Valentine's Sale!!

Wanting to get something unique and special for your sweetie this year?

Now through February 2nd I am offering everything at 15% off!!
One of the great things about beadweaving is that it is so durable while looking so elegant: I wear mine while doing dishes, at work, swimming, sometimes accidentally in the shower, and it holds up like a dream. Beadweaving will last for generations!
Come and browse: Regal Beads

cserpent

My featured etsy seller today is cserpent:


http://cserpent.etsy.com
http://cserpentDesigns.blogspot.com

What she has to say about herself:



Hi my name is Susan and I'm the creator of cserpentDesigns! My husband nicknamed me Sea Serpent during our scuba diving days (picture a tall person in a purple and black drysuit with a pink flotation vest coming out of the water with big black fins on her feet ... yep sea serpent fits!). He even got me a sea serpent stamp to use for my "signature" on my hand made cards.

I got started in jewelry making when one of my soccer teammates got me to go to a wirewrapping class with her. I made my first bracelet in that class (and as I look at it now I want to take it apart and redo it to look a lot nicer!). I then saw a beaded watch band in a magazine and figured I could expand on that idea and make myself a cool beaded watch band in PURPLE! (my favorite color). I started the watch band using gold plated findings, finished it up at another wire wrapping class and got interest from many of my friends and family in having jewelry made for them. I still was just dabbling and got really mad when the gold plated findings started to tarnish in a very short amount of time. From that I learned my lesson about making things that last - don't make them with gold or silver plated parts if you want them to last a long time and remain beautiful!

That 2nd wire wrapping class really drove my interest in making jewelry with beads. I took more classes in basic jewelry making (stringing, knotting, ...) and have been making jewelry for family and friends and other customers for 4 years now. My jewelry designs are also for sale at a gallery in La Jolla, CA - Gili Anna - so I'm starting to expand my sales base.

I have a great time buying the parts needed to make my jewelry. I REALLY like the gorgeous artisan lampwork beads that are available through etsy as well as other online sites. My "inventory" is quite large so I really have to get designing more so I can share these beautiful beads with others. Sometimes I'll find one interesting bead or gemstone and that will be the kick start for a piece of jewelry. I really enjoy the creation process and get excited when I finish a piece and can share it with folks I know and with Etsy I can now share my creations with a much larger family.

Meet my sometime codesigner!
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My mom enjoys buying beads as well, a little too well if you ask me. Since she won't stop buying them I told her she'll have to start making jewelry for sale with some of the many beads she's purchased (and which I "store"). She has made many jewelry pieces for herself, family and friends but she buys way more beads than she has used in these designs. So my bead bins overfloweth and mom has to help clear them out by making designs to sell.

Be sure to check out all her goodies in her etsy shop!!

Of Bracelets and Cuffs!!

So, I have been "playing" with some ideas for bracelets and cuffs :) I need to post more variety in my etsy shop, so, here are a few pictures of "coming attractions" so to speak :)

Netted cuffs, first and second try :)

One of the reasons I love beading so much is that there is always something new to learn!

I decided that I wanted to learn hearring bone (the stitch). One of my fellow beaders gave me some tips (esther of http://greenenvydesigns.etsy.com/) and I've been enjoying it :)

here is my first try at a bracelet :)