Enter to Win!

As promised, it's Friday, and here is the contest! It's not hard to enter, and you can put your name in more than once.

You could win this!

Here are the specifics:

Entry 1) Leave a comment with your name and email

Entry 2) Become a blog follower and leave a comment that you are with name and email

Entry 3) Become a Facebook fan and leave a comment that you are with name and email

Entry 4) Leave a comment with the link for your favorite piece in my Etsy shop, name and email

Entry 5+) Post a link to this blog post on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter (one entry for each) and comment with the link for verification with your name and email.

 

This contest ends May 7th and winner will be announced the following Monday.

Good luck to all!

seeing green

I have been working on rearranging my shop, and every time I add a new piece, it takes me forever to decide where to put it. I kind of wish I hadn't learned that I could move things. :) Some shops are put together by item, some are random (like mine) and some are sorted by color. Lately, I have noticed I use green, a lot. I wouldn't say it's my favorite color, or that I even wear it very often, I guess it just seems to catch my eye. It's bright, cheery, and even a little fun. I decided today,to post all the things in my shop that are green.

Green stone used for wire wrapped pendant.

Green metal pendants with green glass beads used to make this lariat necklace.

Green apple rounds with dark wood rounds used in this double strand stretchable bracelet.

Green shell donut and green shell beads were used to make this asymmetrical necklace.

Green pearls and silver colored beads were used for this piece.

Green and brown glass beads on memory wire used for this bracelet.

a first time for everything

I joined an Etsy group for the first time, only a couple weeks ago. We are the Busy Moms of Etsy. I love it. Everyone is so nice and supportive. I woke up to a great surprise this morning. A fellow Busy Mom made an Etsy Treasury, and included one of my bracelets! This is the first time I have been featured in a treasury. This treasury is focused on new members of the Busy Moms Team, and you can see it here. You can also search "busymomsteam" and find all the wonderful things made by this team, or you can click on this. 

And, because I can't have a post without a picture, I made this and put it up on Etsy yesterday. Go here to see more of it.

it's coming

Starting this Friday, April 30, you can enter to win a FREE design by me! Yep, I am having a contest here, on this blog. There will be several ways to enter, and you can have more than one chance to win. Make sure you watch for the post on Friday that tells you how to enter, and it will give a full view of the prize. Can you guess what it is?

useful craft

I love these little cards. LOVE THEM! I use them for everything. I send them out with orders, and write "thank yous" in them, I use them for notes with a gift, and even just to say "hi!". I have purchased them from a few different shops on Etsy, and they are inexpensive, but I decided to do it myself. I have tons of scrapping paper and cardstock just sitting in the corner waiting to be put to use. So, while I was hanging out with the hubby, and the tube last night, I pulled out my supplies and whipped out 6 cards in no time at all. They are adorable. I had to share.

They are blank, inside and out, so I can use them for anything I choose.

And, love these bright spring colors.

Special Request

After my Granddad passed away a year and a half ago, my aunt received his old trinkets. In that collection were 4 elk teeth. About a month ago, she decided that she wanted them wrapped with wire and made into necklaces. This is how the first one turned out. I wrapped it with copper wire, and strung it on a piece of leather with wooden beads, and a copper toggle clasp. I do like that it's not super "girly", since it was something of my Granddad's. I think even he would have liked it.

Now I have to get to work and finish the other 3.

Have a great weekend.

Getting there.

I am still trying to get my loose ends tied up with the business part of this, so I can focus on my craft. I had to have a banner for my Etsy Shop, plus I wanted some pictures of me working. My friend, Jaymee, is an amazing photographer, and I knew I wanted her to do my photos. Lucky for me, we can hang out, wear our comfy clothes, and let our kids play together while we do what we need to do.  

There is more to come, but here is a peek at the outcome.

The boys (Ethan, 6 and Elliott, 18 mos) are always helping.

And the banner is amazing! Go to the shop and see it.

And definitely check out Jaymee's website.

Please don't forget to follow me, contests are coming soon!

The Beginning

Well, you asked for it, and here it is. The official, Amber Dawn Jewelry blog. I so appreciate you coming by, and I hope you will be back for more.

I thought I would start off by giving you a peek into the "studio", also known as my kitchen table. Being that we currently live in a very small house, this is where the magic happens.

Normally, well, sometimes, all of this mess is contained in a 3 drawer container that stands in the dining room/kitchen area, but when it comes out, WATCH OUT!

Currently, I keep my finished jewelry individually packed in small ziplock baggies, and all together in a plastic Wal-Mart sack. I really hope this changes soon, but I haven't had any genius idea come to me with a better way.

I recently received a box of goodies from my aunt. It's a mixture of old jewelry that doesn't get worn, and some things that are broken, but fixable, or reusable.

Nothing makes me feel better about myself than to create a piece of jewelry from something that was once loved and worn by someone. This is a new project for me, but I can't wait to get started. Watch for these things in upcoming pieces.

And lastly, my personal "porn". Haha. I could spend hours flipping through these magazines and catalogs. They have everything a jewelry maker could ever want. Every kind of bead, finding, and even the lastest styles. They always spark my creative brain cell (yep, I believe there is only one).

I think that's it for today. Now you should add me to your Blogger, your Reader, your Facebook and definitely "heart" me on Etsy.  :)