Sterling Silver and Glass

Once again, Artbeads.com has been wonderful by providing some awesome sterling silver components and glass beads to try. I selected a range of beads and silver components including silver leaf charms, Venetian glass beads, Czech glass bricks, Bali sterling pendants, and sterling silver links. See below what I picked out!

I've been in quite an earring mood lately, so most of the jewelry I have created with these items were made into earrings. The pair on the left was made with very fine sterling silver chain, glass flower beads, and a 4mm Swarovski bicone. The pair on the right was made with Venetian glass beads, sterling silver flower bead caps, and aquamarine Swarovski crystal beads.


These simple earrings make use of Czech glass bricks, brown tone fire polished beads, and copper findings. The beads have a really nice earthy, vintage feel to them.


These sterling and swarovski earrings have really cool links. I've dressed up the copper leaf earrings by adding a large jumpring. The back side of the leaf beads is a copper finish, that really looks neat in sunlight.


I also made several simple necklaces using a sterling silver leaf pendant and crystal, and a really neat Bali sterling silver pendant paired with a gemstone teardrop.


There's your inspiration, now head on over to Artbeads and see what awesome beads and supplies they have! To sweeten the deal, I have a code for 10% off your entire purchase: SCF10P-ARTBEADS-0424 (expires 12/31/09).

If you're interested to see what I've made with Swarovski crystal from Artbeads, check out my previous post.

Please note that I have received the products free of charge from Artbeads.com and that I am honestly reviewing the products and have not been paid to do so.

New Listings!

I promise...I do still have a blog! I've just graduated from RIT with a degree in chemistry, while working 2 part time jobs, running my Etsy shop, and doing craft shows every weekend. Unfortunately, blogging was at the back of my mind through all of that!

Now I'm working part-time until I go to graduate school. I would like do do research on organic photo voltaic devices (solar cells). I'll spare you the gory detail :) This leaves me a lot more time to do things like blog and craft. Yay!


This is one the newest additions to my line of circuit jewelry. It is all sterling silver, including the chain, so it has a very feminine, delicate feel. There's still time to ship for the holidays too.




Soon, I'll be sharing my awesome Artbeads finds and what I've made with their sterling silver and glasss beads and components.

Chemical Kinetics!

I had to make a video that had to do with kinetics for my class. Seriously, that was the only criteria. Click here to watch it!

I went for the good old neon food coloring to make it :) We tried using fluorescent polymers too but those were done in the dark with the exception of the UV lamp so it didn't come out as well. There's an introduction done by my research adviser, who happens to be British. It added some much needed humor :)

Homecoming Event!

This comes right from the Etsy Twitter Blog! Check out the great recipes and awesome sales!

Fall air as crisp as a freshly picked apple, blue skies, the boom blat of the band, and of course, legions of fans all awaiting the big game- what could be more fun in the fall than Homecoming?

For our friends in other parts of the world, a little information on Homecoming is probably in order!

Homecoming is an annual tradition in the United States. The Universities of Missouri is often given the credit for establishing this tradition as far back as 1891, and it has evolved ever since.

People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents and alumni. It is usually built around a central event, such as a banquet, and a game of American football or, occasionally basketball. Activities vary widely among schools, but usually consist of a football game played on the school's football field, activities and dances for students and alumni, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen and King.

So come join us on the gridiron for a little tailgating party with drinks and great food, then dance the night away with specials and goodies designed to finish Homecoming in style.

For those who like their drinks with a little style, this Tailgate Mimosa is just the ticket:

Prep Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:·

• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 3 oz Champagne
• 1 oz Chambord Liqueur
• * If you are at a tailgate, just eyeball it!*

Preparation:
Pour Chambord and Orange Juice into a tall flute. Add Champange. Add a rasberry or strawberry for garnish and enjoy!!!

and for an awesome tailgate appetizer, this dip will have your guests preferring food to football ;)

GUINNESS AND CHEDDAR DIP

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 ounces Guinness stout
• 6 ounces grated sharp Cheddar
• 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Assorted crackers and crudités

Preparation

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a food processor and let cool.Add Guinness, cheeses, caraway and paprika to food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crackers and crudités.

