Thursday, November 28, 2013

Shop Handmade: Black Friday to Cyber Monday Sale + Giveaway!






BIG SALE of the Year! 


25% off EVERYTHING at


THANKSGIVING SALE now through Mon, Dec. 2! 

Use code at checkout: 

THANKS25



Check out my new ornaments 
in the Winter Holiday section! 

Lots of jewelry too!   




--Jewelry to wear for the holidays and
--jewelry for gift-giving!

--Metal components and 
--polymer clay beads 
for those who create jewelry for others!
All handmade, OOAK by Sharyl!

~Browsing is always free!~
Thanks for shopping handmade!


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GIVEAWAY!!!!


{Leave a message on my blog
if you would like to be entered to win
a $20 gift certificate to ...




and check back here or 
make sure I know how to reach you!
Winner announced Tuesday, Dec. 3 
& has 48 hours to respond!}


~Happy Holidays!~


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Please click link below Friday to visit 
the other stores participating in 




So much lovely jewelry and so many beautiful beads! 

So many great sales!

It's a great time to stock up!






Graphics:

"Shop Handmade"  by LoveMyArtJewelry.Blogspot.com
Photographs by SharylsJewelry.artfire.com
Shopping bag:

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Giving Thanks for the Unexpected

--->  News about Thanksgiving Holiday Sale at bottom!  

This year, I'm giving thanks for things new... for surprises.... for things that didn't turn out as planned.   I'm giving thanks for goals unmet, for they left room for other unexpected good things to happen!

I didn't plan to take this photo.  My finger snapped with the camera by my side.  I'm honestly not sure what is in the photo.  It doesn't look like anything in my workroom, but it was taken there.  When I realized I had snapped it, I planned to delete it.  



But right before I hit delete, my eyes saw the photo, and I was immediately attracted to colors, the movement, the light. And for some reason, I loved it, and realized it might be better than any of the carefully-planned photos I had taken today, more eye-catching, more inspiring, more emotionally moving.    

That pretty much sums up my year.   I tried to keep my business going, and have, but didn't write on my blog as much as I normally would... I haven't kept up with email or Facebook as well as I should have.   At the start of the year, I planned to expand my business by getting out to more events and focusing on marketing.  And while I made some small steps, I didn't do any of that in a big way.    However, I surprised myself by suddenly becoming interested in polymer clay.   Some of my goals for the year I've exceeded. Some have gone by the wayside as I focused on different and new projects.   

Sometimes I whine and everyone knows about my little problems.   Sometimes I have a big problem and keep quite about it.   Not because I'm noble or brave, but because I'm not and can't face talking about it much.   We all have our different ways.   



The simple truth is, part way through the year, one of my unexpected  "projects" became taking care of myself in a way I never had before.   When people would say, "You're as young as you feel," I found it terribly depressing.   I felt like I was in my late 90s (and I'm not talking about those spry 90-year-old types), when I was younger than that by many a year.   I walked stooped over, couldn't stand up straight, could barely get out of a chair or roll over in bed.  Walking down the hallway at home, much less grocery shopping, had become incredibly painful. I gave up going up and down stairs.  I stopped leaving the house much at all.   I needed a driver.  I only went to doctor appointments.    

It took some very good, very devoted doctors, months of physical therapy, water therapy, and now yoga too, but I am thankful to say, I can walk upright again!    I can have entire days, even several in a row, when I don't cry or yell out in pain.  I can drive myself places again and do light shopping.   Did I mention I can walk upright?!  :-)   I don't take that for granted at all.   I have little set backs all the time, but I'm full of joy just walking through the house, down a sidewalk, going to the pool to exercise, going to yoga class even though I can't do 1/4 of the moves!  I feel myself getting stronger, and for that, I'm completely, utterly surprised, thankful, and full of hope and joy!


Now I'm thankful for many other things, but I've "confessed" enough here for one day!  Please know I'm always grateful for you, my friends, for sharing this pursuit and joy of artful jewelry making with me and each other!

Wishing each of you a very healthy, safe, and joyful Thanksgiving holiday!  May you have much to be thankful for this year too!  And may every detour bring you closer to something better!

~Sharyl    

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(Believe it or not, it was one of these photographs below I was about to take when I shot the first one above!)

BIG SALE of the Year! 
25% off EVERYTHING
THANKSGIVING SALE now through Mon, Dec. 2! 
Use code at checkout: 
THANKS25




Check out my new ornaments 
in the Winter Holiday section! 
Lots of jewelry too!   



--Jewelry to wear for the holidays and
--jewelry for gift-giving!
--Metal components and 
--polymer clay beads 
for those who create jewelry for others!
All handmade, OOAK by Sharyl!

~Browsing is always free!~
Thanks for shopping handmade!

***********


Friday, November 22, 2013

Designers' Sale--Nov 22-23!



Quick note--  Having a special sale this Friday and Saturday just for designers!

ATTN: DESIGNERS SALE 

Fri/Sat only! (Nov 22-23, 2013)

25% OFF these sections only: 












Use code at checkout: DESIGNERS25

These and many more at:


With gratitude for your following and hope this helps with your holiday designing!  Many thanks!  ~Sharyl

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Saturday, November 16, 2013

Lisa Lodge's "Lampwork and Clay Blog Hop 2013" - Reveal

Lisa Lodge, of  the blog, "A Grateful Artist" and store, Pine Ridge Treasures, has organized yet another amazing blog hop for jewelry designers.  This one is the "Lampwork & Clay Blog Hop," and since I love both, I couldn't resist taking part!  

Lampwork & Clay Blog Hop Participant



We got to choose our preference for a kit,  lampwork or clay.   That's pretty much a tie for me, but I selected clay this time! 

And in the kit I purchased, I received lovely pieces made by some of the best clay artists I know!   (Did I think to take a "before" photo?  Of course not!)  But there were six round beads in stone colors with hues of earthy green, pale blue, and tan made by Gaea and a mint-green leaf pendant by Marla James (Marla's Mud).

The rest of the beads were to be from our own collection, not things we went out and purchased, but that we already had.   No worries, these are my favorite colors, so I was ready to get started!


This photo highlights those gorgeous Gaea beads--all in stone-like colors!







You can see some of what I added too, various glass and stone beads the color of turquoise and a few Czech glass in brown with a sparkly finish.  There are also sterling silver accent beads and a sterling silver bail.  



Farther up the neck, are pale blue glass seed beads and Czech glass beads, then finally, hand-dyed silk ribbon in darker green, blue, and a bit of tan.  There is a slider bead in back to keep the ribbon in place and enough ribbon length to tie a bow for a nice, soft finish.

Back to the front for the focal,...



Along with the lovely, intricate mint-green ceramic leaf, I added a mood bead that seemed just the right size, design, and colors and repeated the tan Czech beads.  






My sincere thanks to Lisa for hosting this event, to the artists whose beads I had the honor of working with, and to all the other participants!   

I hope you'll hop around and see what they created too!  The list with links follows!  ~Sharyl


Hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes
Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry          <== You are here!
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Linda Aspenson Bergstrom, TBD

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Judy Turner, Silver Rains
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Kathleen Douglas, Washoe Kat's
Connie Tipton, TBD
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
Michele Dotson, Star Jewels
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware
Jennifer Clifford, TBD
Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations
Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread
Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems
Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles (reveal will be delayed a few days)

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Save 20% Nov. 16-18, 2013 at the Pre-holiday sale!
Use code:  PRE20
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