Year End Shipping Special

For me, 2011 flew by way too fast, but I'm looking forward to 2012. I've been working on some really cool ideas for my blog, including a jewelry set giveaway in January and new jewelry designs to add to my etsy shop  that I'm super excited about. :)

Since the end of 2011 is very close, I want to do something nice for my customers, so for the next 3 days, I'm offering World-Wide FREE Shipping. Just write the coupon code "freeship" into the coupon code box when completing your order. Also, be my 80th customer, and receive a gorgeous pair of Angel Wing Earrings, similar to the earrings pictured below.

To shop and receive free shipping, go to Brenda's Jewellry Box, and use coupon code, "freeship." Shipping Special ends Dec. 31st, 2011 at midnight, west coast time.

From my home to yours...

and to all who celebrate Christmas, I wish you and yours a very happy, fun and magical holiday!

It's here!

Free Shipping Day!

Get free U.S. shipping on every item in my shop.
This special offer is good for today only, Dec. 16th.
Guaranteed delivery before Christmas.
Brenda's Jewellry Box

FREE U.S. Shipping Day

This Friday, December 16th, every order from Brenda's Jewellry Box with a United States destination will get FREE Shipping with a guaranteed arrival date no later than Dec. 24th. Every jewelry listing will reflect free shipping for the U.S., so that means no fussy coupon code to remember. Tracking service is included too!

If you're looking for a last minute Christmas gift, an upcoming birthday present (Jan. birthstone is ruby red) or something sweet just for you, pop into Brenda's Jewellry Box and save on shipping. 

                                                      

Complimentary gift wrapping and shipping to gift recipents is available upon request. This Free U.S. Shipping Special begins this Friday, December 16th at 12AM and runs for 24 hours only. 

Hope to see you there!

Pantone's Color of The Year 2012 is

"Tangerine Tango"

Quote from Pantone:
""Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.""

I think Carnelian is the closest gemstone that resembles the tangerine tango color.

What do you think? Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Will you be utilizing the new 2012 color into your art and designs next year? I love Carnelian, and I think it's going to be a big hit in 2012!

Cyber Monday Jewelry Sale

My Holiday Shop-Wide Sale is happening NOW!

For the next 24 hours, EVERY jewelry piece

in my shop is 30% OFF.

I offer free gift wrapping and

I ship to gift recipients upon request.

Orders are always shipped within 2 business

days, so if you're shopping for Christmas, you 

can rest assured your items will reach you in time.

Prices have been marked down for your convenience.

"Happy Shopping!"

~ Brenda's Jewellry Box ~

Holiday Jewelry Sale ~ Cyber Monday

Brenda's Jewellry Box is having a "Holiday Shop-Wide Sale" this Nov. 28th on Cyber Monday. Beginning at 12AM to 11:59PM (Pacific Time) enjoy a savings of 30% OFF every jewelry piece in my shop.  This fabulous sale includes the "$20 and Under" section too!  There will be no coupon code to enter, as every item will be marked down for your convience.  Here are a few pieces just waiting for new homes.

This Gemstone Cluster Bracelet would make a loving and lasting gift.  At 30% off, it will be just $29.40. That's $12.60 off the original price!

This Puffed Heart Pendant Necklace would be beautiful to wear with anything! Only $23.10 at 30% off!

Here are a pair of Crystal Amethyst AB Earrings from the "$20 and Under" section. Get them on Cyber Monday for just $12.95.

The perfect jewelry piece can make any outfit shine! 

For 24 hours on Nov. 28th, enjoy 30% savings at

~ Brenda's Jewellry Box ~

Hope to see you there!

A 1st Jewelry Design Challenge

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to share my recent beading adventure! Around a month ago, I was reading some threads from one of the etsy teams I belong to, and I came across one talking about doing a beads challenge. I shared a bit of my experience with design challenges, and the next day, I received a sweet invitation from Crystal to participate in her very 1st design challenge. I love beads and I love challenges, so of course I said, "YES!" lol! Long story short, I got to be part of Crystal's first design challenge, and even more importantly, I made a new friend. Crystal's etsy shop is "Bead Happily EverAfter." She offers gorgeous vintage and contemporary beads & findings, and she makes jewelry too. 

