KelleyAccents

Making Cranberry Muffins

2011-12-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Ok. So, today my son Axel and I were craving some muffins so we looked around the the kitchen looking for some ingredients to make some delicious muffins. So we found everything we needed to make cranberry muffins. Axel really wanted to make them by himself and believe it or not, he pretty much did J! I just helped breaking the eggs and gave him the exact amount of each ingredient we used (of course the kitchen end up a huge mess).

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 ts salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 ts double-acting baking powder

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter (melted)

3/4 cup milk

1 cup of fresh cranberry

1 ts grated orange rid

Stir dry ingredients together.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Add butter and milk to the eggs.

Combine the liquid and the dry ingredients with a few strokes.

Fold into the batter, before the dry ingredients are completely moist add the cranberries.

Fill well greased muffins pans 2/3 full and bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY!

Halloween History of Witches

2011-10-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

One of the more enduring symbols of Halloween, horror and folklore is that of the Witch. Ugly and evil, they are shown flying on their broomsticks, or stirring their cauldrons.

Witches were not always thought of as evil or ugly. In ancient times, witches could be healers or wise women of the community.

A witch is a woman claiming or popularly believed to possess magical powers and practice sorcery.

If you are looking for some super spooky cute witch items, you will find them on this Witches Brew Treasury . You're gonna love them.

Personalized Halloween Shirt/Onesie - Great Gift Idea

Craft Season

2011-09-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

The holidays are right around the corner... and you all know what that means... Lots and lots of craft shows! It's my second year doing craft shows and it has been an awesome experience. I think it'll take a while to get all the stuff I want to display my items the way I want, but you know...I'm working hard at being patient.

So far, I'm doing one every week for the next month of October and then I'll do one for November and one for December, and I wanted to get a little booth display design inspiration.

Here are a few booths I found online that I am crazy in love with!

How to make a traditional star piñata

2011-09-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Piñatas are found at almost every Mexican celebration. Piñatas were traditionally in the shape of a six-pointed star and were filled with fruit, candy, and small toys. At fiestas, the pinatas are hung in the air and children are blindfolded and take turns swinging at the pinatas with a stick. Eventually, the pinata is hit hard enough and it breaks releasing the candy and toys that it contains.

I’m so excited to show you how to make your own piñata!

Material:

Glue

Scissors

Newspaper/Paper

One balloon

Tissue paper

Glue gun

Tape

Foil paper

Water

Plastic container

Ok. Ready, GO!

First, you are going to cut the newspaper into squares or rectangles.

Blow up a large balloon and tie the end. You’ll need something to put the balloon while you glue the squares of newspaper to the balloon (I used a cup).

Then, put the glue into the plastic bowl and add some water. Wet the paper in the glue/water mixture and carefully place the strips on the balloon until it is covered, leaving a hole at the top.

Set aside and let the balloon dry. Repeat with two or three more layers, making sure you leave the hole at the top and let it dry each time you repeat it.

When dry, pop and remove the balloon.

Make cones with construction paper and cover them with tissue paper.

Then, cover the balloon with foil paper. Once you are done, carefully tape the cones to the piñata.

Cut squares of tissue paper. They should be around 5” by 5” (You’ll need close to 200 pieces). When you have all the squares ready, pick one up by the center of the paper and draw it through the forefinger and thumb of your other hand, held in a circle. This will create the ruffles as you see them in the picture.

Start gluing the ruffles around each cone, gluing the center (where you grabbed the paper to make the ruffle) to the base of the cone.

Hang stripes of tissue paper from each cone’s tip

Punch two small holes in the top near the opening and tie a large piece of cord through the two holes. Fill your pinata (through the hole you left at the top) with candy and/or toys.

You’re done! Have fun J

You can be very creative with this project. You can design your piñata into any shape you want (animal, flower, cartoons, etc,). You just need some imagination.

Hope you enjoy making your piñata as much I did.

Pink KABowtique

2011-03-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

I just made a video on animoto.com called Pink KABowtique with a few of my pink items. Check it out!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Celebrating Little Victories

2010-10-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

I went to a local Art show last night (Henderson ArtsWalk) and had a lot of fun! I met some really cool artists and got to show off my lovely creations. This is my third month participating in the ArtsWalk and I'd never had as much fun as I did last night.

I also sold two of my hair bows! It's so cool that total strangers came up and thought they were pretty or cute enough to take home with them! I was a little discouraged because I didn't sell very much, but I talked about it with Devon and I've decided to be happy about it. While I didn't make very much, I at least earned back what I paid for my spot and got to promote my store and items for 4 hours. I can't wait for the bigger shows I'm doing this season!

What to do about Copycats?

2010-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

With the opening of my new store KABowtique, I've had the chance to experiment with new designs and have had several come out very well! I'm so excited to be able to present them.

With that, I started seeing other people copying one of my designs, the Lion Hair Barrette. At first, I was more than a little concerned and angry, but then, after thinking about it, it's not a big deal. I look at other people's designs for inspiration, too. I talked about it with Devon, my husband, quite a bit last night. He says that I should ask them to credit me, but I'm not sure. It's really not a big deal to me, and I'm flattered that my design was good enough to copy.

First Sale for KABowtique!

2010-10-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

I just celebrated my first sale in my new store, KABowtique! It's so exciting to be selling the things I make. I hope to have many more sales.

Sales are slow, all around, but I'm working hard to promote my stores and I've got several craft shows that I'm attending in the next couple months. Hopefully, that will serve to get my name out there and also to bring some more sales. I'm really working hard on my stores and it's really hard work! But I love making my items. And I love seeing people enjoy them!

Item Fiction

2010-10-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am (Devon) into fiction and the fantastic. I love science fiction and, to a lesser degree, fantasy stories. Awhile back, I was creating names for each piece of jewelry and a short story to go along with it, describing the supposed special powers that piece contained. While it was fun and entertaining for me, it didn't seem to increase views, sales or any kind of reaction to the items.

So, my question, or my discussion topic, is this: Do buyers appreciate those little bits added to the items? Or is it merely a way to spend time amusing myself? I'd really love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

Etsy Showcase

2010-10-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

The idea behind the Etsy Showcase is a wonderful one. I really like it, I do.

Having said that, I don't know if it works! Karla has purchased three Showcase slots and has generated exactly zero sales from it. It's frustrating, knowing that you're spending money on advertising that's not working. It could be because she hasn't gotten a slot on the Main Showcase. We decided to try that one, next, but it's hard to get a slot. They get snapped up so very fast!

Has any of our readers had any success on any Showcases that weren't the main one? We'd really like to hear about your experience and how you maximized your Showcase slot.

We're having a Halloween giveaway contest!

2010-10-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

We're having a Halloween giveaway contest:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245227&id=127950039247

Minnie Mouse

2010-10-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Some of the greatest inventions of all time have come about when people mix two things that don't obviously go together. I'll save exposing you to my ignorance by not making a list. But the principle is true.

Karla did something interesting, something I've never seen before. It turned out to be one of the cutest hair barrettes she's made up until now. She combined quilling with ribbon, and created an awesome Minnie Mouse hair barrette! I have got to say, it's very cool.

She's planning on using the same technique to make some more interesting and unique products in the future. Stay tuned, and I'm sure you'll be amazed!

Part of a Team

2010-09-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

Because it's been so long since I've maintained this blog, I forget that things have happened that the readers aren't aware of! Like the fact that KelleyAccents is now a proud member of the Handmade in Vegas Etsy Team!

It's been an overall good experience for Karla. The moment she joined she was a member of a wonderful community that has been very helpful. It's also been the key to her attending the craft shows that she has/is attending this year. It's been a great time and we're both looking forward to watching and helping the team grow.

If you're a Vegas local crafter and are looking for a good group, check us out! If you're not local and still want a group to support you, check around. There are tons of teams and I'm sure you could find at least one that would fit you. If not, maybe you could start your own!

Treasuries

2010-09-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

Karla has been exploring Etsy and all the wonderful things it can do, and she's discovered Treasuries. She's been making quite a few, and it's sparked some discussion between us.

If you're not familiar with Treasuries on Etsy, let me see if I can put it in a nutshell for you. The Curator (organizer of the Treasury) chooses a list of several items from across Etsy that they like and fit whatever theme they've chosen. Then, they give it a title and a quick little blurb to explain it, and post it for the world to see! The interesting bit is that you can't include items from your own store.

Obviously, when you make a Treasury, you want it seen by other people. You want people to comment on your selections. And Karla's been asking me how to make a good Treasury for others to see. Well, the Treasury doesn't do a whole lot to promote her store. The way I see it, it's a way to share her mood and her artistic tastes in a way that promotes other sellers on Etsy. Which is way cool, to be honest. And, it does get her name out there some more.

But that's the only way I see it. It's not something to strive to be the "best" at. It's another way for you to express yourself, your mood and your tastes and share with the world. That's it.

Thoughts?

Getting Serious

2010-09-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

We've ramped up for big business, now! Karla's busy working at her store, creating new items every day. I try to get online and list something, at least one thing, on Etsy every day. Karla has gone to a couple small craft shows locally and is prepping for a few larger ones as the Holiday season gets closer.

This is a crazy, crazy business! Being a craft artist is hard work and takes a lot of dedication. But, it's very satisfying when a piece sells. Which, to be honest, sales have been sparse of late. It's rough, putting your whole heart into a piece and then seeing it sit in your store month after month.

Etsy is a wonderful platform, but we haven't gotten very much exposure there. I'm scouring the 'net, searching for ideas and ways to promote. If you have a method that's worked for you, let me know!

New Ideas

2010-04-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with a couple things this past week. Or couple weeks. I took a picture of the three bracelets I've done. On my left arm is a hemp and wooden bead bracelet. There is also a square knot bracelet made from strips of an old t-shirt. On my right arm, is an anodized steel bracelet. I once again discovered my joy of working with metal!

I love how the dark steel wire looks, but I'll need to figure out how to treat it. Since it's anodized, it can be dirty. I wore it while doing some service at church and my sweat pulled the oxidation off it and got my wrist dirty. Hmm... time for some more research and experimentation!

Let me know what you think about these.

Walmart Photo Printing Kiosk

2010-01-25T21:45:00.000-08:00

Wow, Karla has fallen in LOVE with those things!

If you're not familiar with them, it's and instant gratification item that's absolutely AWESOME and very well put together! You can load your media onto the kiosk via just about any data card, CD or even scan them in. You can even transfer them from your phone via bluetooth, or hook your camera up to it with the USB cable! Once your pics are on the machine, you can print individual photos, add borders, create collages... *sigh*

Needless to say, we've spent quite a bit of money there and have several new photo collages around the house. It's a very, very cool toy and the results are just gorgeous. Once you pick what you want, it prints your claim ticket and all you have to do is go to the photo printer and scan your claim ticket in 3-4 minutes and there are your pictures! And the price is extremely reasonable for what you get. $0.28 for a single 4x6 print. You pay that even if you add a border.

This is not to trump up Walmart. Personally, I avoid shopping there if I can. But this is a deal that we just can't pass up.

Photo Management

2010-01-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

I received in our email an article from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. The article is here and is titled, "Pixel Perfect".

It has a lot of advice on how to maintain and manage your photo files of your jewelry pieces. Or of any photos you take with the plan of using them in different media. I intend to implement this today, if I have time to take some photos. (I really need to!)

In our case, we may be small and unknown now, but someday we'll have a design worthy of appearing in a magazine or such, and we'll need to have high quality images for printing. Or, we'll want to make our own printed newsletter. In that case, we'll need high quality images for the printed version and lower ones for an online version.

Up until now, I've only been keeping the photos that we use to put on Etsy. And they are only a 1000px square; Sadly inadequate for any kind of physical printed format.

I hope someone finds this article useful, as I did.

Dark Shimmers

2010-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

"A flash in the Dark. A glimmer of color in the gray night. A bright glimpse of light, flashes... then disappears. Dark Shimmers. Appearing on a throat near you!"

There's my movie trailer for this latest piece that I've called "Dark Shimmers". The stone is really dark, but has beautiful shimmers of green and blue with maybe a hint of red streaks. The pearls brighten it up, but don't overpower the beauty of the pendant.

This one was a true collaboration. We both contributed to the design and the work to get it done. It's very satisfying to complete a piece like this, especially when it's so loved by the person who commissioned it. Here's a photos of the completed piece:

Spices

2010-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

My spaghetti is one of our favorite meals. I learned how to make the sauce from my mother and Karla really liked it, especially after I made some little changes to it, to fit the flavor I wanted it to have.

But, today, it was not to be. The stars aligned against me; the gods weren't smiling down. Apparently, they were sneezing.

I went to throw some cumin into the sauce, but instead, grabbed the pumpkin pie spice. I was rushing, as I got a late start and wanted to have it done before our little boy woke up from his nap, so when I popped the lid and started to shake it in, I thought, "Wow, that cumin is really brown." But I paid my conscience no attention. Then, after I added the basil and started to stir a bit more, I started to realize that it smelled funny. I started wafting the steam to my face and trying to figure out what the matter was. Then, I got a hint of cinnamon. Cinnamon! From my sauce!

Immediately, I knew something was wrong and grabbed the spice containers from the bar behind me. Sure enough, the one I thought was cumin wasn't. I thought I could cover it up with extra cumin and basil and garlic powder, but after shaking some more in and letting it cook for a couple minutes, I realized that there was no help for it. Let me tell you, a mix of basil, cumin and garlic with pumpkin pie spice is not appetizing. At all.

I already had put the pasta in the water, so I saved lunch by whipping up a white sauce and grilling some chicken. So, we still had pasta. It was just white, instead of red.

2010 - The Best Year Yet!

2010-01-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

Here's to 2010! The best year you'll have yet! Don't believe me? Go out there and make it the best year you'll ever have! We sincerely hope that you'll set goals and bust your butt working towards those goals. We hope that you make changes for the better. We hope that you make it a point to smile every day. We hope that you search for truth and joy. We wish you all these things and more.

And, we hope you wish them back to us!

What's our goal? We're setting a goal to have 1 online sale a week! Thinking reasonably, I realize that we probably won't get that, but as long as it averages out to 1 per week at the end of the year, and we bust our butts every week working for that sale, we'll have accomplished a great thing.

