Ah, the Beads and Honey newsletter, fresh off the press this morning. There’s lots of good stuff in there! Did you miss it? It’s never too late to sign up!
Shop for Beads, Virtually – Sard + Onyx = Sardonyx
What is the hardest thing about shopping for beads online? For me, it would have to be the fact that you can’t run the beads through your hands to feel the weight, to roll them around in your fingers to see how they sparkle in the light!
I’m doing an experiment this week to see if I can share that experience with you…virtually.
This week, I posted new sardonyx beads and red-orange banded agate (red line agate). In the video, I’ll manipulate the strands and tell you a little bit about each one. I hope that the video will help you to glean a little more info, that je ne sais quoi, that you can’t get from a still photograph.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Sardonyx is classified as a microcystalline quartz or chalcedony, similar to agate. It is a natural combination of sard and onyx. Sard is a red-brown variety of this material. While onyx is a black/brown variety with straight white bands. Sardonyx combines the best of these two. The red-brown color of sard and the straight white bands of onyx.
- Three different beads are shown in the video. Really beautiful sardonyx rondelles/wheels with great banding, and a lighter coloring. A darker bead, likely heat treated, and a little less banding. And, a third stone, that I call red line agate. I suspect it is agate dyed to resemble sardonyx, but still very beautiful in its own right.
I had fun selecting these beads for you. I hope you enjoy them!
Your turn ~What is your experience with sardonyx?
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey – All text and images.Trunk Show Wrap Up
And the winner is…!
To celebrate the trunk show, I decided to give away this gorgeous strand of Arizona turquoise (Retail value $200). Because turquoise is a soft stone, these beads are stabilized, but no extra dyes or colors have been added. The graduated, free form, hand cut thin rondelle shape is so organic and easy to wear.
The winner was drawn on April 24 via a third party draw at Random.org.
And the winner is…ChristaS!
Christa’s beads are on the way to her now. Thank you to everyone for participating. I hope that this will be the first of many more giveaways to come!
Closing the Trunk
The trunk show is officially over, but it was a great opportunity to see what beads you like most. I’ll carry all of the beads for another week or so while I sort out the most popular items. Then, stay tuned, because the most popular beads will probably pop up again throughout the year.
If you are a jewelry designer, have you ever considered having a trunk show for your own work? Trunk shows first started as a way for department stores to highlight the seasonal line of a particular designer for their VIP customers. With handcrafted jewelry, it can work the same way. Boutiques are often willing to host a trunk show to highlight the work of one or a few jewelry designers – a special treat for their customers. And, if certain pieces do well, you might find that they’re interested in carrying your work on a regular basis!
Thank you for helping to make the first Beads and Honey trunk show such a success! I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I have enjoyed putting it together!
Best,
Your thoughts. What have been your experiences with trunk shows?
Questions? Contact me.
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey.
Trunk Show Update: Impression Stone
For the next two weeks, I’ll be posting highlights from my first virtual online trunk show, an online showcase of new gemstone beads. The show runs from April 9 to April 23. I hope you’ll check it out!
Want to know what’s in the trunk show?
This is beautiful impression stone. It is more commonly known as impression jasper or sea sediment Jasper and comes in a light sea green, aqua-like color with brown webbing, often called aqua terra jasper, which gives reference to sea (aqua) and earth (terra). It’s true identity seems to be a bit of a mystery, but the stone may be a form of soft onyx marble, magnesite, or even serpentine. Besides the “regular” aqua terra color, these beads are often stabilized and enhanced to a wide variety of colors.
If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I usually have a wide variety of impression stone. But I have two new colors, part of the trunk show, that are new to the shop. The dark blue green stones have very intense color and would be great for summertime jewelry.
And, I was so surprised to find these black stones, as I’d never seen them before. They are really stunning and I imagine could easily be dressed up or down. I hope you’ll take time to check these out. Remember if you make any purchase in the shop during the trunk show (April 9-23), you’ll be entered to win a strand of genuine Arizona turquoise!
To keep up with trunk show updates, be sure to stay connected via the blog, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I have enjoyed putting it together!
Best,
Let me know. Do you ever work with impression stone? Which do you prefer, the regular variety or the brilliant colors?
Let me know. Do you ever work with impression stone? Which do you prefer, the regular variety or the brilliant colors?
Questions? Contact me.
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey.
Trunk Show Update: Burma Jade
For the next two weeks, I’ll be posting highlights from my first virtual online trunk show, an online showcase of new gemstone beads. The show runs from April 9 to April 23. I hope you’ll check it out!
Want to know what’s in the trunk show?
Let’s start with genuine Burmease jade. This is jadeite, the real thing! Jadeite is one of the two types of genuine jade, the other being nephrite. Jadeite is the more rare of the two. Multicolored jade has shades of bright orange, golden yellow, black, creamy white, and jade green. Extremely high quality beads that are both beautiful and long wearing. Remember, today is the last day to save 15% today with code TRUNKSHOW15. But, you’ll still be entered to win a strand of genuine Arizona turquoise if you make any purchase between today and April 23!
To keep up with trunk show updates, be sure to stay connected via the blog, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I have enjoyed putting it together!
Best,
Let me know. What’s your favorite part of the show?
Questions? Contact me.
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey.
Beads and Honey Trunk Show Features New Gemstone Beads and a Turquoise Giveaway
Drumroll…please…!
