WORKIN' AWAY...

and obviously not blogging. I can't believe I haven't written for over a month!

I do have a good excuse though and that is that my Etsy shop has been quite busy! I've been coming up with new designs and keeping up with orders. I've had a lull for the last few days (which feels sort of strange) so I thought I'd take the time to drop in and say "hello" and show you some new items I've added to my shop. I've also had a few crafty projects going; like sewing a formal gown for a dinner we attended and making curtains for our downstairs media room, as well as the usual everyday stuff associated with having a teenager!

In the above photo, you'll see some new pieces that are created with metal clay. What I love about this medium is being able to impress patterns and designs directly into the silver clay in it's "wet stage". I just ordered a few more decorative stamps and can't wait to see how they come out. My familiar "organic hoop earrings" are included in there too, because I have made so many of these in the past few months! They are what I call my "bread and butter"; the tried and true favorites of every woman's jewelry box! They seem to do very well in my shop and allow me the funds to expand and buy more tools and supplies.

I also can't believe that I will be having my 2 year " Etsyversary" this Sunday, March 28th. It has been such a treat to be able to do something I love and send my jewelry to different parts of the globe. I'm not sure what I'm going to do to celebrate but I'll think of something and get it posted soon.

Meanwhile, enjoy the beginnings of Spring, longer days and so much more color around us to brighten our spirits!

JUST A THOUGHT...

I know Christmas has been over for a week already and the tree is coming down today, but I wanted to share this thought I had on Christmas day with you. I woke up on Dec. 25th and I was giddy with excitement, not because of the presents that were under the tree for me; instead I was imagining all the people who were going to be opening little boxes like these on the right and receiving my jewelry as Christmas gifts. How cool is that?

As I reflect on my business last year, I have to admit that the most fulfilling thing about sending my jewelry around the globe is knowing the enjoyment that it gives to those wearing it. Adorning yourself, I know, isn't the most important thing, but it gives me satisfaction to know that it puts a little smile in someone's day.

Many thanks to all of you who have supported me as customers, blog readers, my family and my cheerleaders.

Wishing you all much happiness, good health and success in 2010!

It's my birthday...and I'll have a sale...

if I want to! Yes, I'm back and feeling so much better. I thought I'd share some new designs that have been added to my shop in the last week.

and... to celebrate feeling well again AND my birthday I'm going to have a FREE SHIPPING sale to all my US and Canadian blog followers and Facebook fans. This will only be advertised here so here's your chance for some exclusive savings.

Just type in FREESHIP in the notes to seller on either my Artfire or Etsy shop and I will refund the shipping amount through Paypal. Sale starts today October 24th and ends Sunday midnight Oct 25th, 2009.

Happy Shopping...and Happy Birthday to Me...

BROKEN HEARTS UPDATE & LET'S COMMUNICATE...

I am now finally the owner of an "UN-broken hearts" Starbucks mug. Remember I wrote a post about the one that I broke? Here is the link to Part 1 to get you up to date. It took 17 days for it to get here even though it was shipped using Priority Mail which takes 3-5 days. Of course when you don't mail the package for 2 weeks it takes a little longer. Yes, I'm happy with my purchase but the whole transaction really reinforced in me how critical communication is to providing excellent customer service. I feel that this is particularly important in an online shop because you can't feel and touch the product and talk to the owner face to face.

Apparently the Ebay seller had to have surgery (that I believe was scheduled) and wasn't able to mail her packages out. A quick note to tell me there would be a delay would have alleviated any doubts, negative thoughts and impatience I felt. After finally writing an email after 2 weeks, I did get an apologetic phone call explaining the circumstances. As a customer, don't you just want to know there is someone there working or making progress to getting your product out the door?

Every sale that I receive, I send an email to my buyer to thank them for their order and let them know when I plan to ship. There are days when I'm busy and it feels like an extra burden I'm tempted to shrug off. After all, they do get an automated one from Etsy or ArtFire but a personalized messsage is something that I really value and want to pass on to my customers. It is what sets apart a small one woman operation from the big guys. I realize there are some shops that have many sales a day (much more than me) and this could get time consuming. It is my wish that I'm never too busy to show appreciation to my customers in this way because without them I would have no business!

