Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Last Day to Enter Giveaway, Spring Cleaning, & More

Before I start my post on spring cleaning, I would like to share some information with you.

Today is the last day to enter my blog giveaway. You have a chance to win a pair of vintage earrings and a surprise gift. For more information, click here.

Today is also the last day of my sale in my shop. All items are currently discounted, even the ArtFire Stimulus Package Items, which were already discounted prior to the sale. If you would like to check out the sale, please click here.

The ArtFire Easter Egg Hunt starts tomorrow. 50 participating shops have hidden Easter eggs somewhere in their shops. Each egg has a letter on it. Find all the eggs and unscramble the message. The first 3 to send in their entries win gift certificates to be spent in the participating shops. For more information, click here.

Spring cleaning - I hate it and I love it. Let me start by saying, I hoard things. I have craft items for various crafts and dishes I rarely use, but I love them. My husband, on the other hand, was brought up in a military family. He hates clutter and he considers anything that isn't used on a regular basis to be clutter. This has posed an interesting challenge for me, trying to find a happy medium between the bare necessities and the things I love. I have found spring cleaning to be very helpful in reaching this medium that allows me to continue to have a happy marriage.

Since it is time for spring cleaning again, I thought I would share of the guidelines I use. These may be basic and you may know them already, but hopefully someone can take something useful from them.

1) If you haven't used it in a year and aren't attached to it, get rid of it. It sounds simple, but a lot of people don't follow this guideline. I used to keep things I really didn't need and would run across them during the next year's cleaning & decluttering expedition. I finally decided that if it doesn't have sentimental value & I'm not using it, I can get rid of it.

2) Go through everything. Every drawer, cabinet, and closet should be checked. I used to just clean house and go through the areas I used often. When I started going through every drawer, I found I was able to get rid of a lot of things that would have stayed had I not changed my tactics.

3)If you are going to donate or sell the items you are getting rid of, don't procrastinate. This was one of the most difficult things to do for me. I would get everything ready to go and then wouldn't find time to take the items to Goodwill or Hospice or the Humane Society or wherever they were going. Three weeks later I would still have the items waiting to go. If you find you have trouble delivering the items, try calling to see if the charity has pickup. If you have to deliver them yourself, like I do, try setting an appointment on your calendar, even when no appointment is required by the charity. Treat it just like a doctor's appointment and don't miss it.

4) When you start to clean, work from the top down. When you dust the top of cabinets and bookshelves, that dust moves toward the floor. If you have already dusted the front of the bookshelf before dusting the top, you will have to do it again once the dust settles.

5) Do the chores you hate the most first and do them in the morning when you're fresh. That way things get easier as the day goes on and you'll be less likely to want to quit early.

Spring cleaning can be a pain, but it really feels good to know you have done a thorough job. The extra space from all the items that have gone away is nice, too.


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Monday, March 30, 2009

Beating the Monday Morning Blues

It's Monday morning and it came too soon again. It seems like I never get everything done over the weekend. This morning I had the Monday morning blues and decided to see what I could find to cheer me up. I decided to look for blue items to chase away the blue mood and here's what I found:





Something else that will help chase away the blues is the ArtFire Easter Egg Hunt. It starts on April 1st. You search ArtFire to find the eggs hidden in participating shops. If you find the most eggs in the quickest time, you win a $50 gift certificate to spend in any participating shop. There are prizes for 2nd and 3rd place as well. To learn more about the hunt, click here.

There are only two days left to enter my March blog giveaway. For more information, click here.


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Friday, March 27, 2009

It's Sale Time & A Giveaway To Boot

Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you know that I'm having a sale in my shop, TheJewelryShop, on ArtFire. All items have been discounted, but hurry - the sale ends April 1st. Also, don't forget my blog giveaway. It ends March 31st. Click the link at the top of my blog for more information. Have a great night!


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Want to Learn How to Do More on Your Computer?

I'm pretty good at doing most things on the computer. I know how to use most programs and can figure out a lot of the ones I haven't used before. My main problem on the computer is dealing with anything that requires understanding code. HTML, Java, behind the scenes stuff of all kinds is a mystery.

I have a friend who does this for a living. When I have asked for help, he has given it, but often while using terms I don't know, which means I can do what he says, but there's no way I can repeat the steps on my own and apply them to something new.

Sounds like a problem, right? Not anymore! I have found a blog that breaks it all down into plain English. The blog is Ninja Knowledge, run by Ninja Jenn of ArtFire. Not only does she explain the technical stuff, but she also offers practical knowledge on how to improve/increase/create your online presence.

Jenn, the author of Ninja Knowledge, is extremely well rounded. In addition to her Ninja Knowledge blog she also has another blog, Ninja Jenn, that focuses on everyday things. In addition, she makes wonderful pendants like the Purple Mandala pendant below and sells them in her shop.


She also has a second shop with beautiful hand-painted items like this wonderful light switch plate.

To top it all off, she is a warm, friendly person with a great sense of humor. What more could you ask for? Please check out her blogs and shops. I'm sure you'll be glad you did.


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Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Great New Site

There is a great new site I discovered today called Shop Windows at ArtFire, or SWAAF for short. This site is a wonderful shopping resource. You can find shops by category and view a few items from each shop before you click. Since the site uses the rapid cart system, you could buy directly from the large item picture window without ever signing up for ArtFire. If you prefer, you can go into the shop itself and see what else they have to offer.

Since I love to window shop, this is the perfect site for me. I have found some shops I had not seen before and they have some wonderful items. It's definitely something worth checking out. The site can be found at http://shopwindowsatartfire.blogspot.com/.

Enjoy!


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Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Sale, and More.

I decided to have a sale in my shop to celebrate spring, so all of my items are marked down until April 1st. I also went window shopping again this morning and wanted to share it with you. I found some wonderful items in every color of the rainbow.
Don't forget about my contest - only 5 days left! For details on how to enter, click the link at the top of my blog.


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Monday, March 23, 2009

Think Pink

This morning I went window shopping again and found some great items with a pink theme. I hope you like them as much as I do. Please click on the pictures for more information and a larger view of each item.


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Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Natural & Beautiful

I am in the mood for earthtones today, so I went window shopping for some lovely earthtone items. I found some great new shops and wanted to share them with you. Please click on the items for a larger view.


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Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A Walk in the Park

Spring is here where I live and I love it. The sun is out and the weather is mild - we don't get many mild days in Florida. Every morning the birds are singing & flitting around. I go for walks on my breaks at work to be able to enjoy this lovely weather. Since I can't be outside all of the time, I went window shopping for items that would be great for a walk in the park or remind me of gardens. Enjoy the list.


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Monday, March 16, 2009

What Will You Find?

I just opened a new shop on ArtFire. It's called AbsolutelyAmy and you never know what you might find in there. I plan to list vintage items, a few handmade items, and some supplies. Right now it is all vintage - not jewelry, but just fun vintage items. Please click below to take a look around.

Absolutely Amy


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Sunday, March 15, 2009

Still Time to Enter

Hi. I hope everyone is having a good weekend. There is still time to enter my giveaway. I have resposted the details below. I will collect the comments off of every giveaway reminder thread as well as the original thread, so you can comment on this post.

To promote the ArtFire Stimulus Package Sale, I am giving away the earrings below as well as a surprise gift.



To enter, you can do one (or all) of the following. You will receive one entry for each of these things you do & post about in comments:

1) Buy an item from an ArtFire Stimulus Package participating shop (it doesn't have to be a stimulus item.) Once you buy the item, post a link in comments below.

2) Blog about my giveaway contest with a link back to my blog. Post the link to your blog in comments below.

3) Blog about the ArtFire Stimulus Package Sale with a link to the participating shops or a link to ArtFire. Post the link to your blog in comments below.

The participating shops are:

3PeepsDesign
3zArt
A Kimberly Design
Aimee White
Andrea Designs
Angelas_Adornments
BAKidagain
Bead All About It
Bijoux Designs For You
Book Wormz
Calys Jewelry Creations
campgirldesigns
Cctexan3
CreatedSensibilities
Creative Haven
Delightful_Stitches
Designs by CHAZ
Dichroicdazzle
I_Obsess
jinx1764
Liberty Doll
My Doggie and Me
NinjaJenn
Nite Owl Creations
Pinkfinks Creations
Prairie Bouquet
Rocky Creek Gems
Rouge River Beads
She Designs Jewelry
Shine Your Hiney Soap
SoyScentual
Spiritdance
Spoiled Bratzwear
SpunSisterDesigns
Suzbax
The Craft Shoot
The Jewelry Shop
The Scent Diva
The Soap Seduction
Wunderkraft

I will accept entries through March 31st and a drawing will be held at the beginning of April.

Click here or on a shop name above to get started: Visit ArtFire


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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Giveaway Reminder & More

Good morning. I wanted to post a reminder about my giveaway. If you would like a chance to win a pair of vintage earrings and a surprise gift, please take a look at the post below for details.

I would like to know what you want to read about in my blog. If there is something you would like me to post about or a vintage costume jewelry designer you would like more information on, please leave a comment with the subject you would like to read about.

I've also been doing some more window shopping this morning. I found some more great items that I wanted to share with you.


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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

I've Been Window Shopping Again

I've been window shopping again and found more great items I wanted to share.


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Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Some Great Spring Finds

I just found some great items for spring and wanted to share them with you. All of these items are handmade by ArtFire artisans.


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Friday, March 6, 2009

Blog Giveaway Reminder

Just a reminder about my giveaway. Please keep reading for details.

To promote the ArtFire Stimulus Package Sale, I am giving away the earrings below as well as a surprise gift.



To enter, you can do one (or all) of the following. You will receive one entry for each of these things you do & post about in comments:

1) Buy an item from an ArtFire Stimulus Package participating shop (it doesn't have to be a stimulus item.) Once you buy the item, post a link in comments below.

2) Blog about my giveaway contest with a link back to my blog. Post the link to your blog in comments below.

3) Blog about the ArtFire Stimulus Package Sale with a link to the participating shops or a link to ArtFire. Post the link to your blog in comments below.

The participating shops are:

3PeepsDesign
3zArt
A Kimberly Design
Aimee White
Andrea Designs
BAKidagain
Bead All About It
Bijoux Designs For You
Book Wormz
Calys Jewelry Creations
Cctexan3
Creative Haven
Delightful_Stitches
Designs by CHAZ
Dichroicdazzle
I_Obsess
Liberty Doll
My Doggie and Me
NinjaJenn
Nite Owl Creations
Pinkfinks Creations
Prairie Bouquet
Rocky Creek Gems
Rouge River Beads
She Designs Jewelry
Shine Your Hiney Soap
SoyScentual
Spiritdance
Spoiled Bratzwear
SpunSisterDesigns
Suzbax
The Craft Shoot
The Jewelry Shop
The Scent Diva
The Soap Seduction
Wunderkraft

I will accept entries through March 31st and a drawing will be held at the beginning of April.

Click here to get started: Visit ArtFire


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Thursday, March 5, 2009

What a Great Day!

I love reading blogs and today I was honored to have my items included in two wonderful features.

The first is Wanderlust Bling. This is a great blog and has a feature that runs each week called "Thursday Temptations" which features handmade items from various artists.

The second is Kraftouch Treasures. This blog has a feature called "Star of the Day" which features interviews with artisans.

These are both great blogs & both do their part to support the artists who make handcrafted items. Please check them out and a big thank you to both for including me!


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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Contest - Win Earrings & a Surprise Gift

To promote the ArtFire Stimulus Package Sale, I am giving away the earrings below as well as a surprise gift.



To enter, you can do one (or all) of the following. You will receive one entry for each of these things you do & post about in comments:

1) Buy an item from an ArtFire Stimulus Package participating shop (it doesn't have to be a stimulus item.) Once you buy the item, post a link in comments below.

2) Blog about my giveaway contest with a link back to my blog. Post the link to your blog in comments below.

3) Blog about the ArtFire Stimulus Package Sale with a link to the participating shops or a link to ArtFire. Post the link to your blog in comments below.

The participating shops are:

3PeepsDesign
3zArt
A Kimberly Design
Aimee White
Andrea Designs
BAKidagain
Bead All About It
Bijoux Designs For You
Book Wormz
Calys Jewelry Creations
Cctexan3
Creative Haven
Delightful_Stitches
Designs by CHAZ
Dichroicdazzle
I_Obsess
Liberty Doll
My Doggie and Me
NinjaJenn
Nite Owl Creations
Pinkfinks Creations
Prairie Bouquet
Rocky Creek Gems
Rouge River Beads
She Designs Jewelry
Shine Your Hiney Soap
SoyScentual
Spiritdance
Spoiled Bratzwear
SpunSisterDesigns
Suzbax
The Craft Shoot
The Jewelry Shop
The Scent Diva
The Soap Seduction
Wunderkraft

I will accept entries through March 31st and a drawing will be held at the beginning of April.

Click here to get started: Visit ArtFire


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ArtFire Stimulus Package

Well, money is tight and almost everyone in the nation is waiting to see if the economic stimulus will help. Some approve and some don't, but we could all use a break, right?

In the spirit of goodwill and with the hope of supporting the economy, a group of artisans on ArtFire has started the ArtFire Stimulus program. Basically, these shops have listed select items in their shops for very low prices, some at cost, in the hopes of giving everyone the chance to buy a lovely handcrafted item during these difficult financial times.

If you would like to see what items are being offered, just click on "Visit ArtFire" below. There are some incredible deals to be had.

Happy shopping!

Visit ArtFire


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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

MARVELLA - Designer Information

Marvella was started in the early 1910's and was extremely popular in the 1950's. The company was bought out by Trifari in the early 1980's.

Marvella is known for their simulated pearl jewelry, but they also created pieces using faceted and smooth beads. One of their most beautiful lines incorporated faceted aurora borealis beads such as this set.



Marvella produced jewelry under many versions of the Marvella name as well as under different names. For a comprehensive guide to costume jewelry marks, visit Illusion Jewels.


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