Before I get to the designs, I want to thank Crystal for allowing me to be part of something very special. I appreciate the wonderful experience, and I feel honored to have been among a super talented bunch of designers!

Okay, here we go! For the design challenge, there were 3 different sets of beads to choose from, and I picked the vintage lucite oval fuchsia beads. They are so beautiful! They have a hint of white marbeling on them too, making them even more unique. Here is what I created with them.

I paired the fuchsia beads with peruvian blue opal teardrops and small amazonite rounds with jet black chain.

Here's a close up view. I think the black chain makes the beads and gemstones pop.

Here are the matching earrings. I added a bit of silver chain to the mix. They are very dangly!

A 2nd pair of earrings with black chain tassels dangling with fuschia crystals, faceted hematite rounds, angel wing charms, and topped with the oval fuchsia beads accented with gunmetal black bead caps and tiny hematite rounds. These definitely tickle your shoulders! :)

Click HERE to see ALL of the amazing and beautiful creations from the jewelry design challenge.

Check out Bead Happily Ever After for beautiful vintage beads, findings and handcrafted jewelry, and follow Crystal's sweet blog HERE. 

New Earrings

Hi all! I can't believe Thanksgiving is in 10 more days! I'm so not ready...I still have to do my grocery shopping! EEK! Plus, I'm getting all the details worked out for my Cyber Monday shop sale, not to mention creating and adding more items to my shop! I'm busy, but I love it! ;-)

Here are a couple of new earrings recently listed.

These are crystal rivolis in beautiful emerald green. They are nestled inside antique copper settings. They have a multitude of facets that display a gorgeous light show.

More crystal rivolis! This color is called, "padparascha," which is a combination of pink & orange that resembles the marriage of a lotus flower and the sunset. I'm in love with this color! I paired them with antique brass crown ribbon settings, and the earwires are made by me.

You can read more about these new earrings at my shop or simply click on the photos. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Halloween Ya'll!

Have a safe & fun Halloween!

Halloween Giveaway from Artbeads.com

Artbeads.com is having a "Hootin' Howlin' Halloween Giveaway!" One very lucky winner is going to win an awesome prize package including a hand-painted Russion artist pendant (LOVE!), Czech glass beads (LOVE these too!) and other goodies. All you have to do is leave a comment on their giveaway post sharing your best, funniest, scariest, favorite Halloween story. That's it! Just share your story and be entered to win! You have until this coming Sunday, October 30th at 11:59pm (PT). Artbeads will announce the super lucky winner on Halloween. Click HERE to read about and enter the giveaway or click on the other links in this post. Now go and share your Halloween story! I can't wait to read them! :-D Good luck to all!

New at Artbeads.com:

New Seed Bead Kits

Seed Beading Handy Tips (Step by step instructions w/photos)

BeJeweler Kits

Lower Prices on Select Stoneware Pieces

Guaranteed 24-Hour Shipping

DeCoRé Giveaway from Artbeads.com

Artbeads.com is having a fabulous giveway right now! 

DeCoRé™ epoxy clay is a fun way to explore your creativity, and Artbeads is now offering this wonderful product on their site. But...wouldn't it be awesome to win?! The complete giveaway prize is 2 packs of DeCoRé™ epoxy clay and $35 worth of mixed media products of your choice.

It's a really cool giveaway that some very lucky person is going to win. It ends this Sunday-October 9th @ 11:59 pm (PDT). Click here to read the prize details and eligibility and the most important of all, to enter for your chance to win! ;-D

 I's super easy to work and mold the clay. Check out the "How To Use Decoré" article on Artbeads.com. Then go...run...and enter for your chance to win! :-)

Shipping Discount

✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈✈ ✈ ✈ ✈ ✈

I'm offering Free Shipping for all US/Domestic

orders starting today! No, No...not my precious kitty, Joy! LOL :-P

Every item in my shop ships free in the United States, Sept. 28th through this Sunday-October 2nd. There's no special code to enter, just check out as usual. The shipping discount has already been updated to $0.00 for your convenience.

Click to shop -> Brenda's Jewelry Box

Happy Shopping! :)

I'm having a Sale!