The trunk show is now in full swing! The virtual trunk show is a two week online showcase of gemstones, many of which are new to the shop. I particularly chose some very high quality gems that I don’t normally carry. Plus, there are a few old favorites maybe in a shape or size different from what I’ve carried in the past. Quantities are limited and some of these stones will only be available during the show. The show runs from today, April 9, through April 23, midnight (CST). To shop now, just click on the picture below or choose the trunk show shop section from the home page at Beads and Honey over at the Etsy shop.
Shop Early and Save ~ Today and Tomorrow Only!
Save 15% on trunk show purchases or anything else in the shop. You must use the coupon code TRUNKSHOW15 during checkout. This is an exclusive for subscribers, fans, and followers only. The code is good through April 10 at midnight (CST) and may not be used with any other promotions.
My First Giveaway!
To celebrate, I’m doing my first giveaway! I recently hand picked this gorgeous strand of genuine natural turquoise, AAA quality, mined in Arizona. Because turquoise is a soft stone, it is clear shot stabilized, but no extra dyes or colors have been added. The retail value here is over $200. The graduated, freeform, hand cut thin rondelle shape is so organic and easy to wear. Make just one purchase of anything in the shop between April 9 and April 23 (CST) and you’ll be automatically entered to win! I’ll announce the winner on the blog and newsletter after the show!
To keep up with trunk show updates, be sure to stay connected via the blog, newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
I hope you enjoy the show as much as I have enjoyed putting it together!
Best,
Let me know. What’s your favorite part of the show?
Questions? Contact me.
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey.
Moving the Bead Stash!
At the end of this month, the beads and I will be moving to a new, larger space! I’m excited about the move, but not so excited about packing and moving. How exactly am I going to move a large pegboard full of hanging strands and several bags and boxes of beads that have yet to be posted?
So, I think it’s time for some spring cleaning to clear out some of the older inventory and lighten my load. Everything in the shop will be 15% off from now until Wednesday, March 21. Just use coupon code SPRING15 when you check out at Beads and Honey on Etsy.
To make the move, the pegboard will definitely have to come down and all of the peghooks removed. I’m thinking I’ll tie strands of beads will twist ties to help keep them organized and place them in plastic bins for moving. But look out! Too many beads can easily get heavy, so small bins may work best.
While thinking about this issue, I ran across an article by Jean Campbell at Beading Daily with tips for what to do when trying to move the bead stash.
Here’s a summary of some of her tips:
- Use this as an opportunity to de-stash the stash
- Organize loose, scattered, or unusable beads
- Think about how you are organizing your beads in general within your space. Is it effective?
I would like to add that this may be a good opportunity to collect loose beads to use in a project where you can spend some time with a little one or perhaps donate to youth group, women’s group, or even a children’s hospital for crafts.
Have you ever had to move your stash? What tips do you have?
Questions? Contact me.
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey.
New Beads and Unique Finds This Week
This week I posted several new beads that are very nice quality and some of the stones are maybe a little different from what I usually carry. Check out the slide show to see this week’s finds.
Here are some of the highlights:
- You’ll notice two different types of pink botswana agate in both faceted ovals (grade A) and smooth rounds. Pink Botswana agate sports a beautiful soft pink color with shades of gray and white. You find some of the impressive banding that is usually seen in this stone. Chunky yellow botswana agate nuggets are available too!
- The blue quartz beads are a must see. Staring at them is like trying to look into the bottom of the blue waters of the Carribbean. These beads are one of my personal favorites.
- I’ve brought back the tourmaline colored agate in a unique faceted coin shape. Most coin shaped beads are tapered at the sides. These are actually wider and have a groove that travels around the bead. I think they’d be great for wire wrapping.
- The mixed quartz gemstones are really special and sport rose quartz, green rutilated quartz, and amethyst and rock crystal. Hurry, these are going fast!
- Indian agate is a variety of fancy jasper. Here you’ll find beautiful shades of red, lavender, and rose. A very nice change from the darker green shades commonly seen in fancy jasper.
- Aquamarine and green garnet are old favorites that are back, but this time in the smaller 4mm and 6mm sizes, respectively.
I had fun selecting these beads for you. I hope you enjoy them!
Copyright 2012 Beads and Honey – All text and images.Shop Update: New Gemstone Beads in Spring Colors
New Beads: This week I posted several new beads in bright colors perfect for spring and summer designs. Most of these beads are dyed jade. The gemstone here is a hard, natural white stone, commonly referred to as white jade. It can be dyed through complex and permanent treatments into just about any color of the rainbow! From my experience the treatments tend not to fade and are colorfast, making these stones excellent for jewelry.
Back in Stock: Some old favorites have been gone for while, but are now back in stock! The impression stone (last picture) is available now in several different sizes and shapes, including 6mm and 8mm rounds.
Shop Announcement: Labor Day Sale!
Today, Monday, September 5, 2011, we are celebrating Labor Day! Labor Day is a holiday which goes back to 1882 designed to celebrate the contributions and spirit of the American worker.
We’re Having a Sale!
You can celebrate no matter where you are. Enjoy free shipping from Beads and Honey! This offer is valid on any size order placed today only through 11:59 pm (CST). Choose from a wide variety of semiprecious stones or findings from Vintaj Natural Brass.
But, you must use the coupon code at checkout. Just click the link. It will take you to my most recent newsletter which has the code. Then, just relax and enjoy!
Enjoy your shopping. I hope to see you there!
Questions? Contact me.
Copyright 2011 Beads and Honey.
