1. A note about gemstone beads and chips.

There are so many wonderful gemstones out there, so many colours and personalities, shapes and qualities, that it's hard to keep track of what they are. It's also hard to know what is real and what isn't.
Most of the stones that we use are real. Whenever possible, we try to acquire natural gemstones. Natural stones have not been changed in any way other than shape. Many stones are real but have been enhanced in one or more ways. Some are enhanced for colour, by either dyeing, heating, bleaching, or the use of treatments in laboratories such as chemical or electron bombardment. Some stones are enhanced for durability. Some softer stones may be laminated for protection. Oiling or waxing is done to opaque stones to improve appearance. Bonding is done to porous stones to provide both protection and improved appearance.
There are a variety of treatments being used throughout the industry. We will tell you as much as we know about our materials. That is your right.

Goldstone is a man-made "stone". It is actually tinted glass with metallic shavings that sparkle like gold.

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2. How do you come up with your prices ?

All prices are determined by the cost of each individual piece. Sometimes items of the same style but in different colours will have varying pricing due to my cost of those materials. If I received a discount, I pass that along to you .
Sets pricing-some items have matching earrings. Once the price has been determined for the separate pieces, those prices are added together and then a $5.00 discount is applied to the set price.

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3. How do you come up with so many different ideas ?

Oh boy, that's a tough one. Well, sometimes a thought will pop into my head. I may see something in the garden or in a store or riding in the car, that has some kind of a shape or pattern that reminds me of some beads that I have . I may see a colour or hear a sound that causes my mind to wander and I end up thinking of my bead boards again. Do you notice a pattern here? The best ideas come in the middle of the night when I haven't got a pen to sketch them out on paper. Although I do seem to do pretty well just by looking through my beads and playing with them. They have a way of designing themselves .

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4. How do you choose the colours that you use ?

This is an easy one...... The colours usually choose me. If I say "oooh", then I need those colours. I choose fill-in beads around the main colours that have attracted my attention. Then I play until I want to keep the piece for myself. I do try to have all colours represented in my line however. It is important to have colours available for everyone. We all have our favorites and I hope to be able to offer fun pieces that appeal to all personalities.

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5. How long have you been making jewelry ?

I have been crafting for a very long time. I"ve used beads on ornaments and on a variety of other popular items in my inventory. I started using beads in my needlework about 20 years ago. I have been making beaded jewelry for about 15 years. I enjoy working with many types of media but I LOVE working with beads the most.

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