2020: the return to blogging.

Hello Gorgeous!

It's been quite some time since I've been here, but I guess I haven't really had much to say.

Then came 2020...

I have been laid off, like many other Americans, as my job is currently closed due to the pandemic.The County I live in is slowly starting to reopen after 57 days of Stay at Home orders, but it'll might still be some time before I get back to my job.

57 days is a very long time when you are used to a routine. I really struggled in the beginning. I am very lucky though, to be at home with my best friend. He has really helped me through this. On my very good days, I sit and work at my computer, across the dining table from him and his computer. He was able to work from home with his job, which has been a great thing. 

What am I doing these days? I have been going through my jewelry inventory and photographing and listing anything that wasn't in the ArtFire shop. I am going through a type of jewelry (i.e. earrings), then I am doing a metal color at a time (i.e. silver, gold, copper, etc.). Then I'm checking it's pricing, reviewing existing photos, retaking photos as needed, adding photos to Facebook, and finally listing on ArtFire.

It's nice to have so much time to devote to my online shop, but it would be nice if the world was more back to normal right now.

Here is something pretty to look at:

Pomegranate Earrings featuring Gardanne Beads pendant and Humblebeads polymer clay beads

So, what are you doing with your time at home? I'd love to hear what you're doing!

More Shows Added for 2017!

Hello Gorgeous!

Here is an updated list of local craft fairs in the Greater Sacramento area where you'll be able to find Juli's Jewels:

Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Fair

Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 8am to 4pm

Bella Vista High School

8301 Madison Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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Handmade Rocklin

Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 9am to 4pm

Located in the gym at Rocklin High School

5301 Victory Lane, Rocklin, CA 95765

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Holiday Craft Fair hosted by Citrus Heights Lions Club

Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9am to 3pm

Citrus Heights Community Center

6300 Fountain Square Drive, Citrus Heights, CA 95621

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OVParks 20th Annual Holiday Craft Fair

Friday, November 17th, 2017 from 2pm to 6pm &

Saturday, November 18th, 2017 from 8am to 3pm

6826 Hazel Avenue, Orangevale, CA 95662

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28th Annual Holiday Craft Fair

Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 9am to 3pm

Maidu Community Center

1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville, CA 95661

Upcoming Shows - 2017 Edition

Hello Gorgeous!

So far you will be able to find Juli's Jewels at two craft fairs in the Greater Sacramento Area, with more to come, I'm sure.

8th Annual Heritage Lakeside Craft Fair

Saturday, October 7, 2017 from 8:30am to 4pm

Located in the Heritage Lakeside Clubhouse

2620 Granite Park Lane, Elk Grove, CA 95758

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2nd Annual Handmade Rocklin

Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 9am to 4pm

Located in the gym at Rocklin High School

5301 Victory Lane, Rocklin, CA 95765

Upcoming Show Dates for 2016

If you've been wondering where to find Juli's Jewels, here you go!

Upcoming Show Dates:

7th Annual HLOA Craft Fair - 10/22 - 9-4
2620 Granite Park Lane, Elk Grove, CA 

Handmade Rocklin - 11/5 - 9-4
5301 Victory Ln, Rocklin, CA

12th Annual Citrus Heights Lions Club Craft Fair - 11/12 - 9-3
6300 Fountain Square Dr, Citrus Heights, CA

27th Annual Holiday Craft Fair - 12/3 - 9-4
1550 Maidu Dr, Roseville, CA

Updated!

I spent the last couple of hours playing around with the Juli's Jewels Website and I think it's looking pretty good. I've added an ArtFire shop window where you can purchase items without ever actually going to the ArtFire shop. I think that's kind of cool. If you do want to go to the full ArtFire shop though, there's a link on the page that will take you right there! Isn't technology fun? If you stop by the updated site, drop me a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks!

Lolz

This about sums up my life.

20% Off Sale in The ArtFire Shop

Going on now through Cyber Monday, Juli's Jewels is having a 20% off everything sale. There's some pretty exceptional deals with the $10 shop and the 20% off Clearance section.  There are some very beautiful new pieces in the shop. Go check them out.

Autumn Leaves Necklace

Summer Flowers Necklace

Host a Juli's Jewels Jewelry Party in Your Home.

Do you live in the Greater Sacramento area? Do you like jewelry and love an excuse to shop? How about a little free jewelry?

 

Hosting a Juli's Jewels jewelry party is a great way to get friends and family together to shop for yourselves and for gifts in a relaxed, fun, pressure-free atmosphere. I am present during the entire event, available to answer any questions and to take custom orders, but there will be no sales pitches or presentations. I want you and your guests to enjoy a casual and convenient shopping experience.

 

You just need to provide a location, guests, any refreshments you wish to have and send the invitations. I'll take care of the rest. It's a fun way to have a girls' night out and treat yourselves to some jewelry!

 

Every guest who attends will be entered in a drawing for a $25.00 Gift Certificate.

 

What's in it for you?

