ErtheFae's Meandering Thoughts

Wintry Treasury

2012-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

I was included in this beautiful treasury by Mermaiden! A lovely winter FAETeam collection.

Mysterious Package

2012-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you what's inside of this package, or who sent it to me, until everyone who participated in the FAETeam holiday swap has received their gifts and we do the big reveal. But WOW just look at that pretty wrapping job! I love the feathers. I think I'll incorporate them into something to wear when I dance.

(Yes, I am still alive. No, I did not mean to take a 20 day hiatus from blogging. I just haven't been feeling particularly interesting)

New Year Treasuries

2012-01-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

Hello there, blog readers! Sorry about the long hiatus. I got really busy getting ready for my last two belly dance performances of the year, as well as finishing up all of the holiday prep. Then I got really sick! Now that the holidays are behind me and I'm mostly healthy, it's really time to get some stuff done. Stuff like making treasuries!

And being included in them!

Happy holidays!

2011-12-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to actually make a Christmas-themed treasury! What is the world coming to? I really don't like red and green together that much, but it's still pretty cute and there are a lot of awesome FAETeam items. Isn't the red yeti just adorable?

I was also included in a holiday-themed treasury by Mermaiden!

I like that we both included the same faerie door ornament but otherwise our treasuries are completely different :)

Holiday Deadlines

2011-12-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Soul Eater is the only red and green item in my shop. Somehow I don't think he quite exemplifies the holiday spirit, but he does illustrate how I feel after fighting holiday crowds in the stores.

Anyway, it is that wonderful time of year when you have to start wondering whether the things that you order will arrive in time for the holidays. Oh no! I'm here to tell you that if you are an international customer, I don't know if your order will arrive before Christmas if you order it now, but I'll be happy to ship it to you anyway. US customers, you should have no worries. However, I will stop shipping after December 15th and may even put my shop into vacation mode.

Local people: I can deliver! And if you're a personal friend or family member, you can even come to my house and shop for jewelry in person, although you will have to pay a horrible price -- you will get licked by the corgis.

One last thing. Sales have been picking up, and everything that I make is one of a kind, so if you have your eye on something don't hesitate! Seize the day!

Pouted too soon!

2011-12-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

After a dry spell of treasury features, in the past two days I have been included in two holiday-themed treasuries! The above was created by FaerieKat to thank the curators who had included her work in their collections, and includes my beautiful white crystal necklace.

Christmas time in the FAE by wonderful costumer Rhonda features items from FAETeam -- and not all of them are holiday-themed, they just fit the lovely holiday color scheme. I am happy to have a pair of my chandelier earrings included.

When visiting these treasuries please remember to give the curators some love!

Magic for the Holidays

2011-12-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

A collection of magical gifts from FAETeam.

Yet another week with no treasury features for me. I think I'm going to pout! Well, not really. Everyone's pretty busy getting ready for the holidays now. I almost didn't even make a treasury yesterday but I had a few spare minutes so I came up with an easy theme and it pretty much built itself.

Hard to photograph

2011-12-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

I love these glass cabs with printed images, but they are so tricky to photograph! I always end up with lots of glare and reflection. I can't decide if I should list this one with the photos I already have or if I should try to get better ones.

Busy busy!

2011-12-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

I'm busy making holiday presents, which of course I can't post here because then I might accidentally spoil some surprises. Instead, have a picture of Topher. Awww, such a fluffy kitty!

Winter has arrived early in Arizona, by the way. It's been cold and rainy, there's snow on the mountains, and I am ever so glad for my warm fuzzy robe, cuddly pets, and the vast amount of tea in my cabinet.

Remember the Muffin Tin?

2011-12-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

I made this necklace as part of the Muffin Tin Challenge earlier this year and then never got it listed on Etsy. This was the only photo that turned out from the first batch so I had to take more. Then only one turned out from the second batch! So I'm still waiting to add a close-up to the listing, but if you like what you see from a distance you can make Green Guardian Dragon Necklace your very own.

And if you're wondering why I didn't keep this one, since I love olive green and bronze together, and I love dragons, the simple answer is that I already have necklaces in this color scheme that I like even better. It's pretty similar to my Garuda necklace, in fact, so I felt like it was best to put this one in the shop and let some other green-lover add it to her collection.

There she stands, this lovely creature

2011-12-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Treasury inspired by the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds song Lovely Creature, and my attempts to work out a belly dance solo to it. Also inspired by items in my Etsy favorites, as you can tell from all the olive shades.

Filling up the shop

2011-11-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Confession time: I have a lot of perfectly wonderful jewelry that is not in my Etsy shop due to pure laziness. It's a lot of work to get things photographed. There are plenty of items that used to be on my old website and just need new photos, or items that I made but when I took pictures they didn't turn out, or items that I've made and not yet taken photos of. Basically what I'm saying is that photography is always a huge hurdle for me! Once I get some good images everything else is easy.

I just listed Winged Dancers, which features a lovely Thai silver butterfly pendant. It's part of my campaign to fill up my shop for the holidays. It seems like every time I think I'm going to break 100 items in the shop I sell a few. This is a good problem to have and a trend I'd like to see continue.

Still here

2011-11-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am surprised by the things that don't sell. I mean, I fully expect that my most expensive items will take a while to move -- everyone loves them but no one can afford them. I make beadwoven jewelry because I enjoy making it and it's nice to have some WOW pieces to draw people into my shop. But when I have something that is awesome and affordable and then no one buys it, it confuses me.

Waiting for a Key is a good example of this... It's a nice, simple necklace. Adjustable length, pretty chain, art bead focal. Only $25. What's not to love?

Gossiping Pixies are pretty much the cutest thing I've ever made, so I'm especially surprised that I still have them. Of course, people don't seem to really search for faerie jewelry very often, so I guess it may take a while for the right person to find them.

Disembodied Zombie Heads are only ten dollars. They feature bright green skulls. They are perfectly delightful in a punk-horror sort of way. I am honestly shocked that they did not sell within a week of being listed. If I was out shopping, and I saw these for only $10, I would totally buy them.

I guess this just goes to show that I am much better at making things than at predicting what people will like!

Small Business Saturday!

2011-11-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

I think I've mentioned before how it kind of drives me crazy the way this weekend is broken up... Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Most businesses seem to have some sort of sale that runs the entire weekend, because they don't want to miss people who can't or won't shop Black Friday anyway.

But small businesses are near and dear to my heart, and not just because I run one. I think that the best things come from artists and unique little shops. I would much rather spend all day at 4th Avenue browsing thrift shops and gift shops than hit the mall and look at the same stores that are in every mall in the country. I'd far rather browse Etsy than Amazon.

I prefer to eat at local restaurants, too. I'd much rather have something that's made fresh that day than something that was cooked and frozen at a central distributing center and sent to my town. Of course I'm lucky to live in a town that has a disproportionate amount of amazing local places.

I'd love to link you to some of my favorite small businesses and Etsy sellers, but that would take forever and I have guests coming over any minute now ;) So instead I'll just urge you to reconsider your holiday shopping at the mall and big boxes, and look to unique stores and artists to support. In this economy us little guys could really use the boost!

Shameless plug alert! You can support my small business by visiting Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs and using code thxabunch for 15% off your purchase. Sale ends at 11:59pm MST Monday night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

One thing I am seriously thankful for this year is the ability to be part of not one, but two great dance communities! Here's my beloved Anaya Tribe in the Phoenix area...

And my wonderful friends and classmates here in Tucson! (Also photographic proof that I wore red and didn't look horrible).

It's hard to believe that we're near the end of November already. This year has flown by in a flurry of activity, and there are certainly things I planned to do and never got around to. But over all I'm feeling pretty happy and accomplished.

But I really should be making potatoes right now, so I'll cut this short. Before I go, let me mention that all this weekend you can use code "thxabunch" for 15% off of your entire purchase of Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs.

Scarabs!!!

2011-11-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned lately that I am obsessed with beetles and scarabs? I've loved them ever since I read an article about beetles in the Smithsonian when I was a teenager. They're so varied and beautiful and awesome. This week's treasury is an ode to my favorite critters.

Check in tomorrow for info on my Thanksgiving weekend sale!

