I'VE MOVED!!! Please come and visit

Hey everybody (that means probably 1 person) I've moved from Etsy over to 1000 Markets. It's a cool place to shop and to set up shop. I also have a blog there.

Thanks for checking me out!

http://twistedjules.1000markets.com

HandmadeFusion Begins

I now have a store on the new website Handmadefusion. It's just one month old and I'm hopeful that it will take off. I like Etsy, but am happy to have another outlet to sell my jewelry. It's a bit different than Etsy in that you have to apply with a couple of pictures of your goods. I was obviously accepted and have listed approximately 10 items so far. They have a lot of good features, and like any new site, some things that need work. I'm willing to keep listing, though, and give it a try.

Here's my store's address:
http://handmadefusion.com/stores/TwistedJules

I do like the store fronts much better on Etsy. The pictures on handmadefusion are a bit small and the stores are rather plain at this point. But with Etsy being so over run with sellers, it's nice to be in on the beginning of something new.

So please, take a moment and check it out. Lots of creative people selling their wares.

Happy shopping or window shopping!

Lipitor Brings Me To My Knees!

It's been so long since I've written anything! I have had no energy at all to do much of anything but keep my house clean. Have had a few other problems also and it turns out all this was caused by a medication I was taking! That medication is Lipitor. I've been off of it for 10 days now and feel like a new person.

For two weeks I've had plans to go to Michael's, Lowe's and Target. My assignment: Find cool backgrounds for photographing my jewelry; different lights for my light box; and some shrubs to plant in the backyard. Every day I found some excuse not to go, but this was during my Lipitor-induced funk. So TODAY is the day!

TAKING GREAT PHOTOS
Isn't this a major problem for most of us that sell items online? I've tried so many different ways to take photos and have finally discovered what works for me. Mainly, it's having a light box that was very simple to build. I used a cardboard box, tracing paper and tape. That's it! Then the lights. They are very important and it takes some experimenting to really get that great picture. So I'm going to get a couple of stronger lights and go to work.

PHOTO BACKGROUNDS
This, of course, is most important. I want to have cohesive photos of my jewelry but one background does not look good with every piece of jewelry. I'm hoping I can find something at Michaels in the scrapbooking aisle; if not, off to Lowe's to look at slate and tiles!

Please post your success stories here or your photography tips!

Let's get it out, People: Pet Peeves

Sometimes I think It would be so nice to be oblivious. Just let the world revolve around myself with no thoughts toward others. Wow, I'd probably never get frustrated. Yet, as tempting as it sounds to be sans frustration, I can't become that oblivious bimbo. I believe you have to be born with this, ummm, quality.

So here are a few of my top Pet peeves:

California Hands-Free Law

The new California law now requires "hands free" driving if you're going to talk on your cell phone. So you have to wear one of those little alien device things in your ear. I know the day will come when babies will be born with these devices already attached.

The thinking behind this law (that's got to be an oxymoron) is that people will be better able to pay attention to their driving and not their phone. Yeah, right! Good thinking law makers!

At first thought, this "hands-free" law seems like a good thing but, unfortunately, what it has done now is freed up their hands to do other things! Yes, putting on makeup for one. I can barely put makeup on standing flat footed in front of a mirror. At least they have some talent, I suppose. I guess you could say they are good multi-taskers; driving, talking on the phone and putting on makeup while drinking their double low fat soy half caff mocha grande latte in between bites of a blueberry scone!

Normally I would applaud multi-tasking; however, when you're barreling down the highway in your 2000 pound hunk of steel talking, eating, knitting, reading, clipping your toenails and supposedly paying attention to your driving, it would be nice if you would just steer yourself right over a cliff careful not to take anybody else out with you! Happy landing!

Well, I've barely skimmed the surface here. Don't think I'm bitter; I'm really not. (Well, maybe a little.) Just one frustrated broad when it comes to the very happy oblivious people.

Next Pet Peeve..............you'll have to check back.

Please leave a comment with your top pet peeve!

Jules

Starting A New Career at 50

Years ago after playing a softball game, all of us met up over at our favorite Pizza place ... well, maybe we liked the beer also. I met a gal there that read palms. So what the heck, I let her check mine out. I can't even remember most of the stuff she told me, though I know it rang true. What was most intriguing to me, though, was when she looked at the section at the base of my thumb and said, "Oh, my goodness." Oh, no, what could it be, I thought? She says, "You have so much untapped potential." She gave me this look that I'll never forget. I kept thinking to myself, what could it be? Is it golf; music, what?

I suppose I forgot about it for years, or shoved it somewhere deep not wanting to think about what I should or could be doing.

