Thursday, July 15, 2010
~ New Earrings and New Pictures From Happy Cloud Moments ~
Hello! Joyce here from Happy Cloud Moments. It's been a crazy few months and both Emily and I have been very busy. My excuse was my wedding! You can check out my blog for some pictures about the five outfits I had to wear on my wedding day. Anyway, we are back and we'll be updating this blog more frequently. First, how about some check out some of my new earrings. I got some new props for the pictures and I am using Lightroom 3 to sharpen my images. Click here to read more!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Maria Goti Joyas Giveaway Winner
Congratulations emeeme!!!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December Give Away by Maria Goti Joyas!
Win this pendant by Maria Goti Joyas! Just post a comment telling us what you love from her shop! And, if you want, pick items from our other shops, too!
Want extra entries? After you do each of the following, post a comment here and it'll count as an extra entry.
1) Follow Jewelry Sampler on Etsy Team on Twitter: http://twitter.com/etsyjewelryteam
2) Follow this blog.
3) Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link here.
Maria tells us about herself and her work in the interview below.
Q. Tell us a little about yourself.
A. My name is Maria and I'm 23. I live in Navia, a little town in the north coast of Spain in a community called Asturias. The best thing of living here is that Navia is a really quiet place. We have nearly all the facilities of a city concentrated in a little town but seasoned with sea, mountanins and countryside. You can relax walking trough the beach , the port... but also you can go shopping or to the gym. I think we have a good mix here and an enviable landscape.
Q. What kind of jewelry work do you do?
A. My jewelry is 100% handmade. I don't like wax casting though I learned how to do it. I prefer the direct contact with the metals and the uniqueness of something handmade. I work with sterling silver, natural gemstones with unique shapes and cultured pearls (I would like to point that I always hated pearls and look now!! You can never say never!!.) From some months ago I'm also including gold in my creations. What I like best doing is one of a kind pieces. I have a new collection in my Etsy shop that is called Criaturas Marinas (Sea Creatures) composed by ooak jewels featuring natural cabochons of fossilized corals. I really enjoyed working on that so if I could, I'd never repeat a piece. I easily get bored of doing the same day by day, I feel like I am stagnant. If you check my shop you'll see that I love oxidized silver and textures. Oxidized silver is a great opcion for combining it with colorful gemstones, it gives a great contrast and I like it a lot. I think that my designs are closer to the minimalism as I don't like very ornated jewelry.
Q. Where did you learn to make jewelry?
A. For making jewelry I studied in a jewelry school in Oviedo during 3 years. There I learned jewelry with a classical basis, gemmology, wax casting and setting. When I finished bachellor I decided that I wanted a job where I could use my imagination and also my hands. I didn't want to study years and years for ending working sitted in a desk, that is not for me. The fact is that since I was little I enjoyed arts and crafts and art was the subject I most enjoyed in school.
Q. What was your most exciting piece to make?
A.
As I said before I enjoy every ooak piece I do but I think that I would choose the Verne Ring. I felt in love with labradorites since I bought some in my friend's Denise's Shop and I wanted to do something special with them. It also was the first time I included gold in my work.Q. What is the most interesting story you have to tell about making a piece of jewelry?
A. Well, I would call it the most "creepy" story about making jewelry. Once I had to do a ring with a dissected beetle that a friend brought from a trip to Egypt. I couldn't believe that I had to do that so I tried to look at it as less as possible. Luckily for me I could end the ring without getting panic, I really don't like insects and less touching them neither if they don't move.
Q. Tell us about 3 of your pieces.
A.
This is the first pendant/brooch I did from the Criaturas Marinas Collection. Once I did it tons of ideas emerged for making the rest of the colection, so I'll be including more pieces soon. It took me 13 hours for making it so is the piece that took me more work of everything I did.A.
This ring is the most strange piece I ever did. For me it was a therapeutic piece because it was the first ooak piece I did after being months going to craft shows with nearly the same items. I needed to break that monotony so I just improvised; and this is the result.A.
This is the first ring I made once I left the jewelry school and is also the ring I most sold since I started working on my own. I never could thought that this ring would have so sucess. I did it with a lot of different gemstones, but I'll always prefer it with black Onyx.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Welcome Musarra & Co.!
