RWestDesigns Jewelry

I MADE IT

2010-11-30T23:08:00.001-05:00

In less than a month I'm posting another post!

So I MADE IT in under a month!

We just returned from the beach for our annual Thanksgiving

Trip, we spend Thanksgiving with my cousin and dear friend, and her

family. Her mother my great Aunt passed away this past year, and it has truly effected me in a way I didn't expect.

I miss her SO much. She would just pop by whenever

during the day and spend some time with me, my daughter, and my nieces. We would "dish" about things and laugh and just have a really good time. I guess you could say she sort of took the place of my grandmother in my life. We've always been close, but got even closer in the two years after my grandmother (her sister) passed away! Anyway Thanksgiving was not the same. I know I've talked about traditions and starting my own with my daughter, but I miss the ones I had when growing up very much. I am not and never have been a huge fan of change, but it is a part of life that I can not control. One thing I did really enjoy this Thanksgiving was talking to my cousins whom we hardly ever see anymore, and remembering all the great times we had when growing up and talking about how much things have changed. I think I could have sat there all night and talked if this old body of mine would have let me! Nostalgia hits me hard some times and I have to cry. I LOVE the way I grew up and feel sorry for those who didn't have as great a childhood as I had!

I still have not got my new jewelry shop in shape! I'm having the hardest time trying to get the pictures I want! I just can't get them like I want to! Plus I have so much jewelry I really am overwhelmed on where to start! Also the bug to make more jewelry is gnawing at me something fierce, but I feel I must get all the jewelry I already have pictures and listed in my shop so I can sell it!

My other ventures are going well, I have so many need to do's and even more want to do's but am stuck doing the HAVE to do's and can't seem to get ahead of it all! I guess that's part of "working" for yourself. I haven't made much money yet at any of my ventures online yet, switching from a retail store to online is VERY HARD! However, I have to say I am so glad I am at home because I get hugs and kisses from the most beautiful little girl i know all day long, and I can take breaks to get hugs and kisses whenever I want toooooo! That is priceless!

Come see what all I'm doing at:

VISIT BODY & SOUL PRODUCTS

FOLLOW BODY & SOUL ON FACE BOOK

VISIT Z BOX ~ A SAMPLER BOX OF GOODIES 4 U !

FOLLOW Z BOX ON FACE BOOK

VISIT REBECCA'S JEWELRY ON ZIBBET (SHOP STILL IN PROGRESS)

FOLLOW RWESTDESIGNS JEWELRY ON FACE BOOK

Well as you can see I have a lot to keep up with running these three businesses! I have so many ideas that fly at me I get overwhelmed and spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to do and not ever getting it all accomplished!

Oh yeah, and here's my VOLUNTEER JOB, I am the secretary of the Woodlawn Community, and I take phone calls and organize the rentals of this adorable little one room school house! YES! Just like Little House on the Prairie. I am fortunate to live beside of this wonderful little place, it's been a part of my family for a long time. Way back to when it was built, my great grandfather donated the wood to build it! My grandparents taught 4-H here for a while, and I have always lived behind it on family land growing up and now my husband and I have also built here! We love it!

Check it out at:

Historical Woodlawn One Room School House

Please come visit me at all my Shops and Places! Please check out my natural bath & beauty items, and Z Box, if you purchase a Z Box you will not be disappointed with all the wonderful items from various Zibbet Shop owners in it! Please check it out and get to know some of the wonderful Zibbet Shop owners! As I like to say:

Shop Hand~Made.....GIVE LOVE!

Every hand~made item has a lot of love put into it, these shop owners work harder at making this work than they ever do/did at a "real day job" as some people I know call it! Shop hand~made as often as you can!

Gotta go do something PRODUCTIVE!

Until next time have a wonderful week/weekend!

~ Rebecca

NOVEMBER ~ IS HERE WOW!!

2010-11-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

Wow ! November is here!

Well we've had a very busy October, got to meet my husbands long lost biological father. They haven't seen each other in 33 years, and were very glad to find each other and be re-united! So now we have another family to add to our circle! I think it's just great, he's a very nice man with a very nice family! My hubby also found out he has another half-sister and half-brother. So that's made this October a very exciting month for us!

