ZionShore

Let the countdown begin

2011-12-03T15:08:00.014-05:00

Visit my shop ZionShore for great Christmas gift ideas
www.ZionShore.com

Yummy enough to eat!

2010-04-12T21:58:00.004-04:00

I just couldn't help but share just some of the new gems that just arrived. I am totally memorized by them, I'm trying to keep my head about it all but ever since I laid my eyes on them, and every time I see them since, I keep just keep repeating one word WOW. They are quite the treat!

What's your favorite flavor?

ZionShore's GIFTaway winner is....

2010-04-10T00:40:00.007-04:00

I really had so much fun reading through all the comments and finding out what it is that you like most about Spring!

The winner said "... my favorite thing about spring is hearing the birds singing in the mornings again."

Yes it's true the thought of birds chirping outside my window is giving me a slight headache LOL ... but Kathy enjoys it!!

Congratulations Kathy Detweiler !!!

I thank everyone who participated and really hope to see you all again for the next one!

Let's Celebrate with a GIFTaway

2010-04-01T20:29:00.017-04:00

There are a lot of reasons to celebrate:
For some it's because Spring is around the corner. For others it's a long and happy weekend with family and friends this Easter weekend. AND of course there's the fact that ZionShore's facebook fan count has reached 200!!! And the crowd cheers!

To celebrate I'm having a GIFTaway where a lucky winner will be able to choose ONE of the following pieces from my shop.

Mystic Blue Quartz Solitaire Necklace In Silver

Mystic Blue Quartz Solitaire Necklace In Gold

Mystic Blue Quartz Solitaire Necklace In Silver

Mystic Blue Quartz Oak Leaf Earrings in Gold

To enter the GIFTaway you need only to become a ZionShore facebook fan and enter a comment on my blog by telling what it is that you like most about Spring.

Spring is not my favorite season. It maybe different for you but I live in Canada and am not much fond of the whole thaw thing! I don't get what exactly there is to enjoy about seeing debris left behind by the melting mountains of snow and walking in slush and mud. Tell me please!!

Enter your comment on the ZionShore blog from now till April 9th, 2010 @ 23:59 EST. The winner will be picked at random and will be announced the following day.

All the men are welcome to enter also!! Mothers day is just around the corner!

Kindly share the news with your friends by retweeting this post. The more people enter the more often we could have a giveaway!

Click here to become a ZionShore FaceBook Fan!

ZionShore on Facebook

If you're already on facebook then click here to enter the contest by commenting on the ZionShore blog

Good Luck!

The Bead Inspectors

2010-03-10T10:18:00.013-05:00

The bead inspectors at ZionShore are two furry males with lots of facial hair. They are quite new to this job and when they are not busy whacking beads underneath the fridge or couch they moonlight as the backyard surveillance team.

Their names are Charlie and Thomas. They have only been with me just a little over a year. Charlie is 6 years old and Thomas is 3. They are my parents cats. After having them since they were tiny kittens my Mom's mysterious chronic cough of 2 years was diagnosed as "severe cat allergies".

So they came to live with my family. Thomas was first to arrive! It wasn't easy for him, he tried to make himself at home, but he missed Charlie!!

And Charlie felt all alone and wondered where Thomas had gone to.

Not too long after though Charlie joined him and they have settled in quite nicely.

The toys in my house are all on double duty. My son plays with them during the day and the cats have at it in the middle of the night.

Nothing ever goes on in the back yard without their knowing about it!

My mom dreams of having them back one day. That may not be possible, especially with Thomas, but she does visit them! In fact she'll be over this weekend to pamper them!

Sprint into Spring Sale

2010-03-04T18:03:00.005-05:00

ZionShore's biggest sale ever!! Spring is just around the corner and there's a big spring cleaning going on at ZionShore to make room for new lovelies.

Limited edition pieces from fall and winter will not be renewed. So if you've had pieces on your wish list, then now is the time to snatch them up at discounts of up to 35% off.

Happy Shopping!

Mail Chimp

2010-02-28T14:40:00.008-05:00

I've added something new to the blog!

A chance to sign up for the occasional newsletter.
It's been a while now that I would really like to notify repeat customers of discounts and sales. I started to explored the best options available and have found that the newsletter would be the most efficient tool to use. After some digging I've found Mail Chimp to be very user friendly and highly recommended by other etsy sellers. There are a bunch of email templates already available to use and they are customizable and it all comes with a video tutorial on almost every page. They themselves claim that it can be easier than eating a banana.

