May's Giveaway from Rose Works Jewelry

This Giveaway has been Closed.

Check back each Monday for a new Giveaway!

Check back each Wednesday for our Art Adventure!

Last month's giveaway from my shop had over 100 entries, and I was really excited about it! I ended up adding a second item to the giveaway and I'm going to do that again! But for the first place prize....

Yay! Now for the second place...I'll add another pair of earrings for every 100 entries I get! How can you enter? Good question!

So How Can You Win?

1. Leave a comment on this blog = 1 entry

2. Visit my FB page and "like" it. Leave a comment there to let me know your a new or returning fan! = 1 entry

3. Visit my Artfire page or Etsy page, come back and leave a separate comment with your favorite piece = 1 entry

4. Follow this blog or let me know your already following = 1 entry

5. Announce this contest on plurk or twitter, come back and leave a comment with a link = 1 entry

6. Blog about it! Since this is means monopolizing your blog space it = 2 entries

7. Make a purchase in either of my stores (Artfire or Etsy) = 5 entries! 

That's a total of 12 possible entries! Please remember to leave separate entries for each entry to make my job easier! I'll be keeping track in a spreadsheet and each entry will be given a separate number (based on order received) and I'll pick a winner using the random number generator. 

Want even more entries? Come visit my Artfire thread - you can earn one entry a day by commenting on that thread - I'll come back and add the link as soon as its up!

Giveaway Feature - Meri Greenleaf

This Giveaway Has Been Closed

Check Back Each Monday for a New Giveaway!

And During the Week for Promotions Ideas,

And Lots of Other Fun Stuff!

I'm very excited about this giveaway! Meri is one of my best friends. We've never met in person, but between a thousand and one e-mails, and a few phone calls, she's been there for me through thick and thin.

Jolly Roger - Pirate Cartilage Ear Cuff

1. Where can we find your work and what do you create?
   
   
   I'm on Etsy (http://merigreenleaf.etsy.com) and Artfire (http://merigreenleaf.artfire.com), and I have a shop on Zibbet, too (http://www.zibbet.com/merigreenleaf), but I don't have as much stuff there. I make a random assortment of things, but almost everything is fantasy-inspired: cartilage earrings and ear cuffs, chainmaille, hemp jewelry, geeky keychains and phone charms (multi-sided dice- yay!), elf (and various other creature) ears and dragon horns, fantasy dolls, runestones, and lately I've started making framed fantasy embroidery, too. I have a very short attention span, in case it wasn't obvious. ;)
   
   
2. What's your favorite part about being an independent artist?
   
   
   Being able to make what I want to make- and being able to earn some money. I have health problems so I can't hold a regular job right now, so my online shops and craft shows are my only form of income at the moment.
   
   
3. Where do you find your inspiration?
   
   
   Fantasy (especially “The Lord of the Rings”), literature (need to use my BA in English somehow!), mythology (usually Greek and some Celtic), Dungeons and Dragons... I'm a geek and I'm proud of it! I also get inspiration from nature- trees, forests and the ocean in particular. I'm a geeky elf-girl. ;)

4. What advice would you give to other artists?
   
   
   Make what you want to make- create to make yourself happy, not to make what you think others will like. There will be people out there interested in what you do, even if you think you're the only person who would want it. And where's the fun in not making what you love? Follow your muse, fickle though it may be. :)
   
   
   
   
   
   Asian Zen Cartilage Earring
   
   
   Now for the Giveaway!
   
   
   Meri is giving you an option to pick any earring from her shop! 
   Here's what she says:
   
   
   I'm giving away a chain earring or an ear cuff of your choice from the earring section of my shop:
   http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&sc_id=56488&seller_id=30196&op=new
   For the chain ones, I can replace the pierced post with a slip-on cuff on the top, so don't worry if you don't have your cartilage pierced. I can even make the bottom post a clip-on if you have no piercings, or you can just go with a simple ear cuff earring- anyone can wear those. 
   
   
   So how can you win?
   
