Steph's Jewels

New Year. New Lovely Ladies.

2012-01-06T21:01:00.000-05:00

With Handmade Dayton Etsy Team's monthly meeting scheduled for tomorrow, I wanted to bring some "freebies" to share. We like to send our customers little samples as a way to promote each other's Etsy shops.

I had so much fun last year incorporating beautiful images of Vintage Lovely Ladies into my jewelry, that I thought it might be nice to try them in a "freebie" promo item. Little images found their way onto mini oval glass tiles mounted on pretty little filigrees. They turned out so cool that I'm going to do something special with them... not sure what yet.... but they will definitely become the focal point of a new Steph's Jewels series. Here's a sneak peek...

Now... I have two dilemmas. 1.) Just what exactly to design using them. and 2.) A new idea for "freebies". :)

While searching a flea market in Corbin, Kentucky, I found this lovely vintage rhinestone necklace with several links - what a find! Each of these pretty little links may be just the perfect marriage my new Lovely Ladies desire!

I snapped a photo of this beautiful painting in the bathroom at a favorite coffee shop recently. She will be a new project soon as well... stay tuned...

Any ideas on a perfect name for her?

Ella 2012

2012-01-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

May I please brag about my beautiful grand-daughter, Ella?

She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside! :)

This photo of L just makes me happy :)

She's painting my Christmas gift - a Nutcracker ornament :) Crafting is serious business to Ella :)

Natalie is Ella's best friend. She moved away recently. My wish for them is to always cherish this photo.

Handmade Gifts on My List!

2011-12-08T01:23:00.001-05:00

Hoping your Holiday planning is off to a great start! I was thinking about all my friends planning gifts for everyone on your list and decided I would help by sharing some of my favorite handmade items from the Handmade Dayton Etsy Team. All are available right now on-line at Etsy.com.

Please visit these shops to browse and buy handmade gifts for yourself or for others - you'll be glad you did! You may even get addicted to these fabulous items like I am!

For a fashion-forward lady in your life, you can't go wrong with a Handbag made of repurposed men's neckties, or Earrings made of guitar-picks named after famous Vintage Rock and Pop Songs. If you haven’t tried Hand-knit Fingerless Gloves, you really must!

My friend, Tracy, does custom-made dresses inspired by decades gone-by. Very classic and special. Check out this beauty. What fashion-forward lady wouldn’t just LOVE to have the promise of a custom-made dress under the tree this Holiday season?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82508544/messenger-bag-repurposed-neckties

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69096396/guitar-pick-earrings-hey-jude

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82521147/hand-knit-fingerless-gloves-wristwarmers

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87005667/haute-couture-custom-made-dress-french

For the art-lover, please browse these works of art! Perfect for a kitchen, this oil painting of a pear is one of my favorites. And the photograph of A Foggy Drive represents the calm and peace of a first fallen snow. Have you ever heard of sand-painting? I never had until I met the artist of this beautiful nativity scene. It’s such a beautiful technique!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75635952/the-pear

http://www.etsy.com/listing/20699344/foggy-drive-8x10-print

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60769998/o-little-town-of-bethlehem-sand-painting

Need a Hostess Gift? Try one of these… Handy Jan’s Tea Towels are a blast! I love this one of a retro cocktail party. Also, check out the beautiful handmade cards at Cathartic Slant’s shop. And the handmade paper roses pictured below are absolutely gorgeous for many uses and would make any hostess happy!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70873102/cocktail-party-tea-towel

http://www.etsy.com/listing/38478159/seasons-card-set

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68772308/u-pick-bulk-order-20-assorted-large

For the kid in your life, please allow me to suggest some one-of-a-kind handmade critters that also make pretty comfy pillows! Ella’s favorite is one of SnowMachine’s robots. And this adorable owl is made of recycled materials!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68842419/robot-plushie-medium

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79568112/handmade-owl-pillow-in-pink-and-yellow

Happy Handmade Holiday!

4 Starters Coffee Cafe Grand Opening Celebration

2011-10-11T21:11:00.014-04:00

Congratulations to 4 Starters Coffee Café -- your Saturday celebration of first anniversary and Grand Opening. I had a great time being part of all the fun! Just had to share some photos!!

The folks who own this warm and cozy neighborhood coffee shop adjacent to the Fairfield Commons Mall in Beavercreek, Ohio are so nice and friendly.

You just have to stop by there for their delicious food and beverages. Ask to see the large mugs for lots and lots of yummy coffee! And the breakfast Panini is my favorite from the kitchen – delicious!

