~ Sneak Attack on 3 Shops ~

Yay! Sneakers Unite! Let's attack!!! Today, there will be 3 shops and the attack will commense at 7pm Etsy time. For more information, check out the Handmade Movement site. Check out the preparty at the forum thread!

Here are the shops and sales so far:
LilyPadCraftStudio.etsy.com (13 sales tonight)
This shop has a big variety of items! Some upcycled coolness like this gift card mini notebook. Love it.


These are so pretty. I wish I scrapbook :)


joyfulbead.etsy.com (9 sales tonight)
This shop has cute little polymer clay stud earrings. I love the sushi ones:


They have a Feng Shui line. Very colorful and meaningful. And they come in matching felt pouches. Kawaii!


elitespasaltz.etsy.com (4 sales tonight)
Another bath and body shop. This one has one sexy sounding scrub with a sexy picture to match.


This looks sexy too!


I think this has been an overall successful attack! Great job to all the fellow sneakers and to Glenna of VintageEmbellishment for helping out with shop selection today. *Applause*

~ Fun with Firebug ~

Oh my god!!! I am the Featured Seller!!! I can't believe it!!!! I just want to thank everyone for their support and love.


I mean it's about time I make it as a featured seller after 80000+ sales in 6 months for jewelry!


Because I am a featured seller, they also let me test out their new discount feature! Look at that! Isn't it awesome?!?!?!


Ok.....I am just kidding. I should've waited for April Fool's day, but I had to make an invoice so I thought I would just do it in Firebug. While I am at it, why not make myself a featured seller too right? And have 80,000+sales. A girl can dream! I should print those out for motivation.

So, Firebug is a web site debugging tool that I use regularly at work to test and fix web applications. Basically, you can change anything on the web page on the fly. The changes only appear in your Firefox and no one else can see it. So, don't be getting any weird phishing ideas now.

I am sure an average graphics artist can do this using Photoshop or something, but this is so much easier! You just need to know some very basic HTML. And yes, I am a nerd! :)

~ My Treasury: Star-Crossed Lovers ~

Last week, I was too busy with the yart sale to do a spotlight. I hope this one makes up for it! :)

I have this song stuck in my head.....Love Story by Taylor Swift

We were both young when I first saw you.
I close my eyes and the flashback starts:
I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
See you make your way through the crowd
and say hello;

Little did I know
That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,
And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."
And I was crying on the staircase,
begging you, 'Please, don't go.'"

And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.
So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,
And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet,"
But you were everything to me; I was begging you, 'Please, don't go,'"

And I said,
"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

Romeo save me - they're tryin' to tell me how to feel;
This love is difficult, but it's real.
Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.
It's a love story - baby just say "Yes.'"

Oh, oh.

I got tired of waiting,
Wondering if you were ever comin' around.
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town,

And I said,
"Romeo save me - I've been feeling so alone.
I keep waiting for you but you never come.
Is this in thy head? I don't know what to think-"

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,
"Marry me, Juliet - you'll never have to be alone.
I love you and that's all I really know.
I talked to your dad - go pick out a white dress;
It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'"

Oh, oh. Oh, oh.

'Cause we were both young when I first saw you...

~ Yellow Star Silicone Egg Ring ~

Ok, every once in a while, I get ... obessive. I have always been obsessed with yellow and stars though. So, when I see something shaped like a star and it's yellow, I just want it! Look what I found...

It's a silicone ring for making star shaped eggs and pancakes!!! I love it. I saw it when I was watching a TVB series (Hong Kong TV show). The one I saw was blue, but now that I saw this one, I want it.

But....I am sad. It seems like they only have this yellow one in UK. It's made by Trudeau and they have the blue version for the US I guess. On their website they have these pictures:

Why do they tease me with the yellow one in the package???

Turns out that there are a lot of different shapes in silicone and stainless steel! Here are some that I like....

Hello kitty??? They also have Winnie the Pooh.

Teddy bears...cute!

This one just looks so....futuristic.

Piggie! I saw a rooster one but I can't find it anymore.

I am debating if I should get the yellow star one or not. It is $8 shipped from the UK. I can get a set of 3 for $13. Dilemma, dilemma!

~ Weekly Special: Stardust Bracelet in Rose Elegance ~

To help promote my weekly specials and to show more of the "behind the scene" stuff, I decided to write a little bit on my choice for the weekly special every Monday.

This week, I chose the luxurious Stardust Bracelet in Rose Elegance. I love all of the stardust bracelets. That's what I started with when I started making jewelry again last year. They are unbelievably sparkly. Whenever I wear my very own yellow one, I just stare at it whenever I can, like in the elevator or in the car, waiting at a red light, or when I am talking on the phone.

Rose Elegance is inspired by feminine sophistication. The different shades of pinks are very girly, but add some topaz and browns into it and everything just looks a little more grown up. I added a small fucshia butterfly on the extender to round out the bracelet with that girly innocence. I also love how the dark smoked topaz contrast with the soft and bright pinks. Also, note that this bracelet is made with sterling silver heart chain.

Another thing I like about stardust bracelets is the jingle they make when you move around. Soft and light, it's like the crystals are talking to you. Ok, maybe not. But I like how beads move and sparkle some more!

It takes about 2 - 2.5 hours to make a stardust bracelet. I wirewrap about 60 crystals to the chain, making sure they hang right. It also takes time just to grab all those beads from my bead boxes. I love putting on that last bead in the extender, love the sense of accomplishment and all the beautiful crystals twinkling at me.

So, for this week only, this beautiful bracelet is only $68 shipped. That's $10 off regular price. There's only one available in this price so get it before it's gone!

~ My Very Own Chain Stand ~

A while ago, I browsing through stores and came across a Chain Sta. It looks like this:


Wow! I want one! It would help me so much when I make necklaces and bracelets, even long dangly earrings! For example, when I make Stardust and Moondust bracelets, I have to make sure that they are hanging from the same side of the chain.


Same with the Sakura Mist earrings.


I read the reviews for the Chain Sta and people said that it tips over a lot. That's not good. So, I talked to my dad and after some discussion, we came up with a design.


Please excuse the messy table. We made it so that it can be clip to the table. It will never tip over. The two poles look like huge screws. I forgot what they are called, but we got them at home depot for $3. We screwed on the washer and the thing that looks like wings (ok, can you tell I don't know what those things are? Good thing my dad knows. >.< ). So, the height is totally adustable. Here's a close up of the pole and hook. The hook is a nail. It is a little thick for small chains. So, I put smaller hook on it. It was a scrap piece of sterling silver from when I messed up some wirewrapping.

The base is totally my dad's idea. I guess I can put beads in the groove. And it's heavy enough to be used without the clip. I just like the clip because I know I will just knock it over.


Using this thing, it's much easier for me to quickly place beads in to see what they look like and easier to attach the beads on the right side of the chain. I love it. I love my dad for turning ideas into reality!

The chain sta is $20. I spent $3 on the poles and washers. My dad just happened to have the clips, the scrap wood, scrap metal pieces and nails hanging around. So, the grand total for this awesome chain stand? $3!!

See what you have lying around in your house. Maybe you can come up with your own version. Feel free to contact me if you need help making one!

~ Journey of My Mind + Preview ~

I was busy making stuff all last weekend! I felt very inspired! Some days I sit there and just can't make anything I like. Some days, I just can't stop making stuff, don't even want to sleep. Last weekend was a few of those good days.

If you look at the things I made in order, I think you may see a pattern. I have a little notebook full of design ideas, but sometimes when I pick up the beads, something different emerge all together. Let me show you my creativity journey.

I started with playing with some clear Swarovski rhinestone rondelles, thinking about bridal stuff. Came up with a necklace that I liked a lot.


It reminds me of a crown for some reason. Of course, I have to make matching earrings for the bride. Just something simple to compliment the necklace. I love using leverbacks for bridal stuff. Adds so much elegance and they are not likely to fall off during the crazy dancing.


Now, of course I have to make a colorful version! So, I made a blue one and a green one. I added pink rondelles for a little contrast. I really love how they turned out!


Then, I started playing with matching earrings and decided to go with something simple again. But, I wanted to bring out the pinks instead of the greens and blues. One pair of earrings to match both necklaces!


I really like those pinks together so I put a bunch of the rondelles on a delicate chain and voila. Another necklace to match the earrings.


I was playing with new beads I got from BellasBeadsAndMore for the extender for that necklace. I love those lucite flowers! Naturally, I had to make earrings with them.



Ok all that pink, now it's time for my favorite color yellow!


So cute. I...got greedy and made a yellow necklace for myself. Love that yellow jade! I would put it in my shop, but I am out of that yellow lucite flower.


To round off the weekend, I made stuff to match creations from the week before. Cute, dangly earrings for the Girlie Girl bracelet.


And a starfish necklace for the Stranded earrings.



My goal for the weekend was just the starfish necklace and the girlie girl earrings. Somehow it ended up being a royal floral creation extravaganza. My craft room looks like a bead bomb exploded in it. I guess I should take some time this weekend to clean...or maybe another extravaganza?