Jewelry by Starhill Designs

My favorite ring

2006-12-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

OK, I know it's been a while since I've posted something! To those of you who were waited with baited breath for my next entry, I apologize! I've been busy with the pre-Christmas rush. I made lots of new things but just haven't had time (or the proper sunlight) for photos. Cha cha rings are so popular right now and this one is a beauty. A beautiful freshwater pearl surrounded by genuine aquamarine chips. It looks fabulous on my hand but I won't be keeping it for myself. I just put it up for sale on Etsy!

Pearls and Flowers

2006-11-10T18:46:00.000-05:00

Here's a pretty little piece I put together with some colorful rainbow fluorite baby nuggets, freshwater pearls and a Hill Tribe Flower. The colors of the fluorite remind me of sea glass and the whole piece has a natural, organic look.

Just for me!

2006-10-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this necklace for quite a while. It took me a long time to decide on the gemstones that I wanted. I was looking for a nice mix of blue and green stones; reminiscent of the colors of sea glass. I settled on some nice Amozonite nuggets, Aquamarine chips, Serpentine nuggets and a few really nice round freshwater pearls. Originally, I planned to use a Hill Tribe silver flower focal but it just didn't look right. So I did a little bit more shopping and found this toggle. I put the toggle in front as a focal but it could be worn in the back for a more simple look!

Simple and Elegant

2006-09-02T11:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a simple necklace I made just for me. I bought some things to make an elaborate, formal necklace. I've got some pretty aquamarine chips, amazonite nuggets and small round, serpentine nuggets and some really nice round freshwater pearls. I'm still waiting for my Shiana findings to come in the mail so I can work on it. So in the meantime, I decided to put together a casual necklace with some of the same stones. This kind of reminds me of something you'd see in the Sundance catalog. I used suede cord, a PMC slider (made by moi), a large freshwater pearl and aquamarine chips. I'm very pleased with how this one turned out. The aquamarine is such a pretty sea blue color. And when paired with the pearl, it reminds me of something a mermaid would wear!

A Bling Pinky Ring

2006-07-29T18:24:00.000-05:00

This is a little something that I made this week with some leftover PMC. It's an open spiral ring since I didn't feel like measuring it for a specific size. Unfortunately, the open design was problematic. After the ring was fired, I tried ever so gently to adjust the ring. It snapped in two. So I pasted the two pieces back together with some more clay and refired the next day. You can still see my repair job on the left side. It's not pretty but you can't see it when I'm wearing the ring.

I'm not sure how well this ring will hold up in the long term. Oh well, I'll just chalk it up to experience!

Serpentine and Citrine

2006-07-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

OK, I haven't posted in a while. But frankly, I haven't made much lately. This bracelet was a gift. I used Serpentine nuggets with a cluster of citrine chips. It's accented with Hill Tribe silver beads and leaf charm. The leaf was put on as an afterthought. The finished piece reminded me of a wrist corsage so I thought the leaf made a nice finishing touch. This color combination was a little unusual for me but the Serpentine and Citrine compliment each other nicely.

Bee Mine

2006-06-19T12:55:00.000-05:00

Some may think this necklace is corny but I think it's sweet. I got the idea for this piece from a cute greeting card. The pendants were made with PMC. I made a bunch of new PMC things this weekend and I'm in the process of listing them on Etsy.

I'm finding that PMC is much more time consuming than I ever anticipated. Molding the clay is fairly easy. But then you have to sand the pieces, fire them, polish and add a pantina. It's a lot of work which unfortunately drives the prices up. I just want people to understand that for the higher price, they get a completely original piece of art!

Hearts and Garnets

2006-06-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted! We just completed our move to Ohio and it was such an ordeal! Unfortunately, we're moving next June so we'll have to do this all over again before we know it.

Anyway, we still have boxes everywhere but I've managed to unpack my beads and make something new. This is an 18 inch necklace with a Bali S clasp in the front. The length is adjustable. This Y design has been popular in recent years and I think it makes the heart pendant really stand out. The heart is Hill Tribe Silver and I've added some genuine garnet accents!

Very pretty! I'm tempted to keep it for myself but I'll probably put it up for sale on Etsy. My jewelry box is a little crowded at the moment.

Royal Cha-Cha bracelet

2006-04-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

When times are slow, I keep myself busy by making jewelry for myself. Sales are pretty busy right now but I've had this design in my head for a while and just had to find time to make this. This is my first piece in gold! The glass heart is something that I've had for a while. It was a pendant on a necklace but I didn't much care for the necklace. So I took it apart and decided to try it on a bracelet. It's a little large and bulky so I may take it off and put something else in it's place. But I'm very pleased with the rest of the bracelet. It's made with gold filled chain, citrine chips, gold Swarovski pearls and amethyst rondelles. It has a lot of motion to it and beautiful sparkles!

On a side note, I did some serious damage to the ring finger on my right hand. I caught the tip of my finger when I was closing the trunk of the minivan. Talk about pain! Now my finger is mangled and I'm learning how to do things without that finger for a while. I guess I'll be taking a beading hiatus for a few weeks...

A New Record!

2006-04-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

I put these cute, silver buttons up for sale on Etsy last week and they sold within hours! I made these with PMC and thought they would make nice button clasps. I was kind of "hoping" they wouldn't sell so I could use them myself! But they did sell and so quickly! Unfortunately, I did underprice them a bit. At $6 a button, I pretty much just broke even. I just didn't think that anyone would be willing to pay more than $6 for a button. I guess I learned a lesson: Never underprice yourself (especially, on something you want to keep for yourself!). Next time I dabble with the clay, I'll be sure to make a few more buttons.

A freebie!

