Trunk Show!

Come one, come all to the Roxie Jewelry by Design Trunk Show at

MOOPS on 11/18 from 7:00pm-9:00pm!

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MOOPS Clothing Boutique is located at

12040 Etris Road, Roswell, GA 30075.

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Hope to see you there!

Give Me A Ring

I'm not a football kinda girl, never have been, never will be. My husband, on the other hand, is all about college football! I was informed earlier in the week that we would be staying home tonight to watch the UF vs LSU game. I was told not to make any plans...OK!

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As the game came on TV, I ventured off to my studio with the intentions of making a new funky ring. I recently purchased Susan Lenart Kazmer's book: "Making Connections" and found my inspiration for this ring.
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I used copper sheet for the base of the ring and added texture using a Fretz hammer. Then I dressed up the base by adding various rivets. Next, I added some vintage watch parts (the bottom piece spins), a faceted smokey quartz bead and viola!...my cool funky ring appeared before my eyes. I'll take ring making over football any day of the week!

Copper Bracelet

Wow! It's been so long since my last post. I can't believe how quickly the days have gone by!

This past month, most of my time has been spent creating pieces for my Fall/Winter line which is now posted on my website (www.roxiejewelry.com) and on ETSY. In addition, I recently had the great fortunate of having my jewelry purchased by an accessories boutique in Chicago. I was so thrilled!

On a recent road trip to Florida, I assembled the "Jewel Wave Bracelet" you see pictured here. This design came from a kit I purchased at the Bead and Button Show this year. I altered the measurements provided to create a more substantial bracelet. Who doesn't love wearing a big bold bracelet?

Sophie

It is with a heavy heart that I must say goodbye to my Sophie girl. She was a great companion and the sweetest dog on the planet. She will be greatly missed by her family.

Bangles Part 2

OK, I have totally fallen for these funky bangles. After making my first bangle, I ran out to load up on supplies. My husband even got involved with the annealing and hammering part. We were fighting over who got to use the torch first!

I just love how my bangles turned out and I think it's awesome how each one is different from the next. Since I can't seem to get enough of these bangles, I'm off to make more!

Bodacious Copper Bangle Kit

I purchased this bracelet kit at the Bead and Button show this past June. I made the bracelet this morning and had great fun putting it together. The directions were easy to follow and I got the chance to try out my new butane torch! Who doesn't enjoy working with fire?

The bracelet required annealing a piece of 6 gauge copper, hammering and texturizing, riveting and wire wrapping. I'm happy with how it turned out and I can't wait to buy myself some more copper!

For the love of leaves!

I can't seem to get enough of leaves these days. Maybe it's the thought of fall coming to visit soon or the fond memories I have of fun fall activities. Whatever it may be, I just can't get my mind off of leaves...the plated kind.

What are plated leaves you ask? Well, they are real natural leaves that are dried, painted with copper then electroplated in silver, copper or gold. The result is beautiful!

I stumbled upon these wonderful leaves while attending the Bead and Button show two years ago. I just found them in my drawer and have been captivated by them since.

Bridal Jewelry

This week I've been working on commissioned bridal jewelry for a September wedding. I'm very pleased with how the jewelry for the bride has turned out. I would describe it as simple yet elegant. The earrings for the 6 bridesmaids are even simpler yet with a touch of sparkle.

In the past I've worked with brides, mother's of the bride and sister's of the bride. In all cases, great attention to detail is needed which involves taking copious notes and obtaining a very clear understanding of exactly what the bride is looking for. I've often asked for pictures of the dress and I've even had bride's loan me their tiaras in an attempt to create jewelry pieces that match. It's also important to get proper measurements for the length of the necklace and the size of the wrist. I always strive to create jewelry that not only compliments the wedding dress yet also compliments the style and personality of the bride.

I never get tired of making bridal jewelry. Each time I get a request for custom jewelry I see it as an exciting challenge. I also love seeing the final product and getting a report back from the bride telling me how everyone loved her jewelry. It’s fun to be a part of someone’s special day.

Marketing

Today I focused on the marketing end of building my jewelry business. It's difficult trying to think of new and different ways to get the word out in an attempt to draw interest and traffic to my online sites. As with everything in life, things take time!