Serves 8


Everyone can wrap up warmly for the game and still look good with these:


Jaybird Designs
15% off all custom orders, 10/8 - 10/11 with code "Go Team" in message to seller at checkout.


But there's more to Homecoming than good food and football! There's a dance to prepare for, and a chilly night to think about as you party with friends after winning (hopefully!) the game. Ditch your varsity jackets at the door, and wrap yourself up in elegant hand-knits so soft you'll want to keep them on all night long.

Foxy G Knits

HandmadebySandi

Mindy G Jewelry Boutique
Free Matching Pair of Pink Swarovski earrings the purchase of this bracelet. Use "Homecoming" in message to seller at checkout.

My Sassy Glass

Smutopia Jewelry

Southpaw Studios

Funky, cool and casual? Then guitar string bracelets, chunky natural stones or carefree flip flops may strike just the right note:

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

Free Journal with any purchase of $25 or more. All journals are handbound, hardback and perfect for notes, phone numbers, and appointments! Just ask for it when you check out.

HandmadebySandi

Show off your natural goddess away from the gridiron with these feminine pieces, from Linda B 142 Jewelry

Or, for those who love their jewelry "green" as well as truly unique, try an upcycled circuit board pendant that will get you compliments long after the dance is over:

Beadwork By Amanda

Get 5$ off any $20 order (not including shipping ). Use HOMECOMING in msg to seller at checkout. Discount refunded via Paypal.

And creating a special scrapbook of the day's festivities is a perfect way to remember it:

Scrap With Style

20% off on everything in the shop 10/8 - 10/11 with coupon code HOMECOMING in msg to seller. Shipping fees not included. Refund made via Paypal after purchase.

More to come tomorrow, with great main dish recipes, some Homecoming trivia and more fabulous finds from the Etsy Twitter Team, so be sure and check back!

Kristen

Life in General

I have been so busy! I'm a full time student, taking my last quarter of classes before graduating in November with a bachelors in chemistry. I'm also working at Xerox on a research project, and I'm working for my research adviser at school, plus I'm running my Etsy shop and doing craft shows! I'm signed up to do craft shows for the next 4 weekends in a row. Crazy! I know :)

I just brought my plants inside the other day for fear that I would forget to bring them in before a frost. To my surprise, one of them was flowering! Any guesses as to what plant it is?



A bug was also the source of my amusement. He was just sitting on a stop sign post.


The Etsy Twitter Team will be having a homecoming event October 8-11. I'll be running a special deal so if you want in on the sweet sale, check out the BLOG.

Swarovski Crystal

Who doesn't love a healthy dose of Swarovski crystal?! Artbeads has tons of beautiful, sparkly beads and components to choose from. I got a whole bunch of different beads to give them a try. I really like the crystal rivolis because they have so much depth and dimension. The funky polygon shape in padparadscha is also really neat!



Here's what I've made with the Rivolis and a little bit of bead weaving with size 11 and size 15 seed beads:

I had a lot of fun incorporating Swarovski Crystal bicones into bead woven bracelets. The wavy lime bracelet is inspired from a bracelet in the most recent Bead and Button magazine, and has lime crystals in the center. The deep blue bracelet makes use of dark sapphire bicone crystals.



Check back here in a week or so and I'll show you what I've done with some more of the Swarovski Beads that I have, and to get some inspiration!

School Supplies

As mentioned in a previous blog post, I promised to use 10% of my sales during the Etsy Twitter Team back to school sale to purchase school supplies to donate. Although the sale is not yet over, I've purchased many of the supplies already. I followed a lot of the ads to make sure I could get the most supplies for the money. I purchased 2 backpacks, a scientific calculator, and bunches of protractors, rulers, pencils, pens, paper, folders, binders, highlighters, notebooks, and erasers. I also purchased a bunch of supplies for the artsy kids including crayons, colored pencils, markers, scissors, glue, and sharpies. I was rocking the free after rebate deals, the penny deals, the nickel deals, and the plain ol' freebie deals! I still have a little bit more that I have to purchase, but what I do have covers my entire dining room table!

Busy Bee!