Sign up to future newsletters is available on my blog as of today. I'm in the process of composing a sale announcement and importing my mailing lists. I'll let you know how it turns out. If you want to find out first hand then be sure to sign up for ZionShore's newsletter!

If you already use it please do leave a comment sharing your experiences.

ZionShore's Body Candy Collection Video Preview

2010-02-02T23:09:00.004-05:00

Exciting News

2010-01-29T23:41:00.004-05:00

ZionShore was featured today over at Dig Under Rocks Blog. Click on the pic to read the article.

Treasury Slideshow from Flickr

2010-01-27T15:21:00.003-05:00

A mix of Etsy treasuries that I've created or have been featured in.

Body Candy

2010-01-11T00:41:00.001-05:00

Search Engine Antics

2010-01-06T07:44:00.010-05:00

Through out 2009 I was able use a Google tool called Analytics to see stats on visitors that stopped by my Etsy shop. One of the things Analytics does is list the search keywords that people typed which brought up the results for ZionShore. Some of the keywords used in the searches make sense (actually most of them make sense). For example if someone were to search - Red Spinel gold leaf necklace - Chances are my shop will appear in the search results and if you click on the result, Voila!, you end up at my shop.

There were however some questionable keyword searches that landed people in my shop. These search keywords make no sense and are totally unrelated to ZionShore because the items cannot be found there nor are they in the tags. But they are just downright hilarious. I thought I’d share them with you and am really glad there’s not that many!

6-hanging light kit
If I did have one in my shop it would definately look like this one!

5-1970 heels

4-AC/DC diy shirt
I wonder if #5 and #4 were searches from the same person ... hmmm

3-reuseable sandwich bags

2-stuffed moustache with a moustache
Doesn't a bunny with a mustache just make him a cat?

1-x files tv props
This one my favorite! Who knows, maybe my next necklace collection will have spy cams in the pendants.

First Etsy Treasury Experience

2009-12-17T12:50:00.014-05:00

I had the pleasure of making my very first treasury. I was so thrilled! Now I know most treasuries are about themes based on the product or color schemes, but mine...was not really about that. It was about the people featured. One of the most wonderful thing about etsy is meeting people who are kind and helping, people who brightened my day by either featuring little me on their blog or put me in their treasuries. My first treasury was about saying a thank to those dear friends.

Treasuries expire quickly, sadly this one expired today, but if you click on the picture it will become large enough for you to see the featured shop names. Take a minute to visit these honeys!

Much to my surprise the next day I snagged a treasury west. I hear it's difficult to snag a treasury, but I got lucky and was able to create one more. This one includes all my favorite photographers on etsy. Some of them have been hearted by me for a long time.
If ever you don't know what to get me as a gift, this my wish list!

I can't believe I blogged about something about other than gems...

ZionShore's Femme Fatale Collection Video Preview

2009-12-07T08:55:00.003-05:00

How To Choose The Lariat Length That Is Perfect For You

2009-11-26T18:42:00.012-05:00

Lariats are very popular (especially on Wisteria Lane) and so much fun to wear. The best thing about them is one lariat may give you different looks.

A lariat (Also called the Y necklace) is a long chain with no clasp. It has gemstones and charms on either end. It is worn by just wrapping the chain around once, or if you want to feel a little more secure you could wrap it around twice. If a lariat has a hoop on one end then it may also be worn by threading one end through the hoop.

The picture below shows the different length lariats maybe worn: both close to the neckline or away from it. Click on the picture to make it larger.

So how would you know what the best length is for the look you want to create?
I’ve got a rule of thumb on figuring that out. It takes the guess work out of ordering the correct length for your lariat look you want to wear.

Here are the three easy steps.

1- Start with your base length. This would be the shortest length that you wear necklaces at without feeling uncomfortable. Such as 14” (S), 15" (M) or 16" (L).

2- Then to achieve different looks follow the guide line below.

3” plus your base length for look A
4” plus your base length for look B
5” plus your base length for look C
6” plus your base length for look D
8-9” plus your base length for look E
9-10” plus your base length for look F

Now since we’re all a bit different, the next step is very important.

3- Double check the length by measuring and cutting some yarn at the length you selected from above. Try the yarn around your neck in front of a mirror. It's always easier to choose once you can see what it looks like.

STOP - If you’ve rolled your eyes several times so far while reading this, then the faux lariat is for you! A faux lariat will give the same look without having to wrap around or thread your necklace through the loop. The faux lariat has a clasp in the back and the dangles in the front are in a fixed position. All you have to do is pick the style you want and wear it like a regular necklace.

