February blues

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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!