It's been a great year!

"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do" 

- Rumi

 

Dear friends and fans,

2011 has been a wonderful year!  I am thankful to all of you for your support and encouragement.  I am so happy that I'm able to make pieces that you love to wear and wear in love.  It was around this time last year that I begin to think about making jewelry for myself more regularly and I toyed with the notion of making jewelry for others as well.  By January, I was determined to open a Etsy shop.  Opening the shop and having a line launch were months away, but I began building an inventory based around materials I thought were beautiful.

Rumi's words (see the epigraph above) resonate within me deeply.  Through my jewelry making, I seek to cultivate happiness, love, and beauty in my life and in the lives of others.  I may sound sentimental, but I truly enjoy it all... from a flawless execution of a design to restringing and adjusting a necklace two or three times.

As you may have noticed, I have taken a break from creating during this busy holiday season to focus on my family and to prepare for my comprehensive PhD exams, which will take place in February.  I look forward to making a few pieces in January and February and I should be back to a regular jewelry crafting routine by March.  

In the meantime, I'm planning many designs including multi-strand showstoppers, minimalist earrings, and color-filled necklaces.  You'll also see a Frida Kahlo necklace series, new materials including solid copper and brass and more sterling silver.  And, I'll begin making my own earwires and other metalwork designs as time and practice allow.  I have a lot planned for 2012, and I look forward to sharing my vision and designs with all of you.

Many thanks to you all and happy new year!

Jameela

Kathmandu Dreams III

...Kathmandu Dreams III

I think "Kathmandu Dreams III" is just lovely and the combination of yellow, blue, and red exudes sunshine and warmth. It is the third necklace in my Kathmandu Dreams series.

The focal point of this necklace is the solid brass pendant, which features coral, resin, and turquoise inlay. The pendant, which was designed and handmade by a Nepalese artisan, invokes a horseshoe shape finished by a dramatic flourish of red coral and blue turquoise.

 One set of handmade Nepalese yellow resin beads echo the resin in the pendent and bring a sense of unity to the design. Coin shaped blue Val Verde turquoise with lovely matrices, faceted deep red coral complete, and tiny handmade solid brass beads complete this necklace.

Turquoise is a powerful healing stone that can help wearers with meditation, balance, and communication. It is also a protective stone that enhances love, friendship, and loyalty. Coral brings peace, settles emotions, and protects against depression. It also helps with intuition and visualization (source: www.thatcrystalsite.com).

Including the artisan-crafted solid brass clasp, this moderately lightweight necklace is an impressive 22" long, or matinee length. The pendant is 3 1/2" long by 2" wide. The resin beads are 1 1/2" by 1/2".

Available on Etsy!

New Listings This Week!

Here's what's new this week!

Click the link below each image for more details.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88038530/purple-jade-22k-gold-plated-flower

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88039960/purple-jade-peacock-freshwater-pearls

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88035775/kukui-nut-platinum-plated-kidney-wires

http://www.etsy.com/listing/88032511/faceted-turquoise-white-agate-with-bali

New pieces!

A few new pieces are available on Etsy!

See the "December Bracelet," "Blue Empress Earrings," "Winter's Gold Earrings," and "Red Flowers in Snow" Earrings!

Small Business Saturday Sale!

I'm celebrating Small Business Saturday with a SALE!

Select items have been marked down!  I've created a "Small Business Saturday" section in my shop so that everything will be easy to locate.

Enjoy the savings and don't forget about the Winter Holiday Promos!

***

If you spend $50-$99.99, before shipping and handling costs, use the code HOLIDAY7 to receive 7% off your purchase.

If you spend $100 or more, before shipping and handling costs, use the code HOLIDAY10 to receive 10% off your purchase.

These promotions will run from until 12:59 PST December 29, 2011.

*** 

EXTENDED THROUGH MONDAY 11/28! See the "Cyber Monday" Section

*SOLD* Bohemian Engagement II: OOAK Necklace

Bohemian Engagement II

 This one-of-a-kind necklace is fun, bohemian, and full of texture and pattern. The necklace will make a statement with its asymmetrical design and black cinnabar lucky fish focal piece.  This is the second in my bohemian engagement series, which means it was born on a whim (the materials found themselves together and I liked the way they looked!).

Blue mosaic turquoise, green cinnabar, and black and gold Lucite globes make up the composition and hematite rondelles near the ends of the necklace add interest.  This necklace is 16 1/2", so it rests just above the collarbone beautifully.  (See the first image featuring a life-size bust.)

Available on Etsy!

Kathmandu Dreams II (is finally here)

Kathmandu Dreams II

Kathmandu Dreams II" is full of color and has a bold, geometric-inspired design.  It is the second necklace in my Kathmandu Dreams series. The focal point of this necklace is the solid brass pendant, which features a brass spiral design and turquoise, coral, and lapis inlay. The pendant, which was designed and handmade by a Nepalese artisan, marries geometric styling and feminine details.  Two sets of handmade Nepalese beads add texture and interest: one set is four sided with lapis and turquoise, and the second set is two-sided with lapis and turquoise.  Blue turquoise with lovely matrices, lapis with natural flecks of golden pyrite, faceted red jasper, and pyrite rondelles complete this necklace. 

 
Lapis and Turquoise are December birthstones, so this would make the perfect gift for the December-born woman in your life.

Lapis is known for its protective, stress relieving, and peace enhancing qualities. It also encourages self-awareness, self-expression, and enhances one's sense of confidence. Turquoise is a powerful healing stone that can help wearers with meditation, balance, and communication. It is also a protective stone that enhances love, friendship, and loyalty.

Coral brings peace, settles emotions, and protects against depression.  It also helps with intuition and visualization.  Jasper, a stone of selflessness, is considered the "mother of all stones bringing about Love of all mankind."  Red jasper helps relieve pain and bring calm. 

Pyrite, also known as Fool's Gold, is grounding, encourages positivity and the release of old emotional baggage. It is also a protective and enhances one's "intelligence, mental stability, logic, analysis, creativity, memory, and psychic development" (source: www.thatcrystalsite.com).

Including the artisan-crafted solid brass clasp, this necklace is an impressive 23" long, or matinee length.  The pendant is 2 3/4" long by nearly 2" wide.  The four sided beads are 1 1/8" by 1/4" and the two sided beads are 1 3/8" by 3/4".

Available on Etsy!

Holiday Earrings: Warm Cider and Chestnut Flowers

 Warm Cider Earrings

These fun earrings are perfect for the holiday season (and beyond)!

My "Warm Cider" earrings feature vintage rust moonglow globes, red agate stones with white bands,antique brass discs, and kidney wires.  These lightweight earrings are just under 2" long from the top of the kidney wire to the bottom of the Lucite globes.  The Lucite globes are just under a 1/2" in diameter.

Available on Etsy!

***

 Chestnut Flowers Earrings

These rustic earrings are also perfect for the holiday season (and beyond)!

My "Chestnut Flowers" earrings feature carved horn globes and floral antique copper globes hung on antique brass kidney wires.  These lightweight earrings are 2 1/2" long from the top of the kidney wire to the bottom of the antique copper globes.  The horn globes are just over 3/4" in diameter.  

Available on Etsy! 

More earrings crafted with the holiday season in mind coming soon! 

*SOLD* Pele's Ocean Necklace & Bracelet Now on Etsy!

Check out the details about the 

"Pele's Ocean" collection on Etsy!

Click here!

Click here!

Gift Packaging

Gift Packaging...

Art is my first love and I love to draw freehand, so each piece that comes in a cotton-filled gift box will arrive in something like the following pictures.  

No two designs are a like.   They are all spontaneous and free hand.  If you are buying a gift for someone else, and you would like a design that has more flowers, more blue, more tendril-ly doodles, let me know and I will do my best to oblige!   

I will ship a gift to a recipient's address!  Just indicate her address as the Etsy shipping address and make sure you let me know in the "message to seller" field any special messages for your recipient! 

For the holidays, I'll be adding a USPS Priority Mail shipping option.  I'll let you know when it is available.

The gold looks beautiful as it picks up light in this more traditional floral based design.

This is a more bold, bohemian design.

This design is colorful and strikes a balance between bohemian and traditional.

 

An example of what items will arrive in if it is not indicated they will arrive in a cotton-filled box.

Also, don't forget about the winter holiday promotions!

And, local folks, the Pawfect Match Rescue Howliday Shop is just a week and a half away!  Soon, I'll post preview pictures of items I'll be featuring next weekend.