Karla and I started our New Year with laughs! After our little one went to sleep and we did all the things we normally do to get the house cleaned and ready to start the next day, we decided to rent and watch a movie. I ran across the street in pj's and flipflops (man was it cold!) and we rented "The Proposal". Oh my goodness, the movie is extremely funny! It has lots of humor and a nice, romantic story. I'd give it 8 stars at least (out of 10) and I imagine Karla would give it more. It was quite a nice way to bring in the New Year.

So, Happy New Year, to your family from ours! May this year be the Best Ever!

Men's Wire-Wrapped Buckle Ring

2009-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

That's what I'm calling it, anyway.

This morning, I woke up wanting to create a wire-wrapped ring for a guy. Something that I'd wear, as well as other men. This is what I came up with. I'm happy with the basic design, but I'm thinking there are some things I'd change before I started to sell it. For one, I'll probably use a heavier gauge wire.

For those of you who frequent the blog, let me know what you think about it! Is there anything you'd change on it?

Wire Wrapped Pendant

2009-12-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked Karla to make a piece of jewelry out of a stone she (the friend) picked up at some tourist spot. I have completely forgotten where it was picked up or what kind of stone it is. So, it fell to me to do the wrapping to make it a pendant.

This is what I came up with:

I must say that I'm extremely proud of it! I used the tutorial here for inspiration and the general know-how to be able to do it, as I've never done it before. Karla will be finishing the piece, finding the perfect chain and other embellishments.

As this is a custom piece and specific order, it's not going on Etsy. But, everyone take note! Should you want something like this, all you have to do is Convo us on Etsy, or send an email to kelleyaccents [at] gmail [dot] com.

Having a clean Camera

2009-12-18T06:24:00.000-08:00

This is SUPER IMPORTANT when you have an online store. I realized earlier yesterday that it's been over a year since I've cleaned the lens on my camera, and during that year, the camera went on a vacation to Mexico, was loaned to my 1yr old son several times, and had an accumulation of saliva and dust.

Why is this important? If you lens is dirty, you're not going to get a good focus on your items, and when you're photographing something close up, like I do for the store, you need a CLEAR and CRISP focus. I cleaned my lens yesterday and am very happy with the results. Check this latest listing out:

The focus is clear and crisp and the photo is beautiful! There is very little noise in the black, the colors are strong and wonderful.

So, how do you clean your lens? Very simply. If it's a compact, turn it on, so the lens extends. Get a cotton swab and wet one end with rubbing alcohol and then wipe the lens down with the swab, going in a circle starting from the outside. Make sure to get as far to the sides as you can. Depending on how dirty your lens is, you may want to dry it with the dry end of the swab, then wipe it down with the wet end again.

When it's clean, lightly blow on the lens to dry it. DO NOT put your mouth too close to the lens. The vapor from your breath can get into the lens and condense on the inner elements, making it impossible to focus. Make sure to keep your mouth about eight inches away from the lens when you blow on it. It should dry after a minute with no streaking. If it streaked, clean it again.

And, there you have it! Your lens is clean so you'll get cleaner photos.

Journals

2009-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, and have a horrible memory, journals can be your best friends! It annoys me to no end when Karla talks to me about something of which I have no recollection. Recently, I've been writing in my journal a lot more than I used to. I want to remember this stuff and want to have my feelings detailed so it can help me remember in the future.

On a related note, I'm attempting to learn to bind my own books. It would be lovely to make my own journals, with quality bindings and a covering of my own choice.

Browsing through Etsy, I found this wonder: A Winters Journal
That is one cool looking book!

Learn by Doing

2009-11-29T10:26:00.000-08:00

So, I've spent the morning cruising the net, trying to promote our Etsy store and generally wasting time.

I did, however, have a learning experience. Yesterday, I purchased a coil of copper wire to experiement with (since it's sooo much cheaper than sterling) and try out some designs. After a wasted hour, I broke it out along with a couple jewelry pliers. I started twisting, wrapping, and bending wire. I came up with some cool spirals that I think I want to use in a pair of earrings. I looked at them and thought to myself, "Self. These earrings would be REALLY cool with some hammered copper!" I don't have a jewelers anvil or an appropriate hammer. So, I broke out the carpenters hammer and a pry-bar to hammer on.

It didn't work. I finally ended up hammering the copper wire into the concrete of the patio. It takes a lot of fine hammering to get a good look, yet you've got to know when to stop. I was trying to flatten out the whole piece, eyering included. The wire wrapped around the eyering cut the post and cut the eyering right off! Oops. Well, now I know not to do that again.

It was a wonderful experience, simply because, had I not attempted to do it, I wouldn't have learned that it doesn't work! Now, I know, and 'Knowing is Half the Battle!'

Working with Wire

2009-11-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

Since I've started making jewelry with my wife, I've been drawn to working with wire. There is something that makes it a very satisfying pursuit. I'm not quite sure what it is. It may be taking something and using my hands to form it into something that looks (or tries to!) beautiful.

As I was pondering what to write about tonight, I was browsing through Etsy and found this shop: WireYourWorld

The work there is absolutely beautiful! I especially love this piece!

It also appears to be a very successful shop. Which is a good thing! It means, if we do it right, we can reach that level as well. We just need to figure out how.

I'm a big Stargate fan and have had an idea for a few weeks now to do some wirework based on the symbols of the different Goa'uld. I think it would be great fun, but I'm not sure how well the pieces would be received!

No Sleep!

2009-11-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to sleep tonight until I sell something! Or, until it's 1am, whichever comes first, but I want it to be a sale!

Help me out, peeps! If it's not going to be you, IM or text a friend and have them check the shop out! If the person who makes a purchase was referred by someone else, I'll even try to do something special for that someone! Who knows!

I'm feeling silly this evening and this is likely to be ONLY THE FIRST crazy thing I do all night!

So, come check out the store! Give us a hand...

Headpin Tutorial

2009-10-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

So, I finally finished the tutorial for making headpins. It's in .pdf format and hosted on Google Documents, so you can read it directly from the net or download it to read it later.

Making Headpins

If you'd like to see a finished piece where I used this technique, see this ring.

How to Balance Art and Life

2009-10-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

If you're an artist, struggling to make a living off of your art, it can be really, really hard to dedicate enough time to your art while not neglecting the other facets of your life. I suppose that can happen with any field of interest that takes time, but I'm going to concentrate on art, because that's what I love.

For Karla and I, it has gotten really tough to dedicate the necessary time to promoting the site, creating new pieces, keeping a regular posting schedule on the blog and store... ugh! It is a nightmare of a balancing act. Between the little boy, my day job, cleaning, cooking, going out... we've only got a few hours each night to work on this stuff. But you know what: we work on it! That's the only way to get it balanced. Do everything you need to do to make life livable and confortable. Then, take your spare time and go at it! If art is what you love, do it, practice it.

I, personally, think it's better to branch out, as well. Let's say you don't want to do any jewelry tonight. Pick up a sketch pad and draw out your next cool design. Grab some polymer clay and work with that for an evening, instead of crystals and wire. It helps clear the mind and, a lot of times, provides inspiration that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

Another source for inspiration, at least for me, is always being observant during my day job. It's always funny the ideas that come to me as I watch someone walk down the sidewalk, or push a cart in the supermarket or whatever!

