New Hip Jewels Sale...

Hey All! If you haven't heard on our Facebook Page or Twitter page, Sydney Austin Designs is having an end of May jewelry sale! Take 25% off all jewelry in our etsy boutique. Enter coupon code MEMORIAL25 at checkout. Hurry sale ends 5/31. Go here to stock up on your summer jewelry! Check out the new jewels below that have recently been listed in our boutique.

I love designing with cowrie shells for the summer. Great for the bohemian free spirit girl.

Rustic rough crystal quartz. Great for wire wrapping. The amethyst is gorgeous!
The long necklace is the perfect layering piece. 

Awesome statement necklace for a summer wedding. The colors are so yummy! One of a kind. 

Something New Something Blue...

Hey All! Just a quick post. Sharing some new hip jewels. Lots of blue. For purchase visit our etsy shop here.

Lapis Lazuli Sterling Silver Hoops. 

Single Earring. A big trend during Paris Fashion Week for this Fall. 

Turquoise and Sterling Silver Zigzag dangle earrings.

Kyanite gemstones wire wrapped on hand formed Sterling Silver hoops. 

Lately...

Hey Y'all! Hope you all are having a great week! Let me briefly tell you what's been happening lately.

Loving:  The amethyst quartz I purchased at a recent bead show. They are gorgeous! So happy someone in California purchased the above sterling silver hoops.

Listening To: Beyonce and more Beyonce! My favorite tunes are Partition and Haunted. Daughter and I sing very loud in the car to Beyonce! I'm also listening to Frankie Beverly and Maze station on Pandora. I know one extreme to the next. When I'm feeling down it's Frankie that gets me happy. His music reminds me of the good ole days.

Reading: Gone Girl. I started this months ago and put it down. I recently picked it back up and can't put it down. The girl is psycho! I finished Defending Jacob. Will give my review in an upcoming post.

Thinking About: How sad, but excited, I will be when my daughter goes off to college next year. She's my road dawg! Everyday she has been receiving literature on different colleges/universities in the mail.

Looking Forward To: Spring! I love boots and sweater weather, but I'm ready to wear my sandals, open toe booties, and white Converse.

So what's been going on with you? Thanks to Sheila of It Girl Allure   for giving me inspiration for this post!

May Celebrations...

May is a big celebration month! Proms, weddings, graduations, bridal luncheons, Memorial Day, Mother's Day, and my mama's birthday! Let Sydney Austin Designs supply you with all of your jewelry needs. Whether for yourself or as a gift, we have a great selection for you to choose from. I pride myself with making mostly One of A Kind jewelry. I want my customers to have a unique piece of jewelry.

From now thru May 18th, take 15% off all jewels in etsy shop! Enter coupon code CELEBRATE15 at checkout. Go here to see our jewels. Below are a few of my fave pieces!



The Wren Necklace. Onyx and Pink Agate. I do have matching earrings. An everyday necklace set. Would make a great graduation or Mother's Day gift.

I love this for several reasons! Great layering piece. Add about 2 more long gold chains to complete your look. It's rustic and organic looking. Lastly, the crystal quartz points are beautiful in person. Buy this one for yourself and wear it all summer! 

For Mom. Great for Mother's Day or lovely for a daytime wedding. The lemon jade pops! It's chunky and bold. It's the perfect piece to add a touch of color.

A great graduation or good grades gift. Add this bracelet to your collection and stack them up! I love a junky arm! Summertime is the best time to pile on bracelets. The added bling makes it perfect for daytime or evening.

If you know me, you know I love the boutique Anthropologie. I go there a lot to get inspired for housewares and jewelry. These hoops remind me of something that Anthro would sell. Perfect everyday hoops. Another piece you want to buy for yourself. Wear them to your next pool party. Yes, you still have to look cute at the pool.

Another raw rustic crystal quartz point necklace. I made the pendant and hammered it. I like this with a denim shirt or maxi dress. Hands down my favorite

February ReCap...