So, with that I think I will go have another cup of tea in my new coffee mug (yes tea) and get ready for my day. I would also like to thank all of you who read my blog, visitors and customers, who leave your wonderful comments of encouragement and support!

Have a great day...Debora

Disclaimer: I am not and do not claim to be an expert in online selling. These are just my views and please don't take them as an attack if you do not agree or practice them, thanks...

CRAVING COLOR...

With all the seasonal blooms surrounding me with vibrant color this summer, I was beginning to think that my jewelry shop needed some splashes as well. I love sterling silver jewelry because it just GOES with everything you could possibly wear, but there's nothing like color to perk up your spirits! Sorry for the self promotion here today, but I wanted to share a few brand new pieces I've just added to my shop. My favorite color is blue so it's only fitting that this is where I start! The first photo above is a lariat necklace with Aqua blue (my favorite shade of blue) chalcedony briolettes called "Sea Breeze".

Dreamy Blues... AAA London Blue Topaz Earrings


And for those that love soft pastels...Hopeless Romantic Coin Pearls


Thanks for letting me share. I'm off to dig through my stash of gemstones for some more colorful additions to my jewelry shop. Next is a necklace to match the pearl earrings.

Have a great day and enjoy seeing all the summer colors because they only last for so long!

LAZY SUMMER DAYS...

Makes for a lazy blogger! Yes, I admit it, that's me. I haven't blogged for over a week and I don't know where the time went!

Well, let's see... I've been enjoying these schedule free days by catching up on sleep (very important), lounging around with my son and eating the occasional ice cream treat, shopping, reading news on the internet, going for walks, etc. If it weren't for filling jewelry orders in my Etsy shop, I would be positively brain dead!

I must say after 2 weeks of school being out, I'm going a little stir crazy. My son is a homebody, but I think it's time to get out and enjoy this beautiful summer we've been having. We've done so much work on our house that a major vacation is out of the question this year, but a little trip to somewhere hot might be in order, perhaps Leavenworth, WA. I'd also love to buy myself a bike and get out on some of the trails around here again. I regret that I gave away my old mountain bike a couple of moves ago and haven't replaced it. I really love to play tennis and need to pick up my racquet again. And finally yesterday, I received some more metal clay in my mailbox that is ready to be rolled and shaped into some new designs for my jewelry shop.


Here's a collage of things I could be doing:

1. Ahh, the days when my son loved to get out on his bike, taken 5 years ago.

2. Family tennis, taken recently at the local courts.

3. A beautiful 18 hole mini golf course in Leavenworth WA, very fun!

4. Metal clay in the process of drying on my hotplate.

Okay, I'm off to get something done, but first maybe another cup of tea and catching up on the news in the local paper first... lazy, lazy, I tell you!

ETSY YART SALE

"So what does that mean?" you may ask. Yes, I know it's a strange title that probably needs a little explanation for Non-Etsians.

YART means ~ YARD SALE + ART = YART

So there you have it. I've decided to participate this year in this Etsy wide sale. There are many shops offering special deals between June 10th and 14th, 2009. I realize I'm a little late starting and letting you know, but what else is new!

Go to etsy.com and you can type in the word YART in your search. This will bring up many shops having a sale.

Of course, I'd prefer if you visit my shop Beadin By The Sea first (I know I'm shamelessly self promoting) by clicking here. I have a YART sale section with 10% off selected items. And if you leave BLOGFREESHIP in the notes to seller upon checkout, I'll even throw in free domestic shipping on all items. (that's within the USA). But just until midnight June 14, 2009!

See you there!

SO CLOSE TO 100!!

Today is what everyone calls my first "Etsy-versary". It is a year ago today that I registered as a seller on Etsy, an online selling venue of everything handmade. I had no idea what I was starting or even if I would sell anything. I must admit I didn't really do my research and began selling on April 5th.

Afer a year of many changes in our family, like moving half way across the country and renovating our new home, I got more serious about my business in early Fall. Following a rather disappointing Christmas, my sales started to pick up the day AFTER Christmas and have been much more steady since. On February 23rd, I wrote about my 75th sale in my Etsy jewelry shop and made a goal to reach 100 sales by March 28th, my one year anniversary. I really thought it was a huge stretch, but after a flurry of sales this week I am soooo close at 99 sales!