I think that art should permeate life. Art is inspired by life and it imitates life. Embrace it, think about it and you may be surprised what you come up with.

Polyclay Cuff Bracelets

2009-10-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

So, I've worn the cuff off and on over the past couple weeks. I've got to say, it turned out better than I expected. That being said, I say there's room for improvement! Polymer clay is a very versatile, and that's one of the reasons I love it. But... it's not very comfortable! Having that hard plastic press against my wrist for several hours a day got to be painful. It felt like I had a bruise on my wrist.

If I wouldn't like wearing it, I'm certainly not going to make it for other people! That would just be... well, wrong.

So, I'm modifying the design. I'm going to make large polyclay squares with stamped designs and I'll lace it all together with leather lace. I think it'll be awesome. I really do.

Well, that's that for the experiment. It was fun and I learned quite a bit from it.

A Brand New Item

2009-10-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

We've just posted a brand new bracelet! It's a lot of fun. If you like ruby colored crystals, this one's got'em!

On a side note, we've been very busy these past couple weeks. Or however long it's been. I've had a bunch of work to do in my day job and Karla's been working in every bit of free-time she's had to create new pieces. She has a jewelry party scheduled for later this month. A lady from church is setting it up. And I'll get to stay home and take care of the little guy. I'm sure she'll have a lot of fun!

And, I still have those photos for the tutorial, I just haven't made time to write anything yet. Hopefully soon!

Polyclay Cuff Bracelet, Pt. 2

2009-10-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I think I'm making progress! I took the polyclay blank that I made the other day and tried to superglue some wire to it. Yeah... not so much. It didn't work as well as I'd hoped, mainly because the superglue took SOOOO long to dry. So I gave up on that.

I rolled out another 'slab' of polymer clay. This one was a little bit thicker than the base I made and with colors! Of course, I'll put more work into this layer if these things actually get off the ground. Into this layer, I embedded the two thin wires. I learned that I have to just embed part and leave a curve to the wire, otherwise it blows out the topside of the fresh clay when I try to wrap it around the blank.

So I got it wrapped around. It looked good. I took a Bic pen and just made some knicks in the clay and some small slices with the blade to make it look a little worn... "stylish" if you will. *grin* I made sure the wire was bent so that the cuff would be a small size while baking.

Then I put it in the oven.

I let it cool for a half an hour in the oven after it was done cooking and then pulled it out to let it cool the rest of the way. I'm wearing it right now. I was afraid to put it on. It was really small, but it bent very well to go on my wrist. It's stayed on for at least 20 minutes. The only thing I'm noticing is that, since it's plastic, my skin isn't breathing very well. I'm not really concerned with that at the moment. The thing is pretty comfortable. It's gripping my arm well. It even felt tight a little bit ago, but I think it's conforming a little to the size of my wrist.

So... this part of the experiment is done. Now to see if it stands up to a weeks worth of daily use! Stay tuned...

"Same Cuff time! Same Cuff channel!"

Polyclay Cuff Bracelet?

2009-10-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Can it be done? I'm determined to do it! There has to be a way to get a quality cuff bracelet made from polymer clay. I've seen quite a few people put the clay over a metal blank... but I'm too unique to do that!

I began experimenting with it tonight. I first made a form out of folded aluminum foil with some wire running through it to help it hold the shape I wanted. I rolled out a sheet of polymer clay and applied it to that form, the baked it. Once it cooled, I peeled the form off the inside.

I immediately saw that I've got a problem. The Sculpey Premo that I used has a good amount of flex to it. That's the reason I used it for this project. It's too much. I put the basic cuff on and it falls right off. It's own weight makes it open and close. I need some wire in it to help it keep it's shape.

I see the wisdom in using the metal blanks. But I'm still not going to give up on this and use them! Not yet, anyway.

So... here's the plan.

1. Roll out another sheet of clay to put over the basic cuff. I'll stamp designs and such on it.

2. Put wire in between the second sheet and the basic cuff. This should help it keep the form I want.

3. Bake it and finish it.

4. Wear the darn thing for a week! I need to see if it's durable enough. If it breaks because the clay can't support the daily use then there's no point in going any further.

Ok, now. GOGOGOGO!

Bunch Ring & Our First Tutorial!

2009-09-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Well... the tutorial is soon to come. I've taken the photos for it and will write the text up tomorrow. I'm so tired right now!

As I said in the last two posts, I've wanted to make a ring out of wire and beads. A Bunch Ring. And I've succeeded in doing that! The design came out of 'Step by Step Wire Jewelry', but I made it! I'm so proud of myself, can't you tell?

So, our first tutorial is going to be on making headpins. I hope our readers will find it useful. I hope to post the completed tutorial tomorrow. If I get too busy, well, it'll probably have to wait until the weekend!

Art Supplies

2009-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Karla and I decided to go and buy some more art supplies today. It was quite enjoyable! Ok, enough with the proper English. It was a ton of fun! I grabbed some linseed oil for my oil painting projects and looked at some beads. I also got some copper wire (colored silver, of COURSE!) to experiment with. I'm going to try to make the ring I referred to in the last post.

Karla bought quite a few crystals and some stone and glass beads. And some more silver. It's all about the silver.

And, tonight, we're making time to sit down and work on some jewelry! Well... that is after our son falls asleep and he seems to be taking his sweet time about that. Sometimes I get so exhausted when I'm putting him to sleep. It's amazing how much work it is.

Anyhow, that's the news for now!

New Ring?

2009-09-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Karla found this amazing HowTo article in a magazine she has, about making a bunch ring out of wire. I love the design, it's so cute! I'm going to try it. I just need to get some wire. I've heard that copper is in style now, so I'm going to get some of that and give it a try.

For anyone who's curious, it's on pg. 25 of 'Step by Step Wire Jewelry'. It appears to be the Summer Preview 2007 issue.

Feeling Bad?

2009-09-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like you just can't do it anymore? "It's just not working... so I'm going to give it up!"? I can tell you that Karla and I have been getting a little discouraged.

Browsing through the Etsy forums, I found this wonderful post:

Yes, You Can!

Edit: I found another good one!

2000 Sales on Etsy

Cool Pendants

2009-09-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through Etsy this morning, as I usually do, when I found this store with really cool pendants!

ZephyrWood

I love the cool wooden pendants. Especially "Hoot". I think I might get that one for myself.

Inspirations

2009-09-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

So, I've been trying to think of something that I love to inspire a piece of jewelry. I'd like to make something with some kind of wire-wrapping and a semi-precious stone. However, it needs to be different. Something that makes you think. Something that carries a message. Isn't that what Art is supposed to do?

Perhaps if I make a list of questions, it would help:

What image does my situation in life bring to mind right now?
What color do I feel?
Do I feel fluid or solid?
Do I feel free or bound?

Now it's time to get out the sketch book and think...

Jewelry Making - HowTo's

2009-09-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

I found a blog on jewelry making thats name, coincidentally, Jewelry Making. It appears that the authors stopped their jewelry making business in 2008 and also stopped updating the blog, but they do have quite a few HowTo articles on the sidebar of their blog. I've only had a chance to browse through one of them, but it looks pretty well done, if I do say so myself.