   
   

   1. Comment on this entry
   2. Share your favorite item from her shop (scroll up for link)
   3. Plurk or twitter about it and leave a comment with link.
   4. Blog about it and leave a comment with link
   5. Purchase an item from her shop (for 5 entries) (link above)

   
   

   Important: All entries must be submitted by comments on this blog post.

   I'm keeping track of the entries, so telling Meri about them won't help :P

   
   

   Interested in doing an artist feature/giveaway on this blog? Just let me know!

   
   

   And there is still a sale going in my shop! 15% off at Rose Works Jewelry :)

First Giveaway of the YEAR!!!

Who's Ready for a GIVEAWAY??? I know I am :) 

I've decided it's time to start doing regular giveaway's! Everyone like's getting things with out spending money right? And what woman doesn't want more jewelry? So the plan is to do one about every 4 weeks (about once a month) and I'll be giving away a wide variety fun gifts! 

What will I be giving away? This round I'm giving away 3 pairs of earrings valued $15 total! In the future - who knows? Just about anything is possible! 

So how can you win the above pair of earrings and two more surprise earrings? Simple! The first, and easiest way to enter the contest is to simply leave a comment on this post - just make sure I can reach you either through a follow back link to your blog or by leaving your e-mail address. 

But wait, there's more! There are a LOT of ways you can get entries into this contest! Here they are:

1. Leave a comment on this blog = 1 entry

2. Visit my FB page and "like" it. Leave a comment there to let me know your a new or returning fan! = 1 entry

3. Visit my Artfire page or Etsy page, come back and leave a separate comment with your favorite piece = 1 entry

4. Follow this blog or let me know your already following = 1 entry

5. Announce this contest on plurk or twitter, come back and leave a comment with a link = 1entry

6. Blog about it! Since this is means monopolizing your blog space it = 2 entries

7. Make a purchase in either of my stores (Artfire or Etsy) = 5 entries! 

That's a total of 12 possible entries! Please remember to leave separate entries for each entry to make my job easier! I'll be keeping track in a spreadsheet and each entry will be given a separate number (based on order received) and I'll pick a winner using the random number generator. 

*** Winner will be announced Saturday Morning, February 5th! ***

Have Fun :) 

~ Ruthie ~

Happy New Years! What are YOUR plans?

Lovely Crystal Hoops Earrings

Happy New Year! How are you doing? I've been determined for the last month or so to get on track with my business and goals related to that. So what happened? My brother's wedding, holiday's, life. It all adds up sometimes!

I'm hoping that this month I'm going to be able to achieve my goals. For one, my health and energy are both improving practically exponentially. Plus, we're out of the holiday insanity! Lastly, I'm actually writing out my goals, posting them all on the wall, and planning to review them on a monthly basis. 

How do I set my goals? How should you set your goals? Well, you need to find something works well for you, but I learned about the SMART goals system years ago and I think it's really helpful!

S = Specific. Don't write down general goals like "lose weight," put down specifics such as "lose 5lbs a month."
M = Measurable. This is one way to make your goals specific. I.e. "Read 20 books this year." "Exercise 3 times a week. This can also include how you are going to keep yourself accountable. "Keep a list of the books I read." "Make an exercise calender."
A = Attainable. It might not be realistic to expect to climb Mt Everest this year (unless your already in condition for it!) but you might be able to take walks around your neighborhood, or plan on going on hikes in your area. And hey, if you plan it out, you might just be able to tackle a big peak before the end of the year! Just make sure you plan to work up to your big goals, don't just jump at them and expect to succeed. Have a plan.
R = Realistic. What's really realistic? I know myself and swearing off chocolate would NOT be realistic. However, promising to eat small portions of desert, and one piece of chocolate at a time (instead of a bag) is something that I can mentally handle.
T = Timely. This portion is one of the reasons I say that is important to revisit your goals. Timely is the concept of putting a time frame on your goals. "I want to lose 15lbs." Well when do you want to lose them by? Eventually? 3 months from now? Setting goals that are time bound also allows you to tackle a bigger goal in smaller chunks. Let's say your goal is to read 24 books this year. You can break that down and say, "Read 2 books a month." Now you know what you need to accomplish now, and not just within the next year.