The only bad thing about spending the day with them last Saturday was trying to stay away from the chocolate covered Oreo's :)

It was fun spending the day with my Handmade Dayton buddies!
This is my favorite sand painting... so cool!

Mada's Place, home of the famously cozy receiving blankets!

Steph's Jewels for Ella -- love the guitar pick earrings named after famous rock and pop songs!

Some of my new jewelry designs! The bracelet on the left sold on Etsy today!

The cutest little boy I made friends with! He loved the face painting :)

Shoot! Live Model Photos!

2011-07-23T18:52:00.014-04:00

While I know Etsy has recommended the use of live models for wearable art photos, I've never done it.... til now. And I'm excited to show you the results!

Our dear friends, Trix and Brian, have two beautiful high school age daughters and they happily agreed to try it. We had so much fun!

We met at 7:30am on a very hot July Saturday morning and chose 15 necklaces for each girl to model. How we chose the necklaces became a very fun rotation.

1.) They each chose one for themselves.
2.) I chose one for each of them.
3.) They each chose one for each other.

So we had a wonderful mix and they did such a great job. I thought they may be a bit self-consious and embarrassed to pose, but they are both natural models! Another thing that's so great about these sisters is that they are 15 months apart and are each others' best friend, too.

These photos are my favorites and it may be because they are wearing the special necklace they chose as payment for being my models!

And here's my favorite one of the sisters together :)

Thank you, Girls, for being supermodels for Steph's Jewels!

Summer Festivals

2011-06-19T13:33:00.010-04:00

Last weekend, at the Waynesville Second Saturday Street Faire and Car Show, I had the pleasure of displaying artwork with two lovely ladies - Gina and Smash.

Though sales were not the best, it's always a good day when you can meet and greet other Dayton area artists and enjoy fellowship!

I will be posting on Facebook at Julie Jamison Crusenberry when other festivals come up this summer and fall. Please come join us... you'll be glad you did!

2010-11-24T16:43:00.004-05:00

My cousin, Mary Ellen, holds a Holiday Open House and Sale at her house every year right before Thanksgiving. It's become a tradition over the past 10 years and her friends and associates visit to get a head-start on their holiday shopping!

I've been lucky enough to be part of this fun event for the past three years and her guests have grown to love my jewels. Man, I just love it when people love and appreciate my jewels!

This year was extra special because the day after our big event, Mary Ellen got out her stash of family jewelry. Her parents, my uncle and aunt, have recently passed away and to her delight, they kept many momentos that Mary Ellen didn't expect to find!

We played around with the items, thinking about all the ways we could incorporate these treasured items into new jewelry for Mary Ellen.

With my beloved Uncle Tom's Navy dog-tag and peacoat button and other special things, we made what Mary Ellen now calls her "Daddy Necklace".

Wow.

My Vintage Button Obsession

2010-11-12T11:49:00.005-05:00

So.... my vintage button obsession continues...

Some would call it an addiction. Some would call it a peculiarity. I just call it a recent obsession.

I'm obsessed with finding buttons.

Special vendors at the Springfield Antique Show, the Indianapolis Fairgrounds Flea Market, and an antique mall in Waynesville have had beauties. My friend, Heather, took me to the shop in Lebanon that used to be where Maddie Lisee lived and he had some beauties, too. My friend, Jana, found a huge lot of vintage buttons at a recent garage sale and she let me hand-pick some of my favorites from her batch (in exchange for jewelry, of course... I love our Handmade Dayton Etsy Team trades... another blog entry for another time.) Some of the buttons in her garage sale find are ones that I've never seen before!

I'm obsessed with sorting and displaying my buttons.

I sort by gender first. There are female and male buttons.... Yes, there are... Think about it... Then I sort by color and size. I'm using an old typesetters box to display them on a coffee table. Wow! Some may not think this is exciting, but it definitely quivers my liver!

I'm obsessed with, of course, making jewelry using buttons.

Bracelets are my favorite. But the little button earrings have been a hit with my customers.

Give me a buzz if you'd like to check out the whole collection sometime. Maybe you'll find a special holiday gift for you or for someone else.

Button Rings!

2010-09-20T21:23:00.005-04:00

I love wire-wrapping buttons to make rings! Most of the ones I do are vintage buttons, but while I was in California recently, visiting my daughter, Steph, and her family, we also made four button rings using new buttons in a pretty design.

Gave one to my friend, Lori, one to her daughter, Erica, and Steph and I each have one, too. I think that makes us a girlfriend club!

Also made a couple for my dear two year old grand-daughter, Ella. She is tickled pink and loves her new rings :)

Enjoy some photos and if you have a special button you'd like me to make into a ring, give me a holler.