Also in my last post I talked about adding to my jobs well since then I have added another "job" to my repertoire! A sampling program that is designed around the awesome new selling venue of Zibbet!

Lots of great Zibbet shops have gotten together and submitted samples to me and I will assemble them in boxes and sell them. Also they get me promoting their shop on my blog Zibbeters: Show & Tell

and on the face book page Sample Z Box ! They help me spread the word by tweeting and sharing these also! Come follow us, and be sure to buy one of these awesome Sample Boxes, it is truly an unparalleled value! It has lots of jewelry and just the neatest things in it. I am contributing from both of my businesses, Body & Soul Products and RWest Designs Jewelry ! Please go to my blog Zibbeters Show & Tell to read all about the Z Box !

I have been working on my jewelry shop also, I have an Artifre Shop and a Zibbet shop, and both of them need lots of love, so if you go there just bare in mind they are works in progress that may not get a whole lot of attention until after the new year!

I have been trying to retake the pictures of my jewelry and not getting the results I want. That is what is taking me so long! My small digital camera died on me but my wonderful mother has sent me a new one, that is my Christmas & Birthday present, which is fine by me! So now maybe if I can get the time to work on my pictures I can get a lot accomplished with my shops. I am traveling to the coast soon, and am thinking of taking some of my jewelry to take pictures of it on the beach!

What do you think? I think I like the idea, not sure the hubby would like the idea of me "working" on our vacation though. But if you've ever tried to work for yourself, you know it's hard to stop, and hard to vacation when all you can think about is what you need to be doing! I really enjoy what I am doing, so it's easier for me. But my family would like to see me once in a while without a computer attached to my fingertips!

Well need to go tuck the little one for her nap! Until next time many blessings and have a wonderful week!

