LiciaBeads Vault $50 gemstone and sterling giveaway!

Drawing is closed.

I will contact the winner and announce them shortly. Best of luck to everyone! Thanks so much for the great feedback!

The How do you enter? Easy peasy, just leave a comment! Aw, but you want more than one entry?
Each of the following gets you an entry:

1 - Leave a comment with your "official entry name" that links to somewhere that I can contact you (*required so I know who you are)

2 - Enter this other giveaway for the Etsy Jewelry Sampler Team for $30 from my LiciaBeads shop

3 - Let me know what you love from my Vault shop by linking it here or hearting it. (It's how I know what to stock for you!)

4 - Get the newsletter (which will become really handy in upcoming months, hint hint, wink, wink) Already get the newsletter, you are entered automatically :)

5 - Tell a friend or two (or more)! Have your friend link you in their entry comment.

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So there you have it. Go enter, tell friends! Follow me! Thank you :)

I'll be over here keeping track of the entries and listing more things in my shop. Let me know if you have questions!

Winner will be notified by e-mail and announced on the blog. The drawing ends Sept 19 at midnight Etsy time (NY, USA). Items will ship USPS first class free of charge to the winner.

Making a space useful

Photos brought to you by Ginkgo Landscape Design (it's what we do for a living).
Sometimes things are done wrong. Face it, there is a good way to use space, and there are lots of bad ones. Planning and forethought are very important.

Here is the before photo:

and the after (it's not done yet though) from about the same location. Now that's a space you can use!Stay tuned, there is a whole bunch more in the works.

You asked for it!

Of course, I got more than you asked for just in case.

Big pristine lemon quartz perfectly faceted drops. Totally keeping one for myself.
More Rondelle Sonata in A stones for my most popular 20 of each in a rainbow of flavors.
Special requests for great rutilated quartz and large flasytastic labradorite. Onion shapes too!Wonderful smooth Prasiolite and garnet, micro faceted amethyst onions, and ah, my first London Blue Topaz.
Some larger rondelles and faceted shapes, yum!
AND! That's not even close to being all! Want something you see? Let me know and I get get to it faster for you... cvause you may just want to purchase it while I am having the August Sale!

Do you wear your own jewelry? Yup, here they are...

I have always asked and been asked in the "people who make stuff for others" world, "Do you wear your own work?" While plenty of people create for others, and tend to respond to their market or don't wear certain styles they create for that market, I do find that most have something that they use themselves.

I create jewelry, from beads, paper, wood, glass, gemstones, fiber, pearls, etc. If it has a hole in it, the likelihood that I am going to string it is 100%. If it doesn't, I can still get it on a string it's just more of a challenge. If it's a little odd, I like it. If it is very expensive and cost restrictive, I need to have it. If I am sure it will take forever to make, I have to try.

Here are my most common items that I made and wear.

Simple largish Lemon Quartz faceted briolettes on sterling silver.

Grossular Garnet (that's the green kind) ovals simply wired into a sterling chain.I had to have this bead in the center.... It's glass made by ScottyBeads who lives about an hour from me. I would totally knock on his door someday for a bead handout :)

Doesn't it look like Jupiter? Anyway, I like it and I actually have another version of the pendant for sale in my shop. It's called 42 moons. The silver looking stuff is all sterling cause that's how I roll. I started weaving about 18 years ago and I really like to do it but it takes a long time which makes it somewhat cost restrictive for buyers. This one is a simple diamond weave pattern in turquoise (glass beads) and soft blue. The weaving has since developed into all manner of silliness if you have seen my shop...I was looking thru my beads one day as I sorted my purchases and came across this aweful bead! It had all kinds of extra holes and I loved it! I know some someone elses who would have been like, hey, I'll take that off your hands. Beads with extra holes - cool.

These are just some sweet little yellow dangley things that I made one day. The chain that I got from a big retailer had been messed up and I had like 2 inches of good chain, then 10 inches of smashed chain before it got nice again. So I made these with some more great glass beads from LindenAvenueDesignsThis one I had been working on and when I got done with the wirework I had originally intended on adding gemstones to it. Well... I had an event to go to so I put it on a quick string of freshwater pearls and that is how it has remained. I like it... and it took a while to get together with all it's seperate pieces so I kinda figured I would not easily sell it for the price I would put it at. So.... I kept it.Hey! If you must have something that you see above, it's totally possible, just ask me!

Entertaining deck gets it's structure

More progress photos from our landscape design installation. It's what we do, see more at the Ginkgo Landscape Design website!

