Most and Least Favorites

I think we all have our favorite parts of the jewelry business.  In addition to actually making the jewelry, learning about new tools, and techniques, and getting to meet nice people with similar interests, I've had one part of it I never expected to enjoy.   Photography!

My, how awful my photos were in the beginning! I've written multiple bog posts about it and my progress along the way.  (I had a period where all photos looked yellow, and another when they all looked blue.)  

For quite a long while I was in a macrophotography group and we shared our close-up photos each Sunday.  

I really enjoyed from that and learned a lot.  (I love taking photos of flowers, but also practiced on jewelry photos, furniture, buttons, all kinds of objects!)  And I've learned a lot from Facebook groups, blogs, books, and more.   There's always room for improvement and hopefully, I'll keep improving at photography as well as my jewelry and bead making skills!

My light tent for indoor jewelry photos.
Most of my photos are taken this way
so I can photograph in the night and all kinds of weather!

I'd love to hear hear what YOU enjoy most!   The feel of clay between your fingers?   Getting to pound on metal?    Jewelry displays and shows?  

I have 2 "least favorites"  too.   One is listing items ready to sell in my stores.  

My laptop stops smiling at me... 

and looks more like this during listing times.  I have piles of beads and jewelry that need listing.  I'll be trying to do more of that soon!    I am liking "copy" feature in Etsy rather than having to recreate every entry from scratch!   If any of you have other special tricks, procedures, or routines for listing products in your store, I hope you will share!


Finally, my absolute least favorite thing about the business is figuring TAXES.  I don't mind paying them nearly as much as I dislike preparing them!   UGH...   In fact, that is the task I've been working on lately and finished today... just in time to meet with the accountant.  




Now if any of you have found a way to keep good records throughout the year so you don't have an annual (or quarterly) nightmare, I would FOR SURE love to hear your secrets! For now, the good news for me is that hard part about doing my taxes this year is done--Oh happy day!

Please drop and line and share your most and least favorites and any tips you'd like to add!  I love hearing from you!

~Sharyl

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Images:
Photograph of Light Tent by Sharyl
Clip art:   wpclipart.com

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The Gift of Blarney

And now... on to County Cork, home of ...

That's it, one of the most famous landmarks in Ireland, the Blarney Castle!  (Of course it has quite a history!)

I admit, I wasn't so keen to go to this site, thinking I had read all about it and there would be more interesting sites to see.   WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

There were quaint cafes (which I didn't stop in, but enjoyed from outside)...

The best gift shops we saw the entire time in Europe...

Irish musicians,...

Beautiful grounds with creeks and streams...

The most amazing gardens and trails...

(I think I'll have to do a separate post of the flowers at Blarney!   They were so gorgeous, I took too many to include here!)

And finally, yes, the Blarney Castle itself,... which was MUCH more imposing and impressive than I had ever imagined!

(One of us kissed the Blarney Stone, but it wasn't me!)  

Every step taken leads to another scenic view! 

(Maybe I'll show you some of the fabulous nooks and crannies with the garden photos next time!) 

We all agreed.  There couldn't have been a better way to spend the day!    So glad we went!

Go raibh maith agaibh!  (Thank you!)  Sláinte mhaith! (Good health) 

~Sharyl

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All photos by Sharyl, c. 2014.  

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Sale on all-things-Celtic 

ends Sun, 6/29/14!

Sale prices already marked.  

No coupon code needed!

Click here for Sharyl's Jewelry 

(and components) 

Celtic collection!

Thanks!

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This-n-That, 6/17/14

I brought back a nasty little bug (virus-type, not as cute as one in image) from Europe but I'm slowly improving.   While I continue to catch up on things, thought I'd share a few bits of "This-n-That" with you today!

1)  For fun, let's start with flowers currently blooming in my yard!  :-)

Large hosta in bloom in the front yard.

As many of you will know,
hydrangeas are one of my favorites each year
and keep their blooms much of the summer!
These grow on the North side of the house
and provide me with color inspiration!

2) I've been working on metal components for the store recently.   I did a custom order for altered metals last week and made some extras for the store.  These and more are already listed.

Samples of newly added altered metals.

Items in this section are typically raw brass pieces

I purchase and treat with layers of color patinas & sealants

for a unique look.

Now I'm at work on handmade metals and hope to get those sealed, photographed, and added to Sharyl's Jewelry this week.   Below is a "sneak-peak!"

Items in the Handmade Metal Components section
start with metal disks or sheet metal I cut,
then emboss, punch, shape, colorize, and seal.

If you would like to see how other designers have used my components in their own handmade jewelry, please visit my Pinterest page!  

Here is a sample of what you'll find there--a recent pair of elegant earrings made by Catherine of ShadowDogDesigns:

Turquoise Brass Fans Handmade Earrings Czech Glass Swarovski Jewelry

3) Finally, for those who can't get enough fix-up ideas for workrooms, visit the Art Bead Scene post on storage from 6/16/14.   There are some wonderful, artistic storage ideas there!

(If you missed our own "Clean-up/Fix-up" Challenge, 3/1/14, click here to see the results! Thanks again to all who participated!)


I'm hoping to post more vacation photos soon! In the meantime, have a great day!

~Sharyl

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Images:

Bug: http://www.wpclipart.com/animals/bugs/a_bug_icon.jpg

Photographs by Sharyl, 2014

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Garden and Jewelry Tour

Every so often, especially during Spring and Fall, I like to combine my love of macrophotography, flowers, jewelry-making, and COLOR!  

