Juli's Jewels

Meet the Design Board!

2011-08-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get stuck when I am trying to design a new piece of jewelry and I need a little help figuring out the layout of the piece.

I have some fun leaf charms that I have been wanting to use in a necklace design for a while now and I decided that I wanted to use them as links instead of dangles. I punched a hole into the leaf ends and then I started laying them out in different ways on my design board until I found the pattern that made me the most happy.

My next post will be about what design I picked and how I finished the piece.

Design 1 - Simple symetric

Design 2 - Simple symetric with dangle

Design 3- Simple assymetric

Design 4 - Assymetric with single dangle

Design 5 - Assymetric with double dangle

Design 6 - Not so simple assymetric.

More Fun Things at the Rings & Things Bead Show

2011-05-18T15:43:00.001-07:00

I had a chance today to run over to McClellan and check out the Rings & Things Bead Tour for a short while today and I picked up a few things I had been needing (more about that in a sec). While I was there I ran into some of my jewelry buddies from the Midtown Bazaar! Steven from New Old Jewelry was there as were North and Sharon of Jewelry by North, and it was a first time for all of them!

So, what did I get you might ask; well, lemme tell you!

I got four packets of Crystal Jams, which are a 1 gross (144 pieces) mix of 4mm Swarovski xillions and bicones in complimentary color themes AND they all have cute names too! They are $12.00 per packet (which works out to $.08 per bead-CHEAP!).

I got (from L to R, top row) Walking on Sunshine and True Colors and (from L to R, bottom row) Jailhouse Rock and I Knew the Bride

I also got these cool, copper gears and sprockets. $4.10 for a dozen pieces per style ($.34 per each).

The style are Gear, Gear Outline and Sprocket

And last but not least, I picked up these beautiful, faceted smoky quartz beads. Here is why going to the R & T Bead Tour shows is such a great thing...These beads are 50% off the ticketed price and then another 15% off on top of that! So the 6mm faceted rounds are tagged at $23.00, so that means I got the strand for $9.78! The 16x20mm ovals are tagged $32.5o; I paid $13.81!

While I was there, I also got to meet Dave Robertson of Rings & Things (he is in charge of us blog partners). He was really nice and we had out picture taken and he will post that on the Rings & Things Blog! Look for it!

Better Late Than Never!

2010-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

I am not normally a skin-of-my-teeth kinda gal, as we all know, but this November has totally gotten away from me! Way back at the beginning of the month, I was given a fabulous opportunity from Rings & Things (Yup, the jewelry supply company from Spokane, Washington) to do a design challenge using some of their new glass bezels and tiles. Apparently my big challenge this month was designing some stuff for the challenge! The first picture at left is the assortment of tiles, bezels and some bails that I received from Rings & Things to use in the challenge.

I started with the tiles, and some images that I had hanging around from ARTchix Studio, that I cut down to fit the tiles. I then sealed the images, and after letting them dry fully, I adhered them to the back of the tiles. I added the bails after the images & tiles were fully dried with a dab of 2-part epoxy resin.

The pieces that were stumping me, were the glass bezels. What, you say. Yes, I know, I've been working with bezels for at least a year now, plus resin, etc. But I was completely intimidated because, well, you can see through the glass. (I understand that that is the whole idea...) ...but I was completely stumped! What to do? Add images to the back? Just float some stuff in the in the bezel and then add resin and cal it good? Well, my super awesome pal, Krissi Sandvik (of Krissi's Art Studio), noticed that some of the glass tiles fit on top of the glass bezels! MAKE A BOX? Why not! Still, I was trying to decide how to deal with my "fear" of the clear. I jumped in with both feet and put a couple of metal leaf charms (I cut off the loops) into the bezel and then epoxied the "lid" to the bezel to create the box, then waited for the epoxy to dry. While I waited, I tried to decide what I wanted to do with all that clear space. I decided to add gold foil to the outside of the box, adding to the overall Autumn feel to the piece. Once the epoxy

was dry, I sanded very lightly around the edge of the box and then cleaned the outside of the box with a little bit of rubbing alcohol, after which I added leafing adhesive to the bottom of the box. After the adhesive had dried to "tacky" I took random colored flakes of gold foil and tapped them onto the piece and allowed the adhesive to dry fully. I brushed off the excess foil and then added the adhesive to the sides and repeated the process. I intentionally scraped off a few spots of the foil to "age" the appearance of the piece and add a little light to peek through. I added a bail to the piece with 2-part epoxy. I am very happy with how the piece turned out and look forward to working with the glass bezels again.

I was given the tiles and bezels for use in this design challenge, but have not been compensated by Rings & Things in any other way. I also have not been compensated for the use of the images by ARTchix Studio, the images were purchased for my own personal use.

Upcoming sale dates and other important info.

2010-11-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Upcoming sale dates and other important info...Yup! It's that time again. The Holidays.

This year for your holiday shopping pleasure I have bunches of stuff for you. New shops to check out and steals and deals for one and all. First off, I have been included in a grat DIY group; Glitter-Bitches Handmade! You can also find and fan them on Facebook and really should, that's where you'll here about specials, promotions and any other cool happenings with the group.

Okay, know we're ready to get our shop on, right? Stay away from the insanity of the malls and big box stores and shop online, and more importantly, HANDMADE!

Juli's Jewels (Yup, that's me!) - Black Friday through Cyber-Monday; Free shipping on all orders over $50 in my Artfire shop (use coupon code freeshipblkfriday), plus a free pair of holiday earrings or a snowflake pin free with any order. Plus, for my Facebook fans, there will be a special something posted on my page, just for you! (Also, I will be vending several of the upcoming Saturdays, including December's 2nd Saturday, at the Midtown Bazaar. You can also find the Bazaar on Facebook)

Krissi's Art Studio - Krissi is the creator of Skelekitty! In her shop you will find original artwork, prints and even some select pieces of jewelry (lots, featuring her artwork) Krissi is now offering Gift Certificates and she has some great coupons for her Artfire shop! Don't forget to fan her on Facebook.

Save 10% on purchases over $10 by entering coupon code SAVE10OVER10 when you check out

Save 15% on purchases of $25 or more with coupon code SAVE15OVER25

Save 20% on $40 or more with coupon code SAVE20OVER40

Save 25% on $75 or more with coupon code SAVE25OVER75

Save 30% on $100 or more with coupon code SAVE30OVER100

Brooke Van Gory Designs - Brooke creates fabulous custom bags! Diaper bags, camera bags & handbags too! Brooke is offering 1/2 off any wetbag or changing pad with any diaper bag purchase, and free shipping!

Sweets N Stuff - Cherry creates "1 of a kind altered items and accesories". To truly get what that means, go check out her shop. Holiday Sale from 11/23 - 11/30: FREE Shipping and 10% off of all orders under $25, 15% off of purchases $25-$50 and 25% off all orders $50+(Including Gift Certificates)

Madd Style Cosmetics - Mo creates wonderful lipglosses, lip bombs, perfumes and her wicked eye paints (loose pigment eyeshadows) are to die for! She has also just recently opened a shop on Artfire (it's not replacing her Etsy shop) Black Friday Sales Are:♥ FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders ANYWHERE on Black Friday (11/26) THRU Cyber Monday (11/29)!! ♥ FREE MYSTERY PIGMENT (brand *new* never seen before!!) Given with ALL orders made on BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY!♥ ANY 6 piggies for ONLY $20 from Fri thru Mon!!

Wenchkin - The Art of Wenchcraft - You will find Wenchkin and her fabulous Bonies on Facebook! Fan her page to find out what awesomeness she will offering up at 15% off plus free shipping!

Ant Farm Studio - Home of The Ant Farm Gang and Loco Folko folk art - Kim is also only on Facebook! Fan her page to find out what's new and check out her 1/2 price Sugar Skulls (included in the price - FREE SHIPPING)!

Kisszombies DIY - ArJay is responsible for some"morbid and cute" accesories and hand screened t-shirts! She will be offering 20% off (use coupon code TURKEY20), and there will be a free surprise with each order and free giftwrap (by request).