I want to thank all my customers who've supported my shop and everyone who has encouraged me along the way, including my blog readers and dear Etsy and non-Etsy friends. Even if I don't reach 100 sales by the end of the day, I am very satisfied in knowing that I've sent my creations to many different parts of the world from Argentina to Paris and it's still exciting every time I have a sale or read glowing feedback from happy customers!

As an incentive, I'm offering one of my best sellers, one free pair of either my Small or Medium Organic Hoops made from Argentium Sterling Silver to the customer responsible, for my 100th sale! This offer ends midnight March 28th, 2009. If you're interested in my jewelry click here for the link to my shop Beadin' By The Sea.

UPDATE AT 8:50AM: I just got my 100th sale already! I thought I'd be biting my nails all day. My 100th customer will be receiving a pair of small hoop earrings. Thanks fellow Etsian, Lisa, from Lucid Moon Studios.!

MAKING IT ALL WORTHWHILE

Just a quick thought today about selling online. As most online sellers will tell you, this sort of small business definitely has its ups and downs. A sale can come at any moment, anytime of the day and the only sign of it is a message in your inbox. How do you keep your emotions on an even keel when you may have a flurry of activity and then nothing?
There are days that you have a sale or two and you are ecstatic with excitement that someone actually likes your "stuff" enough to pay money for it. Then there are days when you think you may never sell another thing and you keep checking your shop to make sure it's not invisible and the worst part, start doubting your talent! How do you keep going when you are always on this roller coaster ride?

Here's how I handle it:

1. I've always had a need to create things since I was a small child. If I don't have a project going I feel like something is missing or "off". I will keep creating whether my jewelry sells or not. I love to explore different jewelry techniques and mediums and I'm always trying something new. The main reason I sell is because I just don't have enough arms, ears and necks to wear it all at once!
   
   
2. The second thing is Customer Feedback and this is a BIG deal for me. I usually fret when I send a package off, hoping that my customer will love it as much as I do. I was so excited last Monday, when my Etsy friend and talented jewelry artist, Shi, of Shijewels, loved the ring so much that I made for her, shown above, that she raved about it on her blog. You can read about it here. That one really made my day. And then, I found out that earrings I sold to a gal on Friday are going to be for her wedding. How cool is that? She even said she is going to send me a picture of herself with the earrings and the dress.

So that's it, that's what makes it all worthwhile for me. How about you?

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Well, I must not be very motivated today, as it's already 3pm and I still haven't written my post. I thought I'd better write about motivation to get myself inspired!

I love this photo I took many years ago when my sister and I took a cruise around the Greek Islands. Taken while still on the cruise ship, this is the island of Santorini and the mulititude of steps that lead up to the top. I don't remember the number of steps but it was alot! After all of the rich food we ate on the cruise ship, we decided to forgo the donkey ride and walk it ourselves. I was much younger then, but I remember with the hot sun it was quite the effort. Oh, but what a view from the top and the feeling of accomplishment we had that we would not have experienced if we had opted to take the ride!

Why am I writing about this today? Well, I just had my 75th sale in my Etsy shop on Saturday and I'm thinking about milestones . Sure, I've had more sales than that when I count RL sales (that stand for real life) but there is something about seeing that number there that kinda spurs you on! There is so much talk about this many and that many sales in such and such time. It's really not good to compare yourselves to others, but we all do it and it can be very discouraging. We must keep in mind that we all have different goals for ourselves, and let's face it, someone who sells lower priced items like soaps or cards is going to have a higher number faster than someone who makes jewelry or higher priced items. It took me almost 9 months to reach 50 sales, and and additional 2 months to reach 75 so I hope I'm on the right track!

I have a separate goal for this entire year, but now that I'm so close to my First Etsyversary (March 28th) I have a mini goal to reach 100 sales. Think I can do it? I guess I'll take it one sale at a time, just like we take one small step at a time to reach our goals. And if I don't reach it, I'll try for April 5th because that's when I listed my first item, Ha!

Here are some Monday quotes for you:

"Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps."
Saul Bellows

"Four steps to achievement:
Plan purposefully
Prepare prayerfully
Proceed positively
Pursue persistently"
William Arthur Ward

How are you doing on your goals?

Oh, and if you'd like to help me reach my goal, click here to go to my shop Beadin' By The Sea!

AND THE WINNER IS...

Thanks so much for all your responses to my "Where in the World Contest and Giveaway"! At first I thought my first contest might be a flop, but thanks to Etsygiveaways, I ended up with 56 comments in all. I thought it appropriate to draw the name out of a cute felted bowl that I just bought from a fellow Etsy seller ColAreto. I love my new bowl, you should check out this gal's shop, really adorable stuff. My son drew the name for me so it would be totally impartial.

So, without further adieu.... the winner is Bunny B! Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address to send you your free earrings!

To recap the photos here they are with the locations:

Stay tuned, as I will be having another giveaway soon as this was so much fun. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day to you, thanks again for visiting my blog and all your comments!

The Beauty in SIMPLE

A couple of weeks back I shared about my venture into fusing fine silver wire. I'm happy to say that I'm continuing to have loads of fun with it.

I'm also learning that there is a lot of beauty in keeping things simple. With this economy, I am noticing that a lot of my sales lately have been simple, classic pieces with clean lines, something that can be worn for so many occasions.

I love the look of shiny silver simply on its own and how hammering the metal gives it hundreds of tiny facets that reflect the light. Here's my latest, I've sold 2 of these to friends this week and added one to my shop today. The rings remind of ripples of water that emanate from a pebble tossed in a lake so I called it "Ripples".

I'm also finding as I work with the these thicker gauges of wire that my flush cutters are just not "cutting" it, sorry for the pun! There are a pair of Tronex cutters that Liz Jones, the author of "Fine Silver Fusing" recommends. Unfortunately, they are about $60, but I'm getting to the point where I think they will make my life a lot easier and cause me to waste less wire. Getting a really clean flush cut is so critical to getting the fine silver to "fuse" or flow together at the join. This necklace has 4 rings that are fused, including the smallest one; you work your way from the smallest to the largest.

Well, now, I'm getting too technical! I simply wanted to share my latest creation.

Oh, and I also wanted to remind you that I'm drawing a name tomorrow for my "Where in the World Giveaway contest". To enter click here.

Have a great day, and may you find beauty and peace in the simple things!

WHERE IN THE WORLD PHOTO #3...and GIVEAWAY CONTEST

Here's my cat Ace again, looking out the window and wondering where in the world I'm going to take you this week for my giveaway contest! I submitted last week's blog post to EtsyGiveaways blog which really increased it's exposure, so I'm sorry but I'm going to have to wait until the contest is over on February 14th to let you know exactly where the waterfall is. I'll give you a hint though, I took the picture during a helicopter ride, and it is in the United States. This week, I think the photo is very easy! It's a pretty well known landmark. Can you take a wild guess where Where in the World Photo #3 was taken?

Where in the World Photo #3:


Let's go over the contest rules to win my Argentium Sterling silver "Modern Simplicity" earrings shown to your right from my shop Beadin By The Sea :
1. Leave your name and email address or a link to your blog along with a wild guess of where the "Where in the world" photo was taken. You don't have to be correct to win! Click on "comments" at the bottom of this post to see the comment box.

2. Come back on Valentine's Day, February 14th to see if you've won. You will have 3 days to claim your prize.

Keep those guesses coming and don't be afraid to take a stab at it. I'm enjoying all the comments and speculation and I can't wait to give someone some free earrings!

Click here to go to last weeks Photo #2.

MY FIRST PMC RING

After making a ring last week from 14 Gauge fine silver wire, I started to wonder about making a ring from PMC. I thought this would allow the ring to have some weight to it and perhaps a stamped design. This weekend I tried something new... again!

Because it's so neat to see the ring in it's raw clay state, the picture on the left is the ring before firing and the pictures below are taken after firing, patinizing with liver of sulphur and polish. What do you think?

This was a great exercise in my skill with PMC and it did present a few challenges:


Challenge #1: Perfecting the Seam

I was going to show you my first ring I made from PMC but actually this is my second. The first one never made it to the firing stage because it split and broke where I joined the seam in the band. No worries though, with PMC there is no waste at this stage because the clay can be crushed, rehydrated and used again. So this is actually my second attempt and I still need to perfect the join before I can even consider selling them! Another minor issue, is figuring out how to recreate the stamped surface over the join area. I'm not sure if I'm being too picky, maybe it can never be totally invisible.

Challenge #2: Correct Sizing:
The second challenge with PMC rings is getting the sizing correct. The clay shrinks about 12% during firing so you have to account for this. My ring ended up being just a little too big for me. I think it's about a size 7. I may have to find a friend who wants a new ring, but I'll wear this one for a while to test its strength.

Challenge #3 YOUR Ring Size:
I wonder how many people actually know their ring size? I don't often wear rings except the one on my wedding finger, so I don't even remember what size it is, never mind my right hand which is a little bigger. It makes me wonder how many people won't buy a ring unless they can try it on. Now this challenge can be solved quite easily by giving you a link to an article to figure it out in, How to Determine Your Ring Size. There are also shops that send you a plastic ring sizer for a small charge to try on before making the purchase, good idea!

Challenge #4 Considering Cost:
As usual, I'll have to consider the high cost of PMC. This ring is 5 grams of silver before firing so it has some weight to it. That's not so bad, if you create a perfect ring on your first try! What if I make a ring for a customer and I have to make 2 or 3 to get the right size because of shrinkage and... what if they measured their size wrong?

As you can see, I have some reservations about pursuing the ring making business. But of course this is why we try things isn't it? I love to learn by doing and trial and error. I'll definitely be experimenting some more to see if this can be a viable option for my shop.

I'll leave you with another quote:(don't know what it is about Monday and quotes!)

Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.
Sir Winston Churchill

By the way, don't forget to enter my giveaway here or come back on Wednesday to guess the location of another "Where in the world" photo. I have lots of entries so far, but keep those guesses coming. I love to read all of them!

WHERE IN THE WORLD PHOTO #2... AND GIVEAWAY CONTEST

As a reminder to everyone, in the lower right is last week's Where in the World photo #1. It was taken at the Liberty Memorial and World War 1 Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. What is so interesting about this place is that it is only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of WW1. If you visit you will find it a very interactive educational experience that will leave you emotionally moved. More information can be found by clicking here. You can also take an elevator to the top of the memorial for a spectacular 360 degree view of Kansas City.

For this week's photo we will go somewhere a little more exotic. Anyone know where this was taken?

Where in the World Photo #2:

Let's go over the contest rules to win my Argentium Sterling silver "Modern Simplicity" earrings from my shop Beadin By The Sea on the left:

1. Leave your name and email address or a link to your blog along with a wild guess of where the "Where in the world" photo was taken. You don't have to be correct to win! Click on "comments" at the bottom of this post to see the comment box.

2. Come back on Valentine's Day, February 14th to see if you've won. You will have 3 days to claim your prize.

Feb 4th UPDATE: If you'd like a hint where this is or to see next week's photo #3 and another chance to enter click here.

MONDAY, MONDAY

What is it about Monday that makes it so hard to get out of bed? My guess is that we have such a difficult time realizing that our weekend is over; the two days we get to recharge our batteries, spend time with our family and have the freedom to do the things we love to do! I suspect that even those who love their jobs find it just a little more challenging to be motivated on Monday mornings.

Monday morning grumpiness has been much more pronounced at our house ever since last September when my son started Middle School with a start time of 7:30 am. That's way too early for 12-14 year old kids in my opinion and me too!

Monday has really gotten a bad rap.
Here's one quote I found:
"Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life"

and Recall these songs:
1. "Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down" by the Carpenters
2. "Monday, Monday" by the Mamas and Papas!

I couldn't find any specific POSITIVE quotes about Monday but I did find this:
"A year from now you may wish you had started today" Robert Schuller

Maybe it should read, "A year from now you may wish you had started today even if it's Monday" (altered by Me)

As I'm waking up this morning I'm trying to get motivated to start my day and create some new designs for my jewelry shop Beadin' By the Sea. I made a pendant like this one to remind myself of my love for creating. I just renewed it in my shop, to get it to the top of the searches, because it hasn't found a home yet. Maybe it would be better as a keychain?

