Sizzzlin' up Designs by Dawn Marie Jewelry

I'm so excited to share this news with you this morning.  Designs by Dawn Marie has partnered with Sizzzl to offer an exclusive wire crochet bracelet design! 

First I want to introduce you to Suzy Manning, CEO of Sizzzl (don't you just love that business name?  It just makes me smile!)  Suzy is a professional trainer and published author.  She is passionate about teaching women to live their life with purpose.  In getting to know Suzy, I can say from personal experience, her mission and teachings come from her heart.  She shares all she knows helping women become the best "She" they can be one beautiful woman at a time. 

Suzy also hosts an online radio talk show on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon EST.  She features women of many talents from all walks of life that share the passion for building women up and helping them to embrace their womanhood.  If you'd like to tune in to her show today, you can get all the event details on her Facebook event!  

I was introduce to Suzy from a very dear mutual friend.  She's seen my jewelry in person on our good friend and wanted to see if I could design a bracelet that we could make available to all her Sizzzl ladies.  After pondering what I wanted to design, how I wanted to design it and what energy the end product would be, I had an epiphany!  Here's what I created:

Available through Sizzzl.com

So let me share with you the how, why and what this piece represents.  I chose to use a chocolate colored wire and crochet it into a cuff.  The crocheted wire represents how we are all woven together.  Not one of us could stand alone in this world, we all need each other and when working in harmony we can create beautiful things.  I added accents of round wooden beads.  The wood is representative of being born from Mother Earth and staying grounded.  The final touch of the Czech glass heart shows us that as women, we need to follow our heart, be true to ourselves and let the inner beauty shine through! 

After finishing the Sizzzl bracelet, I mailed it off to Suzy sight unseen.  As a design, it really spoke to me and I hoped Suzy would feel the same radiant energy seeing it for the first time!  Her reaction was priceless and the voicemail she left me when she received it is one I will save forever and listen to again, and again, and again. 

As of today, the Sizzzl bracelet is available only through Suzy's website:  www.Sizzzl.com  Because each wire crochet bracelet is made by hand, it will be very similar, but one of a kind because wire has an energy all of it's own.  Wear your Sizzzl bracelet with pride, celebrating your femininity and beauty.  Give it as a gift to a beautiful woman that you cherish!

I want to offer a sincere thank you to Suzy for seeing something more in my designs than "just beads."  She truly saw how I put my heart into each piece I design and breath life and love into the finished jewelry. 

I urge you to connect with Suzy.  She's such a wonderful woman and so inspiring.  One phone call with Suzy and you'll feel enough energy to tackle all your challenges you face this week.  Trust me!  Suzy is the utmost professional and so intune with our female energy.  Here's where you can find Suzy and get to know her!

Website:  http://www.Sizzzl.com
Facebook:  http://www.Facebook.com/Sizzzl
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/Sizzzl
E-mail:  suzy@sizzzl.com

Hope you get a chance to check out our Sizzzl bracelet on Suzy's website.  Have a beautiful day!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn Marie

P.S. Suzy's book is entitled Wise Women Circle of Wisdom.  This is a great book to help you stay focused, strong and beautiful.  Suzy's book offers words of wisdom for women and the action steps you can take to put this wisdom to work for you.  It's like a daily reminder to be wonderful!  You'll want a copy to tuck by your makeup mirror or in your purse for those moments when you need a lift.  Here's one of my favorite quotes Suzy shares in her book:

"We cultivate our own inner garden knowing we are meant to bloom to create a larger harmonious, sensual bouquet known as humanity!" ~Suzy Manning

October... did you knock before you entered?

Holy Jeepers... seriously, all of a sudden October is here!  It seems to have snuck in sometime after I went to bed last week and now... Monday and *BAM* we're smack dab in the middle of it!

What does October mean for me?
* An early Holiday Open House
* My Sweetheart's Birthday
* My Mom's Birthday, Mother-in-Law & nephew's b-days too
** Holy Cow... I did say Open House - as in THIS Thursday!

Yikes!

I'm in super hero mode as we speak.  Finishing some more wire crochet pieces as those were really popular at my last open house.  Bringing in a few elegant pieces that will be perfect for holiday parties.  And laying out the one of a kind piece for my giveaway... yes, that's right!  All open house attendees are eligible to win a piece of custom designed jewelry!  Plus over the weekend I finished the jewelry for a very special bride.  I'll ask her permission to share pictures first... but I have to say, I just LOVE creating bridal jewelry!  :)

So that's what my crazy week looks like.  Can I just say... I absolutely love it?  I feel so blessed to be so very busy!  Hope your week is as promising as mine is too!

