Jewelry Tuesday - Leah Ybarra

Please welcome my next Jewelry Designer - Leah Ybarra. I hope you agree that her designs are fabulous too!

What inspired you to start creating jewelry? I took a beading class when I was a teenager and I loved it so much that I started buying more beads and teaching myself new techniques for making jewelry. In the beginning, I just wanted to make jewelry for myself, so it was a fun hobby.

How long have you been making money selling your jewelry designs? I've been selling my jewelry for over five years, but it wasn't very profitable at first. :) You have to be able to buy in bulk to get good prices on raw materials, so the first couple years I spent way more money on supplies than I earned selling my work.

Is jewelry designing your only business? I also have a part time job.

Do you ever get in a slump in your creativity? Yes, I think everyone does!

What do you do to get out of it? I try to catch up on business stuff when I'm in a creative slump. I don't enjoy the business side of owning my own business, so I try to look at creative slumps as opportunities to get caught up on paperwork and marketing. Usually after a couple days doing all the "job" stuff, I'm ready to get back to creating.

How do you sell your designs? I sell my work online in my etsy shop and also through galleries. I've sold my work at craft fairs in the past, but I'm taking a break from doing fairs right now. They can be a lot of work, you have to have a lot of display stuff to haul around, and I'm pretty busy being a mom to my four month old son, so I'm focusing on selling through shops, galleries, and the internet for now.

Do you have a blog? Yes

http://www.michondesign.com/jewelry-blog/

Do you have a website? Yes

http://www.michondesign.com and http://michon.etsy.com

Where do you advertise other than your website and blog? I don't do a lot of advertising, but I have gotten customers from social networking sites like myspace, by doing local craft shows, and applying to show my work in galleries.

What are your future plans? I'd like to find a few more galleries and boutiques to carry my designs and grow my online business. I have lots of ideas for new designs, but right now it's hard to find time to do everything that I want to since I have a baby, but I am really enjoying being a mom.

What advise would you give other jewelry designers? Try to find your own voice. There are a lot of people making jewelry out there so it can be hard to stand out in a crowd - if there is something unique about what you do, it really helps you get noticed.

Leah has graciously offered to giveaway this gorgeous one of a kind pair of earrings made from argentium sterling silver, a tarnish-resistant type of sterling silver.



Please leave Leah a comment to win these silver argentium earrings. Winner will be chosen Wednesday at 7:30pm pacific time.

The Arte y Pico Blog Award

Imagine how surprised I was when I was told I was given the Arte y Pico Blog award. Thank you so much Chic Things Galleria for bestowing this award to House of Raquel blog.

There are some rules in return for receiving this lovely award and they are:

1.You have to pick 5 blogs that you find deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, etc and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2.Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3.Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4.The Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of the "Arte y Pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award. Here it is: http://arteypico.blogspot.com/.

After much thought I have chosen the following five Blogs ... and in no particular order.....

1. White Iris Designs - Not only does Tammy give you valueable information about flowers and how to grow, display and pick them. But she is also a very famous jewelry designer. I read her blog daily.

2. A Diva's Hammer - I know of no one better at writing than Pansy aka The Muse. Lyrical, intelligent, heartfelt blog. She has written many of masterpieces about her business associates. Add it to your daily read.

3. Parthena Black - Another Blogger who interviews others on a weekly basis.
She is always helping others make their dreams come true.

4. Web Gem Square Space- She constantly blogs about other business women's business. Add it to your daily read.

5. Margarita Bloom - Regina uses her blogs also to promote other people's businesses. I always feel like I've taken a shower with lots of yummies when I visit her blog daily.

I could have chosen a few more but I was included with the others previously on Chic Things Galleria.

Winner

The winner is:
kamewh said...
I would love to have this necklace because it is very beautiful and unique! Thank you for the giveaway!

We've contacted you by email please respond, so Audrey may send your beautiful necklace to you.

Next week's Jewelry Designer is Leah Ybarra.

Jewelry Tuesday - Audrey Busike

Another Tuesday another Jewelry Designer. This week I would love for you ALL to get to know Audrey Busike.

What inspired you to start creating jewelry? Wow...how do I condense the story? There were many things going on inside me and our lives when this idea hit. I was coming out of a healing period from cancer treatment and becoming very hopeful that it was behind me. I was full of JOY, and so thankful that I was still around for my family. I had this overwhelming desire to create beautiful things. I started occasionally treating myself to pretty pieces of jewelry I would buy online. Also at this time, we were struggling financially because of a nightmare remodel of our home, and I was feeling like I needed to find some way to contribute financially to the home without going outside the home to work. I had been praying about finding a way that I could have time for ministry, be creative by making beautiful things and expressing all my bubbling over JOY, and earning some income while doing it, on top of the home and family. Trying to keep this long story short, I had purchased a bracelet, and when I received it, I decided I didn't like one of the charms on it, so I decided to remove it. I was in my bathroom getting ready to go somewhere and in a huge hurry. I wanted to wear my new bracelet, so I grabbed the closest thing I could find which was a tweezers to help me pry the loop open that was holding the charm on the bracelet. As I doing this, I became aware of the mechanics of the braclet and how simple it would be to put together, and then blamo, it hit me, "This is too easy, I can do this!" "Maybe, I can make and sell jewelry online." "I can be creative, earn money, express my JOY and minister to people." And, from that point on, it all began and I've been hooked every since!

