My New Color Schemes AND........

I found something new which really surprised me: DEMI Toho Beads! Half size seed beads! Wow oh wow!

They are a little sliver of bead that is a PERFECT spacer for your strands! They come in metallics, colors, shiney and matte!  Whoo!!!!!!!!!!

For when you just need a little something in your design and can't figure out what it is.....sizes, 6/0, 8/0 and 11/0...perfection!

Do an online search and find the best prices!

This is what I used them for in this bracelet that will be 3 strands when finished. This color demi bead in size 8/0 is called galvanized rose gold. 

I Love It!

Golden Sunshine Spirit Beads Lariat

I am still loving designing jewelry again! It was my first love. And of course, it branched off into learning SO many things: lampworking, metal etching, wire working, precious metal clay, ceramic components, poly clay, and everything that goes with them!

But now I am going back to basics: gemstones with their wonderful benefits, color energies, talismans.... my newest - Spirit Beads

:: Golden Sunshine :: in my Etsy store

The Beads : Brazilian Citrine, Ancient Baltic Amber rounds and nuggets, Golden Green Freshwater Pearls, Copper Ethiopian Prayer Bead, Crystal Clear Green Garnet, Peridot ovals and disks, Copper PMC Disk, Hessonite Carnelian rondelles and rectangles, Mexican Yellow Crazy Lace Agate tubes, Ethiopian Brass Wollo Ring, Gobi Chalcedony crystal from the Chinese Desert, Vintage Bronze Glass Seed Beads, More.

Dimensions

Necklace length: 48 Inches; Pendant height: 2.5 Inches

::: Joy ::: Wonder ::: Confidence ::: Spirit Beads :::

Here is a Spirit Bead necklace that is made from soft colored golds, greens, browns, copper and cinnamon gemstones and seed beads. This piece absolutely glows!
The colors in this set are rich golds, yellows, ambers and greens are healing in themselves, but I have also begun infusing my pieces with energy as I work. I infuse each piece I make with spiritual light and blessings with my focus, intent and affirmations as I work. It will make a beautiful gift for yourself or a loved one!

Spirit Beads:
I began making Spirit Beads as I am seeking more spirituality in my life as well as seeing the need in the world around me, and they have become my favorite thing to do as I am rejuvenated as I meditate on the creation of each piece.
These long hand-held strands are created for prayer, meditation, ceremony, and present-moment mindfulness.
As you wear and handle them you will feel the energy from your beads gently surrounding your body, spirit and home.
They will give you something physical to touch and hold as a reminder of the presence of Spirit in daily life...everywhere, and in everything.
And this strand of beautiful gemstone beads will look lovely any place where you will view them as a reminder of Spirit. They invite you to pick them up, wear them and when not using them, they help bless and energize your work-space and home.
This open-ended "shawl" style necklace is comfortable and easy to wear.

The Amulets :

1 inch citrine pendant: It cleanses the chakras and opens the intuition. Citrine attracts wealth, prosperity and success. It imparts joy, wonder, delight and enthusiasm. Raises self-esteem and self-confidence.

3/4 inch baltic amber pendant: Healing with Amber It absorbs pain and negative energy, helping to alleviate stress. Amber clears depression, stimulates the intellect and promotes self-confidence and creative self-expression.
Amber will warm against your body and the succinic acid will be absorbed through your skin helping with pain relief. Used for centuries, Baltic Amber has been used for a variety of ailments from teething pain to arthritis.

5/8 inch freshwater coin pearl: Pearl signifies faith, charity and innocence. It enhances personal integrity and helps to provide a focus to ones attention.

The Beads : Brazilian Citrine, Ancient Baltic Amber rounds and nuggets, Golden Green Freshwater Pearls, Copper Ethiopian Prayer Bead, Crystal Clear Green Garnet, Peridot ovals and disks, Copper PMC Disk, Hessonite Carnelian rondelles and rectangles, Mexican Yellow Crazy Lace Agate tubes, Ethiopian Brass Wollo Ring, Gobi Chalcedony crystal from the Chinese Desert, Vintage Bronze Glass Seed Beads, More.

To all of these fabulous gemstones I added tiny pale green seed beads with gold and bronze size 8 and 6 seed beads joining them together with gold wire in a beautiful golden strand of bright healing energy.

THE COLOR:
Colors are literally made up of different vibrations and wavelengths, and we are drawn to them based upon those frequencies. We can use these color energies to our benefit in lots of ways.

The Color Gold: The color gold is cousin to the color yellow and the color brown, and is also associated with illumination, love, compassion, courage, passion, magic, and wisdom.

The Color Green: Green is the color of balance, ... From a meaning of colors perspective, green is also the color of growth, the color of spring, of renewal and rebirth. It renews and restores depleted energy. It is the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a sense of well being.

Photography!

When you create etched copper components, lampwork beads, clay beads and jewelry you either go to shows to sell your wares or you open an online shop. If you don't your house gets really full of your handcrafted necklaces, bracelets and earrings!

 I don't like to travel too far from my own bed so I have an online store on Etsy: MiyaBeads. It's easy, convenient and I like it. It is hard to sell jewelry online, though, because people want to see it up close and personal. And folks want components to make their own. But I SO enjoy designing jewelry that I will continue.

That's where photography comes in. To sell jewelry you have to have excellent photos that create a mood for your shop. It has been a constant learning experience for me. I am always trying to improve my photos. I always listen to friends when they talk about their cameras and I like the camera I use now. It has macro capability and I get clear photos. I edit with a free program -Irfanview, because it's easy peasy, works really well - and is FREE!

For me the problem is the background. I have a photo booth that was gifted to me by a friend. I love the light in it. It is a white box and I want a natural background so I made wood squares to fit inside on the bottom and the back.

I have decided the color of stain is a bit too cool and I want to take the wood back out and stain it again with some warmer tones. So, I hope that works. I have decided the petrified wood rock has got to go. It is natural but I think it's the wrong color. Next!

I found a fabulous cast iron hand that looks vintage. It was white but that's no problem. I spray painted it with brown metallic paint. Then I over-sprayed it with matte black paint. I didn't cover the brown completely because I want a bit of an antique look- not one solid color.

I'm happy with that. I think it has a good look to put necklaces and bracelets on to photograph. I'm also thinking of getting a 2 inch thickness of a small tree trunk that has  darkened with age to photograph copper on. Another thought is to use a piece of bark. I'll have to play with that idea before launching it.

One thing I believe above all else that I have learned from viewing other jewelry photography - you need a consistent look for all your photographs. So, ever onward to get that consistent look I want for my Etsy store! Any ideas?