My Etsy Favorites

One thing that I have a bad habit of is shopping on etsy, although the money is not coming in right now I cannot keep myself from looking and coveting many items. I would like to take the time today to showcase my absolute favorites and tell you why they are freakin sweet!

Wire Wrapped Green Leaves Necklace
By CraftyWillows

This necklace is just simply beautiful. I have been wanting to get into wire wrapping for quite some time now but always lose out to frustration, apparently I am a better weaver than I am a wrapper.  The choice of the pale green against the copper is exquisite,  and I adore the dual leaf look of the pendant. 

Hanging Glass Terrarium
By terradctl

Besides beading and writing another passion of mine is gardening and plants. I WANT THIS NOW. I have always wanted a terrarium type for air plants and I adore this style. I see it hanging next to my desk so that I can give it love on a daily, hell hourly, basis.  But then I realized the seller is in Australia, so alas I cannot even think about having this.  Sad day, but I am blogging about it anyways because it's awesome. Hopefully I can find one stateside!

Rasta Cat Collar
By Doodlebugduds

I don't know if I've really blogged about him yet, but my best friend and sidekick is a 17 pound black cat named Magoo.  He and I have been together for 8.5 years and bring each other joy on a regular basis. It's a bit disgusting, but really honestly, he is my boy.  He has been rocking this awesome woven Rasta collar for 6 years, the way it stands out against his black fur, I love it. But it's getting really ratty and stretched out, I thought we were going to have to find a new look, but thanks to etsy, maybe I won't have to!  This is way cooler than the one I have now. I dig the pattern, the colors are more vibrant and frankly there are more of them! It is also very random, I dig it. Hopefully in a few more sales I'll be able to purchase this for my little bugger and he can continue on his rasta tradition!

Detroit Skyline Mixed Media
By ATMDESIGNS

This one leaves me speechless, I really wish I could afford this, I would snatch it up in a heartbeat. What an awesome design.  I graduated from Detroit's Wayne State University with a degree in History and I fell in love with the city learning about it from it's beginnings through it's glorious days to what it is today. I also lived in Downtown Detroit for 4 years, and I left part of me there when I moved away.  I loved walking around town checking out the amazing architecture in the gritty place...this just seems to capture Detroit for me.  I love the map in the background...I love everything about this really. I don't really ever want to move back, I love the west, but I would love to own this to remind me of a love I once had.  One day I hope to have this in my collection.

Black Crochet Hoops
By TaniaNovaCrochet

I really want to own a pair of crochet earrings.  I think they are fabulous, combining two art forms into one. I have searched high and wide for a pair and this artist has the best on the web. They embody this boho hippie chick vibe that I adore, a classic taken to new heights.  I cannot wait to have a pair of these in my collection, preferably in black since black goes with everything!

So I will leave you with these 5 favorites of mine for now, I think I will blog about my favs once a week. I love sharing other artists and I think it tells people a little bit more about me as well. 

Just a quick share...

Sorry I haven't graced you in a few days, I've been under the weather with a terrible ear infection in BOTH ears. Ugh. I have so many blog ideas racking up, I just seem to run out of time!
Most of my time has been taken up by this necklace.

Hand Woven Seed Bead Vine Necklace

I originally made this back in 2007, it was one of the first bead weaving projects I took on. It is very intricate, however it is a simple pattern, it's just insanely time consuming! I thought the original took me 6 hours to make, which I thought was long, but really it was closer to 11!!!

Everyone has told me to make another, how much they love the original, which can be seen above at Paul's sister's (Lindsay) graduation. When I wear it out I get tons of complements, so I figured I would make one to showcase on etsy.  Heart it, love it, adore it....I do.

Getting In the Halloween Spirit

Halloween is a little more than 3 weeks away and it is time to get into the festive spirit!  Originally, I thought I would make up a few black and orange things, and that would be that; but then I re-discovered the wonders of bead weaving. I forgot how much fun it was and how cool things turned out! Also, apparently a woven "star" design makes the perfect spider web!!  I was staring at an old broken woven attempt on my desk and it came to me, make spider webs!  
Here are two designs that I have come up with so far, I want to make more in different colors, not sure which ones to do yet.

Black Woven Spider Web Earrings

Spider and the Web Necklace

Heartbreak at the "real" job

As I stated in my first blog, my "real" job is as an Executive Recruiter.  I work for MRI the CA Partners, which is my dad's company. He has blessed me with the opportunity to work from home. The office is based in Detroit, however I get to work from home in my jammies everyday, I love it.

I ran his office in Michigan for over 6 years. When I moved out west, I had the opportunity to start recruiting, but I thought that I needed to grow up and get away from daddy. Boy was I ever wrong.  To make a long and dreadful story short, I had a horrible job in the sales and marketing office for a jewelry company; a job that I thought would be ideal that turned into a massive headache.