One of the major elements missing in many gardens is the same that makes it appealing. I don't know about you but when I enter a garden space, I want to feel surrounded by it. Having tall structures (be it plants or built elements) really helps create this effect. Soon it will be wired for lighting to enable the clients to entertain easily in the evenings and get around safely after the sun has gone down.

For the time being the deck platform is being left open to allow for the electricity to be wired easily. Ultimately it will be topped off with Trex, a composite material created from wood and plastic fibers. I actually quite like it since it lasts longer than any wood surface ever could, doesn't splinter, has a nice feel on the feet (I love barefoot gardens!) and is easy to work with. As a bonus it is made with recovered material that used to be tossed into landfills. It's a little heavy and bendy (think 20 foot long 50 lb wet noodle) before it's set where it needs to be, but that helps in the long run anyway. Plus, it saves us from using long lengths of trees when we can.

I cannot wait to get the decking down and see the pool of light created from the deck lights and the pendant lights hanging from the arbor!

We have yet to add the seating surround beneath the arbor as well. It's in the works!

Any special requests from the Gem Show?

I'm taking special requests for beads, pearls and gemstones. You have 9 days to make your needs/wants known. Feel free to contact me personally, or leave a comment below.

Personal shopper here, want anything? I'm makin a list.



I've been taking forever to complete this.... I am stuck on the chain. I don't want to just stick any ol chain on so I guess I will have to wrap one special to suit it. But it's in the works.

Playing in the wire again, thinking about handing out beads

Gotta love filigree! It takes a while to actually make it from wire but man is it ever cool! I get a little excited over the beads and wire... So anyway, I always liked the look of that old fashioned lacy filigree that is meant to embellish a central focus. And we know (we do at my house) that is a good element in design to have "strong centers". I'll do a blog post about the elements of design later on. For now I am too overly excited and beady eyed.

It doesn't help that I am going to a gem show in a couple of weeks. Which is why I am having the BIG SALE in my Vault shop to make way for the new things. But my followers already know that and subscribe to the newsletter for the even better deals... right followers?

I was thinking about having another $50 gemstone bead giveaway too... good idea? Are you watching?

I'm also gardening. Well, when I have the time to actually garden at my house I am anyway. I was inspired by the peas. Neither of these projects are complete ( you know you have 10 started too!) but one of these days as the inspiration flows I am sure they will develop.

Have a great weekend!

Beams and Joists, the making of a deck

Continuing on with the tour of a landscape design installation by Ginkgo Landscape Design (that's us). The first photo shows a midway view. The driveway has been partially removed as well as the existing deck and patio space that was so small having a trash can was crowding the space. (We built in a hidden place for those too). So this is the "before the deck" photo.

It's a nice big deck with plenty of space for a dance party. And it's plenty strong for that too.
A ton of details go into building a deck properly. This deck sets entirely on concreted piers and metal brackets. It is independent from the house. Also requested was a large landing to the back door.I am delighted as well that this deck is going to have fancy lighting! We are installing a seat rail along the outer perimiter and pergolas (similar to the fence) above. There will be downlights for the landing and stairs as well as pendants in each "window" framed by the pergola.

It's gonna be great! Keep watching and I will keep you posted!
Wanna know more about this thing we do? www.GinkgoLandscapeDesign.com

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Just sign up and you will be notified of all the details and special events ahead of time, so you can prepare yourself.

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Thanks to everyone for their support in all things sparkly!

All wrapped up

As an intermission from the landscape design that we are installing (because the electrical and plumbing parts are not pretty and you don't want to see photos of holes in the dirt) here is what I have been doing.

I really like that I can wire wrap in the truck on the way to work. Everything is connected so there are not loose beads to get lost, which is a major bonus. Plus, I have about an hour a day that I can use that way.

So this is one finished project. It takes a while to get everything in just the right spot and know that it is actually going to work. I have a few that are unfinished because I got stuck somewhere.

The center of the heart pendant has a perfect little Peridot gemstone. It's not easy to find fantastic Peridot but I got lucky at a gemshow and found a few in a strand that I bought. I also decided that if someone is going to purchase a more expensive item from me, they will be wanting a nice jewelry box, so I got a few of those too.


This heart is one of the ones that I am stuck on. I want to add gemstones but have yet to know exactly what I want to do. It will come to me.

In the meantime, I am making gemstones on a chain. They are really classic looking and easy to wear. I made myself a shaded grossular (green) garnet necklace that I have been wearing almost every day.

Following are some that are still available for sale :) I have also been working on some bolder pieces as I have heard people wanting to see more bold necklaces in my shop... To me "bold" means both larger beads, more contrast, and more drama. So I came up with these:

Heck, most of these are still available so if you see something you want, don't hesitate to get it :)