Summer is ending in my part of the world, and I've decided to have an End of Summer Shop-Wide Sale. Starting today, Friday-Sept. 16th through Sunday-Sept. 18th, save 30% on your entire order from my shop. To take advantage of this fabulous sale, just write the following coupon code [SUMMER30] into the "Notes to Seller" box when you check out.

Click here to go directly to my shop and start shopping for the jewelry lover in your life or something special just for you. I offer free gift wrapping and shipping to gift recipients.

"Happy Shopping...and saving!"

Bead Show

Rings & Things is kicking off their Fall 2011 Bead Tour. They are headed to their first stop, Minneapolis {Bloomington} MN, on September 11th. From there, they make their way to Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and on and on and on till the last show on November 6th in Sacremento {McClellan} CA.


Bead Tour

Even though I live in the same city where Rings & Things lives (lucky me-hehe...), I still love going to their bead show! Only 32 more days [yes, I'm corny & counting the days-LOL] until I get to stroll from table to table to table looking and fondling [and probably a lil drooling too] at all the hundreds and hundreds of beads, gemstones, pearls, crystals and findings. I can't wait!!! They always have demos going on too, and those are cool to watch. I'm always up for learning new techniques. ;-) 
If you've never been to one of their shows, don't worry, they will point you in the right direction. No need to bring anything to hold your treasures while you shop, they have lots of trays on hand for that. I always make sure to take my calculater, and I leave my purse at home. All you need is your credit card and lots of energy to shop till you drop! LOL! Oh, you will need your invitation too. If you don't get one in the mail, you can email them to send you one or request your invitation on the Bead Tour Page.  You can check that same page to see if Rings & Things will be in your town or at a town near you. If you live in or close to Spokane or Spokane Valley WA, they will be at the "Mirabeau Hotel" in the Valley on Sunday, October 9th - 11am to 4pm. Maybe I'll see you there! I'll be the one with a big smile on my face...no wait, that will be everyone!! :- D  ;-P

I just hopped on my laptop to check my email and found out that my "Jessie's Butterfly Necklace" is featured on Artbeads.com's Blog for Beaders!

Last May, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Artbeads "What's Old is New Again" design partner's challenge. The idea was to take something old and/or something that you love and put your own spin on it using components from Artbeads.com and making it new again. And that's what I did with my late Aunt Jessie's butterfly pin. You can read how I did it here.

Lots of stunning pieces were created from all of the design partners! To see them, "ohhh" & "ahhh" over them and maybe even drool a lil bit [LOL] just go to Artbeads Facebook page and check out the Design Partner's Photo Gallery I and Photo Gallery II. Feel free to "like" and comment on as many as you want. There are so many beautiful designs!

Thank you SO MUCH to Artbeads for this awesome opportunity and for featuring my necklace today! You made my day!!

Well...I'm hooked..

on resin that is!!! LOL I purchased some of Lisa Pavelka's resin late last year, but just started playing with it last month, and I have to say...creating with resin is in my blood now! I just love it! The creative possibilities are endless! I've been making pendant necklaces using scrapbook papers, collages I've purchased on etsy, and more recently, gemstone chips.

For this one, I used Peridot chips. [my birthstone] My Mom's b-day is 3 days after mine, and since Peridot is her birthsone too, I made her a pair of earrings with a pair of small round bezels filled with the beautiful Peridot. Didn't get a pic...but I know she loved them!

and this one is filled with brilliant Fluorite chips.

I bought the silver bezels at my new favorite place, "Hobby Lobby", and got them for half off. It was a great deal, so I bought every package [each pkg had 2] of this style! I figured I was going to need a lot of them, and I couldn't pass up the bargain. ;-)  Well, sad to say...I ended up losing almost half of them, because I noticed a bubble here and there in the already cured resin, and that's not a good thing. But I like to make a positive out of a negative, so I'm making sure all is good before I cure my pieces. I received a gift certificate to Hobby Lobby from my sweet hubby on my b-day a few weeks ago, so I've got my bezel collection built back up. ;-D Also, I've got a mold with different shapes that I'm going to try out. So I'm off.....my resin awaits me!! :-P

If you want to see more of the pieces shown above, just go to my etsy shop. Thanks for reading & happy creating! :-]

Happy B-day Robert

Today is my late brother's birthday...he would be turning 53.

