*New* Necklaces

There was no particular idea how to use them or inspiration when I purchased these stunning amethyst nuggets. Although, they pair perfectly wire-wrapped with goldfill rings and this necklace transitions easily from daytime to nightime, whatever the occasion. What is so fantastic about this necklace is you can wear it with the stylish clasp in front or put the clasp in back for a whole other look.

Cranberries and Raisins -looks yummy doesn't it?! These rich colors were the inspiration behind this "yummy" pendant necklace featuring a smokey quartz marquis-cut gemstone accented by garnet and a hammered hoop.

Both these necklaces are available on the Crystal Allure Designs website.

Enjoy!
~Stephanie

Check Us Out in HER Magazine

Celebrating the women of Rochester, New York, April/May 2008 HER Magazine for women.

You can pick up your own copy at one of the convenient "pick up locations" listed on the site or sign up for their newsletter.

Enjoy!
-Stephanie

*New* Soft Green Gemstone Necklace

Nephrite Jade Sterling Bali Necklace

is this....
only more alluring and beautiful!

When I saw these temporarily strung nephrite jade rondelles they reminded me of what looked like 'peas in a pod'. Beautiful creamy pea green nephrite jade rondelles are accented with sterling silver bali and strung onto sterling silver cable chain with lobster clasp.

Enjoy!
Stephanie

Sparkling Spring Sale!

Hurry on over to the Crystal Allure website for a sparkling spring sale on all Swarovski crystal and crystal pearl jewelry! You won't want to miss out!

Happy Shopping,

-Stephanie

NEW Spring Creations Are Arriving!

Yeah! It's Spring -finally! Crystal Allure is once again in transition (stay tuned for exciting changes) and I have been concentrating on that lately, but I still managed to find some time to create some fresh new pieces for Spring (and more will be following).

In preparation for some upcoming future changes, I have coordinated the posts I've made between my two blogs (I have one here in Blogger and one right now through wordpress directly connected to the website). As well, the blogger look is being "played" with right now but the new look will be arriving soon. So please excuse the dust right now...

Recently listed:

Gemstone & Crystal Monarch Butterfly Charm Necklace
I love the versatility of this necklace. You can wear this necklace four different ways! Highlighted by sterling silver monarch butterfly charms are wire-wrapped black onyx discs' and red aventurine gemstones and Swarovski crystals.

Jade Teardrop & Freshwater Pearl Chain Necklace & Coordinating Earrings
Jade is so soothing and forms the perfect centerpiece for this necklace. Handwrapped links of sterling silver, mint freshwater pearls and jade rounds lead up to sterling silver cable chain.

Rose Quartz Teardrop & Freshwater Pearl Chain Necklace & Coordinating Earrings
The teardrop pendant in this necklace is as delicate as a soft pink tulip, only this stunning beauty is accented with handwrapped links of sterling silver, blush freshwater pearls and rose quartz rounds.


Read more about Jade, Rose Quartz, Freshwater Pearls, Onyx and Red Aventurine, under Gemstone Information.

Enjoy!

New Fall Jewelry Necklace

Posted Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

I purchased this stunning pendant from a local bead store about a year ago. At the time, I hadn’t a clue how I’d use it and didn’t have any specific design pop to mind -however, it was too stunning a pendant to pass up (and there was only one available). The pendant is a handcrafted lampwork bead with a rich reddish-russet color surrounded by a flurry of tans, browns and black.

It is the perfect start to fall because of its rich colors and the way in which the colors in the pendant appear, to me, makes me think of swirling piles of colorful autumn leaves. The base color in this design is a neutral, goes-with-anything black faceted oval bead which is accented by dazzling Swarovski crystal in smokey topaz.

This is a limited edition necklace and will be available for purchase on the website by September 7, 2007.

More New Fall Jewelry

Posted Wednesday, September 12th, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

For the last few weeks I have been in a creation frenzy. With the cooler weather finally here (which some Rochestarians are not so happy about) I was finally able to get to work on some neglected jewelry designs.

All of these pieces, and then some, are now available on the website. And it’s not over yet….I still have many more designs that I planned on rolling out for the fall. So keep checking the website and blog for them.

I am a big fan, in both style and decorating, of warm, rich colors. And what better time of the year to really embrace these comforting colors than in the fall. With the exception of a few pieces, you will find a variety of necklaces and earrings incorporating a fall color scheme and (again for some pieces) a bolder design (using less chain).

One other constant theme in necklaces is the pendant style. I absolutely love teardrop pendants and in staying with this theme you will find in the coming month(s) at least 4-5 more new teardrop pendant necklaces on the website.

As with most of my designs, all the new pieces are limited edition. So please don’t wait to put your order in. It will be a rare instance if I am able to find a particular pendant again. Here we go…

When I saw this pendant, I immediately had a vision of how to use it in a necklace design. It is a stunning, rounded teardrop style pendant in a rich amethyst. I couldn’t resist accenting it with a small black onyx and to finish the style I used a 14k goldfilled textured chain to complement the pendant.

I’ve actually had these leaves for at least 8 or more months. When I saw them I just knew they would be an asset in whatever design they were used in. They have no shimmer and so I added a large genuine Swarovski crystal in a rich burgundy and then sealed the style with a complementary smokey topaz crystal. Even though these earrings are done, this style is not finished yet…a coordinating necklace will be posted soon.

This is one of the few designs that deviates from the rich fall color scheme. But, again, I’ve had this pendant for a while now and it seemed fitting to add it to the collection this season with all the other pendant styles. I had such a difficult time finding beads to complement this ruby quartz pendant, but this past summer I had attended a bead show and purchased some tourmaline pebbles. Although tourmaline is a rainbow of beautiful colors I used just the rose colored nuggets and it worked perfectly in this design.

These are just a few of the new pieces and I hope to showcase more in the coming days. In between really diving in and tweaking my jewelry photo quality, I will be creating, creating, creating! Stay tuned…

Three New Jewelry Sets Added

Posted Friday, February 22nd, 2008 Crystal Allure Website Blog

I have added three new, one-of-a-kind, jewelry sets to the website. All are available for purchase and can be viewed in greater detail under the category: jewelry sets.

Amethyst Twist Crystal Choker Necklace Set - Flirty and Alluring. Choker necklace features deep purple fiber optic twist tubes that lends a lusterous and luminescent quality to the set. The shimmer of the purple fiber optic tube is technically called chatoyancy. Accented with jet black Swarovski crystals and 14kt goldfill spacers.

Necklace Set #: NES1-4A-208
Necklace: Adjustable, from 15-1/2″ to 17″, with a 14kt goldfill chain extender accented with a single drop crystal
Earrings: 1/4″ from bottom of earwire

Did you know? Cat’s Eye -or- Fiber Optic Beads start out from the same material used for fiber optic telephone cables, created from quartz fibers. The fibers are fused together and then machine cut into innumerable shapes and sizes. Who knew something so beautiful could come out of that!

Sapphire Crystal Sodalite Rose Pendant Necklace Set - A sodalite gemstone carved rose is accented with sapphire Swarovski crystals, sterling silver spacers and black beads. Finished with a sterling silver lobster clasp. Designed with an everyday neutral black color, the sodalite rose and sapphire crystals lend a look of sophistication to this lovely set.

Necklace Set #: NBS1-4A-208
Necklace: 18-1/2″ long with a 3/4″ sodalite carved rose gemstone pendant
Bracelet: 7-1/4″

Sapphire Blue Royal Pearl Necklace Set - A royal blue faceted glass teardrop pendant is accented with sapphire Swarovski crystals and Swarovski pearls in this lovely necklace and earrings set. Inspired by the stunning Princess Diana of Wales, this pearl and sapphire necklace set will look regal whether wearing a suit or jeans.

Necklace Set #: NES2-4A-208
Necklace: Adjustable, 15″ to 17″, with a sterling silver extender chain accented with a drop crystal
Earrings: 1-1/4″ from bottom of earwire


You can find these jewelry sets and many more on the Crystal Allure Designs website.

Enjoy!

Fall Jewelry Additions

Posted Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

Newly added today are the Tourmaline & Sterling Silver Earrings

The pieces listed below will be available on the website soon. The combination of sterling, gold and indian sapphire crystals make these earrings truly stunning and exceptionally unique.

Want to feel a little closer to nature? The leaves in these earrings are actually genuine oak leaves dipped in 24k gold! You really don’t want to miss out on having a pair of these earrings.

Tigers eye, if used properly in a design, can make for a versatile, everyday piece of jewelry. With swirls of black and brown and a hint of gold peeking out, here and there, these tigers eye pieces will become staples in your jewelry wardrobe.


Don’t miss out on these fabulous pieces -all are one-of-a-kind or limited edition.

Find these wonderful fall jewelry pieces on the Crystal Allure Designs website.

Happy Shopping!

I Took The Pledge -Will You?

Posted Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 Crystal Allure Website Blog

What is this? A pledge to buy handmade, during the holidays and everyday. You can make your pledge at buyhandmade.org where at last count there were 11,228 pledges.

Why buy handmade? Various reasons are listed on the site but one I can truly appreciate, being an designer/artist myself is -uniqueness and connection. With mass production, you get lower quality cookie cutter products. Personally, I get so tired of going into stores only to find mass-produced products -EVERYWHERE. Granted we may not be able to replace all our purchases with handmade items, but when you can wouldn’t you prefer a unique one-of-a-kind or limited edition product?

Just the other day, I purchased a specific glass vase for two reasons. The first, I had an idea for it. The second, because it was handmade and handblown in Poland (which is part of my heritage). Sure I could have purchased another glass vase for a little less, but why when I could get a handmade item of good quality? And you know what? I love that vase!

Another good reason to buy handmade, is you get the opportunity to build a relationship (if you wish to) with that designer.

So take a moment and visit buyhandmade.org and make your pledge. Keep in mind though, good quality handmade items are for sale all across the internet -not just on specific group type sites promoted on buyhandmade.org. Many serious artists have given their blood, sweat and tears (not to mention an arm and leg to finance their business expenses) to set up their online businesses so that they can offer their customers and visitors a pleasant shopping experience and unique, quality products. One only has to type “handmade” into a Google search to find all the fabulous handmade products available for sale! Or be more specific in your search string such as, “handmade crystal earrings“, etc.

For unique handmade Swarovski Crystal & Gemstone Jewelry, visit CrystalAllure.com

Wedding Tulle -Wedding Essentials

Posted Friday, December 28th, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

I had the pleasure of celebrating my own 6th wedding anniversary this past December 22nd. Having been a December bride (mind you with no snow!) I am still enamored with all things sparkling and snowflake themed.

That said, I was introduced to a very un-typical wedding company -Wedding Tulle, which provides “all the extras for an extra special wedding” that include stationery, accessories, favors and more. Bree Gianassi Little, owner and designer, has a simple goal:

To bring color, fun, and just plain good taste to an industry that often surrenders to the comforts of tradition. Their studios’ stylish output aims to help brides jump out of the predictable wedding box. Their products speak to brides that feel overwhelmed by monstrous wedding invitation binders, petal paper and organza everything.

I truly believe she has accomplished that goal and I couldn’t help but fall in love with this Snowflake Wine Stopper favor -and it’s only $2.50!! What a dazzling find for any winter bride!

And for those of you who are spring brides, you won’t be able to resist this dainty Miniature Natural Birds Nest favor either. It’s just adorable! If you’re having a spring wedding, get creative and use those egg-shaped malted candy eggs to put inside!

Whatever your theme or dream, you’re sure to find a spectacular and unique wedding need at Wedding Tulle!

Bloglebrity Status

Posted Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

According to Technorati my blog places in the “low authority group”. That means I am a:

The Low Authority Group [D-List Bloggers]
(3-9 blogs linking in the last 6 months)
The average blog age (the number of days that the blog has been in existence) is about 228 days, which shows a real commitment to blogging. However, bloggers of this type average only 12 posts per month, meaning that their posting habits are generally dedicated but infrequent.

Ahhhhhhh! Sooo, is this good or bad?! : -)

Good Business Philosophy

Post Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

My philosophy has always been: If you want something done, and done right, do it yourself.

But as we all know, this can be quite a challenge especially if we are talking about business or if you don’t fully know how to do what you need done. You are only one person, yet to wait on other people is just irritating beyond words. Especially if you ask for something to be done and then you sit and wait…and wait…and wait….

These are what some people might deem the ”little” things. But it is exactly these “little” things that create frustration and “clutter” in your life and just drive you batty because the reality is, if you had done it -it would be done. Period. You could move on and wouldn’t have to keep going back to figure out what was or was not done, wasting more of your time. Or worse, have to make up months of lost time because you believed someone else was actually doing the job.

While I sit and wait for others to do what I have requested (and they are fully capable of and have the knowledge to do), my ability to progress and move forward is halted. There are a few things “cluttering” my life and business progression right now and I’m at the boiling point.

I realize everyone has to watch out for themselves, but what makes service vendors think that I can just sit and wait for them to do what I’ve asked? I have a business to run and obviously I can’t count on them to get the job done -because if I could, well, it would be done and I wouldn’t be saying what I am right now.

I expected this year to be the year of change and progression and that has not been the case. In fact, I feel like it’s year one of my business again…except now I’m waiting on other people. UGH. If you can’t do the scope of the job then don’t sign up for it. Period.

Case in point: One of the things that has led to this post is the fact that I enlisted an accountant (who willing signed up) to get my parts and inventories up to speed for proper year end tax recording. I had been entering transactions all along but just didn’t prepare for my inventory and tax time. So, I scrambled to do a physical count of all my components (let me tell you..that alone would drive any jewelry designer up the wall!) but I did it. I send my data and financial file to this person back in, oh, late March or so. Although I had been checking the status of the file all along it finally got to the point in late July where I just told this person to email my file back to me and I’ll have to finish it.

Problem 1: While this file was being worked on -I was still conducting business -what was I suppose to do? Stop my business until this person finished the file? So, not only do I need to catch up on still all the work this person said they’d get done -I now have four + months of new transacations and purchases to record. So…how am I better off for hiring a professional?

Problem 2: I have no clue how to enter these things in the financial file -cause if I did…well, I wouldn’t have hired a professional to do it for me. Why? Because (let’s all say this together now): If you want something done, and done right, do it yourself.

I could go on with the problems this has caused but it’s not worth my time. I have work that needs to be done and I can’t count on others to do it for me. So off to spend more money on accomplishing what should have been a fairly easy task. *sigh*

Butterfly Garden

Posted Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 Crystal Allure Website Blog

From the moment I bought my first house, my goal was to have a butterfly garden. I love butterflies and all the beautiful flowers that attract them. So about five years ago or so I printed off a Butterfly Garden plan offered for free from MSN Gardens. My husband put in the hard labor to tear up the existing garden and excitedly in the very first year, we had Monarch butterflies visit our garden.

Last year, I was finally able to get some pictures of the butterfly varieties that have visited my gardens and I thought I’d share some pictures with you.


Both these pictures are of Fritillaires butterflies sitting on purple coneflowers in my Butterfly Garden. I have pictures of at least seven different varieties that have visited our garden as well as other creatures of nature. Stay tuned...