Sale sale SALE!

I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop! Click here to view my brand-new sale section! There's fantasy, tribal, steampunk and more. Please note that if you purchase two or more sale items, I will refund your shipping costs. This even goes for international orders.

What do all of these sale items have in common? They're all made with stone or shell beads. The sale is inspired by the fact that Rings & Things is coming back to Mesa on Tuesday, and I want to buy more gorgeous stone beads. As I was debating whether I really needed to take a special trip to Mesa to buy more stone beads (after all, I didn't buy any at gem show), I realized that many of the items that I'd made with last year's stone purchases had in fact sold, some of them rather quickly. Clearly, stones are a good investment for me and I should probably get around to using more of them.

I've also brought back the Daily Special. Today's special is the Forest Singers earring pair. I'm honestly surprised that these have never sold, but then again, I've never been able to get a really good picture of them. Take my word for it, they're very cute! Daily Specials count towards the free shipping offer, too.

My new necklace stand

This necklace stand is carved from teak wood, and it's one of my purchases from when we took my mother-in-law to the gem show. I like it better than my velvety ones because it's prettier, and it doesn't attract cat hair. The wood grain is a better compliment to my nature-inspired faerie designs, too. I'll probably collect some more, which will be easy since the company that made them is based here in Tucson.

Don't forget that you can still get free shipping on all $25+ purchases made in my Etsy shop, now through the end of the weekend.

Tonight I'm off to Tempe for the Plaza de Anaya Street Team event. Chris was supposed to go with me and eat delicious Thai food, but he seems to be down with a cold, so I will probably insist that he and his germs stay home.

The Sun Spirals Ever Onward

Due to everything that I had going on this month, I am just now getting around to using the beads that Artbeads.com sent me to promote their Valentine's Day category. For shame! Of course, I chose earthy hearts, so the things that I'm making have year-round appeal for heart lovers.

I was especially drawn to this heart pendant by Golem Design Studios, from the Ceramic Pendants section. The design reminded me of spiraling gears, or the cross-section of a nautilus shell. I had originally picked out some nice brown heart beads to go with it, but when they got here I decided that the colors didn't quite match, so I dived into my stash for inspiration. I found Swarovski crystals, chatoyant stones, and vintage topaz-hued glass. The result is this almost-steampunk necklace called The Sun Spirals Ever Onward.

I still have the brown heart beads, and a pretty copper heart clasp to use, so keep your eyes open early next week for more earthy love! I'm thinking there might even be a give-away involved.

In other news, I feel like buying some more dance costumes, and my budget doesn't think I should, so I'm having a free shipping sale! All purchases over $25 qualify for free US and International shipping. Just purchase as usual and I'll refund the shipping fees. This sale ends at 11:59pm MST on Sunday the 28th. Visit my Etsy shop and see what catches your eye.

Edited to add FTC Disclaimer: Some of the items in the above necklace were provided free of charge by Artbeads.com for review purposes. I provide my honest opinion of the products I receive, and I get no other compensation for it.

Closing up shop tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm closing up shop. Not for good, mind you, just for the holidays. Tomorrow's the last day that I really feel that I can mail things and have a strong chance of them arriving in time for Christmas.

If you have some last minute shopping to do, Snowdrop is today's Daily Special. I've not only taken $10 off the regular price, but this necklace also ships for free. Sure, it's not diamonds and gold, which the commercials want you to believe are all a woman wants for Christmas, but it's still a stunningly elegant necklace, and far more unique than anything you'll get at those mall jewelry stores.

Ok, enough shameless self promotion! Tonight is my last class before the recital. It's hard to believe that said recital is the day after tomorrow. I've been practicing my moves and I think I'll be fine. Chris and my parents will be in the audience, and maybe my friend Helen, too, so at least I'll have some friendly faces to smile back at.

Free shipping this weekend!

In recognition of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and those nameless days between them, I'm offering free shipping this weekend on all purchases of $25 or more. This applies to US and International orders. Simply make your purchase, pay, and I will refund those pesky shipping fees. This sale is good until noon MST on Tuesday!

Now is also a good time to mention that my store will be closed for most of Sunday, as I will be at a bazaar, and it would be truly embarrassing to sell the same item twice! So if there's something you really want, make sure to buy it before Sunday morning.

All business stuff aside, I had a nice Thanksgiving with my family, ate a lot of tasty food, and now I'm in a bit of a food coma. Time to shake this fog off with a little tea.