Pay It Forwad - Handmade!

So I signed up for a creative challenge from my Creative Outlet, (Mel).

Basically, the idea is to share a surprise with three people that leaves comments on the post. Those three people, the first three that comment, will receive a handmade gift from me through the mail within the next year (365 days.) You won't know when it is coming...

Here's what you need to do:
1. Leave a comment that includes your name, email address, and either blog address or Facebook address. (You may need to add me as a friend so I can see your page.)
2. Pay it forward by doing the same for three people through your own blog or facebook page.

Here is what I will do; I will confirm that you, my three commenters have met the requirements, above and then contact you via email to get your snail mail address, color preferences, and other info to help me make you something personal and special.

This is going to be a blast, and the only string attached is that you also pay-it-forward, (do something special for another three people).

*love*
Andrea

Jewelry Show, PaaschEPottery, and MORE!

One of my prints! -->

Well, another weekend has come and gone, and this one a HOLIDAY weekend for us in the USA! It was the 4th of July! Friends, family, could it get any better??? The BEST part was when one of our fireworks exploded ON THE GROUND. The pipe holding it just, well, blew up! I didn't manage to get any pictures of that happening, unfortunately. What a sight! The guys ran from it like their butts were on fire! (Maybe their butts WERE on fire! Who knows?!).

I just listed about 20 new Mother-of-Pearl rings in my ArtFire shop! And remember, I'm running a Christmas in July sale, (15% off everything!), until July 31st!

Up next are Mother-of-Pearl hair bobs with Swarovski crystal centers. If I'm ambitious, I'll do that this morning! *grins*

I really should make more hair flowers, too... and I need to make bracelets for my upcoming JEWELRY SHOW this Saturday, July 9th! (It starts at noon! Be here or be square!). As per usual, I will be discounting everything at my show. Plus, free gift with every purchase!!!

How's that for incentive??? Wootz!

Another ArtFire seller by the name of Paasch E Pottery is also running a FABULOUS sale. 25% off all items in her shop. And MAN, does she make some STUNNING pottery-ware. Here's a link to her blog if you, too, want to enter this contest of blogging, promoting, and sharing her fabu sale! Personally, I could resist the chance of winning one of her great mugs! (I NEED A NEW COFFEE MUG, darnit!)

Don't forget to follow me on twitter, facebook or visit my artfire shop!

Upcoming Jewelry Show!

Moe in the bathroom sink --->

Yes, Moe is one of our cats! We found her sleeping in the bathroom sink a few days ago, and this was the result of my picture taking. *grins*

Isn't she just adorable???

UPCOMING JEWELRY SHOW!
This show is going to be a little different from the others, as I'm actually going to provide refreshments. Wootz! Soda, cheese and crackers, and maybe finger sandwiches, (sammiches). Should be delightful!

The show is scheduled for Saturday, July 9th, starting at NOON. There is no set end-time, but before midnight would be preferable. *winks*

It is taking place at my home at 205 Avon Street, La Crosse, WI 54603. Bring your friends!

We are DOWNSTAIRS, on the left side of the building. It's a white house with a huge picture window. *grins*

Refreshments + jewelry = great times!

As per usual, I will be around to answer any questions you might have, and to take custom orders!

If you can't make it, don't fret- I've got over 350 items in my artfire shop!

You can also find my jewelry at The New U in Onalaska, WI.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZenithJade
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations

Busy!!!

So we've, (Eric and I), been very busy settling in to our new place! It's so exciting to move into a new apartment. I feel like I've been in West Salem forever. It feels surreal, or like a dream. I just hope I never awaken! ;)

<--- A daffodil I photographed this Spring, (March 2011).

So, with settling in comes the merging of two relatively complete households. That's always an adventure! Plus, the merging of CATS! *falls over* So far, so good, (MOSTLY!).

There have been some small kitty frays, but nothing too horribly serious. Although I AM looking for a new home for LuLu. She would be so much happier as an "ONLY" kitty. :(

Crabbi being cute! --->

At any rate, I have four new "collection" pieces up... only named "the red, pink and green collection". Three of the available necklaces are really SETS- earrings & a necklace. One is a lonely choker, no earrings. ;) The mysterious fifth piece of this set has already sold! And man, was it a beauty! (Not to say that the rest of them aren't, but it *was* my personal favorite!). You can view the collection by visiting my artfire shop by clicking here, or copying and pasting this link into your browser's url bar: http://ZenithJade.artfire.com/ .

I think you'll really enjoy seeing this new collection from yours truly!

