33% off at Dee-Zigns Jewelry

Call me crazy, but I'm offering 33% off everything at Dee-Zigns Jewelry now through Cyber Monday, November 30th, but hurry this offer ends at midnight EST. Just enter coupon code black33 at checkout and you'll see the incredible discounts on my handmade jewelry and accessories!

If you've had your eye on those earrings for your sister, or a bookmark for your mother-in-law, go buy them now! If you've wanted that special necklace to wear to your office holiday party, buy it now. Every item is one of a kind, so when its gone, its gone!

Happy Black Friday to all!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

My goodness, I don't know what to do with myself, its the first Thanksgiving in a really, really long time that I've not made Thanksgiving dinner. Strange not having control over the menu and how its prepared, but I'll live.

We're in North Carolina visiting my mom (Gaston Studio) and sister, and after 3 days of overcast gloomy weather, the sun is shining and the skies are blue. Mom is preparing dinner this year, so after being kicked out of the kitchen, I'm still in my pajamas, sitting on the sofa, writing this while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Life is wonderful, eh?

Cell phones taking over?

Today I'm sad,

• Not by the weather, because it's gorgeous in Atlanta, clear blue sky and chilly air.
• Not by the clean clothes piled up on the guest bed, where the hell is Rosie the Robot when you need her?
• Not by my son's poison ivy all over his sweet little face.
• Not by the lack of sales on my website.
• Not by the pounds I've acquired from my kid's blasted Halloween candy haunting me from the pantry. (Well, damnit, I am sad and mad about this.)
  
• Not by the muddy areas in my backyard from the floods that don't appear to dry out.

Today I'm sad,

• By the lack of customer service in America. No wonder people are shopping more and more online. Now, don't get me wrong, this is a good thing, but possibly because people are sick of taking the time to find a parking space, walk into a store and receiving lousy customer service or no customer service at all. This is if, they actually acknowledge you've walked into the store.
• By the lack of people thinking their relationship with their cell phone is more important that a face to face relationship, and talking with their children. How pathetic, really.
  
• By the lack of families sitting together at the dinner table, without cell phones, without the tv, and having a real conversation. 15-20 minutes isn't too much time to give to your family, is it?
• By the lack of people being on time for appointments. Are you so damn important that your time is more important than mine?
• By the lack of peace and quiet while grocery shopping, (at any public place, for that matter) because some self absorbed nutcase is talking so loudly on their bloody cell phone, about their personal issues. Hello... I can hear you and so can everyone else! Don't you have any morals or integrity?

• By people talking on their cell phone, while in a check-out line and not being courteous enough to the check-out clerk to end their call. What are they afraid of? Talking to someone.

• By people driving up to a drive thru window, with the bloody cell phone at their ear, talking away, and not being courteous to the attendant at the drive thru window.

What's it going to take for people to behave like the civilized society we say we are?

What's it going to take to slow down?

What's it going to take for people to be courteous and kind, again?

What's it going to take for people to smile, again?

What's it going to take to connect to your children?

What's it going to take to put down that bloody cell phone and turn it off?

Everyone knows I'm a Lost fan.

If you don't know that I'm a huge Lost fan, then you don't know me. Besides being obsessed with my jewelry business, I'm obsessed with the show LOST.

I found this on Jennifer's blog. Had to post it on my blog so I can watch it over and over! These guys that created this video are hilarious, go see "the Donkey Wheel" on YouTube.

Limited edition earrings, yes, I said limited.

Tis the season to be busy, and for me, that's making jewelry! I have so many ideas floating around in my head, yes, that's right, floating, that my hands cannot work fast enough.

Sure, the easy way would be to sketch my ideas, keep them all together, like in some sort of binder, duh, if they wouldn't turn out in a "stick figure" format, and you guessed it, I suck at Pictionary but I swear, I have zero talent for drawing. My mother, brother and daughter sucked up all that talent in our family. My sister and I are out of luck, in that department. Still waiting to see about my son, Blake, after all, he's only 7.

Pictured above are the limited edition earrings I've recently created using sterling silver and Swarovski glass pearls, the Addison Earrings. Yes, I watch "Private Practice", and enjoy Kate Walsh's character, Addison, and her impeccable sense of style.

I have 3 pairs available, at Dee-Zigns, in each of the colors (photo, above left), green, pink and white only $18 each. There's also 1 pair, in maroon.