You will earn 10% of your party sales in free jewelry! You can use it toward your jewelry party purchase. Any amount not used will be put on a Juli's Jewels Gift Certificate issued to you via e-mail after the party for you to use at your convenience. Once you've decided to host a Party, please contact me here.

 

And if any of your guests book a party during yours, you will be sent another $10.00 Gift Certificate after their party ends.

An example of a Juli's Jewels display

Jewelry Trunk Shows

 

Juli's Jewels can also come to businesses for a shopping event. If you own a business and would be interested in having me set up during or after business hours for your employees to shop, please contact me.

A Website? Really? It's about time!

So, ArtFire, where my online shop is hosted, is going through a transition period. They are upgrading for "mobile optimization". That's cool and all, but it's playing a little havoc with my shop. I'm ready to weather the storm and I'm sure it will all be great in the end, but for now, I needed to do a little something to keep my name out there and make it easier for my customers to find me and navigate a little better.

First, I reopened my Etsy shop. Yes, I know what I said, but I need to be more available. The shop only has 11 items right now, but more will be listed in the not-too-distant future.

The Return of the Etsy.

Second, I made a little informational website. You can find me at Juli's Jewels new website and it will link you to my ArtFire shop, or you can access the Etsy right on the website.

The New Juli's Jewels Website!

Third, ArtFire added a new "visual catalog" that I am using instead of my usual item packed home page. It shows an example of the product in each catagory and you just click on it an you can then just scroll through the items from there.

The Visual Catalog on my ArtFire landing page

If you stop by my website or one of my shops, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks a bunch!

My Broken Heart Mended

I created a heart design out of copper clay some time ago, after I left my bad marriage.

I was living on my own for literally the first time in my life and I'd found some good friends and created a support network for myself. I was beginning to heal and with that, I was finding a new voice in my art/jewelry making.

"My Broken Heart Mended" is a hand cut and textured copper clay heart featuring a "tear" design and sterling silver wire stitches. It has been patinaed with a hand held torch and allowed to oxidize. Here is the one i made for myself:

This one is mine.

Apparently it spoke to some people, because I've made it six more times; mostly necklaces, but once a bracelet and another time a brooch pin.

Here is a gallery of the others:



Brooke's



Krissi's



Sandi's



Michele's

For a Valentine's Giveaway

Available on ArtFire

Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to all from Juli's Jewels. I hope that 2013 has treated you well and that 2014 will be even better. Thank you for your support.

Updates are fun! What's up with Juli's Jewels right now.

Tomorrow is thanksgiving. Thanks to all of you for your support. :-)

For your Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping pleasure, free shipping on all orders using code NOVFREESHIP2013. Don't forget, there are bunches of great items in the $10 shop and the 20% off clearance section. Look for pop-up specials throughout the weekend. :-)

I've had no one nominate anyone yet for the Holiday giveaway. I'm not sure how I feel about that...you've got to know someone who deserves a little something extra for the holidays.

Do you think stores should be open on Thanksgiving?

This is a question that was posed to me the other day by my friend, Monica. She was talking about grocery stores, but in this I heard the Big Question; Do you think retail stores should be open on Thanksgiving?

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about big retailers opening on Thanksgiving Day and starting their Black Friday business early. To this I say a loud and resounding NO! No, I don't think Black Friday should start on Thanksgiving Day. Stay home. Watch a T.V. show marathon (I think I saw something like 83 different Series marathons will be aired) or some football; play with your kids; have more mashed potatoes; relax.

Thanksgiving is the weirdest holiday we have; it's on a Thursday and not everyone gets the following day off. It's a little island of a holiday; we should enjoy the time it gives us to overeat and watch T.V. but more importantly, it gives us a day that we spend with our family and/or friends and are thankful for all the awesome we have in our lives.

Do your shopping on Friday if you must, but skip Thursday and let all the shop workers be thankful for their day too.

Updated Craft Show Dates (Or, where to find Juli's Jewels these days)

A quick update on where you'll find Juli's Jewels in the upcoming weeks.

This Saturday, November 16th, Bake Sale and Mini Craft sale. It's an old fashioned front yard bake and craft sale located at 4501 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA from 8am to 3pm. The bake sale proceeds benefit Run to Feed the Hungry.

Saturday, December 14th, VOX is having their 2nd annual VOX Box event from 5pm to 8pm! Coinciding with this event is their Second Saturday Winter Craft Fair, from 1pm to 8pm. I will have a box and a have some of my jewelry for sale. Where is VOX? 1818 11th Street, Sacramento, CA.

Finally, Sunday, December 15th, the YMCA Holiday Art, Craft and Gift Festival. It is from 10am to 7pm at 2021 W Street in Sacramento, California.

Don't forget to submit nominations for this year's Holiday Giveaway on the Facebook page. A brand new, one of a kind jewelry piece in a prize pack for one lucky person. Nominations will be taken until December 5th so get them in early!

