How to say Thank You in a more creative way

While I was in the shower tonight I got to thinking about all the custom pieces I've been making lately.  And one of the things I started thinking about was how great these pieces are for saying thank you to someone.  So here is a little list I put together of people that you might want to say thank you to in a more creative way than the norm:

• babysitter...have a custom steampunk pendant made with your kids birthstones and some things she really likes (examples: stars, moons, music, etc)
• teacher...a simple necklace with a few pretty stones to wear instead of candles or gift baskets
• a friend who has recently helped you out...a pair of earrings that are not like ones you can get at a store
• bridesmaids...after a wedding give them a steampunk pendant with the stone that symbolizes the month you were married
• a friend who is down on their luck...a pendant with stones that are known for improving luck
• a therapist who has really helped you...a necklace with stones that symbolize clarity or focus
• a mother or mother-in law that has helped with a baby shower...a steampunk pendant with the little one's birthstones
• a friend who helped you move...a bracelet with their favorite color stones
• a hairdresser who did your hair for a special occasion...a pendant with bright stones

Here are some of the custom pieces that I have recently made just to give examples:

Labradorite pendant

Pendant made with the person's personal stones

Custom steampunk pendant symbolizing the family for mom

And the daughter's family steampunk pendant

Talisman pendant for good luck

Earrings were made custom to match the necklace

Earrings made custom to match the necklace

Bracelet for increasing luck in all areas of one person's life

A birthstone necklace for someone's loved one

A birthstone pendant made for the wife of a very thoughtful husband

A necklace to match a pair of earrings that were won in a silent auction of mine

And these are just a few...there are sooo many more I've made.  

Busy with a capital B!

Shipments of supplies in = me making lots of new things!  And between things to do with my girls and my hubby and now making new things means I am busy with a capital B!!!

I've made quite a few new pieces in time for Valentine's Day...and sold quite a few too.  Here are the recent additions to the Etsy shop:
This stunning pendant is  "Fever". It is a long glass tube vial filled with over 1 carat genuine rough bright yellow diamonds with a red round cut diamond that stays stationary in it. So packed with diamonds that they don't move around much at all. The pendant is reversible, you can either wear it to show the red diamond or on the other side you only see the yellow rough diamonds. You'll can get a different look out of it each time you wear it. Such a beautiful pendant and so unique. You are going to be more than happy making these a part of your jewelry collection! If you are a lover of all things unique and one of a kind, something like no one else will ever have, then this is for you!! These pendants are hard to photograph because of the glass but the red diamond in here is bright and deep in color. The contrast between the red and the yellow is just spectacular! You'll love it!!   http://www.etsy.com/listing/92052374/captured-love-fever-genuine-red-round

And this beautiful pendant (one of my all time favorites) is  "Perfect". It is a long glass tube vial filled with over 2 carats of bright, rough mixed white diamonds and a .15 carat genuine light pink radiant cut diamond. And just to note, my scale weighs light, so the rough diamonds most likely weigh much more than what my scale says. This pendant is sealed and cannot be opened. The bail on this pendant is 925 sterling silver. It hangs beautifully, and is reversible...the other side is open just like the front with the pink diamond but you'll only see the white rough diamonds. The pink diamond does not move as the rough diamonds are tightly packed in there to hold it in place. Such a beautiful pendant and so unique. You are going to be more than happy making these a part of your jewelry collection! If you are a lover of all things unique and one of a kind, something like no one else will ever have, then this is for you!! These pendants are very hard to photograph. The pink diamond is so light in color and has amazing sparkle to it. Pink diamonds are normally very expensive and since I was able to get this at a fantastic price, I am able to make something that is affordable for you. :)   http://www.etsy.com/listing/92077456/captured-love-perfect-genuine-15-carat

This one features one of the largest cut diamonds I can fit into a glass vial pendant and is named  "Always". It is a long glass tube vial filled with .42 carats of bright, rough mixed white diamonds, .40 carats of bright yellow rough diamonds, and a .41 carat deep orange oval cut diamond (which is technically considered to be a half carat solitaire). And just to note, my scale weighs light, so the rough diamonds most likely weigh about twice what my scale says. This pendant is sealed and cannot be opened. It hangs beautifully, diamonds moving in the tube so that every move of your body shows a different look. The orange diamond stays pretty much right in the middle of the white and yellow diamonds. But they all move around freely so you'll get a different look out of it each time you wear it. Such a beautiful pendant and so unique. You are going to be more than happy making these a part of your jewelry collection! If you are a lover of all things unique and one of a kind, something like no one else will ever have, then this is for you!! These pendants are very hard to photograph. The orange is so bright and deep in color. Very unique!  http://www.etsy.com/listing/92056446/captured-love-always-genuine-41-carat

And these stunning beauties sold today, pretty much as quick as they were listed:
"Patriotic"

"Spirit"

And this one, which was a custom pendant made like "Pride"

So as you can see...busy busy busy!

Diamonds are a girls best friend ;)

Nothing excites me more than opening my mail box and finding diamonds in it!  LOL  Today I got a great shipment in the mail...blue marquise diamonds and round red diamonds.  So beautiful!  And of course I had to make things right away. 

One of my favorite ways to showcase diamonds is by mixing rough and cut diamonds.  The pendants I made today are similar to ones I have made before but still very different and very unique.  Recently I sold a stunning blue round cut and white rough diamond pendant on Etsy.  It was very, very popular so I wanted to make something that caught eyes the way that one did.  So I made these lovelies.