I've also been invited to attend the Boston Fashion Show/Week in Boston... for a fee. Darn those fees! *shakes fist* And it costs a pretty penny, too. Oh well, maybe next year!

Don't forget I'm on twitter at http://twitter.com/ZenithJade and facebook at http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations . :D

MOVING DAY!

So I took time out today to take some flower pictures. :) And man, did they turn out great! LOTS of tulips, (YUMMY), bleeding hearts, a dandelion, and more. You can view them on my ZJC Business facebook page here, (click!).

Packing is pretty much done, thank goodness. But here's a picture of all the boxes and tubs! I have more beads and craft supplies that is humanely necessary! The fish bowl is my ROCK collection. There are some pretty cool rocks in there, if I may say so myself. :)

Eric, my BF, called the net/tv/phone services today, and we should be all set up next Tuesday for service, which is great. I called the electric company on Monday, and had them turn on the electric for this week, which was good, because Eric has been slowly moving his stuff into our new apartment already! (He only lives a few blocks away from OUR new place!).

I am sooooooo stoked! It should be grand!

I'm getting a TON of help from friends and family to move. Bless their hearts! It might have helped that I'm bribing them with pizza and beer. LOL!

Random picture of Crabbi, my miraculous kitty! Isn't she cute all curled up?

Business news: my spectacular 50% off sale is lasting until tonight, so if you want to cash in on this, NOW IS THE TIME! *winks*

Happy shopping, and wish me luck!

Well, well!

This time it isn't titled, "and more". *laughs*

I'm getting ready to move, and my beadboard looks so lonely without all of the beads on it. :( The good news is that I'm moving the 28th of May, into a beautiful and lovely 3-bedroom house!!! Plus, I'm moving in with my boyfriend, (WOOTZ!), which should surely be an adventure! :)

As I prepare and pack everything away, you should be aware that I'm having a MOVING SALE in my artfire shop. At LEAST 50% off everything, (more in the "SALE" section). Follow me on twitter, and get an additional 25% off. (The coupon code is there!!!).

As per usual, moving is EXPENSIVE, so if you've got a few bucks to spare to buy some goodies from yours truly, that would ROCK MY SOCKS. *love*

We're also having a MOVING PARTY on the 28th, and you're more than welcome to join in on the fun. Click here to view the facebook event. OPEN TO TRADING FOR HOUSEHOLD GOODIES TOO! (Like soap!!! We can always use SOAP! And candles!)

In other news, I'm having to give up four of my babies (cats). Between the boyfriend and I, we have a total of eleven. And that's just too many, even for a house. *sad monkey* LuLu and Gabriel got rehomed already. Neko and Einstein will be rehomed this upcoming week. Tough, but it's gotta be done, I suppose. :( Luckily, I'm screening people rather vigorously, so I KNOW that they're going to good homes, thank goodness. I'm just as bad, if not worse, than the Humane Society in rehoming animals. Well, they're my BABIES, you know?!

Yes, I'm hanging on to Crabbi, (the one that almost died from liver failure and miraculously recovered), Piggy and Hunni. They're seniors now, and have been with me the longest. And I'm keeping a total of two of my Manx babies- AlleyC and Meoweh. Choosing which ones to keep was nearly impossible.

I could ramble on about my cats for way too long! I'm sure you pet lovers out there understand what I'm going through.

So moving, giving up four babies, SALE SALE SALE, ebay sales, and boyfriend= a very busy me! Not to mention all of our combined doctors' appointments. *falls over* Another busy week!

I'll try to not keep you all in the dark for this long again. ;) And I'll do my best to keep you all posted (with PICTURES!) of our new place and move. *love*

*hugs*
Andrea

ArtFire // Twitter

Jewelry Show Time!

Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the beauties that I'll have out.

Bring a friend, and recieve a special gift. :)

Snow! Plus other bits and news!

So we got about 16" of snow this weekend. It's beautiful, but it certainly manages to keep a person inside! Luckily, I have a TON of jewelry projects to keep me busy. I've been making Tree of Life pendants made from gemstone chips and copper wire. *love* They're to die for!

I've also been making beads, (my nephew helped make some!), lately. It's been a while since I played with polymer clay. I've come to the decision that I need to make my rondelle beads smaller. They're big and beautiful, but they just might be *too* big. =O.o= I'm not sure how a person could incorporate beads of this size into a project. Talk about a bummer. But one lives and learns! I also think I'll start making round beads, as well. We'll see if I can get them to stay round once I punch a hole through them though! That's going to be the tricky part.

