ARIA industries by Aileen Lau

February blues

2012-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last update and I just wanted to share that I am in the middle of renovating my future home. All my free time is spent cleaning, painting, and more. This means I do not expect to post new pieces to the shop in the immediate future, but don't worry because I have been able to squeeze in a little quality time with my pliers once in a while. I recently started a pair of blue earrings (angelite and iolite) that will likely be very simple, but only time will tell!

Another pair of earrings

2012-01-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

2012 has fully kicked in and I am currently working on a pair of chandelier earrings with findings I picked up during my Asia trip in the fall of 2011. The stones will be pyrite and turquoise (both purchased during my last stop at my favourite local bead store), along with teeny tiny faceted smoky quartz and hematite. For a sneak peek at the approximate look, check out this tweet!

First earrings of the year

2012-01-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy bee and plan to post a number of new pieces soon. To whet your appetite, here is an in-progress picture of the amethyst, blue topaz, and peridot earrings named Hollis:

Winner winner

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! The arrival of a new calendar year means there is a new gift card draw and this year's winner is Joanne Belda! Her entry was based on her purchase of the Zora earrings and she now has $50 to spend on anything in the shop! Congrats Joanne!

Sparkle and shine

2011-12-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist stopping by my favourite local bead store today and look what I came out with... Rubies, turquoises, pyrites, and more!

Cheryl and Shireen

2011-12-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

Cheryl Campbell, who won the $25 gift card at the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair, selected the Shireen earrings (pictured below). Congrats Cheryl!

Louka, not Leah

2011-12-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Three fabulous pairs of earrings have just been added to the shop including the Louka, pictured below. The large smoky quartzes are from my recent trip to Ottawa and I love the raw look of the graduated colours. Before deciding on the name Louka, I also toyed with Leah and I swear the options had nothing to do with Luke and Leia from Star Wars.

Jetset beads

2011-12-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

I zipped over to Ottawa for a few days and couldn't stop myself from checking out the bead store closest to my hotel. Twice! The first night, I picked up some quartz, moukite, and pink opal, and the night after, I returned to pick up a large rose quartz and some tiger eye. The pink opals and quartzes have already been turned into earrings and here is a snapshot of the stones that have yet to be used:

Red and white

2011-11-27T22:01:00.001-08:00

The Diantha and Valentina earrings have just been added to the shop - the Diantha has large white pearls and the Valentina has beautiful blood red rubies. Here is a peek:

And the winner is...

2011-11-26T17:56:00.001-08:00

I am back home from the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair, where I sold many pairs of earrings and the Eugenie bracelet. The shop at aileen.etsy.com has already been restocked and I have just contacted the winner of the $25 gift card draw... Congratulations to Cheryl Campbell!

Craft fair alert!

2011-11-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

Mark it on your calendars! ARIA INDUSTRIES will be at the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair this Saturday. I have been trying a different location inside the building every year and this one just might be my favourite one yet! My table will be close to the entrance and will feature the $25 gift card draw again!

Three pairs of earrings have been made just for this occasion and will be available for sale at the craft fair... Come meet the Diantha, Valentina, and Jacquetta in person!

Home sweet home

2011-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

I'm back! I landed back in Vancouver yesterday and have tons of goodies from the shops in Sham Shui Po to turn into earrings, bracelets, and necklaces! It might take me a while to settle back into my jewellery-making mode, but I'm sure the pliers and wire will feel familiar as soon as I get my hands on them.

As it is already the middle of November, the gift giving season will be upon us soon and I'm happy to report that I will be selling my jewellery at the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair again this year. It will be on Saturday, November 26th from 10:00 to 4:00 and is a great event for families so mark it on your calendar!

Greetings from China!

2011-10-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have now been in China for two weeks and am about to make my way over to Hong Kong to visit friends and family. Of course, one of my goals is to also pick up some fabulous materials including sterling silver findings that may be rare or even unavailable back at home! In the meantime, don't forget there is still a 15% discount off all items in the shop.

La vie en rose

2011-10-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

The crowd favourite Paige earrings have been selected for an Etsy Treasury listing! The sterling silver chandelier components were purchased in Asia on a previous trip and I hope to pick up some more interesting finds this time around.

This blog will be updated semi-regularly while I am away. In the meantime, why not take advantage of the 15% discount off all items in the shop at aileen.etsy.com? Just use the code SHIPNOV152011 when checking out to steal the deal!

Vacation sale!

2011-10-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am about to take some time off to explore Asia and hopefully purchase some new supplies for my jewellery making adventures. I will be away until November 11th and will not be able to ship any orders until my return.

To make up for this delay, I am offering a discount for everyone who orders while I am away - just use the code SHIPNOV152011 and save 15% off everything in the shop! All orders completed by November 12th will be shipped by the 15th.

James and Elisse

2011-09-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

It's been two years since my friends James and Elisse got hitched and this lovely interview with the bride recaptures the magic of the big day. There are also many photos including this shot of the back of the custom James necklace that I made for the special occasion:

Happy arrrrrr-nniversary! (It's also talk-like-a-pirate day today!)

