Back at it

Handmade Nevada turquoise and gunmetal leaf earrings

It has been a looooong week and a half without my computer. I was having Etsy withdrawals! So it was the hard drive that went out, well, both of them actually, well one went out a few months ago and we've just been going on one. But, back to normal now. I made new items and took some pics in my absence. We've had the computer hooked up for just under two hours now and I've already edited pics and posted two listings, that's what the pics in this post are of.

So, like I said in my previous post, I've been reading all your guys' posts but just not commenting much since it was a pain on my phone. Now I'll be back at it full force! And I'm so excited to be since I made two sales right before the comp crashed!

*sigh* back to normal, or at least as normal as before :-P

Handmade brass and teal wood bead necklace

Universe on your finger, Etsy finds

Hey guys. So I listed this ring today and just had to show it to you. It's made from a vintage cabochon. The cabochon is mesmerizing. It looks as if it's made of glass and inside it contains the universe. I really love it and am going to make myelf one.

Now, I love things that have to do with space, so I did a search. Here's some stellar finds from other Etsians.


Here is a flask from COGnitivecreations that features the Ursa Major constellation.

Constellation map pendant from InmostLight

Vintage Illustrated Children's Book from WillowGlenDrive

Starry Night Wall Graphics from Michellechristina

In the fields of stars fine art photograph from InmostLight

Starry Night Ring from Missyindustry

Stargazer reusable sandwich pouch from Cottontopquilts

The Starry Night Vinyl Skin Decal for iphone from CoolDecal

Starry Nights Night Light Electrical Lamp from Glyntpottery

Celestial Constellation Tshirt from Nonfictiontees

Hope you all enjoyed my starry finds! Which ones do you like best?

Back in apt, and henna update

So after it rained in my apartment, Zeb and I went to stay with my parents for a week. Now, I love my parents, but being back home with them made me realize just how much I love having my own space, my own kitchen, my own BED!! On one of the last nights there we had some yummy margaritas and lounged around outside under the almost full moon.

In the next pic you can see how my henna was doing. That was 12 days in and it had faded to a nice mellow orange. It seems like the lighter it got, the quicker it faded because it only lasted about 4 more days after this pic. I washed a ton of dishes after we got back to the apartment and did some good scrubbing and cleaning and it took the henna right off. Barely any was left after that.

But now we are home. The carpet still has to be cleaned so we can't move all of our stuff back into the bedroom yet, but it's still good to be home! I have taken my shop off of vacation mode and am going to be adding some more items soon.

A nice dose of somber gloom

So I stumbled across the video of this musician yesterday. Her name is Zoe Keating and she plays the cello. She creates beautiful masterpieces by recording herself playing and layering the recordings together. Amazing! Also, I thought the mood of the music went perfect with my new gothic cross necklace. Here's both.

Spammy convo! Or is it?

So was in the Etsy forums and saw a post about someone who is being spammy and sending around convos saying "sorry you aren't included in my treasury but would you take the time to look at it anyway?". So a bunch of us etsians reply saying how low, annoying and disgusting that is. A few mins later I get a convo titled "You aren't in my treasury" and inside was a link to the treasury. I get a little mad and think, maybe I should go to the treasury and post a comment saying how I don't appreciate their spam. So I click the link and as I'm scrolling down to the comments, not even bothering to check out the treasury, my fingers are stopped in their scrolling tracks. My earrings? What?
Prankster! 42things took the first few people who posted in that forum thread and made a treasury with them. It was a good laugh, thought I'd share it.
Here's the treasury I'm NOT in. :-D

Interesting mythological info -Scarab

Hey guys! So I have always thought that scarabs were interesting and love jewelry that uses scarabs, but I've never known the history behind them. While writing up the listing for my scarab necklace, I thought it would be interesting to find out what it represents. Here's what I found.