I'm definitely taking the time to browse through them all.

Fan Page on Facebook

2009-09-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

If you've never been on Facebook, you should definitely try it out! It's a wonderful social networking site. I've just created a Fan page for KelleyAccents on Facebook. If nothing else, you should join Facebook just to become a KA fan.

Here's the fan page: Link

Tutorials?

2009-09-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about how to drive more traffic to this blog and the store over the past couple days. I read some tips on Etsy and they say that it's beneficial to make tutorials and other things that are interesting and that people want. I wonder if that would work?

What kind of tutorials should we make? Simple things, like, putting a clasp on a bracelet? Crimping the end of a necklace? Or, should we design pieces of jewelry and put up a tutorial to make the entire piece? It bears thinking on.

I know that when Karla and I first started, tutorials helped a LOT! Now that we're (a little) more experienced, maybe we should help pass on our knowledge...

Late Nite Munchies

2009-09-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Karla and I are both sitting in front of our respective computers, trying to get some more work done for the Etsy site. *yawn* Man, I'm sleepy! It's hard to stay awake this late at night anymore (it's 10pm... Really!?) since our little boy runs us ragged during the day.

The worst part is that we're HUNGRY! And we can't figure out what we want to eat. Grrrr....

Karla learned how to make toilet seat covers during her recent stay in Mexico! Over the next few days, we'll get some of the covers that she made posted up in the store for sale. It'll be fun! No... really it will!

Item of the Day

2009-09-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Karla's had a promotion going for a while, called the 'Item of the Day'. With this, she (or I) picks an item from the store, and that item is 25% off the listed price for that day only!

Today's item is this:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18798124

Amber and Silver

2009-08-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know about a clearance item that we've got to get moving.

It's a lonely Mexican amber and sterling silver necklace, just waiting to be adopted. Is it right for your home? Check it out and see...

Hiatus

2009-08-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

So, our apparent and unannounced hiatus has ended. Our son has been born, beautiful Axel. He's almost 15 months old and is quite a handful!

Both he and Karla just returned from spending seven months in Mexico with her family. It was a wonderful time for them. Axel loves his grandpa and Mexican food. I've got to say, though, it's good to have them back!

Karla is getting all her jewelry stuff organized and cleaned up so we can start listing again. She's also decided to list some other crafts in the store, so expect new and exciting stuff! She's excited to get back to work and start selling some pretty little things.

So, if any of our prior readers are still around, give us a shout! We'd love to hear from you. Stay tuned for more!

We're Back!

2008-03-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Holy crap, it's been a long time! Karla's still pregnant, I've been working, Karla took a trip to Mexico to visit her parents, and we're... still working and getting the second room ready for baby!

We've updated our Etsy site with a few more items and we plan on putting something every evening. Karla's excited about some of her new ideas.

Sorry about not making the newsletter. We've let this gather dust and cobwebs, but we plan on shaking it off, polishing it up and presenting it to new people! In the future, we hope to get an actual website to sell instead of using Etsy.

Give a shout out! Let us know you're still there!

D

Craigslist

2007-11-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

So we had a custom order the other day. That was good. Little by little we're getting our sold number up. How much good that will do us, I'm not sure, but it looks like progress!!

To try and help with the progress, I've started to list things on Craigslist in Las Vegas. If you're not familiar with Craigslist, I would familiarize yourself! It's only the best free classified ad site in the whole entire world! Things are good.

Karla's pregnancy is going along fine. I'm totally wasted as I work over 40 hours a week and then I have to come home and cook (cooking makes her sick) and clean the kitchen (cleaning the kitchen makes her sick) and spend time with her, since she doesn't have much to do all day. Between all those activities, I don't have much time to do anything! I did buy some energy saving bulbs today that give off 100 watts of light while only using 25 watts of electricity. They work very nice; the light is nice and white and it doesn't super heat my small studio.

Speaking of that, I did take some more photographs and we listed a couple new items today. Check'em out.

All Hallow's Eve

2007-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Halloween! Woohoooo!!! We've got lot's of candy to give out to all the little trick or treaters.... I wish Karla liked scary movies, then we'd watchem all night! I love it!

And, to celebrate this dark holiday, we're having a bright sale!! Check it out on our Etsy site!

KelleyAccents

Update

2007-10-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

And the polls are in! Looks like 6 people voted on the newsletter (thank you) and everyone, except one, thinks we're the coolest thing to walk this Earth since Jesus!

Well, maybe that's an exaggeration. Ok, so we're not even in the same league.

Anyway, good to see some movement here. We've been getting some stuff on Etsy, new listings, I've been trying to keep up with my busy schedule, doctor's visits and stuff. Other than that, nothing really new. But... I will post a picture of Baby Kelley at 8 weeks!

Busy, busy, busy!

2007-10-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been very busy, making our new apartment a place we want to live in and spending time together since we'd been so busy before that we really couldn't....

Anyway, I've been lax in updating the blog. We have news, Miss Karla is pregnant. We're to have a new addition to our small family in late May. That's very exciting for the both of us. But, she's living in the horror of the first three months.

We've been working some on jewelry. I've finished another sculpted pendant that I hope to post on Etsy fairly soon. I've also started working on my stock photography portfolio again. Since jewelry is our hobby and we have plenty of jewelry stuff lying around, I decided to take some jewelry themed stock photos. A link to my photos at BigStockPhoto is to the right, just under our Paypal seal.

Other than that, it's a beautiful Sunday. So, enjoy it!

Etsy Promoting

2007-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Etsy is all about promoting your store, your items. I think they do very little advertising for themselves, let alone anyone listing at their site.

So, to promote our items, I create a thread in the Promotions forum everytime I post a new item. And it just annoys me to no end that people derail our thread to promote their items. Is it so hard to create your own promotion thread? Or are they just afraid that they won't get any traffic to their item? What's the deal? I wish I had an answer. It seems like it would be common sense, courtesy, to leave the thread they created to promote their item alone. Why should you steal their thunder?

Oh, well. That's my rant. Soon I'm going to make a tutorial of product photography and making your own lightbox. Seeing as that's my (Devon) specialty with the store, I think I can do that. I had someone ask about it on Etsy the other day. So, stay tuned and watch for more information!

Halloween!!

2007-10-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! We're now in the scariest month of the year! I love Halloween! Dressing up as evil monsters, stage makeup, all the zits brought on by an excess of chocolate...

So, we're gearing up for Halloween, trying to get some holiday themed items in our store. It's kind of tough to get something that's really cool as there is really a need for specialty beads. Pumpkins, dried leaves, etc. And, I have to face it, my last foray into bead making with polyclay turned into a major flop!

What I have been doing is some sculpture! I made a sweet vampire "bust" type pendant. I'm selling it unfinished on our Etsy site. I just baked up a frankenstein monster last night. That one I'm going to completely finish. I've also got some plans for some creepy beetle earrings!

Ah.... such fun!

And, I believe there is some confusion as to my identity here on the blog. I'm Devon. My wife is Karla. We are the Kelleys. I'm not Kelly, and I'm not female. I'm the male half of this union, the more tech-savvy one. And the one with the goofiest personality.

