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SF Indie Fashion - I Heart This Blog
I'm proud to be a part of the San Francisco indie designer scene. There are some amazing and talented artists here. In fact, there are so many it can be difficult to keep up with who is doing what sometimes. That's why I'm grateful that Lorraine Sanders is on top of these things and writes all about it in her blog - SF Indie Fashion. Not only does she have a great sense of style, but she's supportive of lots of important stuff, like conscious consumerism and supporting San Francisco's independent fashion scene, locally-owned boutiques and businesses, female entrepreneurs and creative endeavors of all kinds. It's nice to know someone like her has got my back :)
I especially love the post written about HDJ - to read it click here. Thanks, Lorraine!
Not only is Lorraine a cutie, she's got a gorgeous brain and uses it as an amazing freelance writer. Need to hire someone like that? You can find more info on her here.
 Labels: SF Indie Fashion
You Say Paraiba, I Say Copper Rich Tourmaline
 picture courtesy of colored-stone.com Paraiba tourmaline is a relatively new variety of tourmaline which was discovered in the Federal Brazilian State of Paraiba in 1989. The exquisite blue, green color in these tourmalines is due to the presence of a high concentration of copper, an element that was never found before in a tourmaline. It can also contain manganese, which is responsible for the violet and red tones. A mixture of the two elements is responsible for the pale grey to violet-blue. I have a strand of Paraiba Tourmaline in a raw crystal form. I really love them and made some into this necklace with pearls.-713429.jpg) Recently, beautiful blue and green copper rich tourmaline has been found in Africa. Technically, these are not Paraiba Tourmaline because they were mined in Africa and not Paraiba. There is some controversy over calling them Paraiba Tourmalines, though the gem trade is now using the term Paraiba to describe the unique color of these gems and not their place of origin.  To confuse the issue even more, many experts are saying that the name Paraiba Tourmaline only pertains to the copper rich blue and green gemstone mined in Africa and that those manganese rich violet and red gems are not officially Paraiba. Funny thing though, the tourmalines actually mined in Paraiba had much of the manganese saturation and thus the red and violet color. This may sound like a silly debate, but either way you look at it, Paraiba Tourmaline is a rare, beautiful and precious gemstone. There has been a law suit filed over the use of the name Paraiba Tourmaline. You can read more about the debate and the lawsuit on the Colored-Stone.com website.
Labels: paraiba tourmaline
Margie and Edna my new BFFs
I have to tell you all about two amazing gals - Margie and Edna of the Margie and Edna's Basement blog. OK, so they are only fictional elderly ladies who happen to be sisters and the town gossips of Jericho, Kansas... but I have never had more fun reading a blog....especially when they are complimenting my jewelry on it! Thanks, girls!!! You can check that out by clicking on their image ...
 You can even view their video tour of Jericho I'm hoping one of these days they will invite me over for tea, but for now...I'll just keep reading there blog for a little ol' fun and to see what they are up to :) Labels: margie and edna
Color of the Year - Mimosa
 Pantone, the color experts, have chosen Mimosa as their color of the year. Pantone explains Mimosa as a color that "embodies hopefulness and reassurance in a climate of change."
If, like me, you think of the champagne and orange juice cocktail when you first hear the name mimosa, you may be surprised that Pantone was also influenced by the Mimosa tree's flowers when naming this color.
Pantone also states ... "The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance. Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."
 In my gem stash, the one that most closely resembles Mimosa is the Australian Yellow Opal. It is a bright shot of sunshine in a hard to come by gem. You can see it used in these two necklaces which will soon be available at http://www.heartsdesirejewelry.com/
 You can click on the fabric color swatch above to be taken to the Pantone press release for more info on the color.
Labels: australian yellow opal, color of the year, heart necklace, Mimosa, trend color, yellow opal
One World - One Heart Winner
First off, I would like to say what a great experience the OWOH event has been. I've "met" so many nice bloggers out there by visiting their blogs and it was a lot of fun reading all of your comments. Now to the fun part :) The winner of my Tanzanite Heart necklace giveaway (as selected by a random number generator) goes to .... Drum roll please .... The Tatting Chic! All I know about her is that she lives somewhere in Sunny California and does some amazing tatting.  You can read about her work on her blog... http://tattingchic.blogspot.com/Congratulations! I've had so much fun with this experience, that I would like to share with you another blogging experience that I have been enjoying. I joined the Women's Blogger Directory which was started by a great Irish mom named Alana. The purpose of the group is to - Meet other female bloggers - Gain a relevant link in a post on this directory you create, this directory is also do-follow - Make connections - Make new friends - Gain knowledge from other like minded women If you would like to join, click here for more info ...  Labels: one world one heart, women's blogger directory
Valentine's Day Sale!
From now until February 14 take 20% off your entire purchase by entering promotional code - heart - in your shopping cart. Don't forget ... we always offer free gift wrap and free priority mail shipping.
Happy Birthday February Babies!
Best wishes to all you February Babies for a year filled with joy and prosperity! Your birthstone (modern and traditional) is the transparent purple quartz better know as amethyst. The purple color of Amethyst is due to small amounts of iron impurities in the crystal structure of quartz. The depth of color of Amethyst can range from a light lilac shade to a deep purple. It is the deeper more intense colors that are considered the most precious.  The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek word "amethystos," and means "not drunken." This was due to a belief that amethyst would protect them against intoxication and poisoning. Perhaps that is why today, Amethyst is considered a stabilizing force for those struggling to overcome addictive behaviors.  This belief could be from the Greek legend of how amethyst originated. The story goes that Bacchus, the God of Wine, grew angry at mortals. He vowed the next mortal that crossed his path would be eaten by tigers. At that time, a beautiful young maiden named Amethyst was on her way to worship the Goddess Diana. Diana, knowing of Bacchus' vow, turned Amethyst into a pillar of colorless quartz to protect her from the tigers. Bacchus, witnessing this scene, repented and poured wine over Amethyst, staining her purple.  Amethyst has been considered a royal gem through the years just as the color purple has been associated with power and royalty. It has adorned many a monarch's crown, scepter, jewelry, and breastplate worn into battle. Amethyst was also considered an aid to the valiant because it was believed to protect soldiers in battle and assist hunters with the capture of wild animals.  Amethyst is also thought of as a symbol of piety and spirituality which is why you can find it in artifacts of the church dating as far back as the ninth century. In Tibet, the Amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and prayer beads are often fashioned from it.  The gift of Amethyst is symbolic of protection and the power to overcome difficulty. It is said to strengthen the bond in a love relationship, so it is an ideal anniversary or engagement gem.  The amethyst is the stone of Saint Valentine, which makes it the perfect gemstone to give as a gift for Valentine's Day. It also helps keep those born in February on an even keel by focusing the mind and balancing emotions to bring serenity and calm. Recently, Pink Amethyst and Green Amethyst (also know as Prasiolite) have been introduced to the world of gems. Prasiolite is a naturally occurring green quartz, but quite rare in nature. Most of the pink and green varieties of this gem that you see today are Amethyst that has been heat treated or irradiated to bring out their unique colors, by affecting the iron in the quartz. Some gemologists consider these pink and green Amethyst misnomers.
I consider them beautiful :)  If you would like to purchase any of the items pictured in this post,
just click on the picture to be taken to our website.
Labels: amethyst jewelry, amethyst lore, February birthstone
Getting Seen - Entrecard
I'm currently testing out all sorts of new media options for marketing the HDJ website and blog. I have signed up with Entrecard and need to display their widget in my sidebar....but I don't have a sidebar because of my site design. I'm going to post it here to see if that will work.
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