Monday Must-Have - jaC Jewelry

Today marks the third installment of my new Monday blog series titled Monday Must-Have. Each Monday I will feature a fellow talented Etsian and their phenomenal work. Each featured artist will have their own online Etsy shop where you can peruse and admire their one-of-a-kind body of work. Hopefully you will find new favorite artists and artisans whose work you MUST HAVE. :)

Today's featured artist is Janna of jaC Jewelry.

Who are you (actual name/and or shop name)?

My real name is Janna, and I’m a graduate student when I’m not making jewelry. My shop name is jaC Jewelry.

What do you create?

I create fun, customized and one-of-a-kind jewelry using gems and semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, sterling silver, and gold-plated and brass findings. I also create custom bridal jewelry! You can find my designs in my Etsy shop at www.jacjewelry.etsy.com.

Where are you located?

I live in Durham, NC.

When did you start creating?

I have always been crafty, but did not start designing jewelry until two years ago. In 2006, while on vacation visiting family, I went to a bead store with my aunt, and walked out of there with a big bag of beads. I came home and made my first piece from those beads immediately. I made a few more pieces after that, but did not get absolutely addicted to jewelry-making until two years ago. I don't plan on stopping any time soon!

Why did you choose your shop name?

My husband and I came up with the name when I first got the idea to sell my jewelry. It is a combination of my initials and a short and sweet name that everyone will remember!

What is your most popular item that you create (and why do you think it is so popular)?

My pieces are one-of-a-kind, but once in a while I get requests to make designs similar to those that I have sold. The Red Petals Necklace - Coral and Bali Vermeil Necklace is one of them:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12217164

The original is one of the very first pieces I ever made, and I, my friends and my customers consider it my signature piece. I think it is so popular because the red petal-shaped coral and gold-plated beads combination is so striking, and the necklace instantly brightens any outfit!

How do you acquire new clients?

I acquire new clients by placing ads on various blogs, offering samples of my work and participating in giveaways. I also have trunk shows and host home parties. Additionally, existing customers refer their friends to me directly, or to my Etsy shop.

What do you do when you are not creating?

I do my homework. Oh wait, that's what I SHOULD be doing when I am not creating!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I want to thank Ruth for this wonderful opportunity to be featured, and a thank you to the readers for checking out my Etsy shop! I look forward to making a jaC creation for you!

For giveaway opportunities, please visit my personal website at http://www.jacjewelry.net/Giveaways.html

Tips For Taking Great Pet Photos

I've posted this before, many months ago, but I think it bears repeating. Whenever someone is interested in having a portrait of his or her pet painted, I am often asked what photos I need to work from. To help you take better photos of your pets, whether you wish to have a portrait painted based on a photo or you just want a nice photo of your pet for your own use, I've created the "Top Ten Tips for Taking Great Pet Photos".

1) Have a friend or family member, someone that your pet is comfortable with, help you take the photo. It may help to have someone hold your pet in place or to hold a treat or favorite toy over your head while you take the photo.
2) Get as close as possible to your pet. The more detail you capture the better your picture will be.
3) Make sure that your camera is on the highest quality setting.
4) Only use the flash if absolutely necessary. Just like some people have "red eye" in photos, some pets' eyes will "glow".
5) Pay attention to the lighting around your pet. Avoid taking photos in low light so that you don't have to use the flash.
6) Use a favorite toy, treat, or friend to help your pet look in the direction you want.
7) Take photos from many different angles. Sometimes extreme angles can create more interesting photos. Try shooting from above, below, and all sides of your pet.
8) If your pet is a dog, take him or her out for some exercise before taking the photo. This could get rid of extra energy making him or her more likely to listen to you. Also, sometimes when a dog is panting the corners of his or her mouth turn up creating a "smile".
9) Be sure that your pet is in a comfortable environment. Your pet will be on edge and not show it's true personality if it is unhappy or unsure of its surroundings.
10) Finally, take lots and lots of photos! The more photos you have, the more you have to choose from, therefore allowing for the creation of a pet portrait that really captures the spark of your pet's personality.

Happy picture-taking!

Giveaway Winner - Congrats Sarah!

Congratulations Sarah of Ladybug Soapworks! Sarah has won the January giveaway, and will receive a $15 gift certificate to my Etsy shop. Sarah also has an Etsy shop where you can find her fantastic handmade soap. Swing by her shop and check out her great selection!

Thank you to everyone who entered. Come back around February 15th for the announcement of the next giveaway. Congratulations again Sarah!

Last Day To Enter The January Giveaway

Today is the last day to enter the January Giveaway! This month's giveaway runs from Friday, January 16th to Friday, January 23rd at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen. The prize this time is a $15 gift certificate! The gift certificate can be used in my Etsy shop, www.alloverart.etsy.com, where I have a wide variety of items. I have several hand-painted fine art resin pendant necklaces, fine art prints of some of my original paintings, note card and envelope sets, original oil paintings on canvas, and more!

Here's how you can enter:

1) Go to my Etsy shop and pick out your favorite item.

2) Come back to the original giveaway post HERE and leave a link or comment telling me what your favorite item is, as well as a way to contact you in case you win. This could be an email address or your Etsy shop.

3) Only one entry per person, unless you blog about my giveaway. If you blog about the giveaway, be sure to leave a link to your blog in your comment and you will be counted twice.

4) I will assign each entry a number. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator. I will announce the winner on Saturday, January 24th on this blog, as well as contact him or her.

Good luck to you all! Have a great day.

Thanks For All The Votes!

Thank you for all the votes! My Hand-Painted Black Tree Silhouettes Resin Pendant Necklace, which you can see below, got the eighth most number of votes! You can see it here in the Teen Etsy Gift Guide, thanks to all of you! Click on the image to make it larger.
Thank you again for all of your support. :)

Valentine's Day Is Swiftly Approaching

Another holiday is just around the corner; Valentine's Day! Etsy has already begun getting into the Valentine frame of mind. There have been numerous Valentine's Day and love-themed items on the front page lately, and I think it's fantastic! It's inspired me to add some Valentine-themed items to my shop.

Hand-Painted Red Heart Adjustable Ring

Hand-Painted White Tree Silhouette Pendant Necklace

Hand-Painted White Feather Pendant Necklace

Hand-Painted Yellow Hearts Adjustable Art Ring

And I know that this next piece isn't Valentine's Day related, but I think it's just too cute and wanted to share it. :)

Molly on the Tree-Swing Hand-Painted Art Brooch

Have a great day everyone! :)

Workshop Wednesday - Handmade Dog Collars With Gone Doggie

Today marks the second installment of a new weekly blog series titled Workshop Wednesday. Each Wednesday will feature either a tutorial by yours truly or another talented artist or artisan, or a snapshot of an artist's creative process. This week's Workshop Wednesday is brought to you by Kelly of Gone Doggie. She specializes in handmade items for the dog and dog-lover, and she has graciously shared her process of creating dog collars with us. Here's what she had to say:

First and foremost, I begin by washing all my fabrics. They are then dried and ironed.

I begin with cutting the fabric. I make four sizes; each size is cut into a strip. This strip is then ironed in half with right sides together.

I then sew the strip into a tube.

The heavy weight nylon webbing is now slid into the tube I just sewn.

*Many collars are made using polypropylene webbing which is not as strong as nylon webbing.

Once the webbing is inside, it is cut and the ends of the fabric are tucked inside the tube. I then use my industrial sewing machine to secure the fabric and webbing. This is where I use a heavy weight nylon thread. This type of thread is much heavier than the thread used in a home sewing machine. The webbing is sewn down each side of the collar.

Once the fabric and webbing is sewn I then add the hardware.

A basic collar uses three pieces of hardware. I use both plastic and metal hardware. All of my hardware is heavy weight plastic, welded metal and secure locking buckles.

Finally I attach all the hardware using my industrial sewing machine.

I then snip all threads and we have ourselves a beautiful, strong, durable, and fun dog collar.

***As always with any dog collar, please be sure that the collar fits properly. Be a responsible pet owner and be sure that your dog has an identification tag on his/her collar. Many pets are found wearing a collar but no ID, many of these dogs do not make it home to their owners.

Thank you, Kelly, for sharing your artistic process with us! To see more of Kelly's work, please be sure to visit her Etsy shop.