Resolutions

The husband and I haven't worked through our family goals (aka resolutions) for 2011 but I have been thinking a little about my goals for DandLs DangLs.

I love making jewelry and selling it to happy customers. But in this phase in my life...

Stay-at-home mom to these amazing babies!

...I am not going to pursue this as a major money-maker. I'm enjoying it being mostly a hobby that pays for itself!

Lord willing, I will be able to pursue this much further as my children get older and don't need me quite as much. (I'm looking forward to and dreading that time coming!)

In light of my stay-at-home-wife-and-mom job being TOP priority and my purpose in life, the DandLs DangLs goals for the coming year are fairly simple...

1. Set up and organize my work space at our new home

2. Post on this blog at least twice a week

3. Post at least one new piece of jewelry weekly

4. Have 2 parties and go to 2 craft shows (at least)

5. Make a daily and weekly work schedule

I'm sure I'll come up with plenty of sub-goals but this sounds like enough work to me!

What is most important to you? Make sure your new year's resolutions reflect that!

Happy New Year from DandLs DangLs and the Jacobs family!

 

Chainmaille... what??

In my previous post I bragged about my handsome man making chainmaille jewelry. The perfect intro to explaining what on earth chainmaille jewelry is!

In a nutshell, chainmaille (chain mail, chainmail, maille, etc.) jewelry is jump rings interlocked in some creative form of jewelry. It's actually derived from the type of flexible armor made with metal rings. You know, like in Gladiator...

photo credit

It's so fun to make and often a lot easier than it looks! (Often, but not always!)

I must warn you it can be very time consuming. It probably gets a lot quicker as you get the hang of it but I'm not quite there yet. In fact, I've only done a couple chainmaille projects...

Byzantine Bracelet

Chained Black Dangles

Oh, and I almost forgot this one!

Snowflake Necklace

 The husband actually has more experience.

Here's a couple of his creations...

So that's the basics of what chainmaille is. You can find easy kits at your local craft store.

photo credit

And for the jump rings I recommend ordering online. You can order the exact sizes required for whatever pattern you're doing.


Here are a couple places we've ordered from:
Blue Buddha Boutique
The Ring Lord

Look for future posts about chainmaille weaves, tools needed for chainmaille, and how to open and close jump rings! And, of course, a tutorial!

The "D" in DandL

Maybe it's because my little business is kinda lucrative sometimes so his monetary contribution hasn't been as necessary.

Or maybe it's because making jewelry is just that much fun.

Whatever the case, my husband has spent the past several nights working on chainmaille jewelry! He searched online for the best price for jumprings, ordered, asked on a regular basis if they had arrived yet, and has spent hours working since they finally did arrive.

It's been kinda nice to be teaching him something for once.

If only he could do more than close jump rings.

But I'm grateful for what he can do, and what he does is great!

Here's a peak at a set he completed all on his own...

I'm so proud :)

Feature Friday #4

It's Friday already?!? I love Friday's but seriously, time is flying!

Due to unforeseen circumstances (aka life), I won't be able to feature the shop I wanted to as well as I'd hoped. At least not today. I will in the future. But for now I'll just show you a pic of the brother/sister set I won from their blog! I cannot wait to do a little photo shoot with my babies!

See more of what these very talented ladies can do at The Blue Ladybug.

The first real snowfall of the season was December 1. So I decided to sort of have a snow theme around here. Marie and I made a snowman and snowflakes out of construction paper. She's learned to say snowman and I showed her how to spell it. You know, that kinda stuff. It's been fun! So I'm going to stick with that theme today...

Stunning.

Buy it at Allison Marie Design. She's good.

So cute. Makes me think of my Baby Girl.

Catch it at All Artsy.

My husband would totally roll his eyes at me but I think these are fantastic!!

Candy Apple Cutie makes them!

And finally, a chainmaille snowflake pendant made by yours truly.

This won't be listed on my website until after the jewelry party. But you're welcome to claim it here! $8.

