♥ BLOGGY GIVEAWAY ♥

Guess what? No seriously...guess! Jezabel's Jewels is hosting it's first ever GIVEAWAY! yaaaaaaaay ;)

My inspiration came from this FABULOUS new blog I found Bloggy Giveaways...that's sorta sponsoring a whole bunch of giveaways! So click on over there and find some other great deals, giveaways and other fun blogs to peruse...

What the heck is Jezabel's Jewels giving away?
I'm giving away one pair of these 'Pretty in Pink' brass earrings! What I love about 'em is that they're super simple...just little brass kidney wires and doubled up little brass rings...but with a pretty pink faceted lucite bead, there's a splash of color! Super light weight, they measure down to approx. 1.25" (3.2 cm)

Love 'em? Gotta have 'em? Well, one lucky person can! Read on to find out how ♥

How can I win them?
Simply leave a comment here! You don’t have to have a blog to win, but be sure to leave your email address if you don’t have one, so I can contact you. It's that easy ;)

Anything else?
Don't wait too long to comment...entries/comments must be in by 12 (noon) CST, Sunday, February 3, 2008. One winner will be chosen by random Sunday afternoon! Open to all...international comments welcome ♥

Soooooo....whatcha waitin' for? Leave me some love & win something for it! (but hey, this is NOT a bribe! Love me...please?)

Lazy Sunday...

There's something about Sundays...no matter what plans or goals I make for myself, no matter what I have every intention of getting done...it's always a loss! lol. Sundays are my 'lost days'. I wake up, I click around the internet for awhile, I drink some tea, I watch some Law & Order...and POOF! Sunday is suddenly over!

Well, I suppose that's ok considering how much I got done earlier in the week. Yes, my blog reading friends, I was pretty productive! Well, crafting-wise at least. I managed to get some new pieces listed and even a couple sold (yay!). So all in all, I think I'm entitled to a lost day, right? right!


I went ahead and ordered some new brass charms the other day...some shamrocks, mother's day ones, bunnies. It can be a hassle to find unique supplies lately...especially charms, yikes! First of all, try finding ones that aren't geared towards little kids...then find ones that haven't been used by every other crafter out there. BUT, I'm really happy with a couple new places I've found...so we'll see how it goes :)

Well, off to enjoy my lazy Sunday...I think it may be time for a peanut butter cookie. mmmmm.

*OH OH OH! don't forget my bloggy love free shipping special! It's going on until Valentine's day...whatcha waiting for?*

All my Blog-readin' Friends ♥

I was somewhat sorta productive these past few days, which is shocking considering how much is going on outside the little internet box (what? there's life off the internet? Yeah, I had that reaction at first, too!) But like a good little crafter, I made up some jewelry, took some pics (though not my best) and listed it in the shop. Do I get points or something for that? hehe ;)

No, but really...do I?

So ANYWAY...like I was ranting about the other day, Valentine's day is coming! Exciting, even for my single self...ok, mainly cause my birthday is the day before the big lovey-dovey day (which means atomic cake for me, yay!) But all that aside...cause I really intended to go somewhere with this...in honor of one of my favorite Hallmark holidays, I'm offering a little special, just for my blog-gy readers...yes, you!

Click on over to my Etsy shop...Jezabel's Jewels...shop til ya drop (for yourself, your mother, your girlfriend...hell, your CAT) and when you're all finished check out, but DON'T PAY. Why? Cause I'll send you a revised invoice with NO SHIPPING! yaaaaaaay for free shipping, right? Ok, one more thing though...in the 'Notes to Seller' box during checkout, enter 'FREE SHIPPING BLOGGY LOVE' so I know that ya came from here.

Did that make any sense at all? Ok, here's the Cliff's Notes version. Shop, Checkout, Write 'FREE SHIPPING BLOGGY LOVE' in the messages/notes to seller box, wait for me to invoice you, then pay :) Easy as pie! (mmmmm....pie....) This oh-so-nifty offer only applies to jewelry and ends on February 14th ♥

So......whatcha waiting for?

Valentine's Day MADNESS!

I'm in a chatty mood...so don't mind me if I start rambling ;)

Promoting a business, as small as mine may be, can be hard stuff! And sometimes it feels like the hours upon hours I spend getting my name out there, is for nothing. Wait a minute...you mean that my few accounts in random places aren't going to equal instant success? hehe, yes, I indulge in that instant success fantasy sometimes and get a bit...irked...when it doesn't happen. Just cause I realize something is illogical doesn't mean I'm gonna stop being illogical! lol...friends just shake their head at me.