I've finally made enough pendants to fill my shop to normal capacity again! Here's a cool collage of all the goodies that are now available (or soon to be available) in my shop! Notice I've added some cuff links to the mix so your geeky guy can get his geek on!

Oh, and don't forget to get them now while they are 15% off (use code "back to school" at checkout)!

Back to School Blitz!

The Etsy Twitter Team is having a Back to School Blitz! I am offering 15% off my items. When you check out, write "back to school" in the message to seller box. Pay as usual. When I receive your order, I will send a refund for 15% of your purchase. I'll also be keeping track of my sales for the 2 weeks so that 10% of that can be used to buy school supplies for children in need. I've already begun to collect school supplies to donate to Staples by filling an entire box! I mean, a whole box! I've gotten over 50 folders, packs of filler paper, 66 zillion pens (yes, zillion :P), 6 protractors, a really cool scientific calculator (I love rebates!), crayons, glue, scissors, and colored pencils for the artsy kids, and a lot of notebooks. I've made it kind of a challenge for myself to see how much I can get with a small budget by following the sales. Check back on September 8 to see all of the goodies I will be donating! Also take a look at the Etsy Twitter Blog to see what other sales are going on as part of this event!

I'll be returning to school September 7 too (Yes,I'll be at school on labor day)! It will be my last quarter (10 weeks + finals week) before I graduate with a bachelors in chemistry! Soon, I'll be looking around at colleges to apply to for graduate school. Sometime during the back to school event, I'll be putting together a post for the Etsy Twitter team about applying to college and what to expect in college. Keep an eye out if you are a teen or a parent because I'll have the honest look at all of that (I'm not being paid by a college, lol) as well as helpful advice about anything I can think of that will help nervous teens and parents.

Return of the Tomatoes!

In an earlier post(<-- click to see!), I showed photos of my tomato and pepper plants. That was about 6 weeks ago. Now look at them! They are GIGANTIC! I measured, from the soil level, them to be just over 5 feet tall. I had to bring out ye olde closet rod since it was the only thing long (too long actually) enough to hold up the plants.
My peppers are coming along nicely too. They are about the size of my fist right now. I'm interested to see what color they turn since I bought a seed pack that had green, red, orange, purple, and white peppers in the mix.

Out of the ten or so cosmos seeds I planted, two of them actually sprouted. One finally bloomed and it's a cheery orange color!

Last, but not least, my petunias are going nuts as well and there are purple and white blooms everywhere! I thought my hibiscus would have bloomed by now, but there is a bud ready to pop in about a week.

Etsy is Awesome!

I had Beth of BPR Designs make a custom soap dish for me. The package arrived today and it was awesome! The soap dish is absolutely beautiful (and didn't sit without soap for long).

The package came with a really cute glass dragonfly magnet. Can you tell I love lime green?


Even more goodies were tucked inside with samples of soap from Lost River Rags and Candle Lights. You should check both shops out!

Welcome to Miami

A couple of weeks ago, I flew down to Florida (from Central NY) to visit my boyfriend's cousins (and do some sightseeing). It's been more than 12 years since I've been to Florida, so it was basically all new to me! We stayed in Pompano beach and drove to Orlando, Miami, Key Biscayne, and Key West. I had great fun with my new camera since it can take under water photos (those are coming...)! Here are a few from driving through Miami.


Really cool building!


This one was really cool just because it looks like it's wrapped in a rainbow!


I was having fun with some longer exposures...


This has nothing to do with Miami, but I thought it looked cool! After being on vacation, I had a bunch of Resin Kits to send out!

Bridal Jewelry

A local woman called me last Monday when I was on my way to Key West. That's a whole other story, but she needed jewelry for 5 bridesmaids and 2 flower girls by this Friday! I came up with a design in "pool" and "butter," express ordered beads, made an emergency run to a local bead store, made them, and packaged them.

It was quite fun to work with so much crystal! Everything was done with Swarovski crystal and sterling silver, with the exception of the one gold filled set. I had fun designing the packaging with the wedding colors in mind. (Names have been blurred to protect the innocent!) (I have to give credit for the idea to UnderGlass's beautiful packaging.)
I can't wait for the day that I can design my bridesmaids jewelry!