New coin bra

2011-11-18T13:40:00.000-08:00

Being in a troupe called for me to make a new coin bra! It's been a work in progress for a couple of months, as I would stop at a stage in which it was wearable but not quite done yet. I think it's done for now, though I may eventually cut off the original straps and replace them with something sturdier.*

The trim is made from a belt that I loved which was simply too small for me. It was a bit difficult to stitch down to the bra, but definitely worth it to have embroidery and mirrors instead of simple brocade ribbon. I added the coins by hand -- that was this week's project, and it only took me less than 4 hours, spread across two nights of DVD-watching (season 3 of Parks and Recreation, in case you were wondering).

The center piece is a kuchi pendant. A couple of the dangles were missing, but no big deal, I just rearranged them to make a hole in the middle and attached this scarab pendant that I've had forever. There is definitely something to be said for having DIY skills and a huge stash of beads to pull from.

My next bra project will be more fusion-y than traditional tribal and will involve covering the entire bra in fabric. I'm pretty excited about it.

*Belly dance purists -- I know a lot of you have a pet peeve about coin bras that are clearly lingerie bras with stuff sewn on them. I get it. But everyone in my troupe wears this style of bra and we always wear a tie top or Turkish vest over them, so that pretty much only the trimmed parts show.

Already gone!

2011-11-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

These hamsa earrings are already on their way to a new home! I never would have expected them to be so popular! I'm going to look for some more styles of hamsa charms and pendants to expand my line and offer a little more variety.

Are there any special symbols you'd like to see added to my line? I'm thinking of throwing in some "om"s and maybe some Buddhas. The belly dance and yoga communities overlap so much that those are really popular with my friends.

Purple!

2011-11-16T10:44:00.001-08:00

Here's a treasury for all of you purple lovers out there :)

Terpsichorean

2011-11-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Yay, I made something! I've been sick for a while and I wasn't up to beading, but now I am better and overflowing with creative energy! I have so many cool new and old beads to play with. I started by making a birthday present for my teacher Jolie, who likes black and brown and grey all together. The necklace is built around a banded agate focal, and features sardonyx, pyrite, Swarovski crystals, and a few Afghani coins.

Oh, and this lady! How cool is she? Beads Galore had bunches of these vintage Japanese stamped glass charms and I HAD to have them! I loved them so much that I also HAD to put one in Jolie's necklace, and I thought it would be cool to silhouette her against an old coin. The necklace is called Terpsichorean, because Terpsichore is the Greek muse of dance and she has a really fun name to say.

Do I have some Treasuries for you!

2011-11-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I made a steampunk Treasury, so that's the theme that I decided to work with yesterday. Lots of great steamy items from my friends in FAETeam. I'm thrilled that RobinRed is now part of the team, because I've been admiring their masks for a while and now I can include them in my team Treasuries!

With the holidays coming (yikes!), gift guides are now a trending topic, so I decided to make a Gifts for the Bellydancer guide which in no way serves as a holiday wishlist (yeah right, I'm not kidding anyone).

Speaking of gift guides, Andrea included my Black Rose Gothic Necklace in her jaw-droppingly beautiful Treasury: For Your Favorite Gothic Beauty -- Gift Guide.

Not specifically a gift guide, but Lisa's Argh Matey is a great collection of pirate-themed items that would also make great gifts. I'm happy to have one of my steampunk escutcheon necklaces in there!

Jade Cicadas!

2011-11-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I forgot to blog about these awesome carved jade* cicadas that I purchased at the Rings & Things show in Scottsdale last month. They are pretty much the coolest thing ever. I had to buy them even though they were really expensive and I really only wanted one for me. Then after I paid I plopped them right down on a table and took a photo to post on Facebook.

I'm going to make some pretty epic necklaces with these. The first one will be for me, of course!

*I don't know if they're actually jade. There are so many stones that get called jade but actually aren't. These are an antiqued/aged (I forget what word the tag says) "jade" that has a cool mottled brown, makes them look like some sort of old Chinese artifact that I stole from a museum or something.

More hamsa earrings!

2011-11-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

My hamsa earrings have been selling well so far, so I made a few pairs for the Desert Shakedown last month... where they did not sell at all. I am terrible at predicting trends! I listed the Crystal Hamsa Earrings in my Etsy shop, and the other pair (which also involves crystals) will be part of a special giveaway on another blog. I'll post more about that when the time comes. There's a third pair which I didn't photograph, and they'll be added to my selection of jewelry at Plaza de Anaya. I should also have some hamsa hairpins and sticks available, as well as other hair accessories and possibly other earrings. Did I mention that Plaza is still the only place to purchase my line of one of a kind hair accessories? It's true!

Two Treasuries

2011-11-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

This week's FAETeam treasury has a faerie and mermaid theme! I like it a lot.

Only one feature this week but it's a really awesome one -- A Celebration is a Dia de los Muertos themed collection and it has a lot of beautiful items in it. Mr. Skully-Man fits right in!

My Gothy roots

2011-11-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that when I started out making jewelry, most of my designs were Gothic? There were ankhs and elaborate crosses and so much hematite and amethyst! My style has changed quite a bit since then but I still love elegant Gothic designs, like this necklace, The Darkest Rose. Black, purple and silver is one of my favorite color combinations, and was in fact my very favorite before I fell in love with green.

I actually made this one a few years ago and only now got around to taking nice, Etsy-worthy photos to get it listed. It's always interesting to look over something I made a while ago and think about the ideas that were in my head and wonder why I never revisited them. This Nepal chain with crystals hanging off some of the flowers is really cool! Why didn't I ever do that again? Maybe I should come up with another design using it.

I love vintage beads

2011-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

One of my great joys as a jewelry designer is finding and using unusual vintage beads and components! I just listed these Absinthe Crystal Chandelier Earrings in my Gothic Jewelry section. They feature some of my favorite vintage beads -- those teardrops are hollow blown glass! How cool is that? I can't even remember where and when I got them, because I buy vintage beads from so many places.

However, I do remember where I got the vintage cabochon, teardrops, and bicones in Ghost Portal. They all came from this weird shop in NY that was tucked away in a warehouse-y/industrial-y district on Long Island. It was one of the must-stop-shops whenever my mother-in-law and I would go bead shopping. Sadly, the store has since been closed down and torn down, so there are no more fun afternoons of wandering around picking out weird vintage beads, but I do still have a pretty impressive stash from the few years that I did shop there.

New Jewelry!!!

2011-10-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I added new jewelry to my Etsy shop! To make up for lost time, I have multiple items that will be going up over the next week. I started yesterday with Ganesh Enshrined. I don't normally do religious-themed jewelry, but Ganesh is so popular with belly dancers and I thought this pendant was really awesome, so I decided to make an exception.

What else do I have coming down the pipeline? A beautiful beadwoven Gothic necklace, chandelier earrings, hamsa earrings, key earrings... And that's not even counting the in-progress items that I need to finish up and list!

It's all me this week

2011-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, no treasury features for me so far this week, so this post will just be about treasuries I made! Luckily I made two because I felt like it. The above is a non-FAETeam collection for once. There are a few FAE items in there but mostly it's stuff culled from my Etsy favorites. I really do love fancy hair accessories!

I did of course make a FAETeam Treasury too! It's called Squeee! and it features a bunch of cute items because I felt like I needed a break from Halloween and Fall-related themes. Besides, who could resist that little otter's face?

More Autumn Treasuries

2011-10-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Seems like treasuries are all about Autumn and Halloween right now! Can't really blame people, it's been a pretty harsh Summer all across the country and I think we're all ready for Fall. Of course, it's still in the 90s and even up to 100 some days here in Tucson, and when we do get Autumn weather, all the leaves on the few non-evergreen trees just turn brown and fall right off. So my treasury is inspired by the sort of Fall that I never really experience.

Crunching through the Fall Leaves was curated by one of my Phoenix dance friends and shows that same longing for some real Autumn weather and sights.

As What Caught My Eye isn't specifically Fall-themed, but you can tell that Mermie has Autumn and Halloween on the brain based on what did catch her eye.

Belly Dance Picture!

2011-10-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

I'm busy cleaning my bead room/putting together a package of beads for a swap, so instead of something business-related, here's a picture of me dancing! I honestly have no idea what I was doing when this was snapped, but whatever. I still feel pretty ;) This weekend's performance was at Studio 455, where they currently have a display of photos from and related to the All Souls Procession, which was really cool! Behind me there's a picture of a dead, mostly-skeletal animal AND a dead bug being eaten by ants. I really should have taken the opportunity to get super Gothed-up and danced to something really dark and heavy to go with the dead things!

New lower prices on Chandelier Earrings

2011-10-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

I decided recently that some of my chandelier earrings were overpriced, so I've been working on repricing them. Today I lowered the prices on two pairs by $10, which means that you can now get Sunset Shimmer or Enchantment for $40.

I have the findings to make some more awesome crystal chandelier earrings, but right now I'm kind of focused on taming the mess that is my guest room, since there's talk of in-laws coming to visit next month and the bed is buried under beads and jewelry!

My booth

2011-10-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of my booth from the Desert Shakedown this past weekend! I packed my canopy, but when I got there I found that my spot was under a roof. It was so nice to not have to worry about anchoring my canopy, or tearing it down at the end of the night. Decor is provided by my collection of sarongs and thrift-store saris.

I definitely want to continue replacing my black "velvet" displays with teak wood. The wooden ones may be heavier, but they're also more durable and don't attract cat hair. I had to throw away several of my velvet displays due to flocking loss or breakage.

Treasuries on Thursday!

2011-10-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my husband took the day off and we enjoyed the rare chance to be completely lazy, which meant I didn't update my blog and as a consequence, you get this week's treasury round-up on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Above, you can see my latest Halloween-themed FAETeam collection, this time focused on spooky critters.

Three features for me this week. Of course Phoenix Feathers found its way into yet another treasury: gold colors. It was also wildly popular at the Desert Shakedown, so I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before someone makes this beautiful necklace their own. Admire it while you still can ;)

A pair of purple earrings found themselves in The Color of Royalty, which is a delightfully luxurious collection.

Into the Pumpkin Patch we go... is a great Autumn/Harvest/Halloween-themed treasury with my "Hungriest Pixie Ever" pomegranate faerie necklace included.

Thank you to all of the artists who included me in their Treasuries this week!

Happy new homes

2011-10-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Although Saturday's show wasn't the rousing success I had hoped it would be, I did actually make more money selling jewelry than I spent on new belly dance costuming goodies, so it was still good! And I'm very happy that several pieces went to new homes where they will be worn by dancers that I admire.

This necklace event went home with one of my troupemates, which means that I will get to see it often! She wore it for our photo shoot, which meant there were three of us wearing my jewelry in our professional photos. I'm so happy and excited!

I did create some new items that didn't sell, so I will soon be adding them to my shop Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs. I also plan to get some more destash lots listed soon, too, so if you're looking for more beads (especially leaf beads) keep an eye on the shop or this blog to find out when I have them up.

One lovely treasury

2011-10-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

It was a quiet week for treasuries, so this one that I'm included in is all I have to share. I'm really busy getting ready for the Desert Shakedown this weekend and that was my main focus yesterday. I'll be back to making treasuries next week!

New Bracelet Display

2011-10-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

I bought this beautiful teak wood bracelet display back in February, but I haven't used it until now! I decided to save myself some set-up time and put my bracelets on it now instead of Saturday morning. This also allows me to see what colors I could use to have more of -- like red and orange, for example. And I really should have more than four spiral rope bracelets!

I'm getting really excited for the Desert Shakedown! It's going to be an exhausting day, what with a workshop and a performance and vending all day, but I think I'm going to have a lot of fun... and hopefully sell a lot of jewelry! My Square card reader just arrived today so I should be able to accept credit cards at the show, too. It's so awesome living in the 21st century.

And now, Treasuries!

2011-09-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's time for another Wednesday Treasury round-up! Above is my FAETeam Treasury Tuesday collection, featuring an assortment of green items perfect for Halloween costumes. The funny thing is that I keep making all of these Halloween treasuries, but I haven't planned what I'm going to BE for Halloween. I'll probably just cobble something together from my closet as usual!

My fantasy jewelry was included in two FAETeam treasuries yesterday. First, you can find my tribal skull necklace in Creepy and Kooky, and you can find a filigree steampunk necklace in Victorian Fae. Two themes I love!

It's a moth!

2011-09-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, my jewelry photos haven't been great lately, but I did get a couple of good pictures of this dead moth that my friend Amanda brought to me! Yes, that's the sort of friendship we have -- she brings me dead moths and I photograph them and we both geek out because we both love insects.

Look at his face! How cool is it? He is, or was, some sort of Sphinx moth... very large and beautiful. I love moths and have actually considered a Sphinx moth tattoo, but I have a feeling that all of my tattoos will be beetles because I love them even more.

Changeling Baby

2011-09-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the horrible photo, I cheated and didn't use my light tent and that was a horrible mistake!

This is the custom necklace that I recently made for one of my dance classmates. She asked me when I was going to make a purple and silver faerie necklace, which lead to us working together to come up with the right necklace for her... She picked this baby faerie on a leaf from my huge selection of Green Girl pewter faeries. She also wanted moonstone, which I didn't have on hand, so she provided some stone chips from a broken necklace that belonged to her mother. Czech glass and Swarovski crystals provide two tones of purple, and the repeating motif makes it simple but beautiful. We're both happy with the results!

If you'd like a faerie necklace of your own, check out my selection of Faerie Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs, or contact me for a custom order.

My Dance Life

2011-09-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Since I know that not all of you read my other blog, Confessions of a Dance Pants Addict, I thought I would take a few minutes and update you on my belly dance life -- after all, things get kind of boring around here when I post nothing but Treasuries!

The above photo is from the Healing Through Dance benefit this past weekend. I'm pleased to say that we raised over $600 for the Sessoms family, and Plaza de Anaya allowed us to leave the rack of donated costumes in the store, so that number will probably go up!

Things are going very well in my dance life. I was recently invited to join The Anaya Tribe, Anaya Tribal's new student troupe. It means lots of extra drives up to Tempe and very little free weekend time (because Autumn is the busy season for dancers here, due to the lovely weather), but it also means lots of fun, lots of time with my dance friends, and lots of performance experience! We're performing at a charity thing this Sunday, but our first open-to-the-public performance will be at the Desert Shakedown on October 8th.

And don't forget that I will also be vending my jewelry at the Shakedown! I will have everything that is in my Etsy shop, plus things that I haven't listed yet. I am hoping to have Square set up on my phone so that I can finally accept credit cards, too! But if you can't wait that long for a jewelry fix, please visit Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs and do a little shopping. You'll be supporting my costume and workshop addictions!

Oh, and lest you think that Phoenix gets all the belly dance love, I also have a student performance coming up here in Tucson next month! For most of my classmates it will be their first time performing. I'm so excited for them! I wonder if they'll get hooked like I did?

Bring on the Treasuries!

2011-09-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

A little moody black and red as I look forward to Halloween! I was inspired by The Scarlet Dancer, a treasury I was included in earlier in the week.

I was also included in Oh Glorious Darkness and FAEntastic Treasures. It's so nice to see more FAETeam members get into the Treasury Tuesday spirit!

As requested...

2011-09-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

So apparently when you show the internet a photo of several bags full of vintage costume jewelry, people want to know what's inside! Here's the first of what will probably be many photos.

There's a large abalone shell set into a custom-made silver ring. I suspect I will wear this one for a lot of dance gigs! Tribal girls love big rings and this one fits me and doesn't have any protrusions to snag my costumes!

There's a cameo set. The setting and the flip down pendant bail are very similar to the unusual cameo that my mother-in-law gave me, so I suspect they have similar origins as well! I love that I'll be able to wear the earrings with either pendant/brooch.

And there's also a pair of dolphin and flower earrings! These look like vermeil set with onyx. I'm offering them to my Mom because she and my Dad are SCUBA divers and they love dolphins. I suspect she'd wear these beautiful earrings more often than I will.

Wowza!

