Want to know how to make a pretty princess choker?

Well, take a look at my new tutorial:
http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/princess-choker-a-how-to/7845698

Only $5!!!

It takes you from tools and supplies (obviously) to make your choker in two parts. Each step is explained very well with over 60 pictures to aid in your own attempt.

This 'How To' is a wonderful project for jewelry makers, whether you're just beginning or you've got a decent amount of skill under your belt.

Check out the preview before purchase for the list of tools and supplies.

Thanks for your interest!

Finding Bliss

Finding Bliss, originally uploaded by NymphDuPave.

I had been wanting to make a spiritual piece for a while, but it was just so overwhelming looking at all the beads I had and wanting to just... well, make EVERYTHING.

So, I sat down with my moleskine sketch journal (where I come up with product ideas) and I wrote down everything I wanted to portray with the piece of jewelry. Among other things was protection, a reminder to be present and also one to Embrace your life and the people within it. Look here for the full description.

It's one of my better pieces, that's for sure.

Mother Goddess/Eternal Woman Charm Bracelet

Goddess/Eternal Woman, originally uploaded by NymphDuPave.

After the last charm bracelet I made (see previous post) I was in a charm bracelet making mood :) See better pictures of this item here.

"A mother goddess is a term used to refer to any goddess associated with motherhood, fertility, creation or the bountiful embodiment of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother." - Wikipedia

Coming from an eclectic religious background, the female side of life has always had this (Goddess Figure) same visual representation in my mind.

I love how this charm bracelet came out. It works for me :) And hopefully for others too.

Etsy Descrip: Wearing this charm bracelet embodies any or all of the following: female essence, abundance of love, motherhood/fertility, creation, the bounty of our Earth.

The Pewter Goddess figure with the spiral belly is surrounded by other charms including a green, glass leaf, a silver leaf, a clear glass bead and a green tourmaline chip.

Measuring at 7 inches (7 and 1/2 inches with the clasp) this charm bracelet has a good weight to it.

More New Stuff

More New Stuff, originally uploaded by NymphDuPave.

Everyone needs a little luck, right? And I love the moon and stars and, well, really night in general.

So I went out looking to make a certain kind of charm bracelet. Kinda dark but lucky. I love what I ended up with :D

Finishing I noticed I had a few beads left over so I found some flat, black seed beads and whipped up some slender, complementary earrings.

Hemp Dragon Choker

Hemp Dragon Choker, originally uploaded by NymphDuPave.

I love dragons!! I really do :)

I have a bunch of pendants, but this one caught my eye and held it for the longest. I just HAD to make something with it.

If you like hemp and dragons check out the necklace on Etsy and if you want comment here and let me know what you like or what I could do different.

Thanks!!

Bad drawing but it feels good to be designing again.

Bad drawing but it feels good, originally uploaded by NymphDuPave.

Once I have most of the design down for this particular piece I'll start work on it. I don't wait until I have every detail out, nor do I stick strictly to what I've drawn. I like the organic shift between what you've pieced together in concept and what you're putting together in hand.

This was just a REALLY rough, quick start to sketching it out but I felt like posting part of the process that I go through. When I have the final piece together I'll post what the design looked like and what the piece ended up as.

I get my ideas from all over (movies, celebrities, neighbors, household items, other jewelry) and then I run to my little self-customized reporter moleskine and I start working on the design.

Leaf Pendant on Hemp Necklace

Leaf Pendant on Hemp Necklace, originally uploaded by NymphDuPave.

After I'd taken some time away from making jewelry I came back with new designs in mind and hemp was on the forefront.

I was going through all the available pendants and found this glass leaf in a gorgeous green. It went so well with the brown of the hemp that I just had to make it right away.

I love feeling that drive, that inspiration. It's a simple necklace but not everything has to be ornate.

Saraswati Choker

Saraswati Choker
Originally uploaded by NymphDuPave

Outtake from this necklace's shoot.

Trying to get back into making jewelry after such a long hiatus.

So starting with things that move me. I think I'll continue this route :)

Working

I'm working on some inexpensive dreadie cuffs for the Etsy site.

I am hoping these will be anywhere from $5 to $15 and they will definitely maintain the quality of work that I strive for.

I'll post when they go up :)

Winter in the Spring

Uploaded this beautiful dreadlock sleeve on Etsy today. It's called lavender in the snow and I love the way the colors complement each other. It's gorgeous tones glitter in the light and really are a unique combo.


Hope you like!! Look at the colors in this close up, look how the rich that purple is. It's more of an eggplant, sure, but have you ever seen lavender in the snow? It darkens and REALLY stands out.

Let me know what you think.

I LOVE the Ocean

Ocean Chaos Dreadlock Cuff or Sleeve.



This one is a special piece to me. I love, love, love the mysteries of the ocean. The colors of the sea, the rocks, the wildlife. I love the idea of the treasures, both human and earthly ones. When found a very old piece of jewelry that was falling apart I saw in it the colors of the ocean (in these beads). I bought this old piece and took it apart.

I was SOOOOO THRILLED! The pieces were multi-colored. The beauty of these beads glittering in my hands had such a strong effect on me. I just had to make a cuff. I couldn't imagine these shimmering colors anywhere but highlighting someone's hair.

They also came in various sizes and I couldn't be more thrilled at the funky way the shapes fit with each other. Look at how they sit together. That's why I have called the piece Ocean Chaos, because there is nothing about the piece or the ocean that is uniform.

