F. F. F. Food...

So Kaleb is working on his letters, he has been for the past year really, but right now we are in the thick of it!  He is really interested in learning, and is constantly asking what letter a particular word starts with.  Tuesdays he gets to bring something to share to school, but it has to start with the letter of the week.  With all of this going on, I feel like I am constantly talking like this....

De.... De... De... Daddy  D    Le.... Le.... Le... Like's   L   Puh... Puh... Puh... Pizza  P


... excuse me, if I also start answering emails like this... it's hard to turn off!

This week in Instagram...

Friday Favorites...

... waiting for my oil to be changed, drinking a fresh Hazelnut latte... I bring these to you!  You could really  just think of this as my wish list to Santa...

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We All Start Somewhere...

It's true what they say, that everyone gets their start somewhere.  Jonesing for Jewelry's start?  as this little company known as Frisky and Flash.

It all started when I was in middle school.  A friend and I loved to create jewelry, but made so much that we didn't know what to do with it. So we decided to start selling it.  Small craft fairs, friends, anyone.  We even came up with cute little tags that we printed and hand cut.  It was at that point that I knew jewelry would always be a part of my life, and that I would be blessed to have the business grow into a long term career.

Over the past decade my jewelry has gone from a little side business, into a major part of my life; from this cute little tag to professional business cards, logos, and email marketing.  But in the end I'm still just that girl who loves to make beautiful jewelry and share it with the world.

This week in Instagram...

One reason of many that I was wishing, hoping, and dreaming of the day that I could call and iPhone mine, was something called Instagram.  If you haven't seen it, prepare yourself for heaven!  Instagram is a FREE app that allows you to take pictures, and alter them with cool vintage effects!

I have been playing with mine none-stop. Documenting even the smallest thing that I possibly could.  I love it so much I'm planning on starting a weekly post called... This week in Instagram!  {insert pre-apology if I miss weeks when things are crazy!}

Here's the first one!

Black Friday Sale! ! ! !

Want the great deals Black Friday offers, without the lines?!

I'm having a sale in both etsy shops { jonesingforjewelry , j4jcharms } ! Get your Christmas orders in now, and get them in time for Christmas! 

Use coupon code: INTIME4XMAS

To get 20% off your whole order!

Friday Favorites...

Happy Friday! Stay warm, stay dry, have fun!

-Carin

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New!

Just some stuff I've been working on lately. Trying to keep up with orders, and filling my regular shop! 

I ♥ TOOLS

Oh, new tools, how I love them!

Actually I should say, how I love new tools when I get the right ones!  Which can definately be tricky sometimes with so many products on the market.  Recently, with the help of my Etsy Metalsmith team, Ganoshkin, and several other sources, I have have managed to pick 3 great new tools. They have made my life so much easier, the product better, and they were all at a great price!  (Because the best, does not necessarily mean the most expensive!)

Introducing to the Jonesing for Jewelry family the newbies:

On the left we have my newest torch!  It's the baby in the family! A pencil torch.  These can be picked up at your local hardware store.  It is great for closing jump rings, soldering jump rings to bezel discs (like in my new shop J4JCharms), and just about any other smaller end project.  I am really hoping to one day get a super fancy torch that can span all jobs, but budget, and space are pretty limiting. For now, this little guy is just what I needed to stop all the overkill my big boy was producing!

In the middle, is the coolest tool I have seen!  So inventive!  I first stumbled across it again on my Etsy Metalsmith team. Jewelers were talking about random tools they at first didn't know what to do with, but now can't live without!  This is a set of tweezers that has a flat bottom, and a curved top.  It is used to solder ring shanks on to whatever setting you are using.   So much easier, and more precise than my previous method (you don't even want I was going through to solder those things together!)

And last, but definitely not least.  On the left we have the BEST metal cutters ever!  Ok these did cost a bit. But worth every penny in the end.  They are the Lindstrom brand.  Although most people LOVE this brand, it also gets some mixed reviews.  Awhile back I bought new Lindstrom wire cutters, and although they are good, they aren't perfect, so I was a little hesitant to order from them again. However, this particular set had great reviews, and you will be glad to know, they cut metal like butter!  Saves on the hands, and should last a lifetime!

Now off to use these babies to make more beautiful jewelry!  Remember my next step is to repopulate my Jonesing for Jewelry etsy shop with lots of great everyday items, as well as many OOAK items you can't find anywhere else!  Check out sneak peeks of them on my facebook page!

Today I Am Thankful...

Heading towards Thanksgiving, I keep seeing daily posts from Facebook friends about things they are thankful for.  Today I am thankful for my family.  For an extremely supportive husband, who pitches in, sacrifices, and encourages around every turn in the process of starting my own business. And for an amazing 4 year old son, who is happy, healthy, and amazing.  Both of them have had to make sacrifices, especially in the past few months while I started up j4jcharms.  


Today, no matter how many orders I had, no matter how much the dishes needed to be done. I promised I would stop, even if it was just for an hour, and devote my attention to whatever Kaleb wanted me to do with him.  It was challenging, as I am more swamped than I ever have been, but even while my phone beeped non-stop, the mail man came with several awaiting metal shipments, and orders begged to be filled, I enjoyed every minute of my time with him, and the pictures proved he did too!  


Kaleb, I promise to set aside more time with you, as you are the most important thing in this world, you too husband, you deserve my time, attention, and devotion.  I love you both, Carin.

Kaleb with our newly made bad guy city, which was already partially destroyed by police legos by the time I got my camera steadied! 

Monday {Friday} Favorites!

I highly suggest you enjoy this great set of Friday favorites with your favorite hot drink, and a warm blanket! 

Enjoy!

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So What's Next?

Well I've been talking and talking and talking about the new shop . So what's next for Jonesing for Jewelry?  

I'd like to say that I'm settled, and just going to sit back and relax, but as a small business owner, that is just sadly NEVER the case! We must always be revamping, finding new ways, and pushing our own boundaries.  

I still have some tweaking of the charm shop, and some ideas, that are sitting on the back burner for awhile until I can get them just right. So next I'm revamping the current shop.  I love my little Etsy shop  but the more I learn, the more I want to learn, and the more I want to share my new skills with you.  My goal for my shop will be to have lots of staple items.  Simple pearls, discs, etc. that can be worn with just about anything.  Like these: 

 And this:

I'll try and keep these in sets as much as possible.  Wear the with jeans, with each other, mix and match, or pair them with the one of a kind items that I'm going to fill the shop with.  Like this:

 and this:

 and these:

WATCH OUT ETSY HERE I COME! :)

NEW ITEMS!

I've been a posting machine today in the midst of running my kid's 4th birthday party, going to another family party, and taking care of my sick husband!  But I have been saving all these items until I got some good light outside (no matter what I try, I just can't fake natural light, I've learned just to be patient. It's worth it!)  Enjoy!

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J4JCHARMS GRAND OPENING!

GRAND OPENING OF J4JCHARMS IS HAPPENING NOW!  UP TO 30%  OFF THIS WEEKEND ONLY DON'T MISS OUT!

15% OFF USING COUPON CODE: GRDOPN AT CHECK OUT
ADDITIONAL 15% OFF AVAILABLE ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE BY SHARING THE GRAND OPENING LINK!

Friday Favorites...

Pretty sure that Friday Favorites have just been working against me for the past several weeks.  I could come up with 100's of excuses, or I could just post some and stop complaining. I think the latter option is better for all! Enjoy!

and don't forget tomorrow is the GRAND OPENING OF J4JCHARMS. Stop by my Facebook first and see how to get double the discount for opening weekend!

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