Happy birthday Robert!

This was taken in Nov. 1982 when he lived in Florida. Nice tan! :)

Both of my brothers, Robert & Garland. Not sure of the year this was taken, but it was when both of them were young and wild. lol!

My niece, Angelina, with her Uncle Robert. Taken in 1991.

 Robert and me...taken in Summer of 1991

I miss you so much "broski"...until we see each other again, I'll be holding you in my heart and thinking of you everyday.

All my love,

your lil sis ♥



Reflections

I had the most wonderful birthday last week! In fact, it lasted through to this past Sunday, when my son, James, treated me to a movie, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." It was an awesome movie, and I really enjoyed seeing it with James! I cherish those Mother and son moments for sure! I was so happy to recieve b-day cards from my beautiful Mom, my loving sister, my friends, and the very heartfelt b-day message from my oldest brother. I was so surprized to read all the sweet b-day wishes from my family and friends on my fb page...it brought tears to my eyes. Many thanks and hugs to all of you!!

My sweet husband gave me a brand new Dell laptop. It's the model where you can change the top cover to different designs. I just love it! And I love that I'm not stuck at my desk when on the compter anymore! ;) My Craigy has really been spoiling me lately.....I think I'll keep him. **wink-wink**

Well...I'm not ashamed to tell my age, but turning 49 has really made me think about my life...how blessed I am, who I can count on, and what I want to accomplish this last year of my fourtys. I've learned that forgiveness is the key to letting go of the haters from my past....and I'm almost there. I'm looking forward to this next year of my life. I have a feeling it's going to be memorable one!! :-]

Enjoying Summer!

Long time no blogging.....again. :-P  It's been a busy Summer.

Lots of crafting, home projects, making jewelry and taking care of my gardens.

I got this tropical lily last year, and it's

doubled it's gorgeous blooms this year. The colors are amazing!

This is my orchid patch that has jumped out of my front garden and into the front yard. Hard to believe I started out with 1 orchid in 2008. My late MIL gave it to me, and I know she would be thrilled to see all of them today. I feel like it's a message from her telling me she loves me and that she's okay. Call me weird...but that's how I look at it.

I've been playing with resin a lot this Summer and have made quite a few pieces. I have become addicted! But that's a good thing. ;-D I'll be listing my new resin creations to my shop very soon.

August is the last month to enjoy Summer on the eastern side of WA State, so I'm getting outside as much as possible and getting lots of natural vitamin D. I hope everyone is having a fun Summer!

Thanks for reading and happy creating!

Blog abuse!

Well...I should probably rephrase that to blog neglect.  Yes, I admit it, I'm guilty of neglecting my blog... "lowers head in shame"   But....for good reasons.  I've been extremely busy making new jewelry pieces, (psst..my muse came to visit me early last month and has decided to stay awhile), and I've been doing some major Spring cleaning and some remodeling projects around the house.  I've also been organizing my storage room, and let me tell you, I'm going to have one great yard sale later this Summer!  LOL  I've been playing in my flower gardens too, that is, when the sun comes out.  We've had some really nice days...the kind that makes me just want to be outside enjoying the sun!  So...now that I've explained myself, I hope I'm forgiven. ;-)

Moving on...I know June is halfway over, but the optimist in me likes to think that we've got 2 more weeks left to enjoy June. ;)  And I'd like to share June's birthstone...the gorgeous must have stunning Pearl!!!

These are Austrian Crystal Pearls in stunning light gold.  Pearls come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors and styles.  There are Keshi, Baroque, Potato, Rice, Button, Coin, Nugget and so on. 

Here are a couple of known facts about Pearls.

•   The Greeks believed Pearls were hardened tears of joy that the goddess of love shook from her eyes as she was born from the sea.

•   The ancient Chinese thought Pearls originated from the brains of dragons.

No matter the shape, size, style or where they come from, Pearls are the perfect gift from nature.  They will always be classic, beautiful and forever fashionably worn with everything from a formal evening gown to your favorite pair of jeans! 

ahhh...I've missed you my wonderful blog.

It's good to be back!  :-D

 "Thanks so much for reading."

Happy Creating!

