Inventory FAIL

 Okay, here's why I don't do inventory. See, back 4 years ago when I started getting into jewelry making (again), I bought all sorts of beads. I am good with keeping receipts, and making sure that I don't spend more than I make (usually - oops). But I never did a real, physical inventory. I know how much I mark things up, so I generally know how much stock I should have. But I never counted the beads and supplies that I bought as I went along, nor did I subtract the beads and supplies I used as I went along.
Then I got a new spreadsheet software program.
It requires that I start with a complete inventory.
Ugh.
So, for the last four days, my ADHD brain and I have been having little battles all over my office (which, incidentally, is still pretty messy since my last office posting in July, I know. Bad!). You see, one of the main reasons I don't do inventory is that, with ADHD, I get distracted.
Really distracted.
Any noise, bird flying past my window or dog fart (all too depressingly common) will stop me in my tracks. I get distracted by email and general useful and useless internet searching (such as, "best bead storage systems", or, "How can I count inventory without actually counting it?").
So far, I'm about a quarter of the way through and my inventory says that I have 177 different types of inventory (read: beads, findings, stringing wire, etc), and over 30, 056 items counted. Yes, I have actually counted over 30,000 individual things.
Mostly... I can weigh my seed beads, for example, to get pretty accurate counts (I am NOT counting 10,000-plus tiny beads that I can barely SEE, let alone keep in a neat little pile), but most of the time I'm actually counting the little bug - er - beads and things.
Most of the time.

Marie Antoinette Raspberry Ice Necklace

Part of the challenge of doing inventory is that I have all of these nice, shiny, new beads (when they get put into a storage cabinet for a while, and then you pull them out again, they are like hidden treasures, being unearthed for the first time), and when I take them out, I can't help but notice how pretty, say, the moonstone beads look against the rhodonite beads. And how pretty they would be strung with a nice 14 karat gold toggle clasp and 14 karat gold finishing beads. Then my ADHD brain takes over and tells me that it really won't take that long to make one simple (albeit stunning, if I do say so myself!) necklace.
In the middle of doing inventory.

 Never mind that I haven't tallied my toggle clasp or gold beads. I just decided to skip a bunch of spaces that will hold beads in my spreadsheet, count and record the interminably small, frustrating gold beads (while starting to fidget and string the moonstone and rhodonite beads), count and record the clasp and nylon-covered steel beading wire (nothing but the best and strongest for you, my dears), and GET CREATING!!

What started out as an, "It won't take that long" project - you can see in the first photo the disaster of my desk and the starting of this new necklace on the bead board - turned into a couple of hours of bead-play time. I don't mind. The necklace was definitely worth it - it was so much fun to make, and turned out so well, that I think the time was well used (and besides, don't I deserve a little break for working like one of Santa's elves??)
This necklace, entitled Marie Antoinette Raspberry Ice Necklace, is the newest piece in my NeoAmour collection and is available in my Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleStudioJewels?ref=si_shop
Please let me know what you think, I really value your opinions :)
Have a great day. Oh, and if you don't hear from me for a bit, could you please send a search party in to my office? It may be that I got lost in beads....

Fabulous Friday Finds: A Few of My Favourite Things

I have finally decided to redecorate my bedroom...well, actually, decorate my bedroom would be more accurate as we currently have a mish-mash of furniture in there that we have had for years! My dresser is still quite functional, but I've had it since I was 8 and I am sick to death of it. It will go to the Salvation Army or anyone who needs it, as will the other furniture that isn't falling apart (Brennan's "side" table is unstable at best, and if you lift it, one of the legs has a habit of trying to fall off). I am done with being super-frugal and ridiculously spend-thrift, I want our bedroom to be relaxing and cozy and us. We are going to redo it in a French style, similar to Marie Antoinette's Blue Room - though much toned down! Here are a few things that I love on Etsy that I think would add some style and grace: Top Right:Custom listing for BHILITHINN-altered frosted candle holder with roses,cameo would set the mood for relaxation. Top Center: Silver Vintage Serving Dish by vintageinmybasement would make a great place to store some jewelry or other small items to keep them dust free and organized. Top Right: 2 tier cake stand Princess by mycakestand would be a great way to hold smaller vintage jewelry boxes which I intend to start collecting (it seems appropriate doesn't it?).

Next, Left: HANDCARVED MEDIEVAL ART TILE -- TRAVERTINE FLEUR DE LYS by JolieFaireMedieval would be a nice, rustic addition to the walls, and make sure things aren't getting too 'girly' (Brennan has to live with it too, and I'd like him to like it!). Center: LE PETITE JOURNALS - FRENCH - HANDPAINTED - THIS LISTING IS FOR ONE BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE - EACH COMES WITH A LOVELY ORGANZA GIFT BAG by PaintedByRenee will be a beautiful and co-ordinated way to write my thoughts and ideas while in my lovely new bedroom. Right: Blue and White Toile Lampshade by Sassyshades would be a perfect addition to any smaller white lamp to give the room the finishing French touches.

I'll be sure to photograph the bedroom when it is all done (this is going to be a gradual, year-long project so that we don't have to use credit cards - I'm big on only spending when I have cash in my hands) so that you can see the desired effects. I'm so excited!

Please do visit these fabulous shops to see more of what they have to offer, and while you're there, why not drop them a line and tell them I sent you?

Have a great Friday,

Monday's Methods: Getting Inspired

Sometimes we get in a rut. We want to create something, but we don't know what, or how, or why. In this case, I find my inspiration from many things. One of my favorite ways to be inspired is to look to the past. Above is a painting of Queen Victoria. She was an amazing woman, headed England and helped it to (once again) become a super power during the industrial revolution. She was also a devoted wife, loving her husband so much that when he died, she mourned for the rest of her (considerable) years.
Marie Antoinette is one of the most misunderstood women in history. Believed by many to have been a wanton spender, philanderer and generally bad woman, she was none of those things (okay, she spent, but when she tried to curtail it, she was railed at by the makers of her fine things, and told that she needed to spend the amounts befitting the Queen of France!). Beautiful, kind, and quite out of her depth at being a queen, she did the best she could, always persevering. After her death, the people realized what a mistake they had made, but the damage had already been done: she had been executed by guillotine. She went to her death still as proud and upright as always, and her courage (and handsome tastes!) are to be admired.
Queen Elizabeth 1, daughter of Henry VIII, had a tumultuous upbringing, always afraid for her life, afraid of her unstable father. She rose to power after the death of half sister Mary Tudor, and raised England from near destitution to its former glory and beyond. Each successive portrait shows her in larger and larger gems, and it was said that people would flock to walk behind her as the giant pearls and gems that were often sewn onto her dresses would fall to the ground, only to be picked up by whomever happened to be near her at the time (and kept by those people!). Her dignity and strength are legendary.
Cleopatra was one of the most beautiful women in Egypt. She ruled when women were not supposed to. She used her formidable intelligence to win conflicts, and the hearts of her subjects.
Boudicca was a Celtic warrior queen. When her husband died, the Romans informed her that she was not queen, her lands were not hers, and she, her daughters and people were going to submit to Rome (ie. become slaves) whether they wanted to or not. She was publicly beaten, and watched her daughters raped by Romans. Her strength was seriously underestimated! She went on a crusade to free her people and reclaim her land. She led a few bloody battles (winning, I might add, against all odds), before disappearing into obscurity. Her determination and fortitude is simply astounding and inspirational, as are all of these women of history.

For them, I have created the NeoAmour (NewLove) collection. Inspired by them, in honor of them, I am creating pieces to keep their memories alive.

What inspires you?

Thankful Thursday: I'm Featured!

Audrey, over at Audrey's Country Crafts Blog, has done a feature on me! I can't thank her enough, please go on over to her blog and visit and see the great work she did :)

Also, I'm sorry I didn't post Arwen's Walking Wednesday yesterday, I haven't been feeling well, and when I have been feeling moderately better, it rains and I can't take photos in the rain! We will (hopefully) be back next week. Until then, Arwen says hello and reminds you to sign up for my newsletter to try and win a pair of magnificent earrings from my NeoAmour Marie Antoinette collection (You have to sign up for the newsletter first to be eligible to win!!), see the full contest details here.

Tuesday's Treasures: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Earrings

Here they are! As promised, these are the matching earrings to the Marie Antoinette Pink Daisy Daisy Lace Necklace and Bracelet that I blogged about here and here. They are the perfect accompaniment for the bracelet and necklace, but are showy enough to stand on their own.
I used the same Czech glass beads and Swarovski crystal pearls as in the necklace and bracelet (see below), and painstakingly hand wove them into the same daisy chain pattern, giving them a light, flowing look that is all woman!
These will be for sale later today in my Etsy store, I do hope you will check them out :)
Here are the matching necklace and bracelet for the earrings:
Tune in next Tuesday for a bracelet inspired by Queen Elizabeth 1 !!
Until next time.....

Tuesday's Treasures: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Rainfall Earrings

I originally came up with the idea for these after wanting to make my mom something nice for her birthday a few years ago. She loves feminine things, Marie Antoinette, and pleasant rain showers (among many, many other interests). I thought of how Marie Antoinette would have been nearly trapped in her palace on rainy days, watching the rain fall down a window, collecting on the window sill and imagined these earrings in all their luxury....They were a hit with my mom, and with a few other people I've specially made them for since.

These earrings are going to be your new favorite statement piece, make no mistake about it. They are elegant, glamorous and so feminine! They are great for a formal event - wedding, prom, or simply to dress up your jeans.
I took reclaimed vintage freshwater pearls and hung ten on each earring from 2 inches of fine sterling silver chain. I spaced the small pearls to look like rain falling gently down the chain, coming to a stop at a large, 8mm Swarovski Crystal pearl hanging at the bottom of each earring, as though it were collecting the pearly 'rain drops'. I also, as much as possible, made these earrings a mirror image of the other - to frame your face better. The earrings are then suspended from hand crafted sterling silver ear wires.

These have an approximate 2 inch dangle. I am also able to make these for you in 14 karat gold filled, or with different colored pearls or beads, just contact me for a custom order.

These are currently for sale on my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Section. Thanks for looking, and have a great Tuesday!

Sweet Saturday: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Jewelry Set Part2

**Update - this bracelet and its matching necklace are now up for sale on my Etsy Site!**
This is Part 2 from my post yesterday about the matching necklace to this piece.
This is part of my new NeoAmour Collection - Based on Powerful Women of the Past, Redesigned for Women Today.
Inspired by the femininity of Marie Antoinette, I decided to make a matching bracelet to yesterday's necklace. It had to be beautiful, feminine, and able to hold it's own with the necklace without being overpowering. I made this bracelet with Swarovski Crystal pearls in 'rosaline' (pink) and clear, silver-lined Czech glass seed beads. I again sewed a dainty Daisy Chain stitch and made the bracelet a little over 13 inches long.I then sewed pink ribbon on the ends to make a clasp, hiding the front stitches with seed beads, and sealing all ribbon ends with clear fabric glue to prevent unraveling:
The best part about the ribbon and the over all length of the bracelet is that you can tie the ribbon tighter or looser to make it longer or shorter (again, I would recommend doing a 'double bow' when tying it to make sure it doesn't come off - just tie a bow as usual, and then knot the bow again to make it extra secure.). In fact, the length of the bracelet is from 13 inches to just over 18 inches, so you could even use this as a choker necklace!
I do still prefer wearing it doubled around my wrist - it feels so silky soft against the skin.

This bracelet will be up for sale today in my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Section. If you wanted to purchase this bracelet and the matching necklace at the same time, you will get a 10% discount!
Merci beaucoup!

Fabulous Friday: NeoAmour Marie Antoinette Jewelry Set

This is part of my new NeoAmour Collection - Based on Powerful Women of the Past, Redesigned for Women Today.
Inspired by the femininity of Marie Antoinette, I decided to make a beautiful necklace with Swarovski Crystal pearls in 'rosaline' (pink) and clear, silver-lined Czech glass seed beads. I started off with a dainty Daisy Chain stitch and made the necklace base a little over 15 inches long. I then came back and made small loops with more seed beads and Swarovski pearls to add dimension and swing:This captures the light, and emphasizes the neckline (and looks heavenly with strapless anything).During Marie Antoinette's time, there weren't many clasps to be found, and ribbon was often used as a closure for necklaces and bracelets (it looks more feminine anyway!). I sewed pink ribbon onto the ends of the necklace, sealed all the ribbon ends with clear fabric glue to keep it from unraveling, and used more of the seed beads to hide the stitches on the front side:Despite the weight of the necklace, the ribbon closure was perfect for this necklace as it also adds a bit of variability to the necklace - you can adjust it longer or shorter by tying the ribbon closer or further from the base of the necklace. I would recommend doing a 'double bow' when tying it to make sure it doesn't come off - just tie a bow as usual, and then knot the bow again to make it extra secure.
There is a matching bracelet, but this post is getting very long, so you'll have to wait on pins and needles for it to debut here tomorrow!
This necklace will be for sale starting today on my Etsy store, under the NeoAmour Marie Antoinette section in my shop.
Also, my TREASURY to help Epic Farms is expiring soon - please go look and click on the items and comment in the comment section to help this wonderful horse rescue.
A demain, mes cheries,

Soulful Sunday - Looking Back to Look Forward

~NeoAmour Collection: Boudicca's Coins Necklace~

It never ceases to amaze that our society constantly looks back for inspiration. Now, that is not to say that it is a bad thing - after all, "You can't know where you are going, if you don't know where you've been," and all that. Still, when researching antique and ancient jewelry for inspiration for my new collection, I realized just how true this is: we are always looking back, even in our fashion choices. This, I have realized, also makes my job a little bit easier....Cool!

My new collection is called NeoAmour, or, NewLove. It is based on jewelry of the past, that I have redesigned for today's woman. This is not just any jewelry: this jewelry is based on what powerful women of the past would have worn. Jewelry that symbolized power, wealth, status. Jewelry worn by Queens, Empresses, First Ladies (you know I'm talking about Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis!), and others, to show that they were not to be trifled with. They were women, yes, but much more than 'just' women. These were the women who ruled front and center, or from behind the scenes, using all their intelligence and foresight to help their husbands and countries to overcome various struggles.
That is what we do today, is it not? We run our offices, businesses, homes, and sports teams. We run charity events, host dinner parties, travel all over the world to help others in need. We raise the next generation while working full time and looking fabulous. We are Women (hear us roar!)! We deserve to have beautiful jewelry that is made with strict attention to detail, with quality materials, that is limited in number - often one-of-a-kind - just like us!
Now you will have it.
Based on powerful women like Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, Queen Elizabeth 1, Marie Antoinette, Boudicca the Celtic Warrior Queen, and many more.
Designed for you.
NeoAmour - You Deserve It!

I will be adding pieces to these new collections in my Etsy store as I finish each one. There are currently two sections with items from my new collection, based on Boudicca the Celtic Warrior Queen and on Marie Antoinette. Please visit often and tell me what you think!