One of my current goals is to post at least one item 5 times a week (or renew). The picture at the top is one of mine for today! I think it works really well for right now because it would be great for a Valentines Day present! It has red crystals, and it's hard to see from the picture, but the center crystal is a heart! 

I'll tell you more about my goals later, but for now, what are your goals right now?

LOTS of CHANGES

Oh goodness! What a day it's been! I can decide where to begin! Wow. I've had a lot of things I've been wanting to get done for a long time and I got so much of it done today! Maybe I should just list it...

Cleaning:
1. Kitchen
2. Bedroom
3. Some of the living room

Design:
1. THE BLOG - I'm going for red and green right now in honor of the upcoming holiday - can you tell? LOL
2. I also created and updated both banners and avatars (and on Artfire the color theme) in both my shops.
3. I made the little section headers I wanted to make! You'll see in a minute ;)

Cooking:
1. Breakfast: pancakes and sausage :D Don't worry I really was behaving! I used sugar-free syrup and they were turkey sausages :P
2. Dinner: (breakfast was at lunch time) BBQ Pork loins, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.

Wow - it was a full day! Now on to the things in my shop and and the crafty stuff I got done yesterday!

Wood and Tubes Spirals

These babies are on CLEARANCE!!!!

Pink Delight Bracelet

Wouldn't this be the perfect Christmas present?

Mexican Peso Necklace

This would be perfect to add a bit of travel flair to your

wardrobe - and perfect to wear at Christmas! 

This necklace is a commission for my friend Gypsy :D

If anyone's interested in something similar just let me know! 

I made something else yesterday too - but I didn't like how it turned out :P 

So it's being scrapped and no picture! 

Until tomorrow ~ Ruthie

Saturday Night

Isn't that a creative title? I couldn't think of anything else :P Sorry I was gone for a couple of days - went all melty brained (migraine) again! But I'm backkkkk. And here is where I'm at:

What's For Sale

Garden Earrings

Aren't these cute? It may not be the right time of the year to be out in your garden (unless you're in the southern hemisphere!) but that doesn't mean it's not a great time to buy these earrings! Wouldn't they make a great Christmas present? Click on the link above to go check 'em out in my store! 

Groovy Nights

Aren't these great to wear to a party? Or even just to add a little jazz to your every day life? I sure think so! Click on the link! 

Daily Crafty ADD

Well - being knocked out with a bad migraine makes for no crafting :( BUT I did go shopping! 

Aren't they cute? It was hard to take a good picture - but that's red and green folks! I'm going to play with them soon, but I have a couple of other things I need to work on first. I'll show you what I mean tomorrow :D

I'm back! I think....maybe...wait for it....Well we'll see shan't we?

For any of you who missed my last post that proudly proclaimed I was back let me explain this for you. I announced September 5th that I was back and working on my shop again. I even managed to put up a follow up post, (What??), that was it. Flop.

That's alright though isn't it? We all have our flops from time to time, and I didn't truly give up! First I got a horrendous cold that made existing seem like a side benefit, so nothing got done. Then, and it's a long story, I ended up messing up my lower back pretty bad. That's healed now and other than the usual persistent migraines, I'm not doing too bad!

So I'm determined. It might be a slow come back. It might lack some of the flashy wit of my old posts (wait, was that even there?) but I'm going to work on getting into the routine again!

For now the majority of my posts are going to be formatted around two topics: What's for Sale, and Daily Crafty ADD. What's for Sale will be the opener of the posts and you'll get to see anything new I've posted that day all in one place! Since I'm going to be working on reopening my Etsy and My Artfire shops again, this will be great! I will not be duplicating any listings between the two stores, just to keep things simple for myself. Daily Crafty ADD will take the place of my weekly posts about my crafty ADD-ness, I'll just keep you right along with me as I walk my winding road! I hope you enjoy it :)

This post is no different from the others really - this just has a long intro :P So now, without further adieu, may I present my new blog post format!

WHAT'S FOR SALE

Purple and Yellow Crystal Earrings

Aren't these cute? 

Just click on the link below the picture for more information and/or to purchase!

Only $5!!!

DAILY CRAFTY ADD

When finished the frogs will be the classic: "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." My Mom bought the pattern for my after Granny died earlier this year. Granny LOVED frogs and had a HUGE collection of them.

Granny also loved to do things with her hands and we have a gorgeous cross-stitch she did at one point! 

Granny had a set of frogs in these classic poses as figurines. Well Dad has the figurines, and I'm making my own memory for her.Tonight I worked on the eye and face area on the green frog. Didn't get too much done, but I was chatting :P

*NOTE TO SELF* Make some sort of cute banner for each of the sections in the blog posts? Hmmm...Ideas... That might just be my crafty thing for tomorrow :P Did I mention its way past my bed time?

Their done!!! Woohoo!!!

I finished working on my new earring cards! 

It was a LOT of work - but they are pretty :)

Don't you agree?

I used vertical cards that I ordered from Vista Print (LOVE their deals!).

Step two was to glue a "hook" type thing to the back so they'll go on the displays.

I obviously should of taken a picture of that, but I wasn't thinking!

Then I used a tape measure to mark where the holes for the earring wires should go.

Then I made the holes with a 1/16th hole punch (did you even know they have those?)

Last I took each pair of earrings, wrote new price and inventory tags, and put them on the cards!

I'm guessing I did about 75 pairs of earrings?

I didn't really bother to count...

But the backs I used came in a pack of 100,

and I think there are about 25 left.

Like I said, lots of work, but I think it's well worth it!

Crafty ADD #32

Boy it's been a long time since I've posted one of these! The last month has just been weird. First I spent about two weeks at the hospital every spare moment I could with my brother, his wife, and their kids (she had two lovely twin boys and they are now doing wonderfully!). Then I got really sick for a bout a week. Then, not long after recovering from that, I ended up with major oral surgery! Wow. No wonder I feel like I've been absentee from the on-line world lately.

I haven't done any crocheting. Which is bad, cuz the boys are born and it isn't done, but I figure as long as I get it to them in the first few months we're good right? I've done some cross-stitch, but I forgot to take a picture and I don't want to go take one :P I'll show you where I'm at with the next update!

My major focus has been jewelry the last two weeks because I started the Saturday Market season and I've been working hard on display's and inventory!

This is a custom order I did for a friends mom. It was really neat, her daughter bought the necklace for her birthday, and then the mom decided she wanted a full set! Sweet eh? I had fun designing the earrings. I wanted something that would compliment the design of the bracelet and necklace (which match). It took three tries, but I found something I fell in love with and I will be making more for my shop!

Charms tend to be a big seller for me. $3-5 depending on what they are made of, so it's a cheap and easy item to pick up. Doesn't hurt the wallet. I knew I needed to make more but I got extra incentive when I picked up a coffee cup holder to hang them from! I'm not sure I have what I'd consider a "full inventory" (ie, what makes the holder look nice and full) yet, but that's enough for this week! Especially since I made most of those today...and there are other projects to work on!
3 of these sets of earrings were for specific people, and the rest are just to keep the stock up in my shop :) I'm kinda in the habit of making multiple pairs of earrings whenever I sit down to make one specific pair. They don't take long to make up and it's a good way to keep up inventory! Especially since these also tend to be good sellers :)

Valentines Day - Artfire Style!

Now I must admit that Valentines day has, historically, not been one of my favorite holidays. In fact, I used to absolutely hate it! Why? Well, as a long time single girl/woman it was a slap in the face reminder that I WAS single. Some years I faced it defiantly, others I drowned it in chocolate. Now that I'm married (I know, it blew me away too) I actually like the holiday!

This week's BlogFire Carnival is all about either Valentines Day, or items in Red/Pink. Since I finally like the holiday I decided to show off one of my pieces, and some great gift ideas from three of my friends! Now ladies, if you've read this far and hate Valentines Day, you could always buy this as a gift for yourself! Why? Because your special. I said so!

Love the Pink Multistrand Necklace

Miniature Raspberry Pie Earrings

Love Heart on a Stick

Chocolate Tea

*Hugs and Kisses*

Laughing At Myself....

Why am I laughing? Because this latest collection on my latest promoted items CLEARLY shows the difference between items I've recently renewed - and items I've taken new photos with my light box! Ah well.

So here's my plan. I have a lot of inventory (a lot) between my two shops. For Etsy I'm going to slowly replace the photos by rephotographing items whenever they come up for relisting. For Artfire, since items don't expire, I'm going to alternate between one new listed item, and retaking the photos for two old items. It'll probably take me a few months, but hey, at least this way I won't get stressed out! That's really important with the way my lungs have been misbehaving lately.

Anyway, you know the drill, tell me which piece(s) are your favorite(s) and why and I'll give you an extra entry into my Top Commentators Contest!

Crafty ADD Update #26

Another week - and more crafty stuff! I have officially created a new category in these updates - the miscellaneous category :P Why? Well I have some random things that I do (like paper stuff or whatever) that I don't do frequently enough for them to really have their own category. This way I no longer have to worry about that. You'll love my Misc. item this week :) Oh - and a note about crocheting - it didn't happen this week. Oopsie. I got very caught up in beading, which you'll see!

Misc:

I made myself a light box! That picture makes my living room look a lot darker than it is...but I have a light box! *bounces* The box is a little cockamamie which is why you see a pill bottle peaking out from one corner. I need to figure out a better solution to that... I also want to get a third lamp that can do overhead light because I'm still get some shadows just having the two lights. So my project isn't finished...but it's a big improvement over where I was at!

Jewelry

I made the rope to go with my Peso Pendant that I made last week! I'm really please with how this turned out and I'm looking forward to taking more pictures so that I can list it :D

Rings! I've made my first rings! Woohoo! Plan on listing these this week as well :) And making more!

I actually *gasp* made things for myself this week too! The spirals I made earlier today to go with the shirt I'm wearing, and I did the bead woven earrings earlier this week. The seed beads are kind of an iridescent peacock color. I bought them last week and knew right away that I wanted to weave some earrings with them. By the time I was half way through the first one I knew I was keeping it for myself! Which really is a good idea since I don't have any of my own bead woven earrings. Bracelets - yes, ring - yes, necklaces -yes, but I had no earrings! i had other styles, but it was high time I had a pair of my own bead woven earrings.

This lovely bracelet is made using a chevron weaving technique that I learned from this month's issue of Bead and Button. I love how delicate it turned out! All it needs to finish it is a good clasp, I want to go buy a really cute one for it :)

Oh yes, and I finished my paw prints bracelet, and forgot to take a picture of it completed before I gave it to my friend! Ooops! Don't worry though, I do plan on making one for my shop, eventually....

One World, One Heart - The Official Giveaway!

I blogged not too long ago saying I was going to be part of One World One Heart again...and then I missed the opening day! Ack! I was sick - that's my excuse >_> But it's here! We're taking a magic carpet ride! What does that mean?

Well for me that means giving away lots of prizes! I envision this magic carpet flying all over the world, and the more places it fly's, the more chances there are to win! I love make earrings, and so that's what my giveaway is going to be. Here's just a sample:

That's just one of the styles I offer in my $5 earrings section in my shop! For every 50 riders on this magic carpet, I'll add in another pair of earrings to give away! Winners can pick from something already in my shops, or give me color and design preferences and let me custom make something just for them.

How do you win? Just leave a comment on this blog post! All entries must be made by midnight, PST, February 14th. I'll be using a random number generator to select the winner on the morning of February 15th. Good luck :D

Renewing Frenzy!

I haven't been feeling too good the last few days, and that meant my shop got quite neglected! I had a whole bunch of items expire because I didn't renew them (I generally renew on the date they are going to expire), so today I had a renewing frenzy! Here's most of them...tell me your favorite and get an extra entry into the Top Commentators contest!