Muddslinger Ceramics and Crafts - Brandy makes fun and occasionally mature accesories plus has some of her handthrow pottery available. She is also available on Artfire. Her deals are; 10%-15% off on specific items in both Etsy and Artfire shops; $3 5x7 Prints, $8 8x10 Prints, Facebook fan page special (Fan her page and find out what it is); Full Site Artfire 15% discount starting sometime between tomorrow and Friday; Also if you've received a coupon, you can use the 20% code)

Scarlette Wrists - Christina has an Etsy shop where "she shares the joys of embracing the darker side of life while still looking gorgeous." Check out her shop and her Facebook fan page for upcoming Black Friday deals like - Earrings are 1/2 off (were $10, now $5) and Chokers are $2 off (were $8, now $6)

Trying New Things!

2010-07-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

In an effort to do a better job of blogging, I’m going to try some new things. I am going to do book and DVD reviews and I think I’ll even try my hand at the occasional interview! My new goal is one blog post per week…wish me luck.

Okay, so this week I am going to review a DVD I just purchased recently – Exploring Resin Jewelry Making with Susan Lenart Kazmer which I purchased from Objects and Elements for $29.99.

As many of you already know, I have been using resin in my work for a couple of years now, but only in the most basic way (i.e. put a picture and/or a small item in some type of bezel or bottle cap and then pour in the resin…) occasionally being very brave and layering in a few watch bits or a dimensional, but not to much of that.

Recently, I have seen resin in open backed bezels and also doing resined paper over wire framework to make charms and pendants. I have really wanted to try some of these things but felt intimidated. Those of you who know me know that normally I would just jump in with both feet and sink or swim, but resin is very messy and can go really wrong if you aren’t a little bit careful.

So I’ve been pining away for months…until just this last month when I happened across the DVD while looking at open backed bezels (longingly) at the Objects and Elements shop. Definitely a woohoo moment! The description of the DVD from the website was, “Susan Lenart Kazmer has done it again! This great video explores ways to incorporate resin into your work. She shows it all from how to use the resin right through molding and casting. It's like taking her class with a rewind button.” I bought it right then and there (along with a texture hammer and some enameled rings and cones) and waited. Three days later it was on my doorstep. The fun part was it arrived on a day when I was heading up to hang out with my friend and fellow artist/crafter, Krissi (a.k.a. Skelekitty), so I took it along for a viewing (she has been thinking about playing with Ice Resin). There was a lot that I already knew covered in the DVD, which I expected, but there was a bunch of common sense stuff that just had me whacking myself in the forehead. Simple things like putting your domed bezel on a piece of duct tape to keep it steady (Insert forehead slap here!). I would have jerry-rigged some elaborate setup (and still probably would have tipped over my dome…), and measuring but not mixing your resin until you are ready to use it (brilliant!), double sided tape for your images (because if you glue them down you have to wait the extra time for the glue to dry & if you don’t use anything your image will float up), and using transparencies with resin.

All I can say is this DVD, Exploring Resin Jewelry Making with Susan Lenart Zazmer, is a must for anyone who wants to do resin really well. With her common sense approach, you will wonder why you didn’t think of these simple yet awesome techniques yourself.

Custom Work

2010-07-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I like to do custom work...alot! I like making jewelry very specifically for people per their requests because it is often a different kind of challenge. I have an album on my facebook fan page devoted to custom pieces (you can find it here). They are all varied in type and style. I love it when someone feels confident in my ability to create what they are looking for.

A few months back, my pal Krissi (check her out at Krissi's Art Sudio) asked me to recreate a vintage necklace that she loved with one in the same style but with different colors. The original is in a dark/antique brass with dark red beads, the recreation in sterling silver and black. THE HUNT WAS ON!

First, black beads. The original red beads were smooth, round and transparent. You can't have true black and transparent. So how do you get them to be shiny? Get a faceted bead! I could also find nothing like the original "fringed" bead cap, so I went with the same shape, only with kind of filigree style instead. I stayed true to the style, but added a little flair with this choice of bead cap. Ironically, the hardest part was finding a chain I liked, that would fit the style without making it to heavy...I think I forgot to mention, this style of necklace can be a little hefty with so many glass beads.

I think I did a pretty fair job of staying within the style of the original while giving it a little bit of an updated flair.

What do you think?

Hot Diggity Blog!

2010-07-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quicky...I found out that Rings & Things (one of my most favorite jewelry findings suppliers) has changed their Blog Partners program. I won't go into the details of the change, but suffice it to say I get to be a blog partner know. WooHoo!

So, what happens now is I wait and cross my fingers. All of the blog partner names will go into a "hat" and ten will be drawn randomly to receive the Rings & Things goodie bags. If you are one of the lucky ones, you will get a bunch of jewelry making bits which you then take pictures of, make fabulous stuff with and then take more pictures of an ulitmately you BLOG about. According to the law I will have to fully disclose any and all compensation I receive from Rings & Things as a blog partner, but no problem there.

So anyway, I am very excited about the opportunity and I hope I get a goodie bag soon!

Woohoo

2010-06-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have just received the highly coveted Skelekitty Seal of Approval for my jewelry designs. Have you seen the new collaberation pieces featuring Krissi's Art Studio/Skelekitty designs. (These designs are copywritted by Krissi's Art Studio and all images are used with permission. Always get permission from the artist BEFORE using their images/designs in your artwork even for personal use.) They are available in my ArtFire shop, come check them out.

Updates

2010-03-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

This past month has been very busy over at the Juli's Jewels worldwide headquarters! I have been working on updating and or correcting my prices, getting better photos and descriptions in the ArtFire shop, doing a 2nd Saturday art show at Vox in Sacramento, preparing for 3rd Saturday at the Downtown Plaza (new location this month, 4th & K Streets), and starting to pull stuff together for my crafting cruise, while still making sure to spend quality time with my fur boys and my friends...whew!

This is a picture of my newest piece "Steampunk Style". The necklace is 20" long and features a hammered flat skelton key, tumbled citrine nuggets (wire wrapped for security) and an ornate chain (looks kinda like a silhouette of a peanut) and finished with a lobsterclaw clasp. The pendant has hand rivited gear elements (including one from old watch bits). It is available currently in my ArtFire shop for $38.00 (plus tax if you live in California).

This month's 3rd Saturday is on March 20th from noon to 5pm again at the Downtown Plaza in Sacramento. This month the location has moved from the L Street Shops location (approximately 5th & L streets) to 4th & K, which is the end by the movie theaters, Women's Macy's, Forever 21, the food court, etc. Stop by and sat hello.

I am not sure if I will be partcipating in the April 3rd Saturday yet, as it is the saturay after I get back from my fabulous trip/vacation. I will be attending the Crafty Chica Art Cruise next month and am very excited, as there will be much glitter! I will let you know though, about 3rd Saturday.

On a non-jewelry note...4 of my collages are currently hanging at Vox (in the Urban Hive at 19th & H) until April 5th. Woohoo! Stop by and check them out. Oh, and if you are interested, they are for sale.

So, until next time...cheers!

What I've been working on lately...

2010-02-11T21:50:00.001-08:00

I've been trying out the new copper clay from the makers of Art Clay Silver. It doesn't require a firing vessel or carbon medium to fire. It also fires in a significantly shorter amount of time.

My pal, Krissi Sandvik (creator of Skelekitty) has created some art stamps from her original artwork. For fun, I thought I would try them out with the new copper clay. NOTE: the stamps are copywritted and used with permission. Always get permission before using copywritted stuff in your art/craft-even for personal use!

I have done a step-by-step on metal clay before so I will skip it this time and show you some simple ways to make the design POP. The yarn ball didn't impress as well as I would have liked, so I wanted to do something to bring it out a bit. I swabbed some alcohol ink on the yarn ball portion of the design let it dry thoroughly (about 30 seconds) and then buffed the pendant with a polishing cloth. The ink on the top of the piece buffed off, but the ink in the recesses remained.