The white (like seafoam) draws your attention to the piece and really helps the blue pop.

I hope you like the piece :)

Secret Garden Dreadlock Cuff/Sleeve Redux

Okay, so when I went out to AC Moores I had a specific theme in mind. I wanted to represent The Secret Garden in hair accessories. So I looked up a few pictures and settled on this idea:

The whimsy of this image. With the color scheme of this image.

So I printed off the two images and took them with me. There were a lot of different colors but I liked the idea of keeping the 'garden' between the borders, as if hidden. The colors of the outside borders are calm, cool earthy tones. The cream represents the brick wall - I always saw it as a white wall in my mind - covered with ivy. The colors on the inside are vibrant and change in the sun, representing the flowers behind the gate.

I am really proud of this cuff. It's one of my faves!

Reinstated Cuff

We are creators and we cannot survive without making things. Not and be happy too.

:)

I love this cozy little dread cuff. I missed creating and found that some of my older cuff listings on Esty.com had expired.

So here is one of them.

This is what I love doing, creating and having people wear or otherwise love my stuff.

This one had me thinking creatively. What did I want to create? What new pattern? Then I thought of things I love. Patchwork skirts, quilts and hippie style.

BAM! A quilt for lovely dreadies.

It was inspiring.

Oh my gosh!

I've been moving, sorry! But do not fear, Comcast came here :) So I have internet once again.

Somber Earth - New Dreadlock Cuff Up at Etsy

So there's my newest cuff. I had fun with this piece, I always do with the bigger beads. They're so fast and when you're done you really feel accomplished. It doesn't take as long and you've got a nice, chunky piece for someone's lovely dreads.

I just have a pair of dreadlock cuffs to put up before I move onto the necklaces and earrings. I am even working on Valentine's Day already. Not to sure what people would want for Christmas.



I am also thinking about having a month-long sale in the shop for Christmas, decrease prices or give away some merchandise. I'm just not sure how to go about it just yet.

Look at those beads!! Look at the sun shining through the little bubbles and imperfections. Wow. It almost looks like there is glitter on the inside. So pretty!

I was thinking about doing a peyote stitch bracelet to match this. Hmmmmm...

Newest Dreadlock Cuff/Sleeve Up

Newest Dreadlock Cuff. I posted it to Flickr as well as Etsy. I love making these cuffs. I find such peace of mind and an inner stillness. It's what so many people teach about in Buddhism and some people find it with yoga or building houses or running. I know I love doing beadwork because that's one of the places I find the inner stillness.


Look at the way the sun shines through those green beads! Wow! That just makes me so very happy, just to see that glow. And it makes me want some green apple candy. How about you?

The olive and cream go together so marvelously. I think all the colors complement not only each other but the film (and book) from which the inspiration to make this came. I remember when I was little watching that little girl find that secret door. The mystery of it fascinated me. I tried to make this little cuff like a mysterious treasure, a pretty little hair jewel. Hope I did a good job!

Keep a Journal of Ideas

Something I have learned is to keep a small journal, easy to write in that fits anywhere when it comes to my jewelry. I prefer a Moleskine reporter with plain paper (not ruled because I do sketches). They also have pockets in the back which is great for delivery confirmation receipts or the receipts for beads or items purchased for making jewelry. The elastic band keeps them closed even with extra stuff inside and the tough exterior of the Moleskine keeps your work protected.

Keep a good, water-proof, feather-proof pen with reliable ink and a strong cap with this journal. I like Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pens because they've never feathered, leaked or dried out on me and you can buy them individually. I prefer the smallest sized nib for the detailed work I do. But even a Bic ballpoint will do.

This journal should be completely portable and you might want to keep it in a ziplock bag. The LAST thing you want is all your ideas and inspiration to stained or ruined because of food, coffee, soda or rain.

Creating a Professional Looking Package

This was my first attempt at making my packaging look more professional.

So all of my creations go out in packaging that looks like this.

I try to create something pretty & professional but with little cost. People LOVE the way their jewelry comes to them and they can even reuse what I sent them - then you get props for being Green and Eco Friendly.

I picked up the bags - black and white - and little cream boxes at Walmart in the section for wedding favors on sale $7 for 50 boxes, $3 for 50 bags. Talk about saving a bundle! You can find savings anywhere though; eBay's awesome for this.

I already had the little $11 stamp (comes with two cases of letters; more than enough) and just fashioned the words to fit closely together. Hint: when you're done with one label, use a little Dawn dishwashing soap and the ink (no matter how old) will come right off!! This saves you the cost of replacing the little letters which of course if they no longer make your stamp - they don't make mine - then you'll end up buying a whole new one.

When you're putting information on labels make sure the most pertinent information was on the labels. Your company name should stand out.

The labels I also picked up for a steal - $15 at Pearls for 1000. The little labels are very smooth and well cut around the edges with little strings to attach them to the bags.

Always be on the lookout for deals and KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS FOR EVERYTHING!

Selling Handmade Jewelry

It sure isn't easy! I've had a few sales so far but I am definitely not rolling in dough!

If you're interested in checking out my shop click here or go to Etsy.com and just enter my username, Clexbaby.

(If you join mention my username as the referral :) Not sure that I really get anything but they like to keep track of those things.)

Another place you can check out that has a little touch of me is my personal account over at the wonderful Flickr.com.