Going on a mailing run today...

Every other week I go to New York to ship , so that my clients don't have to wait a month for their jewelry. Today is the day. Also going to pick up a magazine called "Stringing" based upon my friend, Sue's (www.wisperings.etsy.com) recommendation. I don't often look at such magazines, but why not?

Thought I'd post one of the items from our Adorn Me Jewelry at Etsy store. It's a huge vintage ceramic peony cabochon from occupied Japan (1940s-50s), has been mounted on an antiqued brass filigree, which was wired and mounted onto an antiqued brass filigree ring shank. It is a limited edition, so get it while you can.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Weekend Sale at Adorn Me jewelry!

Beginning Friday, April 10th through Sunday, April 12th From Friday through Monday we will be offering 20% off all items in our Flowers From Our Garden section. Also, we will offer a free pair of Amanda earrings when a person purchases 3 items from any mix of sections in our Adorn Me Jewelry at Etsy shop!

This will be the first of two sales -- the second being our Tax Relief Sale, which will bring further discounts. This sale will only be announced to our mailing list. To join the list, go to: www.adornmejewelry.net/contact.php and choose the "Add me to your mailing list" option.

Rustique, our new line of Cowgirl Chic jewelry

Contrasts really appeal to me, whether it's color contrasts, texture contrasts (either physical tactile or optical eye-feel textures), size -- so many things. I think it's part of why I have such eclectic tastes. Or do I have eclectic tastes because I love contrast? No matter. A new line of jewelry is born: Rustique.

"Rustique" airs a mix of old and new, rustic and refined, smooth and rough. It's all about contrasts: like cowboy boots and pearls, rough tweed and soft satin, chocolate and hot chili powder. Take our Rustique - Cowgirl Chic, Vintage Etched Glass and Hand-wrought Copper Necklace, for instance.

This Refined Cowgirl necklace pairs 10mm Vintage 1950s creamy white West German etched glass beads with hand-hammered pure copper eggplant-colored rings. These rings have been oxidized to give them a mix of eggplant purple-to black, and reddish rosey copper colorings and a sort of visual texture. The rings are 20mm (approximately .8") in diameter.

The beads have a twisted, ridgey texture, and do show their age in a few little spots that you can see in the photos. I haven't tried removing the spots, but you might. I figured it wasn't up to me to try to erase their history. :)

The rings are held together, by vintage copper chain links that have a rough-hewn look. The clasp is hand made from pure copper wire, the jump rings are antiqued copper, and the headpins are ball-end eggplant copper. This necklace also has matching earrings. More photos and info here.

Rustique - Cowgirl Chic, Smooth Vintage Bisque and Hand-wrought Copper Earrings

From our new Rustique collection, which pairs a mix of old and new, rustic and refined, smooth and rough. It's all about contrasts. Color, too, in this case -- like, say, orange and blue.

Now, these earrings don't have a pure orange color in them. But the copper rings that hold these Vintage 1950s West German Deco style bisque drops aloft do have some lovely rosey-orange copper tones. That really sets off the blues of those drops.

The drops are 20mm (approximately .8") in diameter. They have a smooth, ridgey texture, and do show their age in a few little spots that you can see in the photos. I haven't tried removing the spots, but you might. I figured it wasn't up to me to try to erase their history. :)

Take a look at these gorgeous hand-forged rosey copper rings. You can see from the photos that they have beautifully rich and varied colorations (depending upon the light cast upon them) and some great eye-feel texture. The rings are about 23mm wide. The lever back ear wires are antiqued copper, as are the jump rings. For more photos and info, click here.

More pieces will be added very soon, just check Adorn Me Jewelry at Etsy.

We have a winner!!

Well, our first giveaway contest is over and was what I would consider a great success. Thanks so much to those of you who entered. I'm pleased to announce that our winner is the lovely and wonderful tanyeshka! Ms. tanyeshka has won our Aqua Sakura ring, which will be mailed to her in just a couple of days.

Thanks to my darling husband, who was a great help with the contest, and who also pulled our winner's name out of his bowler hat. :)

Our next contest prize will be for a Gift Certificate for Adorn Me jewelry. I'm not sure when that will be -- perhaps in May or June. I will announce it to our mailing list (to join the list, go to: www.adornmejewelry.net/contact.php and choose the "Add me to your mailing list" option), Twitter and a few other places.

To see what new items we have in the store right now, please visit Adorn Me Jewelry at Etsy.

A bit more about the Aqua Sakura give-away ring...

Two things: First, I want to thank all of you who are participating in our ring giveaway! I'm getting more and more excited as we get closer to the moment my darling husband pulls the winner's name out of a hat!

Second: the ring Adorn Me is giving away (or, more accurately, one exactly like it) was on the front page of Etsy yesterday! It was chosen for a treasury by Terri, the wonderful truLuxe, which was then chosen by an admin for the Front Page (FP in Etsy lingo). It not only sold within less than half an hour, but I got an order for two more just like them. I need more supplies. :)

Thank you, Terri! And congrats to our future winner! :)

Ring giveaway!

Starts today, Friday, March 27th and runs through Thursday, April 2nd! Friday is too late, so enter before then to win! Don't forget to post your email address so I can reach you if you win. :)

Adorn Me has participated in many giveaways, donating items for charity and other things. One of the teams I'm on has had a giveaway recently and AMj participated in that one, too. I kept meaning to do a giveaway here and decided now is the time. So....

From today through April 2nd I am holding a contest right here on this blog. The prize is one handcrafted Aqua Sakura adjustable ring. The ring is made using an aqua carved celluloid Sakura flower (Sakura is Japanese for Cherry Blossom). The ring portion itself is a very comfortable adjustable shank. I normally don't like adjustable rings, and I wore one of these comfortably all day. I wear a size 9.5-10 and it was perfect for me. It can go larger or smaller, too. You can see more photos and info right here. Another aqua Sakura ring like this one, only on a filigree, has been featured on the front page of Etsy.

What seems to be the standard method with blog giveaways is to ask you to go to the Adorn Me Jewelry at Etsy shop and look through our items. Come back here and in the comments section of this post let me know which item is your favorite and why. But don't forget to leave me your email address, so I can contact you for your snail mail address if you win, as I will be mailing the ring to our winner from NY on April 4th.

I will then have my husband pick a name out of the hat, so that way there isn't anyone who cannot participate, and I will have nothing to do with the process of who wins except to write the names down on bits of paper. I will mail anywhere in the world, though there are some places that are problematic as far as lost mail goes, so I cannot guarantee delivery; the only thing I can guarantee is my effort in making sure it gets to the post office properly addressed and sent off via the guy or gal behind the counter. Good luck!! :c)

Thanks to Ketty G, the Detail Diva!

Adorn Me has been featured in my friend Ketty's blog for her business Detail Diva Events. Ketty is a Wedding and Event planner who has traveled the world planning events of all kinds, and in all kinds of places -- weddings, special events, small corporate events, birthdays, reunions -- you name it.

Ketty is highlighting Adorn Me's new line of Wedding and Special Occasion jewelry. Please take a look at The Detail Diva website and her blog, and keep her in mind for your next important event. Thank you, Ketty!