From there, I added white acrylic paint over the skelekitten portion of the pendant and let dry to tacky, but not completely dry (hard to get off when totally dry), then buffed again.

The paint highlights the bones on the skelekitten. Tomorrow, when everything is completely dry and set I will spray the pendant with a light coat of acrylic sealant, to protect the colors on the pendant.

Just a quick note...

2010-02-02T14:49:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note, Juli's Jewels blog has had a little down time. I moved recently, and, well we all know what that's like! My new DSL service should be up and running before the end of the week and then I will show you what I've been doing.

(hint: I've been playing with the new copper clay made by the Art Clay people and some of Skelekitty's fabulous stamps.)

Little Box Pendant.

2010-01-03T17:47:00.000-08:00

So today I am trying something different. I saw an article in the newest issue (Winter '10) of Belle Armoire Jewelry that intrigued me. It was "Vintage Lace Assemblages" by Sheri Replogle. So the style of the pieces that she made were totally not my style, but I liked the little box she made to create her assemblages in. She made a little box out of sheet copper and then soldered over it. Okay, so I thought I would give it a try. That is when I realized I lost my magazine...since when has not having the directions to something stopped me. So here we go...

Warning: you must have soldering skills to create this project.

What you need -

Sheet copper

Flux (and flux brush)

Pewter solder

Jump ring(s)

Ruler

Something to cut the sheet copper (I used jewelers metal shears, but you could use a saw instead)

Copper foil tape

Soldering iron (with stand and a really wet sponge)

Soldering tile (the hot metal you are working on sits on this)

Locking hemostats or tweezers or something to hold the hot metal that isn't your bare fingers (no burns please)

A bench block and chasing hammer to flatten the jump ring a little

Okay, ready? Plug in your soldering iron, so that it will be hot when you are ready for it.

Carefully take the copper sheet out of it's package (you might want to wear gloves for this, as the metal edges can be very sharp).

Take the ruler and mark out the size you want the box to be plus 1/2 an inch for box sides. Carefully cut out the overall square for the box. Cut a notch 1/4 inch from each edge on the top and bottom of the square.

Score along the 1/4 inch lines on all four sides of the square and gently (with flat nose pliers if you have them) bend up the two short sides of the square. Then, bend up the long sides and wrap the long ends around the short sides.

Take the copper foil tape and wrap it over the edges of the box, including the overlapping pieces (this will help seal it). Burnish the tape down (I used a bone folder for this, but you can even use just your finger nails).

Turn your box upside down and place it on you soldering tile. Use your flux brush and liberally brush flux all over the back of your box. The flux cleans the metal and helps the solder flow.

Now for the fun part, soldering! Holding the soldering iron in your dominant hand and the solder in the other hand, melt some solder off the roll and onto your box. Start with a tinning layer (you know how to solder, so you know what this means) all around the box on the outside, and then flip the box over and do the same on the inside. Okay, so you can flip the box back over and build up the solder to the level that you prefer now. I like mine a little on the thick side.

When you have the solder on the box to your liking, get the jump ring settled into the locking hemostats (or hold it with the tweezers, if that's what you have) and brush it with flux. Brush the box with a bit more flux where you want to place the jump ring. Hold the jump ring in place and add a bit of solder to the tip of your soldering iron and flow it over the jump ring, securing it to the back of the box.

Clean the finished box with a damp cloth.

Voila! You can put anything you want into your new little box. I will probably make a little collage in mine an then seal it with resin. I'll let you know.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays all! I'm feeling very festive lately, but then it's hard not to. Everywhere you go the halls are decked, the trees trimmed, and the carols are being piped in.

Shameless self-promotion time...all of the holiday items in my ArtFire shop are on sale, already marked down, no coupon needed. Also, every now and then, I flip on the "Sales Mode" and mark down everything an additional 10% just because I'm feeling gifty. You never know when it might happen, but it does at least once a day (and sometimes I announce it on Twitter and my Facebook page).

Plus, if you have read this far...I'm going to do another give-away. Leave a comment (any comment, but please be nice) and you could win this pin. It is has been lightly glittered and the border is a rich red. I will pick someone at random from the comments, on Tuesday, December 15th (so I can get it in the mail before I go on my trip).

Enjoy your holiday season, and please shop handmade for the holidays.

Cheers, Juli

Did you know...?

2009-11-19T13:02:00.001-08:00

Did you know it's holiday shopping season right now?

I just read a note on ArtFire.com that said that with this year's late Thanksgiving and the economy and all, that people are shopping earlier this year for the holiday season.

Are you planning on purchasing handmade (and even one of a kind) items for the people on your gift giving list? If you are, you should consider shopping through ArtFire. I, and several people I know, have shops on ArtFire and many will be having sales and specials for the holiday season.

Skelekitty and Friends is currently having a BOGO sale on all prints and if you buy an original piece of art you get 2 prints!

Kit Cameo has some cool stuff in her SALE section, a must check out.

Do you like hats? Do you think Victorian/Steampunk is awesome? Check out DyMa Creations!

And, as always, you can check out my shop simply by using the rapid cart on my blog or my ArtFire Kiosk in Facebook, or at julisjewels.artfire.com.

Don't forget, you never have to join ArtFire to shop ArtFire. Come check it out.

3rd Saturday Time Again!

2009-11-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder...it's 3rd Saturday time again.

This month it will be in a new location and at a different time.

We will be in the Westfield Downtown Plaza, in the L Street Shops section (in the middle of the mall near the play place.) We will be there from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Also, I am teaming up with Dyana Martin of Dyma Creations again this month. Her hats and fascinators are fabulous. Get a little something special to wear to all those holiday parties!

Please stop by and say hello.

Because It's My Second Favorite Holiday...

2009-11-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

Because it's my second favorite holiday, all of the Halloween items in my ArtFire shop are on sale for the entire month of November. 15% off! Just pick the item (or items) you like and use the coupon code 164848AD5F-C49E16ACAB at check out. Also, you will still get a Halloween Treat Bag 'O Fun with your Halloween item purchase. YAY!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween all! I'm feeling very treaty lately (no tricks, just treats!) and I love sharing treats.

Currently, if you buy anything in my ArtFire shop, I will throw in the Halloween Treat Bag 'o Fun.

Plus, if you have read this far...I'm going to do another give-away. Tell me a little story about your favorite Halloween costume and you could win this necklace. It is a fabulously glittered witch image in a bottle cap presented on an 18" cotton cord. I will pick someone at random from the comments, on Friday October 30th.

Enjoy your week and have a happy Halloween.

Cheers, Juli

Halloween Treats for You.

2009-10-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween fun for everyone!

This weekend at 3rd Saturday, I will be partnering up with Dyana Martin of DyMa Creations. Please come by and check out her fabulous hats.

As Halloween draws nearer, I have become all nostalgic, thinking about Halloweens past and all the fun of trick-or-treating (I must admit, I have never done a trick, more's the pity.).

I have decided that I will share the fun of trick-or-treating with you. If you purchase any Halloween item from my ArtFire Shop or from me at a craft fair ( I will be vending at 3rd Saturday this weekend, look for me on 11th between K & L Streets, across from Ambrosia Cafe) I will give you the Halloween Treat Bag of Fun.

I have just made some new pieces, including my current favorite, the Poison Necklace (a simple soldered pendant on black suede lace). The new items will be uploaded to my shop by this evening, and I will have a few more items at the show this weekend.

Hope you all have a happy Halloween!

ATCs are fun

2009-09-09T13:34:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my 40th blog post!

Here is an ATC I made at last month's ATC Night at Vox in Midtown.

I made a checkerboard background by pressing some tiny ink pads directly onto the paper. All of the images and the border on the bottom are from ARTChix Studio.

Check out their weekly art challenges here.

ArtFire-Have you checked it out yet?

2009-08-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

By now, many of you have heard of Etsy, but have you heard of ArtFire? Etsy and ArtFire are both websites where artisans can sell there handmade goodies via the interwebs without having a website of their own. This is great, as many artisans can only do this sort of thing part time, what with the day jobs and all. (It is a rare and lucky individual who can do what they love for a living, and they still have to work at it 24/7.)

I have chosen to be on ArtFire and here’s why:

1. Membership for sellers-There are two membership levels for sellers, Basic and Verified. Basic is free, Verified costs a nominal amount ($12 a month, I think). I am Basic. The nice thing about this is I can be come Verified easily, and if I don’t like it, I can go back to be Basic just as easily.

2. You, the buyer (I hope), DO NOT HAVE TO REGISTER WITH ARTFIRE, you can just shop and buy stuff without having to give them (ArtFire) all of your personal information forever. (You do need to give some info, otherwise how can we send you your stuff?)

3. You can shop from my blog. See that thing over there called Rapid Cart? If you see something you like, you can buy it right now. (Again, without registering with ArtFire…)

4. Back to the fee thing…because there are no listing/final/etc fees on ArtFire, I can charge the exact same prices I would charge if I was selling you stuff at a craft fair. I don’t have to raise my prices to meet the fees.

So, have you checked out ArtFire yet? Well get going…here’s a link to make it easier. http://www.artfire.com/
Oh, and if you want to get to my shop directly… julisjewels.artfire.com …hope to see you there soon!

September Schedule-2009

2009-08-21T14:13:00.001-07:00

It's that time again! Here is my schedule for September. No, that is not a typo. Yes, I do have two shows on one day. If I were you, I'd come to 3rd Saturday Design Downtown just to see how I'm holding up.

Oh, quick reminder, the holidays will be here before you know it.

Click on the image to see it larger.

Third Saturday Fun

2009-08-11T19:44:00.001-07:00

Hi all! Just a quick reminder, this Saturday is Third Saturday (I know, already!). The Sacramento News and Reviews 3rd Saturday event, Design Downtown is this Saturday from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm on K, 10th & 11th Streets. This month there will be two stages and even more cool stuff (although, I can't imagine how you can top the fire dancers, they were awesome!). I hope to see you there.

Craft Faire in Placerville

2009-08-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder boys and girls! This Sunday is the 13th Annual Placerville Craft Faire. It takes place in Historic Downtown Placerville from 8 am to 3 pm. I will be some where on the north side of Main Street. Stop by, say "Hi" and if you mention my blog I'll give you something. Hope to see you there!

to get to Placerville, just drive up highway 50 towards Lake Tahoe, you can't miss it. (Plus, they put up event signs)

ArtFire and Me

2009-07-31T12:43:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update. I am now on ArtFire. I only have four (these necklaces are two of them) items posted so far but in the next couple of days I will add more. Please come check me out at artfire.com/users/julisjewels

August Fun for Everyone

2009-07-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

August fun for everyone!

Here is a small sampling of what new fun I’ve been up to this past week. Copprclay pieces, all one of a kind, are just waiting to be turned into jewelry. All of the pairs have already been made into earrings (the skull and crossbones pair is so cute, I want to keep them for myself!). The long curved one will be a bracelet using chain to finish it off. All the rest will be necklace pendants (except the Owl and the Hippo, they were special for my family. Dee, forget you saw this.). They are “Embrace Imperfection”, “Live the Life You’ve Imagined”, “Hey Cupcake”, a rustic bird coin, the little love monster, and the sun.

Want to see how they turn out? Well, you can visit me at one of my two upcoming shows this August.

My current show schedule for August –

What: 13th Annual Placerville Craft Faire
When: Sunday, August 9th from 8 am to 3 pm
Where: Main Street, Placerville
Handmade only craft faire in the middle of Historic Placerville’s Downtown area.

What: Third Saturday Design Downtown
When: Saturday, August 15th from 4 pm to 9 pm
Where: K Street between 10th & 11th
Shopping and music and fashion...what could be better

Design Downtown

2009-07-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento News and Review will be hosting Design Downtown this Saturday, July 18th from 3pm to 9pm (and hopefully ever third Saturday from now 'til at least October...).

To quote the News and Review "...over 40 local arts, crafts and fashion vendors will descend upon K Street, transforming downtown Sacramento into a bustling creative district. Discover some of the city's greatest DIY artists while supporting local businesses." There Our hope is that thousands of people of all ages will embark upon downtown to participate in this exciting event; street vendors, community art projects, trunk sales, a fashion bazaar, fashion shows, a beer garden and live entertainment on multiple stages will be just some of the sights and activities that people will take in.

Why, you might ask, am I telling you this? Because Juli's Jewels will be there (yup, that's me!). Stop by and say "Hi".

Second Saturday in Sacramento

2009-07-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

In Sacramento (California, is there another one? I don’t know. Okay, I Googled it, there’s only the one…but, I digress), primarily in the Midtown area, but also in some of the other areas of town, Second Saturday is the thing to do. What is Second Saturday (besides being the second Saturday of any given month.) you ask? Well…according to the Second Saturday website, http://2nd-sat.com/ Every month, art galleries in the Sacramento area keep their doors open late and invite the public to participate in the Second Saturday Art Walk. Visitors can grab a bite to eat, walk from gallery to gallery viewing brand new art works, hear live music and explore the region's vibrant art districts. (This is mostly for the Midtown portion, but it sums it up nicely)

This Saturday, July 11th, is Second Saturday. Here is a list of Second Saturday events that I am interested in and will be figuring out how to cram them all into my Saturday evening.

“Pop America”
Saturday, July 11 from 6pm – 10pm
Side Show Studios – 5635 Freeport Blvd #6 (near Fruitridge)

Comic books, action figures, board games; these are the popular themes representative of pop counter culture and are distinctly Americana as apple pie. Pop Art takes iconic images from television, magazines, and all forms of advertising as a way to define us as a society. If Star Wars, Chia Pets, and Spam influenced your childhood and now your art, then this is the show for you! (btw, my collage, “Pink Plastic Flamingo”, will be on display.)

"Painting for Paws" - A Fundraiser for Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary
Saturday, July 11 from 6pm - 10pm
Pavilions Shopping Center, Fair Oaks Blvd., Near Howe Ave.
No admission fee!

Featuring artwork created by cats and dogs! Plus food, wine, and one-of-a-kind silent auction packages and artwork by local artists. Local artists include: Ann Raglands Bowns, Barbara Dow, Char Hall, Christian A. Cinder, David Ainsworth, Dyana Martin, Elizabeth Wocasek, Evie Turner, Genelle Dwyer, Ilsa Hess, Jane Buckingham Garofalo, Janet Aly, Jared Konopitski, Jill Allyn Stafford, Kelly Croisdale, Kenna Foster, Kim Brownell, Krissi Sandvik, Linda Nunes, Margot Comer, Melody Claussen-Furry, Nicolas Caesar, Stacey Lamothe, Susan Knopp, Temple Terkildsen, and more!

“Park Your Art” (July theme – Ice Cream Social)
Saturday, July 11 from 6pm - 11pm
McMartin Realty parking lot, 21st & K Streets

Artists and crafters selling in the parking lot and there will be live music, too. Say “Hi” to Sophia of Simply Strands.

The Sacramento Art Complex
2110 K St

The Sacramento Art Complex (a.k.a the "SAC" Building) is an artist community located in midtown Sacramento. Visit 20+ artist studios featuring painters, sculptors, photographers, and digital artists all within one building. There’s always something interesting to check out there, and say “Hi” to Susan Rabonvitz of Little Relics.

Juli's Jewels July Schedule

2009-07-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here is my schedule for July. I know, something a little different this time.

Click on the image to enlarge.

It's finished!

2009-07-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

My collage - Pink Plastic Flamingo - is finished! It has been accepted at Side Show Studios for their July exhibit, Pop America (which is celebrating American Pop Culture).

I am really happy with how this turned out. If you want to see it in person, go to Side Show Studios, located at 5635 Freeport Blvd #6 in Sacramento, from July 11th to August 3rd.

Also, it works really well for an ArtCHIX blog challenge, play with pink and blue. Check it out.

http://myartisticlife.typepad.com/my_artistic_life/2009/07/new-art-challenge-new-specials.html

The answer to a good question

2009-06-29T22:36:00.001-07:00

1. Why do you craft?

If this is what you looked at for 9 hours a day, wouldn't you find something else to do, too?

What I did this weekend.

2009-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

End of last week, I saw the theme for Side Show Studios July 2nd Saturday Gallery show, Pop America. Pop America, what could that mean? I didn’t get it. I read the complete note for the call to artists on their Facebook page. I get it now…pop culture stuff. Well, as we know, I just play with my art and don’t imagine I will be hanging in a gallery any time soon, but I like a good challenge. So what is my favorite pop culture icon? Hmm, Wonder Woman, Betty Crocker, who knows. I was feeling kind of lost for an idea, when my coworker, Barb, said “Don’t worry about it, you’ll go to bed and ‘Pink!” it will just come to you.” I said, “You just hit it on the nose!” She said’ “Huh?” I said, “Pink! You know; pinkies. Pink Plastic Flamingos! OMG, what could be better?!?” She said, “Oh no, I’ve created a monster.” I said, “Oh no, you just let her out of the box.” So, that conversation led to this.

I know it’s not done yet, but I don’t know what it needs to finish it (aside from some glitter, that is.).

My road block on my Pinky collage led to these.

Trying to get out of my rut...

2009-06-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for reasons too many to name, I have been feeling a little bit cranky-pants lately, which has thrown me into a rut. I craft for stress relief (every wondered how I made so much jewelry, now you now!), well anyway, I have been in such a funk I wasn't crafting AT ALL (horrible what with the nice fixed up workspace and all). So, today I decided "FUNK OVER" (well at least that was my goal.
I recently picked up a copy of "Collage Discovery Workshop" by Claudine Hellmuth and have been perusing it for ideas for my little tiny collages. Well, what with the "FUNK OVER" idea, I decided to stretch my self creatively (really give my brain something else to concentrate on entirely, as it where.). I stopped of at Michaels (you know, the craft grocery store), on the way home and picked up the worlds smallest (okay well maybe not the smallest...) stretched canvas (4x5 inches) and some cheap brushes (I wanted to stretch myself, but not go into hock to do it.). I had plenty of artsy-craftsy supplies at home to complete the rest. So please take a minute to look at the following pictures to see how I spent the last couple of hours. These are all new techniques to me, but I think I did okay.

Fun with Metal Clay-How it Turned Out

2009-06-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well...here's how it all turned out.

This is the copper after 40 minutes in the tumbler with stainless steel shot.

This is the star after I used my rotary tool and the "scotch-brite" polisher. Shiny but still kind of dark.

This is how the star turned out after I used the .00 grit polishing pad and then hit it with the buffer one more time. Much shinier.

All in all, I like the CopprClay and will definitely be playing with it more and seeing what else I can do with it.

Fun with Metal Clay-Finishing up the firing

2009-06-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Wow...so it took two hours to fire the clay in the kiln and another three for the whole thing to cool down enough to take the firing container out and remove the copper pieces.

I could hear the carbon pieces hopping around in the container, they were still so hot.

The kiln was a bit of a mess inside, as some of the carbon escaped from the container, which is probably why the copper pieces are a bit dark. The high heat and air would oxidize the metal...No problem though, a little polishing will do wonders (plus antiqued metal is all the rage these days!)

Some of the larger pieces were still a bit hot when I took them out of the firing container, so I quenched them in a bowl of room temperature water, to finish the cooling process.

It was pretty late by the end of all this, so i just cleaned up my work room and put the copper pieces aside until monday.

Where Do You Work-Final

2009-06-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I'm a day late, but I was actually done on time. The joy of computers is that sometimes they don't work. Mine kept freezing up on me yesterday.

So, drum roll please...my completed work room/studio/retreat is finally done and I am very pleased.

This picture is the Kiln Area, where my kiln, dehydrator and tumbler live. I have craft fair storage below that I will make a cover to hide, but I can live with it for now.

This is my Sewing Area. I gave myself plenty of space on the side for when I am working on my big patchwork quilts. As you can see, I have two in progress, stacked on the drawer unit to the right, between the sewing table and the little book case.

This is my Jewelry/Mixed media collage Area. This bookcase on the left is all my mixed media collage and paper crafts stuff, plus all my crafty books on the bottom shelf. The bookcase on the right is most of my jewelry making stuff. The desk in the middle is my primary workspace. My jewelry making findings and a caddy with all of my tools live on it full time. I have an Ott Light on each side for optimum lighting for my work.

This is a picture of the whole room from the door. Buddy the super dog doesn't know what to do with all the floor space.

The contest winner is Krissi, for showing me her work area. Thanks for sharing. Please let me know how you'd like to receive your collage domino necklace (snail mail or I can drop it off at Scary Craft if you don't mind waiting. Your choice.)

Happy crafting!

Fun with metal clay

2009-05-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

I love silver metal clay. There, I said it. I really do. BUT, and yes, its a big but...silver metal clay is expensive! A 10 gram packet of Art Clay Silver costs a little over $15 at metalclaysupply.com, which is were I have found it for the least amount of money. Yes, that works out to be about $1.50 per gram. So...A couple months ago, the great and powerful "They" (in this instance They being Metal Adventure) came out with a new product, BronzClay (clay that fires into bronze). Well, way less expensive at 17.09 for a 100 gram packet (less than $.20 per gram), but you need "Stuff" and bronze, not really my medium. The happy folks at Metal Adventures, no slackers there, were brewing up a new batch of fun, one that I couldn't pass up trying at least once, to see how I like it. Yup, that's right, my second favorite metal to work with...COPPER! The following is my first adventure with CopprClay. I made a couple of flat projects that can be used as pendants, if they turn out.

Supply list for my CopprClay adventure
Coppr Clay (100 gram packet) - I only pinched off about a fifth of the lump, as this was my first try

A plastic roller

Mat board (like from a picture frame)
Olive oil
My non-stick sheet (I think its Teflon, but I've had it so long, I forgot)
Assorted cookie cutters
Rubber stamps
Clay drill
Emory board
My food dehydrator
My kiln (we call her Lilly)
A stainless steel firing container
Coconut Carbon
A wire brush

Ready? Here we go…

I rubbed a little olive oil on my hands and the roller, cutters and rubber stamp (just a little, like, a couple of drops).

I unwrapped the clay and pinch off a bit and rolled it around in my palms until it formed soft little ball. I put the ball on my work surface and put the mat board next to the ball of clay and used the roller to start rolling out the clay. Relieved the CopprClay is stickier than SIlver metal clay and got out the olive oil again. Continued rolling and turning the clay until it was an even thickness with the mat board. Used the rubber stamp to texture the clay and then used a large butterfly cutter to cut out the bulk of the pendant. I rolled up the scraps and repeated the process for 2 more smaller butterflys, a star with a small star cut out to hang as a charm, and a flat rectangle frame to put something into later.

I out all the pieces into the dehydrator and then cleaned up some of my work area and got ready for sanding. This is really important as something that is not too big a deal in the greenware (ceramic) stage will be sharp or slicy after firing. Smoothed all the edges and felt around for and bumpy bits (these equal sharp metal spikes after firing). Drilled holes for jump rings etc. then checked for dryness. The pieces must be bone dry before firing or they could crack.

When I decided the pieces were dry enough, I put an inch of the coconut carbon in the firing vessel, laid down the clay pieces (at least a 1/2 inch away from each other) and the filled the vessel to the top with the coconut carbon.

Now for the fun part, firing! I had to figure out how to program Lilly as I have only used her for firing silver metal clay and she is preprogrammed for that. Once I got her figured out though...I put the firing vessel into the kiln (making sure not to touch the sides ot the magic thing in the back that takes care of the heat), closed the door and hit start. Now I am waiting...The hold time is 2 hours, then I have to wait for the kiln to cool before I can see what I've got.

I'll let you know as soon as I can but for know, lets have some dinner, or something.

Scary Craft's Night of the Creators

2009-05-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended Scary Craft’s Night of the Creators. It was my first time. It happens the LAST Tuesday of the month (except November-January) at Side Show Studios on Freeport Boulevard in Sacramento from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. (Side Show Studios is an interesting mix of Art Gallery and Tattoo shop. I like it.)

Anyway, back on track…Scary Craft. The group last night was Krissi, Yoli, Di, Char, Khai (?), Becca and me. From what I gather, there is often a tutorial or theme for the evening, but not last night. Last night was just working on whatever project you brought. It was a very laid back evening, a nice combination of yakking and crafting.

Krissi was working on little mermaid pendants and a kitty plaque (mmm, love the smell of burning wood). I’m not sure what Yoli was working on, but it looked like tags. Di was working on super sparkly mini hats. Char finished a painting of a smoking penguin for Di. Khai(?) was making curtains. Becca was mostly getting out of the house and hanging with people (I feel you sista’) but she worked on a picture in her notebook. I was doing some domino and bottle cap collages (mostly barely-dressed babes).

For those of you who know me, the hardest part of the evening was getting out of the car. Once I get warmed up, I can do okay. I made the decision to go when Facebook told me I might like. I ran home to throw together some stuff to work on (I never sat down, that would have doomed my resolve). The hubby handed me a hot dog, which I ate standing up. I hopped back in the car and got on the freeway drove straight to Side Show, pulled into the parking lot and sat. It took me about 10 minutes to convince myself to get out of the car and walk into Side Show. I did it though and had a really good time. Scary Craft = not too scary.

I will be going back next month, which is good as I promised I would do a wire-wrapping tutorial. Hope to see you next month.

Where Do You Work? - Update

2009-05-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words...I can sum it up in 3. What a mess! I got my pictures on here backwards, SO, the top one is the most current.

Don't forget to leave a comment on my original post for a chance to win a collage domino necklace

http://julisjewels.blogspot.com/2009/05/where-do-you-work.html

Happy Mothers Day/My Daughter's Birthday

2009-05-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today, is the day after Mother's Day, I know. But today I received the nicest Mother's Day Gift ever. It wasn't actually given to me, but I got it anyway.

I had just finished up my "Where do you work" blog/contest post and was previewing it. I saw my daughters face in my followers section and gave her a click. She is starting her own blog and I almost cried (I did get a little misty) when I clicked on it and gave it a read. Today is her 20th birthday, stop by and wish her well. And no, I won't share the Margarita Chicken recipe either (you gotta keep some secrets).

http://mymommysdaughter.blogspot.com/

Where do you work?

2009-05-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about my craft/ workspace a lot lately. Why, because I get to change it.

Currently, my workspace is a portion of the guest room upstairs. As you can see, I have pretty much taken over. I try to keep my work desk somewhat clear so I can actually do work on it, but the workable area is pretty small. My bookcase has overflowed onto the floor, which is also where I keep things I just can’t put anywhere else right now, like the dehydrator and pasta machine. I can’t actually use my sewing machine because I would have to move all the stuff that is currently residing on top of the sewing table. Obviously, there is no place for anyone to sleep on that bed. Also, with the way the room is built and the furniture is situated, there is no walking around space on the floor if Buddy (the super dog) decides to hang out with me while I craft (the cats manage to find a place to curl up, but that’s because they’re cats, they don’t require as much space as a sleepy dog).

Last summer, my daughter/assistant/supermodel, Denise, moved to Tucson with her boyfriend. After plenty of long, hard thought, my hubby and I decided to redo her room as the guest room, and I will get to take over the spare room as my studio. It will still be a long time before I can complete all the work, as there is a lot of furniture to move, a spare bed to dispose of, etc. In the end, I will be able to have almost all of my work stuff in one place (I still have to keep the torches in the garage).

So, where do you work? Leave a comment on my blog about your workspace (with a link to a picture if possible). I will pick one of your comments to win a collaged domino necklace. Deadline to enter is May 31st. I will pick a winner on June 1st and contact you about sending out your necklace.

IndieSacramento May Market Wrap-up

2009-05-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, IndieSacramento was today, rain or shine, and boy did it rain! All things considered (and again, lets consider the rain) there was a terrific turn-out. Way to go all you die-hard Indie Supporters.

A boy asked me today, why we did this. I was thrown for a second. He asked, "Is it just a thing to make money?" How do you answer that? First, I was kind of, "Well, yeah". But then I had the right answer, the real answer. I said, "This is an event for little businesses. I'm a little, tiny business and that guy over there (Wear Yeti) is also a little, tiny business. All of the people here are little, tiny businesses (my husband chimed in here and said "And artists"). Events like this help little, tiny businesses get their name (and merchandise) out into the public. We can't afford shops in the mall. We might sell some stuff on the internet, but mostly, we do shows like this where people can see our stuff and meet us, and if we are lucky, they might like it and buy something." The boy said, "oh, that makes a lot of sense." (at this point I am feeling good about explaining this to the boy, who I guess to be about 10). After the boy left, I asked my husband (Steve), if he thought what I told the boy was right. He said yeah except I forgot to mention that we are really a bunch of artists, not just business people.

So for all of you who came out, thank you for supporting IndieSacramento. Thank you for supporting out little, tiny businesses. We are artists. We believe in what we do. I love making jewelry, it makes me incredibly happy. You people, our customers and supporters, make all of this possible. It was nice to see regulars and meet new people (shout out to Evie, here).

Again, thank you.

IndieSacramento Blog Special

2009-05-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I didn't get to this yesterday...The super secret password for my IndieSacramento Blog Special is "Rain, rain, go away! Come back tomorrow, okay?" I will have a little treat for the first ten people with the Super Secret Password.

Hope to see you there, rain or shine.

IndieSacramento blog special

2009-04-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

If you don’t know already, I will be out at IndieSacramento this Saturday (no rain on Saturday, no rain on Saturday…chant with me now). I have decided to have a blog special! If you are one of the first ten people to come by my booth and say the Super Secret Password, I will have treat for you. Tune in tomorrow for the Super Secret Password (sorry, I am still trying to think up something suitably Super and Secret, otherwise I would give it to you today).

My Twinchie

2009-04-27T19:23:00.001-07:00

This is my twinchie. This is the seccond non-bottlecap or domino related collage I have made. The image is from an ARTchix collage sheet, "Helga's Faves". I love her because she loves fabulous jewelry and I make fabulous jewelry. I hand set all the little, tiny "beads" on her bracelets and headband. I also cut the loop off a tiny star dangle to make the centerpiece of her necklace. I created this little twinchie because I was inspired by Helga's weekly blog "http://www.myartisticlife.typepad.com/". I love ready her challenges (and her weekly dose of cuteness). I felt I could play along in this one. I hope she likes it.

And now for something completely different...

2009-04-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is my first Artist Trading Card (ATC). I was feeling just a tiny bit stressed out about the big craft fair weekend that I will be having next weekend (May 2nd & 3rd). Frankly I was overwhelmed. I had about 15 pieces that needed to be finished, as well as a a bunch that needed to be priced and carded. I had so much to do, I actually made a list. (Those of you who know me, know how I feel about lists.)

Well...I craft to relieve stress (which is why I have so much to sell, hehe), but the thought of making more jewelry made me a little more stressed (gasp). So I was trying to clean up my paper area, when I picked up my bag o' images and (many from the ARTchix Studio) and an ATC kit fell out onto my lap. I had purchased it some time ago for inspiration in my bottlecap and domino designs but most of the images where too big. (In the past I would have given the stuff I can't use to my daughter, but she doesn't live that close any more.)

So anyway...I thought I would try out the ATC kit. It had a bathing beauties theme. This is what I came up with. I don't know if the scan really does her justice, but you get the idea. I had a hard time keeping the glitter to a minimum. I painted a little bit of glitter on the star fish and let the rest of the sparkle come from the blue shell border on the bottom.

Just to let you know, I figured out how to turn her into jewelry anyway. I scanned her so that I can change her scale and print her out and put her between glass and turn her into a soldered pendant. But this way, I can keep my original ATC as inspiration. By the way, I have begun a second collage, called a twinchie (2" square), that actually has a jewelry theme. I'll let you know how it turns out.

IndieSacramento is coming!!!

2009-04-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

IndieSacramento's May Market is quickly approaching. Swag bags for the first 150 attendees, Craft University, live music, all kinds of great stuff. A beautiful day in the park. Bring a picnic or eat nearby.

I have been making all kinds of new stuff that I will be showing for the first time.

Swag is SCARY...but maybe not too much.

2009-03-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

There are 107 definitions for SWAG in the Urban Dictionary, I think this one is pretty close to what I had in mind...

SWAG -- Stuff We All Get - Relating to the trade show convention industry, where exhibitors hand out "free stuff" to visitors. Most of the time these items are purely promotional materials, and are fairly worthless. ie. pencils, mugs, and mouse pads. SWAG always has the company name, logo, slogan, product, service, and contact information clearly printed somewhere on the item/s. Some convention goers have made a hobby of collecting as much swag as possible, and compete with others at the show. - "The online gaming booth is handing out swag demo disks." - "That beats my swag bag of stationary!"

Why am I concerned with Swag, you might ask? Because I need some! I am doing a craft fair in May (IndieSacramento) and there is a swag requirement (minimum is 30 pieces/50 and you get pimped on their website).

First, I had to find out what swag was. Google and done. Next, check out previous swag. There was a note to check out the blog archive from last December and check out the Swag updates...done. OOOOKKKK. Hmmm. Well-then-there-now. Most of the swag was those little buttons, mind you way cooler than most but, plenty of them. There were also little soap samples, little earrings and some neat paper crafts (bookmark, gift tag, or mini card).

Okay, so what to do...Steve said do those little buttons. Yeah, okay, but really, what will that say about Juli's Jewels. I pride myself on the one-of-a-kind or seriously limited edition. But now I'll have a hundred of just one thing. Not really me, I'm thinking. So, again, what to do. BOTTLE CAPS, of course.

I've got plenty of them. I can make them into something pretty quickly, but what? Pins are popular swag and mine would be different. But, not everyone likes pins. So have pins half keychains.

So, I made 25 bottle cap keychains and 25 bottle cap pins. It took me parts of 4 days to complete they but they turned out great. I think they give a nice snapshot of what Juli's Jewels is about (Just like snowflakes, no two are the same). Check out the picture to the left and you will get an idea of what I did.

Be one of the first 150 people at Indie Sacramento and you might just get one!

My Schedule for May

2009-03-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to the left to check out my schedule for May. At this time, I have no date scheduled for April, but I'll let you know if that changes. Ladies Day has been confirmed, not just tentative now.

Dominoes and Dominoes

2009-03-21T11:20:00.001-07:00

Dominoes make great pendants! I believe this to be true, anyway.

There are several different types of dominoes out there. You can find antique born and horn dominoes, wooden dominoes and even the plastic dominoes that you can get in the game section of Target.

The two types I use are the wooden ones and the plastic ones.

I like to make mini collages with the wooden dominoes, which are about an inch by an inch and a half (1"x1.5"). When I say mini, I mean small. The dominoes above feature a Mexican cowgirl (I made her lasso out of thick button thread) and a wedding photo of my mother-in-law.

The plastic dominoes are inked with alcohol inks and then given a focal stamped image. I saw this technique in Margot Potter's new book, Beyond the Bead. I am not sure if I will make many more of these as the inks can be expensive and you have to be sure they are super dry and cured before you stamp the focal image or everything goes to heck in a hardcart. Also, the plastic dominoes are larger and heavier than the wood kind.

As always, I just keep looking for new ways to mix up my jewelry. I'll keep you posted.

Soldering...How fun!

2009-03-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

As always, I am trying to find ways to be creative in my jewelry and add more elements that I have made myself.

I have experimented with silver preciuos metal clay and have made my own pendants and charms that way. I have also been playing with found objects like dominoes that I have been collaging or inking and stamping (you'll see those in another blog).

Well, I have had some experience with soldering in the past (a little bit in High School and a little bit more in the Air Force), but not enough to feel comfortable with my usual "just jump in and try it attitude (tools with heat, etc.). I decided to take a class (gasp).

Last Wednesday at The Bead Fetish (my favorite bead shop) I took Treasured Memories, a soldering class. A shout out to Tessa for being a great instructor. In the picture above, the pendat on the far left is what I made in class. The one on the far right will be come a Christmas tree ornament, I made it on Thursday for more practice. The one in the center is the one I made on Friday. It is 2-side and features Japanese papers. I think I am getting better as I go along. I am really enjoying this medium as it give me a creative outlet to add my love of little tiny collages to my art. Feel free to let me know what you think.

December Show Dates-Redux

2008-11-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Jewelry Party date is changing from the 6th to the 20th of December.

Are you ready? Christmas is 29 days away! I will have 2 shopping opportunities for you. I am trying something new...a Jewelry Party. Please contact me if you are interested in attending. This will be a different kind of jewelry party. Yeah, yeah, I will have my jewelry available to purchase if you are so inclined, but my focus will be more fun and relaxation. Learn to make a simple pair of earrings or a bracelet (memory wire or stretchy). Have some snacks, dish a little, take a break from the hectic holiday stuff. Contact me if you are interested in attending.

Also, my final craft fair of the season will be at Central United Methodist Church on Saturday, December 13th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Double click on the image to the left for more information.

Happy Holidays!

It's that time again...Part 2

2008-11-03T13:37:00.000-08:00

Ah bead shows. Rings and Things bead show was a resounding success. I had my hundred dollar limit and I spent $99.13. I spent two hours and I got a lot of beads for my money. This is a picture of the beads I purchased. I got red agate, blue Peruvian opal, crazy lace agate (dyed green), amazonite, Chinese charoite, natural impression stone, impression stone (dyed serpentine), owyhee jasper, mookaite, riolite and tourmaline.

Now for B.A.B.E., the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza. This is their tenth anniversary! It actually starts on Thursday, November 6th (just three days from now with so many classes about jewelry making and bead making and bead and jewelry business stuff...it's a lot. I am only going for one day though, Saturday the 8th. The two days of the weekend, the 8th and 9th, are shopping days as well as class days. There will be more than 250 vendors at the event. Some you will have heard of others, maybe not. http://www.beadextravaganza.com/exhibitor.html - link to exhibitors page. One of the things that is the biggest draw for me is the glass. There are glass bead artists there selling the beads they made themselves. It is so cool talking to these people about their art (and it is art). One of my favorites is Sharon Peters Silly Beads, she is a hoot. You can find her online at smartassglass.com.

Last year when I went for the first time, I was completely overwhelmed. This year, I am bringing a friend. It helps if I make a list of vendors or products that I am more interested in because if I don't I won't remember anything (seriously, nothing-poof-all gone). Some of the items/vendors I will be looking for are Green Girl Studios (Fab fine pewter and etc), Sharon Peters (lampworked beads), copper, Thai silver, Bullfrog and I-Ching Beads (lampwork beads), Lillypilly Designs (awesome etched shell pendants), Unicorne Beads (yes, more lampwork), Beaducation (TOOLS!), Bead Palace (I know, you thought lampwork, but no...GEMSTONES), and Arrow Springs (stuff to make lampwork beads).

I will let you know how I did. I am sure that with a good breakfast and comfortable shoes, I can handle this.

It's that time again...

2008-10-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

BEAD SHOWS! I love a good bead show. Who wouldn't? I mean really...(okay maybe my husband wouldn't, but that's kind of different.) what beader wouldn't?

This Saturday will be my fourth craft fair in five weeks, so technically I should be making jewelry on Sunday (actually I probably will end up making jewelry, but not for the whole day.), but I will be going to the Rings & Things trunk show in Sacramento for a big chunk of the day. Be aware - if you are planning on attending Rings & Things - it is a wholesale show. You need to have a resale license, or you get to pay full price.