Photo by RAD Studio

Crowned queen

2011-08-01T01:56:00.001-07:00

The Maelle earrings, which were named after Maëlle Ricker (the first Canadian woman to win Olympic gold in home territory), have been selected for a treasury listing at Etsy! A big thank you to Mariana Romo-Carmona for picking these citrine, quartz, and tourmaline stunners!

Wine coloured days warmed by the sun

2011-07-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

New items have been added to the shop at aileen.etsy.com including these dramatic earrings... The Marlena has wine coloured garnets with amazing clarity, brassy pyrite, puffy golden rutile quartz, and small citrines:

Going green

2011-07-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Despite promising only five new items, I am happy to report that seven pairs of earrings have been made and are being prepped for posting to the shop. Here is a peak at the Gwenna and I swear that all of the large stones are the same shade of green in real life:

Since the craft fair

2011-07-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

I have been on a bit of a jewellery-making bender for the past week and expect to complete the fifth pair of earrings later tonight. And after they are added to the shop, I am afraid I will be taking a bit of a break due to an impending move and vacation. Both are not for a few months, but their proximity to one another and the fact my existence will be upended during the packing and moving phase means I won't have time for much creativity. Regardless, all orders will be shipped on schedule and if I find time to sneak in a pair of earrings or two, I will definitely share!

Canada Day craft fair

2011-07-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

The Salmon Festival Craft Fair start off quietly because most of the crowd was outdoors watching the morning parade, but they were soon inside to check out the vendors. This was me showing off my wares just after setting up and you can just make out my face painting (a heart) and the jewellery I was modelling (the Lullia earrings and Tiffany bracelet):

As for the draw, there were many entries throughout the day. The winner is Teri Barr and she gets a $25 gift card! Congratulations!

Gift card draw at Salmon Festival

2011-06-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

As Canada Day is almost here, I have been busy preparing for my fourth year at the Salmon Festival Craft Fair. The community event is for the entire family and boasts a parade, a belt sander drag race, a carnival and midway, a famous salmon barbecue, and more...

Once again, I will be holding a $25 gift card draw and everyone is welcome to enter so stop by Steveston Community Centre between 10am and 5pm and fill in one of these!

Jewels for a goddess

2011-05-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Eleven new items will be posted to the shop at aileen.etsy.com soon including this pair of stunning chandelier earrings. Named Lullia, I first wrote about them a month ago. Here is the finished design:

Love for Venetia

2011-05-02T01:27:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to a message from missPriscillaPomeroy and it said she had chosen my Venetia earrings for her Etsy Treasury listing! I love how the collection she curated has a soft vintage feel:

Clash of titans

2011-04-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Red and pink are often not allowed to play together, but I just couldn't resist the combination for this very special pair of earrings. They have the same sterling silver chandelier components as the Yara earrings, but the change of stones gives the style a whole new look. Here they are in progress:

Flowers and branches

2011-04-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that ten new items have been posted to the shop at aileen.etsy.com. One of the pieces is the Sakura necklace, a cherry blossom inspired lariat I wrote about previously here and here. The rest are all earrings and one my new favourites is a pair of earrings called Leslie. The design is very simple and consists of faceted pyrite and hematite, both of which are dark metallic stones. From these stones hang a branch-like flourish that shines and shimmers as it moves:

Thank you, thank you!

2011-04-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who made the HELLOSUNSHINE sale a success! You saved over $75 with the discount and got lots of beautiful jewellery. Here is a peak at a pair of earrings that sold during the sale and had not even been posted to the shop... These are the Nyssa earrings and feature rose quartz, andalusite, and citrine:

Sale ending soon

2011-03-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

There are only a few days left in the month, which means the 15% off sale will be coming to a close. Don't miss out if you have had your eye on something in the shop because these sales don't happen often... The Sadie necklace and Yara earrings are among the items sold so far - will your favourite be next? Use the code HELLOSUNSHINE to snap up a gift for yourself or a friend!

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

2011-03-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, mes amis! Thank you for being so patient while I took some time off from making jewellery to recharge my batteries. I am happy to report that the time away has only made me miss my pliers and beads so I have begun to make earrings again! In fact, my break included some supplies shopping because I came across a travelling bead show that just happened to be in town the very weekend I was in Hawaii! This meant I had the opportunity to add some quartzes, pyrites, and sapphires to my stock! The new finds are already being incorporated into my latest designs including these upcoming Gilda earrings:

To kick off my return to the jewellery world, I am having a sale on all the pieces in my shop at aileen.etsy.com! There is no minimum purchase or quantity... Just enter the code HELLOSUNSHINE during checkout to receive 15% off the items! This sale is until the end of March so shop away!

Lilyana and Julia

2011-01-08T15:20:00.000-08:00

Did you know Aria Industries does custom work? A few months ago, a client contacted me about creating earrings for a gift. She loved the simplicity of the Lilyana earrings, but thought the crystal quartz briolettes were too large. We discussed options and she ended up picking smaller versions of the same stone. Here are the original Lilyana and custom Julia earrings:

Winner! Winner!

2011-01-01T18:22:00.000-08:00

The winner of the 2010 $50 gift card draw is Nendie Pinto-Duschinsky! She won with her purchase of the Sonya earrings in November 2010 and will be able to use her gift card for anything online at aileen.etsy.com. She can also give the gift card to someone else to use!

Want to know how to win the 2011 $50 gift card draw? Each purchase from the shop is equal to one entry and the draw will be done in early January 2012. Although that is still a year away, it's never too early to get your name in!

Warm wishes for the holidays!

2010-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas is almost here, which means there are still a few days left to enter to $50 gift card draw. How does it work? Each purchase from the online store at aileen.etsy.com is equal to one entry and all customers in 2010 will have a chance to win the gift card! The winner will be drawn early in the new year so don't miss out!

In the meantime, I would like to wish everyone a safe, warm, and happy holidays this winter! Here is a sneak peek at the Elysia earrings, which will be added to the store in January:

Craft fair debrief

2010-11-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

The Steveston Christmas Craft Fair was just a few days ago and my favourite sales were to my high school friend Ashley. She bought my Riley earrings at a previous craft fair and after not driving for a long time, braved traffic and an unfamiliar vehicle just to see my jewellery again! After checking out the selection, Ashley got the Delphine earrings for her mom and the Doreen earrings for herself.

I also held a gift card draw since I love to do small promotions at craft fairs, whether they are draws or bonuses with purchase. The winner of a $25 gift card is Claire Adamson!

In related news, although I no longer have the crowd favourite Riley earrings in stock, they are available by special order. I make an exception for these earrings (silver plated) and the identical Rowena earrings (antique brass plated) because they are simply too beautiful to not share:

Craft fair count down

2010-11-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

Today, I started preparations for my third Steveston Christmas Craft Fair and will have to shut down my studio for about a week. This means no more jewellery making until after November 27th!

What kinds of activities take place during preparation? First of all, I inventorize all my pieces and make a detailed list showing the materials and price. This list comes in handy at the end of the fair when I need to figure out which items I sold versus the ones I didn't. Then, I figure out which pieces were made since my last craft show because they require display materials and labels. Next, I prepare the display cards and tie the tags to the new bracelets and necklaces.

When the pieces are done, I review the promotion I plan to run for that craft fair. I will be doing another gift card draw this time around, which means I will need to create signage and entry forms. I also need to make sure I have enough business cards to hand out - this is especially important because some people don't need jewellery when they are at the fair, but want to look at my Etsy shop later.

The remainder of the preparation activities is for supplies and day-of things. This includes having enough bags for the sales and for the first time ever, I will have jewellery boxes as well! I also like to cut and curl ribbon ahead of time because this saves a lot of time on the big day! Then, there are other activities like washing and ironing my tablecloth (there is nothing less professional than a dirty or wrinkled tablecloth), making sure I have extra pens on hand, and cleaning my mirrors.

On the evening before the craft fair, I empty my Etsy shop and put up a note saying all unsold items will be restocked after the craft fair. This is extremely important because most of my pieces are one-of-a-kind and I would have a major headache if something sold at the craft fair and online!

A bloom for all seasons

2010-11-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

This is just a quickie post to show off a brand new lariat, which will debut at the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday, November 27th. The little teardrop shaped pieces are fine silver, which is 99.9% pure silver as opposed to sterling's 92.5%. They were made in a recent PMC class and are imprinted with a cherry blossom design. My friend Elisse came up with the name Sakura and I think it's a perfect fit!

Another way to work with silver

2010-11-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

The Steveston Christmas Craft Fair is coming up quickly (Saturday, November 27th) and I will have to start preparing for it soon. For now, my mind is elsewhere because I worked with precious metal clay (PMC) for the first time yesterday and fell in love with it. Although it doesn't require any experience, my knowledge of pottery and silversmithing came in handy! Here are some of the pieces I made:

Amber alert!

2010-10-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

A total of eleven items have been added to the shop including two custom pieces: the Kiwa necklace and the Julia earrings. The latter are miniature versions of the beautiful Lilyana. Here is a photo of the Delphine, which are the first earrings from ARIA INDUSTRIES to feature amber!

Pink is for girls

2010-10-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

I am finally preparing to post items in the shop! It's a little slow but I expect to get some work done over the weekend. Here is another sneak peek in the meantime... This is the Delice necklace, which is one of my favourite showy pieces ever. The jawdropping centerpiece is a 59.50ct crystal quartz pendant it is topped with a large cluster of pink and white topazes, rose quartzes, and pearls.

On the blue blue waters

2010-10-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

One of the upcoming pieces is the Zura, a showy yet featherlight pair of earrings. The design took several forms before I settled on the final look and they are in order here from left to right:

A new leaf

2010-10-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

I have been on hiatus on the website rebuilding front because a couple of earring designs popped into mind. Here is the Aurora, which I recently made for a friend's workplace United Way fundraising campaign:

WWWork

2010-08-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

I have been taking a break from making jewellery this weekend to attend to something that has been on my to-do list for a year. For the last two days, I have been busy cobbling together HTML and CSS because I am redesigning the Aria Industries website!

The new design has a lot of similarities with the current site at ARIAindustries.com, but there are some much needed changes including a smaller logo, the introduction of "rhapsody on a theme of sterling silver, gemstones, and pearls", and additional pages. However, the most notable difference is probably the non-white background, which makes for a more cohesive presentation of the content. Here is a mock up of the new site:

Now, compare that with the teeny tiny content block of the soon-to-be old design, which was created for smaller monitors:

This is actually not my first attempt to redo the .com site... I worked on a new look a year ago, but I'm glad I never finished because I no longer find it appealing. The colours were depressing, the content was difficult to manage, and the proliferation of photos on each page plus a gallery was overkill. This is the unfinished and abandoned design:

Bleck, right?

New stones, new designs

2010-08-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Two necklaces and eleven pairs of earrings have been added to the shop! The newest additions include stones that have not been used before, such as the pale blue-green hemimorphites in the Ondine earrings and the emeralds in the Val earrings. Sapphire also makes its debut in two pairs of earrings: there are tiny brown ones in the Arlene earrings and pink ones in the Inessa earrings as seen below:

One pair for each day

2010-07-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a week since the Salmon Festival and I have been busy making new earrings. In fact, I had three days off this weekend and made three pairs of earrings! Coming soon will be the Inessa (pink sapphire and pearl), Johanna (cherry quartz and carnelian), and as seen here, the Melrose (amethyst, pink topaz, and garnet):

Afterglow

2010-07-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Salmon Festival Craft Fair has come and gone, and with it went some of my jewellery. Three of my most memorable sales were the Claudia earrings (sold half an hour before the fair even started), the Felicia earrings (to Felicia, who couldn't take her eyes off the baby blue beads), and the brand new Diana necklace (a gift from a daughter to her mother). The day also included an exciting inquiry from someone who wanted custom jewellery to match her sari... If anything comes of it, I will definitely write about it here! Thank you to all my existing friends who stopped by and a big welcome to the new friends I made!

T minus zero

2010-07-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Salmon Festival has finally arrived! Come visit me at the Steveston Community Centre gymnasium today and see some brand new pieces that have yet to be posted in the shop. One of them is this blue, green, and purple beauty... Here are the Val earrings, with apatite, emerald, vesuvianite, and amethyst:

The countdown begins!

2010-06-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

There is now under one week left to June, which means there is still time to snag a deal at aileen.etsy.com. All earrings are discounted during the 10/15/20 sale and the same discount applies to bracelets and necklaces purchased at the same time!

The Salmon Festival Craft Fair is just around the corner so be sure to mark July 1st on your calendar! All of the jewellery in the shop will be available for viewing and purchase in the Steveston Community Centre gymnasium from 10am to 5pm so please come by and say hi! Several items will make their debut at the craft fair including this understated citrine necklace, called Diana:

New to the shop

2010-06-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

Seven items have been added to the shop including the Cadence earrings, which sold mere minutes after they were posted. A new record!

Also added to the shop are these beautiful chandelier earrings... Featuring prehnite, peridot, pyrite, crystal quartz, and mystic blue topaz, the blue and green colours of the Yara earrings evoke a watery vision:

Pink'd!

2010-06-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

Want to know how to get this beautiful pink quartz, peridot, and citrine necklace?

Aria Industries is donating to the Pink in the City silent auction, set to take place at Canvas Lounge on Friday, June 25th! The event is a fundraiser for women's cancers and the Violane necklace will be one of many beautiful items available. Find out more about the event and purchase tickets here!

10/15/20 sale

2010-06-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, Aria Industries is having a 10/15/20 sale! What does this mean? During the month of June, all online purchases at aileen.etsy.com enjoy this deal:

Purchase 1 pair of earrings, get 10% off
Purchase 2 pairs of earrings, get 15% off
Purchase 3 pairs of earrings or more, get 20% off

There's more - necklaces and/or bracelets purchased at the same time get the same deal. This means an order of two pairs of earrings and a necklace gets a 15% discount!

For this to work, all items have to be purchased and paid for at the same time before the end of June. Customers may do the math themselves or wait for an adjusted invoice before sending payment - either way, a confirmation of the total will be sent within 24 hours of the order.

Please note the discount does not apply to shipping and items cannot be held during this period. As well, this deal expires during the evening of June 30th because all available items will be taken out of the shop in preparation for the Salmon Festival Craft Fair on July 1st! But until then, shop away!

Shop in person, part two

2010-05-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the display case showing off my jewellery at Inner Fit Studios!

At the moment, I am working on a bracelet with dark jewel tones. There are four stones in rotation - garnet, vesuvianite, andalusite, and iolite - and I have to say they look pretty good together!

Shop in person!

2010-05-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

I've got exciting news! Four of my pieces are currently on display (and are for sale) at Inner Fit Studios in Richmond. The four items comprise of three pairs of earrings (Pippa, Cherie, and Yasmin) and one bracelet (Paloma) and will be rotated once in a while. This means they have been taken out of the shop for the time being, but will be put back when I switch items.

To see the jewellery in person, visit Inner Fit Studios at 128 - 12838 Clarke Road in Richmond. It's by Jacombs and Cambie Roads, which is really close to Ikea! And I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the owner, Rachel, is my trainer and her studio offers excellent personal training and bootcamp sessions!

Earrings in development

2010-05-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Since the last post, I have attended another bead sale and picked up a ton of beads: some green tourmaline (new to my stock), melanite (also new to my stock and super duper shiny), andalusite (one of my all time favourites), blue topaz (hands down the jaw dropper of the bunch), several strands of labradorite, lemon quartz, and more! I am incredibly excited about the new items and they should start showing up when I post new pieces to the shop.