2011-09-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what to blog about today, and it's a good thing I waited instead of posting something boring, because look what the nice UPS man just brought for me! My husband's godmother cleaned out her jewelry box and sent everything she didn't want anymore to me! There's glass, crystals, metal, plastic, and even a set of cameos! And that's just what I noticed from digging around a little bit. Sorting through these treasures is going to take a while, and it's going to be fun :)

This is one of the awesome things about being a jewelry designer... My house is where old jewelry goes to be reborn! Will I leave the pieces as-is? Dismantle them and make them into new jewelry? Use them to decorate tribal bras, belts, and headgear? Only time will tell.

Please come to this event!

2011-09-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

If you'll be in the Phoenix area this Saturday, come to the Healing Through Dance Benefit Show and Sale! I will be among the numerous dancers performing, and I'm also donating a pair of chandelier earrings and a goddess necklace to the raffle. Other prizes include private belly dance lessons, gift certificates for brow waxing, and more! There will also be a rummage sale for gently used belly dance costume items. Lastly, after all of the performers have danced, we'll put on some music for open dancing.

All proceeds go to help the Sessoms family pay for PJ's cancer treatment. PJ is the mother of my very awesome classmate Jacque, who will also be performing a solo! It's going to be an awesome night for a good cause, so please attend and donate if you can!

So pretty!

2011-09-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

My theme for this week's FAETeam treasury is "Stuff I think is pretty." Sometimes it's nice to keep it simple and not have to worry whether something really fits the theme and goes nicely with everything else I've already included. And yesterday was a good day to take the easy route, since I was gone all afternoon!

Now for the Treasuries I was featured in! Phoenix Feathers continues its reign of popularity, having been included in Fire and Water and Autumn Sunrise. My handmade necklaces also made it into Falling Leaves and Stark Fantasy. Every one of these collections is beautiful! Thank you to the artists who included me.

Fun times are busy times!

2011-09-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have just been all over the place lately. Friday I went shopping at the September Best Bead Show, then on Sunday I spent 4 hours working at the MZ Glass booth. So I have some pretty new glass beads!

Today I got to hang out with Kate McKinnon and Dustin Wedekind, which was fun. We had lunch at Copper Country Antiques -- yeah, it's an antique store with a cafe in the middle, who would have thought? I drooled over ridiculous 1980s boots and cute vintage earrings that I might have to go back for because they were only $8 and did I mention that I'm currently obsessed with earrings? Then we went to SAS, which is a weird fabric store, by which I mean it is a store with weird fabric. I got some pretty scraps of duiponi to use for belly dance costuming.

I haven't been beading or blogging enough but I intend to do something about that, starting by writing this post tonight. I'm taking back my Tuesdays! Whatever that means.

Oh yes, and it has been raining like mad lately! It's as if the weather finally remembered what a proper monsoon is. So if you're wondering why this post seems a little hyper, it's because the rain makes me happy :)

Told you I liked earrings!

2011-09-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I couldn't really wear earrings, but my ears have gotten better. However, I never got into the habit of making earrings for myself, so even though I can wear them I only have one or two pairs that I've made for myself, and everything else was purchased. Well, it's time for that to change! Today I made myself this awesome pair of shoulder-dusters, with jewel beetle elytra and fern green Swarovski crystals.

What say you, customers... Is this a product that you'd like to see me offer at Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs? Is it worthwhile for me to order more elytra? I would of course make sure to buy ones from a supplier that harvests them after the beetles have lived out a natural lifespan. I love insects too much to have them wantonly killed for my jewelry supplies!

Treasure Your Ears

2011-09-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Earrings! I just love them. Always have. So this week's treasury showcases the dizzying variety of earrings available from FAETeam.

Only one feature for me this week, but it's a really nice one... Swimming South by the ever-lovely Mermaiden. Thank you Julie!

About my name

2011-09-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

My business name, that is to say. It happened again this weekend -- someone sent out an official e-mail with my business spelled Earth Fae. This sort of thing happens to me all the time. I fail to get e-mails because people spell my address wrong. Or I hand someone my business card and they frown at the name and try to figure out how to say it. I've also gotten Erth Fae, Earthe Fae, and probably other spellings that I've forgotten. Why did I do this to myself?

Well, the problem is that I was a 16 year old geek when I named my business. I rightfully wanted a name that would be uniquely mine, to avoid confusion and make it easy to get the same user name for my eBay handle, my e-mail, and whatever else I needed an account for. I had this brilliant idea that I would name my business after a world I had made up for my writing and gaming hobbies, Erthe. Of course, at the wise age of 16 I thought that Erthe was a wonderful name for an imaginary planet. It was just like Earth but spelled differently! How awesome was that? Fae was for the human-sized faeries who lived there, and for the fact that I made fantasy jewelry. Designs because by unspoken rule, almost all handmade businesses use Design or Creations in their name.

Thirteen years later, I occasionally regret my decision. People misspell and mispronounce my name all the time. And while the name and faerie logo still work well for my Etsy shop, it doesn't necessarily fit with my line of tribal jewelry and the fact that I do most of my vending at belly dance events. It's a good thing for me that a lot of dancers are also into fantasy. In fact, one of the things that I need to do this week is make a faerie necklace for one of my troupemates.

For better or for worse, I am more or less stuck with this name. I could change it, but then I'd have to create a new Etsy shop, blog, Facebook page, e-mail address, website and more. I'd lose 13 years of name recognition, a couple years of Etsy feedback (which admittedly, is mostly from purchases, HA) and knowing my luck, I'd probably pick a name that someone else would want to use.

So that's my story. I hope you'll join me in having a little chuckle as I look back at 16 year old me, who thought she was so cool, so smart, and would probably really only do this for a few months until she got a real job anyway.

The most wonderful cameo ever

2011-09-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

One night while I was visiting my in-laws in New York last month, my mother-in-law said to me "You like cameos, right?" and she gave me this beautiful convertible brooch pendant. There are a few things that are very special about this piece of jewelry -- the most important is that it belonged to her mother, who sadly passed away when my husband Chris was very young. The other is that it's actually carved from shell, not molded from glass. The last is that unlike most cameos, it has a very raised, straight-on view of the woman's face instead of the usual slightly raised profile image. It's so unusual!

(Don't mind the bit of red, I used a handy six-sided die to prop it up). Look how much the image is raised from the background. And how pretty it is!

My mother-in-law had no idea how old it was or where her mother got it. I'm tempted to take it to an antique or jewelry store for an appraisal, not so much for the value (because the sentimental value is all that matters to me), but just to get an idea of its origins. The geek in me hates unanswered questions.

Oh, I forgot to mention the other cool part... the hanging loop is a tiny hinge that folds under to stay out of the way when it's worn as a brooch. How clever is that? The little flat part says "14K" and is the only mark I could find.

I probably won't work this into a piece of beaded jewelry, although I might make something to coordinate with it... maybe a choker, and I could wear the cameo on a chain below it or pinned on my blouse. In fact, with Autumn just around the corner, it seems like the perfect time to go out shopping for an outfit that begs for a vintage cameo accent.

PS: Thank you Marlyn, for the cameo, for the wonderful man I married, and for everything you do for the both of us and all of your family. You're the best! <3

Sudden influx of treasuries!

2011-08-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true, the Treasury that I made yesterday has the same name as my LL-BFAC necklace, because I was struggling with names. It's also full of beautiful items!

In the meantime, I found myself in a surprising amount of really beautiful treasuries this week. I'm feeling the love! Check them out:
Falling into Faerie
In the vast ocean a storm brews...
The Blue Woods
Fall Fantasy
Fading Light

It's done, it's done!

2011-08-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

I finally finished "Orientale" -- my 2012 Layne's Legacy -- Beading For A Cure necklace -- yesterday! Hooray! It's so good to have it done. It sat unfinished on my desk for too long, as I struggled to find inspiration on how to use every single type of bead included in the kit. I have to admit that while I think it is a beautiful, wonderful necklace and I wish I could keep it, it's probably not as grand as it should be due to the fact that beader's block made me simplify things in order to get it done in time. I have no doubt that whoever wins it will be very happy with it, but I also know that I will not even be in the running for the contest portion of LL-BFAC.

This is the kit I started with! To that, I added the cabochon with a vintage belly dancer and peacock image, some size 15 Charlottes, and Swarovski sequins in Sapphire and Lime to compliment the Colorado Topaz ones already included in the kit, plus a shibiuchi clasp. The sequins around the cab are my favorite part of the necklace, and an element that I will be incorporating into more work in the future.

If you would like to own this necklace, it will be up for auction in Spring next year!

Is it Autumn yet?

2011-08-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

I guess I really am done with Summer, because I made another dark, moody, Autumn-y treasury yesterday. I really, really like this one, in fact. It's got some attitude!

Anyway, I am hard at work trying to finish my LL-BFAC necklace. I'm feeling rushed because I wasted the entirety of last week being SICK. I'm still not 100%, but I am well enough to bead, so I've been spending my mornings and afternoons this week stitching away. I'm pretty close, but I still have a few steps to do and then I have to get good photos and mail it off. Once that's done, however, it will be back to normal life in Erthe Fae Land, which means new jewelry and hopefully some new destash lots of beads, and regularly scheduled blog posts.

Good News!

2011-08-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

I am pleased and excited to announce that I am one of 12 designers chosen to be part of the brand-new Allegory Gallery Design Team! Allegory Gallery is the brick-and-mortar shop that Andrew Thornton and his partner are opening, and while I live just a little too far away to be there in person, I will be designing things to be featured on the blog and newsletter. It's going to be awesome!

Please check out my eleven talented teammates!

Peggy Li
Sally Russick
Penny Neville
Cindy Cima Edwards
Amy Cousin
Genea Crivello-Knable
Brenda Salzano
Shannon Chomanczuk
Charlene Sevier
Jess Prill
Rebecca Anderson

Come out to dance and shop!

2011-08-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Will you be in Tucson on Saturday? If so, you should stop by Fluxx Productions at 414 E 9th St, where we'll be having an awesome, dancey day! There's workshops, performances, and vending... including my jewelry! If you just want to shop, come by during the lunch break from 12-1:45pm. If you'd also like to see some great local dancers and my teachers from Anaya Tribal busting some moves, show up at 7:30 for the hafla, which only costs $5, is expected to run until 10pm, and will also have vending! I'll be there, but at some point I'll have to leave the booth to take my turn on stage :)

I haven't tested my booth set-up yet, but I expect that I will have an assortment of tribal necklaces and all of my earrings, bracelets and anklets with me. I hope I'll see you there!

Spooky, angry treasuries

2011-07-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Must be something in the air. I made this Halloween-themed treasury (in July!), and Mermie made an angry treasury called Grrrrrrr... (I'm not actually going to count and make sure I got the number of 'r's right). No sweet, pretty, airy-fairy treasuries here!

By the way, I suspect it will be a while until I'm back to a normal blogging schedule here. I'm currently a little over-committed, due to a bunch of things converging at once and my own inability to say "no" to most requests that involve my talents and sound like fun.

Treasureful

2011-07-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I'm back on my Treasury Tuesday game! Last week was weird, as you may have noticed from the lack of posts, but yesterday I was back to normal and I curated this collection of dance-themed art and adornments from FAETeam!

I also had the pleasure to be included in one of Mermaiden's beautiful treasuries. Turning Away from Summer is a wistful collection, dreaming of crisp Autumn days. Ahhhh.

Tribal Earrings

2011-07-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Whoops! I was unexpectedly away from the computer almost all day today. Please enjoy this photo of the earrings that I made for myself as part of the Muffin Tin Challenge! If only they weren't too heavy for my wussy ears.

So many exciting things!

2011-07-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have finally added hairsticks to my jewelry line! There's just one catch... For now, my new line of hair accessories is only available at Plaza de Anaya in Tempe, Arizona. They'll be a Plaza exclusive until at least mid-August, when I'll evaluate how well they're selling and such. I'm really excited about them. I do also have some earrings at Plaza and I'm hoping to add a necklace or two when I get the chance to make some.

So if you've been wondering why I haven't been listing much on Etsy, it's because I was busy making things for Plaza and then making tags for them. I've also been working on my LL-BFAC project, so I'll be posting some progress pictures next week. I'm doing bead embroidery again this year, which makes me very happy.

In other fun and exciting news, I wrote a guest post about The Nuckelavee for my friend Janine's blog, Athena's Armory & Apothecary. It was so fun to step out of my normal business mode and write about one of my favorite subjects, faerie lore! By the way, when you're done reading the blog, make sure you also visit Janine's store, she does great work. I bought an awesome set of chainmaille juggling balls from her as a gift for my Dad!

Time for Treasuries

2011-07-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that Mermaiden is back from vacation, because she makes the best treasuries! My purple earrings feel a little unworthy of being in such a stunning collection. But I did try my hand at making something almost as beautiful. I call it Stop and Stare because the items and photos of items are just spellbinding.

Hello and Good-Bye!

2011-07-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

Whatever Faeries Think About sold before I could link to it in this blog! The Greenman earrings also sold, to the same person. It feels like some things are flying off of my virtual shelves almost as fast as I make them! I have to say, that's a nice feeling :)

Greenman Earrings

2011-07-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking to add to the variety of faeries, creatures, and mythological figures in my jewelry. I bought these Greenman charms from Earthenwood Studios some time ago and finally got around to turning them into a pair of earrings, and thus this leafy guardian spirit joins my cast of characters! The Greenman Earrings are available in my Etsy shop.

Are there any fantasy creatures that you'd like to see available in my shop that aren't already there? I do plan to make a new Medusa necklace, since I sold the two I already had. I'd love to get my hands on a Naga focal, too, maybe a centaur, maybe another weird Garuda/tengu (I'm wearing mine right now!). How about a Kitsune? Or maybe a Griffin, I can't believe I've never done that before. And since the Sphinx bracelet sold, I should probably make something with the vintage glass Sphinx cab that I have hidden in my stash. Hmmm...

Where to find me: Desert Shakedown!

2011-06-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I signed up to vend my jewelry at the Desert Shakedown! I set up at this event last year (when it was called the Fall Festival) and I didn't really do well, but this year the event will be at a nicer venue and I have ideas to add some lower-priced items to my selection in recognition of the fact that Arizona's economy is still depressed and most of us do not have an extra $50 to drop on an awesome tribal necklace.

One thing that I'm very happy about is that this year, the vendors will be in the same area as the stage, so I'll be able to watch belly dance ALL DAY while I sell jewelry! Last year my booth was facing the street, and there was a building between the vendors and the dance stage. It was fun to see a small parade of classic cars drive by, but it was annoying to only get to see a few people dance, and then only because I kept asking my booth neighbors to keep an eye on my things.

Anyway, I think it's going to be a really good event, so if you're in the Phoenix area on October 8th, you should stop in to see some dancing and do some shopping.

Treasury Tuesday Makes Me Dance!

2011-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I felt like making a belly dance treasury. I decided to step out of the FAETeam box again and just make a treasury full of whoever I felt like featuring. I did put fellow FAE Mermaiden in there, because every dancer needs at least one of her chiffon roses. I have two and they are LOVELY. I will have to get more, to match my other costumes. The two I have are, big surprise, green, but I do occasionally wear other colors when I dance.

This particular treasury was inspired when I saw the silver hair pin and silver bindi in my suggested items feed on Etsy. They just went perfectly together, and I knew there were plenty of items in my favorite belly dance shops that would go with them. I played "Monochrome" by Collide to help inspire me.

I was also included in a Treasury, which was made before Tuesday, but I'm going to include it in this post because it's so pretty:

Operation: Buried in Beads III -- Code Name Muffin Tin

2011-06-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to imagine Operation: Buried in Beads as a series of really bad 1980s-style action movies. For those who are new to my blog, Operation: Buried in Beads is what I call my ongoing project to use up my ridiculous stash of beads. My efforts are thwarted by my own bad habit of buying more beads even when I haven't used or put away the results of the last few shopping trips.

The Muffin Tin Challenge was a really good way for me to use up a lot of those extra beads. For instance, the necklace above (called Whatever Faeries Think About, but not yet listed) used up an entire strand of black lava beads, and a polymer focal that I bought years ago.

Catch of the Day, which I just listed on Etsy today, allowed me to not only use a really cute octopus clasp from Green Girl Studios, but also the rest of the black lava strand that I used most of the other week, and the last of some tiny green glass beads that I've had forever.

This necklace is neither named nor listed yet, but it allowed me to use up two partial strands of glass beads, the last of the chartreuse luster ovals, and the last of the golden bronze pearls that I've been nursing along for almost as long as I've been in business. Well, not quite. There was an odd number of the glass beads and pearls, so there's one of each left, but don't worry, I'm going to hang them from a hair pin, so they'll be used up soon. Oh yes, and the pretty olive and gold polymer dragon was also purchased years ago. I probably intended to keep it for myself, but let's face it, I have WAY too many necklaces and the other green-loving dragon-lovers of the world deserve some one of a kind jewelry, too.

I actually used up a lot of other stuff that has been around for way too long, but I ran out of time to edit pics today, so I'll get to those later this week.

Muffin Tin Challenge -- Completed!

2011-06-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Despite being too busy to bead this weekend, I completed the Muffin Tin Challenge today! My project tally: 5 necklaces, 4 pairs of earrings, 2 hair sticks, and a bracelet. And by the way, do you know how hard it is to fit a dozen pieces of jewelry (some of them quite large) into one photo?

I didn't quite stick perfectly to what I put in my muffin tin. For the big pair of earrings, I had picked out some malachite tear drops, but they didn't fit on the copper headpins! For the olive dragon necklace, I didn't have quite enough beads to make it long enough, so I added some bronze pearls to what I had picked out, and I also changed my mind on what style of clasp to use. And for the big dzi bead necklace, the focal was more red than I thought when I looked more closely, so in addition to the tiger's eye I had planned to use, I also used some red tiger's eye, which was actually in my tin because I used it for the key hairstick.

This was a great challenge. Picking out the beads for a dozen projects in one afternoon allowed me to sit down and create lots of jewelry at once without constantly interrupting myself to dig around in my collection for just the right beads. And it also took a way a lot of wasted time on decision making. Instead of wondering what I should make, I knew that I had to make something that was already in the tin, so I just sat down and did it. I'm pretty sure I'll do this again, even without a contest to urge me on. Thank you Art Bead Scene for turning me on to this idea.

Happy Fairy Day!

2011-06-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

Did you know that today is Fairy Day? Well, you do now! It's also Pollinator Week, which seems fitting because I'm sure that if faeries were real, a lot of them would spread pollen about.

Is that a muffin tin full of beads?

2011-06-23T16:56:00.000-07:00

Why yes, it is in fact a muffin tin full of beads. If that doesn't make any sense at all to you (because it certainly wouldn't, under normal circumstances), then you should check out the Muffin Tin Jewelry Challenge over at Art Bead Scene. I decided to give it a shot since I do need to get some fresh new stock in my shop Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs, and it is way too hot to use this pan to actually, you know, bake muffins.

(Also, yes, that is Lira's tiny kitty paw in the top corner of the image)

Not all of this will actually end up in my Etsy shop, though. One necklace is a custom order for a friend, there's a necklace and a pair of earrings for me, and a few things for my secret new retail location.

I like how a lot of my projects are overflowing from their muffin cups! The beads refuse to be confined.

Stripey Beads!

2011-06-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I mentioned that I had used the last of those striped beads to make a pair of earrings. Here they are! Stripey ovals, Swarovski crystals, and brass keys come together to create The Key to My Armoire Full of Striped Bloomers. Steampunk jewelry just lends itself well to ridiculous names, don't you think?

I really do have way too many different key charms and pendants right now. Pretty much any time I find a new one that I don't already have, I have to buy it. And I'll usually buy it in silver, gold, and maybe even copper if available. These particular keys came from Ace Handicrafts, the one bead shop that I always visit every time I go to NY. I like how ornate they are, and that unlike some brass stampings, they have a design on the back as well.

New Things

2011-06-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

I've had so many fun and exciting things going on lately that I haven't quite kept up with blogging about new jewelry! I listed the Smug Hipster Owl necklace and earrings set on Etsy last week. Between the set and a pair of not-yet-listed earrings, I managed to use the entire strand of brown and grey oval beads, which I just bought at the Rings & Things show last week.

These hamsa earrings, called Thrice because they have three different elements believed to ward off the evil eye, are brand new today, although I made them at the same time as the owl set. Since the first set of hamsa earrings sold before I could list them, I figured I needed to make another pair.

By the way, I'm not ready to make any announcements yet, but I'm working on various business opportunities. Although Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs will remain the primary source for my one-of-a-kind jewelry, I'm looking into some vending and some consignment, to get my work out there and connect with new customers.

Return to Renaissance

2011-06-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the latest FAETeam Exhibition yet? It's called Return to Renaissance and there are many elegant items included! As usual, Aquariann has done a wonderful job of tastefully arranging the selections, treasury-style. If you're planning a trip to the Renaissance Faire this summer, you should go take a look and see what you'd like to ad to your garb.

Just for fun

2011-06-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

It seems like I don't do a lot of beading just for the fun of it anymore. Everything that I make is either to sell, to use my beads from Artbeads, or to fill a spot in my wardrobe. But this ring was created just because I saw the pattern and I wanted to try to make a ring. I used five colors of Delicas, and by colors I of course mean "shades of olivine." The sad thing is this is probably not even close to all the shades of olivine I have. I added some 2mm Swarovski crystals in olivine to the edges and the center, because I felt like the design needed some embellishment and if I'm going to wear a giant cocktail ring, it should have some sparkles.

The pattern was posted on Facebook to promote Geometrics by Dustin Wedekind and Kate McKinnon. I'm pretty excited about the book, I think it will probably be just about everything that a bead book should be, and it's being written right here in Tucson!

Speaking of things made in Tucson, on the lefthand side of my blog you will now find a Kickstarter link for Autopsy Bears. This morbidly adorable (adorably morbid?) project is the brainchild of my dance teacher Fonda and one of her friends. I've already made my pledge and I really want my bear, so if you'd like to support some crazy Tucson artists, please consider singing up to be a backer.

Tribal Magic

2011-06-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

My husband actually found this cool pendant on a shopping trip. I just had to have it! It looks sort of like a pentagram, but the lines don't actually form a star. Still very strange and occult looking. I used some black lava, fired agate, and faceted glass beads to make it into a nice Gothic Tribal necklace. I call it Black Magic and it's currently available in my Etsy shop.

I'm having so much fun designing tribal necklaces, it's giving me a chance to use a lot more stone beads. When I was primarily doing beadwoven pieces, I had to use stones sparingly, and only small ones, or run the risk of them damaging the thread. The stones in this piece came from a couple different Rings & Things bead shows. I used almost all the lava in this one, but there's plenty more fired agate waiting to be used in other designs.

Mermaids and Octopuses

2011-06-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

I made this for Treasury Tuesday! No features for me this week, again. Most of FAETeam has been too busy to make treasuries, it seems.

On a completely unrelated note, today is the last day to enter the giveaway for my leaf anklet, hosted at Aquariann's blog. Click this link, or the handy button on the right. I'd like to thank all of you who have come to this blog via the giveaway! Good luck :)

It's Steampunk Day!

2011-06-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

According to the Internet, today is Steampunk Day. And apparently July 10th is "Strut Your Steampunk Stuff Day" so I suspect we will be seeing a lot of unofficial steampunk holidays as various groups decide to announce their own day. Regardless of the validity of the day, it seems like a really good time to finally introduce the new offshoot of my line of crystal bracelets! They're still created with Swarovski crystals and tiny seed beads, but this series uses metal seed beads instead of glass, and I'm finishing them with steampunk clasps, too!

Shown above is Green Energy, a name that amuses me because there's really nothing green about coal-fed steam engines.

And this is Rusty Gear. The clasp is enamel over brass and I think it looks pretty awesome.

Of course there's plenty more steampunk jewelry to be found at Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs. Feel free to go have a look.

What's Old is New Again

2011-06-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

The most recent Artbeads.com challenge is titled "What's Old is New Again" and the idea was to use vintage components (from your own collection or purchased from Artbeads) to create something new. I love designing with vintage beads, cabochons and whatever other old things I can get my hands on (keys, chandelier crystals, pendants...), so this theme really grabbed me! The hard part was deciding on just one idea so I could figure out what to order.

Then I saw this beautiful LillyPilly lotus in the Pendants section, and I just knew that the black lip shell would be perfect with the vintage glass (or possibly crystal?) beads that I had received from a family friend in New York. Her mother had passed away and left her a lot of costume jewelry. After it has sat for a while, unsorted and unloved, she thought "Oh, AJ makes jewelry! Maybe she would like some of this" and brought bags of it over to my mother-in-law's home for me to sort through. These crystals were definitely the very best thing in there. I salvaged them from a two-strand necklace strung on the weirdest super-fine chain, which was so old and fragile that it disintegrated in my hands as I pulled beads off of it. There's even a vintage two-strand clasp with a crystal set into it, which I will have to save to use with the rest of the beads.

Searching around the site, I also found some beautiful brass links in the Base Metal section, which I felt nicely echoed the lotus design but also gave it a Victorian feel. Then to pull in the pure gold color of the lotus, I picked out some pearls from the Swarovski Beads section. I also got a few Findings to finish everything up.

When I came up with the necklace, I was torn as to whether I should sell it or keep it for myself... but then I realized that it was *perfect* to go with the costume for my solo this weekend, so that settled it! Here's a little close-up of how nicely it fits with my halter top. What you can't see is that the top has teal and brown beaded trim, and my pants have a teal and brown and black swirly print, and that I was wearing a ridiculous brown feather headpiece. I felt so pretty!

FTC disclaimer: Certain beads used in this project where provided for free by Artbeads.com in return for promotional consideration.

Make a statement

2011-06-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

So. Usually I make small jewelry. But not this time. This is a big, crazy statement necklace! The statement is "RARH! I HAVE CLAWS!" Or maybe fangs. Anyway. I think it's pretty awesome :) It's called Shield of the Sunset Warrior and if you click the link, you can see it on Etsy. Maybe you'll even decide to buy it.

The cool crackled-looking orange beads are part of my purchase from the Rings & Things show late last month. I also got some in green and in black. I think they're absolutely perfect for tribal jewelry, they have such an old, earthy feel to them.

More new jewelry coming on Monday, I've got it all photographed but I need to take the time to get them edited and then list them on Etsy. At least they rolled out the new, more streamlined listing page so it goes much more quickly now.

On a creative roll

2011-06-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, big creative day! I finished a beadwoven ring I'd been working on (for me), strung a black tribal necklace (for the shop), made something with my latest Artbeads blog beads (for me), and strung a orange tribal necklace (for the shop). The only reason I'm not making more things is that I really should get some housework done before I go to dance class tonight.

Tomorrow I'll photograph the new stuff and maybe list a couple of pieces in my shop, Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs. In addition to what I made today, I also have another pair of Hamsa earrings ready, and the two crystal bracelets.

Only one this week!

2011-06-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Just one lonely treasury, curated by me. I didn't even feel like making a treasury, so I didn't put a lot of work into it, but people seem to like it, so yay.

Keeping this short, I have to run errands, practice dancing, and work on new stock for Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs.

Good bye, Tribal Orchid!

2011-06-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I'm actually a little sad to sell a piece of jewelry. I love my Tribal Orchid necklace and I don't want it to leave me! But it sold last week, so off it goes in the mail! And it's going to my mother-in-law, so I know it will have a good home and I can visit it when I go to NY this Summer. Mainly I'm just sad because Thai silver is SO expensive now that it's unlikely I'll be able to make something like this again!

Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs is actually looking a little picked-over right now. I only have one spiral bracelet left. One! I need to do some serious beading this week, in between all my dance stuff and errands and housework. If there's any section that's too skimpy for your liking, let me know and I'll brainstorm new designs to fill it back up. I already made a pair of hamsa earrings today and picked out beads for a couple of new tribal necklaces.

Treasuries!

2011-06-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

I've got rings on my mind. I'm working on one based on a preview tutorial posted to promote Dustin and Kate's Geometrics book, and trying to dream up my own designs that I could make and sell. Rings are all over the beadosphere right now, but my treasury is mostly full of chainmaille and wirework. And of course, they're all from FAETeam!

Last week, I also made Look, I just really like green! A few FAETeam pieces are included, but the main theme is green things from my favorite items and favorite shops.

One of my tribal necklaces is included in Peacock Tales by Mermie. Apparently peacocks are in, of course, in belly dance land they're always in. We love decadence!

Do you want to win an anklet? Of course you do.

2011-06-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that I can finally announce this! The wonderful Aquariann is hosting a giveaway of the above anklet at her blog, The Art & Tree Chatter of Aquariann. Just in time for Summer weather, too! I actually wasn't sure what I wanted to offer for the give-away (I was thinking maybe a gift certificate), but when Aquariann suggested this anklet would be perfect, I knew she was right. Not only does it go well with the theme of her blog, but it helps to promote a line that I'd like to draw more attention to. And it's very representative of what to do, which is to say that it is 1: green 2: leafy and 3: something you could wear to belly dance.

And would you believe that there's more exciting news coming down the pipeline for me and Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs? I have been a busy little gal behind the scenes lately! Oh sure, it seems like I spend all my time hanging out on Facebook, going to belly dance classes, and reading China Mieville novels, but I really do get some work done sometimes.

By the way, I've decided to continue my weekend sale all through the week! I really want some spending cash for the belly dance workshop I'm taking this weekend, which is probably the last big workshop I'll do until November (probably). So remember that if you want to buy something, you should use code DISCOUNTME for 20% off!

I'm having a sale!

2011-05-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, it feels like I've barely been home at all this week! So to make up for the lack of new jewelry listings, and to celebrate the three day weekend, I'm having a sale! Use coupon code DISCOUNTME to get 20% off your entire purchase at Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs. The beautiful beaded anklet shown above is just one of the over 90 items currently in stock right now!

I hope everyone has a fun weekend, whatever they do. I'm looking forward to being home, as my next three weekends in a row will be spent up in Phoenix for dance events!

Treasuries on Tuesday!

2011-05-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

I saw some pretty blue items and decided to do an all-blue FAETeam treasury. Enjoy!

Also, Andrea of Beadmask included one of my necklaces in her treasury Strange Birds which has some really, really awesome items in it!

Such a tease!

2011-05-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Do you like these Hamsa earrings? Well, you can't have them! I did create them with the intention of listing them in my shop, Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs, but I tweeted about them while I was making them and one of my dance classmates saw and called dibs! I call that proof that social networking really is good for business.

Anyway, over the weekend I worked on my new crystal bracelet variant (with metal seed beads!), and I completed two of them, but I don't really feel like setting up my photography stuff just to take pictures of two bracelets. I have the beads picked out for a third bracelet to make while I'm watching DVDs tonight. I could have made it last night after finished the second bracelet, but honestly the thread that I have to use with the metal seed beads is hard on my hands, so I don't like to work with it for too long at a sitting.

So tomorrow afternoon I will have three bracelets to photograph and whatever I buy at the Rings & Things show in Mesa tomorrow. Yep, I'm going to drive almost 2 hours to buy beads again, even though I keep saying I have too many of them. Guess I should go use up some more tonight.

Belated Treasuries

2011-05-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Shame on me, not getting around to rounding up this week's treasuries until Friday! I'd like to say I have a great and valid excuse, but the truth is that I spent all day Wednesday reading a book. It was a really good book! And it's been so long since I allowed myself to just read all day. And it was unusually gray and cold. Yesterday, of course, was dance class day and I had to be out the door by 4:10pm, so I didn't have a lot of time to do anything.

Anyway, it was a great week for treasuries! My sexy mermaid necklace is in the one above, one of my crystal bracelets is in Magical Twilight Hour and the Phoenix Feathers necklace did it again, being included in The Heat is On.

My treasury offering for the week is A Bounty of Beautiful Bracelets.

The Mysterious Mr. Bird-Man.

2011-05-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

I already showed this necklace a bit ago, along with the hair stick that I made in the same week, but today The Mysterious Mr. Bird-Man gets to take center stage in his very own blog post.

What is he? Is he Garuda? Quetzalcoatl? A Tengu? Some other fanciful blend of bird and man? We may never know. I saw him at the Bead Museum gift shop and simply had to have him. He spent a couple years just hanging out in my bead collection until I decided what to do with him.

Now he hangs from a strand of glass, stone, and pearls in lovely shades of olive and golden brown. Not really a tribal piece, but I've been wearing him to dance class a lot anyway.

I made something pink!

2011-05-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Talk about stepping outside of my comfort zone! I made this for my friend Meghan, based on the colors of a little hip scarf she wears to dance class sometimes. It was very weird to work on, because these colors are so bright and there's no neutral involved. But I kept telling myself that Meghan would like it, and that plenty of bead artists work in color combinations like this, so they can't all be wrong.

The pendant is a large Swarovski crystal bezeled with Delicas and Japanese seed beads, hanging from a hand-dyed silk ribbon that perfectly matches the crystal.

Feathery Treasury

2011-05-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've been really into feathers lately, and then I saw that ridiculously awesome peacock mohawk. Wow! That had to go in a treasury! So I stepped outside of the usual box of making FAETeam-only Treasuries, and made one that had members of my team, but also other sellers whose work was beautiful and feathery and well-photographed. Along the way I found lots of things that I wanted to buy, especially hair accessories. I've been so crazy over my hair and things to go in it!

No treasury features for me this week, boohoo. Actually, not many people at all made FAETeam treasuries this week, so I'm not surprised. I can't expect Mermie to include me EVERY week!

I can't help but notice that my comments section has been really quiet this week. What's up, everyone? Let's talk! I just talked about how I've been obsessed with feathers and my hair... what are you obsessed with?

LL-BFAC Kit for 2012 Auctions

2011-05-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

How pretty is this color palette? It's the latest Layne's Legacy -- Beading For A Cure kit, to be used to create items to be auctioned off in 2012. Betcey at Beyond Beadery provided this year's beautiful and generous kit, with lots of Japanese seed beads and Swarovski crystals. There are even some of those new-ish long Magatama drops that I haven't tried out yet.

I'll probably do some bead embroidery, but I haven't decided yet what I want to add. I was looking at some nice cabochons on Etsy last night, but my taste was running towards the expensive!

Soul Eater, rarh!

2011-05-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

It feels good to be making new jewelry for my Etsy shop again, especially when that new jewelry includes Soul Eater Skull Necklace, the most badass tribal necklace I've ever made. The awesome skull pendant was one of my great gem show finds earlier this year and I'm happy to have it worked into a finished piece and up for sale at Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs.

Over the next day or so I'll also be adding another necklace and more Handmade Anklets, as well as whatever else I feel like creating and photographing. It's going to be a busy week.

FAETeam Exhibition!

2011-05-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the latest FAETeam Exhibition? It's called Fairies, Elves & Pixies, Oh My! and it features a lot of great fae folk created by a lot of talented fae artists! Of course, two pieces of my faerie jewelry are in there. There are so many beautiful items this time around, I don't know that I could pick a favorite. The team has really been growing and attracting new, amazing artists.

Please pardon this short post, I have a lot to do before I leave for dance class in 5 hours!

Beautiful Treasuries!

2011-05-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here we are at another Wednesday, which means it's time to take a look back at Tuesday! I was only included in one Treasury this week, but what a beauty it is! Click on any of the items in the Widget to have a closer look.

Our weekly theme was something May-ish, so I curated a collection called Adornments for the May Queen, which gave me an excuse to showcase things which were beautiful and green (or photographed on a green background).

I've also been quite busy adding new things to my shop Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs, so be sure to drop in!

A Rose for Jen

2011-05-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Jen's birthday was last month, so I made her a necklace. Because she often wears shades of purple and green together for belly dancing, and it's hard to find tribal jewelry in those colors, I strung some rainbow flourite and Thai silver together to make something that I felt fit her sense of style and her costuming choices. I'm happy to say that she likes it!

To achieve a nice random mix of purple, green and clear stones I left the flourite in the compartment box I had it stored in, and set it at the other end of my desk, so I could reach it but not see what I was grabbing. Otherwise I would have gotten too picky about not having too many greens or purples in a row, and it would not have looked as wonderfully random.

This also fits nicely with the continuation of Operation: Buried in Beads because the flourite and Thai focal had been part of my stash for a long time. I'd periodically tried to come up with a design to use that rose and never succeeded, so clearly it was waiting for Jen's birthday!

Interested in your own one-of-a-kind tribal necklace? Visit Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs!

Anklet Season is Here!

2011-05-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

I know some parts of the country are still dealing with late snow storms, but here in Arizona it's warm and beautiful, which means that I have broken out the sundresses and the sandals and turned my thoughts to anklets. Today I listed three anklets, representing three of the four styles I currently make (I didn't have time to list the fourth, so it will go up tomorrow!). Above, Blue Bells is a beadwoven anklet featuring a chevron chain pattern and jingling bell accents.

Bohemian Gothic is a chain and dangle model, featuring silver chain and vintage beads. Because I bought the chain years ago, the price does not reflect silver's current cost, which is about $45/oz. As such, it's quite the steal!

Spring Leaf features strung beads in a delightful vernal color combination. I love how top-drilled leaves look in anklets, they form the perfect little drops all around the ankle.

Keep an eye on Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs for more ankle bracelet designs, or hop right over to the Handmade Anklets section to see what is currently available!

Two new things for me!

2011-04-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the fact that I finished all my outstanding custom orders and birthday presents for friends, I decided to make myself a couple of presents! First, a cool necklace with a pendant that is either a tengu, Garuda, or some other bird-man. Second a bone hairstick adorned with glass and stone beads, a carved skull, and an Afghani coin. Big surprise, both items are brown and green!

The hairstick is actually a prototype for a new product line. What do you think? Would you like to see unique tribal hairsticks at Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs? Hairstick materials would include bone, horn, wood and metal, and accents would include beads of all sorts, coins, bells, pendants, keys, and whatever else would look cool. Pricing would probably range from $10-$20+ depending on how fancy they get and how much I have to pay for the base stick.

More pictures of both items will be posted next week, right now I have way too much to do before I head off to belly dance class!

Let's talk about Treasury Tuesday!

2011-04-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I really like this treasury that I made yesterday! It was choose-your-own-theme again, and after vacillating for a bit, I saw a hair accessory that I liked in someone else's treasury and decided that I should do an entire collection of beautiful hair goodies. It seems rather fitting, because I've really been into taking care of my hair lately, trying new products to clean it and style it and keep it safe from harm.

Also, I was featured in two treasuries yesterday! Phoenix Feathers Beaded Choker continues its winning run by being featured in Busy as a Bee Creating Blissfully by Liza's Whimsical Art. Meanwhile, Miss July the Faerie Pin-Up Necklace is in All A-Glow by Mermaiden Creations, my favorite treasury curator!

Tribal Lotus

2011-04-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

This is the first necklace I made as part of my ongoing Operation: Buried in Beads. Created as a gift for one of my belly dance teachers, it features a tribal-appropriate black and red color combination and a cool matte black carved stone lotus flower. I'm happy to say that she loves it. There's few things nicer than creating a gift that is well-received :)

For more handmade tribal jewelry, be sure to check out my shop, Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs.

The return of Operation: Buried in Beads

2011-04-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last year, I had too many beads and I decided to undertake Operation: Buried in Beads to try to use up some of my massive stash. Well, I still have too many beads, and I still can't figure out a way to get them all properly organized and put away, and I still don't have a dedicated workspace, so I'm doing it again. It is time to make some friggin' jewelry, and hopefully use up lots of stray beads and components in the process.

I already started, but I can't tell you what I made because it's a present for somebody! So I'll post it after it's been given. I've also got the start of a few other projects laid out, but first I have to make a couple more presents. Seriously, why is everyone having birthdays in April? And Mother's Day is right around the corner, too! Plus my birthday is just over a week away on the 1st, so I need to make myself a present because hey, I deserve it.

Anyway, back to slaving away in the bead-cave.

MZ Beetle Pendant!

2011-04-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

You may remember that in February, MZ gave me one of her new beetle cabochons to work into a bead-embroidered pendant, so she could inspire prospective customers. Here's what I came up with, using Delicas, Japanese seed beads and some Czech three-cut seed beads. I really enjoyed working with the bright color palette in this cab, it's pretty far out of my usual muted olive and bronze palette :) For more beautiful lampwork, please visit MZ Glass. For more bead embroidery, visit my shop, Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs.