Lentils and earrings

Southern California hasn't prepared itself for Betty Jewels. I walk into the boutiques and see only petite (a dime a dozen) earrings that are only moderately eye catching and flashy. I thought SoCal was fashion forward........hmmmm.....well maybe it's just Carlsbad. Anyways, the point to this mini-rant is that I have had Zero success at selling anything to boutiques. A few places looked, took a card and said they would call me (hasn't happened) but most places politely said they weren't right for their clientele. So I guess it will be up to me to bring "big, bold and textured" into the Carlsbad market.


I consider these "tame"...they are lighter, more delicate
but they still hang about 2 inches! haha. You can find
them on etsy.


I think my biggest problem will be that the target market is 40+ and stores are going to make the assumption that only young women wear big earrings. Well I think that is ridiculous. I hate those age rules.....I think that the older you get the crazier you should be able to dress! I plan on walking around in bright colors, big jewelry and even bigger hair until I can't walk anymore! I will celebrate any age by decorating my self in jewelry and no one will dare say a thing!


And these pieces are small to me! Both the snowladies (left) and mini
cut-outs can be found on etsy.

Aza the traveling Gnome!

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Aza baby at the Flower Fields in Carlsbad, CA!
well actually it's Aza under flowers....they wouldn't
let us put her in the field for a picture.

My family came to visit me in Carlsbad at the end of March. My dad, sister and niece drove from NH to Arizona to see my younger sister and then to Cali to see me.....and that was just half the trip!!




Even Aza wanted to drive! She's so cute!

One of my favorites. Look at her curling her toes!

Home-Sweet-Home!

This is a photo of my apartment complex. I live on the right. Below the apartments are our garages. Pretty cool huh?! That big green blob is a beautiful tree. I'm not sure what kind of tree it is but it has big waxy looking leaves...and its taking over the stairwell. Behind the stairs is the pool. Of course it's too cold for California's to be swimming in March. I'll post some more interesting pictures later...but I have only 10 minutes left on this library computer!
eeek!

New Things on Etsy!

Gold Cut-outs by Betty Jewels! They are about 1-inch diameter
and are made from NuGold. Burlap texture, gold filled hooks.
22$ on http://www.bettyjewels.etsy.com/

I've been trying to keep our etsy shop updated with new pieces but when your laptop is busted and your boyfriends desktop is at least 6 years old.......the process has proven to be very difficult. Today I am writing from the Carlsbad City Library. They have about 9 Internet computers.....I'm not kidding...that's all they have....but at least they are new and fast!

But anyways, back to etsy. I have added more metal pieces and some chain ones as well. Unfortunately I am still working out the kinks of how to make the jewelry look as good in a photo as it does in person. Let me know if you think the lentils work!

These earrings are made from 3 different

color fresh water pearls and gold-filled chain.

20$ on etsy.

Hello Carlsbad

Well I'v landed here in Carlsbad (thats north of San Diego) and so far it's great. 70 and sunny pretty much every day. I can walk to the beach and to down town....so life is good! I got a part time job (to pay the bills right away) at a tropical decor place and am in the process of applying to a few museum jobs. Betty Jewels is still going strong but I haven't found any studios to continue my work. Looks like I will have to set something up in my garage!

That's all for now.....I'll post some pictures soon!

I heart Modge Podge!

Here are some of our adventures in modge podge. As you can see
we like to use it on jewelry. All images are glued via thisglourious
substance. Even the lace. See our etsy shop for picture earrings
coming soon!

Last winter my sisters and I rediscovered the glorious art of decoupage. My mother was a big decoupage fan...and she was good at it. She decorated lampshades (I still have them, they are fantastic) and furniture to name a few of her projects. And too finish she would go all out with a professional varnish (shellac?) to make the surface super smooth and durable. Me....I stick with modge podge. It is my go-to craft supply that I believe is a must have for any artist and/or crafter. It is a glue, sealer and finish that comes in matte and glossy and it is non-toxic. You can use it on anything: wood, paper, metal, fabric, canvas...but be careful when applying it to paint or ink, it can make it run. Use a thin coat, let it dry and then apply a heavier one.

I must warn you though, using of modge podge can become addicting.

To see some of our mod-pod jewelry visit our esty shop: www.bettyjewels.etsy.com

Is the west coast the best coast????

(photo from http://www.nh.gov/oldman/)
I will be leaving New Hampshire just 11 days shortof my 24th birthday.
That means I have almost spent exactly 24 years living in 1 state....and
you know what.....I will miss every moment of it!

My days as a New Hampshire resident are coming to an end! I am packing my bags for sunny California.....southern California in fact! It's warm year round. Right now the weather says a high of 63...and that's considered COLD! But I love the east, especially the seasons. So will a NH native be able to survive the consistently perfect weather? Or will I be craving those windy fall days and those early spring smells.....I think so. I'm not sure I will ever agree with the west coast best coast theory but I'm going to give it a try.
CALIFORINA OR BUST!