What's Old is New Again - Design #2

Last week, I blogged my 1st design I created for Artbeads.com "What's Old is New Again" design challenge, and this week, I'd like to share my 2nd and last design with you.

Drum roll please..... LOL! 

I call it, "Jessie's Butterfly", in remembrance of my late Aunt Jessie. She gave me the butterfly a long time ago, which used to be a pin. It's vintage brass and tiger cowrie shell. I chose to use soft browns and of course, antique'ish gold components. And since my favorite color is purple, I chose to incorporate Faceted Briolette Roundelle Crystals in the stunning color of purple velvet into my design. But...I messed up on the size of them! See the square bead frames? I was going to put the roundelles inside of them, but when I received them, I realized they were too large. So after searching my stash of beads, I ended up using small round amazonite gemstones. I think they blend well with the other colors, and they really accent the gold bead frames. By the way, I found those cute bead frames in Artbeads selection of Base Metal Bead Frames.

Here's a close up of the butterfly. I'm not sure if you can see it, but there are light hues of purple in it. Since I didn't trust myself with this very old and precious piece, my hubby (being the brave man he is-lol!) volunteered to cut the pin off the back and smooth it down. He did a great job too! I was going to hang the butterfly from the loops of it's antennas, but didn't think it would hold well. So I ended up connecting jump rings to both sides of the antennas, then attached them to a simple wire design I made with 14K gold-filled wire.

I selected this beautiful Antique Gold butterfly toggle for closing my necklace. I searched Artbeads Gold-plated Clasps and fell in love with this one as soon as I saw it! Besides it blending perfectly with my necklace, the details on it are amazing! I attached the toggle and the beaded strands with Crimp Ends and End Caps. They are perfect for the Satin cord I used. The cord is brown, but to me its a beautiful soft bronze color. The brown bead is `brown silk` from Artbeads selection of Czech Glass Flat Barrel Beads. I love the smooth texture and the soft color of it! The faceted bead on the end is a Czech Glass Roundel Bead in the gorgeous color of `transparent champagne.` It sparkles so pretty with all it's facets and adds a beautiful touch to my necklace!

Thanks to Artbeads vast selection of superb supplies, I was able to create a beautiful necklace that I will treasure forever!

I participate with Artbeads.com blogging community, as an `Design Partner`, therefore, I receive products free of charge in return for honest reviews. I have not been paid for my endorsement, as it pertains to the products received. Thank you.

"What's Old is New Again" Artbeads Design

I completed this gorgeous necklace a few days ago...but didn't get the photos finished till late last night, so I'm a bit late with my post...but..better late than never. :D

This necklace is one of two designs I created from Artbeads "What's Old is New Again" challenge. Last week I blogged about my package of goodies from Artbeads.com. It explains about the components involved in making my designs. if you like, you can read about it here.

The focal was my inspiration. I purchased it from a thrift shop, and get this, it used to be a pin! I brought it home, cleaned it up and had my hubby cut the pin off the back and smooth it down. I love how the porcelain cabochon peeks out at you through the slightly folded gold filigree. I wanted to add a lil something to the focal, so I attached an antique gold bell flower charm to it. It accents the flowers theme on the cabochon and mirrors the shape of the filigree.

Here's a closer look. You can see how the porcelain cabochon is set into the intricate detailed filigree.

And here's the entire necklace. I wanted to really present the focal, so I connected it to gold-plated pewter link, which is actually called a "3-Strand Multi-Strand Endpiece." It's shape and loops make it perfect for adding multiple strands to a design...or you can use it the way I did. The curves and overall decor of it was exactly what I was looking for. I love the way it just seems to flow with the entire necklace. In staying with the colors of the blue flowers, I strung together different sizes of Swarovski Crystal Beads in faceted rounds of capri blue, which is a stunning vibrant color that blends beautifully with gold, and gorgeous crystal golden shadow. To add some "pop" between the crystals, I used bright gold nugget heishi spacers. I love the shape of the spacers! They are the perfect size too -7mm. The string is satin cord in light-blue, and I love it! It's so soft, yet very strong. I used crimp ends & end cap rings for all the connecting. I was surprised at how easy they are to work with! Those are on my "to get" list for sure! ;) After searching through all the many clasps Artbeads has, I chose a beautiful leaf-shaped toggle. It's so smooth and pretty, plus the brightness of it blends perfect with the gold nugget spacers.