All the lariats in my shop can be remodeled into a faux lariat.
It’s just one e-mail away. My favorite ones are the ones with the front closing toggles!

Crazy Ex-BoyFriend Giveaway Winners!

2009-11-18T08:09:00.004-05:00

The Crazy Ex-Boyfriend Giveaway ended last night all the Interrupted necklaces have been named by ZionShore Facebook fans after their crazy ex's.

Thanks so much to everyone that entered and made it such a fun time.

Two winners have been picked and they may choose anyone of the interrupted necklaces as their prize! Congradulations Emily Gullo and Anne Jolly!

I can't wait for the next giveaway!

The Crazy Ex-boyfriend Giveaway!

2009-10-28T10:14:00.007-04:00

Zionshore's FaceBook Fan page now has over 100 Fans!
Let's celebrate with the Crazy Ex-Boyfriend Giveaway.

I have a new necklace design; the necklace comes in a dozen different gemstones. I would like to name each different gemstone necklace after a FaceBook fans crazy ex-boyfriends. The necklace design is a delicate gold chain interrupted by one inch of gemstone.

If you would like to participate in the giveaway, here’s what to do:

Become a ZionShore FaceBook Fan!

ZionShore on Facebook

For the next two weeks, as I list each of the 12 necklaces on Etsy I will post the link on FaceBook. All you have to do to participate is leave a comment for any one of the 12 necklace postings. Your comment must include the first name of the craziest ex-boyfriend you’ve ever had.

LOCO!!

As much fun as that would be! Please DO NOT include last names or pictures or phone numbers! ;P

I will update the Etsy listing title with names provided by you! I will also mention in the Etsy listing that a FaceBook fan helped name the necklace, If you would like me to specify your first name in the listing let me know.

48 hours after the last necklace is listed, I will randomly select 2 winners from those that have left a comment. The two lucky winners will win one necklace each. The winners may select any one of the gemstone necklaces listed in their choice of Silver or Gold chain.

Good Luck!
Please retweet this post to tell your friends!

Necklace Length Horoscope

2009-10-05T20:13:00.013-04:00

I have wanted to write about necklace lengths for a little while now. I took all the pictures and was ready to run with it, but somehow I just couldn’t get myself to write the same thing that has been said before about necklace lengths and crew necks and plunging necklines. Yawn.

I get the feeling women pretty much know what they look good in; when you look in the mirror and catch yourself smiling back, then what you’re wearing is working for you. So you’re not going to be getting fashion advice from me today. Instead I thought we could have a little laugh.

Today I will be using my interpretive powers (for entertainment purposes only) to do necklace length horoscope readings. Which necklace length are you?

________________________________________________________
Collar 12-14”

You like to stand back and watch before you join in, but this does not mean you are shy. You get your devilish kicks out of cutting in line at the supermarket and count to see how many people will hold the door open for you in one day. Your lipstick color is always bold. Your shoes are always sensible but your bra doesn’t always have to be.
________________________________________________________

Choker 14-16”

You’re sweet as sugar pie and everyone you meets wants to be your best friend. You love mystery and intrigue and get bored easily. Your lipstick is red hot like you. You may have Mary Jane’s on your feet but you’re not the average girl next door. Your bra is just one piece of the complete costume that is hanging in your closet.

________________________________________________________
Princess 17-19”

You are honest and always fair. You like to look people straight in the eyes when you speak to them. It is important to you that others always know how much you love and care for them. Your shoes are ultra feminine. You are the queen of matchy-match. Your bra always matches your panties and your panties match your lipstick.

________________________________________________________
Matinee 20-24”

A girlie girl who is not afraid to stand on her own two feet. You take pride in your day job but on weekends you are a wild child. You love taking long walks and watching the sunset. You are a free spirit living in a structured world. You’re shoes always reflect your exotic side. Your lipstick is never neutral and your bra is never a solid color.

________________________________________________________
Opera 28-34”

You always make a grand entrance. Every one must know that you are here! You giggle and smile and always have time to hang out with friends. You love to shop (please visit my shop www.zionshore.com). You love your shoes. Your lipstick matches the highlights in your hair. Everything about you is cute, even your underwear!

________________________________________________________
Rope 45”

You always know what you want. You are the one that friends come to for advise and you are able to offer them comfort and a strong voice of reason. Though you enjoy having fun it is more important to have your feet always firm on the ground. Your hair is never out of place and your shoes are always beautiful and suited for the occasion. Your makeup and lipstick are polished and never over board. Your bra is either in the flesh tones, white or black.

________________________________________________________
Lariat

You’re always thinking and have a lot on your mind. You enjoy sharing your thoughts and always feel the need to reach out to others. You have nothing to hide! You love tattoos, but most likely have none. You own one lipstick, two bras but well over 40 pairs of shoes.
________________________________________________________
Which necklace length are you?

Black is back

2009-08-30T18:43:00.005-04:00

The cool nights are already here and winter is just around the corner. We can’t help but get excited and start planning our wardrobe for the upcoming season.

All around the world the Fashion Show weeks confirm that black and neutrals are dominating the runways. Celebrities have already been spotted at movie premieres and magazine covers wearing little black leather dresses.

This is very good news for jewelry lovers!

Black and neutrals accompany well many gemstones. The choice of what jewelry to wear this fall/winter season has greatly widened. With your wardrobe as the neutral pallet your jewelry can shine up front and center. Both silver and gold marry well with the neutral pallet, so it’s only natural that layering and two-toned is very big.

This season’s collection is loaded with sapphires in blue and multi colors. Deep rich jewel tones gems with detailed charms in gold and silver. Necklaces are long and worn layered and earrings are dramatic.

Here’s a sneak peek of must have pieces from the ZionShore’s Fall/Winter 2009-2010 Femme Fatale collection. See the complete collection available for purchase starting in September www.ZionShore.com

The Coolest Night Time Party Animal Gemstones

2009-08-11T17:22:00.010-04:00

There’s a secret that your sales clerk won’t tell you about your brand new gemstone jewel.

There is a group of gems that are unstable and they like to be cool and much prefer to party when it’s dark. And they have good reason for being that way.

I imagine these gems to be like a beautiful young starlet who has been out all night, hiding behind her sunglasses, avoiding the sunrise and camera flashes from the crowd, rushing back to her ride that will take her home.

The greatest example of one of these gems is the Kunzite. As a very expensive stone quality Kunzite could go for 100$ to 1500$ dollars a carat. Yikes! The color in Kunzite is important and very appealing to buyers. But would you still make such an investment if you knew her secret?

Kunzite is one of the stones whose color is unstable. Over time unstable gems will loose their color especially when exposed to sunlight, when left by the heater on a stormy winter night or left in car on a hot summer day.

Some of your cool night time party animals include Chrysoprase and Aquamarine. They will grow pale when out in the sunlight for too long. It will only take citrine a few hours to permanently change color. Carnelian will change color from brown to red when placed in sunlight. A jeweler’s torch is hot enough to change the color of Alexandrite. I can’t help but be a little shaken every time I think about this one. Natural Topaz which is brown will change color in the short time it takes to go from the mine to the truck.

Gems need your TLC. Some don’t stand well to light or heat. Some shouldn’t be washed with soap and hot water. It’s important for you to learn how to take care of your favorite precious pieces, so they stand the test of time. A well informed jeweler will always gladly share this info.

10 Fun Gem Facts

2009-08-09T19:55:00.017-04:00

1- Aquamarine is used to stop toothaches by crystal healers.

2- Topaz is the Utah state gem.

3- Cinnabar, the genuine stone is extremely toxic (red mercury). The cinnabar beads we see on the market now are man made with resin.

4- Garnet is the beautiful deep red gemstone whose name comes from the Latin word granatum, which means pomegranate. Yummy!! I love them both.

5- Iolite was used by the Vikings for navigation at sea. Looking through an iolite lens enabled them to determine the position of the sun.

6- Jet is the only stone that is naturally pure black. It is composed of coal, carbonized wood. It is sometimes called Black Amber because it also comes from fossilized trees.

7- Kyanite is the mineral aluminum silicate which is also used to manufacture spark plugs, porcelain and other heat resistant ceramics.

8- Lapis Lazuli in powdered form was used as eye shadow by the Ancient Egyptians.

9- Moonstone in India is considered sacred and is a talisman of good fortune and success.

10- Rose Quartz is used by crystal healers to assist in weight loss, to clear the complexion and protect against wrinkles.

Seriously? Please excuse me while I make myself a rose quartz anything!