In egyptian mythology the scarab was an important symbol of creation, transformation, renewal, coming into being and everlasting life. This was because of its association with Kephri, the god of the rising sun. It was believed that each morning Kephri would push the morning sun out of the darkness, into our world, and across the sky. The dung beetle, or scarab, was tied to this because of the way they prepared for their young. The dung beetles would lay their eggs into a ball of dung that they would roll across the ground for a while until they finally buried it in the ground. Once the larva hatched and matured into beetles, they would "spontaneously" emerge out of the ground.
The pushing of the ball of dung across the ground and the "spontaneous" emergence of the babies was tied into Kephri pulling the sun out of darkness and then pushing it across the sky. For this reason, scarab beetles are often depicted as pushing the sun, or an orb.
Scarabs were also used during egyptian funeral rights. Prior to burial, a scarab amulet would be placed over the heart of the deceased. This was referred to as a "heart scarab" and the purpose of this was to ensure the rebirth of the deceased in the afterlife.

Just a little tidbit for you guys. I thought it was interesting so I figured some of you would too. :)

Two links for free Moo!!

Hey guys! Just thought I'd link this forum post. In it, Pixiebell gives two links that you can go to so you can get TWO sets of free Moo cards. You just have to pay shipping. ($5.50 for one and $6 for the other) I just ordered mine. Today is the last day. Hurry! :)

Treasury by CampbellJane

My new cross earrings have been featured in a fabulous "Gypsy Goods" treasury by curated by CampbellJane. I love anything gypsy so I was very honored to be in this particular treasury. Upon going to CampbellJane's shop, I was greeted with a rather interesting style of artwork. It is, in her words, "folk art with a colorful contemporary touch." And that it is! Here are my two favorite paintings from her shop.

The first "Colorful Christ" (print) is one of my faves because if you look in his eyes you can almost see his pain, but at the same time, his expression looks rather serene. I love the juxtapostion there.

I enjoy the second one "Love Grows" (also a print) because I am a true romantic when it comes to humanity and how I think the world should be.

You can click on the pictures to be taken to her listings and you can do the same for the treasury, as long as it's still active. :)

Thanks again CampbellJane for featuring my earrings!

The new shop is under way!

So I've made some changes in my shop. I made a new banner, a new avatar and uploaded my first item that goes in the new direction. Above is a pic of my avatar and first item. I've gone through my shop and tweaked my old titles, shop title, descriptions and shop announcement so they are more SEO friendly... I think.... and changed my prices so that I will be able to do wholesale in the future. I've been reading up in the forums a lot and have found some awesome tips. Sometime later on I'll post links to the threads that were really helpful to me. So how is it going with you guys? Have you tweaked your shop to be more SEO friendly?

I'm baaaacccckk!!

Hey guys!! *kisses* Sorry it's been, what, four months since I've posted. Everything is fine. I just got kind of down about my shop, and then I moved so I had to put it on vacation mode, and just kind of left it there for a while. In my absence I've done a lot of soul-searching and I think I know who I am a bit better now. I feel like a new person and am ready for a new adventure!

I'm looking to take my shop in a new direction. I'm wanting it to have a vintagey-old-attic-filled-with-relics kind of feel. I've gone through my shop and taken out all the items that won't fit the new shop mold. The pic above (sorry it's crappy, I took it with my phone) is of some vintage sheet music, manuals and books for props and a vintage inspired blouse to go on the mannequin I bought for taking pics. (The herbs aren't for props... well... heck, I guess that would go with the theme though...)

I've made some new jewelry pieces out of antiqued brass and silver. Now I need to re-take pics of the pieces that are already in my shop and then take pics of the new items. I have, I think I counted 21 pieces to add. I'm also going to make a banner that is more cohesive with the feel. I'm so excited guys!!

So how have you all been? I hope all is well. Please update me on anything new with you guys that I may have missed in my absence. Once again, I'm sorry it's been so long and I thank all of you that are still following me! You guys are awesome! *muah*

Oh, and here's a chill song I'm listening to. Just thought I'd share, maybe some of you will like it. :)

Custom facebook URL With 25 Fans!

You can now make your custom facebook fanpage url with just 25 fans! Mine is www.facebook.com/thenikiproject. Woo hoo! No more long url with random numbers! Click here to be taken to the Etsy thread that tells you how.

Woo Hoo! Awesome Day!!

I am having an awesome day today! First off, I found out that tonight is the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I always enjoy watching it. It is such a spectacle to see the outfits and the amazing wings. Fashion shows in general, especially this one, are like watching a live art exhibit. Such beauty and imaginiation is present in these shows. Next year, I think I'm going to throw a Victoria's Secret party. Kind of like how people throw grammy parties and watch the awards together. Anyways, just hearing that it was on tonight and then watching it made my day.

THEN, I made a sale!! Woo hoo!! Which is especially awesome because I was thinking of reducing the price of these earrings since they weren't selling. But I guess I won't have to now. :-D

Also, the Ritz Carlton that is opening up this month here in Tucson (technically Marana) and is finally hiring for massage therapists. I've been waiting for them to open up the hiring for the spa for a while now. I'm super excited to get my application in there. Plus, I want to apply for Spa Supervisor, which I have no experience doing, but I figure, what the heck, might as well try.

So, all in all, it's been a good day. Which is actually interesting. I was laying in bed last night, going over in my head the things I was thankful for and it put me in a really good mood. Then it became apparent to me that the next day was going to be a great day. I just knew it, I could feel it inside me. It was like this awesome, jubilant, happy feeling that was just waiting to burst out. And well, it did today! Yet another thing to be thankful for. Oh, AND it's a full moon! I don't know why but I have this personal affinity with full moons. There is just something so beautiful about seeing a large, mustard yellow moon rising up over the mountain. *sighs with satisfaction*

So there you have it, sorry if this was a bit long-winded, but... today was good, and I feel completely content and happy and I wanted to share it. Love you all.

Black Friday and Holiday Weekend Sale!!

!!!!!!BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!!

Dun dun dun!!

It's the much anticipated black Friday! And what better time to have a crazy shopping day than right after we have had delicious meals with wonderful people! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and headed out this morning with your bellies fully stuffed from the night before. I personally am not the kind that gets up before the sun to fight the mobs of people. I remain cozy in my bed until about noon.

I am, however, taking part in the black Friday excitement by having a sale in my shop! I'm one CRAZY kid I know! :-P Everything is 20% off. The sale is on all weekend long, from Friday to Monday. Come stop by and take a look!

New Product Pic Style

So as some of you may know, my product pics are usually taken on the text of a book and the jewelry will be draped over another old book. I like how it looks. I think it lends to the romantic feel that I'm going for.

However, I've been wondering if maybe that style of product photos wasn't professional enough. So I thought that I would try and give the blank background without any text a go. Here's how they turned out. As you can see, for some of them I still opted to use the old book for a prop.

All of these pics still need to be cropped and edited a bit. The ones with the white background I need to edit so that the white is more crisp and well.. white. I think I got the hang of my other style of photos and made them look pretty decent, but this I will definitely have to work on. I think you have to be more picky with the lighting with this 'clean' style. That's definitely something I'll have to work on if I continue with this.

So what do you guys think? Do you like this stlye better or my old romantic style better? I'm always open for some good ole constructive criticism!

A Treasury About Love

Woo hoo! I figured that for the heck of it I would check craftopolis to see if I was in a treasury, and sure enough I am! It's titled "Key to my Heart" and was made by ChapterFour. It has my Red Coral Love Necklace in it. I have to honestly say that I really like this treasury. I'm all about loving one another, keeping your heart open to the world and being kind to one another and this treasury really speaks to me in that sense. Even better, when I looked at chapterfour's shop, I was in awe. It's a shop that sells prints and all of them speak of love. There's either hearts or flowers or rainbow colors, and they are all so simple. Beautiful work. I highly recommend going to Tania's shop, even if to just put a smile on your face. I know it did mine. :)

Blog Feature

Hey guys! Just thought I'd drop a line and let you know that Sharrie from StorybookStitches wrote a little feature about me on her blog. Also, if you mention her blog when you purchase something from my shop you'll get free shipping! While you're checking out her blog you should also head over to her shop. She sells some wonderful products for relaxation, which we will all need more of with the holiday season coming up!

First Semi-Custom Sale!

So, as the title says, I just recently had my first semi-custom sale! I say “semi-custom” because they didn’t ask me to do something from scratch. They saw a current listing I had and just asked if they could get it in a different color.


The first pic is the original listing and the second is the custom listing. I liked the color combination so much that I decided to carry it in my shop.

Also, ran into a snag and had to use a smaller gauge wire. Instead of doing just a simple loop, I had to do a loop and a wrap for it to be secure. I LOVE how it turned out. What do you guys think? And for those of you who don’t make jewelry, do you even notice the wire wrapping?

SEO and My Style

So if you’re on Etsy, chances are you’ve been hearing a lot about SEO (search engine optimization) lately. I know it’s something that I need to do if I want to get more traffic to my site. So I started reading some forum threads about it and I think I’ve hit a bit of a snag.

The thing is, you’re supposed to pick a few key words that accurately describe your product and use them in your shop title, your item names and their descriptions. So, my issue is, I don’t know what key words are best for my shop. Yeah there’s the typical “handmade jewelry” but from what I’ve read, you should add other words that better describe what you’re selling.

The problem I’m having is that I have a few different styles. And my style has definitely changed since I opened my shop. I have simple feminine items, and some that are more funky and some yet that have a more dark or goth flair. Now I’m trying to figure what my best move would be.

Should I try to use umbrella key words that all my items fit? I think that would prove rather difficult. Or should I ditch the different styles and try to focus on a more cohesive feel? The pics I’ve posted in this entry are my favorite pieces in my shop and I‘d kind of like to go more in that direction. But I’m not sure if they are too different to be sold in the same shop. Or maybe I should keep them all together, it would give my buyers more options. But then my shop feel might feel a bit confusing and hectic.

See, this is where being an indecisive person becomes a pain. Darn you indecisiveness!! *shakes fist*

Made A Stellar Treasury!

Here it is! My first ever treasury! My plan is to start making these little buggers and each time I'll feature a few of my blogger buddies! For this one I've featured Velvetwoods and Imaginative Intentions. They are both great artists whose work I admire. Velvetwoods has a beautiful blog and an even more gorgeous shop that is filled with dreamy surreal prints that are to die for! Imaginitive Intentions also has a fantastic blog that you can visit and a shop that is full of amazing pendants with an array of images. So, if you want a great piece of artwork, whether for your wall or for around your neck , check out their shops. You'll definitely find some fascinating eye candy. And don't forget to check out my treasury. It turned out great if I do say so myself!

Halloween Pieces, Finally!

So just like the title says, these are my new Halloween pieces. The first three are part of my "Drops of Blood" line. I saw these beads and immediately thought of blood droplets, so that's what I made them into. I have noticed though that on my first pic you can see my fingerprint a bit on the glass. I'll have to touch it up before I post I guess.

I love these earrings. When I think Halloween, I think red and black. Now I know that the colors traditionally are orange and black, but I like red much better, and I think it makes for better contrast. *shrugs* One thing I noticed about the book that I hung the earrings on (It's a lovely aged copy of Interview With The Vampire, my fav) is that it's opened up to the part where Claudia goes a bit crazy about being made a vampire. You can see the quotes, "Which one of you did it? Which one of you made me what I am?" A great part in the movie. Just thought it was kind of cool that the book was opened to that page.

These, real simple design, but they are on sterling hooks.

I particularly like the black beads on the bracelet. You can only slightly tell from the pic but the black beads are shiny on the flat parts and on the rounded edges they are matte. Very cool detail I thought. Anyways, Sunday I should be doing my model pics so these will be going up starting that day or shortly after. Just thought I would update you guys since everyone and their mom has already added Halloween items.