Well, anyway...so I've been promoting my little heart out...especially for the Valentine's day season. I have some pieces that I absolutely love and would really like to see them fly out of my shop. A lot of romantic brass pieces...and a few funky vintage-y pieces. In fact, I am SO excited about the season, I did something I NEVER do...I bought a spot in the Etsy Valentine Gift Guide! Cool, huh? Yeah, I highlighted my 'Stupid Cupid' earrings so you'd believe me, lol.
I know, silly me, thinking that a front page link will get me somewhere. BUT, I've gotten tons of views and a bunch of hearts in my shop...so I'm really happy as a clam ♥

Wanna know what else made me smile? I found myself in an Etsy treasury! Tied Up Memories (who, by the way, has a FANTASTIC shop set up over on Etsy...click on her link & check her out!) created this LOVE-ly list, entitled 'Love is in the Air'! I love being in sweet lil' treasuries like that (ok, I love being in ANY treasury, hehe) But this one really is cute...and I'm so honored to be a part of it! Now if only I had the Paypal cash to buy up half the darn treasury. *sigh*

Thanks, Tied Up Memories! You're the best ;)

Well, I suppose I should go and...oh, I don't know...make something! I've been slacking off a bit lately. I think it's those late nights in the Etsy forums (and for those of you out there that stalk the forums when you can't sleep at night, you know what I'm talking about!) I think I want to start creating bracelets again...hmmmmm.

Brrrrr!

Brrrrrrr...it's cold outside! No, like seriously cold. This is the part of Chicago's winter that I loathe. I think I need to move someplace warm and sunny. Ah, sun...bliss :)

Well, at least I have some new beads to play with! I just got them in the mail the other day (I LOVE getting mail). I have some pieces featured in a shop over here and my vintage-y lucite stuff just doesn't fit in all that well. It's more 'mind-body-spirit' wellness...so the gemstones with metaphysical properties do a lot better.

On a side note, like my organizational skills? Seriously, it's amazing I can ever find anything... Those beads have been sitting on my desk like this since I opened the package. Bad crafter...bad, BAD crafter!

Lava Rock, Chrysoprase, Carnelian...oh my! Pyrite, too. Now if only I had some free time to get something made...someday soon :) I'd actually like to round out my Etsy shop with some more gemstone jewelry. Hmmm...we'll see.

Feeling Loved ♥

So things haven't been flying out of the shop this week. And, yeah...it's easy to indulge in a moment or two of feeling icky. Is it me? Do I smell? lol...you know what I mean, I'm sure. But then, some days are good :)

Imagine my surprise to find myself featured in not one, not two, but THREE Etsy treasuries today! Ohmygosh...I'm feeling a lot of Etsy-Love right now! Like check out this awesome magenta themed one by LindaDavisDesigns. I love how bright and bold the colors are...they just jump right off the page! My 'Berry Infatuation' earrings are featured in there...how exciting! It's also really awesome be share a treasury with such talented artists...a few (ok, all of them) that I really REALLY admire. yay!


So as if I wasn't elated enough by that fabulous treasury, I see another little gold star next to this LOVE-ly treasury by LittleShopOfBaubles! It's titled "All You Need is..." and everything in here is love-inspired...which made me smile :) With Valentine's Day coming up, it has the perfect theme...and my 'Love' earrings are in there (yay!). I'm so honored to be in such wonderfully talented company!


Now if those weren't enough to make me smile, I find this super-spiffy treasury created by khouser (who, by the way, has some WONDERFUL ceramic wares...ohmygosh, you just have to check it out!). This one is entitled "dats Berry Berry gooood" and ya know what? It is! Again, my ever so popular 'Berry Infatuation' earrings are featured in here...along with some devastatingly lovely berry colored art. I just adore khouser's Berry Cups :)

See why I'm feeling so loved? Ah, it's good to be me today ♥

My, oh My!

Well, I've been a busy little beaver today! Had somewhat of a day off (long story), so I got to fiddle around the web some...and I discovered a new site! Ok, well maybe I didn't necessarily 'discover' it today as much as explored it. I heard about it awhile ago...DaWanda!

It's more of an international site...but that suits me just fine. Just think of my jewelry going all over the globe....WORLD DOMINATION! mwah ha ha ha ha! ;)

And ya know I just HAD to set up shop there too! Check out Jezabels Jewels over at DaWanda!

Exciting, huh? Yeah, I thought so too! So why did I have all this extra time to play today? Well, I signed up for a class that was supposed to start today. Imagine my surprise to get a call 90 minutes before class is set to begin...it was canceled due to 'lack of enrollment'. CANCELED! ugh. So after spending another 90 minutes on hold with the registration office (at least it seemed like 90 minutes), I finally get my money refunded. Once more...ugh. So of course I had to go fiddling around the web...to keep what's left of my sanity! lol :P

Typical Monday...

So me and vintage, yeah...we have this 'thing'

I'm hopelessly addicted to vintage.

There I said it. Whew! Feels good to get that off my chest ;)

haha, ok well in all seriousness, I do have this problem with vintage...especially supplies. I ADORE adding vintage accents in my jewelry. And then, of course, in my quest to find unique pieces I inevitably buy waaaaaaaay too much. And then I need to destash like the bad, bad vintage hoarder I am :P

Like look at these...how cool are they? I stumbled across them (in that sneaky, secret way I do *cough, estate sales, antique stores, cough*) and at first had NO CLUE what the heck they were. After a bit of clean up...scrubbing away the dirt...I found that they are old, brass time check cards! How cool, huh? So of course, I'm using a couple of them as pendant pieces...and a few friends have asked for one or two for scrapbooking. So one would naturally assume they'd all be accounted for, yeah? Um no. I couldn't buy one, two or ten of them...I bought 72.