Meet the Beryl Family

2009-07-29T00:06:00.005-04:00

Years back I happened on a beautiful gold ring. It had a raised setting with open scroll work all along the sides and the most eye catching beautiful emerald cut yellow stone. The color was uniform and nothing like I had seen before. It had no hues of orange or brown at all. It was yellow gone wild. That was the first time I saw a Yellow Beryl.

Everyone knows the Emerald; it is one of the most famous of the Beryl’s. The Emerald is the Green Beryl with the most perfect and sought after color.

Aquamarine is a beautiful blue stone and is also a Beryl. The rest of the Beryl’s are often just called Aquamarine for some reason. We often see strands of aquamarine rondelles in a colorful rainbow of pastel colors. That beautiful rainbow is the proud display of the entire Beryl family.

Morganite (Pink Beryl), Helidor (Yellow Beryl), Goshenite (Clear Beryl), Aquamarine (Blue Beryl) & Lastly Soft Green Beryl

Sweeter Than Cotton Candy!

I never ended up buying the ring. It was too many sizes too small for me, but now I wish I had at least taken a picture of it.
It was love at first sight with Beryl.

Is That Really A Sapphire?

2009-07-22T11:29:00.004-04:00

It has always amused me how the gem industry comes up with the prettiest nicknames for some stones. Such as “Water Sapphires” (Iolite), “Green Onyx”, (Chalcedony) and my new favorite is “Evening Emerald” (see below).

As sweet and glamorous as they may sound though, if you’re not familiar with them they could end up being confusing, even misleading.

Here’s a picture example of the stone with the nickname and then the real McCoy shown in both gemstone and cabochon quality:

1- Sapphire quartz: Is it a Sapphire? No it’s Blue Chalcedony
2- Bohemian Ruby: Is it a Ruby? No it’s Red Garnet
3- Evening Emerald: Is it an Emerald? No it’s Peridot
4- Oregon Moonstone: Is it a Moonstone? No it’s White Chalcedony

It’s a little less amusing though when completely synthetic stones (resin, glass, plastic) are at times being referred to as “precious or semi precious”. Did you know that cherry quartz, pineapple quartz, tanzanite quartz, etc. are not mined stones at all? Don’t be swayed by the word quartz in the name, they are synthetic.
Don’t be shy to always ask your jeweler lots of questions before you buy a piece. Is this stone manmade or mined? Where is it mined? A well informed jeweler will always gladly share this info.

Not All Drusies Are Created Equal

2009-07-03T23:09:00.005-04:00

Ever wonder why some necklaces or druzy pendants are priced at hundreds of dollars while others can be purchased for less than 10 dollars? Well let me tell you……

It’s all about one single simple little word that is either included or not in the description of the piece, and that’s the word “Natural”. If you don’t see this word in the description of the druzy you are considering, then be assured, that a slab of stone has been put through a process. Epoxy glue has been spread on it like peanut butter on toast, followed by a sprinkling of broken bits of crystals. “Et Voila” a man made druzy is born.

Natural occurring druzy at its most valuable is when crystals form in nature on an already celebrity stone such as Garnet, Carnelian, Vanadinite, Ocean Jasper and ooohhhh weakening at the knees just thinking about the ocean blue dips and waves of Chrysocolla.

Of course there are other factors that determine the price of a druzy but not one as such as when it’s natural versus man made. You know the saying, if it’s too good to be true…..

I have a great love for druzy. It’s a spectacular and awesome display of nature’s handiwork that could be brought home with you. In the years gone by I have sold many pieces that I still enjoy to remember with photos, and am happy to have come by such beautiful stones. I’m glad to say they were sold to people that truly valued them; some have even been serious stone collectors. Displayed for enjoyment is a gallery of some of my sold pieces.

The not so innocent Moonstone

2009-06-29T22:00:00.016-04:00

Gemstones beware! The ocean blues of Apatite and Peruvian Opals usually dominate summer time jewelry designs. This summer though they're going to have to make room for the new blue in town.

Bat your eyes once and you will quickly learn that this gemstone is a wild child. Not at all the innocent angelic white that drapes her outwardly appearance. Moonstone always finds a way to electrify her subjects. Her blue is not in the least bit subtle or soft. She will catch the eye of her suitor in a quick and potent flash.

Some facts:

Moonstone comes in many colors. grey, white, pink, green and brown, but the most coveted are deep blue. It's hardness scale is 6 - 6.5. Easy enough to work with so that it won't chip or break when wire wrapping but does requires some care while wearing. The color flash is produced by light reflections from the stones internal inclusions.

Go figure, inclusions in moonstone is a really good thing!