Well... now that's cleared up..... I have nothing left to say! :)

Keep smilin' and keep reading!

Edit: I changed the blog template because so much white became offensive to my eyes!

All Moved In!

2007-09-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Well... kinda. Most of our stuff is still in boxes, which is really frustrating. Especially since I come home from work and the last thing I want to do is work some more. But, today we bucked down and got our "studio" organized. I was able to take some photos and post a new item. That's my favorite part! :)

So, I'm hoping this is the last move we make in a veeeeerrrry long time. It's looking like a bonus, our neighbors are really nice. So, we might be able to make some friends out here in Sunny Las Vegas!

We're still truckin' away with the site, posting new items, and trying to figure out that "promote, promote, promote" goodness. (I hate that advice, but it seems to be the only thing to do.)

Other than that, there is not a whole lot new going on. I'm working on improving my photos to be able to present our work better. The photo is the first thing the customer sees, so I know it's very important to get a good image. I'd like to make a flyer advertisement to pass around to our neighbors and co-workers. I also have plans on making a newsletter to send out. All things that I want to do, but for which I have neither the time or energy to put into place right now.

I think the newsletter will be the first thing I'll do. I can include coupons, tips, tutorials, photos...

If you'd like to be put on a KelleyAccents newsletter mailing list, comment your email to this post. I'll get something cool set up. As long as the Mrs. approves it, of course...

Jewelry Supplies

2007-09-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

We just never seem to have enough on hand! We got to our supplier, drop loads of money and get all sorts of neat stuff, all the stuff we needed before and didn't have. Now, with all those supplies, we're still lacking for material!

Oh, well. We've decided to start selling some jewelry supplies as well. Pretty much sterling silver. That's the material we work in and we decided that it would be a good investment to go along with the jewelry pieces. We just recently listed the first couple, so we'll see how it goes. I think our prices are pretty competative.

On a separate note... does anyone read this blog? I like writing. About as much as I like talking. And you can't shut me up. But it'd be nice to know that we have an audience...

Well, it's late and we have to get up and move again in the morning. (I hate moving... it's official now.)

Miskalaynee...

2007-09-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

If you didn't get it... the title is Miscellany...

Anyway. So, some small updates. I recently purchased some new backdrops for photos for the jewelry. The standard white and black. I also got a yellow and a blue. I like it. I think it's really helped the photos. The latest ones are wonderful.

I've gotten caught up in the photography aspect of the jewelry again. I decided to break out and design something. I found some gorgeous Pink Jasper stones that I want to make into a necklace. I just can't seem to figure out what I want to use them with. So far, I'm thinking some white/pink freshwater pearls... but that might be too mono. The focal stone is really beautiful, one side is almost entirely stained with gray. Our medium of choice is sterling silver... but I just can't see including that much shiny with this stone! I wanted to wrap some wire, but that will pull the eye away from the star of the show...

Sigh. What am I going to do with you?

Item of the day!

2007-09-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's been way to long since I've updated the blog. I've been really busy. Yeah. Right. That's my excuse.

Anyway, things have gone well. We had a sale online and Karla took her jewelry to a church activity and managed to get a few unexpected sales. We always love that!

I just had a crazy thought today, an "Item of the day" promotion where one item will be at 30% off for one day. I think it's a really great deal. Here's today's item:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6807258

Another Sale!

2007-08-21T14:46:00.001-07:00

We're having another 10% off blowout on ALL items in our store!!

http://kelleyaccents.etsy.com

Getting a Web Promotion

2007-08-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the hard part about having an online business. How do I promote it? I need to get some ads out there, some publicity, somewhere where there is a high concentration of buyers. On Etsy they say, participate in the forum, etc. The thing is, all the OTHER buyers are there as well, so I think it gets a little confusing for any potential buyers.

Promotion is one reason why I keep this blog. It gets our name out there, it's something that the search engines are liable to crawl through. I have yet to see a sale generated through it, but I'm not going to stop blogging.

I did have a banner exchange for awhile, but I never saw any sales, and that company didn't even give me the promised information, such as, seeing where my ad was showing. They didn't even have a support email, so I stopped that a little bit ago. It would be nice to find another banner exchange. We are looking for free advertising methods. There has got to be something out there that will provide more results than what we've had so far.

Our Etsy shop is growing. We're up to 54 items for sale. That's a good number, but not high enough. We'll get there someday. The more time we spend on making jewelry, the more pieces we can sell. If we can figure out how to sell them.

So... we'll keep hoping and looking for ways to get that promotion!

New Ring

2007-08-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

This is a sweet little ring. It's self adjusting. The ring is sterling silver, but the rice pearls and swavorski crystals are on a stretchy beading cord, so it will fit just about any finger! Of course, if your fingers, like mine, are as big as the Incredible Hulk's, I wouldn't try to put it on!!

Anyway, I'm trying something new, putting it up for sale on the blog via Paypal. I know some people don't want to have to create a new account with Etsy just to go shopping. If there's anything you'd like to see for sale on the blog, just let me know.

Rice Pearl Sterling Silver Ring
$18.50

August

2007-08-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

We're almost done with August and this will be my first post! Real life conflicts will do that to you, I suppose. We had our vacation in Mexico with Karla's family and then my brother's wedding... It's been a busy month! Which is good, I suppose. I would rather be busy than with nothing to do. That would be so boring.

Anyway. Jewelry-wise, Karla picked up a lot of silver. And, as you know, silver is our preferred medium. We now have quite the stock-pile of supplies and jewelry. As soon as I get some free time (hopefully this weekend) I'll get some photos taken and more jewelry posted on Etsy. I'm hoping we'll see a lot more movement as far as sales go. I think Karla is going to make the leap and dedicate herself to jewelry to get it going. I guess it's a good thing she has a sugar-daddy to pay for her habit! (That'd be me...)

I was thinking of getting off Etsy entirely and designing a site for sales, but that would be so much work. And, I'm not sure it would be worth it just to save the fees. We definitely need to start looking for some more marketing options. The things we are doing are generating a little bit of traffic, but not near what we would like to see. I'll have to do some research and see what I come up with.

If any readers have ideas, we would more than welcome them!

I have been Remiss

2007-07-25T20:56:00.001-07:00

The titles says it all. I haven't done anything jewelry-wise. Horrible. Just horrible. Well, I can't really explain it all. I've been working and exploring Las Vegas. There is definitely fun stuff to do here. And not gambling. I don't. I especially enjoy hiking. And I've been exploring other artistic expressions. I started painting again and working on my drawing ability. Everything seems to be based on drawing. I figure that if I can become a better artist, I can create more appealing jewelry. I haven't gotten any comments yet on my polymer clay bracelet, so I don't know how other people liked it. I certainly do. I'm thinking about buying one of them myself. Yes, I have others I haven't posted. I know, it's horrible... :)

I'm about to start my vacation as well, so there will be additional time with no posts. Such is life, I suppose. We have so much to do.

Well, I hope to post more jewelry related things soon!

Art

2007-07-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, well. Surprise, it's been forever since I've posted. Well, maybe only a couple weeks, but that's long enough. I've been busy with work, and with other things. Nothing that's really important. I've had so much time to myself now that Karla's not here anymore. You'd think that I would have PLENTY of time to update the blog, post new items, create jewelry... and I do. I just have chosen not to do that... :)

I have been doing artsy stuff. When we were moving, Karla saw some paintings (oil) that I had done way back in Junior High when I was taking lessons. She encouraged me to start again, saying they were really good. Now, she has me figured out. The best way to get me to do something is to say I'm good at it. I know that the paintings really aren't that good, but I figured that I'd try anyway. I made a separate blog for my art stuff, that doesn't have to do with jewelry. Right Here.

Well, I know that I have been remiss. I will attempt to remedy that today. I'll get some new items photographed and posted and I'll try to finish another polymer clay bracelet that I've been working on for the past couple weeks. Tah-tah!!

Alone Again

2007-07-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it's 1230am my time, and I just dropped Miss Karla off at the airport. So, I'm going to be alone again, all alone, again for a month. Well... we know what that means. I get to do whatever I want! *evil laugh*

I'll still be making new jewelry and posting it. I'm on a polymer clay craze right now, so I'd expect to see more things like the wristband pop up. I'll get to check out all those mountain trails here in Vegas now, even though I'll probably have to take a gallon of water with me due to the intense heat! Karla doesn't want me hiking the mountains alone, so don't tell her!

Polyclay in the HOUSE

2007-07-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try to make a bracelet or wrist band out of polymer clay for quite some time. It's an idea that keeps coming to my mind and I had to try it out. So, last night, I finally broke down and started the project. It was a little more complicated than I anticipated and took some more thought than the initial idea, but I think it turned out really well! The one I listed in our online store, I have on hemp cord. I'm not sure that I like that look, but I didn't have anything else to use and it looks decent. I'm thinking it would be better with leather cord. I have more ideas for wristbands that I'm going to implement.

And Karla is going back to Mexico to visit her family again, and this time, I'm going to join her there! She's lucky and will get to go for over a month, and I can only take 2 weeks vacation. So I'll join her down there later and then we'll come back with new toys!

Our Fourth of July sale is still going on, buy one, get the second at HALF PRICE! You just can't beat that. We'll see you 'round!

Independence Day

2007-07-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

It has been way to long since I've posted anything. I'm very sorry. With the move to Las Vegas, change in work responsibilities, we haven't quite gotten into a rhythm that allows us to do everything we want to do. But, hey! It's the 4th!

And what better way to celebrate than a BUY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF sale!? That's right, buy one item, get the second HALF OFF!

Safety Pins

2007-06-24T20:49:00.001-07:00

I would never have thought to use safety pins as a medium for jewelry. But, my genius wife, has created a lovely bracelet using just that. I can't believe it, it's so cool looking.

I have never seen this before. I wonder if anyone else has used something like this in a design. I wouldn't doubt it. I often wonder if there are any original ideas on this earth. Or, are there simply too many of us who think too many things for there to be any truly original ideas. Then, that brings to the discussion, what is original?

Anyway, I veered way of the point. Check out this rad bracelet, buy it, and take it home for yourself, your daughter, your pet goldfish, anyone who would use it!

Sin City

2007-06-23T18:41:00.001-07:00

So, here we are. We made it safe and sound. We are in LAS VEGAS!! *shouts* *cheering* *sputtering*

Ok, so I guess it's not that great. But, hey, job pays the bills, job says go, I go.

Well, we've got our jewelry stuff unpacked and we're ready to start rolling again. It's going to be great, I just know it! Amazingly, I actually missed it! We haven't been able to do anything for pretty much a whole week. Today is the first day we're going to actually get down and do something.

But, man, is it HOT! It's been up around 110 every single day. And it doesn't even cool down that much at night, to 90 if we're lucky.

So... that's life. Take a look at our store! Buy something! You know you want to! I know you want to! Even Bob knows you want to! (Don't ask who Bob is...)

Busy

2007-06-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how much work a move is!! I really don't want to have to do this again. We have had no time to dedicate to anything other than working, packing, and catching our breath. It's really crazy. Hopefully it will all even out very quickly once we get to the big city, Las Vegas!

I'm really looking forward to the move. It's very exciting for me!

15% Off Sale

2007-06-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

We're having a massive sale at our online store. Any purchases made between June 11 - 17 will receive 15% off their sale price. This includes ALL ITEMS in our online store! Catch it now, or else the item you want may not be there later!

Earring Sale!!

2007-06-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Starting this Monday, June 4, to Wednesday, June 6th, we will be having an earring sale where every pair of earrings purchased will receive a 15% discount. With our already low prices, it just doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Las Vegas

2007-06-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Things are progressing in life, as they always do. I'm being relocated as part of my full time job to Las Vegas. I'm excited for the move, but it implies a lot of things need doing, so we may be silent on the web for now. Once the moves complete, we'll be back on in full force!

My Own Design

2007-05-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

I've realized recently that when I say my wife and I make jewelry, that's not entirely true. I pretend to make jewelry. She makes jewelry. I photograph and post what she's made, do the online marketing and generally do the research on what we need to know to make our fledgling business work.

I've decided to turn that around. How can I truely support her in her dream if I don't take part in it? I'm not sure that's possible. And, I like it. It's a very creative outlet, and I've always been artistic. So, I vowed (is that too strong of a word?) that I would start making my own designs. I found that, it's not as easy as it looks.

The problems is, it's easy to put together a pair of earrings. Anyone with a general will to do it can. But, to put together some stunning earrings, is another thing entirely. Tonight, as we sat down to start making jewelry, and I shocked her by picking up the bead tray to find a combination I liked, I realized I had no idea what I wanted to do. I picked up beads, rearranged beads, dropped beads and a lot of other actions, before I found a design that I liked and I felt was original enough.

Unfortunately, once I started putting them together, I realized gravity was not helping my design. I scrapped them and came up with something else. My very own design... I'll get some photos posted in the next couple of days.

Edit: I finally was able to get some pictures taken of it and I posted one to the right.

Branching Out

2007-05-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

So, Karla did some other crafty type stuff while in Mexico and we decided, she didn't need to keep it all. She did some cool stuff to some handmade palm leave bags. I'm getting pictures taken of them and listing them on our site, one by one. They're a really good deal, and very sturdy. And, they look really cool! Go check'em out! I've posted a picture of the first one here. Just click on it to go to the Etsy listing!

D

Memorial Day Special

2007-05-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

It's a promotion! Any purchases that are made from our online store (see links to the right of the page) will recieve a 10% discount!! Use the Etsy server date. This is any purchases from 12:01am to 12:00PM on Monday, May 28th. Have fun!

Higher Traffic

2007-05-23T19:03:00.001-07:00

So, I have a counter on this page to tell me how many hits we get every day. We also earn advertising points through it. Anyway...

So, I was shocked today when I got my emailed statistics. We usually have anywhere from 0 to 15 hits a day. I about fell out of my chair when I opened the email. One Hundred and One hits today! That is absolutely amazing! I had no idea what I could have done to cause that jump in traffic. No advertising or promoting I had done previously had ever caused such a traffic load. I was exstatic! Still am, as a matter of fact. It wasn't until I looked at some other mail in my mailbox, that was an updated list of Jewelry Weblogs from About Jewelry Making author Tammy Powley. She had listed us there! I think that's the first real public exposure we've ever had. Thank you so much Tammy. Thank all of the great people on the Jewelry Making Forum and the great community you are! If you are NOT familiar with this (and there still might be a few visitors trickling in from other places) I urge you to check it out.

