all in good fun. 
Technorati tags: jewelry design, jewelry, beading
August 21, 2006
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