Halloween Treats

I live in New England where the leaves are just stunning this time of year. It is also getting colder and if you are taking the wee ones out Trick or Treating for Halloween you will want to bundle up to keep warm.
My hats and scarves make your evening not only quite toasty but fashionable as well! I really like all those new scarflets. They are very warm but don’t hang down and get in the way or come unwrapped like the longer ones.
If you live in a part of the country that is not quite as cold as we are here, the scarflets are great with a sweater as well as under a jacket.
Stay warm and above all safe this Halloween weekend. Have fun with your little goblins and enjoy yourself!
Happy Halloween!

FLAPPER HATS

This new series of hat are fashioned after the vintage Flapper Hats except that they are hand-crocheted. I use a variety of yarn fibers and I have a lot of fun with the flowers. I tried to use patterns for the flowers but always seemed to go astray so now I just start with a chain 4, join to form a ring and go off form there. I figure they must resemble something found in nature somewhere in the world J !
The Flapper hats were very popular in the 1920s when women’s style were at their peak. Feminine and sexy, sophisticated and demure all at the same time.
I have tried to come up with a suitable replica in the crochet and knit mediums. The felted hats of course come the closest but I do love the opne weave of the crochet variety I make. They look great with both the long and short hair styles of this anythign goes style era we are in currently.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I enjoy making them. Stop by www.divelladelights.com and see all the new flapper hats!

Scarflets

These new scarflets are a lot of fun to make in fact I carry these in the car now in place of the sock bag! I use a double strand (or single if the yarn is very thick) of a variety of yarns to make these scarflets and you will find this information in each listing on my webiste at http://www.divelladelights.com/.
There are hand knit and crocheted hats to match most of them and if there is not, I will be happy to make you one! The scarflets are a great alternative for those who want to keep their necks warm but do not like scarf ends hanging down or coming unwrapped.
The new scarflet can be made with acrylic, wool or a blend so if there is something specific you would like, let me know and it will be my pleasure to accommodate you if I can.
I will of course be making more so if your color has not popped up yet, keep checking or e-mail me.

Please keep in mind that the model has a very long neck. The scarflet measures 4.5 to 5.5 inches wide so will cover your entire neck.
So if you are tired of those ends falling down and constantly having to adjust your scarf why not try a scarflet?

Hand Crocheted Hats for $8.00

I took some time out to make some crocheted hats as the weather is changing here in New England. In addition to gemstones, knitting and crocheting is an addiction of mine and one that I enjoy very much. Typically I am in my studio upstairs during the day making jewelry. When my husband gets home I sit with him and knit or crochet while we watch our favorite shows and work on our various projects; he with his wood and me with my yarn.
He will occasionally say to me "Can’t you just sit and relax?" My answer is that knitting and crocheting is very relaxing for me. It is very difficult for me to sit and do nothing; I even have a sock bag so I can knit in the car!
I hope you enjoy the hats and other hand knit and crocheted items I offer as an aside to my jewelry. I love making them! The hats like those pictured here sell for $8.00 n my shop so I think they are very reasonable. I also have some felted bags and other fibre goods in my shop. Cruise on by www.divelladelights.com and take a peek!
My favorite yarn store has a huge sale every January so watch periodically for more hand knit and crocheted hats!

What fits into your family budget?

The family budgets have taken a beating this year and this has left me wondering what I can do for my customers this Holiday season. As I have just lowered my prices to wholesale there is not a lot I can do there. I was thinking though of offering a line of non-gemstone designs. At the moment I use only gemstones and pearls, silver and gold. If I created a line of non gemstone it would be less cost to me and so easier on the family budget while still giving something handmade. But are the genuine stones more important? Also, many of my design are rather complex and very time consuming so perhaps a simpler design overall but still using the gems?

I would be interested in what YOU think. Would you be interested in something without gems or just a more simple design overall? Do you have any design ideas you would like me to work up?
In order to give my customers what they want I am asking for some feedback. Let me know what you are looking for, what is important to you and what price range easily fits in your family budget.

Feel free to post your comment here or in my guest book at www.divelladelights.com

Centipede Bracelets

This design I am working on reminds me of a Centipede. It came about as a result of my woven designs when the local jewelry store requested hat I come up with something a little less expensive this year for the Holiday season. So when I went to photograph my first Caterpillar bracelet I laid it out and it screamed out " I am a Centipede" to me so there you have it. I use hundreds of tiny seed beads and a variety of gemstones and pearls and Swarovski crystals in each of the Centipede bracelets. I also use a heavy-duty stretchy cord and double it so they are very sturdy and at the same time they will fit most women. I can’t say one size fits all because that is never the case from my experience.
Although each Centipede bracelet takes me well over an hour to create, I love doing them. I like the beaded toggle clasps, I feel they give the pieces continuity and they are easy to work with. Oh right, I make those too. The have a wonderful slinky feel to them when you wear them and lots of movement and a little sparkle. The Christmas Centipede has 2 original lampwork beads I purchased from Libelula Designs.
They are very affordable so this year I think every woman needs a Centipede Bracelet!

Social Networking Warning

Social Networking is all the rage now and there is a group for everyone nearest I can figure. I am so new to it that there is still a lot of mystery surrounding it for me. I was invited to my first group, MUIB a few weeks ago and I joined. From there I was invited to a couple more so I joined and so on. OK so, now I feel myself spread a little thin. Although I am new to this aspect of growing my business I can offer one word of advice. Unless you have nothing to do but sit at your computer all day, look around and find just a couple that really meet your needs. Otherwise you could end up like me and find yourself actually neglecting your business just to keep up. Joining a social networking group requires time and energy if done properly. You are there not only to get but also to give.
The idea is to find a group of people with common goals and help each other meet those goals. On the two that I belong to, MUIB and WAHM, there is lot of activity. We have members with a wide variety of expertise specifically geared to work at home moms. Although we work from home, we need to make the most of our time and social networking can be a vauable tool if it is used correctly.
While years ago there were clearly defined lines as to the duties of a woman, the role of woman/mother is now quite convoluted. When I was growing up my mom stayed home, raised 5 kids and sold Tupperware or Sarah Coventry in her "spare" time. Dad was rather old fashioned and successful and no wife of his was going to work outside the home, it looked bad. To him selling Tupper and Sarah wasn’t really working! The point is that things were simpler then, the juggling act was more clearly defined and a family could survive quite well on one income. Now most of us HAVE to work so if we can work at home and put food on the table or oil in the tank that is a wonderful thing.
That is where the social networking helps. Sometime between all the other responsibilities in their lives, these women find the time to help each work out all the complexities of owning their own business while still being the primary caregiver to their family. There is such a medley of talents to draw from and contribute to. We have women in affiliate marketing, communications, artists and artisans, direct sales, and the list goes on. If you are under the impression that social networking is all about gossip you could not be more wrong, There is a lot of work going on!
Social networking is not all about business. There are sites out there for just about everything. There is even a site for Navy Moms; I had to join that one! Talking to women about the worries and woes of having a child in the Navy is a wonderful support system. The same idea really, I feel a responsibility to participate although not on a daily basis. Happy social networking!

Victorian and Renaissance Jewelry

Willie crossed my mind today. She was one of the first ladies I "met" on Etsy in August of 2007 and the first and only jewelry purchase I made on Etsy. I make jewelry but there are times when I want something different. Willie’s designs are reminiscent of the Victorian and Renaissance eras and are both ultra feminine and graceful.
In her shop you will find an "Angels in the Parlour" category where Willie uses 100% of the proceeds to purchase supplies for her program. In addition to teaching at the hospital she holds informal jewelry-making "classes" in her home, and no patient is ever asked to pay any dues or fees.
Please go by her shop and read her profile, she is an amazing woman. She gives so selflessly of herself and her talents. You can find Willie at www.morningglorydesigns.etsy.com/. MorningGloryDesigns.etsy.com and you can see some of her designs featured at www.accessoriessusan.com/

Bracelet or Necklace?

I need your help!
If you have a minute and can shoot off an answer to the 2 questions below it would help me a great deal!
When I first began making gemstone jewelry I made everything in complete sets and found out quickly that most women or either necklace or bracelet people. Which one are you? For me, it kind of depends on the season. Summers I tend to wear necklaces shorter, around choker length whereas in the fall and winter I want something to go over my beloved turtlenecks so need something a little longer. Funny, now that I think about it I tend to wear bracelets more in the summer too. Well before I get off track and start rambling here are the questions for today:
1) Do you wear more bracelets or necklaces or do you wear both equally?
2) If you wear necklaces what length do you like?
Thank you so much for your input! There will be more questions in the following days and then I have a special surprise gift for one of you!

FREE GEMSTONE JEWELRY

CONTEST

The Gemstone Twist is one of my new designs, you can read more about that in the previous post. The person with the most referrals to my website wins one of my new designs with matching earrings similar to the one pictured here. They are all made with genuine gems, pearls, sterling, etc...

This is how it works:
Simply refer friends to my website, have them sign the guest book and put your name in the comment section, very easy! If the person you refer also enters their e-mail address you will get 2 points. If they make a purchase you receive an additional 2 points and they will be entered into the contest with 2 points. On November 20th the person with the most points wins! In the event of a tie there will be a drawing to determine the winner.

If you enter the contest be sure you include your e-mail in the guestbook as I will contact the winner via e-mail for shipping information.
I will also donate 10% of the total sales from the website in November to the winner’s favorite charity in their name!
Family members of Divella Delights are not eligible for participation.

Any questions?! Let's get started!
Go to http://www.divelladelights.com/ start referring your friends!

Gemstone Chunky Jewelry, New Designs

I have been busy! The local jewelry store I wholesale to has suggested that this year is going to be a low cost buying season and asked me to come up with something less costly than my usual design. I came up with these 3 strand gemstone necklaces that can be worn as 3 strands for a more classic look or you can simply give them a twist for a more modern, chunky look. They look really great over a turtleneck but I prefer he way they feel on bare skin. they are available on my website at http://www.divelladelights.com/ for a short time at the wholesale price. The price depends on the gemstones used. I do have photos on the website of all the necklaces on a mannequin worn in both fashions. I have agreed to raise the prices to retail once I fill her orders so get them while you can! I am also running a coupon at 15% off until 10/15/08. Simply go to the website and click on the grand opening link at the top of the main page. Enter the code gopen08 and the prices will drop automatically. There are earrings to match available in the earrings section and you can use the coupon on nearly everything!

Who buys Handmade goods?

We have great products we make by hand in our small studios, mostly located in our own homes. We keep expenses down, our quality high. Most of us do not want to be famous or discovered, we just want to put food on the table and oil in the tank and buy more materials. We are not only willing but we insist on our customer knowing who we are and we stand by our products. We who design and produce our products here in the USA care if our customers come back! It is one of the most essential concerns we have!
I have a wholesale account here in Maine at a "fine" jewelry store. You know the kind...they sell diamond engagement rings, rubies and on down the list. The gal that works there is in charge of buying the handmade merchandise. So they have all that stuff made elsewhere and do you know that for a solid month over the summer the ONLY stuff that sold was handmade in New England? In fact, made right down the street. You would like to have that shorter? No problem and you want more bling on the earrings, happy to do it. Or perhaps you want something in those stones but less dramatic, more dramatic...glad to oblige!
So why is it so hard to get our stuff out there? Why is it that although everyone complains about our economic situation, people rush out in masses to big box stores and support the overseas economy rather than bolster the economy in their own neighborhood?

Have the site, now what?!

In addition to the design being right I was most afraid of the cost. I have been quoted thousands just to design the site, never mind keep it up and running. With Artisans Accomplice I pay $20.00 per month for everything. I am going to go to the yearly plan of $192.00, I just wanted to make sure this was going to work first. The total expense to design, build, get the domain away from the other guys, and get the site up and running was $35.00 and included my first month. Now I don’t know about you but I can’t see paying thousands of dollars to someone to give me what I have for $20. The support I received is wonderful and they don’t make me feel like the computer idiot that I am! With those other guys I would ask a question or ask for help and IF I heard from them at all they would just repeat themselves over and over. My time is valuable to me and another thing I love about Artisans is that they value my time as well.
Now that I have been up and running for a couple of weeks, love what I have with these guys the next step is to figure out how to get people to my site.

Websites, Webhosting and Photography, Part 2

So now it was time to find someone to do it for me. When I started getting quotes on what the design would cost I was astonished! I am a (very) small business here in Waterville, Maine. My studio is in the refinished attic of my home. I don’t have thousands of dollars to put into a website.
My daughter lives in Massachusetts and I go down there fairly often. I have a favorite coffee shop down there, Bohemian Coffeehouse in Melrose. If you happen by there, tell Hillary I said hello! Anyway so I was in the coffee shop one day talking to Hillary and sipping a wonderful triple latte and she introduced me to a really nice guy that owns one of the biggest bead stores in New England. The Bead Gallery http://www.beadgalleryinc.com/
Come to find out he is also the owner of Artisans Accomplice, a designer of websites geared to the needs of artisans. I still looked around for another 6 months or so. What a waste of time and probably money! The folks at Artisans Accomplice ROCK. I told them what I wanted, simplicity, colors palette, etc and they put the whole thing together for me. They wrestled my domain away from a large company that I had it registered with. They handled setting up the shopping cart. The list goes on. Most importantly to me, someone who is computer inept, is that I can manage everything on my own! This would include photos, blog, coupons and sales, editing pages and I can even decipher the very detailed Reports page to see who is coming to shop from where! Amazing!! I tell you I am really a beginner when it comes to this stuff and I can do it. In the event I have questions they are just minutes away. Now really, I mean support is available free within minutes…not hours or days or how about never as was the case with 2 webhosting companies I tried. OK so enough about the wonders of Artisans Accomplice, Suffice to say to that if you are looking to open your own website you should check them out. Part 2 complete, I found someone to do it for me. Now, the cost…

Websites, Webhosting and Photography, OH MY

Do you want your own website? Are you confused about what came first the chicken or the egg? Me too!! It took me a year of digging so here are the steps I took to be able to open my own store cheap but with all the features I needed.
I have been designing and producing jewelry and fiber products for a few years now and had a shop on Etsy.com. That experience gave me the opportunity to break into the Internet marketing plane, something I was a little shy about for a while. I had some wholesale accounts but wanted to make this a full item occupation rather than burning the midnight oil in addition to a full time job. So I opened a little shop there. It took me 2 years to get up the courage to plunge into my own website. I am pretty much computer hostile so it took me some time to see that it might just have some benefits. I am science minded and have to analyze everything so first of course I had to do some research.
First I had to have the thing designed. I looked at other sites and came to a decision on the basic design I wanted. Something simple, not garish or trendy and I knew I did NOT want anything to dance or sing on my pages. My taste in music is not for everyone and I have left many sites because of the music or some dancing woman, flashing stuff, glitter all that stuff distracts me and makes me dizzy. I am 50, not 12; this is jewelry not dolls; so I don’t want cartoons on my pages. I love earth tones, despise neon, etc… So I had the basic concept, what next?
The next logical step is to find someone to do it for me because although I said I was computer hostile, I am really just inept! So I had to find someone to do it for me…

Fall Specials from Maine

There are lots of new and exciting works by Maine Artisans and you can get a glimpse at Etsy.com When you get there put in Mainefall in the search bar. The items pictured here are from 4 different artisans and do little to represent the variety of works you can peruse. There are clothing items, paintings, jewelry, dolls, toys, children's wear, ceramics and there are even items for your pet! So go to http://www.etsy.com/ and type in mainefall in the search bar. For even more of a treat you can type in Maineteam to so what they are all up to!

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.