Well, I haven’t done much jewelry-making or blogging lately, but I have done a bit of online window shopping, so I thought I would post some of my latest favorites on Etsy.com to help promote other artists and entrepreneurs.
Those who know me well, know that I’m very fond of Asian-inspired decor, clothing and accessories. Koeshi dolls are my latest obsession. I was really excited to receive one from temple7e’s shop for my birthday this year and have a feeling that I’ll be starting a collection of them.
I’ve also been on a bird kick for awhile now, and lately owls especially have been catching my eye. I just bought the vintage brass owl necklace from verabel’s shop moments ago, and the baby owl photo from NaturesCall is too cute!
The next time you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a gift, don’t just default to a gift card or standard mall fare. I highly encourage you to support small business and shop handmade. You can find all sorts of personal one-of-a-kind gifts to fit any budget.
Happy shopping!
I finally opened my shop on Etsy! OK, so I only have one item listed so far, but I’m super excited and have to celebrate the baby-steps after so much talk about things being “in the works”.
The web address is www.etsy.com/shop/moonflystudio, or you can just click the Shop link here on my blog. I’ll be adding a link to my shop on my Facebook account too.
If you’re not familiar with Etsy, it’s an online marketplace where you can buy and sell all things handmade. It’s extremely easy to start browsing and not even realize that it’s 2 hours later when you look up because there’s so much cool stuff there. Support handmade!
Whether your jewelry is made of pure silver or sterling silver (which is typically an alloy of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper), it can tarnish. Silver tarnish is caused by reactions with chemicals (such as sulfur and hydrogen sulfide) in the air or in items with which it comes into contact. Sun, heat, moisture, dirt and oils can all accelerate tarnishing.
To prevent silver tarnish, make sure it is clean and dry before storing, and store in a cool, dark place. For a more thorough cleaning, wash it with a mixture of water and a phosphate-free detergent, rinse well, and dry with a soft cotton cloth. Or, if you’re in a hurry, as most of us usually are, simply wipe your silver jewelry down with a clean, soft, cotton cloth before storing.
Putting your jewelry in a zip lock bag, and adding an anti-tarnish strip to the bag or to your jewelry box can also help slow the tarnishing process, but note that the strips will need to be replaced every three months or so. Jewelry-sized zip lock bags and anti-tarnish strips (I like the strips from 3M) can be found online or at most craft stores.