P.S. Don't forget to go purchase Z Box! It would make great gifts for loved ones or to treat yourself! Purchase Z Box

~~~Rebecca~~~

Wow Where Does The Time Go ??

2010-10-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

Well here I am again, another month has gone by, well actually longer than a month. I've been a very busy little bee. My new adventures have kept me very busy....creating blogs, adding gadgets, widgets, and info to several different websites I'm doing, promoting my latest venture (s) ! Potty training my daughter, and raising her! Being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt!

Sometimes I think I'm going to get into trouble if I keep adding jobs to my day ! I truly love everything I'm doing and i have the hardest time saying NO... even to myself!!

So I've started redoing my jewelry pictures and getting them loaded onto my new site for selling it. Zibbet. I already have my bath & beauty products at Zibbet, and I thoroughly enjoy this selling venue and I believe in my heart it will surpass Etsy as a popular place to shop hand~made. There are lots of talented Artists selling their items there.

I've already purchased several things from there myself. I got this adorable little Octopus named Flambe.....you can see how he got his name.... with all his beautiful colors! He will be in my daughters stocking for Christmas!

Flambe Came From Slothmuffin on Zibbet

If you haven't been to Zibbet yet, you should go and look around.

You can start with one of my shops!

Body & Soul Products

If you feel like you might get lost in the sea of shops, you can go to my blog

where I feature different artists , and there are pages on the blog where some of the shop owners have posted links to their shops, or to items they are promoting for October!

Visit Zibbeters Show & Tell Blog

Soon I hope to have my jewelry shop up and running and some new items

to be posted for your viewing delight ;o} !

Until next time have a safe Halloween if you celebrate it!

~Rebecca~

What I Have and Haven't Been Up To....

2010-09-02T11:10:00.000-04:00

Well, things are forever changing, and I am not a person who loves change. I like things to stay steady and familiar, however that is not realistic. Well, I didn't "cook" my way through my recipe book, but I did start the soap business, which is one reason I haven't posted in 4 months!!

I haven't left the earth, only I can't seem to find the time I need to do everything I want and need to do, and still take care of my daughter and husband!!

I've been a little down lately, okay a lot down lately. Which is not my normal self. I have lost and am loosing people I love dearly to sickness, it's been three in the last month. I have a sadness lately that I'm having a hard time shaking. So I haven't been very creative or social either.

But I have been up to a few things ! I have been making soap and natural products like crazy. After reading some pretty scary stuff about the things we put ON our bodies, I got busy. I want my daughter to start her beauty regimen with natural products. I have many health problems and sometimes I wonder if all the gunk i used to put ON my body contributed to that...so I'm trying to change things for my daughter.

I am selling these items on Zibbet, a wonderful place to set up shop. If you have time please go by there and check it out!

http://www.zibbet.com/rwestdesigns

I am currently trying to get new pictures of my jewelry taken, and re-do my Etsy page. It needs so much help!! So if you've been there lately please excuse it, I hope to have it all revamped soon!

New RWestDesigns Jewelry coming soon, I finally got my "studio" in better shape (with the help of my WONDERFUL MOM) and am hoping this will spark my creative side once again!!

Come follow our Body & Soul Page on facebook to keep up with the natural bath products we are making!!

http://www.facebook.com/bodyandsoulproducts!!

Until the next time ~ hope everyone is having a GREAT start to "Back to School" month!!

To cook or Not to Cook

2010-04-23T09:10:00.000-04:00

DANG !! I must get better at posting to this blog. A month since my last post uuuggghhhh!! Sorry to anyone out there reading this!!

Well yesterday I "took the day off" so to speak. I went to my recently laid off brother's house ( which also put me out of a job, since I usually babysit his three beautiful girls!!) well any way spent most of the day at his house which btw is just down the driveway!! I watched the cutest movie about the girl who cooked her way through Julia Child's cookbook. This is the cutest movie and reminded me of why I started blogging, to become famous !!! Haha just kidding. But as I watched I wondered could I ever do that, am I tooo lazy to accomplish something like that?? I do like to cook. However buying all those ingredients and having a husband who thinks Taco Bell is the best place EVER to eat, and having a two year old , I just don't know that I would have the stamina to blog and cook everyday!!

Speaking of cooking I have been cooking up some luscious goodness here lately to bathe in. Hoping to come up with a product line I can sell on Etsy or Artfire or Zibbet or all three or just online and all that that entails!! I don't want to go into great detail yet, but they involve essential oils. I used to "play" with essential oils back in my twenties , can't believe I'm old enough to say that now, in my mind I still feel 18!!

Anyway enjoying getting to know them again.