I was fired when I asked for more time while taking care of my 89 year old grandpa who was recovering from knee surgery. I am not joking. Luckily I was able to get unemployment and 2 weeks later Paul got his new job in Portland and we moved.  So I would have quit anyways, funny how things eventually work themselves out. I had been talking to my dad for months about working for him; I realized that I wanted to be my own boss. If I was going to work hard, it was going to be for me and my family, and not for someone I had little to no respect for.


So I took a trip in May to work with him and train for 2 weeks.  It takes a solid 6 months to really get going in this industry. Here we are, 4.5 months later. I have been working with a wonderful candidate in Chicago and a solid growing company that is local to her. Phone interview went well, face to face interview went well, and they called me asking for references from her supervisors; basically I have learned that they were ready to offer her the job. Unfortunately, my candidate has decided due to some rare family issues she is going through, she is not going to be able to take the job at this time, she needs 6 months.

In comes the heartbreak.  I really thought I was finally going to be able to contribute to the household, and now I find out that the opportunity has slipped through my fingers. As Paul stated, "so you got your first placement, you just didn't get paid!!!"  I am glad he is so optimistic when I need him to be!

So here we are again, it's another Monday in sunny Portland. I can say sunny Portland right now, I am being blessed with the sun!  Low poofy clouds are floating overhead, it looks as though it will be a gorgeous day. I wanted to share a few of my new and favorite items with my 8 loyal readers. You are loyal right? Humor me and tell me you are!!

Magenta Radio Chandeleir Earrings

I just received this giant 2 inch finding from China on Thursday, I LOVE them. Textured and HUGE, they are going to make a statement.  I am trying to move away from using crystals, although I love them, and use gemstones, so here I have used a magenta purple quartzite. They are faceted so they will catch light just as a swarovski crystal will.

Indian Summer Necklace

I adore this necklace.  I had a real hard time listing it and parting with it, I finally had to reason with myself, Carrie, you do NOT wear long necklaces, the girls will not allow it! I called it Indian Summer because that is what is going on in Portland right now, the sun is out, it's 60+ degrees, yet it's fall. I picture someone in a white button down rocking this shirt, the colors will just POP.  I cannot wait to sell it!

Pearl District 3 Strand Bracelet

This item isn't actually new, but it is newly found. I found it with some supplies, not sure how it got lost! Anyways, this was one of my first bracelets ever made. I adore it, it is one of the items that lead to the design that I used at Chrissy & Sporto's wedding in 2008.  I love that it is a classic look with some funk. The silver spacer beads are some of my favorite, I wish I had more of them! 

So there we have my top 3 new items that I am offering right now.  Pass them along, find them a home and some love. 

The Saturation of Jewelry on Etsy

I wish that this were an instant success thing, I know I make great stuff, therefore it should be selling right?? Alas it's not.  Granted I have made 18 sales (3 away from etsy) since I officially opened my shop a month ago, they have all been to friends and family.  Which I love, I love the support, but I cannot expect to stay afloat on that alone, I want that coveted first stranger sale! Well, I guess you should say second stranger sale, my 2nd sale on etsy was to a random person who was apparently looking for orange shell earrings. Oddly enough the item ended back up in the Detroit metro area; nobody has yet confessed to being this person.
What I am learning now is, etsy is flooded with jewelry, so much that only some of my items have over 100 views. I am trying to figure out how to get the big wide world out there to LOOK AT ME!!!  I have not seen too many items out there with my look on them though, but then again I do not look THAT much at other people's things...maybe this is part of the problem?  I feel like I'm back in Chemistry class struggling to keep up and figure out how to stay afloat!
I am becoming so obsessed with getting that sale from someone who has not seen my stuff in person that it's affecting (effecting? Here comes that spelling part....) my other job right now.  I know, not good, that's the one with the real money potential. But all I can think of is making a sale with jewelry. It's my passion; it iswhere my heart is! On that note though, I should buckle down and make 10 calls...I'll be right back...

Ok, so where was I?

I am beginning to think that word of mouth is going to be my best friend.  Business cards are on their way out to friends who have purchased things; I have added perks in it for them, freebies for getting me sales. Any advice that can be thrown my way would RULE!  I have lost the spark for writing while I was making calls, so I guess I should go back to that and leave the blog alone for now.
:-)

PS - anyone know what is up with the slideshow gadget? I have a great album lined up, yet it won't show up in my list...

A Walk Through the Forest

I was bored tonight so I decided to create this treasury. I started one about the Beach then scrapped it. I started one about NorCal, I scrapped that too and threw in the towel. I just wasn't feeling creative. But then as I was closing down my laptop I came across my desktop, a beautiful picture I took out on Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park and I knew what I needed to do.  I needed to create a Forest Treasury!  So here it is.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cabdaa374586d9136ee8d27/a-hike-through-the-forest

I adore being outside, especially in the trees.  A glorious mix of green and brown lifts my spirit like you would not believe.  Creating this treasury was like taking a hike, the more I saw the happier I became. So now I share it with you.