Mother's Day

Your mom likes jewelry that is handcrafted, made from beautiful semiprecious gemstones with sterling silver wire wrapped findings?  Then why in the hell do you keep giving her a crappy old breakfast in bed with eggos waffles and orange juice from a jug?  Get on www.etsy.com/shop/ashar and buy her something she would really like. Something she could brag about in the lunch room or the bingo hall or out at cards with the girls. Quit doing the same o, same o!

My son, bless his heart, went to a neighborhood yard sale a Saturday before Mother's day and spent his little bit of money on some wonderful junk jewelry. Then he wrapped it up and that is what I got for Mother's day. But he was 11 and that was wonderful. I still have and wear a few of the pieces because they are funky enough to fit a bohemian/hippie vibe when I am at home, weeding the flower beds.

But my son grew up, and he buys my bobbles from Ashar and I look fabulous. I wear my new jewelry to work, to the store and out with my girls (we don't play cards)!

Happy Mother's Day and do, please Mom with a gift from Ashar. She is tired of toaster waffles!

Ms. T-Kim

To Win at Business Fail at Business

I love to read Etsy Blogs and find out what can make you successful.  This coach, Tara Gentile, reminds us not to be afraid to fail. Try and take the DIY spirit into creating the business side of what to do.  You fail, who cares? Succeed another time.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/etsy-success-workshop-the-dare-of-diy-12517/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Image+-+http%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fstorque%2Fseller-handbook%2Fetsy-success-workshop-the-dare-of-diy-12517%2F&utm_content=etsy_success_042111&utm_campaign=etsy_success_042111

Enjoy!

Turquoise

Turquoise is one of my favorite colors. I find it such a refreshing color and believe it or not, I look great when I wear a turquoise blouse or sweater. 

What is not to like?  Turquoise reminds you of water, it reminds you of gemstones and it reminds you of the sky.  Turquoise will also let you think of Sante Fe or Taos, and it will make you think of Persia or even Egypt.


Facts I found from www.gemstone.org:

• Turquoise has been worn since approximately 3,000 BC
• Persians thought it protected the wearer from an unnatural death.
• Persian scholar Al-Quazwini wrote "that the hand that wears a turquoise and seals with it will never see poverty."

I have always loved turquoise in southwestern jewelry or in big nuggets strung on a single strand. It can look elegant or it can look Blue Jean casual.

Common substitutes for natural turquoise is magnesite.

Etsy or Facebook

I love Etsy.  It is this incredible community of artists who love to join circles, get into teams and basically hang out online sharing their favorite finds throughout the site.  What is not to love?

Then there is Facebook.  An incredible community of folks who love to chat and basically hang out on line.  Some may be artists and some may be perusing their favorite finds online.

But their is a difference.  Etsy is all about E-commerce and Facebook is about friendship and connections.  Oh wait...Etsy is about friendship and Facebook is about what????

 I am so confused.

The confusion comes from our lovely U.S. economy.  It has been such a long time between sales, I get on Etsy to catch up with fellow Etsians to see what they have been creating in their solitary little studios and to show them what I have made in my solitary little studio.  Then we all join circles and do show and tell, give each other advice in our teams and post all the things we have found in our surfing.  We also get to post all the things we love by category in a thing called "Treasuries."  If only Facebook had a treasury....we could really do show and tell to people who are not artists.

Anyways....check out my Etsy site.  And if you are an Etsian (either artist or shopper) join my circle.  Let's share!

www.Etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads

A Bunch of Jump Rings

I am so fickle. My last post was all about spring but I am so over spring....rain, every damn day, rain. Yeah, I know I live in Washington State, but a girl can have enuff....not shoes....not handbags, or beads....but rain. Every day rain. More rain....rain....

So what to do?  I pulled out two different sizes of jump rings and found two pairs of chain nosed pliers and pulled up to the kitchen table.  This was my place to work as I watched Clash of the Titan's on DVD.

I created a beautiful chain maille bracelet and earrings that can be paired with it -oh and another pair of earrings that featured a bone bead. The silver reminds me of rain....glistening rain drops. Tomorrow in honor of the rain I may dig out some green beads from the stash and pair them with some silver. Green leaves with glistening "rain" drops.

Next....brown beads....mud puddles with splashes of silver beads....rain, more rain....rain....more rain....