So today I'm sharing a few of the photos I took this Spring, just as blooms were popping, and some of my jewelry and beads in the same Spring colors!   (If you enjoy them enough, you can follow the direct links to my store.)

Forsynthia bush in front yard

"Bright as the Sun" Flower in Metallic Pastels PC14-061  

US $8 + S/H

Plant unknown.

Front flower garden.

Rectangular aqua and silver polymer clay pendant 

PC14-044

US $8 + S/H

Tulips in the backyard "Circle Garden"

8 Yellow "Funky Flat Poly Beads"  PC14-067

US $8 + S/H

4 Yellow "Funky Flat Poly Beads" PC14-068

US $4 + S/H

Orange-red tulip, front yard

Lotta Fun Sun Summer Earrings

US$22 plus S/H

Hope you enjoyed the quick Garden and Jewelry Tour!  Happy Spring!  

~Sharyl

Sharyl's Jewelry

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Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all 

celebrating being a mom 

and others 

cherishing or remembering a mom.

Thinking of you all today,

and wishing you joy and peace!

--Sharyl

The lilacs are from our yard, planted in memory of my mother-in-law, who grew such lovely ones!   It goes without saying that she, and my own dear Mother, are in my heart today...

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More Autumn Coming Soon!

I worked on metal components this weekend, in lovely shades of Autumn leaves!    

Now I have lots and lots of sealing to do before I can list in the store.

Fall is coming...

I'll be ready with more Fall goodies soon!

Recently listed:

Handmade Citrus and Copper Components HC13-046

Metallic green and gold embossed brass earring dangles HC13-144

P.S.  One thing that's not ready is my e-mail.  It's not cooperating at all.  While I try to work that out, please send me messages by Facebook, here (marked "private" if it is), or my store.   Hopefully it will be functioning again very soon!

~Sharyl

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"Summer Color Inspiration Challenge" Wrap-up & Prize Winners

Blog Hop Wrap-up:

This blog hop got its start in the most unusual way.   As you may recall, it didn't begin as a blog hop at all!  On July 13, I wrote a blog entry, showing you some photos I had taken of a bouquet.  They were "macro" shots, closeups of different parts of the bouquet, and I had photographed it in my light tent, as an experiment.

What started as a blog entry about the colors of the flowers, and how color was an inspiration for my jewelry-making, turned into a challenge to you.  I invited you to select your favorite color combinations from the photos and to contribute photos of jewelry made to match those colors.  I thought I would print on my blog--lucky to get a couple of participants.   

And you pleasantly surprised me by having enough sign up that we moved the format to a blog hop!   

I must tell you, that even though it was a small, impromptu, casual type of blog hop, I've seen some of the most impressive, colorful, and creative designs I could have hoped for!   Your designs sang and danced of summer color!   They made me want to skip and turn cart wheels!   (I said "want to!")   They delighted me in every way!   Thanks to all who participated, all who commented, all who joined us and hopped along!

Drawing:

I promised at the start that one of the participants would win a colorful prize from me.   As you know, I selected one of the more pastel photographs for my necklace design, (click here for reveal results) but I was also drawn to this color combination--about as much different in color shades as I could get!

#7:   fushia, violet

And so I designed this pair of earrings for the give-away:

These are raw brass filigree components I've patinated with dark violet and pink.
I used gunmetal wire and earwires. The glass accent beads
 are clear, hot pink, and dark violet.

Then, because I always seem to make long, long dangly earrings, I challenged myself again, to make a shorter pair.  I found this so much more difficult!   You might not guess it from looking at these, but I restacked these beads countless times trying different bead combinations, trying to keep them petite, the color and size balance right, match any one of the flower photos, and still come up with something wearable! 

Here is my end result:

#2:  lime green, yellow, pinkish-red

So simple ...and yet so challenging...for me.   :-)

(Lime lampwork spacer beads are from Serena's Beadery, aka "Taneres.")

So I promised we would have a drawing from among those who participated in this blog hop, and instead of having one winner, we'll have two!

The winner of the earrings to match photo #7 is:

 Kashmira Patel!

The winner of the earrings to match photo #2 is:

Lisa Lodge!

Final Bit of Gratitude:

I've mentioned the bouquet in the photographs that inspired us all several times but not where it came from.   I owe a final bit of gratitude for those flowers to one from among us.   One day towards the end of winter, when I had completely had it with blizzards and shoveling driveways and walkways day-after-day, a lovely bouquet arrived to cheer me.   I couldn't imagine who would send me flowers!   But the note told all...they were from my online, jewelry-designing, always supportive, fellow night-owl friend, Laren Dee Barton, of Laren Dee Designs!  Don't you just love people who do such kind things for no reason besides they know you could use some cheer right at that time?   So while I don't wish to embarrass her, I do wish to thank Laren, for her thoughtfulness on that day, and for inspiring this event!

And my thanks to ALL of you for participating!  ~Sharyl

P.S.  We've been talking a lot about colors.  Next time, we'll talk a little about numbers!  

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Final note for today--New shop opening:

Norbel Cylkowski Marolla has just opened a jewelry store on Etsy called "She Flies Again."  Her friend and colleague, Kashmira Patel, tells you about Norbel, this unique shop, the history behind the store name, and the "collective" they hope for in her latest blog post!

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