Please welcome our newest team member, Lisa Musarra of Musarra & Co. Musarra finds fabulous vintage jewelry and buttons and remakes them into modern jewelry! Musarra writes, " I love vintage in it's orginal form and recycled into modern. I love grandma's jewels and mom's jewels. Nothing better in my book than finding that perfect gem that you might not ever take another look at and changing it into something that you would die for....Well not really die, but you know what I mean."
Sunday, October 4, 2009
October Give-Away by Happy Cloud Moments
Win a $45 gift certificate from Happy Cloud Moments! Just post a comment telling us what you love from her shop! And, if you want, pick items from our other shops, too!
Want extra entries? Of course you do. After you do each of the following, post a comment here and it'll count as an extra entry.
Happy Cloud Moments is Joyce Chau, who lives in Germantown, Maryland, US of A.
Q. What is your favorite thing about where you live? What is it like living there?
A. My favorite thing is probably the cherry blossoms in the spring. I have always loved Japanese culture and what's more Japanese than cherry blossoms? When all the trees are blooming, I can pretend for just few seconds that I am on Mt Fiji in a buttercup yellow kimono, sipping green tea. It is very suburban here, but it's close enough to DC that I can enjoy city life if I feel like it. There are a lot of places to eat and hang out with my friends. I think it has a good balance of urban craziness and suburban sleepiness.
Q. What kind of jewelry work do you do? Why do you like doing it?
A. I do mostly sterling silver and Swarovski crystal jewelry with wirewrapping. I dabble into bead weaving, but in general, I don't weave or string. I also can't resist really cute charms such so I make charms for gadgets also. I love the movement of the beads when they are swinging on a chain. The way a pair of long dangly earrings or a Stardust bracelet sways with you is like having your own fairy groupies scattering fairy dust as you saunter around. I just love seeing that and being able to create that magic.
Q. What materials do you work with? What colors do you work with most?
A. I work with sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and pearls, cubic zirconia beads and lampwork glass charms. I tend to use warm colors and I am biased towards yellow and purple. Of course, clear crystals with AB coating is always a favorite.
Q. Describe your art education. Are you self-taught? How did you learn? What attracted you to making jewelry?
A. I have always loved art. Every time I had a chance to pick my extracurricular classes, I have picked various art classes like origami, drawing, painting, pottery and more. There were times that I would go to libraries to look at various craft and art books. I actually wanted to major in graphics designs, but decided on computer science. I did take a few computer animation courses and focused on computer graphics for my masters, so you can say that I never really left my love for the arts behind.
I am a fairly practical person, so I love jewelry because it's like art with a purpose. Besides, who can resist all those sparkly crystals?
Q. What was your most exciting piece to make and why?
A. Every new design is the most exciting piece for me at that moment. From the moment I get a design in my head to the moment I put the last bead on, I am excited. All my jewelry are like my children and I love them all equally.
Q. What is your most interesting/disasterous/funny story about making jewelry?
A. Right before my brother's wedding, I rushed to make a necklace and earrings set for my mom and I was so happy to be done. I left it on the table and went to get some water. I came back and saw my cute little puppy happily chewing on something on the couch. So, I went there to pet him and realized that he was happily chewing on the newly finished jewelry! He unraveled the pendant from the necklace and broke a few crystals in half in the 2 minutes that I was gone. I had to rewrap the pendant and remake the earrings instead of sleeping and getting ready for my trip the next day. There's nothing like seeing your work destroyed, even if it's by the cutest puppy in the world.
Q. Tell us about 3 of your pieces.
A.
This is one of my Stardust bracelets. I love these bracelets and I have made them in a lot of different combinations. This bracelet is the reason I started making jewelry again. I think every girl should own something like this. It is a classic style, extremely sparkly, but not overly dressy. I made three for myself in yellow, purple and all clear. I wear them just about every day.
A.
This is basically the most popular item in my store. I personally love stars and I was very excited when Swarovski came out with these beads last year. This necklace is simple but so delicate and pretty. I also have matching stud earrings and many other colors.
A.
I think these are the cutest charms in the world. It's polymer clay doll heads with dress and shoes made from Swarovski crystals. They are great as charms for all your gadgets like phones, Nintendo DSi's, PSPs, and cameras. It is also perfect for hanging in your car. I learned how to make them when I traveled to Hong Kong last year.
Want extra entries? Of course you do. After you do each of the following, post a comment here and it'll count as an extra entry.
- Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link here. You can use the retweet button above. Suggested Tweet: "Enter the $45 Gift Certificate Giveaway for Handmade Swarovski Jewelry and Accessories! http://tinyurl.com/hcm-giveaway @EtsyJewelryTeam"
- Follow Joyce on Twitter: http://twitter.com/_HappyCloud_
- Follow Joyce's Blog: http://happycloudmoments.blogspot.com
- Become Joyce's Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HappyCloudMoments
- Post a link to the giveaway on your Facebook fan page and leave a link to your Facebook fan page. We want to become your fan :)
- Blog about this giveaway and post your link here.
- Follow Jewelry Sampler on Etsy Team on Twitter: http://twitter.com/etsyjewelryteam
- Follow this blog.
Happy Cloud Moments is Joyce Chau, who lives in Germantown, Maryland, US of A.
Q. What is your favorite thing about where you live? What is it like living there?
A. My favorite thing is probably the cherry blossoms in the spring. I have always loved Japanese culture and what's more Japanese than cherry blossoms? When all the trees are blooming, I can pretend for just few seconds that I am on Mt Fiji in a buttercup yellow kimono, sipping green tea. It is very suburban here, but it's close enough to DC that I can enjoy city life if I feel like it. There are a lot of places to eat and hang out with my friends. I think it has a good balance of urban craziness and suburban sleepiness.
Q. What kind of jewelry work do you do? Why do you like doing it?
A. I do mostly sterling silver and Swarovski crystal jewelry with wirewrapping. I dabble into bead weaving, but in general, I don't weave or string. I also can't resist really cute charms such so I make charms for gadgets also. I love the movement of the beads when they are swinging on a chain. The way a pair of long dangly earrings or a Stardust bracelet sways with you is like having your own fairy groupies scattering fairy dust as you saunter around. I just love seeing that and being able to create that magic.
Q. What materials do you work with? What colors do you work with most?
A. I work with sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and pearls, cubic zirconia beads and lampwork glass charms. I tend to use warm colors and I am biased towards yellow and purple. Of course, clear crystals with AB coating is always a favorite.
Q. Describe your art education. Are you self-taught? How did you learn? What attracted you to making jewelry?
A. I have always loved art. Every time I had a chance to pick my extracurricular classes, I have picked various art classes like origami, drawing, painting, pottery and more. There were times that I would go to libraries to look at various craft and art books. I actually wanted to major in graphics designs, but decided on computer science. I did take a few computer animation courses and focused on computer graphics for my masters, so you can say that I never really left my love for the arts behind.
I am a fairly practical person, so I love jewelry because it's like art with a purpose. Besides, who can resist all those sparkly crystals?
Q. What was your most exciting piece to make and why?
A. Every new design is the most exciting piece for me at that moment. From the moment I get a design in my head to the moment I put the last bead on, I am excited. All my jewelry are like my children and I love them all equally.
Q. What is your most interesting/disasterous/funny story about making jewelry?
A. Right before my brother's wedding, I rushed to make a necklace and earrings set for my mom and I was so happy to be done. I left it on the table and went to get some water. I came back and saw my cute little puppy happily chewing on something on the couch. So, I went there to pet him and realized that he was happily chewing on the newly finished jewelry! He unraveled the pendant from the necklace and broke a few crystals in half in the 2 minutes that I was gone. I had to rewrap the pendant and remake the earrings instead of sleeping and getting ready for my trip the next day. There's nothing like seeing your work destroyed, even if it's by the cutest puppy in the world.
Q. Tell us about 3 of your pieces.
A.
This is one of my Stardust bracelets. I love these bracelets and I have made them in a lot of different combinations. This bracelet is the reason I started making jewelry again. I think every girl should own something like this. It is a classic style, extremely sparkly, but not overly dressy. I made three for myself in yellow, purple and all clear. I wear them just about every day.A.
This is basically the most popular item in my store. I personally love stars and I was very excited when Swarovski came out with these beads last year. This necklace is simple but so delicate and pretty. I also have matching stud earrings and many other colors.A.
I think these are the cutest charms in the world. It's polymer clay doll heads with dress and shoes made from Swarovski crystals. They are great as charms for all your gadgets like phones, Nintendo DSi's, PSPs, and cameras. It is also perfect for hanging in your car. I learned how to make them when I traveled to Hong Kong last year.Lizzie wins Licia Beads Gift Certificate
Lizzie (entry #103) wins Licia's Beads gift certificate. Congratulations, Lizzie!
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