It wasn't until just recently when I had one of those lightbulb moments and remembered the words this woman had said to me. I now knew what she was talking about. Since I discovered my talent and love for making jewelry, my creative side has been running full force. I'm constantly learning something and actually yearning to discover all the different ways to make a piece of jewelry. It's a driving passion and is so exciting. I can't wait to get up in the morning!

All of this came about the year I turned 50. It's never too late to pursue your passion. We can keep putting it off thinking we're too old or we're scared to try something new. Whatever the reason may be. Truth be told, if you start today, you're going to be damn good at whatever it is in a few years.

At times I do get a panicky feeling thinking there is so much to learn and here I am 50! I am not going to have enough time!!! But then I take a deep breath, calm myself, and take it one step at a time. Figure out a project, gather the materials, tools at the ready, and plunge in!

Make it an excellent week

Marketing On Etsy

Since opening my shop on Etsy in March '08, I have learned that making the jewelry plays a little part in the beginning. The most important thing to have a successful shop is to Promote, Promote, and then promote some more. You can make the most beautiful, unique items ever and never sell a thing because people can't find you. Opening up a store or shop does not automatically mean the customers will start flocking to it.
It's rather overwhelming thinking about and doing all the things necessary to get your name and items out there for people to see. It's exhausting really. First it was, "you have to start a blog." Okay. I'll do it, but not an easy task. But then I have to promote my dang blog because who in the heck is going to read it? So Now I'm promoting my blog to promote my shop. And this is just the beginning.

Flickr? Okay. Whatever.

Next I'm told, "You must have a Flickr acct." What is that? What's the purpose? So I checked it out and decided to sign up. Of course, there is more promoting necessary once again to get the people to come and see my pictures. That's what it is, pictures and groups and all sorts of things. At least they make it easy to upload my pictures. Now I have to search for groups that are a good mix and promote within those groups. It actually seems to be working.

Twitter, I thought that was something that happened to old people

Next is the Twitter acct, which can lead to your Flickr acct, my blog and my website. What twitter does exactly is a bit strange. Just a way to tell your "followers" what you're up to in 140 characters or less. Same thing with Flickr, you hook up with people with similar interests.

Post in the Etsy Forums

I kept reading about this so I started checking them out. So once in awhile I would go to an interesting topic and maybe even post something. Seems I am quite the thread killer. I'm getting better at it though and it is a good way to network. Again, more promotion.
Etsy Showcases

Are they worth it? I'm not convinced. I have advertised several times and I did obtain some great repeat customers. Most times, though, no hits as far as sales. Lots of hearts. I'll keep doing it from time to time. Perhaps money is better spent on renewing items.
Overall, word of mouth is the best. Good luck to all of us starting out!
Pictures above; same piece before and after oxidization

Oxidizing Sterling Silver using Eggs

I recently decided to try oxidizing some silver jewelry. I'd been thinking about it awhile, but was a bit anxious about trying it. I had bought some Liver of Sulphur, but after reading about what you had to do, I decided to try the hardboiled egg method I had just learned.

I boiled up a few eggs, prepared my pendant by cleaning it well, and stuck it in a freezer bag. Once the eggs were hardboiled, I used some tongs to transfer them to the baggie and then crushed up the eggs. It worked very well. I put the pendant right in the middle of the crushed eggs and turned the bag every once in awhile. Once it had reached the desired color, I took it out and rinsed it off well. Using a toothbrush to get out the egg particles.

Once clean, I prepared the tumbler and placed it in there for 1 1/2 hrs. It came out amazing! I decided later to make a chain to go with it. I followed the same process for oxidizing. I love how it shows off the detail. The shine is unbelievable!

Check out other pieces at http://twistedjules.etsy.com

Please add any comments. Have a wonderful week!

I Love My Rock Tumbler

For those of us who work with wire, the rock tumbler is our best friend. If you're not using one, you must try it. The results are amazing! I recently bought one from Harbor Freight and finally decided to try it. It went against all reasoning that items made with gold or silver could actually get shinier when tumbled with stainless steel shot, some water, and a dash of Dawn dishsoap. I thought for sure the piece would be ruined and scratched beyond recognition.

I got everything ready. Added my shot and then my pendant and some more shot. Added water and some Dawn, closed 'er up and got her spinning on the tumbler. After patiently waiting for an hour and a half, I ripped off the lid to see what I had. Much to my amazement, the 14k goldfilled wire pendant I had put in was as shiny and beautiful as could be! Looked so professional. I realized that the cleaning I had been giving my pieces was nothing compared to this.

