Happy Accidents

Life is all about accidents. Many of them are what I consider happy accidents.

My new earrings are just that.. a happy accident. They started out as ovals. Then after botching and melting one side I saved the design by turning them into these arrows. They were going to have gemstones in the center as well, but I didn't like it that way. So, I cut out the center and turned it back into the original pattern. And, now they are completely perfect. I love them. So simple. So elegant. Perfect with anything.

So.. the moral of today's story is don't sweat the small stuff. Life knows best, and sometimes the best things come from happy accidents.

What do you think?

A Dream Come True..

I am starting a new journey in my metalsmithing career. I am delving into the world of home decor. Should be fun and interesting.

For years, I have loved home decor. I love reading about it, watching shows about it, shopping for it. I'd own umpteen houses just to decorate each one in a different style if I could. My personal style is modern with an emphasis on mid century modern(which is still so chic), but I adore certain touches of country and parisian flair and.. Well, you name it I like it. So I thought making things for decor would be a total dream come true.

So.. let me introduce you to my first piece...



A hand forged copper candle holder. Isn't it dreamy?! I love it. I can just see a set of them sitting on a dining room table or as an accent in a room of white or how about a small bed of rocks with one of my candle holders in the center.. The possibilities are endless.

I have ideas for more candle holders and garden accessories and wall hangings. I'm really looking forward to building up this collection. What do you think? What would you like to see? Is candle holder one word or two?



PS... You can't have this exact one because it all ready sold(YAYYYY!!!) but if you want one just like it, be sure to visit my website and let me know.

The Winners....

You all knew I wasn't going to be on time...

Today's the day.. The winners of my Easter Bunny hunt are...

$50 gift certificate- Hollie

$25 gift certificate- Debbie

$25 gift certificate- Mary Ann

Congratulations! I thank everyone who played along, and I hope you had a marvelous time. I will contact all the winners with your gift certificates.

LOL

Today is World Laughter Day. Did you know that? I think laughter is good for the soul. So what makes you 'LOL'?

Blue Flowers Save the Day

Well, I was getting all ready to pick the winners of the Easter Bunny Hunt but I remembered that I gave you until the 29th to email me with your bunny count. So you all better be countin' and get those emails to me... gift certificates are at stake here. So, now I have to figure out something else to blog about.

I have literally got nothing. A blank page in front of me. No ideas in my head. Do you really want to hear about jewelry again? Probably not. Got no projects in a middle stage to show you. No flower pictures that you haven't all ready seen. Hmmm.... I hate when I'm empty headed.

So, I will leave you with these new earrings available in my etsy shop. I love them.



What do think? I think they'd make a lovely wall hanging or candleholders too if I made them larger.

Spring/Summer Fashion Trends Jewel Street Designs Style

Monday, Monday... Okay. I won't sing.

It was simply beautiful here this weekend. Warm temps, sunshine.. Just sensational. Reminded me that spring is here so I thought I would do a little post on spring/summer fashion trends for all of you fashionistas. Don't be a slave to fashion though. There is absolutely no reason you can't be in fashion and still stay true to yourself and not spend gobs on following the trends year after year. Here's some things that I have seen continously on the runways(on tv of course. I'm not that cool) that have staying power and can easily be translated in future seasons.

Bangles. Bangles have been big for years, but they have been making a real comeback lately. A single large bangle or an absolute ton of small bangles. You just can't go wrong with them. They are a statement maker.. an attention grabber. Distressed metal bangles, bangles with color, bangles with stones, bangles with flowers. There is a bangle for everyone. Here's a couple I absolutely adore that I think could work perfectly for the summer trends and still be equally perfect in the winter, but you can view all of my bangles here.




Necklaces. I love me some oversized jewelry which you know if you have read this blog for any length of time, but the oversized jewelry that is coming down the runway probably isn't for the average Jill. So here's my version of the oversized necklace, but you can see all my necklaces here. That's where you'll also find my upcoming necklaces that are sure to thrill.




I did not see a lot of rings and earrings on the runway, but we all love them. And, you know they will never be out of style. So, here's a few that will stand the test of the trend..




You can also visit my website to see more of my trend breaking jewelry.

Eco Friendly Cleaning for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day(in case you didn't know that's today), I am doing a repost of my Eco Friendly cleaning tips. I still use these even if this post is I don't know how old. If you have any extra tips, feel free to share them in the comments, and don't forget about the Easter Bunny Hunt which ends on Monday.


While living in a house that is in a constant state of remodeling, I have to come to realize the need for a clean house. We live in an above average size house, but we only "live" in about half of that. Some of this is my jewelry workroom. If you have ever remodeled even one room, you know it is virtually impossible to keep your house really clean while work is being done. Below is my top 10 reasons why you should clean your house:

You should keep your house clean because:

1. You might lose a small animal like a cat, a puppy, or a hamster.
2. You might find out Godzilla was just an overgrown dust bunny.
3. one of these days you will run out of clean clothes.
4. your mother in law might decide to come clean for you. (Though this could be a good thing.)
5. dishes with fur are not cool.
6. cobwebs cannot be considered art.
7. people on tv look odd. (I can vouch for this.)
8. things, like your keys or kids' socks, won't disappear into the abyss.
9. maybe your living room isn't such an ugly green after all.
10. eventually even the overgrown dust bunnies will revolt.

Now that you have learned the truth behind cleaning, I figured I would give some cleaning tips and tricks. I've all ready told you some tips for cleaning your jewelry. Here are some tips for when you find you are out of your regular cleaning products, and these tips are eco-friendly as well.

1. Ketchup and water will clean brass. Don't let the ketchup dry though.
2. Salt and lemon juice works wonders on ceramic tiles as does baking soda and water for any tiles and grout.
3. Use vinegar and borax to clean the toilet. You'll see your you-know-what in it.
4. Sprinkle baking soda on your mattress, let sit for a few hours, then vacuum. WOrks wonders at neutralizing odors.
5. A good olive oil can be used as furniture polish. I do this all the time. Add a little lemon juice if it needs to be really cleaned like from grimy handprints.
6. Old dryer sheets placed in books will keep the musty smell out.
7. Run out of paper towels? You can use socks instead. I also feel they work better.
8. Need to clean grandma's silver? A little toothpaste and water will make it sparkle.
9. Vinegar is a beautiful glass cleaner.

My biggest tip of all- 10. Keep up with it. If you keep at it, you won't get behind.