Hugs and love,
Julie

Jewelry Birthday Party

2010-07-31T16:53:00.005-04:00

Thank you, Kennedy, for including Aunt Julie in your 13th birthday celebration!

The girls had fun, I had fun, and they took home some handmade pendant necklaces :) I was amazed by their unique creativity!

Skeleton Key Necklaces

2010-07-18T10:42:00.009-04:00

Skeleton keys... so intriguing.

I once bought some on ebay from a small town jail in Ohio who boasted that John Dillinger was once in their jail. They were filthy dirty when I bought them, but thanks to some good old soap and water... and a little rust remover on some of them... they are good as new and make great pendants on these necklaces.

Ok, so some high-profile jewelry companies have used keys as pendants, but theirs are not "original" vintage skeleton keys... and possibly even used by a sheriff to jail John Dillinger??? How's THAT for history?!

I think that's what I love about vintage items... it's the history of all of it. Who once used this key and how old is it and what was it used for? For me... that's what makes skeleton keys so intriguing.

2010-07-05T19:17:00.002-04:00

Handmade Dayton
for lovers of vintage and handmade goods

HANDMADE DAYTON ETSY TEAM
At the Springfield Antique Show & Flea Market Extravaganza

4401 South Charleston Pike, Springfield, OH 45502, 937.325.0053

Friday, July 9, 10-5pm – Saturday, July 10, 10-5pm – Sunday, July 11, 11-4pm

Julie – www.StephsJewels4.etsy.com
Altered Vintage Jewelry

Heidi - www.jaimenicole.etsy.com
Altered Vintage Lingerie & Accessories

Jana - www.handyjan.etsy.com
Addicting Tea Towels & Vintage Curiosities

Tracy - www.tracysews.etsy.com
Accomplished Seamstress

Wendy - www.catharticslant.etsy.com
Stationery Products and Fine Art

Patty - www.patriciascollection.etsy.com
Classic to Neo-Victorian Hand-Crafted Jewelry

Chris - www.christinemannix.etsy.com
Photography, Painting, Sculpture, & Quilty Things

Sherri - www.theeccentriclady.etsy.com
Photography and Visually-Inspiring Art

Organize Your Craft Supplies

2010-06-26T15:16:00.005-04:00

Today's Facebook post by Everything Etsy http://everythingetsy.com/ was about Organizing Your Craft Supplies - Thank you Everything Etsy for your inspirational post! I was delighted to read about their suggestions because I just bought a great organizing cabinet from my friend and craftmaster, Zach.

Zach recently opened a space in Springboro, Ohio in the building that used to be the IGA at the corner of 73 and 741. It's like a fabulous neighborhood garage sale all under one roof. And Zach also features his uncanny talent for turning vintage items into furniture and home accessories! He even goes to old houses scheduled for demolition and gets the hardwood floors and makes tables from the wood. Would you ever think that a beautiful old window or door could be a funtional and unique cabinet door? Wow... you have to see his stuff to believe it...

Stop in to see Zach every week-end - Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 11-4. Let him know Julie sent you; maybe he'll offer me a discount for the referral :)

My latest purchase from him was this featured organizing unit he made from an old strawberry crate and cheese boxes. And the drawer knobs were spools for thread - fantastic idea!

I can already see my vintage buttons, crystals, keys and beads taking up new residence in these drawers and in vintage glass jars on the shelves.

When I've finished my organizing, would you like to see the finished product?

For My Fellow Etsy Artists

2010-04-04T12:17:00.000-04:00

I did it! I did the Etsy Virtual Lab on Thursday night for the very first time and it was a lot of fun! Here's my de-brief - some editorial, some not.

Here's the link to the Lab I attended http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109669322390415&ref=mf which was an educational panel in their Speaker Series.

Panel guests were:

Kari Chapin, author of The Handmade Marketplace, http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781603424776?aff=etsy and she brought four of the book's crafty contributors with her.

I, of course, ran out to Books & Co. to buy the book immediately, which I'm really enjoying!

Take-aways:

130 people were there in person
About 100 were there in the virtual meeting room - people from ALL over the WORLD, which was really cool.
I "chatted" with someone from Africa and Australia.
Also made new etsy friends from other states, plus one from Akron, Ohio. It was cool how people were searching for people from their own state.
The chat room was I think my favorite part of the experience. Got some great tips, new people hearted me and I hearted new shops, too. Also, I am now following a new blog - a jewelry artist with beautiful work that I found inspiring. http://gwendelicious.wordpress.com/
My main take-away from the panel discussion was about your Creative Collective, which Kari talks about in her book. Your Creative Collective can help you get through "creative blocks" which we all have, and also provide counsel and fellowship. Just kind of gave me a nod to all my creative friends that I depend on so much.
Another discussion that was a very hot and heavy one was "under-pricing". Etsy artists feel very strongly that when you under-price your hand-made items, you are cheapening our craft and all of our businesses' integrity. Please keep that in mind when you are pricing your items.
Throughout the hour that I was on-line with them, they posted three polls and then they posted the results, which was interesting. I didn't take very good notes on this, though, because my brain was swimming already with the chat room and the panel discussion. I do remember two of the questions they asked - 1. Do you have a Creative Collective? 2. Do you sell what you make?