So, what have I been doing to create some traffic? Here's a quick list of some things to consider:
1. Create a Twitter account. http://www.twitter.com/ Try to Tweet about something every day in an attempt to get more people to follow you. If someone begins to follow you, be sure to follow them back.
2. Create a Facebook Group and/or Fan Page. http://www.facebook.com/ Invite others to join you on Facebook and provide folks with updates about your site(s) and offer discounts or coupons available to Facebook fans only.
3. Create a Blog. http://www.blogger.com/ You never know who might stumble upon your blog. I try to update my blog at least one time per week if not more. They're so easy to set up and keep up with.
4. Print business cards. I recently found http://www.moo.com/ which is a company based on the east coast that prints top quality cards. What's so great about moo cards? Well, they allow you to print business cards with up to 50 different pictures. The picture quality is excellent! If you are shopping for new cards, I'd highly recommend this company.

I myself have been trying to be more vigilant with handing out my business cards. Just today I went to the dentist and handed out cards to my hygienist and the receptionist. You never know where you might obtain a customer!

Wedding Shower Invitations

I had to take a break from jewelry making, etc. yesterday to make wedding shower invitations for my sister-in-law. Breaking out my paper and accessories reminded me how much I miss scrapbooking and card making. I had great fun working with my Cricut and would love, love, love to have the newer model. In fact, I just saw a sale for the Cricut Expression on HSN...of all places! Who knew? (http://crafts-sewing.hsn.com/cricut-expression-with-jukebox-and-design-studio-software_p-5503973_xp.aspx?web_id=5503973&ocm=sekw) Well, time to get back to the card making since I need to mail them out next week!

Happy 4th of July!

We returned from Amelia Island, FL this past Sunday night. My husband and I spent 4th of July weekend with his side of the family. While it was great fun seeing his family, it was H-O-T, hot in FL! I thought I was going to melt.

Aside from the miserable heat, we did enjoy walking on the beach in the early morning and collecting sea shells. There is just something about feeling the sand between your toes, hearing the ocean waves and taking in the water front views. With my new collection in hand, I think I see resin covered shells in my future!

She Like's It!

My friend finally received her little present in the mail and she LOVED her gift! I honestly was hoping that she would hate it so she'd return it to me :) We have this agreement that if I make her something that she does not like she has to return it to me and I will then make her something more to her liking. I don't want the girl to keep something that she won't wear! I also want her to be completely happy with her b-day present. I am thrilled that she likes her gift. I guess now I need to make a bracelet and necklace for myself. Off to the studio....

A New Creation

These are photos of some "invisible jewelry" I made for my friend's b-day. Both pieces were made using plexi-glass and copper wire. I had so much fun thinking outside of the box on this one. I hope she likes her present!

Bead and Button Show

I had the great pleasure of attending the Bead and Button show for the entire week this year! Yipee! I was so excited to go and had such a fantastic time while I was there. It's amazing how tired one can get from taking jewelry making classes, shopping and talking beads! I felt like I was gone for a month!

There is no other place on earth like the B&B show. It's such a magical place where folks from all over the world converge together in one place to celebrate their passion for jewelry making. I met some very talented artists and some very interesting people. I also had great fun reconnecting with long time friends and of course, I greatly enjoyed all of the classes that I took.

Now that I'm back home and finally unpacked, I'm in the process of sorting through all of my treasures. I'll be posting pics of the work that I completed at the show along with details of each class.

It really feels good to be home filled with inspiration, energy and excitement from the B&B show. Exciting creations are sure to follow.......

Bead and Button Baby!

I just received my tickets for the upcoming Bead and Button show today! I can't wait for this years show.... I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to learning new techniques, meeting new instructors and just talking jewelry with others who love beads as much as I do!

Blach!

I've been so sick all week that I haven't been able to do anything. Sleep, drink orange juice, sleep some more, take medication, sleep again. YUCK! Who gets sick in May anyway? I have my husband to thank for this one. Next time, he's sleeping on the couch!

I'm hoping to rid myself of these nasty germs ASAP so that I can get back to the business of jewelry making!

Wire Wrapped Rings 4/29/09

I used to be intimidated by wire. I'd see beautiful jewelry creations made of wire and I'd be in awe of them. I'd think to myself that I could never do that! I finally decided to take a class on wire wrapping and that's all it took! Thanks to Tracy Stanley, I'm totally hooked on wire!

I've found that wire is very forgiving to work with. If you make a mistake, just straighten out the wire with your pliers and try again! With my new obsession with wire I've been making beads, connections, clasps, earrings....you name it.

My most recent focus has been on making rings. I LOVE big chucky, funky wire rings. I only wish I had more fingers so I could wear all of them all the time. Check them out and let me know what you think.