Now on Etsy: Tara Necklace

Tara

Closeup of pewter flower pendant

  Buy on Etsy

Río de Rosas: Custom Necklace

One more custom order to complete a full week!

Río de Rosas, or River of Roses, is a special one-of-a-kind custom necklace featuring 251 beads plus a beautifully faceted rose quartz briolette.  Well over half of the beads used in this necklace are 1X1mm or less, so stringing this necklace was an intense effort!

Perfectly symmetrical, each side of the necklace has 47 iridescent iris blue Delica® glass seed beads, 10 turquoise rounds, 20 blue turquoise and blue howlite chips, 20 rose quartz chips, 23 pieces of tiny hand-faceted Karen Hill Tribe silver beads (which are at least 97% pure silver), and four rose quartz rondelles.  Three tiny iris blue seed beads complete the rhodium-plated clasp and closure for an added personal touch.  Adding flourish and interest to the rose quartz briolette is a swag of turquoise beads on sterling silver hardware, upcycled from a pair of earrings I no longer wear.  I love how the colors interact in this little space and throughout the necklace, and I hope its future owner will love it too!

closeup of seed beads & Hill Tribe silver

Turquoise is a powerful healing stone that can help wearers with meditation, balance, and communication.  It is associated with Taurus and Aquarius.  Turquoise is a protective stone that enhances love, friendship, and loyalty.  Silver draws out negative energy and encourages non-judgement and self-approval.  Like turquoise, howlite is useful for communication and helps with memory, learning, facilitating awareness and emotional expression.  Linked with Gemini and the crown chakra, howlite helps alleviate stress while eliminating procrastination.

close up of rose quartz briolette and turquoise swag

 Associated with the heart chakra and the signs Aries, Taurus, Virgo, and Libra, rose quartz is a stone of "unconditional love."  It encourages all forms of love including self-love, self-confidence, and romantic love.  It also brings forgiveness and gentleness, tolerance and acceptance, and increased receptivity to colors, sounds, art, music, and poetry.  Rose quartz helps boost creativity and is calming, reducing stress, clears anger, resentment, guilt, fear, and jealously.  It is truly an amazing stone!

New pieces! (Preview)

I'll have more detailed information about these one-of-a-kind pieces soon!  All of these items will be with me at the Pawfect Match Rescue Howliday Shop event on November 19 (as will the rest of my Bohemian Earth pieces). I plan to post at least one of the pieces below for sale on Etsy before the 19th.

Pele's Ocean Necklace - $41

Pewter, Turquoise, & Lava

Pele's Ocean Bracelet - $21

Turquoise, Faceted Silver Beads, Toggle Clasp, & Turquoise and Lava Dangle

Tara Necklace - $52 (To be posted on Etsy this week!)

Pewter, Mosaic Turquoise, Bone, Cinnabar, & Buddha Toggle Clasp

Save 7% on this necklace on Etsy and at the Pawfect Match Rescue Howliday 

Shop when you use or mention (in-person) the code 

HOLIDAY7--see this post

Latest Custom Pieces

Two custom pieces I completed today!

"Lauren" Earrings

 

When I finished these earrings, I said, "They are very Lauren!"  So, I named them after her (and hope she feels the same!). 

 

Faceted turquoise, lovely cut natural garnet, and silver-line chocolate Delica® seed beads compose these simple, yet dramatic, earrings.  Turquoise is a powerful healing stone that can help wearers with meditation, balance, and communication.  It is associated with Taurus and Aquarius.  Turquoise is a protective stone that enhances love, friendship, and loyalty.  Garnet is also a stone associated with healing and health and is believed to increase creative powers and encourage action.  It has been known as a stone of devotion and stimulates the base and crown Chakras, which helps energy flow positively.  Garnet is associated with Scorpio and Aquarius.

"Apolloneia" Earrings

These earrings make me think of the warmth of the sun.  So, I named them Apolloneia, which is a female variant of the Greek god Apollo's name.  Apollo is the god of the sun, music, poetry, and light and knowledge among other things. 

Wood beads from Indonesia, natural white coral, and gold textured wavy discs on top of ornate headpins compose these elegant earrings.  The wood beads, from Indonesia, are handcrafted, which means that each one is slightly different, but they all have a starry night-like patten.  Coral is known for its ability to bring internal peace, settle emotions, and aids intuition, visualization, and the circulatory and nervous systems. Coral is associated with the sun sign Libra.