I went to the Rings & Things bead show on April 9th (it was my first R & T show) with one hundred dollars and no idea what it would be like. I had been to BABE (see next post) by then, but knew this would be a different type of show. First big difference-only one vendor, Rings & Things. Second big difference-they wanted to give me a really big discount off the retail price of the beads (they like me! they really like me!). The R & T show takes up a good sized conference room at a local hotel at what used to be McClellan AFB in Sacramento. When I went in April, I actually took some time off from my day job so that I could get there at the early end of the show. Good thing too, because I ended up spending several hours there. (It was a little overwhelming actually) THERE WERE SO MANY BEADS...some I had never seen in person before, and the quality was great. I learned an important lesson that day, BRING A CALCULATOR! Luckily my cell phone has a calculator function or I would have been hopelessly confused. The discount is 50% off the retail price, then 15% off that. I impressed by husband with my fabulous shopping prowess, as I walked out the door with change in my pocket. Remember, my limit was $100.00. I spent $99.73, and I purchased A LOT of beads.

So...I am going to go again this Sunday. If you are going to go, get there early, and don't forget you license. If you see a strand you like and you aren't sure about it, take it! It won't be there later if you decide you did want it after all. You can always put it back later if you change your mind. Wear comfy shoes, take water and a powerbar, you're going to need it. Good luck and have a good time.

How to survive an outdoor craft show

2008-10-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know we've all seen the great lists for being prepared for craft fairs/shows, what to take, etc. This is not that kind of list. This is more survival based...

Know what the weather is supposed to be like, in advance. Check with the Weather Channel or AccuWeather the day before the show. Check it again in the morning, it might have changed whilke you were sleeping. Also, if you are near where the show will be held, look out the window. I cannot stress this enough.
Prepare for the weather to change during the day while you are at the show. I have set up my booth in the rain in the morning and been roasting with the intense heat an humidity by closing time. Wear light layers and if you wore tennies, bring sandals (or vice versa).
If it's going to be windy, forget the canopy. It's just not safe. Duct tape comes in clear! Get a roll. People don't really see it and your displays will be less likely to blow away. Also, keep your displays low or flat.
Table cloth clips are cheap and you can purchase them ate your favorite big box store (i.e. Target, K-Mart, etc.)
Those chairs you get for camping will save wear and tear on your good folding chairs, as long as they aren't too comfy. (Falling asleep is just not professional.)

I know this sounds a little tongue in cheek, but I'm serious. Also, if you live in the Sacramento Region, outdoor (especially parking lot) sales in October are crazy. It will be windy, it may be rainy, It might be hot or really chilly. Just be aware. Oh, and try to have some fun.

November Sale Dates

2008-10-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hi all. Here are my sale dates for November 2008. Wow, is it really almost the middle of October already?

Click on the image to pop it up.

Upcoming Events for October, 2008

2008-09-26T12:57:00.001-07:00

Here is my schedule for October. Click on the picture to enlarge. Hope to see you at one of them.

Remember - the holidays are fast approaching!

Art Clay Silver - Background Info & My First Project

2008-09-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has been into or around beading or jewelry making in the last, oh decade, has at least heard of metal clay. It has two (2) trade names. The first, and original, is PMC (short for precious metal clay). The second is Art Clay. Basically, it is tiny particles of silver suspended in an organic binder that has been mixed with water.

I have been intrigued by the idea that there was a material that is as pliable as clay (seriously!) that you can pretty much do anything to that you would do with regular clay, but after you fire it you have a piece of 99.9% silver*. (The binder burns away upon firing.) There are also a bunch of different ways to fire it. You can use a kiln, the top of your stove, a butane micro-torch, or in the instance of PMC a thing called a hot pot (which is kind of scary, but cool none-the-less.). It also comes in several forms; clay, paste, in a syringe, and even a paper type. There is some that requires high heat firing, some that requires as low as 650 degrees celsius to fire.

Well, enough for the background...I finally jumped in and did something I have never done, I took a class! For all of the jewelry "stuff" I have done before, I pretty much taught myself (through books and magazines.). But, I was a little afraid. Okay, alot afraid. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on something and then have it go really badly (silver is getting kind of pricey, but then what isn't.). I took the class at a local bead shop in my area, Piece of Mind. The class was taught by Patsy Silva. The class was on August 23rd and lasted from 10 am to 4 pm. I was completely sold on metal clay by 2:30 pm, when I was completing my last project, a star pendant that I drew freeform with the syringe type clay. We did three (3) projects that day; a flat piece, an overlay piece and the syringe piece.

First, my flat piece. This was my favorite...I made a small rectangular pendant covered in stars. Patsy warned us to have an idea in mind before we opened the clas as it starts to dry out as soon as it hits the air. The is the only major drawback that I could see and can be worked around if you keep some water nearby. (Oh yeah, and you have to use some olive oil or Badger Balm to keep it from sticking to stuff. Not really a big deal though.) So I had a star patterned texture plate, a star motif rubber stamp, and a star shaped cutter. I had a good idea and I was ready to go. I rolled out the clay and cut it into a rectangle with a plastic knife (you know, the picnic kind.), rolled up the excess clay into a ball and wrapped in Saran wrap. I pressed the texture plate onto my rectangle and it made raised stars on the top of the clay. On other parts of the clay, I stamped the star stamp the make some depressions. I put the piece aside and rolled out my remaining clay and punched out three (3) star shapes. After taking care of the excess clay again, i brushed a tiny bit of water on the star cutouts and genlty pressed them onto my rectangle. I took a bamboo skewer and made a cute little dot pattern on the raised stars. We put the flat pieces into a food dehydrator (The clay must be "bone dry" before firing. I don't know why, it just does.) After the pieces where dry, they were fired in the kiln for a little while (30 minutes, I think.). They were a wierd white color when they came out (It was like a coating of ash, kind of.) The coating brushed off with a metal brush and they were already starting to be shiny. After about a half an hour in a rock tumbler with some stainless steel shot, they were fabulously shiny.

Look for my next blog on metal clay, The Overlay Project, coming soon!

*Sterling silver is only 92.5% silver, the rest is other metal, usually copper.

Hi, I'm Juli. Welcome to Juli's Jewels

2008-08-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm Juli, of Juli's Jewels. I am a tiny little jewelry making business.

I love making jewelry. There, I said it. I LOVE MAKING JEWELRY! It makes me very happy.

I made my first pair of earrings when I was fifteen years old (that was back in 1984, not too long ago.) I fiddled around with beads off and on while trying out other hobbies and crafts that I liked (needlework, painting, what have you). I kept coming back to the beads though.

A few years ago, I came across a little bead shop in Ashland, Oregon that I just loved and was really inspired by. It's the Bead Studio on Main Street. They had so many different kinds of beads and they were all so pretty.

At first, I started making a few simple strung necklaces here, a pair of earrings there. I would give them as gifts of keep and wear them for myself. Well, after a awhile I was making more jewelry that I could keep or give as gifts. I just had boxes of the stuff laying around. And, let me tell you, it was beyond simple now. I found I had a knack for wire work. I also found it was fun to make mixed media jewelry; Little collages in bottle caps, polymer clay, friendly plastic melted onto dominoes, etc.

One day (way back in July, 2007 at a barbeque at my house, when I was up in my craft room), my friend Jan said, "you should sell some of this stuff. You could go around to craft fairs and make some good money." I was shocked! Seriously. I couldn't believe it. "You really think people would want to buy my jewelry?" I asked. She said, "I want to buy this bracelet right now." We laughed a little and went back to our husbands, were she promptly announced to the rest of the group that I needed to start selling my jewelry at craft fairs. Everyone at the barbeque agreed. I sold at my first craft fair in October of 2007, I sold one necklace resulting in a net loss of $38 dollars for the day. I was not put off though. I got a lot of really good feed back. My next craft fair showed a decent profit. I have learned a lot in the last year; never go to a first time craft fair, always pack snacks, take a friend if you can because eventually you have to go to the bathroom.

I am going to keep at the craft fair circuit in the Sacramento Valley area. I have loftier goals though. I would like to have a webshop in the near future and in later future I hope to eventually have a little shop.

Well, I think that is enough for now. Oh, by the way, I guess I am a blogger now, too.