There are over 200 items in my ArtFire shop, now!!! Talk about AWESOME! You should come by and visit. :)

Twitter // Facebook // ArtFire Shop!

New Collections, Cats, new Listings and MORE!

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to XOCC for making this beautiful bangle bracelet. Perfect for that woman who has everything, (plus it's on SALE for $16.00!!!). Time to shop on ArtFire for the holidays! *grins*

I had a minor kitty scare a couple of days ago... Hunni's eye was all gunky! Luckily it cleared up in a couple of days, otherwise it would have meant another trip to the vet this year. I've had a LOT of those. AlleyC had a bladderstone and Crabbi has a thyroid condition. It means a special diet for AlleyC and meds for Crabbi. And when Crabbi was diagnosed with her thyroid condition, I had to pill her one-handed because I managed to break my finger. *falls over* That was truly an adventure.

I've made two collections, (like Etsy's treasuries), on ArtFire. Red & Green Love & Rainbow Bright. I'd absolutely LOVE some comments and input from people about the two collections I've made so far. :)

I have 166 items in my ArtFire shop now! MORE TONIGHT! And yes, it's more EARRINGS. Never hurts to have a great selection, right? ;) I've also been making jewelry like a fiend- copper and gemstone and swarovski crystal earrings. They are gorgeous. Plus some lovely acrylic flower & freshwater pearl earrings on copper. Remember, if you want stainless/surgical steel earwires, all you have to do is ask!

I'd also like to give a shout out to the Giles County Humane Association. They're having a December auction on facebook to raise funds. LOTS and LOTS of great stuff. PLUS, I've donated ten scrabble tile pendants for the auction. (This is the second auction I've donated to). This is YOUR chance to get some of my handmade goodness on the cheap while donating to a great cause!

Like me on facebook.

Follow me on twitter.

Visit me on ArtFire.

Handmade Gifts - Rainbow Colors Bracelet

This beautiful bracelet on ArtFire would make such an awesome Holiday Gift. Honestly, if I had the moolaa, I'd buy myself a Christmas present in this bracelet! ;)

From the seller's description: Handmade Rainbow Bracelet in Swarovski Crystal & Sterling Silver, Angelie
There's something magic about a rainbow. They just make me smile. Whether they spring from a cluster of clouds or appear in a blue sky after a stray shower, the colors are so lovely, the feeling so happy, that I always feel lucky to have seen one. Oh, and that mythical pot of gold? Still looking.
This bracelet features Swarovski Cosmic Crystals in a rainbow of hues, separated by sterling silver textured rondelles. I've used a sterling silver lobster clasp and a generous extension chain so you can find your most comfortable fit. The pretty sterling angel charm on the end just adds a little extra something. If you prefer your bracelet with a more simple charm, please send me a message after you pay and I'll change it out with a more "neutral" shape.
This piece measures about 7 & 3/4 at the smallest link all the way up to 8 & 3/4 on my bracelet sizer. If you have a small wrist and want a smaller minimum size, I can remove one crystal & restring for you at no extra cost.

ZenithJade Creations' SPRING TRUNK SHOW

Saturday, May 30th

Noon-6 p.m.
(click image to view larger on flickr)

FREE: wine, soda, juice & lemonade
FREE: finger sandwiches, dip & crackers

YAY!

My banner & avatar tutorial is mentioned on a website!!! WHEEEE!

New Upcycled Project, new listings on Etsy plus+++ facebook & links

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New upcycled project!
Recycled, (or upcycled!), vintage stamps on mother-of-pearl open coins. Stamps are sealed using liquid laminate for a beautiful shine!

These will be available in my Etsy shop soon!

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Gorgeous necklaces & earrings NOW AVAILABLE in my Etsy shop. PLUS I'm destashing some gorgeous supplies, like these lovely smokey quartz oval briolettes. <3

<----------------------

I've also joined the Facebook hordes. :) If you'd like to be a fan of my shop & stay current on special projects like custom orders & my amazing seasonal collections, join me over there!

http://artist.to/zenithjade/

Firefox + EtsyHacks = Etsy Lurve

I really hope that I can truly delve into the wonders of EtsyHacks and how to use it one of these days.

For those of you who are already familiar with Firefox and GreaseMonkey, AND have an Etsy Shop... then EtsyHacks are really, truly, just what the doctor ordered. ehax.etsy.com has created some lovely hacks to make your selling++ experiences easier and more fun. He's got: copy listing hacks, forum hacks, receipt hacks, convo hacks... I think you get the idea.

I promise- one of these days, I'll post a tutorial for newbies on how to get started. ;)
(If you know of a newbie faq already in existence, please let me know! I'll post it!).

<3,
Andrea

ZenithJade Creation's First Easter Egg Hunt!

Why should the kids get all the fun hunting for Easter Eggs? ;)

Announcing ZJC's first Easter Egg Hunt!
Interspersed throughout my Etsy shop are Easter Eggs-->

Find one image, get 10% off,
find two, get 20% off,
find three, get 30% off,
find four, get 40% off,
find five (!!!), get 50% off...

your TOTAL ORDER.
(not including shipping)

How to play:
* Find as many Easter Egg images as you can/want to.
* Buy as much as you'd like... and in the "Notes to Seller," list the links of the items where you found the eggs. Don't pay yet!
* I'll send you a revised invoice to your email with your new total, and then you can pay, (a lot less than what was listed!). :)

This % off is in ADDITION to the many items that are already 25% off!

Happy Holidays, Happy Easter...
And...
Have fun searching for Easter Eggs!

<3,
Andrea

PS- many thanks to WonderCliparts.com for providing such a cute image!
PPS- the Easter Egg Hunt only lasts until Easter day!

Books!

I've decided that it's high time that I created a wonderful book, (or books!), from the thousands and thousands and thousands of flowers I've photographed... I'm also going to enter a competition! =^.^;=

It's funny just how addicted I am to photographing flowers. They each have their own personality that shows through.

In other news, my Etsy shop is pretty darn full again. 50+ items and growing on a regular basis. I've got a huge backlog of inventory, (because I just can't stop creating!), so much of what's in my shop is on sale. Woohoo!

And I really am making a concentrated effort to do some Spring Cleaning around my studio, so destash supplies are also going to end up in my shop.

Swing by! I promise you won't be disappointed. =~.^=

<3,
Andrea

Busy busy busy!

I've said this too often, but I really didn't need to join another site, create another profile, ad infinitum! But I did it anyways. =^.^;=
Please give me a super-warm welcome to the world of Technorati! *grins* I know it's been around for quite a while, but I'm trying to cut *down* on all the places I'm at on the www, (for ease of organizing, updating, ++)... I finally caved. I figured that Technorati would be a pretty decent place to get some blog exposure. LOL! (Let me know if I'm waaaaay off base here!).

Since I'm a total "newb" to the site, does anyone have any advice/thoughts/suggestions on how to use the site? *curious* I'd also love to know how to get some of *my* photos into the Technorati photostream. =~.^=

And yes, FYI, I use that photo for my profiles A LOT.

I finally updated my site submissions to Bust.com... I can hardly believe that I've been a link supporter of that site for more years than I can remember. I HIGHLY recommend taking advantage of their very generous "Girl Wide Web" page to share your own links with their readership. (This can include blogs, online shops, etc. etc. etc!). They are also supporters of the Indie Movement, (viva handmade!).

I've spent wholly too much time over the past week and a half making polymer clay beads. I knew it would be addicting... but jeez! *falls over*

Of course, I had to turn some of them into pendants. Totally biased over here, but I think they seriously ROCK. =*^.^*=

I finally managed to list on Etsy some new POSTERS. (11x17" photography prints on cardstock). There are some wonderfully yummy flower posters. Ok, they're *mostly* yummy flower photos. I'm obsessed with flowers in nature! =~.^= (We can just add that to the current list of my obsessions... Etsy, making beads, photographing flowers, funny cat pictures...)

Speaking of funny cat pictures, I uploaded a new one to my flickr that I think is absolutely hilarious- click here & throw your two cents at me, (and my cat, Einstein). =^.^;=

300+ product photos Sunday. Do I even need to mention that that was the majority of my Sunday? To top it off, I got sunburnt taking all those pictures. I knew I should have worn sunblock! =^.^;= I really shouldn't complain- one really nice day & I can just zoom through catching up on photography for my Etsy shop- it's the editing that always takes me forever!

Random Fun-

It all started with the question, "Who has the BIGGEST jewelry shop on Etsy?" (read that forum thread here)...

In that thread, quirke links to a wonderful page on Etsy.com that lists all sellers by the number of items in their stores. (The most is currently 2385!). Click here to see the shops with the most items on Etsy! =^.^;=

The Home Jewelry Business Success Resource

I haven't had nearly enough time to look over this website, but it looks like an AMAZING resource for jewelry makers everywhere. =*^.^*= If you take a look, let me know what you think about this site on this post's comments! <3!

Convert inches & centimeters - A useful tool/link!

Click here to access a super-simple cm-in or in-cm convertor!