This is my first foray into limited edition jewelry. With the biggest shopping season approaching rapidly, I wanted to offer a beautiful pair of earrings, under $20, that would make an easy gift choice for the women in your life.

Swarovski is the renowned crystal manufacturer, but they are also regarded as the most magnificent crystal pearl manufacturer. Swarovski pearls start with a unique crystal core that is covered with an innovative pearlescent coating for a flawless, silky-smooth surface that resists cosmetics, chemicals and perfumes. I must say, the colors are incredible.

I made these earrings using sterling silver oval links that I hammered, (because I love to hammer) to flatten them a bit, linked them together, then wire wrapped the Swarovski glass pearls in sterling silver and dangled them from the lower links. I then added them to my hand forged sterling silver ear wires. I prefer making my own earring findings i.e. ear wires, headpins, etc. that's what we call it in the jewelry making world, findings. Why? No clue. Maybe you find a head pin, put a bead on it, then hang it from the ear wire...

My escapee... Kitty!

A few weeks ago, the weather was getting cooler, so I opened the kitchen window to let the fresh air in. I forgot I'd taken out the screen - because I don't like looking through screens and Collins had put a few holes in the screen, but that's another story.

As I sat at the kitchen table, working on my laptop, I heard something rustling in the kitchen. My first thought, oh crap, a large bug is caught in the window blind and going to fly in. As I got up and walked in, here's what I saw! (photo #1)

Obviously Kitty waited until he got my attention, I mean look at him looking at me and posing. Paw up and ready.



Then, (photo #2) he slips through just before I could grab his leg! Believe you me, I tried grabbing it, even with camera in hand!

Ta da! He's so proud of himself, as I take this picture hanging out the open window. (photo #3)

His goal? To hang out on the deck soaking up the glorious fresh air. Poor, deprived Kitty.




His silliness and mischievousness keeps me on my toes. Like when he sat on the furniture while Erika and I struggled to move it across the room. He seemed quite full of himself adding his extra 9 lbs. to the heavy wood furniture. Or jumping on the mattress while I'm stretching the fitted sheet across. Or walking across my workspace while both hands are occupied with pliers, so I can't knock him off! Hint, if you make jewelry and have beads and numerous other elements scattered across your table, do not, I repeat, do not try to knock off your cat, or scare him, or yell at him. I did this. Trays toppled over, beads and other components went everywhere. Huge mess. Huge.

Why oh why does he insist getting on these crowded table spaces, when he knows good well, there is not an inch of empty space to lay? Seriously, does he find this comfortable!

Back to the escaping cat. Erika goes ballistic when he escapes, not sure what she imagines is going to happen to the little shit. But, in the past, there's been alligator tears and hyper ventilating (well, almost). She gets very upset, if one of us is careless enough to open the door too wide, or leave the door open for too long. So we open the door just wide enough to squeeze out, or stick our leg in the way so he doesn't see an opening. She has chased him all around the yard, generally shaking a can of cat treats, thinking that will lure him back into the comforts of our home, sleeping on Erika's bed.

This is his daily excitement and he loves it, he loves being chased and getting the attention. Especially when Erika does it... I don't chase him anymore. And now I make him wait at the door before I let him back in.

Take that Kitty!



What is it about indoor cats? They constantly try to escape the confines of their home. If you have an indoor cat, do you allow them outside?



P.S. Kitty was not harmed or mistreated in any way in preparation for this blog post. Unless you count very cold toes... tee hee.

I'm a Funky Find!

I've been missing in action due to the swine flu and pnemonia. Yep, my middle schooler came home several weeks ago with the swine flu, and taking care of her, naturally it got hold of me. Moms should be impervious to these illnesses, because, hello... who's going to take care of the children? So there I was sick as a dog, Erika started getting better, and I was not. Hence, another trip to the doctor, where they informed me I had pnemonia. Now, this is nothing to joke about. Not being able to take a breathe was scary, to say the least. Thank God, my son didn't get sick. Little guy stayed far away from the sickies in the house. Smart, eh?

So last week while trying to recover, I was "discovered" at Funky Finds. Here's the link... and go follow them, you'll discover indie artists, crafters and designers worldwide.

Happy November, ya'll.

Random photos and custom necklace design.

I've been incredibly busy lately making jewelry, my favorite thing! These are a few pieces that sold before I could get them on the website.

Purple, passionate purple. I never have purple jewelry for long, which is a good thing, right? I loved making this 3 strand purple bracelet, that is now wrapped, and ready for some lucky mother-in-law for a Christmas gift, this was priced at $45.

That's right, there are actually organized women already checking off items on their gift buying list for the impending holiday shopping season. I'm impressed. I need to get cracking on my list...

Now this necklace was purchased (it was only $40) for a lucky lady just because she deserved something new for fall. I loved this golden yellow carved flower pendant and paired it with golden yellow glass beads hand knotted on chocolate brown cord.

Recently I was asked to donate jewelry for a silent auction at TasteFest in Roswell, Georgia. It's a fundraiser for Roswell High Schools' student and booster organization. Erika will be attending this school in 3 years, but let's not go there, I'm still adjusting to middle school.

I wanted to design a custom necklace with soccer elements and the school colors, black, green and white. This is what I created (pictured right). It's a sterling silver oxidized chain, hanging from that is a sterling silver soccer ball charm, black and green Swarovski crystals and a white Swarovski glass pearl. I actually had a round toggle clasp that was not working properly, meaning, it wasn't staying together. Well, I needed to figure out a way to use it in a different way. So I took the round part and hammered it in the oval shape, and hung the soccer ball from it.

Naturally, I needed to create custom earrings to go with the custom necklace, so I used the same sterling silver oxidized chain, and hung it from hand forged sterling silver ear wires, wire wrapped green, and black crystals and white pearls dangle below.

On another note, at Blake's school it was spirit week, so he decided on this look for tacky/wacky day. Looks like he's due for a haircut!

By the way, nice socks.

Halloween Costumes and New Jewelry

Is anybody else sick of hearing about Halloween costume?
My kids have been talking about Halloween for 3 weeks! Shoot me now. Ever since the Halloween costume catalogues started arriving in our mailbox. Note to self: get the mail before the kids get home.

Way back when, we didn't have Halloween catalogues brimming with costumes. We actually had to use our noggins to dream up costumes to create out of nothing. Or visit Kmart and buy one of the prepackaged costumes with the plastic mask. The plastic masks were so hot, your face would steam up from your breathe. Remember those?

My son wants to be Harry Potter. That's easy enough, right? The robe, glasses and wand. Plastic wands are 8 or 10 bucks. Why can't he whittle a wand out of a stick? Oh yeah, because he cannot use a pocket knife. He's 7. What with all the explorer sticks out on my deck, I would think he could find a super cool wand out of that pile. This way, he's recycling and green. But, no, now he wants the broom, owl and other props after perusing the blasted catalogues! These costumes are ridiculously expensive too. For one night? I don't get it. If I'm buying a $50 costume, I want to see it out in public more than once.


The other spectrum is my daughter. "I don't know what I want to be", she says, several times a day. My idea, look in the back of your closet, and find the costume from last year - in mint condition! I have a nice, clean white sheet...

On another note, new jewelry! My kids are obsessed with Halloween costumes and I'm obsessed with new jewelry designs. I had to share these with you.

The necklaces on the right is made with dumorteriete, a deep blue gemstone considered to enhance organizational abilities and self-discipline. It is believed to release fear, bringing courage to one's life, and to boost creativity and expression. I should wear this one daily just to stay organized! Two beads are wire wrapped and hang from sterling silver chain and accent a round sterling silver pendant that has been hammered for texture. I love my hammers!

The necklace on the left is hand beaded with dyed mother of pearl nugget beads in a milk chocolate brown. I've added an oval sterling silver piece that I roller printed to add texture, then wire wrapped a blue turquoise nugget in sterling silver to dance atop the silver piece.

Look for these on the website by tomorrow. More to come...

Dusting off (again)...

When they say "time flies" they aren't kidding. What with school starting, revamping my website and creating new jewelry, I've neglected my blog, again.

As a virtual store owner, I'm always looking for ways to improve the shopping experience. Some shoppers likes to sit in pajamas, coffee in hand, and slowly browse. Other shoppers, have about a nano second to buy a gift. They know they need one, but they can't be bothered with slow loading pages, dark photos, not enough information, etc. I know you know what I'm talking about.

Stop by Dee-Zigns Jewelry, check out the changes. Ive added new jewelry designs, including the Hadley necklace.
I used Czech glass in a beautiful turquoise green color. What I love about this necklace, is the smooth feel of the rectangle glass beads and the pretty hook clasp that kind of looks like a clover, not a 4 leafed clover, like, who's ever found one of those? It also reminds me of a fleur de lis symbol. Regardless, I designed the necklace to wear the clasp in front, or asymmetrical (see photo) or in back (for those off you with short, sexy hair).


Beware though, wearing this gorgeous necklace asymmetrically will have your OCD friends, turning it around so it sits on your neck, or perfectly in front. Trust me, I've had this happen!

There are two pairs of earrings, and two bracelets, to match the Hadley necklace.

I'm not ready for middle school.

Yep, that's the way I feel about it. Erika began middle school today, right now she's in Language Arts isn't that really English with one of her closest friends, thank goodness. I don't get why they don't go to homeroom first, oh yeah, because its called connections or something ridiculous like that, and they go around lunchtime. This is why I'm not a teacher because things don't seem logical to me about the way they call things and do things. So I'll try to be nice and not roll my eyes so much.

She was very excited and nervous, very typical on your first day of a new school. Did I take the camera to the bus stop, no, because I had my coffee and I forgot, that's my excuse anyway.

Blake began 2nd grade and no, I didn't take the camera to that bus stop either. Again, the coffee, and I was carrying two reams of copy paper for him to take to his teacher. Amazing the things parents purchase for the school and the teachers. I don't mind purchasing items for the teachers, better than the under paid teachers purchasing these items themselves. Where do our tax dollars go, by the way? Not enough of our tax dollars are going to the school system, that's obvious!

But this is not a political blog, so I'm not going there. Not today anyway!

Back to Blake, he looked so sweet standing there waiting for the bus, rather quiet, but that's him. Watching everyone, taking everything in. He wasn't excited about school starting today. He has a very cool teacher so I'm sure the day will go well.

So, here I am, catching up on my dusty blog. I have loads to do today, but wanted to say hi to all and let you all know how much I've missed being here. I will be visiting my blog buddies to leave my very important comments that I am quite sure you've missed. I'll be tweeting, facebooking, stumbling, emailing, and everything business related to catch up on the last few months.

No, I will not be cleaning my house. Sorry, honey, I realize there is beach sand still underfoot and Collins' hair scurrying around the baseboards, but I will get to it. By end of the day. Or tomorrow. Must I? Really? But of course, I must, because there's no Rosie. Damnit.

Come on Apple or Microsoft, do something to endear yourself to women, for god's sake.

Robot cannot be too creepy, too sneaky or too mean.

I must admit something, as a child growing up in the 60's, I truly believed that my future would be like the Jetsons, and that I would have a Rosie the Robot. I also thought we would be flying instead of driving by now. It's 2009 people, get with it!

It appears the Japanese will be the ones to get this accomplished and, most likely, at a price tag that we" mere mortals" can afford. Honda has the Asimo robot, which seems too child like, so that probably wouldn't work for me as I would feel obligated to give him an allowance. I didn't see an add to cart button, so that tells me I cannot afford him. But how do I save for something if I don't know how much its gonna cost me? Sheesh.

Toyota has come out with one just last fall (pictured at right). This guy looks great and he sweeps! Sweet!

C3PO would also be a great choice, he can climb stairs to my laundry room, and make me laugh. Love his dry sense of humor. Except he'd probably give me attitude about doing the laundry. I'm following him on Twitter now. Don't ask.

I cannot have a robot like this Archie freak character (pictured below left, like, how can you miss him?). He's too creepy. Who, in their right mind, would use one in their home with children. They would certainly have nightmares and be in therapy down the road. Come to think of it, I would have nightmares and need therapy.

The robot from I, Robot, Sonny, at first seemed pretty cool. I later decided, too sneaky.

And The Terminator, well, what can I say, too mean.

Instead of those silly jars that say "Plastic Surgery Fund" like I'd actually consider that, mine will read "Robot Needed" savings jar.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you should know by now that I am hopelessly optimistic and therefore, will expect a cool robot one day. I mentioned this to my husband, and he's like, "sell more jewelry". Jeez, that's his answer for all my needs. Ok, don't go there.

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