A little something for the man...

I haven't made much lately. This is a really slow time of the year for jewelry sales. For tax purposes, I have to turn a profit this year so I promised myself I wouldn't buy anymore beads until I sell most of what I already have. I've been really bummed out about that. I have lots of ideas for new things but it all has to be put on the back burner until I sell what I have on hand.

So to lift me out of this funk, I made this necklace for Todd yesterday. He's not the type of guy to wear lots of jewelry but he's always more than willing to wear something I've made as long as it's "manly". Perhaps I could write the cost of this necklace off as advertising?!?! I really need a tax accountant!

Anyway, about the necklace! The center bead is Picture Jasper. I made the silver sliders with some extra PMC clay. The side beads are Poppy Jasper and it's all strung on a black leather cord. Unfortunately, the lighting in the picture isn't the greatest so you can't see the intricacies of the Jasper.

My famous Daddy Dog Tags...

Ok, they're not exactly "famous" but they are very popular. These tags are for a friend and I'm very pleased with how they turned out. I'm getting much better at this PMC thing and my stuff looks a lot more professional ever since I purchased a tumbler. If you don't know what PMC is, click here.

This is as close to male jewelry as I get. I made my first pair of Daddy dog tags last year as a Father's day gift for my husband, Todd. Since then, I've had lots of requests for these charms. It's common for moms to wear a bracelet with their children's names on it and this is a nice "manly" alternative for the Dads.

I've become so tech-savvy Part Two...

I just found out how to put a favicon on my website. What is a favicon, you might ask? Well it's that little icon that appears next to the url in your browser or next to a site in your favorites folder. In order to see it, a site has to be saved in your favorites folder first. Check mine out here: www.starhilldesigns.com . Does it look familar? It's the same tree that is in my logo! If you want one for your own website, email me and I will give you directions!

I've become so tech-savvy...

... I have a store on Etsy now. What is Etsy, you ask? It's an online marketplace for handmade things. It's kind of like ebay but without all the junk, scammers, fees, rules and regulations... so I guess it's not like ebay after all! Anyway, listings cost a whopping 10 cents and they run for 6 months. I've got a few things on there right now and my goal is to have at least one or two new things a week. If you make crafts, anything at all as long as it's handmade, it's a great place to get some visability. If you're looking to buy crafts, there are some really cute and unique things on that site. I wish I had checked Etsy out before Christmas; I could have done some shopping there!

Anyway, here's the address for my etsy store: http://starhilldesigns.etsy.com

This is my monthly special for January. St. Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays so I just can't let it pass by without a special piece! I think this bracelet will make some little girl very happy.

For whatever reason, my children's jewelry always outsells my women's jewelry. Perhaps the women's jewelry market is too saturated. It's hard to find cute jewelry for little girls. That's one of the reasons I started making jewelry in the first place; I wanted a bracelet for Anna and I simply couldn't find anything in the stores for a baby!