Here is a link to the list of Jewelry Weblogs that she posted. Please, go forth, check the other ones out. And, once again, leave us a note to let us know you came!

God bless.

Burnin' Down the House

2007-05-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

We recently invested in some tools to start working with metal, specifically, silversmithing. I've been spending what free time I have in the garage, trying to get my technique down for soldering silver. It's really not that hard, it just take precision that I haven't trained into my hands yet. But, I'm excited! Now I can make the chains and nifty things that have been running through my head for so long!

On a different note, I've also started working harder at improving the photos I take of our products. I think that I've improved a lot! There is still plenty I can do to improve and I'm working at it.

All you people who end up here, give us a shout! I'd love to hear who you are and where you come from and how you found us! We love you guys!

One of a Kind: Take Two

2007-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

We just had an interesting experience last night. We had another in home jewelry showing and got quite a bit of business. It was very nice, to be there with all those people and talk to them and they were quite kind with their purchases, as well.

However, when we got home afterwards and Karla checked Etsy, we'd had a sale, one of the very things that someone had set aside as a reservation. Luckily, I was able to call the customer and explain that someone had bought that same article, and would she mind terribly if we sent it to the paying customer? She was very understanding and agreed and we made a deal for her next purchase. It's a good deal for her and for us, as it guarantees that she'll be a future customer. And it's good that we got to actually sell the item that had been listed on Etsy.

As I explained to Karla last night, this is one of those dangers of having only OOAK pieces. If we can't make duplicates, how will we handle this situation in the future? I think the solution we worked out today will work in the future.

Problem solved!

Home Jewelry Party

2007-05-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Karla and I just got back from our very first Home Jewelry Party! It was very much a success. Only 4 people came, but they came to buy, so it turned out really well. If they happen to be reading this (does anyone read this?) I would like to send a huge hello and thank you!

If you weren't there, but would like to schedule a Home Jewelry Party, just send an email to kelleyaccents@gmail.com. Of course, you'll need to be in the Kansas City area. If you're too far away from here, you can always follow the Etsy link to the right and see some of our choice items!

I was a little nervous at first about how it would turn out. We were there for a couple hours and came out with a little bit more money in our pockets when we came out. Success is such a good feeling. We have another scheduled for tomorrow night. Yeah!

Wire Weave

2007-05-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

All hail the mighty wire weave! I learned how to do the basics today. I made a bracelet out of silver colored wire. It looks COOL! I'm definitely going to have to dedicate more time to doing this. It's great, looks great, feels great. And, I can finally wear metal jewelry. Most of the stuff we make is more geared towards the female. This can be very masculine and looks wonderful. I'll have to take a picture to get it posted. I can tell you where my energy is going to be going for the next little bit!

Edit: I just got a picture posted on the Etsy site. I posted it again here so you can see it. Cool, huh!

One of a Kind

2007-05-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, I was in Michael's browsing for some inspiration, when I started chatting with another woman there. I found out that she was a semi-successful jewelry artist who had just returned from a show in Louisianna where she had pulled in $8k. Cool, but that's neither here, nor there.

We got to talking about materials and techniques and, I don't remember how, but we got into a big discussion about whether it's good to make copies of previous designs, or if one should always make only one of each item. Now, I'm all for making copies. She was quite adamant that each piece should be original, and the only one of it's kind.

I like originality. I like making something that no one else has thought of. But, with jewelry being such an old art, and there being so many people on this planet... can I really come up with a design that no one has thought of yet?

So... I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I make what I like and if someone wants another piece that I've already made, well, why not?

Three New "Stuffs"!

2007-05-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! We got a few new things up on Etsy! Finally. It seems like it takes forever to get them from idea to storefront. But, it's done. We've got plenty more, I just don't have the energy to take any more pictures tonight. We both had a stressful day at our "real" jobs.

I do want to point out some nifty little earrings we've put up. They are a cool little item that Karla and I came up with; kind of a novelty item. I call them, the Love Potion Earrings! Check them out on the right, and then swing on by Etsy to see them listed!

It's May

2007-05-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Goodness, we're already welcoming another month here. (Did you notice? I started this post with "Goodness" instead of "Wow"...)

Karla is still organizing all the cool stuff she brought back. I think we're going to take some pictures tonight to list the new items she got. I've been experimenting with epoxy resin and have some pieces curing in the garage as we speak! Or rather... as I type this. I'm excited to see how they turn out. I'm planning on turning them into pendants using Sculpey.

So, that's all the news I can think of. There may be more of interest and I'm sure it will make it's way up here. So, TTFN!

Yikes!

2007-04-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has literally been forever since I've posted anything! I so messed up on that one! Well... I've got great news! Karla is back from Mexico, with plenty of supplies! We are going to get to work. She also picked up some items to resell here, but they're still very reasonable since it's all so cheap there. I'll try to take some photos and get them posted.

New Jewelry

2007-04-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, where does the time go? I've been so busy that I haven't been able to post anything new! I've got all this new jewelry that I need to photograph and get listed, but I just can't ever seem to find time to break away and do it! Don't worry, all you customers sitting at the edge of your seat! I'll get it up, and you will be able to browse through and buy it! It's gonna be great!

Don't forget to click the link to the right to check out our store!

Vacation!

2007-03-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

Oh, wo is me! My beautiful Karla left for a month, to visit her family in Mexico. She is going to be bringing back all sorts of cool sterling silver pieces to include in our jewelry! So, be on the lookout in the next month or so for new snazzy pieces to come out!

So, while she's away, I get to tend the store. *Evil laugh* Now I can do all the things she never lets me do!!! Seriously, I'll be online probably a bit more than before and will be working on some new pieces and listing some of the not so "newer" pieces that I haven't had a chance to put on Etsy yet. So, cruise on over to the right side of the screen, which will link you DIRECTLY to our Etsy store so you can purchase the beautiful piece of jewelry that you like! And, if you don't see anything you like, just send an email to see if we can make what you want!! Heck, you'll never know until you ask, right?

Hello!

2007-03-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hi, hey, hello! Thanks for stopping by! This is so exciting. So, I suppose you'd like to know a little about who we are and what we do. That's only natural, I'm sure. My name is Devon. My wife is Karla. Together, we create KelleyAccents. We make high quality, hand-made jewelry. Honestly, I never even dreamed that I would be doing this. It just doesn't seem very manly, does it? But that's not the point! We are creating lovely things(there I go again, being all manly) that just look so cool! I've always been an artist at heart, so I really enjoy this creative outlet. Sometimes the corporate world just doesn't let you be who you really are. Karla's mother is a craft teacher at a school for special needs children and so she grew up learning all sorts of crafts, making things with her hands and using everyday items I never would have thought of to create the most beautiful designs.

Well, I thought that I'd give you a quick hello and introduce ourselves. Stop by our Etsy store on your way out to check out what we make. I'm sure you won't be dissappointed that you did! So, for now, Adios!

Devon