Cons:

Issues with technology - sound especially - made it hard to follow and was distracting. Plus the annoying guests who very rudely complained about the issues were even more distracting :)
While I may have not received much help from the panel, it was still an exciting experience.

I recommend checking out the Etsy information page for Virtual Labs before attending one. It shows a sample of when a visitor from People StyleWatch magazine was broadcast - way cool! http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/etsy-launches-the-virtual-labs-622/ It also shows samples of what the virtual room looks like and instructions for how you use all the buttons. :)

And that's my debrief!

Vintage Button Necklaces

2010-04-03T13:29:00.000-04:00

Like most artists, I find inspiration in everyday activities. My most recent inspiration came in the form of a magazine photo while catching up on Hollywood gossip in the waiting room of a doctor's office.

Kim Kardashian was sporting a fabulous vintage necklace made out of chain, chain and more chain. I liked it and gave it a moment's thought, but inpiration didn't hit until I was asleep that night... Do others realize inspiration while dreaming???

I woke up with my vision and went right to work. My lovely collection of vintage buttons are now adorning chain necklaces, one of which is modeled here by my lovely daughter, Stephanie.

While I haven't yet posted them on etsy.com, I've made seven of these beauties and I'm sure they will find their way to etsy soon.

Chandelier Crystals Re-Imagined (photo)

2009-09-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

Photograph from the Waynesville Antique Show Sunday, September 6, 2009

Chandelier Crystals Re-Imagined

2009-09-07T16:19:00.001-04:00

While I've been using vintage chandelier crystals as components in my altered vintage jewelry before, I've never used them as pendants on a necklace. Heather has decoupaged (is that the correct spelling?) images to the back of them for the past year to make ornaments and pendants for necklaces. I just wanted to do something different with them... something creative and new and fresh!

My latest obsession is to hang them under different ribbons that I've made into bows. On the cover of a recent fashion magazine, Taylor Swift was wearing a necklace that looked like it had a ribbon attached and I wasn't surprised that it caught my eye since the designer was Lanvin, one of my all time favorites. Not that I've ever actually WORN any of their clothing, but I've always admired the designs!

I tested a few ribbons sitting on top of my gorgeous teardrop chandelier crystals, perfected the technique, and my newest series was born is now being tested on the market!

Gotta love it when an obsession with a vision becomes a reality...

Creativity is a Way of Life

2009-09-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

Creativity is now a way of life for me...

As a former member of the business-suit wearing, super-mom, working in an office for a living sector of our population, I left my day-job two years ago. A little freaked out by my lay-off caused by budget limitations, I realized how totally burnt-out I was and that I would most assuredly run away screaming if I ever had to put on a business suit again! I applied for unemployment and started looking for jobs in my field of charitable fund-raising.

Organizations in my field are still doing lay-offs and early retirements and therefore, jobs are scarce. I had been making jewelry for a few years as a favorite pastime, friends and family had bought some and I had often toyed with the idea... "Wouldn't it be fun to work for myself, make and sell jewelry?" I decided to give it a try while I searched for a new job.

I applied for and did a few art shows, held open-houses in my home, did a few custom orders for friends or friends of friends, had a VistaPrint magnet made for my car and I was lucky if I broke even. I knew it was a long road ahead if I was going to make my past salary at my new business! :)

A dear friend of mine for several years, Heather, had an adorable little shop in Lebanon, Ohio called Maddie Lisee. She needed some help with her shop, so I covered for her a couple of days a week. The more time we spent together, the more time we brainstormed about jewelry and creative ways of making money. We used to call the talks our "swimming sessions" because we would brainstorm until our heads were swimming! During one of these talks, we decided it would be fun to make jewelry out of vintage, antique and found items. I made a charm bracelet out of vintage buttons and Heather made a necklace out of a chandelier crystal and we were on our way!

Creativity is now a way of life for me...

New to Blogging

2009-07-08T12:52:00.000-04:00

I'm new to blogging... always sounded like a winter sport or a really hard blow of the nose.... but I'm intrigued so here I am... blogging...