Festive Holiday Charm Bracelet

Juli's Jewels Holiday Giveaway, 2013 edition.

This year for our annual holiday giveaway, Juli's Jewels is mixing it up a little. We are doing the usual; we are exciting nominations through the Facebook fan page for people you think deserve an extra something special for the holidays. We will accept nominations now through December 5th, so that we'll have time to get the prize pack in the mail before Christmas. The second will be a random love to someone who has purchased from my shop this year, as a thank you for your support. The gift packs will include new, custom pieces and a few fun bits. Happy holidays from Juli's Jewels.

Juli's Jewels ArtFire shop is finally all up to date!

It has been a lot of work, but it's finally done! My ArtFire shop now has pretty much all of my ready made items listed! (There are a couple of things that I haven't decided if I want to post them or dismantle them for parts...) So, at current count, there are 441 total items in the shop; 111 items are listed in the $10 Specials section (lots of gift ideas in there! Ho Ho Ho), 29 items in the 20% off Clearance section (pretty things and great deals), 37 items in Braclets and Anklets, 42 pairs of Earrings, 133 necklaces in the Necklace section (some with complementary coordinating earrings!), 21 bottlecap and domino Pins, 11 Rings of various styles, 25 assorted Christmas items (One for each day!), and last but not least, 31 Halloween and Harvest items (again, one for each day!)

Whew! Now I can go back to the fun of creating! I made this one yesterday...now I just have to list it.

Juli's Jewels Schedule Through the Holidays

Hi all! Halloween is just 3 days from now and I'm ready, but just barely. Eight weeks 'til Christmas though, and I am certainly not ready, how about you?

To help you plan, here's a quick update on what's happening with Juli's Jewels through the holidays...you know, for gifts and stuff.

We have two craft shows coming up. The first is the St James Holiday Bazaar; it's on both Saturday and Sunday, November 9th and 10th from 9am to 3pm at 1375 B Street in Davis, California. The second is the YMCA Holiday Art, Craft and Gift Festival. It is Sunday, December 15th from 10am to 7pm at 2021 W Street in Sacramento, California.

We'll be offering free shipping on all orders from Black Friday through Cyber Monday! Please use coupon code FREESHIPNOV2013.

For quick and inexpensive gifts, don't forget the $10 Specials section of the shop and the Clearance 20% Off section, too! There's a lot of really nice jewelry in both of these shop sections, they just aren't really what I'm making anymore, so I thought I'd clear them out. There are some pretty awesome bargains in there, some of the $10 items are actually 1/2 price!

I've added over a hundred items to the shop with more being added all the time. Once I get all the items in I can back to the fun of making jewelry.

Gift boxes.

Do you read me?

I haven't really had time to write a good blog post this week, but we'll see who's reading any way. I have been working more hours at home on my ArtFire shop than I have been during the day at my day job...and I still have so many things to post! Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win something and save me from having to list that one more thing in my shop. Thanks for reading!

Juli's Jewels ArtFire Shop - What is up with the $10 Specials?

I need your help. 

There, I said it. I need your help. 

Those four little words are very hard to say, but I am finally saying them. One more time...I need your help. I need money to pay for my car insurance next month and I need to clear out jewelry that is just not what I am making these days. I need to have all the items sold by the end of November, which is awesome because it is just before Christmas! Think of the stockings you could stuff or the little co-worker gifts...the kid's teacher? How about your sister- or mother-in law?



Example of $10 Special

I will have at least 100 $10 items listed in my ArtFire Shop in the $10 Specials section. All of the items listed in the $10 Specials section will be worth $10 or more and are all very nice pieces, they just aren't really what I'm making these days and have been working on clearing them out of my shop anyway. Each person who purchases one of the $10 items will also receive a coupon for free shipping for their next order.

Most of you (my fans and followers of Juli's Jewels) only know me as the girl who makes jewelry and does give-aways and maybe gets a little too posty on facebook sometimes. I also write a blog about crafting business and life, I have an on line shop, I get pretty excited when someone adds one of my pieces to their ArtFire Collection, and practically squee myself when it gets on the front page. The people who know me think I'm nice. I'm introverted and shy, but once I get to know you and am comfortable enough to open up, you'll find me funny and caring. My heart is big and I believe in paying it forward. Frankly, those of you who do know me, know I'd really rather give the jewelry I make away than sell it...but can't because I'd quickly not be able to make anymore....all that being said, this is the hardest post I have ever written. 

Please look over my ArtFire Shop in the $10 Specials section and find something awesome that you would like to give a home to, and help out a hand made jewelry artist in the process.


Juli's Jewels Anniversary Fun; The Metamorphosis of My Craft Fair Booth

I've been selling my jewelry at craft fairs since October 2007! Wow! That's six years! In honor of my business anniversary, here is a look at my booth through the years.



My first booth; West Sacramento Neighbors Fair - 10/2007

 

Last Year's booth; Taylor's Art Park - Summer 2012

My newest booth - 09/2013