All in all, I'm super happy with the way my necklace turned out! I work with mainly brass, copper, and silver, but after this design challenge, you're going to start seeing many gold pieces in my shop. ;)
Check back next week for my 2nd and last design for "What's Old is New Again." It will involve a stunning focal handed down to me from my Aunt Jessie.
Many thanks to Artbeads for this fun challenge! :)

I participate with Artbeads.com blogging community, as an `Design Partner`, therefore, I receive products free of charge in return for honest reviews. I have not been paid for my endorsement, as it pertains to the products received. Thank you.

"What's Old is New Again" Artbeads Design Challenge

Recently, Artbeads.com asked their design partners to create a design incorporating an old/vintage item with new modern elements, hence "What's Old is New Again." So I put my thinking cap on, put in my order, and here's what I received.

What's with the 2 toggle clasps you ask? Well...I'll be creating 2 designs, and I'm very excited about it! The collection of colorful beads include two varieties of Czech Glass beads; Brown Silk flat barrels & Champagne roundel beads and there are some gorgeous Swarovski Crystals in stunning colors of Purple Velvet (to die for!), bright & vivid Capri Blue and sparkly Crystal Golden Shadow. Those shiny gold beads on the bottom left are 22K gold-plated pewter heishi spacers. They look like gold nuggets! The findings above the spacers are crimp ends and end cap rings. Perfect to use with satin ribbon, which is what I'll be using them for. This will be my first time creating with these, and I'm loving them already! They're very easy to work with, and they make a nice touch or finish to your jewelry piece. Visit Artbeads Jewelry Findings for a huge selection in an array of finishes.

Once I made the drafts for my designs, I knew I needed gold findings, and I had an idea of the shapes, materials, and brands I wanted. So with all of that in mind, I took advantage of the option to shop by material and the option of shopping the collections and brands feature. Let me tell you, both of these shopping options was a huge help in finding what I was looking for! I just love all the different ways you can shop on Artbeads! All of the gorgeous findings are pewter (100% lead free) and either gold-plated or antique gold-plated, with the exception of the gold-filled crimp tubes (top middle) and the brass bead frames (bottom left.) The charm above the set of bead frames is a lovely bell flower I found from the TierraCast Pewter brand that Artbeads features. The fancy link on the bottom right is a multi-strand endpiece. I knew I wanted an ornate link of some sort, but I wasn't sure if this one was going to work...but once I got it and laid it out with my design, it couldn't be a more perfect fit! I have to say I'm very impressed with the beautiful craftsmanship of every item, not to mention how much prettier each item is in person.

And finally (hopefully you're still with me :), I'll be using beautiful satin ribbon in each of my designs. The colors are light-blue and brown. They're both really soft and strong and can be found in Artbeads vast selection of Stringing Materials. I love their satin ribbon! In fact, I've already tried out a few different colors with some new designs listed in my shop, and I'll be adding more over the next few weeks. 

I'm almost finished with my 1st design, and I can't wait to share it with you! I really hope you'll come back next week to see what I've created with Artbeads "What's Old is New Again" design challenge.

"Thanks so much for visiting my blog."

I participate with Artbeads.com blogging community, as an `Design Partner`, therefore, I receive products free of charge in return for honest reviews. I have not been paid for my endorsement, as it pertains to the products received. Thank you.

Artbeads Design Challenge

Artbeads.com recently launched their "Make it for Mom Challenge" contest!  Just create your perfect  Mother's Day design using at least 50% of Artbeads products, submit your design, and you could be the lucky winner of a $250.00 Artbeads.com gift card. I don't know about you...but getting a chance to win such an awesome prize from creating a design for your Mom sounds absolutely wonderful and perfect to me!!

But that's not all my creative blog peeps...after the public votes (on facebook) and the winner is determined, that oh so lucky winner's design will be featured in the "Artbeads Learning Center."  Fabulousoo!!! So get your thinking caps on, your creative mind tuned in and let the muse take over! Click here to go directly to the design challenge contest page and read all the details and rules. Best get movin...voting begins on Mother's Day, May 8th, just 13 more days.

Best of luck and have fun!