So long February. Hello March! Looking forward to the start of  my second favorite season, Spring. My first is Autumn. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and start March off with a bang! I'm getting together with my neighbor for some mango margaritas. Below are a few February pictures. Follow me on Instagram @sydneyaustindesigns

The Baltimore Ravens won the Superbowl! If you really know, you know I love my Ravens!

Cupcakes made by my daughter.

Valentine flowers my teenage daughter received from... a boy. Both grandfathers nearly died! I got texts, phone calls, warnings, "not my grandbaby", and "keep an eye on him." Dude, relax!

New geode pendant chain necklace. Love it! Available in my etsy shop.

Something totally new. My first attempt at a hand bracelet. Pleased. Very bohemian.

Lately on Instagram...

Hey All!  Had some technical difficulties earlier with a previous post. Sharing some recent Instagram pics. Follow me on IG @sydneyaustindesigns

 

Slowly driving everyone in my household crazy. Dealing with some hormonal issues. Stopped by Trader Joe's to buy myself some fresh flowers to cheer me up.

 

 

The prettiest blue. Lapis lazuli chips on hand hammered brass hoops. Love these. Available for purchase here.

 

One of my favorite gemstones, labradorite. Flashes of blue. Made these today. Available here

 

Love taking food pics! Made these fajitas for my family. Daughter is so mad that I make everyone wait so I can take a picture before we can eat.

 

Reading Gone Girl on the recommendation of a co-worker. Like my new paper straws? Got them on etsy. They do not get soggy. My new thing.... I love drinking out of a mason jar!

Support Handmade Art...

Hey All! I pray everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving! If you plan on doing any shopping this weekend either for yourself or for someone special, please consider supporting indie artisans. A handmade gift is an awesome gift. Artisans put a lot of passion into their craft. I see a lot of trinkets I want to give and receive on etsy.

Sydney Austin Designs is having a sale today through Cyber Monday. Take 20% off all jewels. Enter coupon code HOLIDAY20 at checkout. Become a follower of my blog and also receive FREE shipping. To shop my online boutique go here. Thanks for buying handmade!

Source: squidoo.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

SAD Gram...

Hey All! I hope your October is starting off with a bang! This is my first post for the month. Sharing some Instagram pics from the past week. If you are on Instagram, follow me @sydneyaustindesigns. Have a great Thursday!

The cutest mini pumpkins I saw at Whole Foods. Would make a great Autumn centerpiece for your dining table.

I know it's probable 1,000 calories, but it was good and I'm not beating myself up for having one.
 Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

Bracelet I made in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. A portion of sale will go towards 5k I'm running walking in this Saturday for Mammogram Scholarship fundraiser (Women's Hospital of Greensboro).
 Running Girl now has a happy home in the District of Columbia! Thanks Q!

Just do it! Nike workout pants I bought to wear for the 5k. Gotta preserve the sexy and still look cute.
Also got the Essie polish because it was a pretty pink color.

Celebrated 18 years of marriage on October 1st.

Monaco Blue...

Happy Wednesday beautiful! I made several pieces of jewelry this week using the color blue. So, I was very excited to hear that Pantone named Monaco Blue as the color for Spring 2013.  Take a look at some of the new blue jewels. All jewelry is available for immediate purchase here. Etsy now offers direct checkout with credit cards. No need to pay with Paypal if you do not want.

Blue agate gemstones and swarovski crystals on copper hoops.

Recycled blue suede leather with copper chain bracelet

Silver shark tooth and blue kyanite gemstone on gunmetal chain necklace.

New Jewels...

Happy Wednesday! I'm starting to work on new Autumn and Winter jewelry in hopes of getting a jump start on Holiday sales. Yup, holiday sales. Soon it will be time to start holiday shopping for yourself or someone special. There are also Homecoming events that everyone wants to look fly for. Pick up some new jewels!

You know I love hoops, so of course I'm always making new ones. Bracelets are all the rage this year.  Add some new ones to your arm party. All jewels are available for immediate purchase in my etsy shop.

On a final note, please vote for me in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Mompreneur contest. You can vote once a day. Click on the Circle of Moms badge located on the right side of my blog. Scroll until to find Sydney Austin Designs then click vote. Thanks!

Turquoise stars attached to copper hoops

Crystal lips pendant attached to chain. Red coral chunk is attached. If you don't like the coral, I can remove it.

Red Coral nuggets attached to copper hoops. It's like a party on your ears. The red is so vibrant!

Stock Up Sale...

Happy Wednesday! There are 6 days left to take advantage of my Christmas in July sale. All jewels in my etsy boutique are 20% off. Just enter coupon code HOLIDAY20 at checkout. Stock up on jewelry to give as gifts or keep for yourself. Go here to shop the sale. Below are a few items that are available.

Colorful African seed bead hoops

Turquoise enamel cross with copper chain. Perfect layering piece.

Love these copper butterfly earrings. My favorite pair that is in my Summer collection.

Chunky iron chain with Agate slice pendant. Toughen up a flowy summer maxi dress.

Orange and gold. Wear this for a pop of color.

Leap Day Sale...

Source: google.com via Robyn on Pinterest

Happy Leap Day! For today only, take 29% off all jewelry in my etsy shop. Enter coupon code LEAP29 at checkout. Sale ends 11:59pm tonight! Go here to stock up on great jewels!

Notecards...

My friend Cynthia has a gift basket business. She surprised me and sent me a gift basket last week filled with goodies. I was all smiles when I went thru my goodies and came across a beautiful set of blank notecards. On the front is an African American lady beading. How cute! I can not wait to send one of them to my clients. Please check out Cynthia's website http://www.littlegiftworks.com/

One to Watch... Artisan Karen Smith

I met fellow artisan Karen Smith about 3.5 yrs ago in Charlotte, NC. We were both vending at a Art Festival/Block Party on a hot day. I was a novice, Karen was more seasoned. Karen had a tent, I did not. Karen had a fan, I had my hand. Advice, contacts, and other valuable information was exchanged and a friendship blossomed. We are both jewelry designers who have mutual respect for each others craft! Meet "The One to Watch"... jewelry designer Karen Smith.

1. Tell us about yourself: I have been in the graphic design field for over 17 years. Graphic design is very 2 dimensional and I wanted to challenge myself by creating 3 dimensional work. With my strong design skills and eye for color, creating jewelry seemed to be the perfect choice and it was a natural transition. I started making pieces for myself and had an overwhelming response! I took metalsmithing classes at Central Piedmont Community College to hone my craft. And so began Karen Smith Metalwear.

2. Do you do this full time? not yet (wink)

3. Where can we purchase your designs? Check the website (http://www.ksmetalwear.com/) for store locations (with more locations to come!) and show dates and locations. You can't purchase from the website right now but we're working on that.

4. Where do you find your inspiration for your designs? Nature, architecture and different cultures inspire my design concepts. And believe it or not, other jewelry designers! I had a design teacher in college to tell me, there's nothing new under the sun! You can be inspired by someone but rework the design by changing elements to make it your own. It's not worth being inspired by someone if you don't make it BETTER than the original design.

5. How do you promote your business? I am fortunate to have my customers, friends and stores to promote my business. I post new pieces and events on FaceBook and I'm walking advertisement. I only wear my jewelry and have often been asked where I purchased it. I whip out my card like the character from In Living Color (BAM!)

6. What advice would you give someone just starting out? Don't expect to make alot of money to start. It will come. Just be patient. And if you think this job is glamourous, think again. It's really hard work especially if you work the craft shows. Do your research with buying your materials. Compare prices. And don't be afraid to ask someone who's in the business questions. Most of them will help you. Before I make a bunch of new pieces, I'll make it once, wear it to see what kind of responses I get. I post it on FaceBook as well as wear it. If it gets a great response, then I make more. You don't want to be stuck with a bunch of products that don't sell. Also, go to your local art schools or colleges and see if they have an intern program. I have a fashion marketing student that will help me with marketing and advertising my business. She will do a 10 week internship. During that time, she will send out press releases to local and national magazines, locate reputable galleries and boutiques to carry my line and maintain my Twitter and FaceBook fan page.

7. One interesting fact about you that you want to share (does not have to be about your business): I would LOVE to travel to Paris and Italy singing jazz in sold out venues. That's just one of my fantasies. I also design/make furniture and accessories for interior design. I think that will be my next business venture.

Featured Artisan: Charm & Jewels

This month's featured artisan is Crystal Carlton of Charm & Jewels. She makes the sweetest charm bracelets! I heart the bracelet shown above! Surprise, Surprise, right! ;) A note to my Sorors: This bracelet is for sale on Crystal's etsy site! http://www.charmandjewels.etsy.com/

It's too late for you to get b4 the Notable North Atlantic Regionals, but it will be too cute on your wrist this summer! See the mini interview below to learn more about Crystal!

1. How did you get started making jewelry? Designing jewelry really began with My Little Inspiration", Taya. I was working 4 days a week, 16 hours a day in the salon, and while on maternity leave I began making jewelry because I wanted to stay home with her, and that's why I started Charm and Jewels!

2. What materials do you like to incorporate in your designs? The materials I like to use most are the handmade lampwork beads and Swarovski crystals. I enjoy the lampwork beads so much because they can just about be designed however you desire, therefore I am able to create true one of a kind pieces!

3. Do you do this full-time? Unfortunately I am not able to do this full-time, but I am working on that!

4. How do you market your business? I market my business several ways, my designs are featured in several salons in the Akron area, including mine. I also have designs in several stores in the area as well. I've also experienced short term leasing in several area malls. And of course my etsy shops... including, Etsy Artists of Color, We Love Etsy, Etsy.com, Indie Public, and Art Fire. I also have an online store http://www.charmandjewels.com/ And lastly, I regularly donate to charities and auctions for even more exposure.

5. What are your future plans for your business? My future plans include growing my business and finding as many outlets as I can, until Charm and Jewels is my full-time business!!!

Guest Artisan ~ Delilah Pearl

I have decided to feature "Guest Artisans" once or twice a month who I think make "Hip Jewels." My first guest artisan is Delilah Pearl. Don't you just love her name?! It's sounds like a movie star. She lives in Philly. She is also a Soror of mine (Alpha Kappa Alpha) so please show her some love! Delilah Pearl... (Applaud)

1. How did you get started making jewelry? How long have you been a jewelry designer?I started making jewelry when I was around 5 or 6 years old. My grandmom Gloria would watch me during summer vacation and we would spend our time going through her jewelry box. She would give me the broken and mismatched pieces and ask me to create a new piece of jewelry for her. I started working with beads when I was in middle school and this is something that I have continued off and on ever since.

2. Do you do this full-time? Yes. I am a stay at home mom to an 8 month old baby boy and I design, make and run my jewelry business full-time. I am a little busy!

3. What materials do you like to use in your designs? I like to use colorful gemstone beads. My favorite is turquoise and coral. I like to use vermeil, I think the color is beautiful! I also like to use brass and lead free pewter that is made in the U.S. If it is bright and ornate, I like it!

4. Where can we buy your jewelry? Currently, my jewelry can be purchased through Etsy (http://gloriasjewelrybox.etsy.com/). I am working on getting my work into a few area boutiques. I also do jewelry shows and parties.

5. What are your future goals for your business? I would love to expand my buisness and began selling my jewelry on a larger scale. I have big dreams for this business!