{Hugs!}

Fun With Wire Crochet

One of the wonderful skills my Grandma taught me as a child is how to crochet... Fast Forward 30 years and I've re-discovered my love of crocheting!  It's just one of the jewelry styles I create, but I love the fact that every piece turns out different. 

I've found that when you see wire crochet in person, you are "awed" at how unique it is, yet it's hard to judge it based on photos alone!  :)  As you know, we all try out best to take goo photos, but I'm not a professional photographer.  And the nature of wire crochet - the bends, twists, curls, etc - make getting a clear picture a challenge!  But it's a challenge I'm up for taking!

So here's a few pieces of wire crochet I've created.  I recently did a custom order for my dear friend Stacy.  Her request was jewelry in the school colors for the University of Texas - El Paso.  While school colors aren't always beautiful together, I really wanted to bring an element of fun to her design.  So I created a wire crochet cuff style bracelet and multi-strand wire crochet necklace.  She loved it so much she posted her testimonial on her blog!  You can see for yourself the special jewelry I designed for her! :)  http://slmpetersen.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-new-pretties-from-designs-by-dawn.html

Curious?  Want to see it for yourself?  Drop me a line!  I'm always happy to help!  Have a terrific day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn

This is one of my favorite wire crochet books... many great ideas!

Blogmania Giveaway for Today ONLY! (Contest now Closed)

Contest Closed.  But you can still pick up my Free E-book!  Fill in your name & e-mail address on the right and check your inbox!  Thanks for stopping by! :)  Winner will be drawn Saturday 5/1 and notified via e-mail, then posted right back here on Sunday 5/2.

WELCOME To BLOGMANIA!

My Blog is 118 of 123

You’ve arrived at exactly the right time to explore lots of new blogs, all of which, ARE GIVING AWAY A VERY SPECIAL BLOGMANIA GIVEAWAY  (For One Day Only – April 30^th) .

We’ve done all the work for you. No hunting or surfing. Each blog will have a number and each new blog link will have a number. These numbers will allow you to keep track of which blogs you’ve visited and how many are left to visit. Why not take a moment to make a list of blog numbers  1-123 and check off the blogs as you go.

I know you’ll want to visit as many blogs today as you can. So, if you see something that interests you on any of our participating blogs, why not bookmark that site. Later, when you have more time, you can discover all its fabulous treasures.  This way you can win as much as possible and meet lots of great new bloggers!

My Giveaway for today is a complete set of custom designed jewelry as shown in the photos above.  This 3-piece set consists of Necklace, Earrings and Bracelet.  The necklace and earrings use beautiful lampwork glass beads, and blue agate stones.  The bracelet is made using wire crochet, and beautiful seed beads that match the necklace and earrings perfectly!  Wear them separate or together as a set... either way you'll be absolutely beautiful!

Here's how you can enter to win.  Follow my blog on the right and leave a comment on this post. 

For additional entries:  You can do any (or all) of the following.  Please leave a separate comment for each action you take so it can be entered in the drawing.

• Follow my Fan Page on Facebook
• Post a link to my blog on your Facebook Wall
  
• Follow me on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/designsbydawnmd  FYI - If you want to receive my free Twitter e-book, fill in your info in the box at the top of the right column
• Send a tweet to your followers about our Blogmania Giveaway
• For 10 Extra chances, make a purchase from my Etsy Store - Designs by Dawn Marie

I will be using a random number generator to select the winner and announcing here, on my blog on Sunday, May 2nd.  If you don't have a blog, please make sure you leave your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you for your shipping address if you are the winner.

Now, click away and here's some links to more great blogs all participating in Blogmania!

Blog- 1) – HOST OF BLOGMANIA) Between The Pages- http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/

(Blog -2) – CO-HOST-The Black Sheep Dances- http://www.theblacksheepdances.blogspot.com

(Blog-43) - CO-HOST - Books, Books Everywhere- http://bookywooks.blogspot.com/

(Blog-86) The Hidden Haven - http://thisandthat-cait045.blogspot.com/

(Blog-104) Reviews from the NutHouse - http://reviewsfromthenuthouse.blogspot.com

(Blog-67) Arms of a Sister - www.armsofasister.com

(Blog-33) There's A Book - http://www.theresabook.com

(Blog-5) Elaine Hopper - http://www.elaineannhopper.blogspot.com

(Blog-112) SueFitz Stitching - http://suefitz-fitzsstithing.blogspot.com/

(Blog-35) Just Jewelry by Jessica - www.justjewelrybyjessica.com

(Blog-123) Moomette’s Magnificents - http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/

Less than 24 Hours until Blogmania!

