DID YOU KNOW?

Do you know which semi-precious/gemstones are porous and should NOT be cleaned with jewelry cleaners or soap?
Although gemstones are among the most durable of substances, they need some care. You've paid a good amount of money for some of your gemstone jewelry, so keep them clean! Think twice before putting gems in an ultrasonic cleaner, when in doubt, leave it out. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires, and other single-crystal gems can be cleaned with a touch of ammonia in water to remove all films and add extra sparkle.
Opaque gemstones like Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Kunzite, Peridot, Tanzanite, Malachite and some Topaz require special care.


Never use an ultrasonic cleaner and never use ammonia or any chemical solution. These gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it.
Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light which can dry out the water in opals.
Organic gems like Pearls, Coral, and Amber should only be wiped clean with a moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous.




Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular.

Storage is also important, keep each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is set in. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.

Remember, treat your gemstone jewelry as if you paid millions and they will last a lifetime!

Is Winter in MN done yet?

Wowie! Have we had a heck of a winter or what? It seems to be snowing every other day right now and my shovel is getting worn out! The cold weather is somewhat bearable, since we had 30-40's during the week of Christmas.
A good cup of hot chocolate is always tasty when it's cold out and so is mid-winter and the countdown to spring.
I've created lots of new items and am trying something new with modern art in my jewelry. My newest piece PICASOMAN was inspired by a candlestick holder I saw in a store.

I've relisted some items for Valentine's Day and will be creating/posting more pieces shortly so you can get in on the deals. January offers you a FREE pair of earrings of your choice with any $35 or more purchase. February will bring an even "sweeter" deal, look for postings at the end of Jan.

Happy countdown to winter and the days are getting longer as well, in the northern hemisphere!

BLACK Friday to CYBER Monday BIG Sale!

SALE, SaLe, Sale!That's right, the mom's of Etsy are having a promotional sale Friday November 26 to November 29th. All you have to do is log onto ETSY and search under the keyword ETSYMOMSALE for handmade items! You'll find hundreds and hundreds of gift ideas from baby items, scarves, vintage wears, toys, jewelry, handmade greeting cards, totes, clothing, floral items, Christmas decor from just some of the artists listed below: Homemadebyamanda, KitKatCreationsInc, PeriwinkleJazz, WoodenHive, OrchidLaneDesigns, ElisaAnn and more!! Don't miss out on the deals, even if you venture out into the chaos of the malls, you won't be disappointed by this event.

Holiday Shopping, Events, and News!

It's beginning to look a lot like..... Turkey time, you thought I was going to say Christmas! Can you believe it's just around the corner AND Christmas is only a whopping 51 days away.
I've already started my Christmas shopping, I don't wait until the last minute for this time of year. While the kids are at school and my husband is working out of town, I find time to work my crafts!

I've designed some new Autumn pieces, which some are posted on my Etsy sight and am creating more for the winter season.





Look for the EtsyMom Black Friday Sale, Nov 26-29. More details to come, but there will be plenty of items available from all over the country.
Also, there will be an additional blog hop giveaway called: Holly Day Blog Hop Thread Dec 4-11. You can visit blogs from participating crafters and sign up for fabulous prizes and to get fabulous holiday inspirations/ideas (recipes, crafts, etc....) All you have to do is leave a comment, to be entered in the drawing for a prize. There will be chances for additional entries as well. Stop back to find more details as the time approaches!

It's going to be exciting!

TRUNK SHOW and MORE........

Where did the summer go, it's September already and the kids are going back to school and the weather will eventually start to turn cool! Here in Minnesota we did have a nice long summer with a snowless March and warm weather by April so we can't complain to much.

I'm hosting my first Trunk Show Open House on September 9th, and yes there is still plenty of time to shop that day before the kick off, for all you die-hard Vikings Fans!
I will have plenty of new items for display as well as wine and chocolate for your taste buds.



The casual display show starts at 3:30 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.. I will be holding a "draw a ticket" type of show, where upon your purchase, you can pick a discount from the box. Discounts will range from 5% up to 50% with one wild card for 55% off! It will be exciting to see who gets the wild card.
This ticket event will also happen on-line for the entire month of September, I will have my daughters draw a discount and refund the amount to your Paypal account (or if paid by check, send $$ back to you). It's a great way to get your accessories for your Autumn/Winter wardrobe, shop for Birthdays, Anniversaries or even Christmas (since that is 114 days away from Sept. 1st), plus it's fun to see the pieces you might like, in person.
Come on over on the 9th, stop in and say HI, make a purchase or custom order a piece or two.

It was the summer of 10!

Standing on your mama's porch.....those were the best days of my life.....back in the summer of 69! Remember those words from the Bryan Adams album, it so reminds me of hot summer days/nights, and wow, are those days upon us here in Minnesota! I haven't been able to do any shows this summer, due to my hubby being out of town working, but I do have some fabulous summer specials going now and into September. Don't forget, from now through the end of July, take 25% off anything purchase over $18.

August will bring back FREE shipping with any order.


September is a "draw a ticket from the box" month. I will be hosting a Trunk Show in early September where I will have a drawing with your purchase. You draw a ticket from the box to see what % you can take off the price! Percentage will range from 5% up to 50% off your purchase. For on-line orders, I will have my daughters draw a ticket from the box (just to be fair) and will refund the amount toward your paypal account.

NEW! July! America's Birthday, Summer fun, Vacations!

Welcome to summer! It's been a wet spring here in MN, but now that July is here, the hot and humid air is upon us.
When it's to hot to be outside or it's raining, I can hide in my craft room and create. I've listed a few newbies in my recent posts and am working on more.

July's special include:

Purchase an item of $18 or more and receive 25% off your entire order!