Gemstone Necklace Sale

OK you want it, you have it! For this weekend I will have all gemstone necklaces on sale at 42% off, just to be a little on the odd side. It was pointed out to me that I don’t run sales on the necklaces as often as the bracelets. Call it Christmas in July although I was going to wait until August just because so many businesses do the July thing. As you can tell by my jewelry I like to be a little different! But since you asked for it now, here you are!
The sale will end around midnight Sunday and will begin now I guess.
Happy shopping!
http://www.divelladelights.com/

Kids do Charity Walk

OK so I am a softy.
My 6 year-old granddaughters are doing their first bit of charity work and naturally I sponsored them. I would like to help out more and make this a really positive affair for them so that they are eager to participate in charity work in the future. For every item that I sell from now until June 20th Divella Delights will donate 5% to Walk for Kids. You can see more info here. http://www.firstgiving.com/jessicacersosimo please by all means if you would like to sponsor them, feel free!
Let’s help make this first charity venture rewarding and satisfying for the girls and their cause.
We all thank you for your support!
Also, to sweeten the pot I am having a BOGO this weekend!! Buy any item in my shop and get one at the same or lesser value free!! Just e-mail me at info@divelldelights.com and let me know the item # of your free gift when you complete your sale.

Gifts to make you smile!

Gifts to make you smile!
The old days and ways of making jewelry have certainly changed in the past few years. I love the "anything goes" philosophy of creation! The only limit is my imagination and willingness to explore.
One thing that really helped me get out the box was the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I was very conservative in my approach for the first several years I was making jewelry. Then slowly I began to branch. Not everything has worked but when one of my customers said to me: "Every time I look at it (bracelet) I smile". I knew at that moment I was on the right track. This series is not to be taken seriously! It is not for an evening at the Opera. They are however, a LOT of fun to wear. Some of my customers have purchased colors they have never worn then went shopping for an outfit to match. What a wonderful applaud that is.
The more I learn the more fun I have and the harder it is to come out of my studio. I learned how to do macramé and along with my other techniques I am making these bracelets. They are such an amusement! Even the shopping for these is a lot of fun. I look for anything interesting…different colors of course and different shapes, textures and materials. I love to incorporate genuine gemstones into them when I can and sometimes even pearls! It is such a pleasure watching these evolve. They seem to take on their own direction. Often, in fact more often than not, they take a turn in a way I had not predicted.
I will get back to the more conservative soon I suppose with the changing of the seasons. For now though, I am having a blast.

Octopus Jewelry

I have really enjoyed creating designs using there wonderful lampwork beads by Margo Lampwork. I have sold a number of them, they are quite whimsical and a lot of fun. ! I also make jewelry with fish and lobsters with beads made by Generations Lampwork. You can visit http://www.divelladelights.com/ and check them out...unless of course they sell before you get there. But I will be posting photos of them here. The first is free form peyote stitch and has genuine pearls, amazonite and turquoise and was tons of fun although it does take some planning ahead of time. The second is a crocheted beaded necklace with genuine Pearls and Black Onyx. I had to put a photo of "Chubby" the fish from Generations Lampwork in as well...isn't he adorable? This piece is crocheted as well. I also have lots more photos, other fish pieces as well as more octopus and even some lobster designs! Please stop by and sign the guestbook at http://www.divelladelights.com/

Gemstone Jewelry Sale up to 50% Off

I am having a huge gemstone jewelry sale at my shop for the next 3 days. I have also included my crocheted bracelets, peyote bracelets and earrings. You can find some real bargains here simply because I don't want to have to count it all. As the end of the year approaches I will have to do inventory and I would really like to have less to count. All gemstone jewelry in my shop is up to 50% off, giving you below my wholesale prices. This will only last 3 days so hurry over to www.divelladelights.com and check out my inventory. There are still a few holidays approaching so you can save some money and give beautiful handmade gifts of gemstone jewelry!

HANDMADE JEWELRY SALE

Pictured here are some of my latest designs and there is something new almost daily. I have the gemstone line, a crocheted line, lots of great earrings, bracelets and necklaces. I even have ID lanyards that have the breakaway feature.

I am having a Grand Opening sale at my new website! Come and check out all the new designs. When you go to www.divelladelights.com click on the Grand Opening link at the top of the page and enter gopen08 all lower case, all one word then click on the Gallery link watch the prices drop 15%! This offer is good until 10/15/08 so shop early for Christmas. If you would like to add your e-mail to the guestbook I can send you info on sales and new designs! Please sign the guestbook anyway and let me know you came from Blogger you don't have to put in your e-mail. I would like to know where people are visiting from.

Shell Jewelry

OOPS! I promised to put up the shell lampwork jewelry. Well, here it is. These luscious shells were made be Generations Lampwork. They were made to order for me, I just call her up and tell her what colors I want and she does a perfect job every time. These little beauties are all surrounded by layers upon layers of gemstones, pearls, silver and gold. These pieces take me about 2 hours a piece to make but I love every one of them. I don't work from a pattern so I just let the gems take me where they will.The nice thing about this style is that they can from casual to formal very nicely. Perfect for vacation!

FISH JEWELRY

Chubby is here at last! This is one of the sweetest lampwork beads I have ever seen and what a personality! These darling beads are the creation of Generations Lampwork.
In the first photo the necklace was created for MPBN this year and features not only the 2 fish, but also one of Generation's beautiful shells. The piece was titled Rendezvous at the Reef and was selected by a jury for inclusion in the annual art show to benefit MPBN.
The second photo is a choker/necklace I crocheted using those wonderful Japanese seed beads and the third photo while also crocheted is a roll on bracelet.
I am planning another necklace in my usual design with gemstones shortly.
In addition to the fish this talented pair of lampwork artisans make exquisite shells which I will feature next trip!

Lobster Jewelry

Allow me to introduce Larry and Loretta from the Lobster family. These wonderful and whimsical beads are made by Generations Lampwork and can be found at http://www.generationslampwork.etsy.com/. The first examples are made with those wonderful beads surrounded by a reef of gemstones and pearls. I typically make these at 17 inches which is 1 inch larger than choker length due to the added bulk created by the design. I can make them any length with an adjustment in the price. I use either Sterling Silver or 14K gold filled findings in all my creations (see note on gold filled wire below). I make a variety of styles in this technique which of course can be seen by clicking on the links to the left.

For the crocheted pieces, these are bracelets shown here, I use only high quality Japanese seed beads. They are quite uniform and come in a variety of sizes and beautiful finishes. For a medium they are crocheted to around 7.5 inches depending on the size of the lampwork I will incorporate into the piece. Through experimentation I have decided to use only a heavy duty nylon cord. These can get wet and dry quite nicely to their original size and they do not stretch out like the cotton threads and cords. My granddaughters (twins of 5) get great wear out of theirs as does my 20 year old step-son who wears his all the time. I wore one for a solid week including in the shower, to bed, and work just to see how it would hold up and the results exceeded my expectations.

Next I will show you the cutest little chubby fish lampwork jewelry...these little guys really have a personality!

A note about gold filled wire:
Gold filled wire is very different from "gold plated". 14KT gold-filled wire has 100 times more 14KT gold in it than plated gold. It is created by bonding a sheet of 14KT gold to a core of brass with extreme heat and pressure. The end result is a 14KT gold tube totally encasing the brass core. This gives us a lovely strong wire that never tarnishes. The gold surface never wears off like gold plate does. It is truly a piece of jewelry to last a lifetime.

OCTOPUS JEWELRY

I have really enjoyed creating designs using there wonderful lampwork beads by Margo Lampwork. I have sold a number of them, they are quite whimsical and a lot of fun. When I have worn them, I really get noticed! I also make jewelry with fish and lobsters with beads made by Generations Lampwork, those will be in the next few blogs so come back and see! Or you can visit http://www.divelladelights.com/ or http://www.divellasfibers.etsy.com/ and check them out...unless of course they sell before you get there. But I will be posting photos of them here.

These 3 are all different designs. the first is free form peyote stitch and was tons of fun although it does take some planning ahead of time. The second is a crocheted beaded necklace with genuine Pearls and Black Onyx, and finally my usual design weave using a variety of gemstones and Sterling. Check back soon for Chubby the Fish and Larry and Loretta Lobster! They are really cute!

Etsy.com Shopping

These are my latest pieces using those wonderful handmade lampwork beads by Generations Lampwork, you can find them at http://www.generationslampwork.etsy.com/

Cruise around the Etsy site while you are there, they have so many wonderful and truly unusual items ranging from conservative to truly bizarre and it's all handmade. There are many ways to browse there, there are categories and sub-categories; you can even shop by color or geographical location. You can support the arts in your own community by using the " shop locally" button. They really make it very easy to find that special item you have searched long and hard for. Etsy.com has so many talented folks. One word of advise...cheaper does not always give you the best deal BUT sometimes it does. There are some very talented Etsiers who sell their goods as a hobby only to be able to buy more materials so they sell their wares cheaper than someone who depends on the income. They are very good and the quality is wonderful. When shopping for gemstone jewelry keep in mind that there are different grades of gems and this has a lot to do with pricing. For instance, when I first began incorporating gems into my pieces I was purchasing my pearls through a distributor I found on line and the quality was not very good but they were cheap, sometimes $1.00 for a 16 inch strand. I quickly switched to a local distributor who was considerably higher, but so then was the quality. The same was true with gemstones. I sell mostly wholesale now as I have found several fine jewelry stores here in Maine that do very well with my gemstone line. If you visit my site you will notice that I have a blurb on the front page about discounts. This is yet another way prices fluctuate on Etsy. Sometimes local contracting issues can demand prices be set higher on line to those areas served by local shops. I have another shop at http://www.divellasfibers.etsy.com/ where I can sell at wholesale as I have none of these items in jewelry stores.

I have noticed the same bracelets for more than double the prices using the exact same seed beads and no lampwork; they probably have local contracting they have to price for. I have also noticed prices less expensive but the beads look more like craft store beads. It just depends what you are looking for. Please remember that just because someone has prices set higher does NOT mean they are ripping you off. It could just mean that they have little control over the prices they set. Also when talking about lampwork...I use only original handmade lampwork beads by local artisans. They are going to be more expensive than mass produced beads but they are worth considering. I sell my jewelry made with these at table events and fairs and always get a LOT of compliments on the beads. To me they are worth the extra expense. Just make sure they are "kiln annealed" as this process produces a very hard, nearly unbreakable bead. Trust me on this one! I have dropped them on my tile floor and held my breath. I have been fortunate none have broken. One does have to keep in mind they are made of glass and treat them accordingly.

The only other thing this time around as far as Etsy shopping goes is pay attention to the total cost with shipping. Sometimes the shipping is pretty high and sometimes the shipping is free but the item is higher. So, visit Etsy and have a look around. Come back and let me know what you think.

Back in the saddle again

Wow, it has been so long since I was here last. I have been making jewelry but the reason I have not been here in so long is because I got married!

I tried my hand at free form peyote and this underwater scene is my first piece. The lampwork is by http://margolampwork.etsy.com/. She does beautiful work , check her out! This piece was a lot of fun, although it did take me several days to get through. Once the base is finished there are no restrictions and endless possibilities. I have begun another piece using a lampwork bead by http://generationslampwork.etsy.com/. Most of the crocheted bracelets I do are with their beads, although I occasionally buy other handmade beads for the centers as in the photo above. They are raku beads made by someone here in Maine that I purchased at the Beadin Path in Freeport, Maine. You can check out their shop at http://www.beadinpath.com/

I have just ordered some lobster lampwork by Generations and can't wait to get started with those! I live in Maine so anything with lobsters are a hot item on the coast. I have a lot of new things on the design table, even some Fall and Winter pieces...seems early I know but the shops like to have them early!

HANDCRAFTED SHELL and PEARL NECKLACE

I have had my 5 year old twin granddaughters this week which does not give me a lot of time for much of anything. I have managed to get this piece done. It is made with a gorgeous lampwork shell bead by (you guessed it) Generations Lampwork. Surrounding the shell are an abundance of genuine pearls, and lots of Crazy Lace Agate and sterling silver. the earrings have actual shells with pearls and Crazy Lace with all sterling findings. As always you can get more info on this piece and others by clicking on http://www.divelladelights.etsy.com Gotta run, the girls are calling...Graaaaaannnnnnyyyy.

OK so here is the fun little piece I did for the juried show at MPBN. It features 3 handmade lampwork beads by my favorite lampwork artist, Generations Lampwork found at http://www.generationslampwork.etsy.com/ It also has Opalite, Blue Quartz, Pearls, Rose Quartz, Aventurine, and Swarovski crystals. I called it Rendezvous on the Reef. Cute huh? Anyway I am honored to be placed in Gallery 5 in Lewiston, 8 newspapers and on MPBN. I donated the Yellow Jade set as well, a little more conservative and my usual design concept. I had a lot of fun with the fish piece and am glad it is a one of a kind design for them.

Juried Art Show

I MADE IT! One of my pieces was selected by a jury to be included in the MPBN 37th Annual Exhibit to be held at Gallery 5 in Lewiston to be followed by a live auction at Maine Maritime Museum on July 12th. I am very excited and honored to have my work chosen. They called nme toady in Boston to inform me so I cannot post a photo of the piece until Saturday when I return home.

In need of marketing tips

This is another one of those beautiful shells made by Generations Lampwork at http://www.generationslampwork.etsy.com. The remainder of the bracelet is made with pearls, Avenurtine, green Quartz, gold, and Swarovski crystals. This is my signature design and one that I have been quite successful with. The local jewelry store sells them like crazy and has been steady with the sales since I began my account with them last October but I need a few more stores like this one. I enjoy making these although each piece takes me about an hour and a half. I love to do one of a kind items. The jewelry store marketing is a little difficult as they seem to want to have items that can be reordered. I can't or I guess won't make copies. I can use the same gems and other materials but each one comes out different, even if I try. As a result I have not found my niche but will keep trying. I enjoy the process very much and I think that is the important thing. A small sample of my desings can be seen at http://www.divelladelights.etsy.com. I welcome any tips anyone has for marketing!! Please comment.

This is my favorite piece so far. It is made with a beautiful lampwork shell by Generations Lampwork http://www.generationslampwork.etsy.com/ and is the centerpiece around which I designed this piece. I just happened to have pearls to match the lampwork perfectly and the stick pearls really give this a rich, dramatic look. I use a lot of Swarovski crystal in my pieces, I just can't get enough of that wonderful sparkle they have. I used 14K gold filled wire to wrap this piece all up and for the earrings as well. It sold to the local jewelry store 2 hours after it was finished for quite a nice sum. I am really enjoying thsi coastal theme I am doing. I have some fun pieces with octopus, shells and soon to come I have a design idea for some lobsters. I live in Maine so it only makes sense to do something with a lobster. Don't forget to keep an eye on my Etsy site for more designs! http://divelladelights.etsy.com/