More Red and Black

 I just listed The Hidden Heart on Etsy today. This necklace takes the popular red and black color combination and adds a bit of white for extra contrast. It's a gorgeous Gothic necklace that is ready to accompany you on a night at the club.

 If the focal pieces look familiar it's because I posted about them a while back as they were part of the package I received to use in the Earthenwood Studios Design Team. I knew that I wanted to use them for this necklace, it just took me a ridiculous amount of time to sit down and actually make it. I'm so happy with how it turned out, so I really wish I had made it sooner.

Speaking of things that are ridiculous, I am really surprised that Spiral Journey is still in my Etsy shop! Last week I made another anklet similar to it, but in black and blue instead, as a custom order. It's up to 34 admirers, so I know it's only a matter of time until someone makes it their own -- or asks me to make another custom version in different colors :)

Red and Black!

 This week is all about the Red and Black! I'll be listing some new items in this dramatic color scheme, and highlighting some old items, too. Today we have the recently-listed Vampire Blood crystal bracelet. I love the floral pattern on the button!

Bohemian Nightstalker ankle bracelet is a little Goth and a little Boho. The silver chain really makes the red and black bead dangles stand out.

Anklets!

Every year when the weather gets warmer, I start thinking about anklets. I make new ones, and I promote them all over the place, and no one buys them. This year I've been busy with beetles for MZ and bracelets for Kate, and I admittedly neglected my Etsy shop a bit. I was not promoting anklets or anything else. Naturally, those anklets started selling themselves when I wasn't looking.

Today I not only listed this Lime Blossoms Anklet but I also put all of the ankle bracelets* into their own Handmade Anklets section in my shop, so you no longer have to browse all of the sections to find them. I hope to make some more new ones this week, too, so keep your eyes open.

*I always call them anklets, but a lot of people search for ankle bracelet instead, or even anklet bracelet. Whatever name you use, I have 'em!

Spirals Every Day!

Just yesterday I finished this custom ankle bracelet called Spirals Every Day! The buyer loved my Spiral Journey Anklet but wanted something in black, silver and earthy colors for every day wear. Lucky for both of us that I happened to already have black and silver spiral beads!

I love this combination of black, silver, and antiqued bronze so much that I might use it for other projects, too. It's really elegant and versatile, you could wear it with pretty much everything. I think it would be lovely for a steampunk brooch. I should see what cabochons I have that would work for that, after I work my way through my long to-do list.

Mermaids and Octopuses

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 :)

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

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!

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!

Anklet Season is Here!

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!

Too hot!

Automatic Ankle Accelerator is today's Daily Special!

It's another hot, humid day here in Tucson, which means that I'm really not getting anything done. Again. Once the sun goes down, I might have more energy. Maybe I'll put some more work into my seashell brooch, which got ignored while I did other stuff this weekend. I'd really like to get more destashed beads listed this week, but that definitely will not get done tonight.

Things that make my day

A while back, I sold this brooch, Soaring Wyvern. It was the only brooch I'd ever made. I listed it on Etsy with only one image, and I didn't even have it sorted into a category -- and it sold anyway. Yesterday, the buyer posted her "Best of Ets" blog post and gave me and the Wyvern a glowing review. I've been walking on air ever since. There's nothing quite like a happy customer to make my day, especially when they've purchased something that I wasn't sure would sell.

Ever since Soaring Wyvern sold, I've been thinking that I should make more brooches -- so that's my goal for after I finish my BFAC project. If there's a particular color or style of brooch you'd like to see me make, please leave a comment here or go over to my Facebook fan page and join the Brooch discussion I've just started.

As for today's Daily Special, it's the Automatic Ankle Accelerator! Only $25 for a gorgeous steampunk anklet.

For all of you steampunk bellydancers

I just listed Automatic Ankle Accelerator on Etsy today! I plan to take more pictures of it, but I figure there's no harm in listing an item with only one picture. That one image might be enough to convince someone to buy it, instead of it sitting around here, unseen and unloved.

The story that prefaces the item description is part of my ongoing attempt to build a world and cast of characters around my steampunk jewelry line. There's Professor Langstrom. Some of his inventions -- such as the Aetheric Chronology Manipulatronic mentioned in Her Airship Sailed Through Time -- are actually effective. Some -- like the Automatic Ankle Accelerators -- need a bit more work. Halcyon Greene, the lady adventurer who owns the time-traveling airship, is based on a roleplaying character of mine. Next, I believe I need a name and persona for a lady inventor, as I keep mentioning them in item descriptions as well.

I also listed Mysterious Portrait today. And today's Daily Special is also one for the bellydancers, the Spiral Journey gothic tribal anklet.

Specials for Today

Since the weather is so perfect for anklets, and I've been busily making some to list in my Etsy shop, I decided that Palo Verde Pixie should be one of the specials for today. I have an anklet very similar to this that I wear frequently. The beads go great with the sort of earthy greens that have been popular the last few years, and the leaves and flowers are a cute look for Spring and Summer. I've been thinking of making similar designs in other colors, for those who don't love green as much as I do.

And over in my Etsy shop, my beautiful Midnight Enchantment bracelet is on sale. The black and purple palette is delightfully Gothic, and the joy of my crystal bracelets is that they look equally nice with modern or historic-themed outfits. I wear mine with everything from jeans and t-shirts to silk cocktail dresses.

As usual, both of these Daily Specials will run until 3pm PST tomorrow.

There were also two specials yesterday, but I didn't get the chance to promote them because I spent all day chilling with my friend and then all night gaming with my group. I should probably be like the rest of the group and take my laptop to the game with me, that way I could blog and Twitter and whatnot, but I prefer to play with beads during that time instead. I got some great progress on my Gothic-Tribal anklet last night, and hope to be able to list it, the Steampunk anklet, and maybe another one or two anklets this weekend.

One Bright Anklet

Here is Tropical Steps, my new anklet. I just love these colors! They're so bright and perfect for summer. And the tiny silver bells add a wonderful touch, just a bit of jingle without getting too noisy. I put them at the end of extra long fringes because I just liked the contrast with the short flower fringes.

It felt good to be beading again over these past few days. I'll need to pick out another project to help me keep my sanity this coming week. There's just a week and a half left until we close on the house, and still a lot of things to pack around here.

I'm beading again!

Oh, happy day! I managed to get to my beads this afternoon. I'm now working on a bright, summery anklet. Aqua and lime, one of my favorite combinations. I think it'll turn out quite nicely.

After finishing a BFAC project, I usually find myself working in colors quite different from the kit. So of course, I went from the subdued colors of Locked Away to the brightest colors in my collection. The funny thing is that the lime green I'm using is leftover from the 2007 kit! I loved that color as soon as I saw it, but after all the trouble I had with that particular project (I had to completely restart it at one point), I was tired of the colors. I haven't touched that gorgeous green again until now.

I'll probably finish the anklet by tomorrow, as long as I don't get too distracted by packing and video games!