There are currently three pairs of earrings in the works and the first pair to be completed will be short and delicate. Named Portia, they will have only white materials - moonstone, pearl, and white topaz. Then there are the Lalani earrings, which are grander and more intricate. These were inspired by something I saw on the show Spartacus: Blood and Sand, but the design ended up completely different from what Lucy Lawless' character was wearing. The main stones will be smoky quartz, garnet, and amethyst. Lastly, there is another pair of earrings that are just itching to be made and they will also be chandeliers like the Lalani. The Yara earrings will incorporate one of the sterling silver findings pictured in my previous post and the stones will be mystic blue topaz, prehnite, peridot, and pyrite. The colours remind me of water, which is perfect because the name means "water lady" to the Tupi people in Brazil.

New stock

2010-05-01T00:02:00.001-07:00

The Whole Bead Show is in town for it's annual Vancouver event and I stocked up on supplies! Here is a peek at some of the stones I got:

I also bought some sterling silver findings such as these:

I wonder what kind of earrings I can make with these goodies! I should add that I have been busy with a cake decorating class, but the last class (for now) is tomorrow morning and I expect to have some more time to make jewellery soon.

Goodbye Elaine

2010-04-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

When one of my coworkers informed us she would be leaving us for a job closer to home, the rest of us wondered what departing gift to give her. We knew she loved necklaces so it did not take long to decide! We hammered out the details: it would be a little bit like the Carmen, but would use smoky quartz, green amethyst, and crystal quartz. These are the notes I made at the time:

When I started to work on the necklace, I realized that having two smoky quartz beads next to each other would not look great because there would be too much darkness surrounding the crystal quartzes. Thus, the design was modified and the resulting Elaine necklace has alternating light and dark elements with beautiful green amethysts added to the mix:

What's in a name?

2010-03-24T12:25:00.001-07:00

Over the years, I have been asked many times where the names of my creations come from. And the answer, I always say, is everywhere! Sometimes I name things after people in my life or those who custom ordered the piece, other times it is celebrities or something from the entertainment world. Recently I named three pairs of earrings after Olympians, but most often, I am completely stumped as to what name to choose. When that happens, I will visit baby name websites for ideas. Ultimately, I like to choose names that fit the personality of the piece. I have compiled a list of all the names I have ever used for my jewellery and here are a few tidbits about names that were inspired by popular culture:

Carice: I watched the movie The Black Book as I made the necklace and the protagonist was played by Dutch actress Carice van Houten.

Romilda: These black hypersthene earrings were named after Romilda Vane from the Harry Potter universe because I always pictured her with straight black hair.

Margaux: The prestigious winery Château Margaux was the inspiration behind the name because the earrings' garnets were wine coloured and the cluster style looked like grapes.

Lydia: The purples and blacks in these earrings reminded me of the girl from the Beetlejuice cartoons.

Fiametta: I had just finished reading In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant, and that was the name of the title character. Also, the pale blue calcites in the earrings perfectly complemented the colours of the book cover.

First Olympic gold and customization

2010-03-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

The last of the Olympian earrings is the Maelle, named after the first female Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil. There are magnificent giant citrines, matching golden tourmalines, mystic pink quartzes, and lemon quartzes:

One of my coworkers loved the cheery colours but wanted something shorter so I substituted citrine coins from the Salome earrings for the large briolettes. We also agreed to use one golden tourmaline and one hessonite per earring to liven things up and here are the resulting Kathleen earrings:

Another Olympian

2010-03-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the lovely Tessa earrings I mentioned in my previous post. They are named after Tessa Virtue, the Canadian ice dancer who partners with Scott Moir. The earrings have a combination of blues, greens, and whites, just like the colours of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, and are anchored by beautiful tropical blue apatites.

Three Olympians

2010-03-18T00:43:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Winter Olympics are over (though the Paralympic Games are still ongoing), and I have three unique souvenirs. Three of my pieces have been named after Canadian gold medallists: Charlie (Charles Hamelin), Maelle (Maelle Ricker), and Tessa (Tessa Virtue). Here is the Charlie:

Introducing Karine

2010-03-16T00:33:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy behind the scenes at the Aria Industries because a number of new items will be posted in the shop very soon! I am in the process of editing photos of the items themselves and thought I would share one of my most recent creations... This is the Karine, which features a juicy amethyst just below a nest of tiny aquamarines, morganites, rose quartz, white topazes, amethysts, and pearls.

Olympic break

2010-03-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was spent watching speedskating, curling, and of course hockey, and in between those sports I also managed to squeeze in Terminator Salvation, An Education, and Inglourious Basterds. Don't ask me how, I just did. I also named three pairs of earrings after Canadian Olympians. Which gold medallists were they named after? Stay tuned to find out!

Regina and Carissa

2010-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

Below is a picture of the modified Carissa earrings, which Regina Yung Lee chose with her $50 gift card prize! Regina does not have pierced ears, but I happened to have screw-back findings for unpierced ears so they were a perfect match!

Each item purchased online at my shop in 2010 earns an entry in the next $50 gift card draw. The winner will be announced in January 2011!

