Post-Market Recap

During a long, warm day at the season opener of the Tampa Downtown Market I managed to take WAY too many photos of my booth. Enjoy :)

The sun lighting up my gemstones

The Bowl of Treasures

Only some of the earring collection

Close-up of the Wrapped Rings & Druzy Rings

The Front Row

My view all day

The blue beaded chain bracelet in the sun

The wine charm bracelet in the sun

Welcomed ice cold lemonade

Glass & Stone Pendants

Dyed stone claw necklaces

Jewelry Season 2013

Hi again!
It's that time again - Fall means craft shows and market days for me and Jessalynne Jewelry! I just spent two days repackaging all my earrings for a cleaner display. Most of tonight was spent on the floor of my office sorting colors and stuffing baggies. What a crazy Friday! I tend to overdo things and I'm sure I've over-thought my table arrangement and earrings cards and how I'll stamp each paper shopping bag with a super cute 'J' but I really do love this process. Nothing is more fun to me than organizing, planning and re-arranging displays, spreadsheets, events, etc. Some might call it a problem, I just think it's a very extensive hobby. Or crazy, whatever.
I also splurged on a new camera (a wedding present to myself yey) so here are some quick shots while I'm still learning how this thing even works!
Also don't forget to visit me at the Tampa Downtown Market this Sunday from 10a-4p right across the street from Curtis Hixon Park! Most of these pieces will hopefully make it onto Etsy too - eventually.

Glass Beaded Bracelets

 Green Tea

 Wine Stopper

 Blue Eyes

 

Strawberry

My newest, lightweight beaded bracelets. Each silver chain bracelet is woven with brightly colored Czech glass beads and Swarovski crystals.  These add a great pop of color and silver to any outfit and are very light and comfortable. More colors are being added weekly. Bracelets are sold exclusively at the Tampa Downtown Sunday Market by Jessalynne Jewelry.

Here are some of my original designs (still available for purchase)

 Deep Blue Sea

 Summer Snow

 Summer Elements

Sharp Sage

Weekend Market - Tampa Downtown Sundays

Come visit Jessalynne at our newest and favorite market location! 

Sundays, 10am - 3pm, October - May
600 & 700 block of Franklin Street Downtown Tampa

Swarovski Rhinestone Stud Earrings

I just want to start off by saying that Swarovski rhinestones are possibly the most beautiful object on Earth. I don't believe I am exaggerating one bit. When I opened the little pouch of glittery awesomeness I was not ready for the jaw-dropping brilliance of each of these little gems! As you know, I've been trying out a couple new ways to incorporate stud earrings into my inventory and as I was browsing for more round crystals I stumbled across the rhinestone section on my favorite bead website. I like to purchase my beads in mixes of colors, that way I get a good variety of products without having to buy a huge quantity. Unfortunately my store didn't sell the rhinestones that way so I had to go looking for them. I eventually found exactly what I was looking for (non-heat set flat backs) and then starting hunting all over Etsy for the perfect backdrop to my sparkly little angels.  These discs are special. They aren't just plain old metal stamping blanks, they are stainless steal stamping blanks. The stainless steel is basically a flawless mirror that reflect almost as much light as the rhinestones. How could I not put them together to make one Super Stud?!

They turned out even more brilliant that I had hoped for and have been selling like hotcakes! If you want to get your hands on some, come see Jessalynne at the Tampa Downtown Market or wait patiently until I have a free few minutes to list them on the Jessalynne shop.

Weekend Market

10 Tips on Caring for Swarovski Jewelry

Almost every pair of earrings I design have Swarovski crystals all over them.  I splurge on these crystals because they are undoubtably the best - the best clarity, shine and overall awesomeness.  When I got my first pouch of crystals in the mail my jaw dropped at the how much these little beads sparkle! When I bought my first batch of rhinestones I had to immediately grab my camera and take a million photos so my friends would believe how ridiculously beautiful they were.  Anyways...Cleaning and caring for these delicate gems is a bit tricky. That is, if you're clumsy like me and bang your wrists on every surface and lazy like me and just throw all of your jewelry in a bowl at the end of the day. Well, STOP! These crystals should be treated like royalty! I've searched Swarovski and some related sources for some Dos and Don'ts...

Do: Store your crystal jewelry in separate pouches or boxes to avoid scratches and chips
Do: Polish with a soft jewelry cloth regularly to maintain luster
Do: Put your jewelry on last and take off first when dressing
Do: Avoid hard contact with surfaces
Do: Clean by hand with lukewarm water and a soft cloth (do not soak)
Do: Dry immediately to avoid streaks and spots
Do: Use baby wipes to restore brilliance quickly (except on crystlas with AB finishes, these last longer when only cleaned with warm water)
Don't: Wash hands, put on lotion or exercise while wearing your jewelry
Don't: Soak or immerse your crystals in water
Don't: Use abrasive cleaners, window cleaners, chlorine, toothbrushes or sonic cleaners on your jewelry

There are a lot of tutorials out there about cleaning your jewelry and most of them involve soaking in soapy water or scrubbing with a toothbrush. Don't do it! All Swarovski crystal beads have at least one finish on them (more if they are AB or fire polished). Soaking them and scrubbing them will only remove those finishes and dull or scratch your crystals. For detailed care instructions on more than just their jewelry, please visit the Swarovski website.