Or these...old vintage tokens! They're brassy and definitely old. Some are cleaner than others...and some have a heavy patina...but really, they are special (in my ever so humble opinion). What's great about them is that they have larger holes in the center, which makes them awesome for jewelry! Some are 'For Amusement Only', others are 'Good for One Package of Mints', but all of them are quite vintage & super nifty. Again...do I buy one or two? Nope! I buy...well, lots.

I'm not even going to tell ya about the old skeleton keys...See? told ya I had a problem! *sigh* destash time again...at least others will benefit from my overbuying :)

Oh, yeah...look at me...on SQUIDOO!

Ok, so maybe I've been hiding under an internet rock or something...but I just discovered Squidoo lenses about a week or so ago. And guess what...I made my very own Jezabels Jewels lens!

lkajdflkjsdklfkljvoix78z089uirjejkxlvhxfjkldsfkljd!!!

Sorry, that was the text version of my happy, flailing arms dance :P

Wanna see it? Ok, here we go!

You there yet? Oh, I guess you can't be if you're here...huh? Ok, well go and leave me a comment or two! yay...soooooooooo excited :)

Things I Love ♥

All too often we find ourselves focusing on the negative. So, I figure...why not take a moment and think happy thoughts *Ü*

♥ WHAT MAKES ME SMILE ♥

Big mugs full of hot tea (milk & sugar, please & thank you) ... handmade bath & body ... finding the *perfect* shower temp ... handwritten thank you notes ... fresh lavender ... MISSY (my puppy) ... rag dolls ... yellow roses (oh, heck...ANY color roses!) ... vintage lucite ... teddy bears ... unexpected gifts ... RASPBERRIES ... video poker ... little chirpy birds ... antiqued brass ... just about anything pink ... fuzzy slippers ... handknits ... hearts ... my kitties ♥ ... strollers on the sidewalks in spring ... tree branches that canopy the street ... the smell of fresh rain ... THUNDERSTORMS ... hot apple cider ... ribbon ... things with my name on them (I'm super corny like that, lol) ... the Smoky Mountains ... pretzels ... PEZ ... waking up to my (current) favorite song on my radio alarm clock ... coconut ... my pink sewing machine ... the bright lights of Vegas ... psychic readings & energy healings ... Jane Austen ... Moonlight on Friday nights (guilty pleasures, lol) ... selling my crafts to folks who covet them ... PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES ... mob movies ... Etsy shopping sprees ... the book store ... vacations ... romance novels ... antique mirrors ... atomic cakes ... dreamsicles ... new socks ... music ... LOVE

ok, did I cover everything? Probably not, but here's one more for the night...I was over on Etsy, browsing around for this & that...and guess what? I'm featured in this lovely treasury!

It's all about 'Treats for the body' and there are some absolutely wonderful treats in there! I'm oh-so honored to be featured there ♥

So I'm gonna send out a HUGE thank you to it's wonderful curator (with awesome taste, might I add)
CupcakeNKisses

aw, nuts!

Ohmygosh, so exciting...my treasury was on the front page of Etsy today! And ya know what? I missed it. Argh. This is exactly why I think I need to quit my job and just stay home, monitoring Etsy...ALL. DAY. LONG. ha!

Ok, so maybe that won't quite work. *sigh* Well, at least I can immortalize my lovely treasury...

Isn't it pretty? Yes, I was quite proud! Thank goodness for all the talent on Etsy...they make it quite easy to come up with some GORGEOUS ideas :)

Well, after a long day of work...I think I'll sit here with my big ol' cup of tea, in my fuzzy slippers and flitter around the web...or maybe make up a pretty new pair of earrings...

Now there's an idea!

My Very First Post ♥

How exciting...my very first Jezabel's Jewels blog post! lol *Ü*

A little bit about myself...

Though my blog and Etsy shop are rather new, I'm no newbie to creating! I started making jewelry a while back as a way to accessorize my ever-so-broke college self! Pretty soon, my lopsided loops straightened out and my uneducated efforts began looking like ACTUAL jewelry, lol! I fell in love with creating it (ok, and WEARING it, too!) ♥

I can't say that I have any one particular style...my tastes change with my moods! So while some days I'm loving the sophisticated beauty of pearls & sterling silver, other days I can't get enough vintage lucite & antiqued brass! Some days I'm dramatic, while others find me serene...Ya just never know! No matter what my mood or medium, though...I always create from my heart ♥

I'm blessed to have found some great places to sell my work...at a boutique in the Chicago-land area as well as on Etsy. I couldn't be happier! So, here's to a wonderful, prosperous & happy 2008!