I love the saying my mother taught me when I was a child.  "It is better to GIVE than receive."

That's why I'm so excited for tomorrow, Friday the 30th!  Tomorrow marks 24 hours of Blog Giveaway Goodness with Blogmania.  We have 123 blogs participating.  Each of those blogs are going to be offering YOU all sorts of wonderful prizes for visiting their blogs.  Making it easy for you to surf, all of our participants will be linking to other blogs so you can literally just click, click, click your way to Giveaway Goodness!

On my blog I'm giving away a complete set of my custom designed jewelry.  Other blogs are giving away hand crafted baby items, gift cards, pet items, health & beauty products, collector items, books... surely in that list you've found something you could be excited to win!  My post will go live at midnight tonight so everybody has an equal opportunity to participate!

I've also made an event in Facebook for both visitors and participating blogs to join.  You are welcome to join and tell a friend!  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100941866617032  Click here to RSVP & Join Us!  The more the merrier! :)  I promise, you won't be disappointed!  There are some AMAZING bloggers and equally great prizes!  Meet new people and have fun!

Sneak Peek - Blogmania Giveaway

I can't tell you how excited I am to be participating in this Friday's Blogmania giveaway.  If you follow me on Twitter, or are a fan on Facebook, then you know just how pumped I am to be sharing all the blog love with visitors from around the world.

Because I know you're all curious, I wanted to give you a sneak peak of the custom designed jewelry I'll be giving away.  So dear jewelry lovers... here's a glimpse into my giveaway.  You'll be able to start here, and follow the links I have to other blogs all participating! :)

All the action starts at midnight this Friday, April 30th.  I personally won't be awake at midnight to start surfing, but I want to make sure my giveaway is up for all to have an opportunity to win.  So for other Blogmania Blogs, I want to share with you how to make a post and schedule it for a specific time if you use Blogger.

How to schedule a future blog post:
1.  Create your post as usual, but don't hit "publish post."
2.  Right below the box you are typing in, you'll see a link to "Post Options."
3.  Click that link and you'll see an option for Post date and Time on the right.
4.  Switch the radio button to "Scheduled at."
5.  Set the post for whatever day & time you want it to publish at.
6.  Hit "Publish Post" and your post will be all set to launch on the day & time you scheduled it for.

So now, you too can sleep on Thursday night and not worry about your visitors not having the Ultimate Blog Experience!

Wire, Crochet Hook, Beads and Anticipation

Yesterday started out as a ball of nerves, and ended in happy tears.  Yes, I'm slightly emotional (okay, confession... more than slightly where my loves are concerned).  And having Cody in for surgery I was on pins and needles waiting for THE CALL ... the one to say he's doing well, everything went excellent and here's when you can come be reunited.

So after a LOT of coffee, I had tons of energy, and decided to put my nerves and my need to be busy to work.  I busted out some pretty magenta wire, a crochet hook and some great silver lined clear seed beads.  As the sun was shining in I started creating a necklace, one strand at a time. 

The call finally came, the surgery went 100% as planned and by 8:00 last night, my son was actually telling me he was hungry!  That's music to my ears!  So after a day of nerves, the end result is me doing the happy dance with a beautiful necklace that looks like a purple chain with sparkling diamonds on it.

I Love Glass

Do you ever find in your designing and being creative that one medium continues to catch your eye?  I have two jewelry loves, that continue to make my eyes light up... one is anything wire crocheted with beads... the other is glass!  I LOVE glass... beads, pendants... anything glass that's shiny and colorful seems to fit right at home in my studio.  LOL

Isn't that funny?  Here's just one example.  The pendant was just calling my name (I swear, I heard it and I'm not crazy).  So I matched it with a great mix of seed beads in complimentary colors.  I wire crocheted a 3-strand necklace that serves as a beautiful chain for the pendant!

I'm experimenting with other wire crochet styles and love how many different looks I can create.  I'll have a great bracelet picture coming soon (when I get a bright day outside so I can take pictures again.)  Hope your day is marvelous!

Custom Orders are Sincerely Appreciated

How has your week been? Here we are in the midst of another weekend and it's been a really busy week! Busy in a good way! I got several new pieces completed. Then I got a phone call from a dear friend that asked me to design a custom piece for his mother's birthday next week.

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels when your dearest friends love your work so much that they would hire you to create something one-of-a-kind for their own family. Thank you T.E. for giving me the opportunity to create you mom's birthday present! Here it is ready to go!

Here's a few pictures of things I've been up to! If you are interested in any of the pieces and would like me to create something custom for you, send me an e-mail! I'm happy to help!

Turquoise - the Spring '10 pick!


Cherry Quartz Bracelet & Earrings


Earrings & Wire crochet bracelet...
The bracelet is a multi-strand crocheted strips that are then braided together!
It looks very cool on the wrist!

Scrappy Bead Necklace

Ever look at a few scraps and not really SEE the scraps... but rather you SEE something beautiful? As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Yesterday I looked at my work table and saw a little purple wire, a little bit of black wire and a whole smattering of beads. The wire wasn't enough to do a detailed crochet piece, but I had an idea...


I didn't see just a few yards of wire and some beads, I saw a delicate triple strand necklace with beautiful sparkling glass beads.

When I was finished, the necklace reminded me of "Bubble Gum." All different sizes, all different colors woven delicately into purple & black wire. Viola!

People Love Wire Crochet

I know, it's Valentine's day this weekend and I'm not blogging about hearts this week! SHOCKER!!! Actually, I'm a heart-all-year-round kind of gal, so you'll see more hearts from me when they are just because of a holiday!

I have gotten so many compliments about the wire crochet necklace called "Party" that I blogged about a week or so ago. It's such a unique style and a mix of colors that I wear it all the time! It goes with anything!

This past Sunday I wore it to a Superbowl Party... so dress it up, or down and it fits the style!


I'm enjoying wire crochet so much that I've ordered more colored wire. I have black, purple and silver, but I've also ordered brown, sapphire blue and copper... plus more black & purple as I have custom orders already for necklaces in those shades! I'll keep you posted on new designs as I make them.

I really want to thank all of you for your genuine opinions and feedback. I really love what I do and I feel so blessed when others appreciate it too! Hope you get all the love you deserve for Valentine's weekend! ♥

Purple... my favorite color

In case you didn't know from the looks of my blog, my favorite color is PURPLE! I love purple... purple anything is good by me... clothing, food, jewelery... you name it!

So imagine my delight when I saw that Zebra Wire made a magenta artistic wire in 28 gauge!!! My wire crochet jewelry just got even more fun!!! I found some great glass bugle beads from our brand new Ben Franklin the other day. They're an irridescent finish on black, purple, blue, green & brown base. Basically, I think it resembles the rainbow you see in a puddle of spilled oil.


Match the shimmer of the beads with the purple wire and I made a really fun cuff bracelet! Of course with the beautiful snow, I thought it was a perfect white background to get some pictures, so in my pictures you see a piece of my heart with a kiss from Mother Nature! **You can click on any of the photos to see them larger!**

My Latest Projects...

Some days you have inspiration... some days you have less. I've had a wonderfully inspired week thus far and wanted to share some of the pieces of jewelry I've completed. I'm still diligently working and practicing with wire crochet and I'm really pleased with how it's coming along. I made this choker that I call "PARTY!" out of some black artistic wire and multi-colored Rocailles.


I also had a request to do another piece in Turquoise and Amber. I have a wonderful woman that purchased a turquoise & amber wrap bracelet just before the holiday and she asked that I make a double strand necklace to match. So here's what the bracelet looked like and the necklace I designed to match.



Wherever your inspiration comes from... run with it. Don't let anybody blow out the candle of your dreams! When it comes to following your passion, I've read this book twice! It's a great read about turning your passion into ca$h!

My First Dance with Wire Crochet

What a fun little project I've been working on today. I saw a necklace on Etsy about a week ago that just really caught my eye. It was a combination of fine wire, beads and gorgeous color.

The seller said it was crocheted... I was fascinated. So I started on a mission to learn more about wire crochet. I've talked with other bloggers to find out of they taught themselves or which resources they used to learn.


As a kid, my grandmother taught me how to crochet dish rags. I can't tell you how many beautiful cotton yarn dish rags I made for my mom. While my life got busy and I gave up crocheting. Now 25 years later, I'm so excited now to be finding the hobby again. I'm still busy, but it's a different busy than when I was in school. My grandma will be so excited to see my wire crochet jewelry next time we get together and I feel so lucky to be able to share it with her.


I started with crochet thread and tried hooks of various sizes to see what it did to the pattern. I'm still fascinated. This is the first real piece of jewelry I've crocheted with wire and beads. It's a wide cuff bracelet and I'm tickled... I have a long way to go, don't get me wrong. But it turned out really, really cool.


So we'll see what other creations I can put together.

Here's one of the books that was recommended to me: