live. love. sparkle.

April winner and May giveaway

(drumroll, please ...)

The winner of the colorful crystal 'Inspiration' bracelets is ...

Jessica Albon, of Mocksville, North Carolina

Congratulations, Jessica! They're on their way.

And, there's another giveaway all set to go for May ...

Summer is fast approaching, and that means summer reading, of course ... at the beach, by the pool, or, my favorite: in a hammock under a couple of shady trees (... followed by a nap, preferably).

So, for May I've decided to give away a rainbow beaded bookmark. That way, you won't lose your place in that steamy romance or suspenseful thriller. I currently have five books I'm juggling, although all are either non-fiction, bio, or business. Hmmm ... maybe it's time to lighten up a little and try some Jodi Picoult or Nora Roberts, whaddya think? Let me know if you have any good recommendations.

This month, we're going back to a random drawing of everyone on my mailing list, so if you haven't joined already, all you have to do go here to sign up. Anyone who's in my database as of 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Saturday, May 31, will have a chance to win.

If your name is selected, I will email you right away, and you will have one week to claim your prize and confirm (or provide) your mailing address so I can send your prize. If you have an eager spam filter, you may want to add maria at believestreet dot com to your list of approved senders ... otherwise, you may miss out. It's happened already, sorry to say, so don't let it happen to you. In that instance, a new winner is selected at random and notified via email, so the prize is still awarded, just a little later than usual.

So, get your summer reading stack ready. You may be the next winner!

A little something different for the April giveaway :-)

So, time for another monthly earring giveaway, right? Ah, not so fast. This time I've decided to shake things up a little. Sneaky, aren't I?

Spring is starting to pop up all over the place here, and one of my favorite things about spring is all the beautiful, vibrant COLOR that appears after months and months of dreary brown and gray ( ... nothing against brown and gray ... they're perfectly good colors, and I'm sure they feel underappreciated ... but they've had their day and now it's time to make way for the rest of the color wheel).

So, for the April giveaway, instead of giving away a pair of earrings, I've decided to give away a set of five bright and colorful 'Inspiration' bracelets!

These are brand new at Believe Street, and they will be available for purchase in the online shop in the next few days (... of course, if you just can't wait, you can always contact me to order yours in advance). They're available in 12 colors, including the five shown here, plus softer pastel versions of these five colors, black, and clear crystal. There are five words available: Peace, Love, Joy, Hope, and Faith. They're selling at one for $7; three for $19; or five for $29.

Each bracelet is made with 32 Swarovski crystals, two 'message' beads, and 12 silver accent beads. And, the best part is that they're stretchy, so they fit almost everyone, and they're easy to put on and take off. You can wear one, two, three, or a stack of all five. Not only will they add a little spark to whatever you're wearing, but I'm hoping they will also brighten your day with their reminder to notice the peace, love, joy, hope, and faith that's all around you.

Ah, but there's a catch! This month, I'm mixing things up and upping the ante a little bit. Usually, everyone who is on my mailing list is automatically eligible to win each month ... which makes your odds about 500 to 1. This time, though, you not only have to be on my mailing list, but you also have to leave a comment below. Just tell us which of these five words is your favorite, and why. Or, which one of these five things you need most in your life right now, and why. That's all ... doesn't need to be long. Yes, it's a little more work, but just think how much better your odds will be this month! :-)

The contest ends at 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wed., April 30. If you're already on my list, simply leave a comment on this post to be entered and you're all set. If you're new to Believe Street and want to enter this month's contest, simply go here to join my mailing list, then come back and leave a comment. Very easy.

Tell your friends about it too! Then go out and soak up all the luscious springtime color ... unless it's winter where you are, of course ... then stay in and have a cup of hot cocoa.

And we have a happy winner!

Yes we do indeed ... and it's ...

Dana Cook, of Renton, Washington

Dana is the winner of the pink Swarovski crystal earrings featured in the last post.

I notified Dana last week to let her know she'd won, and she sent me back the most lovely and heartwarming message. Then, she sent me even more happy goodness when she received them:

Hi Maria,

Just a note to say I got the beautiful earrings today. They are a treasure and I just love them! Thanks so much for sending them with the pretty presentation too; your taste and talent are exquisite! May your craft and business keep growing!

With happiness and wearing new dangles,
Dana

Sigh. I'm still smiling as I picture Dana with her sparkly new earrings on. I hope she'll get lots of compliments.

Tomorrow I'll post the April earring giveaway, so come on back and see what I've cooked up for this month.

In other news ... it's been a busy time over here at Believe Street. I've created a monster schedule for myself this year -- check it out -- and it's not even compete yet; I've still got some more shows to book for the summer. I'll be doing a bunch of outdoor shows this year, which is new for me, so I've been hard at work researching and buying my canopy and designing a brand new booth. I love how it's coming together ... very exciting! I've been doing 'dry runs' with various areas of the booth the past two weeks, but still have a few things left to pick up. As soon as all the pieces are in place, I'll post some photos.

My first outdoor show will be the Westfield SpringFling on April 27th, held in downtown Westfield (NJ), so I've got about two and a half weeks to finish pulling it all together. Oh, and to put my order in for good weather, of course!

March earring giveaway!

Oh my ... I haven't done a very good job of keeping up with the monthly earring giveaway, have I? (... hanging head in shame). The last one was October! Yikes. So sorry, friends.

I blame it all on life ... the frenzy of the holiday rush and subsequent recovery (a.k.a., digging through the rubble in search of my work surface) ... loved ones needing support and TLC through health challenges ... the time-consuming process of researching craft fairs and preparing applications (and hyperventilating about how to keep up with the schedule I've set up for myself) ... taxes and inventory ... losing 23 lbs. (oh yeah!) ... yadda yadda.

Oh, but spring is here now (... to me, spring starts with daylight saving time), and the challenges of winter are all forgotten. Poof -- gone. Swept away with the sound of birds chirping in the morning and the sight of the first shoots breaking through the ground.

Spring is here and it's my favorite time of year. A time when I bubble with excitement, ideas and energy ... which makes it really hard to sleep (I've been up since 3 a.m.), but enables me to get oh-so-much more done.

So, in joyous celebration, this month's earring giveaway will be a pair of perfect-for-welcoming-spring Swarovski crystal earrings in light rose and pretty shades of pink. Ideal for reflecting all those extra rays of sunshine coming your way.

All you have to do for a chance to win is to be on my mailing list. Everyone who's on there as of 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, March 31, will be included in the random drawing. Just go here to sign up if you haven't already, and tell your friends to join too.

I can't wait to see who wins these. Yay Spring!!! (... doing the Snoopy happy dance).

And the winner of the October earrings is ...

Happy Belated Halloween, everybody ... I hope you had no tricks and lots of treats!

Last night after dinner, trick-or-treaters, dog feedings, and John's martial arts class, we got to pull a name out of the glass fishbowl where I keep nearly 500 slips of paper -- neatly folded, I might add :-) -- representing everyone on my mailing list.

And so, someone who definitely got a treat yesterday ... winning the Swarovski 'Sparkle On!' smoked topaz crystal earrings (shown in the previous post), is:

Dimitry Kirsanov, of Mequon, Wisconsin

Dimitry was thrilled when he got my email telling him he had won, and is looking forward to giving them to a friend who, in his words, 'ADORES earrings' and is going to love these, he's sure.

Nothing better than the feeling of knowing your creation is going to be loved and appreciated by someone ... maybe even 'adored,' perhaps. Sigh.

And now, dear friends, I must retire to my studio to select (or maybe create) the earrings for the November giveaway. Stay tuned ...

We have a winner ... and a new giveaway!

Sorry I've been so slow to announce the winner of last month's earring giveaway and the new giveaway for October. It's the start of the busy season and that means a lot of plates are already spinning. Oh yes.

So, without further ado ... the winner of the 'Be Happy' earrings is:

Nancy Bickel, of Bridgewater, NJ

Congratulations Nancy! Nancy's name was chosen at random from everyone on my mailing list.

Soon, another lucky list subscriber will win some new bling. This month, I've chosen a pair of my 'Sparkle On!' Swarovski earrings in smoked topaz. They're made with faceted Austrian crystal cubes and beads, and are super sparkly ... perfect for going out to dinner with that special someone, spicing up your Thanksgiving feast, or adding a bit of pizzazz to your favorite fall sweaters.

All you have to do for a chance to win is to join my mailing list. Everyone who's on there as of 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wed., Oct. 31, will be included in the random drawing.

Joining my list is super easy. Just go here and enter your email address. Then, tell your friends to join so they can have a chance to get their sparkle on too.

Happy Fall!!

September earring giveaway!

Now that Jessica's new earrings are on their way to East Rochester, it's time to unveil the pair I'll be giving away in September. Giving away a pair of earrings on the last day of each month is my way to give thanks for all the goodness that comes my way ... and have some fun besides.

So, here we GO. Ready?

This month, one lucky winner will receive a pair of 'Be Happy' earrings (click photo to enlarge). They're made with ruby red Czech pressed glass and Bali silver beads, on sterling silver wires.

The reason they're called 'Be Happy' is that they were made to match this 'Be Happy' necklace with a smiling Buddha pendant. He looks pretty happy to me ... maybe it's the eyes. While making several of these necklaces a few weeks ago, I kept hearing Bobby McFerrin singing 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' in my head, so that's how the necklace got its name.

Come on, I dare you not to hear that song in your head now.

So, what do you have to do for a chance to win? Simple. Just be on my mailing list as of 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Sunday, Sept. 30. If you've joined previously, your name is already in the hat. If you haven't signed up yet, though, now's your chance. Go here and enter your email address to be added, and I'll put your name in the hat. Tell your friends to join, too, and their names will go in the hat, as well. It's a big hat. Well, okay, more like a glass fishbowl. I suppose that could be a hat after a few glasses of wine.

On the evening of Sept. 30, I'll have an innocent bystander (a.k.a., my sweetie, John) stick his hand in the bowl and pull out a name. Maybe it'll be yours.

(I would have one of our dogs do it, but ... you know ... no opposable thumbs ... so we would be there all night.)

And the winner is ...

(drumroll please!)

The winner of the monthly earring giveaway for August is:

Jessica Russell, of East Rochester, NY

Jessica was chosen at random from everyone on my mailing list to receive this pair of pretty sterling silver and Swarovski crystal earrings.

Jessica was thrilled to learn that she'd won and said she can't wait to wear them and show them off to all her friends ... which, of course, thrilled me, too. It's so much fun to give, especially something you've created with your own hands.

Congratulations Jessica!

Tune in tomorrow to find out what cool earrings I'll be giving away in September ...

It's a miracle

The new website's up!

... it may well be the longest website update project in history, really, for any of you who have been hearing me say, month after month, that I was redesigning it and would have it up 'soon.' Well, 'soon' took a heck of a lot longer than I thought.

Whenever I had a few days 'free' in between being out at corporate sites, I'd start in and get a little done ... stop to make things for my next day out ... come back and fill custom orders ... put in supply orders online (which may be the most time-consuming part of my business) ... make more stuff ... go out and sell ... fill follow-up orders ... lather, rinse, repeat. Then, at some point, I'd get back to working on the website and discover that most of what I'd done -- yet never posted -- was already obsolete. One-of-a-kind items had sold or I was no longer going to be making x, y, or z ... or could no longer get the components even if I wanted to. Ergh.

This went on time and again. And again. It's almost like I built five websites that you never got to see.

It did give me practice with my web and photo skills, though ... go have a look! The 'Periwinkle Passion' bracelet in the banner above is one of the new items I've been making. It was named by my friend Joanne, who's a big fan of periwinkle. :-)

So, to celebrate this momentous event (and the fact that this is my birthday month), I'm launching something new ... a random monthly giveaway of a different pair of earrings.

On the last day of August, I'll be giving away this pair of sterling silver earrings with Swarovski sapphire crystals.

Anyone who is on my mailing list is already automatically eligible to win. If you're not on my list yet, though, do sign up here. (If your email address is already on my list, it'll tell you. Otherwise, you'll be added.)

You'll not only be entered in the monthly drawing (and find out who wins), but you'll also be kept up to date on my latest creations and inspirations via email once or twice a month. And they'll be brief and colorful messages, I promise. I do love me some photography.

Well now ... I'm so happy to be over this hump, I think I'll go take a celebratory nap.

Back in the swing of things

It sure has been a while. My summer went by in a flash ... how about yours? If only the winters went as quickly ...

I took a break from the corporate trunk shows between mid-August and Labor Day. I wanted some time to relax, kick back by the pool and contemplate the big picture, take care of some 'life maintenance' stuff (like car inspections and such), and make lots and lots of great new things for fall. In anticipation, I made a list three pages long of things I wanted to do. Typed. single-spaced.

I am such a dreamer.

But hey, I did get in some R&R ... though it was more like plopping on the couch reading my favorite blogs than on a poolside chaise soaking up rays and pondering life ... and I had time with my son, who visited from college over my birthday ... and I did get the car inspected ... though I'll admit that I paid a service station to do it instead of sitting in long NJ State inspection lines. So, it wasn't all for naught. And, while my fantasy of endless hours making enough jewelry to stay stocked through the fall season didn't quite materialize, I am spending more time in the studio these days. So, here are a few new goodies:

... (right, click picture to enlarge) elegant necklaces in rich fall colors, to layer or wear one at a time -- made with gold-filled chain, pressed Czech glass leaves, Czech crystal, and other assorted beads and crystals.

... fun and flirty chandelier earrings -- made with Bali silver and Czech crystal. In addition to the green and amber ones here, they're also available in purple, burgundy, and smoke.

I was back 'on the road' again last week, at J&J Consumer Products, where I met lots of wonderful people. From now til the holidays, I'll be doing two or three corporate trunk shows a week, and several weekend craft shows, as well as the annual holiday boutique open houses at my parents' in Pennsylvania. In between, I hope to spend lots of time in the studio (... because I've got a big stash of great materials to use), go to a few bead shows, update the website (yes, I know, I know ... I'm a broken record on that one), and start up a brief monthly e-zine to highlight new items, announce special promotions and discounts, and share small bits of inspiration. Oh, and maybe start doing some home jewelry parties, too. Who needs sleep when you're having this much fun, right?

It's going to be a busy fall, but I'm really looking forward to making lots of beautiful things and meeting more customers, fellow crafters, and creative souls like you.