New Years Eve Jewelry

What are your New Year's Eve Plans? I know some people throw (or attend) lavish parties with friends and pop corks on the champagne bottle all night long.

Personally, I prefer a more intimate New Years Eve... Steak & Lobster on the BBQ, a fire in the fireplace and good wine all surrounded by family and friends.

I've had a few people that contacted me about doing a custom jewelry order to match their special New Year's Eve outfit, and it's been so much fun!

I hope your holidays have been wonderful and that 2010 brings you many, many blessings~

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Red & Silver Festive Valentine's Jewelry

How can I be thinking of Valentine's Day when we haven't even celebrated Christmas yet??? Well, I must plan ahead as people want to give special gifts to their special someone's for Valentine's Day. So I'm happy to oblige making sure they can ship with plenty of time to spare!


This custom creation is designed with beautiful glass beads. The red glass & silver foil in the middle of a bubble style beads are just beautiful. I love the combination of red & silver together. They are very festive and who doesn't like a little extra "bling" to accent their cozy winter sweater or adorable little black dress?


So we'll see, who gets to be the lucky recipient of this beautiful red & silver necklace & earrings set? It could be you... :)

Have a wonderful, safe holiday!

Snow, Snow, Snow...

It's official... while the calendar doesn't say it's winter, the snowstorm we're shoveling out from right now leaves us with a different opinion. Once the shoveling and plowing are done, snow days are awesome days to stay inside and get things done.

For me, it's a great day to wrap some Christmas presents and create future Christmas presents for other people. One of the sets I designed just recently is a stunning Black Onyx and silver necklace. I saw the Black Onyx pendant and just knew I had a creative design in my mind on how to best show it off! Using some black & silver complimentary beads and some wire wrapping, I designed this necklace! You can click the picture to see a larger view of the necklace.


Is this necklace the perfect gift for someone you care about? I have it for sale in my online boutique. I also have additional photos. Click here to browse all of my custom designed jewelry. I have several necklace, earring and bracelet sets available as well as unique chandelier earrings. Let me know if it's a gift for someone special and I'd be happy to send it in the perfect gift box.

It so fun when the snow is falling knowing that each snowflake is totally unique. So too are the designs that I create. If you are looking for some thing special in a specific color scheme let me know. I've done several custom orders and I'm happy to make your gifts to loved ones special!

Happy Holidays!

Beautiful Turquoise and Amber Beaded Necklace Set

Another beautiful custom designed jewelry set is off to a wonderful new home today. I created this beautiful necklace and earrings set just a few weeks ago. It was online for literally less than 1 week and someone decided it would be the perfect gift for her sister for the holidays.


The inspiration for the necklace and earrings came from the beautiful lampwork glass beads that you see up close in the earrings. They just struck my eye at the store and I knew they would turn into something special. With flecks of gold glitter, intertwined with turquoise, and white swirls, these were just the perfect "WOW" I needed.

So using a mix of turquoise and amber beads of all sizes, I created a one-of-a-kind set that will put a smile on someone's face out in the state of Washington! Happy Holidays to all!

If you're looking for something special to give a loved one for the holidays, please feel free to visit my Etsy Store where I still have the matching bracelet for this set available: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dawnmd092979

Minnesota Vikings Jewelry

I had blogged late last week about inspiration and where inspiration comes from. Sometimes inspiration comes from watching a great sporting event - like a football game!!! :) No matter what your favorite spectator sport is... one common theme is apparent... people love to sport their team colors!

For me, my high school team colors were purple & gold. So every Friday during football season, we'd don our purple and gold to root for our football team, the Thundering Herd... the Elkhorn Elks. People would have everything from mittens and scarves in purple & gold, to one purple sock matched with a gold sock, to having their rubber bands on their braces sporting the school colors.

Nothing changes as we grow up... actually, we just find new avenues to show our team spirit! We have office cubicles, and automobiles that we can decorate... we have pets & children that we can dress up in team apparel... we now have a work outfits and play outfits that we can accessorize.

And that is where I drew the inspiration for this design. Whether your school colors are purple & gold or you're a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan... or a new Vikings fan with the addition of Brett Favre this set will help you show the love for your team!

This set is for sale in my Etsy Store. Stop on by and ask any questions you have! http://www.etsy.com/shop/dawnmd092979

Inspiration...

Where does your inspiration come from? For some, it comes from seeing a painting... the colors just pop out and viola - your next work of art begins to take shape. For others, it's a song - a great memory or a catchy beat that creates a spark.

Recently, I've been searching for inspiration for something new and different. I've been searching the internet and read books like crazy. What really affected me profoundly were two specific books. These great books are helping me to channel my passion for jewelry design, at the same time sparking new ideas and creativity. I know from experience that when you follow you passion, you'll be happier, and success will find you! It's really about what you want... and getting a burning desire to achieve it.

Here's the two books that greatly inspired me! Check them out and I hope you get inspired by them too!



I hope you find your passion and follow it!!!!!!!!

Can't Decide...

Happy Easter Everybody! For our Easter gathering with family this afternoon, I plan on wearing this beautiful turquoise necklace that was given to me as a gift. As I laid out my outfit this morning, I realized I didn't have any earrings to go with it... I had made a pair of earrings that matched, but someone bought them right out of my ears! :) (That's not a bad problem at all!)

So low & behold, here it is Easter Morning and I'm creating a new pair of earrings to go with my beautiful turquoise necklace.

I love turquoise & silver, a very southwest style. Here's a picture of what I created... now my dilemma is which should I wear & keep, which should I sell?

Hope all your Easter gatherings are great ones!

My Green Thumb

This is the during... I should have taken a "Before pic... ooops!

In addition to making jewelry, I also love gardening. I love seeing the flowers bloom all summer long and playing "tag" with the bees... they are always it, and I NEVER want to be stung. We haven't yet developed that balance between gardener & pollinators... LOL

So this post is just a little aside from the jewelery design... but still fun!

About 2 years ago, I was up at my grandma's house, and she was watering all her indoor plants when a sprout of aloe broke off . She gave it to me saying if I went home and put it in a glass of water, it would root and I could plant it.

So I did.... and so it did! My little 2" sprig of Aloe rooted and I planted it in a beautiful piece of pottery. (The 3rd from the right in the photo below.) It sits in a really sunny window in our kitchen. It had grown so much it was overflowing the pot and had "aloe vines" growing down the side, outside the pot.

So it was time to transplant.... my one little 2" sprig of aloe turned into 4 full size plants, 2 small planters and another full size planter that's up in my bedroom (not in the picture.) Crazy, I know, but I wanted to share with you. Aloe is a heaven sent plant... from cuts to burns, it's amazing for chapped lips and dry skin. I've even used it as a moisturizer on my face before bed.

So here's my after picture of most of my plants. I'll be able to share the wealth now. I have a pot for my siblings, so they too can use the aloe to heal.

Have a green day!

Back on track, Focus and Create!

What a whirlwind life throws at us all at times. Since Christmas, it's funny, I expected life to be a little slower so I could focus more on my jewelry making. But it's been quite the opposite. Chris & I have taken on a new business venture, arbitraging - it's all internet marketing and advertising. It's quite in depth, but we're learning from the best of the best in the industry. It's a whole different side to advertising on the internet that previously I didn't even know it existed or the income tied to working it! It's great and let's us use our creative business minds.

My e-bay business has been steadily growing. I love helping women get great quality cosmetics for reasonable prices. Especially in this challenging time. Women still need to keep themselves looking great and feeling great because "if Mama isn't happy, nobody's happy!" Isn't that right?

And trying to squeeze in all of the new business, I've had less time for my jewelry design. I've still done some pieces as special orders, but nothing just to put on the internet for sale.

This last week I did take time to focus and create. I love the way it feels to have an image in your mind, sketch it on paper then create it with my bare hands! It's inspiring! Here's some of my creative inspirations most recently. Hope you enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everybody!
(you can click on the photos to the left to enlarge them and see the detail)


I hope your holiday festivities were wonderful. Between Christmas & New Years is always a busy time when you have a huge, wonderful family. So I spent a lot of time with family, and not as much in my studio.

But last night, yes New Years Eve, I had just put my lasagna in the oven to bake and I had an inspiration - that kind of excited, can't let it go, gotta use my hands and create sort of inspiration. I'm getting together with my very best girlfriend for many, many years to celebrate our Christmas together this coming Saturday. She's had an unbelievably difficult 2008 and through the most impossible situations she's stayed positive and strong.

While they say adversity builds strength... Angela had no idea how much strength she really had in her. After being hit by a car and crushing her lower spinal column, having a major back surgery, then rehab and ongoing therapy, she's been incredible. Most people would find themselves wallowing in self-pity and crying. Not Ang, she pulled up the courage from deep inside, got involved with a spinal support group - that prior to the accident she organized & taught through the rehabilitation facility she works at - and became a persevering patient.

It's hard to be the student once you've been the teacher. I admire you Ang - you have an undivided love for life and have learned that living in the moment is truly precious! I made this piece of art for you... to celebrate love & life!

Happy New Year! 2009 will bring you much success, love & joy!