La Dee Da Jewelry

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. It went by in a whirlwind, most of the time I didn't know it I was coming or going. I want to thank everyone for making this holiday season my most successful yet! It was a very exciting time but I am glad things have slowed down so I can focus on creating some brand new items. Here is a sneak preview :)

Sterling Silver Earrings

2007-11-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

I have a new obsession. Hammering! I have been busily trying some new designs with sterling silver wire and my hammer. My boyfriend is about ready to go mad. Just like anything new I learn how to do, I want to do it 24/7!

2007-10-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Caring For Your Handmade Jewelry

2007-10-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about how to care for you handmade jewelry.
With a few simple steps you can keep your handmade jewelry looking as great as it did the day you purchased it.

Daily Care
To keep your handcrafted jewelry clean and in good condition, gently wipe off residues and oils with a soft, 100% cotton lint-free cloth after each wearing. Apply perfumes, make-up, hairspray or other products prior to putting on jewelry to prevent damage to softer stones and build-up on your jewelry. Once a month, clean your jewelry using a soft bristled toothbrush and a drop of liquid dish soap or hand soap (never use toothpaste or other abrasive cleaner as they may scratch metals). Use care around delicate wire work to avoid getting fibers tangled. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY GEL, LIQUID OR PASTE JEWELRY CLEANERS. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly prior to re-storing. I also do not recommend wearing your jewelry while swimming, showering or playing sports. Excessive sweat, lotion or perfume can adversely affect some dyes and finishes that are used.

Tarnish Prevention and Storage
TipsTo help prevent sterling silver from tarnishing, store your jewelry in a plastic zip-lock bag. Simply placing your jewelry back in the bags and sealing them when not in use will help retard the tarnishing process. Store each piece individually to prevent soft stones and metals from being scratched by harder stones. I recommend a silver polishing cloth that is pre-treated with a polishing agent.
See Tarnish Removal

Cleaning Instructions
When your jewelry begins to tarnish or become heavily soiled you may soak your jewelry in warm water with a mild liquid soap for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and allow your jewelry to dry completely on a lint-free cloth before re-storing it in your bags.Be very careful when using any soaking method to clean jewelry that has soft stones (amber, azurite, calcite, chrysocolla, fluorite, lapis lazuli, malachite, pearls, rhodochrosite, sodalite and turquoise are all soft stones which should be cleaned with care). Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on the stone. With these soft stones it is preferable to simply wipe the stones down with a little soapy water rather than soaking them. Because they are very porous they absorb liquid and can become discolored by any chemicals - even soap. Pearls are especially sensitive to acidity and humidity. It is recommended that you wrap pearl pieces in jeweler’s tissue and store directly in a soft bag as moisture can build up in a plastic bag and damage the pearls.

Tarnish Removal
To remove excessive tarnish from sterling, we recommend a jeweler’s cloth such as the Sunshine Polishing Cloth, an aggressive metal cleaner may do the job too well, removing the dyes and changing the overall appearance of the piece.In general, the use of a home ultrasonic cleaner is not recommended. Most of the stones used in our jewelry designs can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners.With a little care and the cleaning methods described above, your handmade jewelry will maintain it’s original beauty throughout the years.

2007-10-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

I just added this sweet bangle to my store. Handformed sterling silver, hammered for a textured, brushed look. I driving my boyfriend crazy with all my hammering!

2007-10-08T11:06:00.001-07:00

Memories of the Sea Necklace

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians. I hope everyone is enjoying the extended weekend. I have dedicated this day to tidying up loose ends and making improvements to my shop. Here is sneak preview of some items I have been working on.

2007-10-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

OK, so here I am trying to be true to my word. I promised to put more entries into my blog and this time I am determined to do it. Today I finally got a couple sales, I just started to get upset when this turn of events happened. It only takes a few days without any sales for me to start doubting what the hell am I doing. Maybe a long term goal for me should be to work on my confidence. Although I think everyone second guesses themselves now and then. Here is a pair earrings I made today "Golden Glamour"

My First Craft Show!

2007-10-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a ton of promoting on Craigslist and someone contacted me from there to be a vendor at there art exhibit. I was so excited and nervous. What was I suppose to do, how much product should I have?? I frantically made as many items that I could and at the same time prayed that I would actually sell something. I was happy that I had invested in a couple displays ( I had been using them to take pictures for my shop). On the day I packed all my stuff up in a duffle bag and drove to the outdoor cafe that the event was being held at. I drove by the place about 87 times wondering if I could really do this. I was so worried what if nobody liked my stuff, what if I didn't get a sale! I got the nerve up and dragged all my stuff to the cafe. I was told to set up at a table that was provided. Well after I did that I was lost, now what? Just sit here? Well that was what I did sat there, foever and ever and ever!! Nothing happended! No people came, no sales, nothing. I was just getting upset and ready to pack up ( it was getting dark, how can you sell jewelry in the dark ) and the organizers brought out some lights. Well I don't know what happended but people started to come and then finally a sale, and then another, and another. By the end I sold quite a few items and felt pretty good. So I learnt a big lesson that you should never give up and stay until the end. You never know what will happen in the 1/2 hour, or 20 mins or last minute.

New Rings

2007-08-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

I have be busy listing on Etsy for the past few days. I have tons of new items in my store. Today I listed a Toffee Shimmer Ring. It features a beautiful golden brown foil bead. I loved it so much that I made one for myself. I wore it this weekend to a BBQ and everyone was making comments on it. One girl there wanted to buy it off my hand. It is definitely a piece that will get noticed, and it has that chunkiness that is in style this fall. All of my rings are made to order in your size. If you don't know you size don't worry, I have a great link that can help. All rings are availble in gold filled wire or sterling silver. Doesn't matter to you? Gold and silver anit- tarnish wire is also avalible at a lower price.