This one is a blue marquise cut diamond with lots of larger yellow diamonds surrounding it...so packed that they don't move.  This pendant is reversible...one side shows the blue and yellow, the other shows only the yellow. 

Then after it was made I thought about how pretty the yellows would look with a little round cut red diamond.  And boy was I right, what a pairing.  I just wish the red showed just how bright it is in the pictures.

After that I thought about how I also like the diamonds to be free moving so I paired up a blue marquise, red round, and clear (white) round cut diamond and get a stunning, unique, patriotic pendant that will get everyones attention.

And finally I found in my drawer of goodies a .41 carat deep orange oval cut diamond that I didn't know at the time what I wanted to do with so I got creative with it too.  I mixed it in with larger yellow rough diamonds and little white rough diamonds and came up with this stunner.

They can't be found on Etsy just yet, but if you see one you like I can give you a price.  :)  And with Valentine's Day coming up...keep in mind guys...diamonds are a girls best friend ;)

TGIF: end of a busy week!

This has been such a busy week for me!  Normally my weeks are kind of slow, not much going on and not much leaving the house, but this one...whew!  Glad it is Friday!!

The silent auction on my Facebook page to clear out some inventory went well.  Glad to be making some room on Etsy so I can get some Valentine's Day stuff listed.  Put more items on sale on Etsy and created a whole new section just for Valentine's Day (this link should take you right to it:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/DirtyGirlDiamonds?section_id=10643100).  Everything in there is heart shaped or has to do with love and romance.  A word to all you men out there trying to figure out what to get your love for V Day...women love jewelry!  And nothing shows more thought than something that was handmade (even if by someone else) or custom made just for her. 

Speaking of custom made, this week has been busy with custom pieces.  One I still have to finish but two are done and on their way.  This is one that was made that I have to admit, I absolutely love!  This is going to be a gift for a very lucky lady on her birthday and is a 34.12 carat genuine amethyst:

Talk about a stunner!  I hope she loves it too!!
Then there was this necklace that I made.  Sunstone and a sun face on silver plate.  Really turned out nicely and matches perfectly the earrings that were won in the Pet Helpers silent auction:

I love doing custom work.  Besides the fact that it gives me a chance to create something new, it also is amazing to see other people's creativity come through in what they are looking for.  Plus there is such an amazing feeling that I get when I make something for someone that makes them happy.  I actually feel like an artist when I get to do this.  :)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

Out with the old, in with the new

All the decorations are down, put up till next Christmas.  It always seems so bleak the day after taking down the tree.  Some decorations went out as we didn't use them this year, making their way out as donations. 

Keeping with my back to me theme I set up a massage yesterday for a couple weeks from now and I'm really looking forward to it.  Pretty excited about the fact that this Friday I'll be getting my first facial in probably 5-6 years (thank you dad for that awesome Christmas gift!).  And I set up for 2/1 my first ever microdermabrasion (thank you hubby for the amazing Christmas gift...this and the massage).  And I bought a new scale yesterday...that I have yet to venture upon...gulp! 

I'm getting ready to weed out my clothes yet again and get rid of some of the old stuff.  And go through kitchen stuff and my desk and do the same.  I always feel in that mood in the first of the year.  Out with the old.  :)

Same goes for my shop on Etsy.  I'm trying to clear out some of my older stuff so I can make some room for new.  I have some big sales going on, including 4 items I just put on 50% off sale last night:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/85479123/50-off-sale-captured-love-untraditional
http://www.etsy.com/listing/84890261/50-off-sale-enrapture-loving-gift
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88457395/50-off-new-life-lifes-celebration
http://www.etsy.com/listing/87010340/50-off-adorned-flutter-genuine-green
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88296987/50-off-sale-lush-baubles-stunning-round

And I just sent out my first news letter yesterday for DirtyGirlDiamonds.  It is a once a month email news letter that I'm putting together.  I think it turned out pretty well.  And of course, if anyone reading this would like to get on the list just shoot me an email at dirtygirldiamonds@yahoo.com
I have special promotions, event updates, whats new in the world of DirtyGirlDiamonds, and more in it.

I was pretty slack and missed my Monday and Tuesday blog (gonna have to set a reminder lol) so I missed posting my Shout out Saturday from Facebook.  Something I am doing every Saturday to showcase businesses that I like be it from Etsy or elsewhere.  Here was this past Saturday's shout out:
Hoku Gallery
If you love beautiful handmade jewelry (which face it, you do or you wouldn’t be here lol), you really need to check out what is being made by Diane Gerbert-Ballum. Diane has a shop on Etsy, http://www.etsy.com/shop/hokugallery, where she has some of the most beautiful creations. My personal favorite is Teal Rainbows (check it out, AMAZING). From NH, she lived in HI for 18 years but moved back to home 3 years ago to be closer to family. She is married with a step son and has 3 grandsons. She started making jewelry back in 1990 and has just started teaching herself chainmaille…check it out, it absolutely amazes me! She buys only the best components she can for making her jewelry, and takes pride in doing the best work she can. Don’t forget to find her page here on FB and like it (let her know you saw her Shout Out on here): http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hoku-Gallery/218473754830433
 
I'm also getting ready for the silent auction that I am doing on Facebook next Tuesday.  (I'll talk about it more tomorrow)  So I better get off here and get to work on those items as I still have 2 to finish.  :) 

And I just finished up a custom piece.  I LOVE the way it turned out!!