"Gemini Sky"-Handcrafted Jewelry Making From the Soul"

When I first started selling my jewelry...I started on Ebay. It was fairly easy to set up and the fees aren't that bad although they do change frequently.

The good thing about it is that you can sell something very quickly which will encourage you.
The bad thing about it is that you may end up selling a nice bracelet for $2.00 if you put it up as an auction item. That has happened to me several times but at least I sold something and it motivated me to keep going. Some people are willing to pay higher prices for handcrafted jewelry but I have found that on Ebay you have to start at a lower price and then start increasing the prices as people trust you.

The exciting part about Ebay is checking on it to see if anybody bid on your items. It can be addictive but at least unlike betting...you are gaining money and not losing it.

Another great site is www.geminisky.etsy.com
Here is my store on Etsy.com...Gemini Sky.

This site is great! It's easy to set up. It's only 30 cents per listing and you can set up different categories just like a storefront!

The technology is great on this site! People can search by color,region,newness of posting,just sold,shops that have never sold anything etc.

I would start off here. It's less expensive than Ebay although Ebay is a great site...if you want to start up with a little bit of money...Etsy is the way to go.

Addicted to Squidoo

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am a Squidholic. I don't create jewelry I only write about doing it.
JUST KIDDING! Well...I can get away with typing while my children are drawing or watching TV.

BUT!...Once I start getting my beads out...forget it!
They say "I want to make something" and then I get involved in helping them make something while. My daughter always wants to use my newest or my most favorite beads and gemstones.

I will create...I will create...I will create...

An Addictive Bead Store

For those of you who like gambling or auctions you will love my new bead store find!

www.limabeads.com

They have "THE BIG GREEN BEAD MACHINE!" which has a counter that drops prices every five minutes on a select set of beads on that page.

So Exciting! A Stay At Home Mom's safe kind of gambling.

What a great idea!!
I wish I could show you the counter but I believe you have to login first.

Well...my daughter is home with a 102 fever so no beading but I can write.

Ciao for now!

I created a new bracelet about a week ago but am just getting to post it up to my site today.

I think I may just start staying up half the night to create jewelry because nobody wants me to make it here!

Sorry...just a little frustrated!

Silver Spring Bracelet

You can click the link above to view it and my other pieces on Etsy.

Inspiration
For me...my inspiration comes from many places. The changes of the seasons inspire me to want to work with different colors, textures and charms. In the springtime I love to work with pinks, purples, blues, fuchsia...well...I love to use those colors all of the time! But...in the Fall to Winter seasons I like to experiment with the darker stones like smoky quartz,Onyx,Black AB crystals etc.

Also, just looking through my existing beads and then mixing and matches some older beads with newer ones that I never thought of.

Of course I love looking at "BeadStyle" and all of the different magazines for inspiration but I never copy the designs. I usually take what I've seen and make it my own.

I love to look in Kohls and other department stores to see what is up and coming in the costume jewelry department and fine jewelry and draw ideas from these.
I always say...I could do that! But...they sell so many things for such a cheap price but they also use cheaper findings.

The best inspirations come from me sitting outside in the sun with a cup of coffee, the birds chirping, my bead tray and all of the beads I can fit in my portable bead carrier. I often close my eyes look toward the sun and let inspirations from above move through me and out of my hands.

If you look around you will find inspiration everywhere!

I went to Michael's and saw this special ribbon used to bead with and I just had to buy it and try it!

Well, here I am in the parking lot of my son's pre-school pulling the ribbon out of the bag and opening beads bags tyring to quickly create something in ten minutes!

It's so easy!!!
Here's my quick and easy tutorial.

1. Buy special beading ribbon that has a wire attached to it on the end.

My son is saying "hug,hug" meaning get off of the computer so...I'll be right back...

And I'm back after coloring left over White Easter Eggs.

2. Just pick some beads with large holes in them. I picked 2 packets one with white irridescent beads and one of pink beads in all different shapes and sizes.

3. Then just poke the wire edge through the bead and pull it down. Make sure you pull it all the way down the thread so that you still have enough room on one side for the necklace and leave enough room on the other side.

4. After you have created a pattern of using one or more pieces of ribbon...you can close the piece with a ribbon crimp clasp which I did not find near the ribbon or the beads but I didn't have much time to look either. I will find some online.

5. Just crimp them with a crimper of a flat nose plier and voila! you have a nice ribbon beaded necklace!

This is a great idea for the spring and summer!

Light and Lofty!

When I get a chance to actually make a whole necklace...I will post a picture up here.

Thanks for dropping by!

*Update...I did finish the necklace but I couldn't get a great picture of it. I need to wait for a sunny day fot that is when I take my best shots...with natural sunlight.

I also think I need to experiment with the ribbon necklace. The beads that I had to buy to fit with the ribbon were a bit chunky and not exactly my style.

We are moving back to our old home that didn't sell so I will be very busy trying to paint and makeover our home so that it will seem like we are moving into a new house!

I will be setting up a real jewelry studio at home so that I can create much more frequently and more easily so...please be patient and come back soon!

Hello everyone!
Due to the lack of time to create...and the need to focus on other things at least until September when the kids go back to school...I have to shut down one of my online stores Gemini Sky Jewelry

I love the Ruby Lane Storefront but unless you can put up something new everyday you won't get much visibility without paying a lot of money for advertising and pay per clicks. This will be my second time shutting down my site on Rubylane. I came back in the hopes that I could create more but It seems like I have less and less time. My children will let me type though so I guess I will just create lenses in the meantime.

Check out my store please!
Thanks!
Jennifer

We just moved back into our old house that didn't sell when it was on the market and I've been trying to figure out where to set up my beading studio so I can start to create more often and my daughter wants me to set her up one too!

Maybe she can be one of my production artists but I doubt it because she is too creative and won't want to replicate my ideas!

IKEA...here I come!!!