Brave Girl

There are those women who, despite all the obstacles and trials in their lives, rise to become a whole which is greater than the sum of their experiences.  Surviving horrendous families of origin, bad boyfriends, undiagnosed learning disabilities and the schizophrenic messages about women in our society, they become healthy, successful and happy creatures free from their past and free to engage in fulfilling relationships and exciting careers. Despite the odds, they win.  I am one of these.

The one who strives for better, despite the obstacles and naysayers.
The one who learns that their are worse things than failure.
The one who does the right thing, even when it's the toughest option.
The one who isn't afraid of hard work.
The one who looks for the silver lining on the darkest of cloudy days.
The one who refuses to settle for mediocre.
The one who ties a knot in the tiniest thread of hope and hangs on for dear life.
 And when she loves, it's with her whole heart.

New collection available in my Etsy shop update, Sunday October 19th 6 pm

Leather Wrap Bracelets with Charms

I've been a busy bee working on lots of projects at once, but the other day I decided to decorate some of the wrap bracelets I had stashed way down in my "someday" pile.  I spent one glorious day playing in my junque drawers, picking just the right combo of objects for each of these bracelets.  There are 4 more still in the works, but here are the three that are completely finished.  Enjoy!

 This one is called "The Old Mission at Santa Fe"
https://www.etsy.com/listing/187791770/the-old-mission-at-santa-fe-turquoise

"Summer Love"
https://www.etsy.com/listing/187788998/summer-love-beaded-leather-wrap-charm

"White Buffalo"

https://www.etsy.com/listing/187752076/white-buffalo-beaded-leather-wrap

ShesSoWitte "The Royal We"

ShesSoWitte Jewelry Christmas Open House Holiday Jewelry Display

Holiday decorating is complete in the Queen Bee Boutique of ShesSoWitte Jewelry Salon.  I'm pleased (and slightly aghast) to share that the only purchase I made for this endeavor was 3 strands of lights.  The rest came from my eclectic hoard.  I knew this stuff would come in handy some day!!

The large mirror makes it easy for customers to check out their look when trying on pieces. I also makes the room appear larger and adds nice reflected light from the one wall with no windows. I love my jersey dress forms for displaying necklaces and bracelets.  The bracelets are held in place with a single long quilting pin, so it's easy for customers to try them on without feeling like they're disturbing the display. 

An assortment of local wines and a wee snack while shopping makes customers feel at home.  Hubby's homemade wine is usually the star of that show!!

  Varying the height of the displays creates visual interest and draws the attention to groups of items.  Just below the charm holders are dishes of wire wrapped charms, sorted by color.  Customers LOVE digging through things in bowls or in small trays.  It invites them to "play".

 An antique hand painted pin dish holds dozens of sterling silver stacking rings invarious sizes.  Another example of the type of display that lets customers really get their hands on the merchandise and encourages them to play.  The items used for display aren't holiday specific, but with a sprig of greenery and some "sugared" plastic fruit or pine cones, they magically transform into displays with a decidedly Christmas feel. 

I tend to sort things by color, and create my displays accordingly.  It's always surprising to me that pieces I've created separately - sometimes months apart - end up coordinating well together. 

Holiday gift bags and coordinating tissue are inexpensive display props that can be easily stored and reused from year to year.

 One nice piece of linen sets the stage for everything above.  And it doesn't really matter if there's a spot or a small hole because your displays will cover most of it!

 I purposely left my tree a bit on the bare side, since I wanted to draw the attention to my jewelry instead.  I like the Charlie Brown feeling it gives.  I use the space under the tree to stash filled orders for pickup.