Anyway, I'm off to do some more creating. How about this for a happy Monday motto:

Monday is like getting a fresh sheet of paper every week on which to create something beautiful and make your mark! by Debora

Try to have a great Monday everyone!

THERE IS A WORLD OUT THERE... GIVE AWAY CONTEST

This picture I took of my cat Ace yesterday really got me to thinking that I really don't get out much. Since moving back to our small town, I rarely ever leave the island which is accessible by a large bridge to the mainland. The closest shopping is about 25 minutes away and sometimes it just seems so far!

I get pretty engrossed in my everyday activities, making jewelry, promoting my shop, blogging, and all the usual household tasks, and there are days that the only time I go outside is to check the mailbox. To remind myself that there really are some cool places to go and see in this world, I thought I would take every Wednesday to post a picture of some of the places I've been. I'll tell you the following Wednesday where it was taken.

I also think it's time for my first GIVE AWAY CONTEST!

Here are the instructions to enter to win my Argentium Sterling silver "Modern Simplicity" earrings on the left:

1. Leave your name or a link to your blog along with a wild guess of where the "Where in the world" photo was taken. You don't have to be correct to win! Click on "comments" at the bottom of this post to see the comment box.

2. Come back on Valentine's Day, February 14th to see if you've won. You will have 3 days to claim your prize.

Where in the World Wednesday Photo 1:

Random Thoughts, Knitting and a New Lightbox

As of Christmas morning, I am a proud new owner of a lightbox and 2 studio lights, compliments of my darling husband. Since this is the last day of 2008, I was thinking that this time last year I had no idea what a lightbox was! I have learned a lot about taking good pictures of very small objects since I started selling my jewelry online. The important things you need are a good camera with macro zoom (already had that, also compliments of my husband), good lighting and a lightbox which eliminates nasty shadows and glare.

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, where there isn't a lot of sunshine, I have taken my photography outdoors and have had great results. The cloudy days here are perfect for giving just enough light without a lot of glare, and editing is kept to a minimum. However, we do get a lot of rain here and I really would like to take pictures anytime of the day and not have to wait for the rain to stop! A couple of weeks ago, I was even outside taking pictures in the snow during our bout with cold weather in temperatures of 20 degrees F. Brrrr....

Here's a few pictures I thought I'd share of my first experiments with it. Granted I shouldn't be taking pictures in a red dining room (I've since moved it)! Here's some beautiful yarn, I bought at our local yarn shop, and a sweater I'm knitting. Oh, how I love knitting but haven't found the time since I really should be making more jewelry. Look at this gorgeous sweater, from Nora Gaughan Collection Vol. 3 in Berocco yarn. I bought the pattern book last August and now I finally got around to getting the yarn. But I digress!

The last photo shows a comparison of two necklaces, the left is a photo I took outside (in the cold) and on the right, a picture I took last night in the lightbox with the lights. I think I'm pretty satisfied, but I'll try taking some more in the daylight where I'll have just a little more natural light to add.

I also wanted to say, thanks for reading my blog this year. My goal is to post more often next year. It has been fulfilling, challenging and discouraging all at the same time to try to think up things that people will actually want to read. Your comments make it all worthwhile and I'm excited when I discover that a new one is added. I am so flattered by all of you who are following and that have signed up for email updates, thank you.

So with that I think I'll go back to my knitting and wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Take care everyone!

Debora

HOW TO MAKE A DISPLAY FOR EARRING CARDS

Recently a friend of mine invited me to a business group in town and asked me to bring all of my jewelry from my Etsy shop Beadin' By the Sea . Since I'd never had to display my earrings before, I had to come up with a quick way to show them off that was portable, compact and pretty. I made this display in about an hour the day before the meeting. I simply leaned them against a wall at the meeting but you could easily support them with a metal easel because they are very lightweight. I happened to have all of the materials on hand including some beautiful black rayon velvet that I'd been hanging onto for years.

I'm sure I'm not the first one to think of making an earring display like this but a quick search on Google didn't provide me with any links so I thought I'd share with you how you can make your own.

This is a great display for your jewelry especially if you make your own earring cards that are simply cards folded in half with holes punched in them.

STEP 1: GATHER YOUR MATERIALS

Here's what you will need:

1. Foam board cut to 12" X 18" (you can make 2 from a 20" X 30" piece of foam board)

2. Thin cotton batting or polyester batting (I used thin cotton quilt batting)

3. Black velvet fabric or your choice of fabric

4. Black satin ribbon 1/4" wide

5. Light duty staple gun

6. Scissors

7. Right angle ruler
8. Black poster board or thick construction paper for backing

9. Cutting blade/knife

10. Cutting mat

STEP 1: CUT Layers to make a sandwich

Using a sharp blade cut the foam board to 12" X 18" or your desired size. Round the corners a little to make it easier to turn the corners when covering. It's not necessary to use the square ruler when cutting the fabrics. Just cut the velvet about 1 1/2" larger than the foam board and the batting about 1/4" larger than the foam board. Round the corners of the fabrics also.

3. STAPLE fabric to the board:

Starting in the center of the longer side gently tug on the layers of fabric and staple a good 1/8" in from the edge of the fabric. Take extra care on the corners by gathering up the fabric with your fingers and putting in a few extra staples. It also helps to trim the batting a little shorter here so it isn't so bulky underneath. Continue tugging and stapling about 1" - 2" apart until you've gone all the way around and you have no puckers on the sides.

4. ADD RIBBON TRIM:

I attached 4 rows of ribbon trim across the shorter width of the board. The center of the first row of ribbon is 1" from the top of the board and each following row (center of the ribbon) is 5" apart. Pull the ribbon fairly tight so when you hang your cards they don't droop from the weight. You may have to experiment with this a little. My first board is a little looser than the first one! Secure the ribbon on the back with one or two staples, crosswise and lengthwise for extra hold.

5. APPLY BACKING:

Cut your poster board (for backing) about a half inch narrower on all sides from your finished board size. Round the corners as you did the foam board and simply staple every 2-3" apart. You can choose to skip this step but why not make it look really professional and cover all uglies on the back!

6. YOU'RE DONE!

Admire your handiwork and hang the top fold of your earring cards around the ribbon. They can easily be removed and rearranged because they simply hang on the ribbon.

Now you have a great looking display, that was easy to make, light on the pocket book and will show off your designs beautifully!

If you have any comments or questions please leave one below and I'll try to help you out!

Making a PMC Button Pendant

DISCOVERY:
This isn't as much a tutorial as just a way to share my latest discovery in working with PMC or Precious Metal Clay. A few months ago I bought some silicone molding compound called "Amazing Mold Putty but had never really found a way to put it to good use. Recently when I was sorting through some things in my sewing room (actually packing for my big move) I came across this beautiful old button. I don't even remember why I bought it or what garment I must have used its mates on... or maybe it was a button that belonged to my mother. I really don't know, but immediately I thought that it would make a great mold for a PMC pendant.

IMPROVISE AND CREATE:
Problem... because PMC shrinks by 10-15% I knew it would be too small after firing, so instead of using the mold I cut around the circle to make a "stamp" instead. After impressing my stamp in the wet clay I added small strokes to create a "pie crust edge" to give it a larger diameter. The picture above shows my stamp (mold) ,the original button, and my pendant before firing. The original button measured 5/8" and my pendant ended up being 5/8" with the added edge to give you an idea of the shrinkage factor.

OXIDIZE:

The picture above is a great example of how the oxidizing process really brings out the details in your silver piece. You'll notice in the after picture there is so much more depth to the floral design, plus as an added bonus it looks much more "vintage" like my button!

DISPLAY:

The last picture shows my new addition to my Etsy shop, Beadin'ByTheSea called "Button Box Treasure".

MORE INSPIRATION:

Now, of course I've looked through some of my clothes and I've discovered one more "pendant worthy" button! I have a feeling you'll be seeing a few more of these designs in my shop. Stay tuned. Of course I have to move first. Yikes in 5 days!

See you later!