What jewelry are YOU buying for the Holidays?

Are you buying Gold...Silver...Earrings...Bracelets...What????
Just curious, of course.
I'm on my never-ending quest to find out what people want these days. Not to say that I'm clueless - I know what my current customers are buying.  I also know that as long as there are females (mostly females) on this earth that there will be a desire for jewelry.  And, since I want to be YOUR jewelry designer it matters to me what you are looking for.

It suprises me that folks are willing to purchase gold and silver plated items knowing that they will tarnish beyond repair and despite my general unwillingness to do so, I may actually break down and purchase some gold filled/plated findings.

For those of you not familiar - Findings are the bare bones of jewelry making...clasps, crimps, beads, headpins, jumprings, wire,  etc...all the the fastenings that hold the goods together.

Back to gold filled findings...I guess I can understand this for jewelry items not used every day as the price of solid gold is over 1K per ounce.  I always think of heirloom quality to pass down to your children - and grandchildren.  BUT, if that is what the buyer wants...I guess I will do my best pricing to keep the customer in solid gold - but if not successful - a sale in my shop is a sale I want to keep in my shop.  Make sense?

So far as silver plate is concerned - I will stick with Sterling Silver. The price of sterling is at a high these days, but not so high that I will substitute inferior product....and I promise you won't regret that.

Tah - Tah for now....

Did you miss me?

It's been a week - did you miss me?

October is Birthday month in my immediate family.  We have a stretch of 4 day intervals for a couple of weeks including my Mother-in-Laws 94th which was over the past weekend.  So, between that and my Open House on Sunday...I'm still trying to catch up. 

Deb Davey from Australia (Two Cheeky Monkeys - Etsy shop) won my Pink Tourmaline ring that was a featured giveaway at MistyRidge Design's Blog. I hope she LOVES it!

Not feeling too chatty today - so l will keep it short. I have a custom order that I need to finish tonight so I'll be on my way!
Holla back...

Open House on Sunday

Every day is a challenge - should I just list to my various stores or should I be making more stock? I'm not a depression child, but was definitely raised by one so I never think I have enough.
I made one bracelet today.
And, I'm keeping you all up to date on my blog.
I have a custom order that I will start tonite as I got the components that I needed today - save one but it is the finishing piece anyway.
I also have a detailed marquise citrine and ruby beaded necklace that I am working on.  It will have a double swag affect that is strung on beading wire and then attached to...either yellow gold or white gold chain. 
My dilemma - I like yellow gold and feel it compliments the yellow of the citrine beads AND the red of the rubies. Most people today are wearing white gold or sterling silver and it would look OK this way too..but...
Any opinions?  Of course, I want to sell it. Let me know your thoughts!
Now, on to my open house on Sunday.
My daughter-in-law Christina asked me if she could have a home party at my house. 
Sure, I said.
Well, she pointed out to me that we could double up and have it be a jewelry party as well.
Sure, I said.
I washed my windows in the living room today and changed my drapes from summer/fall to fall/winter. I need a focal for the center of the traverse rod that pulls all of my colors together - so I will be digging for something tomorrow.  I am seeing something with fringe that would pull together reds, blues, pinks, dark wood and antique furniture.  I will also need to set up my displays in a cohesive fashion.
Wanna come?
If you are in Massachusetts and feel like making the trip, leave a comment.  I promise I will get back to you.  Leave an email address to reach you.
Ciao!

Halfway Through October!

I've noticed over the years that Halloween as a celebrated holiday just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Well, I've never been big on "dressing up" for costume parties  - actually, I always thought of my birthday (10/18)  as the end of celebrations til Thanksgiving & Christmas and then a huge break from birthdays and more expense until the birthdays in my immediate family start rolling again the end of April.  I'm not particularly "set in my ways" but I just cannot afford more for Halloween than candy for the "trick or treaters" that ring my doorbell on Halloween night!  You see, I'm one of those Christmas shoppers that start early and don't stop until the stores close.  That's when it is over for me!
Not because I think that everyone is or should be like me BUT just in case I have a full store of  affordable jewelry gifts for your giftees...come check them out.  More than 1/2 of the inventory is under $30.00 but see for yourself @  http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5722713 .

I've got a couple of new necklaces in longer lengths.  The 1st is 36 Inches of Sterling Silver chain with huge blocks of natural light Amethyst every 12 inches.  There is no clasp, but this necklace is long enough to wear doubled in several ways.

Also, a double strand - 42 inches of very light red Carnelian Rounds with Sterling Silver Cubes and a shorter strand of  Golden Coral Tubes, Bronze Freshwater Pearls and Hessonite Garnet Rondels. The colors contrast and blend beautifully and the two necklaces are totally independent of each other with separate sterling silver clasps - but are actually designed to be worn together! TWO for the price of ONE!

These necklaces will be listed in my Etsy store - and likely my eBay store as well.  If you are interested in them before they are listed...just leave a comment on my blog here and I'll see what we can do.  Oh, the price?  $29.99 for the Sterling and Amethyst piece and $34.99 for the Double Strand of Caramels and Browns!

Ciao for Now...

Some GREAT Holiday Gifts...Come See

As much as I want all of you to do all of your Holiday shopping with me (sm) I really want to share with you some of the CUTEST items that I have picked up for my grandkids.
1st - My granddaughter Samira, my one and only, is such a girly girl it's never hard to shop for her but she literally has everything....Well, I was perusing the Etsy Alchemy list (as usual, looking for work and looking to see what is selling) and I saw the cutest pens that were personalized....
So, you know I had to check them out. But you've got to see them too...

The maker of these beaded personalized pens is Dava6 -  http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5976373 and she made these and had em shipped them to me in about 2 hrs flat! And, I had my choice of colors, choice of clip art, and choice of ink color even. Fabulous customer service and eager to please.  Just the way we want all of our shopping experiences to be. So, check out Dava's shop. In addition to these adorable pens, she also does hand stamping creations in birthday and all occasion cards,  journals - I even see some "Twighlight" themed merchandise in her store! Dava's got 2 "littles" and could use the work - Please do yourself a favor and check her out!

Now, on to another Etsy handmade find...

I was looking for some little shoes for my youngest grandson DJ.  He's a little slip of a 15 month old  boy who has some health issues and is always cold so, I was looking and looking and looking through the many Etsy pages of shoes and slippers until I found "Shoopers".  OMG - these were perfect, warm enough to keep his little feet warm while indoors, but durable enough with a textured faux leather sole so that on quick trips out DJ can keep his shoopers on! Now, did I forget to say that DJ's Mom and Dad, Sis and Bro are all HUGE Steelers Fans?  Well, that was the deal breaker right there. And, here is a pic of them...

I can't wait for him to see these! DJ's whole nursery is Steelers! Well, credit to the Etsy store on these. Check out Momsblankies @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6222259 where Mom Shaunna makes her "unique and stylish gifts for babies".

So, that's it for today.
GREAT weekend to all...

Sold in Five Minutes Flat!

I guess it doesn't take much to amaze me - and I'm always so happy with sales, so imagine how tickled I was to complete listing 5 items on Etsy last evening and found that a pair of bright orange faceted carnelian and sterling silver earrings I had listed had sold before I even finished listing the matching bracelet! I figure they sold within minutes of listing...now why doesn't that happen all of the time?

That is one of the really great things about having an Etsy shop...your listings are posted for all to see, and some really do watch the listings as they come up and grab really quickly whatever it is that they like.  Perhaps it was the bright orange that caught this young womans eye...

Anyway, I'm still ramping up for the Holidays.  I do see some clear trends, but am wondering what are you seeing? Feel free to leave comments.  I would love to hear your point of view.

S'all for now...

Stretch Bracelets for Nerve Damaged Wrists in 14K and Gemstones...

Well, I know I didn't create stretchy bracelets but I call the ones I make my "Comfort Line" or "Signature" Pieces.  Why?  Because I make them out of 10K, 14K and 18K Yellow, Rose and White Gold...and yes of course Sterling Silver too.  Add Precious and Semi-Precious Gemstones to the mx and what you have is an incredibly lite and comfortable bracelet that can be worn by women or men that have had nerve damage in their hands or wrists and cannot normally tolerate a watch even on their wrist.  That would be me - and I now have made hundreds of them for people with the same problems.

Oh yeah...
AND, they won't snag your hose or tights
OR, catch on your delicate fabrics
ALSO, they are less expensive than a typical bracelet in Silver or Gold because you're eliminating a clasp, crimps, jumprings etc...

What do you think of these?  They are custom made - just think about your favorite gems and what you would like them to look like on a bracelet..

Then there are far less formal and less expensive bracelets - more gems than gold ...

The price for what you see above ranges from $19.99 to $75.00 and even though I mention that I make my "Comfort" bracelets in Sterling Silver - all of the bracelets that you see above are in 14K Yellow Gold, 10K Rose Gold and 14K White Gold

You can place orders here on my blog site through the comment link - or at my Etsy store - for which you'll find a link on the right column on this blog.

I also sell them on eBay as seller janae33 and janaes jewels & jems or http://www.janaesjewelsandjems.com/

Think that about covers it..

Any questions - let me know!

Solitary Sunday, World War I Souvenir of France SILK Apron, Vintage Linens...and more

As Hubby is helping eldest son in his kitchen design, I am taking a restful day puttering through my blogs and catching up on others news as well as my own. With the help of others I have experienced a huge increase in hits to my Etsy shop which will hopefully translate to Holiday shopping and sales.
Specifically, thanks to Heather of Misty Ridge Designs http://mistyridgedesigns.blogspot.com/ for sponsoring one of my semi-precious gemstone rings in her blog giveaways. There is still ONE week to go, so it isn't too late to sign up to win this beauteous Pink Tourmaline, White Sapphire, Sterling Silver Ring! Just click on the url and look on the left column for "blog giveaway".
C'mon - it's a win-win for sure.
On to other fronts...I have been listing and selling Vintage Linens for a dear family friend who is caring for her Mom in assisted living. Mom is suffering from Alzheimers disease. Assisted living is very costly and all self pay in this case so the family is liquidating all assets to keep Mom in the very best care. My ebay shop is chock full of Tablecloths, Napkins, Tea cloths, Pillow Cases, Scarves, Runners, Doilies and more.
One of my featured articles up for auction and very, very special is a Post World War I "Souvenir of France" silk apron.  It is one of the very delicate embroidered types made out of the most fine of silks and is in exceptional condition. Please check out my auction and/or spread the word to any of your acquaintances that collect Antique items from the Post World War I era.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350261133698&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Isn't it just gorgeous?

The bid price is really low right now with no reserve. Check it out!
So, what else is new?
Today feels like a comfort food day. It's in the low 60's but will drop very low tonite.  Maybe some hot soup or stew for dinner?  Kale soup with Portuguese sausage (Linguica) would be wonderful. Do any of you deliver? (sm)
I guess that's it for now.
Love to all...

Where did the week go? It seems like just yesterday I was planning for the day of ironing and listing vintage linens with sis Kate and friend Laurie. Well it's Friday again, and it's been a busy week and I've missed a couple of days here. I'll try not to make it a habit!

Welcome Kate...

I twisted her arm to follow my blog.

I'll try to keep it fun.

Anyway - finished up some Etsy Alchemy work last night. I had two fabulous customers wanting entirely different type designs. One in 14K Yellow Gold and one in Sterling Silver.
                                                       The 1st picture is Hessonite Garnet Rondels attached to a 14K yellow gold chain.

The 2nd picture - Handblown glass beads - 28mm Rounds on Sterling Silver chain with a toggle clasp.

I made a bunch of stretch bracelets - I call them my signature pieces. I have nerve damage in my wrists and lots of athritis throughout mybody and as much as I love jewelry, it isn't always easy to wear it due to the weight of it. Now, I know that stretchy bracelets are not new, but I make them with 10K & 14K gold beads in white rose and yellow gold. So, you have the luxury of solid gold or gemstone and gold bracelets but without the heaviness of the metal and clasps. I'll post a couple when I take pics...and will let you know where I list them.            

Not sure what's up for the weekend.

I'll probably touch base at least once.

As for all of you...Have a great one and think about letting me hook you and yours up for the holidays!!!!

Janaes Jewels...Who Am I?

You probably wouldn't guess, but I am a Project Manager by trade.  Oh, an UNemployed Project Manager that is.  I was an early victim of our economy fall out early in the fray back in February of 2008. I worked in data and telecom for Strategic Products and Services in New Jersey>Netversant New England in Boston, MA>Avaya in Braintree, MA>Expanets in Braintree, MA>Lucent Technologies in Providence RI>AT&T General Business Systems in Boston, MA>AT&T Communication>Middleboro, Taunton and Wareham, MA.
From 1986 - 2008 I was a mover and shaker for AT&T and did what I called the AT&T Shuffle.  In other words, I did the jobs I needed to do where they needed to be done and at whatever time they needed to be done.  Originally my motive was for the promise of a pension and benefits.  But as you can see from my "spin" as the mother company AT&T went public and started to split...and split...and split... I ended up far from home, traveling way too much and working more than a double 40 hour work week.

Lost my pension...worked harder to make up for it

Companies bought and sold...worked harder to make up for it

Industry went BUST...still working harder TRYING to make up for it

What has this to do with anything?  Well, after years of working all of my faculties to the bone I have been trying to make my "passion" be my bread maker.  You see, jewelry making was a relaxing way for me to unwind in an anonymous hotel room after a grueling day with my clients...
My sister Kate and I started with "Kates Kreative", she being the beader and me the business woman and stone setter. Kate has the passion I do, but not the drive, so eventually we parted ways and I became the one woman show that I am today.  I do understand the difference between us...Kate gives up easily and I am too thick headed to give up! So, I'm still here, for the duration and I'm counting on all of you, dear readers, to help me stay here.

I am thrilled with the crossover of bloggers from Misty Ridge Designs to me here whilst trying to win the donated Pink Tourmaline Ring I sponsored to Misty Ridge. Heather's Misty Ridge's button is here on my blog.  Jump on over and check out the give away's requirements and take a chance.  That's what life is all about - right?

Besides, the holidays are coming and this is a really pretty ring that any female in your life would appreciate - especially if that particular female has an October Birthday (like me...10/18 ).
So, this is a small piece of who I was to make me who I am today...

Peace...OUT

Setting Gemstones, Misty Ridge Blog Giveaway, Autumn Leaves

Lots going on today!

As I have said before, almost all of my bench skills are self taught and I am always amazed when I see the proper and much easier way to do things right!  Like setting gemstones... I had a 30 minute lesson this morning from Greg Levin - bench jeweler extraordinaire - from Ernie Ross Jewelers and OMG how much simpler and faster the process is when you properly prepare a setting for the gem.  It was truly eye opening for me.

I need to sell more because I need to invest more in tools because as we all know "time is money" and I'm spending way too much time doing bench work manually...

I'm listing new jewelry pieces everyday on all of my sites readying myself for the holidays. Don't be shy - check out my goods and see how affordable my prices are. I'm shooting for one stop shopping here - and I'm serious when I say that. If you have $100.00 to spend - how many pieces of  precious metal gemstone jewelry would you expect to be able to buy?  Well, if you are super frugal, you could probably purchase 5 pieces in my Etsy store.  Actually the collection of 5 pieces you see below cost $84.96. So, I was off - you can actually purchase 6 pieces! What you see here is:

Picture One - A triple strand necklace of multi semi-precious gemstones with Sterling Silver findings for $29.99

Picture Two -  A pair of Sterling Silver, Citrine and Freshwater Pearl earings for $12.99

Picture Three - Swarovski Crystal and Freshwater Pearl Bracelet with Sterling Silver for $14.99

Picture Four - Aquamarine and Blue Sapphire Sterling Silver Ring for $14.99

Picture Five - Tree Agate and Sterling Silver Bracelet for $11.99

So what do you think of that??? Please let me know. Send me comments...

Oh, and important notice.  I have DONATED a Sterling Silver Pink Tourmaline Ring to Misty Ridge for her weekly giveaway.  Whoever wins this ring will receive it directly from me - FREE SHIPPING of course to anywhere in the US or International. Link to Misty Ridge here to sign up for this giveaway. Oh, and do me a favor - follow me too! I hate to think that I'm talking to myself here (hellloooooo).

Have you seen how pretty the fall leaves are these days? They sure are beauteous here in New England.  The weather is mild as well - sunny and low 70's during the day. What more can you ask for in the Northeast when you are approaching mid October without turning the heat on!


All for now.

Uh-Oh... Did I Miss October First?

See what happens when one has Tantrums? Only kidding.  I've been a bit fractured this week trying all sorts of new things like Entrecard (See the 1st sponsored ad to your right).  If you click it, it will help to increase my online exposure - and then I might be able to reach some folks other than my FIVE faithful friends from Etsy!
I have much to learn - but then I have much to share as well.
I make one of a kind jewelry, I bead, I twist wire, I work in precious metals.  I also set stones! Now that is really difficult to do well.  Any idea how many precious and semi-precious gemstones I've fractured? Like Emeralds, Rubies, Kyanite, Opals...
Some gems are almost indestructable...I've learned to "play" with them on difficult projects.
I'm self taught, but this coming Monday I am going to have a real lesson and I'm pretty excited.  It should make life easier for me because I really love making rings and don't see myself quitting anytime soon...
Tonite I set a pretty 6mm faceted Phrenite in Sterling Silver - a really pretty color of smoky green and eye clean! It is a trillion stone (triangle shaped) which in a round setting looks like a heart.
Yesterday I set a 11x8mm pear shaped Tangerine Garnet also in Sterling Silver. The Garnet is bright Orange and a little over 2 CTW. You can see it in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31938745

Also a 12mm round Solitaire Blue Sapphire Ring. This is quite large and weighs in at just over 5 CTW. The setting is Sterling Silver as well.  Have you seen the price of Gold and Platinum this week?  Over $1k per ounce.  It's crazy.  If you want to look at my ring though...here goes:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31939926

That's all for now.  I'm still listing Vintage linens on eBay for any of you that might be interested.  If you scroll to the bottom you'll see my eBay listings on my Plumdrop showcase.

Til tomorrow...
Peace out.