2006-03-24T10:12:00.000-05:00

At the Beadstyle Forum, we have a box of beads circulating among a group of us. The rules are that you can take what you want from the beads but you have to put in an equivalent of what you've taken out. A few days ago, it was my turn to receive the box. The majority of the beads weren't my style but I did find a few things that I could use. I picked out a few of these fluorite beads at the last minute, right before I sealed up the box! I'm not sure why I passed these beads over the first time but I'm glad that I did grab them because they made a fabulous rosary bracelet!

I'm going to take this bracelet for a test drive today and see what kind of opinions it generates. Then it might appear on my Etsy store.

Back in the saddle again!

2006-03-16T11:09:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've just awoken from a deep slumber! I was doing fairly brisk business last November and December. But after the holidays, sales came to a grinding halt. That's a typical post holiday slump but this year my slump has extended into March! Two day ago, I came to the realization that the first quarter of the year is almost complete and I only have a handful of sales to show for it.

I've been a busy little beader this week sprucing up my website and working on some SEO details. I was surprised that my links page was really out of date. I removed the dead links and I'm working on finding some new and interesting links to put in their place. I made a new banner for my site. I think it's a bit fresher than my last one. What do you think?!?!

A gift to myself!

2006-03-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

I told myself that I wouldn't buy any beads for a long time but I just couldn't resist a few things from Shiana. I put this bracelet together thinking that I might use it for a secret beader gift exchange but once it was completed, I decided to keep it for myself! The center bead has a unique origami shape and the accent beads are genuine Lapis Lazuli. Lapis is the stone of truth and friendship. The tube beads are Hill Tribe Silver and they are the perfect shape for a simple bracelet. This piece has a very organic and earthy feel to it.

A Multi-Purpose Charm

2006-02-16T20:06:00.000-05:00

I threw this little charm together last night. It's a purse charm but I suppose it could serve as a zipper pull or cell phone charm. I clipped it to the zipper on my purse and it adds a nice little flash of color to an otherwise bland, black purse. I've even seen people clip these onto the belt loop of their jeans for some extra sparkle.

Cell phone charms are wildly popular these days. Since Todd and I have the same exact cell phone, a charm on mine makes it super easy to tell them apart. I offered to make one for Todd also but he declined. I guess it wasn't manly enough for him!

A little something for the man...

2006-01-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-01-18T14:44:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-01-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

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...

2006-01-04T19:53:00.000-05:00

... 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

2006-01-03T11:26:00.000-05:00

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!

The cha-cha ring

2005-12-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why this style is called "cha-cha" but here's my first attempt at a cha-cha ring. I chose simple black and white but I'm sure it would look nice in any color combination. I thought it would be akward to wear with all the dangle thingys but it was actually very comfy. I test drive all of the jewelry I make and I give this ring two thumbs up! It got lots of compliments and baby Meg was simply fascinated by it.

For someone who doesn't have pierced ears...

2005-12-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

... I sure have a lot of earrings! Earrings are so easy to make, sometimes I go overboard. For my last craft show, I made about 30 pairs. I sold one pair! I've sold a few more pairs since then but that leaves about, oh, 25 pairs left! Perhaps for Valentine's Day, I'll have an earring blowout sale on the website.

Anyway, this is one of my favorite sets. It's so simple but the Jasper really makes it interesting. It reminds me of an "old world" style globe. If I had pierced ears, I'd make this set mine!

I have a confession to make...

2005-12-22T19:24:00.000-05:00

... I am a lampwork bead addict! I just can't pass up a nice set of lampwork beads. Ebay is one of my favorite sources for lampwork beads. Once you filter out all the cheap, mass produced stuff, you can find some really nice beads for decent prices. Ebay is definitely a buyers market. Which is the reason why I no longer sell there!

I picked up this turquoise and ivory focal bead on ebay a while back. It is part of a set with matching spacers. I thought this focal bead was too pretty to put in a piece with other beads. I chose this toggle necklace design so that the bead would be the only focal point of the necklace.

I liked this necklace so much, I wanted to keep it for myself. Unfortunately, Meg likes it too and can't keep her hands off it when I wear it! I guess I won't be wearing very many necklaces for the next year or so...

A Christmas gift for my sister-in-law

2005-12-21T14:48:00.000-05:00

Since I've already given this necklace as a gift to her, I am finally free to post a picture. I think this is a fine necklace indeed. I used an oxidized silver chain, a Hill Tribe flower pendant, and small blue and white lampwork beads. I really like the combination of blue and the oxidized silver. It's a nice effect.

While you can't see the clasp in this picture, it is a Bali S hook. It hooks directly into the chain so that the length of necklace is adjustable. I added a small Hill Tribe leaf pendant to the end of the chain. The leaf serves two purposes: to make it easier to use the S hook and it also completes the floral theme of the necklace.

As usual, your comments are most appreciated.

Jen

My first wire-wrapped bangle...

2005-12-21T14:26:00.000-05:00

... a la Eni Oken. I fell in love with this style bracelet from the first time I saw Eni Oken's site. Eni is generous enough to offer her designs in a tutorial to wannabes like me. Of course this is my first try and it doesn't look nearly as nice and neat as I would have liked; but this is a learning process!

I chose two of my favorite colors, pink and green. The green stones are Serpentine and the pink is Cherry Quartz. About 25 feet of silver wire went into this bracelet along with about 7 or 8 hours of work. I found it a bit difficult to work with the fine gauge wire and some of the wire coils aren't as tight as I would like them to be! My technique improved as I went on and I think my next attempt will be much more professional.

Feel free to post your comments. I'd be happy to hear them!

Jen

My first entry...

2005-12-21T14:10:00.000-05:00

... and I don't have anything to say!