I realize this post has nothing to do about jewelry, and I am still creating jewelry, I'm just branching out in my endeavors!! Jewelry is a very hard hobby to sell solely online!! When I had my stuff in stores it sold very well, now it's hard to be seen in the wide wide web. I'm not going to stop creating, or trying to sell it, so if you like my jewelry don't worry it's not going anywhere!!!

Having said that, I'm thinking maybe I could cook my way through my recipe book for natural beauty products and blog about that. What do you think??

Life

2010-03-22T14:48:00.000-04:00

Wow ! 21 days since I've updated!! We've been so busy around here, not all of it good things, but all of it very important!

I want to send out prayers for one very loved friend of the family who is dealing with the nasty "C" word : Cancer. This family and person has been a part of my life for a very long time, and we love them dearly. I grew up with their children and them and we have shared tons of great times.They have helped me and my husband through some rough times and we have learned a lot from them. They are a very special family and They need all the prayers we can give them.

I also want to send out prayers for my favorite Great Aunt who suffered a massive stroke and has a long recovery road ahead of her. She is not much older than my mother and has alwys been a wonderful part of my family. Growing up she was the coolest great Aunt anyone could have ever asked for, she still is very cool don't get me wrong, but her daughter and I were very close, and I spent as much time at their home as I did at my own. She has this amazing outlook on things and I've learned alot from her over the years. I love her so much and we all need her to recover from this stroke.

If you pray ~ please send up a prayer for these two very loved people and their families.

Also I have been working on items for a new shop I want to open on zibbet ~ I've already "opened" the shop I just haven't been able to fill it with items as of yet. I am working on this it's been a rough couple of weeks, and my creative time and mood has been very limited these past couple of weeks. In my zibbet shop there will be nothing over $25.00 these items will include jewelry, and eventually other things I wish to dabble in. Something that has been on my mind like crazy is bath & beauty products. My cousin that I mentioned above and I "opened up" our own little shop in my grandmother's basement where we had "made" lotions and perfumes by mixing up beauty products that my grandmother gave us to play with. I think one of our other great Aunts bought a couple of items, and maybe our moms and grandmother. So even as a young girl I always wanted to open shop and sell things. maybe bath products will be on the way soon. I've been looking at supplies and there are so many choices and things to think about. It's slightly overwhelming, but I'm definitely interested in starting!!

Also we have been busy planting seeds to hopefully plant in our container garden for the back deck. That was fun ~ just wish me luck on getting them to grow! I did not inherit my grandmother's green thumb, but I'm hoping I can pull this off!!

It's been a long and COLD winter and I am hoping the sunshine will bring us lots of good days ahead. I am more ready for Spring this year than I have ever been in my entire life!! Another giveaway is coming soon our facebook fan page is VERY close to 800 fans!! I've got to come up with something Springy to give away!!

Easter and Mother's Day is coming up quickly remember to check out our shops to see if you can find some gifts.

550 FANS GIVEAWAY

2010-03-01T18:48:00.001-05:00

Well.....didn't think I would see this number for a long time!! However ~ thanks to a wonderful thing called "link love" I have hit 550 fans on my facebook page and surpassed it!! I see 1000 fans on the horizon, I thought this would be years away.

At first I was a little skeptical about doing this "link love" because it seemed okay to "FAN" people who are doing the same thing as you (with me it's JEWELRY) the Internet marketplace is flooded with jewelry makers/designers, and I thought "Why do I want to be their fan?" What if their prices are better than mine, what if people like their work better than mine, what if I'm showing my customers their jewelry, and they quit buying from me? Well, as I am going through linking up with all these wonderful artists/crafters/designers of many many different things as well as jewelry .....I find myself filtering through their pages and finding many more interesting pages, and I find myself buying from some of their FANS and even some of the pages in link love. I'm finding all kinds of neat artists/crafters/designers that I never would have known existed.....THEN it hits me if this is happening to me....then it must happen to them also. So now I GET LINK LOVE.... it's the exposure of your links and pages and shops, it's meeting other people doing the same thing you are....trying to make a business out of their hobby or craft or talent, helping each other out in this tough economy and the tough world of cyber selling. So if you are afraid of a little link love .....DON'T BE!! Embrace it ....everyday I try to spread some link love, and I'm getting it back just as I spread it!!

I'm thankful for all of the new FANS and all of the "LINK LOVE" being spread. To thank all my new fans .... I'm giving this bracelet away to help remind us SPRING is on the way, and to keep spreading the love.

Become my FAN on facebook to see how to win this bracelet.....tweet this too, because when we reach 800 FANS there will be another giveaway!! Find our facebook badge on this page to FAN US!!!

Keep spreading the love and I'll see you in the links ~~~~~~~

More Snow!!

2010-02-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

More Snow !! Wow where was all this snow when I was working outside the home? The best thing about snow here in the south is getting an unexpected day off from work, because the roads are too bad to drive on!!

Well..... when you are home everyday, snow is just that... SNOW!! No free day off!! However I am still in this mode of "goof off " when it snow's!! I also have this overwhelming urge to EAT JUNK FOOD!! Luckily today I have no junk food in the house, because I haven't been to the grocery store for this week yet!! I could make some sausage and gravy, but the sausage is frozen and I'm not that motivated!!

I'm going to use today to catch up on some things that have desperately needed my attention....my 'studio" is in desperate need of some cleaning, my "filing" is two feet tall, my treadmill is covered in cloths, and I have nothing clean to wear, so I guess my snow day is taken care of. It's gonna be tough because I am in goof off mode!!

Maybe I'll take a break later and make some snow cream!!

Have a great day!! I'm off to make me some hot tea and get to work!!

I need to feature another Etsy artist , I have my eye on one, and I've tried her product, so I need to sit down and introduce you to her. Look for this early next week!!

Winter Block

2010-02-03T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hi all ~ I have been in a winter block.....I can't seem to make any jewelry and I can't seem to update my blogs!! I guess all the things that come with winter have kept me busy enough!! So far me, my husband , and most of all my sweet little girl have been sick with the virus that's running rampant around here, bad thing is my nieces, brother, and sister-in-law, and my mom & dad have all had it and I think we have passed it around for a month and a half!! YUCK!! We are ready for spring!!

We had a blizzard this past weekend, and they are calling for more snow this weekend and early next week!! I love the snow but it makes me want to take the "day off". Wish I could be like my friend who uses her snow days to get stuff done!! it's just not in me, I'm a bit lazy I'm afraid!!!

My grandfather's been in the hospital ( he's at home now), we had a great Uncle pass away, and I sprained my ankle!!! I'm not complaining but all of this has just left me wanting to go to sleep until Spring....do you think I could get away with hibernating for the rest of winter???? Probably not!! But I could use the sleep!!

Today the sun is shining so I'm going to test out the camera my brother just brought me, it's his old digital camera, but it should be better than the one I am currently using !! Gotta love my brother. When he upgrades he passes down his older one which is always newer than my newest one!!! This is with everything he buys, tv's, dvd players, camera's, now if I could just get him to pass down his cars I'd be right!!! Thanks little brother!!!

Hopefully I can get some good pictures of some jewelry that I had made before Christmas and gets pics posted , it'll be new to you right???

Also if you haven't yet checked out my new shop please go see the new jewelry there, it's different jewelry that is not on my etsy site!!!

http://www.rwestdesigns.artfire.com/

If you get a chance stop by my facebook page and become a fan, and if you have an Etsy or Artifre or any shop where you sell your crafts/arts, leave your links in the discussion tab under links to Artisan Pages. I think I'll go start one for blogs too, so you can leave your blogs if you don't sell anything!! I love to read blogs, if you have a cool one I'm not already following please go leave your link, become a fan of my facebook page also, you can get there by clicking on my FAN BOX on the right hand side of this blog!!

Also follow me on http://www.twitter.com/rwestdesigns

Follow me on my blog, fan me, and follow me on twitter, I'll return the favor!!!

Soap Giveaway!!

2010-02-02T22:15:00.000-05:00

Wow!! Can't wait to try this soap...after I've done all my entries to win some soap from http://www.artifre.com/users/soapdeli or her etsy shop!!http://www.etsy.com/shop/soapdeli....... I'm going to her etsy shop to purchase some BIG SALT LICK BAR SOAP ...hoping it will help to ease my toddlers few spots of eczema and my extremely dry skin!!

Go to http://www.naturemanipulated.com/ to learn how you can get on the giveaway.

Christmas Time!! Thanks Guys!!

2009-12-23T00:54:00.000-05:00

I want to THANK ALL of my customers, followers, and fans on facebook!! This Christmas is truly a Blessed one. Thanks to all of the custom orders and the Etsy purchases! I am so excited about starting the New Year! It had been a long time since I had worked on my Jewelry business, after the adoption of our daughter, it just seemed I had no time to do what I love......... create jewelry. She has been the focus, but things are finally calming down for us and I have had the chance to pick up my jewelry making, and working on making it a business. The hard work has started to pay off, and I am learning everyday how to get myself out there.

I'd like to know what you guys would like to see more of, or if you have any suggestions of items you'd like to see me make. I'll take any and all suggestions into consideration. I am working on some new ideas, so stay tuned for those pieces to be coming out soon.

I have been so excited about Christmas this year, I even took my daughter's picture and "designed" my own Christmas card in the Wal~Mart online photo~shop!! Quite proud of it. The bonus ~~~ it was less expensive than having them professionally done.....am thinking next year I need to do one for RWestDesigns ~~~ wish I'd thought of it for this year!! HHHMMMM maybe one for the New Year or Valentine's Day.

If you aren't a fan on facebook or twitter please consider it, to keep up with all the latest news from RWestDesigns .....

On facebook ~ search for RWestDesigns Jewelry and become a fan! Or just click on the facebook badge at the top of this page.

Follow us on www.twitter.com/rwestdesigns

Check out http://www.rwestdesigns.etsy.com/ to purchase our jewelry! Or just click on my mini Etsy on this page!!

This will probably be my last post until 2010, so Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, and most of all THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR ORDERS.

May all your Christmas wishes be granted!!

Look for exciting things in 2010!!!

The Beach Keeper

2009-11-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

While staying at a really cute little hotel in Atlantic Beach, I met the cutest little old man. I've named him "The Beach Keeper" He walks the beach every morning and finds lots of neat finds. My mom & dad stay here all month (November), and my dad says he does this every morning all month. Him and his delightful wife walk the beach every morning, very early. Well this weeks find , after the nor'easter that came through , was a fishing pole slam covered in barnacles, he says it's Captain Neptune's ! He went out and bought a barnacle covered hat to go with his newly found fishing pole, and he has this grand story he tells all that will sit and listen. Last week his grand find was a hinge that had thick rust on it, you could tell it had been in the ocean for a long, long time, he also found a pin that had really thick rust on it, and he says this is the hinge and pin are from Davie Jones locker. He's a bit rusty looking himself, a delightful little man with a weathered face with tons of character, bushy grey hair and beard, looks a little like Captain Neptune himself. One day I saw him putting all the shells back on the beach that him & his wife had found on earlier mornings. Not all in one spot, he was careful enough to space them out along the beach, so that walkers by could find them and think it was a treasure washed upon the shore just for them. Him & his wife also fish, but don't eat fish, so they put all of their caught fish in coolers of fisherman up & down the beach, they all say they have magical coolers, but I know it's the Beach Keeper. Summer time may be every one's favorite time to come the beach, but November is mine for I know The Beach Keeper is here and looking after the beach and all it's visitors!

A Peek Into My Workspace

2009-11-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

"They" say creative people are messy...Well here's your proof.
Here's some pictures of my workspace..so much for organization...
MY THEORY, if I can't see it , I can't create with it.
A lot of my ideas come from just beads that land together on my table. So if you were curious....
here's your peek into my messy creative world....here's where your jewelry comes from. I hope that doesn't scare you away ;)

Grateful For Sales

2009-11-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

You know I'm trying to understand why an artist would complain, complain,complain, about being busy, and bringing in sales and money. I am following an artist who has such beautiful work, and I love to read blogs, and watch face book pages, and this artist is so negative. The only time there seems to be any happiness is when they get featured in a blog, or on the front page of something, or in general wonderful recognition.

I just don't understand why you wouldn't be so enthusiastic about making sales, and bringing in money that allows you to continue what you "love" to do. After seeing all this negativity about what they are doing it just boggles me as to why they are still doing it. They even complain about having to go to the post office. If you don't want to deal with the things that go along with having your own business, then don't have it.

Maybe I am wrong in feeling this way, but I love being able to be home and do what I love , it hasn't brought me much income yet...but with perseverance I am hoping to have as many orders as this one artist I am talking about. I hope I am so busy I have to recruit some help from family and make a trip to the post office every other day!!!

I am so thankful for the customers I have......and I wish upon myself many customers that I will always appreciate.....because it is you my sweet customers that allow me to do something I love! From deep within my heart I THANK YOU!!!

Sea Shells & Dreams

2009-11-02T16:07:00.000-05:00

I finally created a piece of jewelry with the beautiful shell slices I bought last year at the beach! I also made some pendants out of some smaller shells. They are drying now. I love the way the pink coral and pink and white stick pearls came together in this piece! I love the ocean and shells and all the beautiful colors that come out of the ocean. I have been inspired and will creating more unique designs with shells. I know most people think of summer when they see shells, but the sparkliness (my word) of the stick pearls lends a frosty tone to this warm pink necklace...I think it could be just perfect for either that white or pink summer sundress or with a beautiful white or pink fuzzy sweater. What better way to warm up your winter? This piece of jewelry can work for either season! Check out more views at http://www.rwestdesigns.com/.

I think sea shells are gorgeous! All kinds of all shapes and sizes and most importantly all colors and textures. The best shell hunting is after a hurricane, when everything has been stirred up a lot! I also love to photograph them. I feel like each one has story of where it has been, who has lived in it, and where it ended up. One year while eating out at the beach I found a "pearl" in an oyster. I lost that pearl, but I should have kept it and made me a pendant out of it, it wasn't the most beautiful thing, but it was my prize out of an oyster!! When I was young we went sand dollar hunting...that was fun. We had a whole box of sand dollars.....I wonder where they are? I will have to search my mom's house for them. It would be neat to paint some of them and make pendants out of them. Did I mention that one day I want to be a painter? I'd love to be a soap maker, a candy maker, I love to be expressive and artistic, I may not be good at any of it, but I feel the need to try it all.

I need to invest in a better digital camera, I am still using the one my brother gave me for Christmas 4 years ago. It still serves it's purpose , and takes good pictures. Did I mention my other dream is to be a photographer? I just need the equipment.

Win Some Jewelry

2009-10-29T07:41:00.000-04:00

Want to win some earrings by RWestDesigns Jewelry? Then go and check out this lovely blog by Anna. It's a wonderful blog. So sweet and I find myself getting lost in her words! She has contests every month to win neat things on her blog. We've teamed up this month to give away some Jewelry from RWestDesigns!! Go to her blog for details, and I'm warning you...you could spend hours browsing through this delightful blog!!

www.littleremindersoflove.blogspot.com

Have a great day!

Becky

GIVEAWAY

2009-10-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

Really neat giveaway on http://www.handmadesuccess.blogspot.com/ from Amanda @ http://www.socialcirclecards.etsy.com/ Amanda is giving away some of the neatest social/business cards I have ever seen ! They are so adorable. I need a LOGO so I can own some of these. For your chance to win some visit handmade success! LOVE them!!

I LOVE THIS ETSY SITE!!

2009-10-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

Okay so I picked two favorites for this week...who's counting? I'm hoping you are!!

I bought my daughter one of the "cake" hair bows before her first birthday, which of course she wore for her 1st birthday party. Now it is her official birthday party bow! She wears it to all of the birthday parties she attends.

I love cake and all that that entails, I'm always looking for cake, cup cakes, truffles, petit fours, yada, yada, yada.......

Anyway I love this "cake" check it out at:

http://www.goldilocksbarrettes.etsy.com/

New Jewelry

2009-10-20T11:53:00.000-04:00

Good morning on this fine Tuesday! I have been taking pictures all morning of jewelry that needs to be posted on Etsy. I also spent 8 hours on Sunday doing this. I like taking the pictures, but I don't love sitting in front of the computer for hours uploading and listing all day. I keep thinking I want to get into my "new" workspace and get to making jewelry with some beads I had bought quite a while ago and forgot I had...found them again when I rearranged my "studio"/craft room!!

Has the Christmas shopping bug bit you yet? It hasn't me, still seems so far away, but I know it's just around the corner. I would be delighted to sell all my jewelry for Christmas....remember I will ship to where you want me to! The packaging will be just as FUN as the contents!

Gotta go list some new items on Etsy....this is your sneak peek ;)

DON'T FORGET TO BECOME A FOLLOWER TO GET ENTRIES INTO MY GIVEAWAYS...CHECK IT OUT ON RWESTDESIGNS JEWELRY ON FACEBOOK...BECOME A FAN FOR GIVEAWAYS THERE ALSO!!

This Week's Favorite Etsy Artist

2009-10-18T12:44:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh! I love all things Cherry...and this website is right up my alley!

I love the patterns and colors she uses in her jewelry. It's very Cherry Punk.

Check her out at :

http://www.kelbeall.etsy.com/

What a neat jewelry line! Bright, whimsical, and whole lot of fun!!!

I love finding these fun things on Etsy.....there are so many creative people in this world!!

FEEDBACK FROM A CUSTOMER

2009-10-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

Wow !

I was just talking about liking to make people happy and hoping my jewelry does just that!! I want to share with you some feedback from some customers:

From Cecelia Yopp, CA:

WHERE DO I START?? HONESTLY...I RECEIVED MY JEWELRY TODAY AND THE PACKAGING ALONE WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL....AND THEN THE PRIZE INSIDE!!!!!! RWestDesigns are TOP QUALITY!!! I am a huge fan of Silpada Designs...BUT I have found my REPLACEMENT....I AM SOOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO ORDERING MORE PIECES......the items I received today came just in time to be worn to a function I am attending tonight....I am POSITIVE my turqouise & shell necklace will be the topic of discussion!!!!THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH QUALITY PRODUCT AND SUCH AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE...YOU SO HAVE A NEW CUSTOMER IN ME...AND NOW MY BEST FRIEND AS WELL!!!!!!

To all potential customers, if you are skeptical...don't be....what you are getting is top quality jewelry!!!! THE PIECES I RECEIVED TODAY HAVE TOTALLY HOOKED ME INTO RWEST DESIGNS JEWELRY ....AND I WILL PROUDLY WEAR IT EVERYWHERE!!!!!

From Kristen Cook, NC:

I received my earrings today and I love them. I'm definately a pink kinda girl!

Lori Bennet, NC:

Hey Becky, I love your jewelry.

Susan Willets, ME:

I received my earrings today :) They are BEAUTIFUL! I can't wait to wear them! Thank you :)

Thanks guys...I will post them as I get 'em!!

Having Fun

2009-10-15T10:11:00.000-04:00

I've always loved to give.....I absolutely love the excitement or pleasure on someone's face. I love to make people happy. I guess it goes back to the "Golden Rule" treat people as you would like to be treated. I have thoroughly enjoyed giving away the few items I have given away, this brings me so much joy I see a lot more give aways coming.....if you haven't won anything yet keep trying...

It's funny jewelry makes me happy, creating it makes me happy, the colors and shapes and textures of beads make me happy. I truly enjoy what I do. I love each piece I create. They are sometimes hard to let go, it's saying goodbye to my friend. However, you know what? You will hardly ever see me wearing a piece of it....it's not that I don't like it, or like to wear it...I never seem to have the time to find the right piece, or haven't made the right piece for me. Mostly I put them up on Etsy to sell. Once I list them, I put them in an airtight , sealed bag with an anti-tarnish strip, so I'm not constantly polishing jewelry! So they are not easily accessible for me to wear so unless I make the piece for myself.......I don't have any to wear. As in my crazy life I always seem to put myself last. Trying to get my business off the ground, making jewelry, babysitting 3 children, taking care of my daughter, and my husband, running a household, just doesn't leave much time for myself! I need to learn how to balance it all. If you have any pointers please share them with me, I know I'm not the only person who's always last!

Look for next weeks favorite artist/items .... I enjoy sharing things I like. There's so much of it out there!!

This Week's Favorite Artist

2009-10-13T15:37:00.000-04:00

I love the unique and unusual. These ceramic wall pieces are just that......

Some of my work was recently picked as someone's favorite. I thought what a great idea and I want to pay that forward and start my own list of Favorites on my blog. After all I can't talk about myself ALL the time .......can I?

This artists work is absolutely stunning. I found her on the front page of Etsy one day. Please check out her work. I love it. One day I hope to own a few pieces of this amazing artwork. her name is Heather Knight and she has a blog also ..... Check her out at:

www.heatherknightceramics.blogspot.com

http://www.elementclaystudio.etsy.com/

http://www.elementclaystudio.com/

MY NECKLACE IN A BLOG

2009-10-08T19:16:00.000-04:00

Some of my work is in the blog

http://www.shoredebris.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU Vicky of

http://www.shoredebris.etsy.com/

I am flattered and honored to be in your blog.
I greatly appreciate the recognition.

Please take the time to check her work she is a fabulous artist also!!

It makes me feel good when someone else likes my jewelry......

Thank you again Vicky.

Busy Busy

2009-10-07T12:03:00.000-04:00

Well I've been on the computer all morning working on increasing traffic to my etsy site and FB page and Blog...have I left anything out??
IDK!!!! I am giving away items....to increase the awareness of RWestDesigns Jewelry......I don't have any followers here yet...but if you stumble across this blog, or you came here because I suggested it...you get a prize also.....you have to become a follower of this site, or buy something from my etsy shop http://www.rwestdesigns.etsy.com/ by the end of this week Oct. 11th is the deadline....If you missed it and are finding this site after that date...don't worry I've got lots of things to give away...and there will be more chances!!!

You ask what am I giving away??? Well...... follow me to find out!!

About Me

2009-10-03T17:07:00.000-04:00

I am addicted to beads and making jewelry! I discovered this passion in 1998, I immediately taught myself to bead, and I have been addicted ever since! I sell my jewelry even though it is hard to let go of each piece!! You can check out my work on Etsy. I have a link on this blog! I am also working on other venues to sell my jewelry to earn money to feed my addiction, and to help pay for my daughter's adoption!

www.rwestdesigns.etsy.com

My husband and I adopted the most beautiful baby girl in 2008. I also have a blog about my experiences with adopting and raising this beautiful baby, it is a work in progress, but you can check it out at

www.adoptionraisingsophie.blogspot.com

I also have been fighting my weight and PCOS all my life I have also started a blog about this journey which has led to diabetes and I will be starting insulin soon, which scares me to death. You can follow my journey with this horrific disease at

www.mypcosheartache.blogspot.com

If you want to know more FOLLOW ME!!!