On a Friday Afternoon...

I'm starting a new series called "Coins around the World!" I'm really excited about it - and it's definitely going to be challenging. This is the first time I've tried to "capture" an item with beads, and it was a lot of work! I'm actually going to tear this first attempt out and re-do it (multiple reasons) but that's ok, I learned a lot!

I also wanted to show some of my recently promoted items - you know the drill - tell me your favorites and get an extra entry into my top commentators contest!

It's that Time Again :)

Time to show off some of my latest listings and relistings :) I always love seeing these mosaics put together, seeing what I've put up recently. Ok, sometimes I feel a little sick of them from promoting them over and over, but usually I enjoy it! You know the drill - you get an extra entry into my Top Commentators contest if you tell me which item is your favorite and why :)

Only a Few Days Left!

Only 6 days left to buy into my Earring Club! If you love earrings - this is for you! $35 will get you a pair of earrings in the mail, every month, for the next 6 months! Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun? I'd love to add you to my list! So come check it out :)

Life's been a little crazy lately, but I've being renewing items and such lately, so I wanted to show them off! Tell me your favorite, and get an extra entry into my Top Commentators contest!

One Day at a Time...

It's been an interesting couple of weeks - but I'm getting there - one day and one hour at a time! I've managed to do some promoting and listing recently - and here's what I've done! Tell me what's YOUR favorite and get an extra entry into my Top Commentators contest :).

The Big Unveiling!!!

Ready for the big unveiling of my surprise??? Are you sure??? Are you sitting down???

I'm doing a.....

EARRING OF THE MONTH CLUB

FOR $5 EARRINGS!!!!!!

What does that mean??? Well....ask your self, do you love earrings? Now here's the next big question, do you love MY earrings? OR do you know somebody who would love my earrings (because this would make a great present too!)? Then here's how it works:

I have listings in both my Artfire and Etsy Stores so you can purchase from whichever your more comfortable with (I prefer you go to Artfire - but do what your comfortable with!). The subscription for the club is a one time $35 fee. That's it, there's no further obligations on your part, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy getting your earrings in the mail each month! That $35 includes:

~ 6 pairs of earrings (1 pair per month)

~ The shipping cost has already been factored in!

~ A free gift valued $5 with your first pair of earrings.

Each month's earrings will be shipped out by the 5th of the month with the first pair coming in January. The spirals you see in the picture above are what I'll be sending out in January - but after that it's a surprise! You can look here on Artfire or here on Etsy to get an idea of what types of earrings you will be getting.

Each month your earrings will arrive in a pretty organza bag or cloth bag - so if you chose to give your lovely's away for some reason - they will be good to go! And if not, isn't always nice to get a present in a cute bag? My goal is to move towards cloth bags that I personally sew instead of the mass produced organza bags to give things a more personal touch, but I'm not sure when I'll get to implement that. Probably not before February's mailing.

Over all it's a $7 saving - AND you get a free gift! How sweet is that?

***ONLY AVAILABLE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER***

(So strike while the irons hot and stay tuned for next months special item club!)

Do you have any more questions? Something I didn't cover? Let me know! You can leave a comment here or reach me at: roseworksjewelry@gmail.com

On a Roll!

I've been on a roll lately with listing and renewing items - but not so much with blogging. Funny how the two seem to switch places from time to time eh? Well part of the problem was that I couldn't seem to log into byhand.me, which is where I create the spotlights that I use in my treasury blog and when I show of my latest listings on this blog. I finally thought to try clearing my browsing history and that let me access the site again! Woohoo! So your going to get TWO spotlights of my latest listings and such :D

Don't forget this is the last day to earn entries in my Top Commentators Contest for this month. How does that work? Simple, just read my posts and leave me comments! So if your behind on your reading, today's the day to catch up! I'll be announcing the winners tomorrow! Also, leave in your comment today which of the listings I'm showing is your favorite and you'll get an extra entry into the contest!

Oh yes - and don't forget - all my shops have free shipping through the end of December - worldwide!