65 Places to Market your Handmade Jewelry

2007-08-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

health spas
hair salons
shoe stores
clothing boutiques
consignment shops
exercise clubs
home parties
hospital gift shops
gift shops
religious book stores
religious gift shops
tea shops
coffee shops
bridal salons tailors
art galleries
craft galleries
church bazaars
business offices
university and college bookstores
kiosk in a mall
trunk shows jewelry
repair shops
antique malls
crafter malls
hotel gift shops
home showroom
craft shows
jewelry shows
door to door
sell at your job
stationary stores
gardening stores (garden themed jewelry)
veterinarian offices (dog and cat related jewelry)
baby shops (jewelry for babies)
card shops
department stores
cookware stores (jewelry with a food theme)
florists (jewelry with a floral theme)
gourmet food stores (jewelry with a food theme)
toy stores (children's jewelry)
sports shops (jewelry with a sports theme)
pet store (jewelry with a pet theme)
museum shops
health food stores and coops (metaphysical jewelry)
assisted living centers
ballet studios
farmer's market
flea market
gymnastic studios (children's jewelry)
costume stores
country clubs
dog grooming facilities (dog themed jewelry)
tack shops (horse themed jewelry) stained
glass studios golf shops (golf themed jewelry)
resort gift stores kennels (dog themed jewelry)
leather shops massage centers music stores (jewelry with a musical theme)
nail salons
zoo stores (animal themed jewelry)
psychic studios (new age jewelry)
tennis shops (tennis themed jewelry)
local offices
online (craigslist, stlyehive, cracker, lov. il, DaWanda, Mindt)

Never Enough Time!

2007-07-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so my sad little blog always get forgotten about. I realized I have so many things to do and never enough time. Trying to balance my jewelry business, friends, family, relationships and my day job is making me a little crazy ( I'm sure I am forgetting something). Yet (here is the real crazy part) it becomes somewhat addictive. So now what do I do??? Well I can at least share a couple of newest desgins!

Caring for you Handmade Jewelry

2007-07-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about how to care for you handmade jewelry. With a few simple steps you can keep your handmade jewelry looking as great as it did the day you purchased it.

Daily Care

To keep your handcrafted jewelry clean and in good condition, gently wipe off residues and oils with a soft, 100% cotton lint-free cloth after each wearing. Apply perfumes, make-up, hairspray or other products prior to putting on jewelry to prevent damage to softer stones and build-up on your jewelry. Once a month, clean your jewelry using a soft bristled toothbrush and a drop of liquid dish soap or hand soap (never use toothpaste or other abrasive cleaner as they may scratch metals). Use care around delicate wire work to avoid getting fibers tangled. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY GEL, LIQUID OR PASTE JEWELRY CLEANERS. Be sure to rinse and dry thoroughly prior to re-storing. I also do not recommend wearing your jewelry while swimming, showering or playing sports. Excessive sweat, lotion or perfume can adversely affect some dyes and finishes that are used.

Tarnish Prevention and Storage Tips

To help prevent sterling silver from tarnishing, store your jewelry in a plastic zip-lock bag. Simply placing your jewelry back in the bags and sealing them when not in use will help retard the tarnishing process. Store each piece individually to prevent soft stones and metals from being scratched by harder stones. I recommend a silver polishing cloth that is pre-treated with a polishing agent. See Tarnish Removal

Cleaning Instructions

When your jewelry begins to tarnish or become heavily soiled you may soak your jewelry in warm water with a mild liquid soap for 2-3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and allow your jewelry to dry completely on a lint-free cloth before re-storing it in your bags.
Be very careful when using any soaking method to clean jewelry that has soft stones (amber, azurite, calcite, chrysocolla, fluorite, lapis lazuli, malachite, pearls, rhodochrosite, sodalite and turquoise are all soft stones which should be cleaned with care). Extended soaking in any solution may harm the polish on the stone. With these soft stones it is preferable to simply wipe the stones down with a little soapy water rather than soaking them. Because they are very porous they absorb liquid and can become discolored by any chemicals - even soap. Pearls are especially sensitive to acidity and humidity. It is recommended that you wrap pearl pieces in jeweler’s tissue and store directly in a soft bag as moisture can build up in a plastic bag and damage the pearls.

Tarnish Removal

To remove excessive tarnish from sterling, we recommend a jeweler’s cloth such as the Sunshine Polishing Cloth, an aggressive metal cleaner may do the job too well, removing the dyes and changing the overall appearance of the piece.
In general, the use of a home ultrasonic cleaner is not recommended. Most of the stones used in our jewelry designs can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners.

With a little care and the cleaning methods described above, your handmade jewelry will maintain it’s original beauty throughout the years.

Welcome to My Blog!

2007-06-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to LaDeeDa. On this site I will be promoting my jewelry store and discussing many topics. Some of them will include:

1. How to care for jewelry
2. Jewelry trends
3. How to pick a piece of jewelry to suit your personality
4. The meaning of different stones
5. How to choose a piece of jewelry as a gift
6. New jewelry pieces I am offering
7. How to build a jewelry collection
8. How to keep silver from tarnishing
9. Beginner how-to

So don't forget to bookmark this page to get lots of good information concerning jewelry and to see my designs and special deals before anyone else!