PITFALLS OF USING THE ROCK TUMBLER

Well, really it's not the tumbler itself, but the stainless steel shot that must be used. You have to drain it, paw through it to get your goods, and then rinse everything off. Now this is not difficult in the least. The problem comes if you're doing this anywhere near the garbage disposer! Holy cow, one little piece can wreak havoc, which happened to me.

I got up this morning to hear my hubby saying (?) that it sounded like there was a piece of metal in the disposer. ummm, wonder where that came from? I knew immediately and fessed up. As if he didn't know. Long story short, we had to take the disposer off its mount, unhook everything, and shake it loose. Fortunately, this worked, but there was a lot of stress going into getting this piece of machinery off its mount. So work in the other sink away from that disposer, duh!

Here's the link to the rock tumbler I use. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46376
I got the stainless steel shot from Rio Grande. It's very nice.

Next time I'll talk about my experience oxidizing silver with boiled eggs. The organic way.
Oh, yeah!

Thanks for visiting, and please leave me a post.

Carpe Diem

Jules

The simple things in life

I love gardening. There is something so calming and satisfying about working in the yard. Even pulling weeds is good. I think it's because you can actually see the changes coming along with the work you do. If you're into flowers, colors, textures as I am, then you know the excitement when the flowers are in bloom! It gives me that happy feeling.

As a jewelry artist, I use the garden as a pallet for my designs. I may never think about combining certain colors until I see them growing together. It's one of those light bulb moments when this happens and the floodgates open.

Here's an example of colors from my garden. The olivine color of the peridot and the lavender and purple amethyst. Reminds me of the wallflower and butterfly bush that are blooming now. I also oxidized the pendant. This was a first for me. I thought it would be a good trial piece and didn't really know what to expect. I decided to use the boiled egg method. Seemed so easy.... and it was. I boiled two eggs. Really only needed one. Boiled the eggs for 2 minutes then turned off the heat, covered them and set the timer for 15 min.

I put my pendant in a freezer ziplock baggie and got some tongs to grab the egg. It's very hot so don't touch it! I put the whole thing, shell and all, into the baggie and closed it. I took a ceramic cup and gently mushed it up. You could see the silver immediately start to oxidize! I have read that it can take as long as 30 min. and lots of turning of the piece to get the color you want, but with mine, it happened very quick. I do like the results.

I'm now working with some thicker gauge wire and pounding out different designs for earrings and pendants. It has a lot of potential and has me excited to get into something new. Will post a picture of the earrings when I finish them up. So far they are looking very cool.

Thanks for coming by for a visit. Please check out my jewelry at http://twistedjules.etsy.com

Simplicity

June 6th, 2008 (Last day of school)

My husband is breathing a big sigh of relief since his days of confinement as a high school teacher are over 'til August. Hmmm, now he's going to be home all the time. We'll see how that goes. At least he'll keep the kitchen clean, the laundry done and wants to do some cooking. I suppose I could get used to that!

Last week a good friend called me up and asked me to make her a pair of earrings. She's not real big on earrings. Likes them very simple. I wanted to do something a little different than just hanging a bead off an earwire. I decided to take a look at my design diary and see what drawings I had made over the years. I came upon the design pictured above. I knew this would be perfect for her. It's a very simple, minimalistic design yet can be somewhat elegant or even casual. What a mouthful, right? I love this design and have decided to do a line of earrings and necklaces called "Simplicity." Here's the idea; sterling silver or 14k goldfilled earwires with gemstones, pearls or crystals at an affordable price.

Don't get me wrong, I do love to make elaborate, intricate, dramatic jewelry that stands out and makes a statement; but there's something to be said for simple designs. My main goal in designing jewelry is to make the recepient feel happy and confident when they're wearing a piece I've made. It's just like that favorite outfit; you put it on and instantly feel sexy, confident and ready to conquer the world. That is how jewelry should make you feel.

The earrings pictured above are made out of Sterling Silver wire and dark purple faceted barrels of Amethyst. Please check my shop out for more of my Simplicity line.

http://twistedjules.etsy.com

This is a cute pair of hot pink freshwater pearl earrings.

Waxing poetic

May 26, 2008 Memorial Day

Thanks to all our Troops, past and present, for giving of their time to keep America safe and free.

I am grateful and thankful everyday for my life; where I live; who I live with; friends and family;having a roof over my head. I could go on and on. We can take so much for granted, we end up overlooking all that is truly important. We create our own happiness. Nobody can do it for you. This is one of the most important things I have learned in my lifetime. I know, I'm waxing a bit poetic but I just had a birthday and it has been a time of reflection.