How long have you been making money selling your jewelry designs? I started selling my JOY Jewels in April of 06.

Is jewelry designing your only business? Yes!

Do you ever get in a slump in your creativity? Very rarely.

What do you do to get out of it? I just take a look at anyone's jewelry, including my own, or at God's big beautiful earth, and I'm inspired all over again.

How do you sell your designs? I sell my JOY Jewels through friends and repeat customers and wearing them, online at my new Etsy Store, and I do home parties and presentations.

Do you have a blog? No.

Do you have a website? Yes.

What is the name of your website? JOY Jewels by Audrey @ http://www.JOYJewelsbyAudrey.Etsy.com

Where do you advertise other than your website and blog? To date, I have not officially advertised. I do post pictures and my store banner on my Myspace profile page. I'm just recently researching ways to network and advertise my wares. I am taking my time learning how it all works on the internet. I do have an email customer listing that I call my 'JOY Jewel Alert' that I post announcements of my new creations and upcoming sales.

What are your future plans? After reseaching and finding more ways to advertise online, I will be working on designing some new lines that I can sale in boutiques. My goals are to remain my own boss, to keep doing what I enjoy, earn an income, and be able to manage my hours so that I can be home most with my family and church family.

Audrey has generously decided to give away this gorgeous All Sterling Silver chain and components, 4mm, 6mm, 8mm Bicone, Rose and lite Rose Swarovski Bicone Crystals with AB finish the "Sweet in Pink" necklace. If you would love to own this please leave us a comment as to why you would love to have this JOY Jewel by Audrey. The giveaway ends Wednesday at 7:30pm Pacific Time.

Vegas

I'm having a great time celebrating my birthday with my sister. Lots and lots of walking. Luckily the hotel has a monorail that times of to other hotels, but still the walking can be very intense. My sister is 4 years older than me and in alot better shape. Shame on me.
Last night we saw the Love Show - Cirque de Soleil at the Mirage. If you are a Beatles fan got to see it. It will take you back to those innocent and not so innocent for some of you years.
Tonight we are going to see Mama Mia at Mandalay Bay. Tuesday blog is with Jewelry Designer Audrey Busike. I spelled it incorrectly.

All you Need is LOVE!

Winner of Staci Tubbs' Beads of Hope bracelet

The winner is Milan Jewelry Design. Lena Gott, please come forward and claim your prize. Thank you Staci for your generosity and next week will be Audrey Buskirk.

Jewelry Tuesday - Staci Tubbs

Please welcome Staci Tubbs. I am really grateful that she agreed to do this interview. If you are reading my Jewelry Tuesday blog for the first time and would like to be added to my list of jewelry designers. Send me a comment.



What inspired you to start creating jewelry? God. I prayed for many months after Jakob was diagnosed on a way to bring about awareness to how common childhood cancer was becoming and a way to raise money for childhood cancer research. I woke up one morning after having a dream/vision. Knew what to call the company, how to make everything, where to buy the products. God had the big picture laid out.



How long have you been making money selling your jewelry designs? Were suppose to make money? I missed that part can someone tell me where to find it!



Is jewelry designing your only business? Yes



Do you ever get in a slump in your creativity? Oh yes when I am overwhelmed with life



What do you do to get out of it? The satisfaction that one more person is aware of childhood cancer and how our children are suffering from the many side effects of chemo. It is sad when anyone is diagnosed with cancer. But most have already had a chance to live life, make mistakes, learn and have fun. Our children are being diagnosed before they have even had a chance to live life, and yet they are being forced if you will to grow up. Jakob acts so much older then 10 just because of everything he has been through. It isn't just the children that are effected it is the families as well. Most families are two income families. When your child is diagnosed someone has to quit his or her job. The treatments are intense and enormous and long. So that really puts another impact on the family. It is a struggle everyday to fight for your child's life and then fight to keep your head above water, pay the bills, keep life as normal as possible, keep your family together, deal with the siblings emotions..... the list goes on and on. It either makes or breaks you and unfortunately the statistics are high for divorce when you have a terminally ill child. So everyone is affected. You lose most of your friends due to everything the family has to deal with. It isn't easy on anyone involved.



How do you sell your designs? Word of mouth, friends/family, my website



Do you have a blog/website? Yes/No Yes



What is the name of your blog/website? www.beadsofhope.com



Where do you advertise other than your website and blog? Nowhere yet.



What are your future plans? I pray one day everyone will know about childhood cancer and they will have learned it from Beads of Hope. I hope to expand our marketing and brand recognition. I would like to see it in boutiques and retail stores around the world. I hope to one day when Beads of Hope can fully fund a foundation to provide families with terminally/chronically ill children a place to turn for respite help. It is harder then heck to make meals, keep the house clean, do laundry, go grocery shopping, run errands all the things that we take for granite. They become impossible when you have a terminally/chronically ill child.

What advice would you give other jewelry designers? Don't every give up. It takes time and patients. See out help. Get a mentor, I wish I had!! There are plenty of millionaires that went bankrupt before they made it. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Then jump in and enjoy the ride.

Please post a comment to win this lovely bracelet by Beads of Hope!


The contest to win Staci's Bead of Hope's bracelet will end Wednesday at 7:30pm Pacific Time. Next week's designer will be Audrey Buskirk.