Loving My Newest Display

I spent this past Saturday at the Mesilla Valley Christian School Blazer Bazaar selling my jewelry for the first time in Las Cruces. It was a lovely sunny event; not too hot at all, especially with the shade from my brand new patio umbrella. Best purchase yet.

Here is my latest set-up, featuring many do-it-yourself projects, including my newest addition - a custom-colored seafoam green framed chalkboard!

I'm definitely loving my new signage and the way all the colors fit together. The boyfriend loved my chalkboard so much that he requested a large custom-colored chalkboard of his own! I'm looking forward to seeing what fun color he picks out for himself.

A view of the event before it started.

I also had a little bit of time to bust out a few new beachy bangles! It's been a while since I've had these available. They'll be up on Etsy as soon as I'm able to photograph them individually. I can't decide which one to keep for myself: feather, sand dollar, seashell, or seahorse? Which would you choose?

Speaking of adding to my own collection, I also started making a pair of Island Paradise Earrings for myself. I couldn't resist them any longer. They were swaying so beautifully in front of me throughout the entire Blazer Bazaar, teasing me as though they were saying, "wear me, wear me!" I'm so easily persuaded by my own designs sometime (:

Blazer Bazaar @ MVCS

Come visit me at my first show in Las Cruces supporting Mesilla Valley Christian Schools! I've donated a Moonlit Ocean Earrings and Necklace set to their silent auction, so take a look and bid for a good cause!

Did you see that they're advertising breakfast burritos??! I'll be getting one of those for sure. I'm hoping I'll get a chance to check out the rummage sale too!

Cannon Beach, OR

A friend from college invited the boyfriend and I to his family's beach house at Cannon Beach while we were in Oregon this summer. It was my first time making it out to Oregon's coast - so breathtakingly beautiful.

I woke up early one morning and walked along the water's edge to Haystack rock while it was still low tide. The tide exposed all the little sea critters clinging to the rocks, like this extremely large orange starfish! There were even purple ones too. Can you believe it? I don't think I've ever encountered such a massive starfish in its natural habitat. It probably could have covered my entire face. Squish squish.

As the tide started to rise again, I turned around and headed back to the cabin. I stayed near the water, hoping to find a few treasures as the waves lapped up against the sand. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something white glistening just under the surface of the water a few yards ahead. I held my breath and ran over -- a sand dollar! A real sand dollar (no longer living, of course), completely intact and waiting to be picked up by a lucky passerby. Me!! I couldn't believe it. My very first sand dollar.

Summer has now come and gone, but at least I have a little souvenir to remind me of my wonderful summer road-trip adventure. This sea critter also inspired my newest collection of jewelry featuring sand dollars - head over to my Etsy shop to check it out.

My first show in Las Cruces is coming up this weekend! Stay tuned for more details!

Updated Blog

If you haven't already noticed, my blog has an updated layout! 

I felt like it was time for some improvements so I searched the interwebs for a new free Blogger template. My basic middle school knowledge of HTML and high school Photoshop skills allowed me to customize my layout preferences and update the color scheme from sunset orange to seafoam green. It was challenging but I loved every moment of it; I kind of forgot how much I used to enjoy doing this kind of web design/photo editing kind of projects.

My section tabs have now moved to the top of my blog - 

Inspiration: The page you're currently viewing, which contains all my blog posts and updates

Etsy Shop: The tab takes you straight to my online jewelry boutique

Jen's Jewelry Box: My newest section featuring my personal jewelry collection

About Me: Tidbits about me; similar to my profile page on Etsy

Have you noticed my starfish icon I designed?? (:

Any categories that blog posts have been listed under are now linked below my palm tree header -

behind the scenes: jewelry photography, designs in the works, my workspace

events: descriptions of any local arts and crafts events I've participated in - the most current events are listed in the right sidebar

featured: links to places The Glistening Pearl jewelry has been featured

love: features purchases I've made through Etsy or other local artists that I absolutely adore - yay handmade!

Finally,  I have a little slideshow that shows up right below my category listings and above my most recent blog post. I'll be updating those pictures from time to time and keeping you posted about the latest Glistening Pearl news. However, the slideshow may not show up in your browser if your Javascript hasn't been updated. Update it so you don't miss out!

I'm off to make homemade vegetable stock in a crockpot! Enjoy the rest of your week ~ hang in there; Friday is just around the corner! (:

Jen's Jewelry Box

Happy Friday, everyone!

I just created a new page called "Jen's Jewelry Box." I wanted to showcase all The Glistening Pearl pieces I've added into my own jewelry collection and provide a few comments about why I personally love those designs.

Although I only make what I would wear, there just happened to be something so irresistible about the pieces pictured in my jewelry box. Some, like the puka shell necklace pictured above, are currently one-of-a-kind and never made it to my Etsy site. However; I absolutely adore that piece and hope to find a few similar puka shells to offer that design in the future. When I get that excited about a creation, all I want to do is to be able to make that little slice of paradise available for everyone to enjoy.

I hope you enjoy browsing through my favorites!

Photography in Direct Sunlight

As much as I enjoy designing my pieces, I also get excited about photographing them. Jewelry is surprisingly difficult to photograph, especially when you have a simple point-and-shoot camera. (I'm hoping to eventually upgrade to a DSLR one day!). However, I kind of love the challenge, and I find it quite rewarding when the pictures turn out well.

Now that I'm in a new location, I decided it was time to work on a new photography set up. I always prefer shooting in natural lighting, and I find that diffused sunlight looks best for my work. Proper lighting has always been my biggest challenge, and I find it to be the most important aspect of my photography.

That being said, I thought it would be fun to share my simple DIY set up for direct sunlight photography:

SUPPLIES:

All purchased at my local craft store -Hobby Lobby- using a 40% off coupon found on their online website.

1. White poster board

Mine is around 2 x 3 feet, I believe

2. White construction paper (poster paper?)

 Approximately the same size as your poster board

3. White tissue paper

Or something comparable to diffuse light (shower curtain, etc.)

4. Backless (and glass-less) wooden picture frame

Find something large (but not bigger than your tissue paper!) and lightweight - It'll be easier to maneuver when shooting

5. Masking tape

Rather than just shooting on a large piece of construction paper, which can easily bend and warp with just a few uses, I've taped the paper onto a poster board. This keeps my shooting surface relatively clean and smooth over time. Conversely, rather than just using the poster board, I picked up the construction paper because it is cheaper to replace when your sheet becomes too dirty for your liking.

I wish my frame could be a little lighter, but I wasn't able to make a frame myself. As you can see, I've just used the masking tape to secure the tissue paper tautly against the frame. Voila! A relatively cheap light diffuser.

Sometimes I position my diffuser directly over the top of my jewelry, sometimes I have it leaning over the side. It really just depends on the direction of the light and which direction I want the light coming from.

Here's the outcome of my photo shoot last week. It's a little greyer than I'd like, but I'm still experimenting with what time of day works best for the lighting I need. Hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes!

My Little Corner

Welcome to my new and improved workshop! Granted, my little corner in the apartment is no longer this organized and the table has supplies strewn all over, but I finally have my own jewelry working space and I couldn't be happier.

I'm currently in the process of going through my inventory and reorganizing my supplies, but hopefully I'll have a updated picture in the near future. I love being able to look out my window while I work, and I look forward to being even more productive designing in a comfortable environment.

I'm so pleased to be sitting at my table right now and working on a bracelet. Ahhh..... Back to it!

New City, New Set-Up

Aloha from Las Cruces, New Mexico! I've had quite the West Coast-ish journey this summer (check out my previous posts!), and I've finally settled into this new place of mine.

Welcome to my lovely little patio. Here I've set up a test run of my newest display - a slightly larger table,  a market umbrella (yay, shade!), two DIY earring displays, and my beautiful DIY necklace tree. I've brought along the driftwood I found in Santa Barbara, but my stone from the beach and mirror decided to somehow escape my boxes during shipment! It makes my display feel incomplete, but I'm sure I'll make do.

I'm happy that I've been able to expand my display, as well as having the option to bring in another table to the side, if needed.

This jewelry tree is so gorgeous in person, especially with all the shimmering necklaces draped around the branches. I love being able to hand-make most of displays as I'm really able to enhance the essence of my designs.

What do you think of this little boutique on-the-go? Is New Mexico ready for this beachy goodness?!

Portland, OR

I had the opportunity to spend three wonderful weeks in Portland, Oregon this summer. I biked all around the city, over all the bridges; hiked once a week to beautiful waterfalls and breathtaking views; slept in everyday until at least 10:30am; saw old roommates who I haven't seen in two years; and had my fill of delicious ethnic foods from food trucks for an incredibly reasonable price (thai basil fried rice is my new favorite dish!). It was glorious.

Hike #1: Horsetail Falls on the way to Triple Falls

View of the gorge

I handpicked fresh berries at Sauvie Island Farms and managed to gather 8.25 pounds of raspberries, blueberries, and marionberries (pictured above)! Marionberries are a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry and only found in Oregon apparently. Fresh marionberries are my new favorite fruit.

Hike #2: Another view of the gorge

Hike #3: Mt. Hood! I played in snow in July and couldn't have been giddier. I made it snowball but had it whacked out of my hand before I had a chance to throw it at an unsuspecting victim. All in all, the best hike of the trip.

Salt Lake City, UT

Next stop - Salt Lake City, Utah! 

Love is in the air...

Two of our college friends had a beautiful outdoor wedding late June. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, and the ceremony was located in a lovely meadow just in front of a pond. We enjoyed celebrating this special occasion with old friends.

I made this silvery keshi pearl necklace as a wedding gift for the bride - pretty and elegant, and perfect for any special occasion. Freshwater pearls are carefully wire-wrapped asymmetrically throughout the chain, adding to the delicate, organic feel of the focal cornflake pearl.

Serenity Necklace

SHOP

Congratulations B.M. and M. L.! I'm so excited for you two!

First Stop: Vegas!

I thought I would have more time to blog this summer, but it looks like I'm already one month behind! 

Our first stop out of Santa Barbara was Las Vegas, NV.

I was told it was going to be hot... and it was. HOT. I haven't experienced heat like this before. It felt like I had entered an oven the moment we stepped out of the car. I was surprised I didn't just melt into a puddle right then and there.

We spent lazy afternoons at the pool, soaking up the sunshine. It felt so good to finally have a vacation again with not a care in the world.

At night, we ventured into a club for that "Vegas" experience. It was quite the evening filled with dancing and good times. As pricy as it turned out to be, it was worth it!

And to top it all off, I even rocked my very own Rave in the Cave Luxe Necklace! Along with my rhinestone bow double ring, grey druzy ring, layered Swarovski crystal bracelet, and Hawaiian bracelet, my sparkly zebra druzy necklace completed my going-out outfit.

After two days of fun we were off to another city!

Goodbye, Santa Barbara!

Where did my summer take me first?

Packing

Although I was busy packing for the big move all last week, I managed to find some time to design a new shell necklace.

Bella, the little girl who lives next door, found a beautiful cone shell along the Santa Barbara coast and gifted it to me a few months back. She wrote me a really cute note to go along with it too. Bella and her sister already have their very own beach glass necklaces, so this shell necklace was a surprise for their mom (:

This is my very first shell necklace, and I'm quite pleased with the turnout. What do you think?

Well, I'm all packed, boxes shipped, studio cleaned, and no longer in Santa Barbara! I'll be traveling for the next month, so stayed tuned for updates about my adventures!

The Bed-Table

As you may or may not already know from my previous post, I have my very own studio apartment to design my jewelry in. And to live in... and to share with another person. It's cozy and cute, but you can only stand so many components disappearing and later found somewhere on the floor (or never) when the only workspace you have is your bed.

I was making a couple necklaces last night while watching TV, and I couldn't help but think about how excited I am to move. Moving will mean I will have a little more space for my jewelry - maybe even my very own table to work on! Or if I'm really lucky, maybe my own corner of a room (: A girl can dream, right?!

Big Sur, CA

I'm sorry that I haven't been designing new jewelry pieces lately! With the anticipation of leaving California, I've been trying to soak up as much of the coast as possible. The significant other and I drove up to Big Sur last week for some camping fun.

We chose the Kirk Creek Campground because every campsite has its very own ocean view! It was such a beautiful, sunny day with not a cloud in sight.

We took a short hike down the cliff to enjoy some rocky shoreline bliss. I'm always in awe how breathtaking the California coast can be.

Five miles south of the campgrounds is Sand Dollar Beach. Unfortunately, I didn't stumble across any sand dollars, but I did happen to find two beautiful cone shells! I'm looking forward to using them in a new necklace design. We almost had the entire beach to ourselves and enjoyed homemade panini's, crisp sugar snap peas, and a light frisbee toss.

At the end of a relaxing, unplanned day, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset with smores and a glass of wine. It was quite the mini vacation I needed after 104 consecutive days of work. No stress, all sun. With all the scenic coastal views, I'm not too worried about lacking inspiration (: