Business Development: New Website Design!

 If you haven't already, please take a LOOK at my site! http://www.deitybymira.com/
I still need to add pieces- I seem to have many around that haven't yet gone on- but I'm very happy with the new design. Also, my new logo:

I needed to have my very difficult last name removed, and simpler even than Deity by Mira.

 Thank you, Raquel-- if any of you are in need of a great graphic designer who has knowledge and 'eye', you must call her. Besides fixing the logo, she had great ideas for the website design. Like, orange letters are just too hard to read! Ok, I really like the burnt orange color, but maybe it doesn't have to be the font. Everything is all lined up now, much easier on the eye. And the photos will all work now when you click on them another view will come up of the piece, in another window. Always learning, expanding, improving!


Besides learning always more about jewelry design and technique, I must also be learning photography (my camera fell today and until I got it to the camera repair, I felt like my right arm was cut off), website design, SEO and marketing.


Having to go through every page and change it inspired me to think of many new creations I'm dying to get to. But first, an announcement that I am very excited about: A trip to India, Oct 4th. I will be going to the mine and factory in Jaipur where I have been purchasing these amazing gems as well as everywhere I can think of for new finds. Anyone who has any  requests, let me know.


You will see that the items on 'Fresh from India' collection are not so fresh anymore, so I have put them on sale. The sterling inlaid pieces are from a wholesaler in Delhi who does very nice work. I'm selling all of it for pretty much what it cost me, as I will go again and purchase their new items as well as more of what sold well. I also put the gem strands from Jaipur on the site, as everyone who has seen how they arrived to me is astonished. Even my local Indian gem wholesalers can't believe a) what great quality they are b)how they are strung on matching adjustable cotton cording. Like this:

They are too wonderful to take apart; I just can't bring myself to cut them, at least yet. So they are now on the sale page for crazy cheap. The only ones that are a little more are the pink amethyst, as that is a rarer gem and much larger. These all have no inclusions (eye apparent) and are amazing in person. Of course they look better coupled, at least 2-3 together. They can be purchased and worn as they are with the cotton cording, then if it wears out, as it probably will after awhile, you can send them back to me and I'll string them with a clasp.  There's just something about these best quality gemstones that seem to call to everyone who sees them. It's hard to go back to the crystals and polymer clay once you get hooked on these stones. And not just any stone, but the good ones seem to grab you.

Jewelry Making Party- What Women Want

So what could be better than a big pot of soup from the garden, butter lettuce salad with garbanzos and blue cheese buttermilk dressing, olive bread, great veggies from Raquel and good wine. No work without a satisfied palette. But what was supposed to be a time for all to cruise through my stuff, old and new and find what they like, design their piece and then a few minutes of help, voila, everyone would be able to leave with a piece of jewelry.

Well, not exactly. It takes so much more time that even I ever think it will. Luckily, we were able to tweek Tia's birthday present. She loves that color of the sea green crysoprase. It's all balanced out now.

Raquel found a similar color blue/green piece of glass I'd forgotton I had. It went through a few incarnations until this emerged:

It may be hard to see the color here, but it looks like sea glass. That sweet peridot marquise at the clasp just finishes it nicely. She likes chokers and this glass falls beautifully just on the throat.

Margo said, 'it's too much trouble' and bought some earrings, Stephanie has to come over another day, and I see some bead patterns out that I'll put together. Much of the fun is discussing, and we had no problem with that.


Ok, so I'm down to very few Hanuman pendants, whic[Photo]h adds to the many reasons to go to India in October. I'm happy to announce Mr Hanuman has a very wonderful new home in British Columbia, Canada. So this 'one of a kind' piece will be coming off my website soon.

A very fun evening, thanks to my cherished friends- thanks all for coming!

My journey into jewelry making

So everyone has a blog so I thought I would try it. I can't imagine you would want to twitter and follow me as I sit for hours hunched over (very bad for back, have to do yoga after to reverse it) a necklace that I've already taken apart 5 times and put back together in a different way. But I thought I would keep you updated on my progress and if you watch my website, it changes with my mood and perspective.


I thought I'd start by talking about what happened just yesterday. I had an order for a piece I made awhile ago and when I looked at it again, it just screamed out to me to make it better. I had just received a new shipment of gold filled beads and had just the right ones to replace the originals which were smaller and more plain. I felt like the rings would be oh so much more interesting with more coils of wire, making more of a 'basket" effect--of course, I had to also use much more wire to wrap the prenite onion, too. So, I couldn't just send out the original without making another pair when I could see it could be so much better, notwithstanding, where's the time?? where's the money? (alot more wire, more expensive beads). But you know me, I just did it.


Here's the comparison, what do you think? Would love feedback, of course, any time. The original is on bottom-- have to figure out how to caption photos, will have to read up!


Newer Is Better? (I think so)