But enough of that, let's talk a bit more about jewelry design. The pendant shown above is part of the evolution of the designs shown on the previous pages. I started out so simple and kept adding different techniques I've learned. It is made with sterling silver wire, violet Swarovski crystals, lavender faceted amethyst, and a barrel-shaped purple Amethyst in the center. Of course, I have my signature coils at the top.

I just recently learned the meaning of these coils. (Who knew there was some deep meaning behind them) Okay. Ready? Here it is: The double spiral symbolizes the polarity and balance of the two reverse streams of a unique cosmic force. Wow! The double spiral can hardly be better represented than the outline limiting black and white parts of the yin-yang symbol, expressing the alternating rhythm of yin and yang. It is nothing but the two streams of the unique cosmic force taking various forms in different traditions. Ahh, let's cut to the chase, it represents the yin and yang. It has to do with balance and energy.

Hmmm, makes sense in my designs.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your week is filled with joy and patience.

Pair of Cubic Zirconia earrings.

Inspiration

May 21, 2008

It's funny, the places, things or people that help to inspire us. You just never know what might make something click in your brain and get you thinking. This is what happened to me last week. It started with a friend of mine buying some Grape Turquoise earrings on my Etsy site. I wanted to make her a pendant to match as a gift. I'd had an idea in the back of my mind that I'd been thinking about off and on but had not put hand to wire. As I sat looking at that Grape Turquoise Briolette, I thought this was the perfect stone for my new idea.

This is what I came up with. I love this design and now the ideas are coming fast and furious. I think, well, I bet it would look good to add some beads into the woven part. So that was my next assignment. Here's what I came up with:

Now I was really excited. I could see all sorts of designs that could spin off from this. So I continued to go over the new designs in my head and figure out how I could accomplish my goal. Here's the next step:

I have another one that I made that goes beyond this one but have not taken a picture of it yet. It's the most exciting. I just love these inspirational moments; that's when I get the most work done. It's something that can't be forced....just have to wait for those magical moments. I think I've found one of those moments and it's going to last for some time.

One thing leads to another ........yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!! It's an absolutely gorgeous day here. This springtime weather is the best.

The 2 pieces of jewelry pictured are both made with Carnelian gemstone and 14k goldfilled wire. I recently learned how to do the design pictured in the upper right. It's a technique I learned through one of Eni Oken's tutorials. She is such an inspiration. I love the way the stone is emphasized with the delicate woven net of gold wire to hold it in. It amazes me how tight the fit is in these pieces.

The pendant on the left is called Wire sculpting. There is no soldering involved in this technique. Just straight wire, hands, pliers and wire cutters. That's it! That's what first drew me to it. I wanted to make something that really stood out, but I didn't want to have to solder. The end product is an extremely durable piece of wearable artwork -- each one unique.

Last night I was checking out some of the forums on Etsy. I stumbled on one discussing marketing your jewelry to boutiques and stores where the pieces will fit in. I learned so much and am now looking forward to searching out places that sell local artists' jewelry. I've been thinking about it quite a bit but hated the thought of actually doing it. Now I'm ready to make the plunge! Wish me luck!

Have a great day.

Jules

May 8, 2008

I feel like an old dog learning new tricks! I guess it can be done. Blogging is a first for me and even if I'm the only one who reads this, I'm going to give it the ol' college try.My name is Julie and I'm just on the other side of 50. Hard to admit but since you can't see me......

Last year I sent off for some dvds in the hopes of learning the ancient art of Wire Sculpting; some call it wire wrapping. I discovered that not only did I fall in love with it, but I could make some really cool things. An example is shown in the upper left corner; Blue Lapis gemstone sculpted with 20 gauge Sterling Silver wire. Check out my shop for more: http://twistedjules.etsy.com/

I guess I went kind of crazy making jewelry. I made so many items, I decided to start a business. No way I could wear it all; and even giving it away to friends and family -- I still had too much. I opened Twisted Jules, Original Jewelry Designs in 2008.

I found Etsy, the site for selling all items handmade, and opened a shop. I have a mad desire to learn everything there is about wire and what can be made. Oh, there is so much out there! My latest design, pictured upper right) is a Net Bezel design. I learned this technique from the fabulous Eni Oken, who has a wonderful website and fantastic tutorials.

The pendant shown is a big faceted piece of Green Aventurine Gemstone. I used approximately 10 feet of 14k/20 goldfilled wire. I really love this design and it's a great test of patience to make it, but the result is well worth it.

Some people believe that gemstones have healing powers. I go with this and consider it when designing and making each piece of jewelry. I hope you will take a look at my shop and let me know what you think! Please check back!

jules