Happy December, everyone! SO excited for Christmas!

A Party and A Sale

So I missed this past Feature Friday. There was a reason I said, "Lord willing!" I knew last week was going to be crazy, but I wasn't actually prepared for how crazy it was!

It was a WONDERFUL week full of family and food! Doesn't get much better than that.

Unfortunately, it was also a week full of no internet or iPhoto access. So my online business and blog have seriously taken a hit! I don't know when I'll be back up and running.

God has His reasons for things.

In the meantime, my mom is having a DandLs DangLs Jewelry party!

Saturday, December 4, 10am-1pm

• Touch/Hold/Try on all the jewelry you want
• Eat yummy snacks
• Enter to win free jewelry
• Find unique, handcrafted jewelry to give as gifts this Christmas season
• Purchase gift cards
• See yours truly in creative action
• Bring friends and enjoy fellowship

Hope to see you there!!!

(Email me for directions - dandlsdangls@gmail.com)

Also...

I've never braved Black Friday. Not my thing. But Cyber Monday - I'm all about that! So of course DandLs DangLs is having a sale! 25% off everything in my shop beginning at 6am and ending at midnight!

If you plan to attend the jewelry party, you can still take advantage of this sale! Just let me know in the note to seller that you'll be picking up your jewelry at the party and I'll refund the shipping and have your jewelry waiting for you!

Go to my Etsy shop tomorrow (Monday) and check it out!

Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving!! THANK YOU for supporting my love for jewelry making!

Feature Friday #3

Eventually I will figure out how to make a button so if you're featured, you can add my button to your site. But of course I never think to work on it when I actually have the time to.

Yes, I should write it down.

But have you seen my desk?? No, you haven't seen my desk and you never will see my desk in the state it has been in lately! So don't even ask. And don't try to imagine it. Just forget I mentioned it.

So I really like themed feature Fridays so in light of the coming holiday (Thanksgiving) I'm going to feature things that are reminiscent of things/people I am thankful for.

First of all, I'm thankful for my husband...

These are AWESOME! Made with a real soccer ball! 

Find them at qacreate and buy them for my hubs.

Second, I'm thankful for my baby girl...

It's hard to find Elmo things that are for girls! While I can't imagine my sporty girl wearing a tutu, this outfit just has to be featured! I love it!

Find this fantastic outfit at Nanastutus

Third, I'm thankful for my JackJack...

Okay, so he's only 4 months old. It's hard to know what he's into right now. But He is definitely in need of something to keep his squishy feet warm. I was sold on these as soon as I saw the name of the shop - PleasantlyPlumpKnits!

My son defines "pleasantly plump."

Finally, I'm thankful for the Word of God...

This verse has been very important in my life lately. And it is beautifully displayed here!

Find this gorgeous canvas at soul blessings shop!

I could go on and on.

But instead, what are you thankful for??

 By the way, next week (Lord willing!) I'll be featuring one shop that I love. I recently won something from them that I just received today and can't wait to show off! Check out their shop while you wait :)

Happy Friday!

Bead Shopping with my girl.

As I've mentioned before, my baby girl loves to bead shop with me. And I'm beginning to enjoy shopping with her, too!

It definitely wasn't always pleasant. But now that she's old enough to walk around on her own and (usually) obediently stay nearby, it's been fun.

While I hate the idea of her growing up, I'm looking forward to when she can join DandLs DangLs and create jewelry with all the beads she picks out!

Christmas Dangles

When I was little, I loved sporting the holiday-inspired jewelry. I think I still have the Easter Bunny earrings from years and years ago. Thankfully that was years and years ago.

Since then my taste in jewelry has settled down a little. In fact, I much prefer simple. Unique, but simple. With that in mind I came up with these 3 pairs of dangles. What do you think?

O Christmas Tree Dangles

Christmas Copper Dangles

Ornament Dangles

And even after the holiday season is over, these designs can be custom made with all sorts of colors!

These will be posted on my website soon. Gotta share them with my wonderful Facebook fans first!

Feature Friday #2

It's Friday! I didn't spend as much time browsing the web this week as usual. The stomach bug my little family still is trying to shake even kept me from watching Castle! I love that show.

But it's not hard to find some pretty awesome shops/blogs/crafts out there! It's especially not hard to find adorable and wonderful baby things! I may have gotten carried away...

My awesomely creative friend, Jill, came up with this adorable tutu for her daughter. So easy!

Find the tut for the tutu here.

Oh. My. Word.
I must hold this child.

Buy this hat by IlzeMemories

My sis-in-law (who happens to be a DandLs DangLs employee!) made a bumper pad for her baby girl's bed. She just whipped this thing up and it's fantastic!

Learn how to make one here!

Personalized puzzle stool! Maybe Marie would learn her name is not spelled "A-r-a-r-a"

Buy one! From AnneMarieGifts

 

While I'll normally feature a piece from my shop, I don't sell baby things right now so I'll leave you with this picture of my beautiful baby girl wearing a pair of earrings I made her.

I cannot believe that was over a year ago... Someone stop her! She's growing up MUCH TOO FAST!

Alright. I'm done. Happy Friday!

(Don't forget to get your discount! Find out how here)

Headpins and Eyepins and Wire, oh my!

So you've got a little overview of some basic tools. What's next? Headpins and eyepins. You've gotta have something to use your new tools on!

I still use headpins regularly. This is what they generally look like:

You can get a variety of colors, gauges, and lengths. They can be found at any craft store that carries jewelry-making supplies. (Try Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Joann Fabrics - my 3 faves).

Use:
To hold beads

Example:

 Tips:
-Stick with packages of headpins that are all the same length (It's frustrating trying to sift through different lengths to find just the right one).
-Save your left over pieces (if they are long enough to be functional) as they can later be used as eyepins.

------------

I don't purchase eyepins anymore. Instead I make them with wire. But in the beginning it's SO much easier to buy a package or two of eyepins.

These can also be found in a variety of colors, gauges, and lengths at just about any craft store.

Uses:
To hold beads
To connect a section of beads to another section

Examples:

Tips:
-Stick with packages of eyepins that are all the same length
-Save your leftover pieces
-If you plan on venturing into wire jewelry, you'll quickly save money by making these instead of buying them.

------------

I love wire jewelry. I loved it before I knew it was possible to make it by hand. I'm so excited to be learning how to make wire jewelry.

Photo Credit

Headpins and eyepins are just wire. When you get the hang of things, save yourself some money and make them with wire. This also gives you more freedom to be even more creative and add your own unique style. But until then, I hope I've helped you take your next step toward the wonderful world of jewelry making!

Don't forget to check out how to get a discount for the coming holiday season!

Discount Giveaway!

One of my very favorite parts of Christmas is giving gifts! Unfortunately this year that opportunity is limited due to very limited finances. So I wanted to take this opportunity to give you all a gift!

Follow this blog, let me know in a comment on this post, and you will receive a 10% discount via email good through January 1, 2011! And two randomly drawn followers will receive a 40% discount!

That means every single one of you will receive a discount coupon!  Woot woot!

(Giveaway ends Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010)

DandLsDangLs.com

Feature Friday #1

So I browsed some Etsy shops that I've marked as favorites since I joined the Etsy world. Here are a handful of favorite items!

Love this quilt from Bravo in Bloom! My little dude would look fantastic wrapped up in this!

Purple and green. Does it get any better? From Sweet Dixie Designs.

I was drawn to this bc it's gorgeous and the title is "Midwest Daydreams." Living in the midwest, I had to take a closer look. Lo and behold, the talented artist of EverybodyElse lives one town over!

I absolutely adore these teething toys from Little Alouette! Anyone want to get one for my baby Jack for Christmas? :)

And here's a little self-promotion... my favorite creation in my shop right now.

Interested in being featured? Just send me a link (DandLsDangLs@gmail.com) to your shop, blog, or website. 

((While certainly not required or even expected, a return feature would be so kind!))

Looking forward to next Friday! I love browsing creations and admiring talents!

I was featured!

My earrings tutorial was featured on The Train to Crazy. 



Thank you, Andrea! :)

"Feature Friday" and "Blog Hop"

I'm joining the rest of the blogosphere, and adding "Feature Friday" each week. For those of you who have been living under a rock, uh, haven't come across a Feature Friday yet, it's very simple.

Each Friday I'm going to Feature different items I've come across throughout the week that I love. These will be found on Etsy or in blogs or they will be sent to me by you! If you have an Etsy site or a personal website/blog or anything of the sort, send me a link (through email: DandLsDangLs@gmail.com, or leave a comment here or post a link on my facebook page: facebook.com/dandlsdangls). I'll browse your work, pick my favorite item and feature it! Free marketing! We all love that, right??

Also, I've joined a "blog hop" today. I found it over at The Trendy Treehouse. More free marketing! Add your site/blog or just browse everyone elses!

2011 Trends

How much easier life would be without constantly changing trends! But how boring, too!

About this time every year I begin to stress ...just a little... about keeping up with trends. As a jewelry designer, I realize it's important to keep up, but sometimes I just want to close my eyes and let the trends drift right on by.

So I am incredibly grateful for people who do the trend searching for me! I came across this article that summarizes the upcoming trends. I actually breathed a sigh of relief... (which was rudely interrupted by the realization that I have a LOT of adjusting to do in my designs!)

I hated Geometry in school, but I'm liking the new fashion trend!

If you are an artisan of just about anything, this article will help you come up with creations that people will be looking for this Christmas season and throughout next year!

"2011 Trends for Holiday Sales Success"

If you come across any articles that would be helpful or have your own fashion trend tips, please share!

Wire Sale at my Fave Wire Website!

If you're into the jewelry-making side of things, specifically wire jewelry, don't miss out on this great sale! It's ONE DAY ONLY! I just ordered :)

Go to Wire-Sculpture.com and check out their "Daily Deals." Today they have serious deals on some short lengths of sterling and gold-filled wire. Then Sign up for their daily deals email so you don't miss out on other great deals!

My Recent Craft Show Experience

This past Sunday I took part in a craft show at our local mall. It was my second craft show and my second not-so-great experience. It was a long day of very few sales. Jewelry is a tough market to be in!

But it was another learning opportunity. One thing I learned is that I need a LOT more pieces to draw more attention. This was a last minute show so I didn't have as many pieces as I would have liked, but I realized I needed even more than I would have thought!

I've read articles about how to get the most out of craft shows. I followed all the rules I could remember -

• I attempted eye contact with and a smile to every person that walked by my table.
• I left the books and whatnot to entertain myself at home. I was completely available at all times.
• My jewelry set up was unique and organized.
• I greeted everyone that came to my table and attempted conversation.

At one point I had to feed my baby boy, so the husband took over for a bit. He's much better at the sales part of things. He added to my list -

• Hand out a business card to every person that stops even for a second.
• Tell everyone that I also sell online and have a website.
• Find a way to compliment a potential customer (From a distance I noticed a girl blush and twirl her hair after Derek told her dangly earrings go great with long curly hair).

All of these are excellent tips, and I will continue to implement them if I ever attempt a regular craft show again. One more thing I'd like to add when I'm more prepared is have jewelry projects to work on. I think people are drawn to watching people craft their crafts! I know I am. It's different than just sitting there with a book or on your phone.

But I kept wondering as I sat there watching person after person walk by my table... are some people more drawn to a table when the crafter is not paying attention to them? I thought about this because I tend to rather approach a table and browse the merchandise without feeling the pressure of purchasing something from the vendor. I made sure not to put on any pressure, but could simply chatting with them make them feel like they have to purchase something? Could that be why some people smiled back at me and picked up their pace?

Have you ever been to a craft show? What draws you to a table? What is most likely to cause you to pass on by? Don't be shy! Help me out here!