MsBelle ~ Artisan Crafted Jewelry

A Fond Memory

2011-09-17T12:07:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite memories from childhood is of my grandmother's drinking bird. It sat in the window, bobbing up and down 'drinking' water. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

I found my own drinking bird this past summer at the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, NC. Now it happily bobs up and down in my kitchen window and hopefully my son will remember ours as fondly as I remember my grandmother's.

What fun memory do you have from your childhood?

August Break #15

2011-08-31T23:45:00.005-05:00

Aren't these the prettiest eggs you've ever seen?

And they are naturally colored that way!

I don't remember what breed of chicken laid these pretty eggs,

but they were some of the yummiest, prettiest eggs I've ever had.

You can't get any better than true cage free,
yard roaming, bug eating chickens to lay
the best organic eggs!

Go organic. You'll be glad you did!

~~~~~
and speaking of food...

My mother had a cookbook that included some
really 'wild' recipes to say the least!

for example...

I think we all need to know how to cook raccoon, don't you?

And if you've ever wondered how to prepare that possum,
look no further....

Aren't these a hoot?

I guess way back when people needed to
know these kinds of things.
And for today's survivalists, these would come in handy!

August Break #14

2011-08-30T13:37:00.002-05:00

Blue Dragonfly

I've missed a lot of days during this August Break due to coming back home from the mountains and then getting things ready for school to start. Now that it's back in session, hopefully I can do better about updating my blog with pictures from this summer (and jewelry too hopefully).

It was a great summer and we had a blast.

And we hated to leave...

...as always.

(more high country summer pics to come)

August Break #13

2011-08-19T00:47:00.005-05:00

My Appalachia...

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

August Break #12

2011-08-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

August Break #11

2011-08-16T03:10:00.000-05:00

Creeks are a lot of fun in the summertime. :)

And they make great refrigerators too!

August Break #10

2011-08-14T23:13:00.000-05:00

Crab spiders

August Break #9

2011-08-14T00:05:00.002-05:00

Tigger, the indoor/outdoor cat.

He's always on the prowl.

When he's not on the prowl, he's sleeping.

And he sleeps in my mom's lap almost every day.

Personally, I like him best when he's asleep.

August Break #8

2011-08-12T22:54:00.004-05:00

I was very happy when I saw some honeybees on the wild clematis alongside my mother's driveway.

I have noticed their decline over the past few years.

Anything from disease to parasites, pesticides and genetically engineered crops could be contributing to their demise.

All I've seen for the longest time has mainly been bumble bees. I've also seen wasps, yellow jackets, tiny bees like hover flies, or other flying insects, yet for quite some time I had not seen honeybees.

It was nice to see they have not totally been wiped out...yet.

They were a welcome sight to say the least. :)

August Break #7

2011-08-11T23:33:00.006-05:00

Standing tall

August Break #6

2011-08-11T00:56:00.000-05:00

Today's photos....

I just love macro photography. :)

August Break #5

2011-08-10T00:30:00.002-05:00

today's photos....

tonight's moon, 8.9.11

Happy Summer!

August Break #4

2011-08-08T01:23:00.005-05:00

female ruby throated hummingbird

I just adore these tiny birds.
They're among the most fascinating creatures on the planet.

My sister has dozens of hummingbirds at her feeders.

It's thrilling to sit on her porch and watch them buzz around, dive-bombing each other like kamikaze pilots.

Sometimes one will even become curious about you if you sit very still. It will fly around you to check you out for itself, flying so close you can feel the breeze created from its wings. That's always fun!

I always look forward to going to her house so I can sit and watch these magnificent creatures.

...and of course, take pictures.

I wish you could come sit on her porch too. It's amazing!

August Break #3

2011-08-04T16:23:00.003-05:00

Down on the farm....

August Break #2

2011-08-02T23:59:00.000-05:00

Something about the eyes is very hypnotic...

August Break #1

2011-08-01T23:59:00.001-05:00

My first photo for the August Break is of a garden pest, the Japanese beetle. He's pretty in his own way even though he's a pest. I love to take pictures of critters of all kinds as I find them fascinating. What I love about macro photography is the fact that we get to see things that are too small for the eye to see, giving us a glimpse of the fine details of tiny creatures, plants and other things that we cannot normally see.

Wondrous world we live in, isn't it?!

Cooling Off

2011-07-31T14:57:00.000-05:00

The heat has been just awful this year,
even up here in the mountains.

It never used to get this hot when I was a kid--at least I don't remember it being this hot. I'm glad we're in the mountains now where it's somewhat cooler than in the 'flatlands'.

Wherever you are, I hope you're staying cool.
We've been cooling off in the creek!

I've been taking pictures every day but haven't had enough time to edit them. Hopefully I will find some time. I want to post some good ones for the August Break.

This single butterfly wing came floating past while wading in the creek. I thought it was so poignant as did the boy. His reaction upon seeing it was one of sympathy for the butterfly, wondering what could have happened to it. I told him it could have been any number of things, from natural causes to a predator. It was a thought provoking sight.

I will leave you with some yummy raspberries in my sister's garden!

Happy summer!

I'm Participating in the August Break!

2011-07-27T14:24:00.001-05:00

I learned about a very cool photography challenge called the August Break from my friend Brandi Hussey. I learned about it over on my new Google+ stream where I have become a member and so has Brandi. Since I love photography, I thought it might be fun, so I'm going to give it a shot. You can read more about it on Susannah Conway's blog. It's a beautiful blog full of great tips, beautiful pictures, and other interesting tidbits. Why don't you join in the August Break too?!

We have been in the mountains now for about a week and a half. Time is flying by but I've managed to take over 1000 pictures so far. Granted, it takes me about 10-15 pictures sometimes to get a good shot, so the majority of my pictures are not as good as I want them to be. I've also started shooting in RAW and editing in Adobe Camera Raw and then Photoshop. I really like this option a lot as it gives you so much more control over your picture. I'm still learning to use my Nikon D3100 to get the best shot possible the first time, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. There's a lot to shoot here and I feel like I haven't even begun. I'd better get started!

Here is a sampling of what I've shot so far.

This hummingbird shot made it to #488 on Flickr's Explore page! Woohoo!

This is just a sampling. When I get more time to sit down and edit, there are a ton more where these came from!

Happy summer everyone!

Summer Sale!

2011-07-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

Just popping in to let you know
I'm having a
Summer Sale!!

20% Off All Items
in both my ArtFire
and Etsy shops.

I hope to see you there!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Summer!

Hot Fun in the Summertime!

2011-07-05T20:40:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone!
Summer's here and with it comes the heat,
the humidity,
and the ensuing storms.

The good side to that is that storms also make for beautiful sunsets!

My favorite flower has bloomed, the Star Gazer Lily.

And blueberries are in season!

Can't forget the summertime activities.

Lots of fun was had in the neighborhood
on the recent Fourth of July holiday.

Things are in full swing here for the summer.
Hopefully in a couple of more weeks, we will be in the mountains!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have added a few new items to both my ArtFire shop
and my Etsy shop.
The big difference between the two is the
Free Shipping in my ArtFire shop!

So come and have a peek!
Some items may have already sold, but feel free to look around.
You might find something you like!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great summer everyone!

Spring Sale at MsBelle!

2011-05-06T13:55:00.006-05:00

Mystic Green Amethyst Necklace

Take 20% off all items in my shop
by entering this coupon code:

Spring20

Enter your code in the appropriate box at checkout
and your discount will be figured into the
total prior to making your payment.

I have some new items listed like the
mystic green amethyst necklace above.

These pretty coin pearl earrings
are perfect for any occasion.

Green Onyx Earrings

Mystic Blue Quartz Earrings

I hope to see you there!

~~~~

Here's wishing every mother out there a
wonderful Mother's Day this weekend!

To the Sleeping Ladybug

2011-04-26T10:36:00.010-05:00

sorry...didn't mean to wake you up.

Life Gets Complicated

2011-04-11T10:49:00.009-05:00

Very confusing and complicated sometimes.

I know it's not just complicated for me. It is for you too. It is for all of us at times. As a result, I've been absent again without notice and I apologize. Life caught up with me and threw me some curve balls. It's been my main focus since Christmas, to the point it has been consuming me.

My Jeep died. :(
We are now a one car family. It's tough.

The boy was diagnosed with ADD (inattentive type) which is life changing to say the least.

As a result, we're making some changes which I will go into later.

He got a second place ribbon at his elementary school
science fair which qualified him to go to the
regional science fair at UNCC.

In front of his project at the UNCC Regional Science Fair.
We were so proud!

And his 3rd grade Hero Project was on Albert Einstein.
Here's his mobile made from paper clips and straws.

I love how it turned out!

Then there's the ongoing need for new shoes....

And somewhere along the line, spring happened!

Needless to say, jewelry has been the last thing on my mind. I do have a few new pieces in the shop and hopefully more will come as things calm down a bit here.

I'm loving my new camera, the Nikon D3100.
It has turned out to be a lot of fun!

I'm still learning how to use it and have a long way to go. But so far, I definitely recommend it.

As I said earlier, my main focus has been on the boy. I've been burying myself in research on ADD, how food effects ADD, alternative avenues of treatment, and running around to various appointments. A lot of time is spent helping the boy stay on task with his homework. It's all been sort of mind boggling.

In researching all this, I kept coming across some very interesting links about our processed food chain. I read many forums, comments, articles, etc., and watched videos on how processed food plays a part in ADD. But it's not just ADD. It plays a role in many other things, not the least of which are cancer and diabetes. Processed foods, artificial colors and dyes, as well as preservatives is more than likely adversely effecting our health. We seriously need to take steps to control what we eat. What I have learned so far has been enough to make me want to march on Washington! Since I can't realistically do that, I am instead voting with my wallet. We are now going to start buying organic, and purchase locally grown as much as possible. Processed foods will be few and far between in our house. At least that's my goal.

I strongly urge you to visit the links below, watch the videos and movies, research and read some things for yourselves, and educate yourself. Become a smart consumer. Read labels. Decide if you, too, need to make a change. We decided to. And if we all do, it will send a HUGE message to Washington that we aren't going to take it anymore.

If you eat, you truly need to watch this movie. It will change the way you see food forever.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

A video about our processed foods. You have to see this one too.

http://hartkeisonline.com/food-politics/the-unhealthy-truth-about-our-modern-processed-foods/

And this is eye opening to say the least.

http://ethosthemovie.com/

And the following links to a very good blog by a local Charlottean who has changed the way her family eats. This is about their journey. It's filled with terrific tips and recipes, some of which I have made myself. (and if you know me, you know I don't like to cook. But if I can do it, you can do it!)

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

So now that I have begun my journey into a new way of healthy eating, I'm feeling much better about things and about life in general. Things are looking up again. But this is just the beginning.

It will be baby steps at first , but I'll take it one day at a time. Things will be ok. Things will get better.

I'm doing it for me.

But I'm especially doing it for him.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T05:17:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

May your new year be filled with love,
laughter, and of course...jewelry!
Happy holidays everyone!

Holiday Sale!!

2010-11-24T02:50:00.001-05:00

Receive 15% off my entire Etsy shop
through November 29!!

Some items also include free shipping!

My entire Artfire Studio includes
15% off AND free shipping!!
In order to receive the discounted price,
you must enter this coupon code:
HOLIDAY15
The discount will then be automatically
calculated at checkout.

The sale runs through Black Friday and
on into Cyber Monday too.
I hope to see you there!

~~~~~~
I hope everyone in the U.S. has a wonderful
Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.

I'm looking forward to watching
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
while visiting family.

I suppose I'll be stuffing myself silly
like the turkey I'll be eating!

And oh my, the desserts...pecan pie, pumpkin pie,
pumpkin cheesecake, fresh apple cake...
I can't wait!!

Happy holidays everyone!

Do You Know How to Properly Store Your Cats?!

2010-11-13T14:41:00.001-05:00

I saw this on "The Daily Tail" blog and
had to share it with you all!

photo courtesy of The Daily Tail

You have to visit the blog to see the more pictures
of how you can properly store
and organize your cats too!
Hilarious!

A Most Decadent Jewelry Giveaway!

2010-11-10T13:56:00.001-05:00

CAUTION:

Gorgeous jewelry photos are posted here.
You might want to sit down.

~~~~~

Do you adore jewelry dripping with luxurious gemstones?

Do you want to feel like a princess?

Does decadent jewelry make you drool helplessly?

If you answered yes to any of the above,

then you HAVE to enter this giveaway!

Holly of Bijoux d’Odalisque on Etsy (and my team 'captain' of the newly re-established Luxe Gemstones Etsy Team), is having a giveaway on the Belle de Couture blog.

The winner will walk away with THIS:

{This is a red topaz concave faceted oval briolette with a handmade wire wrapped bail. It weighs 28.4 Carats and is absolutely flawless. It hangs from a delicate, gold fill chain that has two tiny faceted red corundum rondelles hand linked near the toggle clasp. The chain is 17.5 inches long. The red topaz pendnat measures slightly over one inch long (including the bail). Retail Value = $298.00}

But don't bother entering because

I'M GOING TO WIN IT!

(I should be so lucky)

Hurry on over to the Belle de Couture blog and enter!

Etsy Front Page!

2010-11-09T01:57:00.003-05:00

To my surprise and delight, a treasury in which I was featured
appeared on the front page of Etsy this evening (Nov. 8)!

I am grateful to StudioSeventyFive
for including me in such a gorgeous treasury.

Thank you so much!

~~~~~

Don't forget to visit my ArtFire Studio where you can receive 10% off
your order of $30 or more by entering the listed coupon code!

This offer will end November 29, Cyber Monday,
so drop by and visit soon!

See you there!

ArtFire Studio Reopening and Coupon!

2010-11-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

I have reopened my ArtFire Studio!

To celebrate, I am offering 10% off all orders of $30 or more
now through November 29 (Cyber Monday).
Use coupon code MB-10.

I hope to see you there!

Tonight's Sunset, Nov. 5, 2010

2010-11-05T18:33:00.003-05:00

originally uploaded by msbellee.

I just love a good sunset. :)

Colors Make Me Smile

2010-11-03T11:27:00.011-05:00

This week, the talented ladies of the Etsy's Best Kept Secret team are posting on their blogs about how color influences their work. I have to admit, for me personally, the colors found in gemstone and pearl jewelry just can't help but make me smile. The world is so diverse with its color palette, it boggles the mind with the possibilities. But rather than use a variety of colors in my jewelry, my use of color is usually based on the stone sitting in front of me and what I or someone else might wear it with. Basically, wardrobe has the most influence on the colors I choose to use in my pieces.

Take for instance the earrings above. When I make a piece of jewelry, I look at the color of the stone first and try to envision what someone might wear it with, how many different styles it will work with. My jewelry tends to be more simplistic and classic. I try to create pieces that can be worn with a variety of things and in various settings. The soft aqua in the chalcedony earrings is a beautiful pastel shade and the style of earring lends itself to coordinate with office attire, weddings, or an evening out at your favorite restaurant. I might not wear them to work out in, but they are versatile and that's what I try to create.

The deep blue in this kyanite necklace is a rich, royal blue. The style of the necklace is more on the casual side, yet this could be worn with jeans and a blazer or a little black dress. The color of the stone goes with just about anything and the mixed metals allows the wearer to choose either gold or silver earrings. I love mixing metals for that reason. It opens the door to choosing the color of metal one wants to wear to make the outfit different each time.

My jewelry usually uses more monotones or I try to use shades from a single tone as opposed to putting a variety of colors into one piece. In my own life, that's what I tend to wear so usually that's what I end up making.

I will occasionally add accents of color into a piece, but I'm usually hesitant to, thinking that might limit how often and with what the piece can be worn rather than a piece of a single color being worn with a multitude of things.

My use of color is based more on what the stones might coordinate with in someone's closet. I'd rather have a piece of jewelry I can to wear a lot and not be limited in its wearability.

There are occasions when I do want something special, something that reflects a particular style I might not wear every day. Sometimes I want something that stands out or that goes great with a special outfit. Something like this.

The pink amethyst enhancer can be removed from the pearl strand and worn with a chain, giving the piece an entirely different personality. As it is in the picture, the combination of the pearls along with the shape and color of the stone suggest this would be perfect for a wedding. But on a chain it could be worn with a black leather jacket, worn over a sweater, or worn with a lace camisole and a suit to the office. Just because it's pink and is a pearl enhancer doesn't mean you have to save it for a wedding.

And speaking of pearls, why do most people think pearls are for special occasions? Pearls are one of the most versatile things you can own. They come in so many different colors giving you endless possibilities for creating with them as well.

When hearing the word 'pearls', most people think of the traditional white strand of pearls. But that's just not true anymore....

Pearls offer a huge variety of options not only in color, but in form as well. (Forgive me for getting somewhat off topic, but pearls are just one of those things that I wish people would be more open to wearing every day. They deserve it!)

We are all different in the styles we wear and the jewelry we choose. For many, jewelry reflects mood and personality. It also reflects lifestyle in some cases. I hope I can create jewelry that reflects simple elegance and can be worn often, not being restricted to just wearing it with one thing.

Color adds beauty to our lives. The colors found in gemstone and pearl jewelry can bring a smile to someone's day when they get a compliment on their piece. "Oh where did you get those earrings?! The color is so beautiful!" I know I smile when I get a compliment. And I hope my customers do too!

See what the other members are saying about color! Brandi of CatiesBlue writes here about it. Visit the team blog to find the links to our members' blogs where you can learn more!

See what the other team members say about how color influences their work:
Brandi from Caties Blue
Anna-Karin from Black Daisy Designs
Jo from gemheaven
Joanne from JoJoBell Katja from Katja Adams Designs

Barney's Famous!! ;)

2010-10-20T11:05:00.007-05:00

My wonderful Barney has been featured as
the Etsy Pet over on the Lillyella blog.
He'd love for your all to come and meet him!

He sends you all some
big, slobbery doggy kisses!

XOXO

I'm Back! And Introducing Etsy's Best Kept Secrets

2010-10-15T19:46:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! I've finally returned from my blogging hiatus. (It's about time, huh? If you know me at all, you realize this is nothing new!) I hope you have all been well and enjoyed your summer.

The boy and I spent our summer in the mountains at my mother's. We had a great time but it went by way too fast.

Summer is now gone and it's finally beginning to feel like autumn (I thought it would never cool off). Before you know it, Christmas will be here and it will be a new year. Time just flies....

~~~~~

I have some new pieces in my shop I'd like to share with you as well as news about a new team I have joined. (I'm very excited to be a member!) First I'd like to show you what I have made recently.

Tourmalinated quartz and garnet necklace.

Pink amethyst circle earrings.

Amethyst and dotted circle necklace.

Garnet and hammered oval earrings.

Green onyx necklace.

Rhodolite garnet circle necklace.

More new pieces will be coming. I have some lovely pearls to knot for necklaces. It's been a while since I knotted. Everyone needs a classic pearl necklace. Look for some here and in the shop soon!

~~~~~~

The Secret is Out!

I'm excited to tell you about a blog that was recently created this fall by our new team called Etsy's Best Kept Secrets. We will be featuring all forms of creative media, not just jewelry, and not simply our own work. Our group was born in spring 2010 out of a passion for art and all things creative. I hope you will come visit and follow us. New things appear there all the time. Remember, Christmas is right around the corner. You might find something there that would make the perfect gift!

Featured Artist on Crown Town Handmade!

2010-06-04T15:39:00.007-05:00

Crown Town Handmade has featured me on their blog as their first Artist Spotlight!

Thank you so much! I'm so honored and feel so fortunate to be included in a group of such wonderfully talented artists.

Crown Town Handmade is a group of crafty and vintage entrepreneurs in and around the Charlotte, NC area. We develop our online businesses together, craft with one another, and inspire a DIY spirit in our community.

Below are the members of our group and a link to each member's site. Please stop by and visit them all!

Thank you again Crown Town!

~~~~~

until next time....

Show Me Your Twirlies!!

2010-06-03T14:01:00.002-05:00

Wanna be a model?

Here's your chance!!

I would love to see pictures of you wearing my Twirly Slide earrings. Everyone who sends me their best modeled shot will receive 10% off their next purchase in my shop!

Just contact me via Etsy convo if you have a picture.
I will send you my email so you can send me a picture!

I know there are a lot of Twirly Slide earrings out there, so come on! Send them in!

Thanks! I can't wait to see your pics!

until next time....

Enlightened on Etsy Front Page

2010-06-03T08:33:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I had the honor of having a treasury
I curated appear on the front page of Etsy.

I was so thrilled and happy for each of the sellers represented here.

The shops represented in this treasury are all so deserving of your attention. Each of them have such unique and beautiful things. So please visit them and see for yourself.

Alexandra Grecco

Sparkle Thots

Maisy and Alice

Elegant Rose Boutique

I hope you find something you just can't live without!

Have a great day!

(pics to come of a day on the lake from this past holiday weekend)

until next time....

Free Shipping Weekend!

2010-05-27T23:35:00.011-05:00

Free shipping through Memorial Day weekend
ending Monday night at midnight!
~~~~~~~~~

Stop by my shop and check out some of these
new pieces I have just recently added!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day!

I will be off to my mountains. Yay!

Until next time....

Giveaway Winners Announced

2010-04-30T18:34:00.027-05:00

The winners have been announced for the Daily Joy blog giveaway.
Congratulations to Amber G, Katelyne S, and Jennifer P!
Way to go ladies!

Thank you to everyone who entered.
I hope you all stop by my shop sometime!

~~~~~~~~~~

I just wanted to leave you with a picture of
a custom order I finished yesterday.

The set consists of my Sister Moon hand textured disc earrings and a matching necklace adorned with a labradorite briolette. I like these a lot and plan on bringing them back to the shop. The original necklace did not use a stone, but I like it both ways. And I believe I will offer two different sizes of discs for the necklace. I'll use both the smaller size as in the earrings as well as the larger size in the original necklace.

I love astronomy and have always been fascinated by the moon. I've spent countless nights gazing at it. These are my interpretation of our sister moon. I hope you like them too.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Until next time....

Spring, New Items, and a Giveaway!

2010-04-24T19:04:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy spring so far (and a hot one too). It cooled off a bit today and we're having a little rain so hopefully that will wash some of the pollen out of the air. It's been absolutely terrible.

The pollen is all over everything, even that little ladybug in the picture above, and it's everywhere you look. I've been sneezing, have watery eyes, feel itchy all over. This is the only thing I don't like about spring. Other than the allergies, it's my favorite time of year with all its gorgeous blossoms. I love how everything turns green and comes to life once again.

The boy is enjoying the season too.

He got a new wave board that he's really pretty good at,
better than his regular skateboard.

And he's not been as bothered by the pollen.

It's not nearly as bad since he's been having allergy shots!

I'd say it's been a good spring so far.

~~~~~

New Items in My Shop

I also wanted let you know I have added
a few new pieces to my shop.

Rhodochrosite Briolette Earrings in 14k Goldfill

Green Kyanite Briolette Earrings in Oxidized Sterling & 14k Goldfill

Green Kyanite Necklace in Oxidized Sterling & 14k Goldfill

And these two pairs of earrings are coming soon.

Black Rutile Quartz Briolette Earrings in Sterling

Green Rutile Quartz Briolette Earrings in Sterling

Look for them in my shop soon!

~~~~~

Get in on the
GIVEAWAY!!

Head on over to the Daily Joy blog
and get in on the new giveaway!!

Three pairs of Twirly Slide Earrings will be given away!
The winners have their choice of sterling silver or
14k Goldfill. Find all the details here.

These are such fun earrings and would make a great gift.
So what are you waiting for? Go!

Good luck to everyone who enters!

~~~~~

Last, I want to share with you some other pieces.
(Then I promise I'll hush!)

A cute pair of mini Twirly Slide earrings
using petite peridot briolelttes.

I just loved these.
They're on their way to England!

And these earrings were a special customer request.

Beautiful crystal quartz in a lovely puff diamond shape.

Pretty enough for a bride.

I frequently create custom orders, so if you have a piece of
jewelry you'd like to have made, don't hesitate to give me a shout!

~~~~~~

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Until next time....

The Morning of the Shoes

2010-04-13T07:51:00.009-05:00

While getting the boy's shoes tied this morning...

Me: "Are they too tight?"

K: "They're fine."

He stands up and says, "They're too tight."

So I retied them, loosening them a bit.

Me: "Are they OK now?"

He shakes his head yes, stands up and says,
"They're too loose."

So I retied them again.

Me: "How are they now?"

K: "They're too tight."

We went with a different pair of shoes.... :\

Spring Break!!

2010-04-02T16:56:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to pop in a wish everyone a Happy Easter this weekend. We will be heading to the beautiful North Carolina mountains tomorrow to spend spring break there. We'll be able to escape a lot of this unseasonably warm weather we're having, at least for a little while.

I took a picture of this little white clover I picked from the yard. Even though they're considered weeds, I still think they're pretty. Upon close observation, it's really a beautiful little flower with interesting petals. And the fragrance is so very sweet! It never fails to take me back to my childhood...lying in the grass looking up at sky with the sweet smell of clover all around me. It's a happy memory. :)

I hope you all have a glorious weekend and that you all make some happy memories.

Until next time....Happy Spring Break!

And the Winner Is....

2010-03-26T11:14:00.002-05:00

We have a winner in the Kate and Oli Blog Giveaway! Angela Vaughan of Texas has won the green amethyst necklace!! Congratulations Angela! Your necklace will be on its way to you shortly. :)

I would like to thank everyone who entered the contest and extend a very big welcome to all my new blog followers and Facebook fans!! I appreciate you all so very much!

~~~~~

I will leave you with this picture of my best fur friend, Barney. He's always next to me when I photograph my jewelry. This is a typical position for him.

Happy Furry Friday everyone!
Hope you all have a great weekend.

Until next time....

MsBelle In "Jewelry Affaire" Premier Issue!

2010-03-24T11:24:00.006-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce that my "Twirly Slide" earrings are featured in the upcoming premier issue of Jewelry Affaire magazine, a new publication of Stampington & Company!

I'm excited beyond words and so very honored!

Look for it on newsstands in April.

I received my copy in the mail yesterday and was thrilled to see how beautifully they had been displayed and photographed. The entire magazine is filled with gorgeous pieces and wonderful photography. You'll have to check it out!

Thank you so very much to everyone at Jewelry Affaire Magazine! I'm eternally grateful!

~~~~~~~~

I hope everyone is enjoying spring so far. Easter will soon be upon us (as will the Cadbury Creme eggs!) and it will be time for coloring eggs. (I wonder at what age kids stop coloring eggs?) Mine is looking forward to it!

That's it for now. I hope you all have a great day!

Until next time....

Kate and Oli Blog Feature Plus a Giveaway!

2010-03-19T11:07:00.002-05:00

I'm very pleased to announce I was featured on the Kate and Oli blog today!! Also, I'm participating in a giveaway over there so make sure you visit to get all the details!!

Thank you so very much to Kate and Oli. I am so very honored you chose my shop to be featured on your beautiful blog!

A Lovely Day

2010-03-17T00:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was such a lovely day for so many different reasons.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the birds were singing all their happy, springtime songs. Even though it was a bit chilly, their chirping made me smile.

I had a nice conversation with my mother on the phone and she never fails to make me laugh. Thanks Mom!! You're the best! I love you! :D

Then I learned my 18k gold hoop earrings had been featured on this gorgeous blog by Lillyella.

Isn't it a beautiful collection?
Thank you so much Lillyella. I was thrilled!

~~~~

After I picked up the boy from school, we went for his allergy shot (which by the way is going well. Not seeing any big results yet, but he's on his way). When he had done all his homework, we then took a little trip with Barney to get some dog food at Petco. Barney loves going to Petco. He always has a wonderful time there seeing all the people and making new friends. He always gets petted and gets his belly rubbed. He's such a sweet boy.

He paraded through the store with his head held high and his tail just wagging. He had a smile on his face the entire time!

And finally, (no, I didn't win the lottery. The Powerball isn't until Wednesday night!), my boy gave me the biggest hug for no reason whatsoever! I just love him. :)

It was a lovely day. I think spring has something to do with it. It just makes everybody and everything seem a little better.

I hope you all have a great day today. Don't forget to wear green! It's St. Patrick's Day! You don't want to get pinched! ;)

Until next time....

Blog Feature and New Items

2010-03-05T15:25:00.008-05:00

Today I discovered that my large 18k hoops were featured on this beautiful blog by photographer Julie Magers Soulen.

Thank you so much Julie!
I really appreciate being included in your Friday Features!

Julie is a very talented photographer. I love her Etsy shop. It's filled with spectacular photographs just ready to be framed and hung on your wall. Go check it out!

~~~~~

New Items Coming!

For most of the month of February I battled a pretty rough sinus infection. I finally kicked it only to have Kevin come down with it (as well as ear infections in both ears). Thank goodness for Amoxicillin for both of us!

Needless to say, I didn't get very many new pieces listed in my Etsy shop as a result of being sick, but I have some new items coming to my shop in the near future. Here's a sneak peek for you!

(top left) Kyanite briolette and hammered disc necklace;

(top right) Pink mystic topaz briolette and textured disc necklace;
(bottom left) Smoky quartz baguette necklace in sterling;
(bottom right) Labradorite smooth briolette necklace in oxidized sterling.

Moss aquamarine onion briolette necklace and earrings in goldfill

(top left)Lemon quartz marquise briolette earrings in sterling;
(bottm left) Purple hydrothermal quartz marquise earrings in goldfill;
(right) Lemon topaz twisted spiral briolette earrings in sterling.

(top left) Blue hydrothermal quartz briolette earrings in goldfill;
(top right) Lemon topaz briolette earrings in sterling;
(bottom left) Citrine twisted spiral earrings in sterling;
(bottom right) Amethyst briolette earrings in oxidized sterling.

And already in my shop are these beautiful prehnite onion briolette earrings and necklace.
They're just waiting for their new owner!

They're not being sold as a set but are separate listings. I really do hope they will be purchased together though since they're such beautifully matched briolettes.

~~~~~

That's it for now. I hope everyone is staying warm and that the spring thaws begin soon for all of us!

I'll leave you with my little Olympian on the ice!

After watching Apolo Ohno skate in the Olympics, he just had to try ice skating. He's really enjoying it!

Until next time....

On Being Ripped Off

2010-02-03T02:24:00.012-05:00

On Tuesday I learned that pictures and descriptions of my jewelry as well as other Etsy artists' jewelry were being used on some other selling sites without our consent, permission, authorization or anything else. What a shocker! None of us had any idea we were being ripped off in such a way nor did we have any relationship whatsoever with the companies in question.

Turns out these websites all claimed to sell hand made artisan products. That could not have been further from the truth in our cases.

Here's what is stated on that site:

"...a marketplace from a merchant adventurer who partners with small, independent producers for unique and original items."

He's an adventurer all right! But there was absolutely no partnership between him and the Etsy sellers he ripped off!

Another of his sites says this:

"All of our items are made by hand, unique and original items. As partners with international producers, we offer a direct marketplace to you with the service, satisfaction, trust and security you deserve."

HA! I suppose they have someone somewhere in the world recreating OUR items while using OUR pictures AND descriptions! It's ludicrous!! Oh, but it gets better! What really baffled me was that the Sundance Catalog, Robert Redford's company, was being ripped off by these guys too! Can you believe the nerve of some people???

This abhorrent spectacle was transformed by means of this Etsy forum thread which ended up having some excellent detective work going on. The Etsy community pulled together to find out who was behind these sites, what websites were involved, and who on Etsy was being taken advantage of in this way. Tweets were sent about this on Twitter for all Etsy sellers to check these sites for their own pictures. Facebook page statuses were updated with the same info; the entire Etsy community spread the word!

Now keep in mind, these companies did not have any of our actual items as they are not resellers whom we have sold to. They did not ask us for use of our content. How then did they have our items ready to ship if someone purchased OUR items from THEIR sites? Can't you just see a sweat shop somewhere trying to replicate our designs? Plus, they were selling them for MUCH lower than any of us could ever make the items for, but in no way did we consent to them using our pics or descriptions. It was blatant theft.

I took some screen shots of my own work used on their sites as proof and examples of what was found there. My items have now all been taken off their sites as far as I'm aware, thank God.

Here is a link to MY legitimate item found on Etsy in MY shop. Also, here is the original picture uploaded to my Flickr back in 2008 when I initially created them for sale.

So we called their customer service numbers only to find they had been disconnected. We emailed their customer service addresses stating we were on to them and they needed to remove all items that were used without consent. We told them they were infringing on our digital copyrights. I finally found a live chat on one site and proceeded to tell them to remove any and all of my items that had been used without permission. In the end, they finally removed my items from all three of their sites. As far as I can tell, they removed the other most if not all items from the other artists as well. At least I think they did. Sundance I'm not so sure about.

This article was also written about what transpired today.

You can read another take on the day here courtesy of the Etsy seller who was the first to learn about all this. To Bridget of Organikx, we thank you! If you had not started the now closed forum thread, who knows how long it would have gone on? Who knows how much money these people made by using OUR pictures as well as our verbiage? And who knows how many more sites are out there using Etsy sellers' pictures, descriptions, etc., without our permission?

I'm sure of one thing. I'm going to begin work on watermarking all my photos. I may never again make the Etsy front page as a result, but that's ok. At least my pictures can't be stolen as easily.

It's not like I even make that much jewelry, but what I do make is MINE! I do the work. I write the descriptions. I take the pictures. Did they not think they would be found out? Seems like a really bad business practice to steal pictures and verbiage from little people like us who do all the work. I have but one thing to say to these people: KARMA.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever been ripped off like this?

I've ranted enough for one day. And whew, what a day!

Until next time....

Custom Orders Accepted!

2010-02-01T00:14:00.008-05:00

I wanted to pop in and share with you a custom order necklace and earring set I just completed.

Cognac quartz briolette set - Commission, originally uploaded by msbellee.

The necklace in the set consists of a AAA quality cognac quartz briolette adorned with a cluster of petro tourmaline rondelles in shades of brown, rust and greenish gold. All the metal was oxidized sterling silver which was highlighted. The total length is 24 inches with an additional 2 inch extender.

This turned out to be one of my favorite creations to date.

I receive many requests for custom orders. Often times customers have a good idea of what they are looking for, but sometimes they only know what color they like and if they want silver or gold. It's always a challenge helping the customer come up with just the right creation from their ideas, their likes and dislikes. It's equally rewarding when their creation is finished and it turns out as lovely as they had imagined.

I truly fell in love with this set once it was completed. The necklace is bold and makes a statement, yet is elegant and feminine at the same time. The earrings are just as lovely as well and also consist of AAA quality stones. They can be worn separate from the necklace and are quite versatile in their neutral coloring.

As I have more matching stones to both the necklace and earring briolettes, I foresee another set in the future. Of course, the next one will have to be different. Perhaps done in gold or maybe given a completely dark patina. Who knows? There are lots of possibilities!

If you are ever in need of a piece of jewelry for yourself (or a gift), please do drop me a line and I will try to help come up with something just for you. Custom orders are definitely accepted!

Have a great week everyone!

Until next time....

Our Big Snow...NOT

2010-01-30T18:28:00.002-05:00

All week long we heard about the snow that was coming. The news stations said to get prepared for it, that we would have some for sure. As always, I said I'd believe it when I saw it. I have this theory that there's a big bubble of hot, polluted air around Charlotte that prevents any snow from reaching us. That's just my opinion. But it seems like everybody else gets snow but us.

So here's what the big snow looked like at our house.

Not really enough to measure. That was really sad too as Kevin had asked me last night before he went to bed if he could go out and play in the snow today. I told him yes, certainly he could, but not to get his hopes up because there might not be enough to play in. Turned out there really wasn't enough. You couldn't even make a snowball. It was too crunchy and hard from the freezing rain and sleet that had also fallen. He was a bit disappointed.

He became really cold, really quick! Even though he had on 2 layers, a face mask and ski goggles, waterproof boots, gloves, hat, and hood, it was only 23 degrees out there and he's just not used to that. It's just no fun.

Oh well. There's always March. Some of our biggest snows have come in March. I remember well the blizzard of 1993. Charlotte got a TON of snow!! It was awesome! We can always hope!

~~~~

And now to jewelry news....

My garnet and circle earrings hit the front page of Etsy today in a beautiful treasury!

Thank you so much to CaitlinSainio of Etsy for including me! I really appreciate it!

~~~~

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Until next time....stay warm!

Blog Feature

2010-01-17T16:07:00.003-05:00

Today I was thrilled to learn the wonderfully talented and successful Lara Lewis of Etsy had chosen to feature me on her blog. She makes gorgeous jewelry herself, therefore I was quite honored to be one of her favorites!

Thank you so much Lara! I really appreciate it!

Eight Years Ago...

2010-01-11T10:31:00.008-05:00

...something happened that would
forever change my life...

...for the better.

My son was born.

Even though he came early and was
the smallest thing I'd ever seen,
he was beautiful.
He was perfect.

I had never changed a diaper before in my life.
I'd only ever held a baby once.
I had only ever had dogs and had
no clue what to do with a baby.

But he grew. And he learned to walk.

He learned to climb trees.

He learned to blow bubbles.

He got teeth and lost teeth.

He conquered a bicycle.

He conquered roller blades.

I was so scared I would screw everything up.

But I think he's turning out just fine.

Thank you to all my family and friends
for your help and support.
You have helped him
in becoming a little man.

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!
You're the best thing that ever happened to me.

I love you!

I just dread when it's time for a real car.

~~~~~~

Happy Furry Friday!

2010-01-08T13:10:00.001-05:00

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Stay warm!

Starting the Year Off Right

2010-01-06T11:17:00.017-05:00

As many of you know, when Kevin hit kindergarten he began getting sick with an almost constant runny/stuffy nose in addition to lots of sinus and ear infections. It was so bad that he missed practically half of his kindergarten year being sick. I took him to Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat to have him checked and allergy tested. When the allergy tests came back negative, I was left totally frustrated and confused.

They performed a CT scan of his sinuses and it was determined he had a chronic sinus infection. Apparently they had been infected for months! Poor thing. The doctor wanted to do surgery to scrape his sinuses. NO. FRIKKIN. WAY. So we were left treating the symptoms for his 'nonallergic rhinitis' via a regimen of Singulair, Zyrtec and either FloNase or Veramyst nasal spray. He's been on that cocktail since kindergarten. Not only is it expensive, but I was convinced it was useless as it didn't seem to change much about his symptoms. He still got sinus and ear infections. He was still runny and stuffy all the time. And he still always sounded sick. That has continued through first grade up to the present with his symptoms letting up only slightly. I just knew he was allergic to something. I just knew he was.

Well, I finally got smart and decided it was time to take him for a second opinion, this time to a different group of doctors who specialize more in allergies as opposed to eye, ear, nose and throat specialists. Sooooo glad I did and now I could just kick myself that I waited so long!

Latest allergy tests showing positive reactions!

This past Monday we went to Carolina Asthma and Allergy (CAA) for re-testing. I never stopped suspecting he had allergies contrary to testing negative with the first group, Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat (CEENT). CEENT's testing was not nearly as thorough as CAA's was on Monday. CAA tested for 56 things and Kevin showed a positive result for at least 12! At CEENT he was only tested for 16 things and they all were negative, hence the diagnosis of nonallergic rhinitis. It's such a relief to know there is a light at the end of this stuffy, runny tunnel!

I can't believe I waited so long to get a second opinion. Poor Kevin has been taking his cocktail of meds for two years or so and to not much good. As a result of his appointment on Monday, he no longer has to take Singulair and we can cut his Zyrtec use to 'as needed'. A nasal spray is still being prescribed; however it is now generic FloNase instead of the expensive Veramyst. What a money savings! We're so happy!

When I watched the test results popping up red on Kevin's back I felt so vindicated and was thrilled! I told Kevin "I told you so! I knew you had allergies!" It's hard to imagine being ecstatic your child has allergies, but I'm sure you can understand why. Now we know the underlying cause for his issues of the past two years. Kevin and I did a high five and I felt like a 100 pound weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Grasses and weeds are his main irritants which are most prevalent in spring and fall. It was so obvious to me watching him get sick during those times of year and so frustrating having someone tell me he wasn't allergic.

I definitely feel the year is starting off on the right foot. His allergy shots begin in two weeks and maybe eventually the boy will no longer sound sick nor will he be stuffed up all the time. I can't wait for that day and neither can he.

So if you have any doubts whatsoever about a diagnosis you are not comfortable with, don't just live with it. Don't hesitate as I did. Go get yourself a second opinion--ASAP! It could save you lots of money in the long run as well as give you peace of mind that you have covered all your bases regarding treatment options and diagnostic abilities. I have no doubt that had I not waited, Kevin and I both would have been breathing much easier long before now.

Until next time! Happy Wednesday to you all!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T21:08:00.010-05:00

Here's wishing you all a truly blessed 2010!

See you next year!

From Me to You...

2009-12-24T14:37:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas!

MsBelle Featured on Charlotte Women's Style Examiner!

2009-12-23T20:00:00.006-05:00

I was thrilled to be featured on Charlotte Women's Style Examiner to represent shopping locally in Charlotte.

Thank you so very much! I'm quite honored!

~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope everyone out there is ready for Christmas! As always, I wait until the last minute and catch sales wherever I can. It's almost a tradition now, I'm so slow in getting things together. But I did save some money which is a good thing! Now I just have a few more packages to wrap and then everything will be good to go for Santa to come down the chimney. Kevin's getting so excited. He can't wait for Christmas morning!

May you all have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year (if I don't pop back in before 2010)!

Until next time...or next year!!

Last Sale of the Year!

2009-12-11T00:33:00.013-05:00

Well, Christmas is almost here folks! Another year has flown by and I don't know where it went! I haven't even begun my gift shopping yet so I'll be scrambling for presents when I do find the time to get it done. But for all of you who are smart and are purchasing gifts now...I'm having a sale!

Free **WORLDWIDE** shipping
plus 15% off all items
now through Sunday,
December 13th.
(Sale ends at midnight Eastern time.)

I also have some new items coming to the shop over the weekend so keep an eye out. Here's a sneak peek at what will be coming.

This is just a portion of what I hope to get listed this weekend (if my eyes will let me!).

Take care everyone! I hope to see you in the shop. Come grab some deals while you can!

Until next time....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Update 12/11/09

I changed the free shipping offer to include worldwide shipping instead of only in the U.S.!

Thanks!

One Day Sale Plus Indie Icing Feature!

2009-11-30T10:22:00.006-05:00

This morning I was honored to find my amethyst rondelle necklace featured on the IndieIcing,com blog in their Mini Monday article! Thank you so much to IndieIcing for choosing me to be a part of your feature! It is greatly appreciated!

PLUS...

For today only, Cyber Monday, I have discounted a select group of items at 25% off their regular price! And today is also the last day for Free Worldwide Shipping on all items in my shop, so hurry in now for some really great savings on these beautiful pieces! (Items in reduced section cannot be combined with any other discount or coupon.)

(Don't forget to become a Facebook Fan and enter your code upon checkout for the discount on all other regularly priced items!)

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Happy Cyber Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving! The Sale is On!

2009-11-26T12:45:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Holiday Sale is on! I have now changed all the items in my Etsy shop to reflect ZERO SHIPPING! An additional 15% savings for all my Facebook fans. Come join me on Facebook and enter the special code you can find there to receive your discount!

Many blessings to you and yours during this wonderful holiday season!

I'm Back! And I'm Having a Sale!

2009-11-25T00:37:00.004-05:00

I'm such a bad blogger. Such a very bad blogger. Do forgive my absence of the last few months. I've been busy with life since having gotten back from the mountains this past summer. There has been a lot of homework helping, trips to the library to check out tons of books for the boy (Kevin's on the honor roll and is the top reader in his class!), play dates to the park, Spirit Nights at Cici's Pizza and Chick Fil A, and just plain ol' being with my family. Tuesday night is always spent with NCIS. You'll always find us there at 8:00 PM watching Dinozzo getting his head snacked. Wednesdays it's GhostHunters and Friday is Smallville. (Boy, did you see Lois and Clark last week?! Steamy!) But I promise I will try to get back to my blog regularly. I know. You're all thinking "Yeah, right. Heard that one before." Well, maybe this time it'll happen!

OK. Now on to my news....

I'm having a holiday sale!

Beginning Black Friday, November 27th through Cyber Monday, November 30th, I am offering free worldwide shipping in my Etsy shop! All items will already be set to zero shipping for your convenience.

Above is pictured some new work just recently added to my shop. This is just a sampling of what you will find at MsBelle. The perfect gemstone gift may just be waiting for you there! And if you fan me on Facebook you'll receive an additional surprise this weekend! A little something extra just for my Facebook Fans. So if you're not already a fan, come on over and join me! Then let the shopping begin!

I hope everyone has a glorious Thanksgiving feast on Thursday! We'll be heading for the mountains Wednesday to be with our gang in Ashe County. May you all be safe and have a blessed holiday!

Until next time! Happy shopping!

The Last Few Lazy Days of Summer

2009-08-18T12:48:00.007-05:00

Hi all! I hope everyone has had a great summer. We've been busy here in the mountains. That's why I haven't made many appearances since we arrived here. Now we only have one week left as Kevin goes back to school next week. My goodness, how time has just flown by!

The pretty peridot necklace above is just perfect for the August baby. It actually made the front page of Etsy a few days ago and I was just thrilled! I still have a few briolettes left and can make a few more of these but not very many. It's a lovely petite necklace that would be a great layering piece. I love the rich green color of the stone too.

I made this beautiful coin pearl set for a dear friend's future daughter-in-law. I was so honored and very happy to make it and it turned out so lovely.

I also made the following three necklaces as custom orders just recently.

Smooth labradorite pendant

Rose quartz rondelle necklace

Smooth labradorite briolette necklace
with texture circle link

I've had several custom orders and have a few more in the works. If you need anything created, have an idea for something you'd like, I'd be happy to discuss a piece for you too!

Well, I'll catch you later. It's back to summer for us while we can!

Until next time....

Chosen as the Delight of the Day!

2009-07-29T15:34:00.004-05:00

How wonderful to find that my earrings were chosen as the "Delight of the Day" on CraftNouveau.com!

Thank you so much CraftNouveau! I'm so honored!

Creative Loafing Charlotte Blog Feature!

2009-07-08T12:06:00.009-05:00

Today I was featured on Creative Loafing Charlotte's blog in their shopping section called "Klepto".

How awesome is that? You can read the blog post here.

Thanks so much to Creative Loafing Charlotte and Samantha Webster, author of the article. I'm so very honored and grateful!

~~~~~

I'll catch up very soon with what's been happening since I have been in the mountains!

Until then, I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Suddenly Summer

2009-06-30T18:10:00.009-05:00

Summer is here in all its hot, humid glory. Yesterday morning Kevin and I went to the park with friends before it got to unbearably hot. We encountered lots of cool things!

Pollywogs

(aka tadpoles)

Red dragonflies

I have since learned the red ones are the male of the species Celithemis elisa - Calico Pennant

hundreds of tiny toads (or are they frogs?)

You had to watch your step, they were everywhere along the edge of the lake!

and the kids had a lot of fun

Such a lovely day.

~~~~~

Last week was Kevin's scout camp. He had great fun and it was such a pretty place.

The camp had a medieval theme complete with knights, swords, shields, etc.

Kevin made his own shield

and had a sword fight!

(not real swords of course)

He liked the slingshot

and the BB guns

They did some fishing

and when it got too hot, there were popsicles

He had a great time! Definitely a memorable experience.
I hope he gets to do it again next year too.

~~~~~

We'll be making our way to the mountains later in the week. It takes a couple of days for me to get things ready and packed. But hopefully we'll be there by the 4th of July!

I'll write again when I can!
Hope everyone has a fantastic summer!

Until next time....

Epheriell Designs Blog Feature

2009-06-20T23:27:00.012-05:00

I'm so very flattered that my citrine dolphin briolette earrings were featured on a lovely blog.

Every Sunday Epheriell Designs' blog features 5 fab Etsy finds in her Superb Sundays post. I was very honored she chose my earrings for this Sunday! Thank you so very much for making me one of your fab 5!

So go check out her blog! It's full of wonderful Etsy finds as well as her own beautiful jewelry! I think you'll like it!

~~~~

Tessa has made a return to my shop after a very long absence.

These are some of my favorite earrings. I love filigree as well as amethyst, and together it's a combination you don't want to miss!

~~~~~

That's it for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and a great week ahead!

Until next time....

Gems!

2009-06-15T22:27:00.006-05:00

My local bead shop, Beadlush, had a very welcome visitor over the weekend. His name is Arun Shah of Bollywood Beads and he brought all his goodies for a trunk show! It was great to see him, and delightful to see his pretty beads!

There were all shapes and sizes, colors and cuts.

Loads of rondelles

Huge briolettes

and these massive onions!

Never seen any that big before

Kevin even had a great time

He loves to look at all the beads.

You can see all the pictures I took in a set I created on Flickr. There were more beads than I could get pictures of!

These found a new home

with yours truly!

Oh, one of the best parts...the Mimosas.
I only drank one but it was yummy!

Next time the trunk show comes to Beadlush, make sure you stop in. You won't regret it (but your wallet might!).

~~~~~

Finally, late today (around rush hour EST) I found myself on the Etsy's front page!

My new whiskey quartz made a brief appearance!

Thank you Etsy gods! :)

~~~~~

Hope you all had a great weekend and have a terrific week!

Until next time....

"findings found" Blog Feature

2009-06-15T00:59:00.008-05:00

I was so very surprised and thrilled tonight to learn that my "Twirly Slide" earrings were featured this past Friday on a beautiful blog for jewelry lovers and jewelry buyers. It's called findings found, and there are some wonderful items featured there that I bet you'll love. Go check it out!

Thank you so much for the feature! I really do appreciate it!

~~~~~

Tomorrow I'll show you what I did this past weekend! It's all about gems!

Until next time....

New Items in My Shop

2009-06-13T23:53:00.014-05:00

I thought I'd pop in and let you know about a few new things in my shop. I still have more to list but with the boy out of school now, listing may be few and far between I'm afraid. I'll try to get as many things listed as I can in the next couple of weeks before we head to the mountains for the summer. (Yay!)

Dark whiskey quartz briolette in oxidized sterling

Yummy color!

Smooth polished chrysoprase briolette with hand hammered circle in 14k goldfill

Such a pretty fresh green!

Prasiolite solitaire baguette necklace in sterling

Limited edition, customer to choose length.

Crystal quartz puffed diamond necklace in sterling

Also limited edition. Beautiful faceting!

Black tourmalinated quartz briolette earrings in sterling

Absolutely gorgeous stones!

Citrine faceted coin and textured domed disc necklace

Oxidized and highlighted sterling

Rose quartz briolette leverback earrings in sterling

Such a lovely blush pink

And here's what's to come

Look for these in my shop in the next couple of weeks!

~~~~~

I'm really enjoying my new dapping block and punch set.
So far it's a whole lot of fun!

I'm loving my new texture hammers too. They're turning out to be major fun! Lots of possibilites. I'm hoping to get a few more somewhere down the line. Kevin's little play hammer provides a really wonderful texture that I just adore. It's a real hammer, just in minature form. He's beaten and banged it against so many things (including rock) that it's gotten quite a rough surface on the head producing quite a unique and interesting pattern. Thanks a lot Kevin for letting me use it!

Well I'd better skidaddle out of here. I have lots of work to do tomorrow.

Hope you have a great day!

Until next time....

A Very Special Day

2009-06-10T08:51:00.014-05:00

For the past couple of days, I've been in an very teary and emotional state. I couldn't really put my finger on why, not able to attribute it to any event that I was aware of. I thought it was probably just the full moon. Then it dawned on me: Kevin will no longer be a first grader after today. He's growing up. He's reached a milestone and it's unconsciously getting to me I suppose.

I've been finding things in his backpack over the past few days, things he's done in school such as artwork, assignments, even love notes from his girlfriends! He brought home an award in literacy and made the honor roll too! Then yesterday he brought home some items he and his class had done since the beginning of the school year. I was so very touched by this one in particular.

There was also this outlined hand print

and this poem

Even though the poem says blue
is the best color in the world,
in comparing the following two lists,
his favorite color is still pink!

So with all these precious little mementos reminding me how big he's getting, I've been a weeping wreck!

I'm so very proud of you, my little man. You're my 'sweetpea' and always will be. That's what I called you the very first time I saw you after you were born. You'll be my sweetpea forever and always. But for now, it just seems you're growing up way too fast. I love you.

~~~~~

Something else that makes this day very special is that I have been featured in a blog! Thank you so much to Shiny Adornments for the honor. I'm thrilled and grateful! (You can visit Shiny's shop here. She makes beautiful jewelry herself!)

~~~~~

I was recently asked to participate in an article by the Style Campaign blog in which 10 Etsians share their photography tips. (we all know how much I grumble about doing pics of jewelry). You can find some good tips in this article.

Along those same lines, more good jewelry photography tips can be found on Jasmin's blog. She has several posts about jewelry photography techniques and tips that I found fascinating and very educational. I'm trying some of them out but haven't yet quite worked out what I want to do. I really admire her photos though. They are totally droolworthy! Thanks for all your tips Jasmin! (I want your camera!)

~~~~~

So today has been a special day. Tearful and happy, it's these moments that make memories. I'm sure I'll be in tears when I pick up my little man for the last day of first grade. I'm hoping he won't cry too, but I bet he will. We'll see who cries first!

Until next time....

Thanks for stopping by!

I Made a Treasury!

2009-06-06T16:45:00.005-05:00

I finally grabbed a treasury! This is only the second or third one I've ever made. I was in a peachy mood so tha's what I picked.

I hope you like it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Etsy Front Page!!

2009-06-01T17:15:00.008-05:00

Apparently I made the front page of Etsy twice on Sunday. Wow!

Even though I missed it both times, I wanted to extend my appreciation to the curators and to Etsy.

Isn't this a pretty one? I love the subtle hues.

Thank you noblegnome!

And you have to love this one too!

Thank you southernvtsoap!

And thanks to the Etsy gods for allowing these
to grace the front page!

Many, many thanks!

I'm Having a Sale!

2009-05-29T16:43:00.011-05:00

Shop at MsBelle now through Sunday, May 31st, and receive 10% off your entire purchase! Discount will be applied after purchase and refunded via PayPal. If you choose to pay with a money order, simply contact me prior to sending your payment and I will let you know the discounted amount. I hope to see you there!

There are some new pieces in the shop and more still to come. The discount will apply to all items so if you've had your eye on something, even if it has sold, now is the time to ask about it and get it reserved! Just contact me via convo on Etsy and I may be able to recreate it. Custom orders are eligible for the discount as long as your purchase is made by midnight Sunday night.

Here are a few new things in my shop.

Flashy smooth polished labradorite necklace

Faceted citrine coin and domed textured disc necklace

Apatite briolette and domed textured disc necklace

Prasiolite (green quartz) briolette post earrings in 24K vermeil and 14K goldfill

Citrine 'dolphin' cut briolette necklace in goldfill

with more to come....

Hope you can stop by! See you there!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

2009-05-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I'm finally back after a long absence! Sorry for that (again). Spring has sprung and now summer's almost here. It's already been soooo hot in Charlotte as well as stormy. It's almost as if we missed spring totally! Kevin's doing really well in school and Barney's back seems to be all better, so things are definitely looking up!

I've been quite busy since my last post. Kevin and I went to the mountains over his spring break in April which included Easter weekend. He had a great time playing in the snow (yes, snow) and even got to make snowballs. Then two days later it was sunny again and he was riding his bike. Go figure! We had lots of fun getting back to the mountains. It's always nice. :)

~~~~

This morning I had a very pleasant surprise. A pair of my new chalcedony earrings was on the front page of Etsy! I was so tickled! It was very, very unexpected.

Thank you Etsy gods!

I've been creating lots of new pieces for my shop. As always, I'm struggling with the pics. It takes me forever since I'm so very picky and hate it when the sun keeps going in and out of the clouds. Can't get the white balance correct to save my life and it's so frustrating! Here is the necklace that matches the earrings that were on the front page. (I such a sucker for chalcedony.)

And these use natural colored chalcedony (not dyed).

I love the cut of these briolettes.
They aren't being sold as a set, but would make a beautiful one!

~~~~

Also, I'm about to hit a milestone in my shop. I'm almost to 700 total sales! I'm so very excited about that! And with today's front page appearance, I made it to 4000 hearts! :D

So as a result, this is how I'm feeling today.

This is Kevin's "Happy Shirt." He picked it out all by himself. It's his favorite shirt now. Mine too! You just can't help but feel happy when you look at it. He's such a sweetie!

Well, I have to run. I just wanted to pop in and catch up with everyone. Since I will be adding these new pieces to my shop (and more), I thought I'd give you all the first sneak peek.

And I can't forget this. Solid 14K and AAA blue topaz.

Multi-color sapphire rondelle and blue topaz necklace in goldfill.

Look for these and more coming soon!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and great rest of the week! Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time....

Howdy!!

2009-03-03T07:40:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I wrote. (I know, I know. I did it again. I'm a slacker!) No one ever said I was a very good blogger and I'm more than living proof of that, aren't I? But I'm here to update you about what's been going on since December.

Since Christmas, it seems like it's been one thing after another. Starting the week before Christmas, Barney developed a disabling back problem and had to be strictly crated for a while (as well as take meds). No more jumping or climbing stairs for him. I had to carry him in and out to potty which put a strain on my back and I was then laid up with a bad back myself for a while. I am happy to say that he's recovering but is not completely well yet. It's so hard seeing him not be able to do things the way he once did. Hopefully with time the healing process will continue to work its magic.

Not only has Barney been ailing, but so have the rest of us. We've all had bouts with one cold right after another. Kevin had ear infections twice. Seems like he'd just get better and then get hit again within a week after the antibiotic was finished. (Reminiscent of his kindergarten year.) I was sick for 3 weeks in January and just couldn't seem to kick it. It's been a rough start to the year but things are finally looking up (thankfully).

Sunday night we FINALLY got snow!! Yes, snow in Charlotte! I couldn't believe it! It's been about 5 years since we had any real accumulation.

Kevin even got to go outside and make a snowman as there was no school yesterday! I'm so glad he finally got to play in the snow. He enjoyed it. Now it's practically all gone. He named his snowman "Indy" after Indiana Jones!

~~~~~~

And now for some good news!! I was given the honor of being chosen one of Etsy's Featured Sellers! It hit the front page of Etsy yesterday around noon and is turning out to be an incredible experience!

From Blogger Pictures

I'm pretty exhausted right now after answering tons of emails! I'm beginning to run out of new things to put in my shop. I had a hard time coming up with new pieces having the year start off the way it did. But I feverishly made what I could and will do all that I can. I regret I could not prepare more thoroughly but given the circumstances there was not a lot more I could do. I'm hanging in there though!

I can't thank everyone enough for all their support and kind words. And welcome to all my new customers!! I have to relay that I'm running a little behind in shipping, but I promise I'll get all caught up this weekend. Here is a little collage of some of my new pieces. Some may have already sold and to those customers "thank you!" But there is still a lot remaining in my shop.

From Blogger Pictures

Thank you to everyone who is hanging in there with me! I truly appreciate your support!

And thank you Etsy! It's been a wild ride so far!!! Whew!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-22T23:52:00.013-05:00

I thought I had better pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas now since this week is going to be so busy! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a terrific new year ahead!

~~~

Today I received an early Christmas present of sorts by hitting 500 sales in my Etsy shop!! Thank you so much to each and every one of you who shopped with me this past year. I appreciate you all and hope to see you again next year!

~~~

I will leave you with a new set that will be coming to my shop soon. I don't know when I will get it listed, but I wanted to show it to you. It consists of earrings and a necklace using stunning AAA quality green amethyst fancy briolettes (prasiolite), all in solid 18K gold. Each briolette is wrapped in 18K gold wire which I thought was fitting for these gorgeous stones. I also made the earwires for the earrings, hammering them lightly. The necklace has a larger focal briolette as the pendant and is on an 18K gold chain.

These are truly beautiful stones with perfect clarity, gorgeous faceting, and such a unique cut and shape. I've had them for a while and am finally doing them justice (I hope). This is a one-of-a-kind set that I won't break up unless absolutely forced to. I've not seen another set in this shape and quality and I'd hate for them to go to different homes. If at all possible I'd like them to stay together. They just need to stay together, don't you think?

~~~

Well, happy holidays everyone!! See you soon!

Merry Christmas!

Get Out and Vote!!

2008-12-16T01:04:00.011-05:00

Tonight I received an email on Etsy informing me that my green onyx earrings were chosen by Etsy's blog editors for their Holiday voting on the best sparkly special jewelry. How cool is that?!! I made the cut!

Here's an excerpt from the Storque article:

"This week's voting challenge is an homage to all the shiny, sparkly jewelry out there on Etsy. Etsy's blog editors picked 60 items, and we want you to vote for your favorite.
Click here to VOTE!
Voting ends on Friday, December 19th at 5PM, Eastern Time. May the prettiest jewelry win! As an added bonus, we'll feature your favorites here on Etsy's blog and in the Gift Guides.

Thank you Etsy! I'm so very honored! :D

I hope everyone reading this gets out and votes!
And spread the word!!

~~~

This past Thursday was Kevin's Christmas concert at school. Before we went, I had to get a picture of him all dressed up since we don't get to see him that way very often.

He was so proud of his tie. Didn't he look sharp?!

And here are a couple of pretty bad pictures I took inside at the concert.

He's just a cutie even if they are bad shots!

You can tell by the look on his face that he's really enjoying himself. He had so much fun and was so proud to be performing. And we are so proud of you Kevin!!

Well, I've got to run. I hope everyone has a great day! And don't forget to VOTE!! :D

Until next time....

Let's Do the Time Warp Again!!

2008-12-09T01:51:00.004-05:00

I could not believe it....

Etsy Front Page 12.08.08

Thank you Etsy gods!
I feel like I'm in a time warp here!

And today I listed these AAA blue topaz "Twirly Slide" earrings which are already gone!!

But I intend to make more!

Thank you to everyone who has shopped with me so far during this holiday season. I truly appreciate each and every one of you for your patronage and hope that I can fulfill your jewelry needs with ease. I'm thrilled to have gotten this far and could not have done it without loyal customers. And to all my new customers, thank you very much as well!

Have a great week everyone!

Until next time...

"It's astounding.

Time is fleeting.

Madness takes control...."

(anyone remember Rocky Horror???)

Been Busy!

2008-12-08T01:46:00.007-05:00

Well, golly! The season is upon us for sure and I'm certainly feeling it too! Due to some very fortunate appearances on the Etsy front page I have been just a busy little beaver!

Front Page 12.03.08

Thank you thejunebride!

Front Page 12.05.08

Thank you Etsy gods!

These two appearances brought me not only sales, but custom orders as well and that's why I've been so busy. I've been trying to get everyone's items made, photographed and shipped! Whew! I think I'll be glad when the season is over!

I have made some new things as well and the latest are the gorgeous labradorite earrings. They are in sterling silver and are about 1 3/4 inches long.

They are a one-of-a-kind pair of earrings as their flash is uncomparable. I can oxidize these as well for whomever ends up purchasing them.

Along with the labradorite, I made these pretty prasiolite briolette (green amethyst) earrings in sterling on my own lightly hammered arched earwires.

Pink amethyst briolette earrings in sterling.

Aqua chalcedony briolette earrings in goldfill.

And I brought back my 'Snowballs' from last year! White freshwater pearls in blackened sterling silver.

One of my favorite customer requests was for two pairs of my "Twirly Slide" earrings. One in goldfill and one in oxidized and polished sterling silver. Both have labradorite briolettes dangling at the bottom of the 'slide'.

Aren't they great? And they were so fun to make! I've been making lots of labradorite pieces.

Along with the everything else, I made these for my sisters and also a pair for Kevin's teacher. They're Swarovski crystal Christmas tree earrings and they're so very cute and sparkly!

And I took a little time and visited my bead store where a trunk show was being held this past weekend. Boy, talk about some gems! There were quite a few! I could have taken a bath in all the yummy gemstones that were there! I got some very pretty things. I hope you will agree!

That's all I have time for right now as it's bedtime and I have to get back at it early tomorrow morning after the boy goes to school.

I hope everyone is well and had a good Thanksgiving. I know I must have gained about 5 pounds at least!

Until next time....

A First! (for me anyway)

2008-11-24T10:59:00.011-05:00

Well, I finally made something that wasn't a pair of hoops! Don't get me wrong, I love hoops (and I did actually make some more), but these were a first for me.

I made these earrings using AAA quality rubellite tourmaline microfacted ovals and solid 14K gold wire and findings. I was totally thrilled with how they turned out!

The stones are marvelously rich and sparkly, and extremely clean for tourmaline. And the gold is...well...it's real gold! Yay! :D

At first I was very nervous about wrapping with high karat gold, but I jumped in and did it. I'm really quite pleased with my results.

The little open marquise link at the bottom is solid gold as well and adds just a nice little touch to make these more fun and flirty. They're about 3 inches long and quite elegant. I just love them!

I have quite a few pieces made and pictures taken, but I haven't gone through them all yet (what else is new?). That's the hardest part. They'll be in my shop soon though (I hope). I'll give a sneak peek here first though. My shop is running low and the holidays are upon us! I have to get stocked up as best I can and still have a life!

If you're interested in these rubellite earrings, feel free to pop on over to my shop. You can find them there!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. This week is Thanksgiving and we'll be going home to the mountains to eat turkey and see Granny and my family! (It's Thanksgiving already, do you believe it?!)

Have a good one! Until next time....

More Hoops

2008-11-17T00:43:00.007-05:00

I just had to pop in to show you these. I fell in love with them after making the because they're just so darn fun and pretty!

Citrine briolettes with tourmaline rondelles on
oxidized and highlighted hand forged and
hammered sterling silver hoops.

(I'm really getting into hoops.)

You can find these in my shop. Stop by and check 'em out!

400 sales!!

2008-11-16T14:59:00.004-05:00

400 sales!! Woohoo!, originally uploaded by msbellee.

My Etsy shop hit 400 sales today!! Yippee!! Happy dance all over the place!!

I was silently hoping to hit 400 before my two year anniversary of being on Etsy which is tomorrow (Monday). However, I didn't foresee selling two more pairs of earrings by Monday which would have made 400. I thought I had done very well to come as close as I had by this morning which was 398 sales. I was very satisfied to have reached that amount and quite thrilled! But to my astonishment, five pairs of earrings sold this afternoon and put me over the 400 mark!! Talk about blown away! I thought I had clicked on the wrong shop when I checked it this afternoon!!! I'm not kidding! I thought "did I click on someone else's store? This can't be right." But it was! And I'm so very, very thankful to each and every one of my customers and just pleased as punch you all helped me reach my goal!

To all my customers, every single one of you all over the globe, thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart. You have made my day and filled me with such joy at having a successful little shop. It gives me such a feeling of accomplishment that I can make jewelry people like and that you continue to support my shop.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Thank you so much!

Have a fantastic week ahead everyone!! :D

Until next time....

New Pieces in My Shop

2008-11-15T17:02:00.009-05:00

Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I've added just a few new pieces in my shop.

I have some gorgeous smokey quartz twisted spiral briolette earrings in goldfill. There are at least 2 of these available, possibly more if I can get more briolettes.

These are some really, really lovely light aqua chalcedony in a puffed diamond shape. They just glow! These are also in goldfill. There are at least 3 pairs available in this style.

The last thing I have added is a pair of pretty coin pearl and amethyst marquise briolette earrings in sterling. These are so elegant. There's only one pair of these available!

And last Thursday to my surprise I was on Etsy's front page!!
11.13.08

I can't thank the curator of this treasury enough for including me in her list!
Thank you so much PrettyinPoisies!

That's it for now. I hope everyone is well and has a great weekend!

Etsy on Good Morning America!!

2008-11-13T08:28:00.006-05:00

Did you get to see Good Morning Amercia this morning? Wow! Talk about some great air time and free advertising for Etsy!! It was fantastic!!

The segment was all about finding a job and GMA was hosting a job fair in Atlanta. Etsy apparently participated in that job fair. I was really surprised but thrilled to see the great big orange Etsy sign plastered all over national TV! A woman in Atlanta was searching for a job. While she kept getting turned down for jobs all over the place, she decided to put a couple of her own paintings on Etsy. Two of them sold within two weeks! Hooray for her! And hooray for Etsy for getting to be displayed all over the TV screens of America for a big portion of the segment!

Nothing can beat free advertising, and Etsy got a good bit of it today. Way to go Etsy!

A Thing of Beauty....

2008-11-10T08:02:00.009-05:00

Check out this earring! There's something to be said for quality construction and great artisan craftsmanship, huh?!

This gold, pearl and emerald earring was found by Israeli archeologists beneath a parking lot excavation site in Jerusalem. Its beauty is literally timeless as it is supposedly around 2000 years old!!! Now that's quality construction! I can only hope that my jewelry will last a lifetime, much less 2000 years!

I bet the designer of that gorgeous earring never expected it would last for centuries. How proud he/she would be to learn their design stood up so well and remains intact in present day. It could stand on its own alongside any of today's luxurious creations. It certainly stood the test of time.

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever...."

...literally!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T01:05:00.016-05:00

Here's what Kevin and I did after school on Thursday!

I took the guts out and Kevin did most of the punching and carving. I just went back and cleaned up the lines a little bit (and pitched in when his hand got tired).

He did a really great job!

Here's our finished Jack-O-Lantern!!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Adventures In Gold

2008-10-29T20:35:00.020-05:00

OK, so I took the plunge. I bought some wire. Some 18k and 14k gold wire! Since I'd always wanted to have a pair for myself (and since sterling silver doesn't agree with the piercings in my ears), I decided to first make a pair of 18k gold hoops. I figure if they never sell, I'll just keep them!

At first I was almost afraid to work the wire and instead just admired its rich, buttery yellow color for a few days. But since I'd recently made quite a few pairs of sterling and goldfill hoops, I felt pretty comfortable making these hoops. I was still a bit nervous though, but I did it! I completed my first pair of totally hand forged and hammered solid 18k gold earrings! You gotta start somewhere and I was very happy with the outcome!

Working with this wire was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. It was a bit stiffer than either sterling or goldfill which is all I'd ever worked with as far as wire goes. I'd set some gemstones into 14k and 18k gold settings with pre-notched prongs, but had never used wire before. I used to make jewelry from prefab settings years ago but have since turned to wire wrapped jewelry instead of the pre-notched prongs. I would still like to do more of that and might again if I ever get my own website (hint, hint to the IT man of the house). I'm proud that I finally took the plunge though and turned out a great pair of earrings that can be worn with anything, are very lightweight and easy wearing yet quite sturdy too. And they're oh, so shiny!

I must add that a lovely customer of mine from across the pond inspired and influenced me to try high karat gold instead of only sterling and goldfill. I'd always wanted to venture into it, but after discussing it with her I decided to give it a shot. Thank you to my customer for inspiring me to try it. (You know who you are!)

Not only did I make the 18k hoops, but I also made a pair of 14k gold Twirly Slide earrings!

They turned out just like my other 'twirlies' in sterling and goldfill!

If you are interested in purchasing either pair of these, they are available to the left hand side of my blog in my "Itty Bitty Store", but are also available in my Etsy shop. However, if you purchase them here from my "Itty Bitty Store", you get them for $5.00 less than my Etsy price. I do plan to add more things to my "Itty Bitty Store" so you will have more to choose from. Perhaps I will add some items that are only available here and not in my Etsy shop. We'll see.

That's it for now. I hope everyone has had a good week and has a fun Halloween on Friday! We have a Power Ranger that will be going trick-or-treating this year!

Until next time.....

Who Woulda Thunk It?

2008-10-28T11:05:00.005-05:00

When both Stephanie Gibson and Brenda of Phydeaux emailed me today about my coin pearls being on the front page, of course I thought they were referring to the other day's treasury. So when I went to see who was on the front page, I wasn't really expecting to see them there again today!!! That makes three times in less than a week! That never ever happens to me! I was just floored!

I again thank reconstructionist for picking me as an alternate on her list. It was fun being up there for even the few minutes I appeared. And it was even more fun being up there with my good friend Brenda! Woohoo!

MsBelle ~ Artisan Crafted Jewelry

A Fond Memory

August Break #15

August Break #14

August Break #13

August Break #12

August Break #11

August Break #10

August Break #9

August Break #8

August Break #7

August Break #6

August Break #5

August Break #4

August Break #3

August Break #2

August Break #1

Cooling Off

I'm Participating in the August Break!

Summer Sale!

Hot Fun in the Summertime!

Spring Sale at MsBelle!

To the Sleeping Ladybug

Life Gets Complicated

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Sale!!

Do You Know How to Properly Store Your Cats?!

A Most Decadent Jewelry Giveaway!

Etsy Front Page!

ArtFire Studio Reopening and Coupon!

Tonight's Sunset, Nov. 5, 2010

Colors Make Me Smile

Barney's Famous!! ;)

I'm Back! And Introducing Etsy's Best Kept Secrets

Featured Artist on Crown Town Handmade!

Show Me Your Twirlies!!

Enlightened on Etsy Front Page

Free Shipping Weekend!

Giveaway Winners Announced

Spring, New Items, and a Giveaway!

The Morning of the Shoes

While getting the boy's shoes tied this morning...

Me: "Are they too tight?"

K: "They're fine."

He stands up and says, "They're too tight."

So I retied them, loosening them a bit.

Me: "Are they OK now?"

He shakes his head yes, stands up and says, "They're too loose."

So I retied them again.

Me: "How are they now?"

K: "They're too tight."

We went with a different pair of shoes.... :\

Spring Break!!

And the Winner Is....

MsBelle In "Jewelry Affaire" Premier Issue!

Kate and Oli Blog Feature Plus a Giveaway!

A Lovely Day

Blog Feature and New Items

On Being Ripped Off

Custom Orders Accepted!

Our Big Snow...NOT

Blog Feature

Eight Years Ago...

Happy Furry Friday!

Starting the Year Off Right

Happy New Year!

From Me to You...

MsBelle Featured on Charlotte Women's Style Examiner!

Last Sale of the Year!

One Day Sale Plus Indie Icing Feature!

Happy Thanksgiving! The Sale is On!

I'm Back! And I'm Having a Sale!

The Last Few Lazy Days of Summer

Chosen as the Delight of the Day!

Creative Loafing Charlotte Blog Feature!

Suddenly Summer

Epheriell Designs Blog Feature

Gems!

"findings found" Blog Feature

New Items in My Shop

He shakes his head yes, stands up and says,
"They're too loose."