Agate Coral Necklace Featured in an Etsy Treasury

My Agate Coral Necklace which I wire wrapped and fabricated with Chryscolla ( a beautiful blue/green mixture of gemstone) has just been featured in a beautiful gift guide treasury on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTA2NTA1NzF8MTI5MDI3NjIzNg/think-believe-wish-a-gift-guide-for-her

So exciting to know the work and love and care you put into making a piece is liked.

Is Good Photography A Challenging Task?

One of the first things I learned when confronted with having to photograph my jewelry creations for my Etsy shop was that it wasn't going to be easy for a photo challenged person such as me. I'll be honest, most of my personal photos up to then were awful. I cut off everyone's head whether I liked them or not, everything was fuzzy and to far away to really see. Sigh!

I had to learn to do this! I went out and bought a Canon power Shot camera. One touted to be a miracle worker...it would correct shake, it would correct lighting, etc all automatically. O.K. I figured that I could probably learn to use. So I began and oh boy, the photos were still bad. Not as awful as before but hey baby not exactly good. Edges of necklaces were getting cut off when I put up the pictures on my shop on Etsy. Would I ever learn??

Then I started to really look at the pictures that made it to front page in treasuries and I started to put together treasuries too. LIGHTBULB!!  I realized that the pictures of items  that appealed to me were pictures that didn't necessarily show the entire item but enough of it to fill the frame and be sharp and obvious, then I'd be interested in seeing the actual listing for the item.

So, A few things I have found and that have helped me to take better photos.:

      1. Macro is number 1. Make sure that you really are taking a close up of the item so that as much detail as possible shows.

      2. Plain Background. Yup, don't use a confusing or conflicting background. White is best or a color that allows the details of the item to show. Don't use a print behind a print! 

      3. If Using A Model. Remember the ITEM is the focus of the picture not the person wearing it!  This is one area where it is permissible to "cut off their heads" or at least part of it.
     4. FOCUS. Yeah, well I still have difficulties in this area. Fuzzy pictures don't entice customers.
I'm finding that Jewelry is perhaps one of the most difficult subjects to photograph and I keep learning more techniques and redoing/updating photos. My shop still is not as photogenic as I would like it to be. And some colors could drive me totally over the edge. Amethyst is one of my favorite gems to work with and one that I have such a hard time getting to photo in it's realistic color. Purple always comes out too dark when I do it, no matter how I play with the lighting when taking the picture...sigh.


Anyway I could continue on  and on but this post is long enough!
However, let me say this...... if you have any advice for those of us who are photo challenged and MUST take pictures of their products, please please do let me know. 


Oh and since today is Thanksgiving ( better known as turkey day)....Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Carnelian Christmas Angel Bracelet

Carnelian Christmas Angel Bracelet

DesigningParrotJewel on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86314127/carnelian-angel-bracelet

Carnelian,Coral and Copper The Fabulous 3 C's

The 3 C's to warm  your winter; Carnelian, Coral and Copper in a delightful necklace. Guaranteed to warm any look. 

These are possibly my three favorite materials to create jewelry.  They all project such a warm, cozy feeling and just feel right when the weather starts to turn chilly. This necklace has a crescent moon pendant of Carnelian that I have drilled and attached with copper chain to the body of the necklace. The beads "over the moon" are also Carnelian, faceted rounds and tubes. The body of this is red Coral pieces ,shell and copper etched ovals.See it in my Etsy shop:http://www.etsy.com/listing/80315667/carnelian-and-coral-gemstone-necklace

Yellow Turquoise Necklace Under 25.00

Just finished a Yellow Turquoise Necklace that is on Etsy for under 25.00! Here's a picture of it and a link to it:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85473262/yellow-turquoise-gemstone-necklace

This is a copper wirewrapped pendant of yellow turquoise on a copper chain with a copper and silver toggle clasp (18" long).

Green Adventurine Chain Maile Stage 2

This green Adventurine Chain Mail necklace is now half finished! Here's a picture of what will be the "around the neckline/throat part of it.

This is a fun piece to make. Well, now it's on to the necklace strands and they will have leather.

Let me know what you think so far and if you have any ideas of what you'd like the rest of the necklace to look like, feel free to let me know.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesigningParrotJewel?ref=ss_profile
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How To Use Your PackRat Cached Jewelry

If you're like me, you have, at the very least, a drawer full of jewelry that you've had for years, are unwilling to throw out, don't wear anymore and won't try to give away as presents. It sits there collecting dust and tarnish.

So what to do with it?  Why not give it a new purpose as jewelry? Take it apart and use pieces of it such as beads, rhinestones, etc. to make a new piece that you will want to wear. If you can't bear to take it apart then incorporate it into a new necklace or bracelet.  All it takes it a bit of bead stringing wire, findings and basic jewelry tools and the key ingredient....imagination! You'll be surprised at the results!

Fashion Feathers

One of the latest fashion trends is Feathers. Feathers for hair extensions, feathers as or on clothing and feathers in jewelry. I have seen so many beautiful items handcrafted with feathers on Etsy and Artfire and elsewhere.

Now, I have a personal interest in feathers, having a quaker parrot in residence and he has gorgeous feathering!
It just so happens that he's molting now and dropping some of those beauties all over the house. There are teal wing feathers and lime green tail feathers with just a touch of bright yellow and yes, I pick them all up and "save" them.
 I am seriously thinking that perhaps I should take some of those beauties and make some jewelry out of them. Perhaps a necklace and a pair of earrings. How gorgeous they would look combined with some gemstones! I think I'll get started and see what I can come up with for a necklace and earrings.

Lavender and Gray Jewels

I've had these lavender (luscious!) glass pearls for quite a while and couldn't quite get the picture in my mind of a necklace that would be subtle yet upbeat and then.......
It was the Lepidolite that did it I think. That's a stone that is said to be for Joy and Happiness and very upbeat and so the lavender pearl, Lepidolite necklace started to take form. It needed something else and there it was in my "stash" of beautiful beads....smoky gray faceted crystals (Czech crystals 8mm) and so here's the result now residing on my store: http:www.designingparrotjewel.etsy.com