Treasury: Khairi

2010-02-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

Etsy member Palmsprout created a treasury listing and chose my Khairi bracelet to showcase! I'm thrilled she picked one of my pieces and here is a screenshot of her listing:

Salome, finished

2010-01-31T00:07:00.000-08:00

And here it is, the finished version of the Salome... After the last post, I added some tiny crystal quartzes that were connected to shiny 6mm jumprings to give the earrings some extra shine.

Salome, in progress

2010-01-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

Further to the previous post, this is what the Salome earrings look like currently:

I still need to add some extra cluster elements to make the design flashier and will post another photo soon!

Colours: neutrals

2010-01-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

My most recent shopping trips netted me two different types of coin-shaped beads and it is high time they joined forces. Here is one of my favourite combinations, citrines and smoky quartzes, in the "before" stage of a pair of fabulous earrings:

The first annual gift card draw

2010-01-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

The winner of the $50 gift card is Regina Yung, who entered the draw with her purchase of the Rhonwyn earrings back in May. Read more about the sale here...

There is going to be another $50 gift card draw in one year and the only way to enter is to make a purchase at the online shop at aileen.etsy.com. Each item purchased earns one draw ticket and the gift card can be transferred to another individual of the winner's choosing. How sweet is that?

Design evolution: Kasia

2009-12-28T23:29:00.000-08:00

After a month long break following the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair, I have started working on some earrings again. The palette for my latest design was inspired by a lovely colorboard post at 100 Layer Cake and I picked peach moonstone, crystal quartz, and blue calcite as approximate matches for butter, sugar, and seafoam. I expect to have one or two more crystal quartzes in the design and hope to finish these earrings soon.

Last chance

2009-12-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

There are still three weeks left in December, which means there is still plenty of time to have your name entered in the $50 gift certificate draw! How? Each purchase made at aileen.etsy.com in 2009 earns one entry for the draw, which will take place in the new year. Don't miss out!

Lori and Emmanuelle

2009-11-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

Here is Lori Dray wearing the Emmanuelle earrings, which she selected with the gift card she won from the draw at the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair:

A very merry day!

2009-11-28T21:51:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to everyone who made it out to the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair today! Many pairs of earrings were sold, as was the Danae necklace, which was brand new and not even posted in the shop yet! All of the unsold items have now been relisted so if you didn't have a chance to see the jewellery in person, you can always look online.

The winner of the $20 gift card draw is Lori Dray, who has her eye on the lovely Emmanuelle earrings. Congratulations Lori! There will be another gift card draw at the next craft fair (to be announced) so be sure to clear your schedule!

The coming days will be spent cleaning my work space and then posting several new pieces including four pairs of earrings and a necklace. Here are two of the earrings, the Mina and the Elena:

Just in time for the holidays

2009-11-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

I love it when there is a custom order and the customer gives me some general guidelines and then lets me go wild with the design. My friend Voula liked the stones used in the custom James necklace that I made for another friend's wedding so I worked them into a different design. Here are the signature three rubies and single crystal quartz of the new Voula necklace:

Don't forget the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair is only a week away on the 28th and all of the items in the shop at aileen.etsy.com will be at the fair. It is inside the indoor tennis court behind Steveston Community Centre (4111 Moncton Road, Richmond) from 10am to 4pm and there will be goodies... The first eight customers receive a free gift, valued between $20-50, and all visitors can enter their names in a draw for a $20 gift card. I hope to see you there!

Leaf pendant

2009-11-16T23:55:00.000-08:00

Although the Steveston Christmas Craft Fair is only two weekends away, I am still busy making a few more pieces of jewellery before I begin my show preparations. Here is one of my brand new pieces, the Norah, which has black onyx, obsidian, smoky quartz, and hematite.

Love affair

2009-10-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

For the last three weeks or so, I have been obsessed with smoky quartz. I actually am always obsessed with smoky quartz, but I just could not stop touching it and pairing it with other stones during this time. My love affair has resulted in four new pieces - three pairs of earrings (Astrid, Nigella, and Emlyn) and one bracelet (Hillary) - and all of them have smoky quartz in some way. Here are the Emlyn earrings, which also have iolites in the design:

Autumn hues

2009-10-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving in Canada, five pieces of jewellery have had their prices permanently reduced! They include two pieces that feature gorgeous yellow-orange citrines - there are the Gloria earrings and the Dylan necklace as shown below:

Touch of pink

2009-10-03T14:02:00.001-07:00

Eleven new items have been posted to the shop at aileen.etsy.com including two pairs of custom earrings (Ava and Sandrine) and the bracelet below. The Khairi bracelet has pink topazes, mystic pink quartzes, rose quartzes, and crystal quartzes, and it's very girly, no?

Treasury: Dana

2009-09-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Another pair of my earrings have been chosen for an Etsy treasury listing again! This time it is the Dana earrings, which has faceted round smoky quartz and red carnelian framed by upside down brushed sterling teardrops. This pretty listing was curated by ShimmeringSky, who is also from Vancouver:

Love and marriage

2009-09-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

My dear friends James and Elisse got hitched on Saturday, September 19th and they had a lovely ceremony and fun reception. Elisse wore a crystal quartz and three-ruby necklace called James and bridesmaids Hannah, Pam, Sam, and Fumiko wore their specially designed custom earrings. Here is a shot of Elisse signing the register, with Hannah showing off her Mare earrings:

Until the end of September, three pairs of earrings using the wedding colours are being highlighted in the shop at aileen.etsy.com. The Lorna, Talula, and Demelza use spessartites, garnets, tourmalines, and beer quartzes, and earn double the entries toward the year-end gift certificate draw!

Custom work coming

2009-08-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

The plan is to post some new items this week, but as I will be working on several custom pieces for a bride and her bridesmaids, the posting may have to be pushed back until next week. But as it is, I have some beautiful earrings and necklaces that are ready to go. And if there is a little bit of time, I am going to use the freeform black garnets from my last purchase too. I have already decided to pair them with some textured hoops and call them Claudia so I hope there will be time soon!

New inspiration

2009-08-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Country Beads, my favourite Vancouver bead store, on my way to seeing Macbeth last night and left with some beauties. There are smoky quartzes, chalcedonies, iolites, pearls, and a sugilite. There is also a pair of ruby zoisite, which has grey instead of the typical green mottled background. And a pair of freeform black garnets. I can't wait to turn them into earrings!

Treasury: Kirsten

2009-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

One of my pieces has been featured in an Etsy treasury! What is a treasury listing? It is a member-curated gallery that is usually done with a theme or a colour scheme, and it has a very short lifespan. This treasury is called Innocence and was chosen by Crocheted4Kids. It expires on Sunday (July 26th) and here is a screenshot showing the Kirsten:

Batteries recharged

2009-07-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

My self imposed break from jewellery making hasn't gone very well since I managed to complete another pair of earrings over the last ten days. Waiting to be posted to the shop are the Rochelle, which features prehnite briolettes from Seattle, and the new Tabitha earrings, which have pale pink chalcedony coins.

The next piece will be the amethyst, aquamarine, and peridot earrings I wrote about last time, but the style will likely be much shorter with the addition of iolites and maybe another stone. And then I have a cluster necklace in mind that should be very pretty. The stones I am thinking of using include iolite, spinel, aquamarine, kyanite, tanzanite, and grey topaz. It looks like my attempts at recharging during the break worked so watch for some new additions to the shop soon!

Aquamarines and peridots

2009-07-11T12:41:00.001-07:00

The Rochelle earrings are finished now and I am moving onto my next design. I have yet to decide whether to include an amethyst at the top, which would make it a little like the Kirsten earrings except the stones will not be clustered. There will be a lot of labour involved since all of the aquamarines and peridots are briolettes, but the end result should be fabulous (and fabulously expensive)!

What's going on

2009-07-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

Although I had planned to take a short break from making jewellery, I find there is a mysterious force drawing me back to my beads... I already have two earring designs in mind and an idea for a necklace that I will probably start working on this weekend. The earrings are temporarily called Valerie and Rochelle, but who knows if they will end up with a different name. So much for the break!

EotW: Demelza

2009-07-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

The new Earrings of the Week are the delicate Demelza earrings. Named after a character from the Harry Potter books (just like the Romilda), they feature tiny smoky quartzes and olive tourmalines above unusual kite-shaped beer quartzes:

In other news, the craft fair props and supplies are almost all packed away, which means it is time to refocus on the shop. I am working on two custom modifications and will be posting the Carissa, Jen, and Ulla soon.

Don't forget the free shipping deal during Celebration Week expires after tomorrow! The deal applies to shipping to anywhere in the world whether it is to Calgary or Stone Town.

Celebration Week

2009-07-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Salmon Festival Craft Fair was a success and some of the items that sold include the Monique, Jill, Shandra, and Anisette. The shop has already been restocked so it is running again...

... Which leads me to the special deal that began on Monday, June 29th. Since there are two national holidays being celebrated this week (Canada Day today and the Fourth of July on Saturday), there is free shipping on all items at the shop at aileen.etsy.com. The celebration week special lasts until the end of the day on July 6th!

Local vs. international

2009-06-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Preparations for next week's Salmon Festival Craft Fair are well under way. All of the earring display cards have been cut, scored, pierced, and labeled - they only need to be folded before earrings are inserted and displayed properly. All of the bracelets and necklaces have also been tagged, which means I am almost ready for July 1st! Here is an in-progress picture of the earring display cards, two of the free-gift-with-purchase items for the first ten customers, bracelet and necklace tags, and bagged earnuts, along with three pairs of earrings that will make their debut at the craft fair (L-R: Carissa, Charla, Jill):

I also wanted to mention how wonderful Google Analytics is at tracking website traffic. I added it to the shop in February and it tracked visits from as far away as Tehran, Iran! As for this very blog, there have been visits from 39 countries and here is a map of the visitors' locations:

Warm hearts, warm bellies

2009-06-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

My workplace held a fundraiser for the local food bank last week and I donated these smoky quartz and iolite earrings to be sold:

The Orleya proved so popular that I had to make second pair, which was fantastic because it meant the food bank got even more than expected!

Bridesmaid colours

2009-06-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the beads I picked up last weekend:

I was really happy with my finds so it's no wonder I used the rose quartz and vesuvianite to make the Carissa earrings last night... The pink topaz and smoky quartz were also recent purchases (from the Whole Bead Show in May).

New supplies and Arleigh mock-up

2009-06-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

I spent a good portion of the weekend shopping in the Seattle area and naturally, one of my stops was at a bead store. Located just minutes from the I-5, Alexander's Bead Bazaar has a large selection of beads including some of the nicest high end semiprecious stones available. I was only in the store for half an hour, but I left with strands of amethyst, smoky quartz, prehnite, rose quartz, white topaz, amazonite, and vesuvianite. Pretty mint green prehnite is new to my inventory and I can't wait to make some cluster earrings with them!

A recent customer in California liked the Arleigh bracelet but found that at 7.25", it was not long enough. Several convos later, we had agreed on a sale whereupon I modified it to her desired length. Below is a mock-up I created to show her the lengthening options:

Mary Mary quite unordinary

2009-06-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Seven new items have been posted to the shop at aileen.etsy.com including the previously mentioned Esme and Shandra. One of the new pieces is the Mary, although its work-in-progress name was initially Eliza and then Sybilla. It has unusual amethyst octagons plus clusters of pretty pink topazes and mauve pearls:

Blushing bridal jewellery

2009-06-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at the custom Lila earrings I have been working on since yesterday. Leverbacks have been chosen over regular shepherds hooks for security.

A little bit of sparkle and shine for the big day

2009-05-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

Etsy has a "convo" feature to enable buyers and sellers to contact each other and my favourite type of message is the kind where a completely stranger asks whether something can be custom made for them. I got one just tonight and although it is too early to know if anything will come of it, I am excited all the same.

This potential client is looking for earrings for her wedding and wanted something like the Paige earrings, only in light pink. I wrote back and included a photo of my rose quartzes and morganites, as well as crystal quartzes, snow quartzes, and smoky quartzes. I hope this works out because I would love to turn the rose quartz onions I bought two months ago into something worthy of a bride.

A green wedding

2009-05-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

The lovely Rhonwyn earrings, as seen below, sold two days ago and will be worn by the maid-of-honour at a California wedding:

Prasiolite, also known as green amethyst, is one of my favourite stones to work with and can also be seen in the Ophelie earrings, Tiffany bracelet, and Mikaella necklace.

I have finished the earrings from last time and they are now a little shorter because I took away the two larger links at the top of the chain. They are super cute and pretty and I expect to post them to the shop some time in June!

In the tropics

2009-05-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick peak at something I am currently working on... It's got a blue mystic topaz briolette topped by labradorites, apatites, peridots, and aquamarines. The little beads are connected to the large links of a short figure eight chain and I have yet to decide whether I will fill the top two links with beads, leave them the way they are, or even remove them.

In any case, the pastel blues and greens remind me of the tropics and make me want travel somewhere with a white sand beach:

Design evolution: Shandra

2009-05-17T00:26:00.000-07:00

My newest design took a while to nail down, but I am quite happy with the final look. I knew as soon as I got the clover-like findings that I had to link them up somehow, but I faced the challenge of them collapsing downward until I added the horizontal bead to space out the upper clovers. From there, it was just a matter of using the right number of jumprings to connect all the parts together. However, my original design also had a large crystal quartz briolette hanging from the bottom (as pictured) but the proportions didn't look right so I went without. The Shandra earrings therefore have only three beads and three clovers.

Goodies from aileen.etsy.com

2009-05-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

After toying with the idea of setting up a supplies shop, I am one step closer to realizing that plan. That is, I have claimed the username ariasupplies.etsy.com and put up a banner:

There is still nothing in the shop, but that will gradually change. My plan is to post small quantities of some of my supplies to see if there is any interest. It isn't my intention to turn this into a full fledged business; rather, I often buy my beads in strands for the volume savings and because there is just no other way to get them, but don't need all of the individual pieces. This way I can unload some and hopefully use the earnings to buy more beads!

It's a girl!

2009-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Seventeen new pieces have been added to aileen.etsy.com including the previously mentioned Juliette, Reina, Cherie, Tammy, Gloria, and Katerina.

Another one of the seventeen is a versatile piece that can be worn as a necklace or a lariat. The Monique features seven puffy mystic pink quartz briolettes plus a 20.6ct step-cut smoky quartz. It is the first piece that has been inspired by a name alone and my source was a baby girl born to my friend Margaret.

Red, red rubies

2009-05-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Elisse was over last night and we picked out the stones for her bridesmaids' earrings. She is going for a fall palette and we ended up with citrine, carnelian, brown and golden tourmaline, garnet, and beer quartz. She also took a look at the pieces that I will be posting to my online shop soon and fell in love with the Katerina earrings:

Silver and orange

2009-05-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

Here's another preview of an upcoming piece aside from the Juliette as seen in this post... This is the Gloria and is made of large citrines purchased just this past weekend:

Just one more

2009-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have been on a crazy jewellery making bender lately and it must be because the new supplies have been so inspiring. The current plan is to post all of my new pieces by the 15th and there are going to be more than fifteen additions! It's going to take some time to photograph everything and write their descriptions so it just might take me until next Friday to finish!

I am currently working on one last pair of earrings before I prepare the pieces for posting. The Tammy has amethyst, pink topaz, and tanzanite, which gives it a pretty pastel colour range. In fact, the colours are similar to those in the assymetrical Charlotte necklace: