beatrixbell handcrafted jewelry blog

Valentine's Day Orders & Gift Certificates

2012-01-18T17:21:00.000-06:00

Place your Valentine's Day order today! We are shipping orders between now and February 7th. Our online store will be closed February 8th-15th while we attend the Tucson Gem and Mineral Convention.

We will be posting all our wonderful gemsone and bead travels on our blog while we are gone!

We have added gift certificates to our website. They are available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100 and $200. You have the option of receiving an electronic gift certificate or a paper gift certificate. We WILL be able to ship these between February 8-15th! They make great gifts and are redeemable online (or at one of our shows if you're in the area).

We have just returned from Market and have opened some great new accounts. Check our stockists page to see if we are in a store near you!

WEDNESDAY - acorn necklace

2011-12-14T10:04:00.003-06:00

Today, you could win this lovely Golden Acorn Necklace from our Flora & Fauna Collection.

In order to enter the giveaway, leave a review for any product on our website and you will be automatically entered. This could be a product you've seen at a show, a product you currently own or something you've had your eye on!

Yesterday's winner is Nick. He was the first person to find the Made in America Christmas tree!

TUESDAY - find the "Made in America" Christmas Tree and win!

2011-12-13T09:30:00.000-06:00

Find the "Made in America" Christmas Tree!" This tree is hiding somewhere on our website.

The first person that finds it will receive these lovely silver filigree earrings with ruby Swarovski crystals.

When you find the Christmas Tree, please contact us and tell us where you found it. If you are the winner, we will contact you and get your mailing address so we can send you these great holiday earrings!

The winner of Monday's giveaway is entry #4 - Emily.
Each person was assigned one (or two numbers)
and we used Random.org to generate the winner.

MONDAY - Mod Teardop Earrings

2011-12-12T09:29:00.001-06:00

Today's holiday giveaway is a pair of our Mod Teardrop earrings! To enter this contest you can share these earrings on Facebook, and/or tweet these earrings on Twitter. Doing both Twitter and Facebook will give you two entries.

Leave a comment below or drop me line letting me know you entered.
Winners will be contacted tomorrow afternoon, and will be announced on tomorrow's blog.

Check back every day this week for more holiday giveaways!

two new earrings, just in time for the holidays!

2011-12-08T07:29:00.001-06:00

Two additions to our modish collection-

Our hoop disc gold earrings have an unusual "granite" texture. They are a little under 1" in diameter and feature 24K gold filled ear wires.

Our mod teardrop earrings features convex teardrops with a lovely hammered texture. Hang about .75" and feature 24K gold filled ear wires.

Bother earrings are super light-weight!

ABC News - Made in America Gift Guide

2011-12-01T07:36:00.001-06:00

A big thanks to the ABC News Blog for featuring us on their Made in America: Gift Ideas article. We will spend the day filling orders from all over the country!

Another great article on ABC's website- ABC World News Invites Viewers to Have a Great Made in America Christmas - Are you In?

Not only is our jewelry handmade in the USA, but we also buy all our raw materials and stones from U.S. suppliers. We were even able to find a company that manufactures the chain and other raw materials in the United States!

And don't forget, we are offering free USPS Priority Mail shipping on our website until December 5th! No coupon code necessary.

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, whatever!

2011-11-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

Image(s) courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

As the holidays approach, enjoy FREE SHIPPING on all beatrixbell.com orders between now and December 5th. Make sure to visit our Facebook page for more coupons, events and giveaways between now and the end of the year!

Click here to read our latest newsletter.

Cocktails and Arts Holiday Sale at the Crown & Anchor

2011-11-25T10:42:00.001-06:00

Cocktails and Arts Holiday Sale at the Crown & Anchor - Algiers Point

Avoid the mall, grab a cocktail and buy local art

Saturday November 25 from 11am - 8pm

Discover a varied assortment of jewelry, paintings and other handcrafted one-of-a-kind treasures

Happy hour pricing & winter cocktails

Every art purchase will give you a chance to win a gift certificate for dinner for 2 at The Grill Room

Participating Artists: Beatrix Bell, C.C. Miranda, Bridgette LaGarde, Pamela Reed, Kevin Jones, Penny Baker, Michael Schiavone

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-21T16:37:00.000-06:00

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on the busiest shopping weekend of the year. On November 26, pledge to shop small at your favorite local stores and fuel your local economy. When millions of Americans shop small, it can be huge!

Enter coupon code "smallbiz" for 15% off your purchase at beatrixbell.com. This offer starts today and expires Sunday morning.

If you are in the New Orleans area, come to our favorite New Orleans Pub, The Crown and Anchor for Cocktails and Art, Holidays on the Point on Saturday November 26th. You can redeem your coupon online or in person.

You can also visit these other great artists!
C.C. Miranda
Bridgette LaGarde
Pamela Reed
Kevin Jones
Penny Baker
Michael Schiavone

AND...every art purchase will give you a chance to win a gift certificate for dinner for two at a special local restaurant. Treat yourself to Happy Hour pricing and winter cocktails.

Holiday Trunk Show!

2011-11-01T07:31:00.000-06:00

We are so excited that Chocollage is hosting a trunk show for us the first Sunday in December. Hope to see you there!

Store discounts and specials, snacks and drinks, free gift wrapping on jewelry purchases, jewelry markdowns and new designs!

Click here to view the Evite.
Click here to view the Facebook invitation.

gris gris necklace giveaway, just in time for Halloween

2011-10-27T09:06:00.002-05:00

One very lucky winner is going to receive a Beatrixbell Gris Gris Necklace that the New Age Mama blog reviewed. To enter, visit her blog!

The gris gris necklace features a clear crystal stone, chicken foot charm and genuine bone skull bead. The necklace measures 38" in length. Chain is antique patina nickel-free brass.

Festivals Acadiens et Creoles this Weekend!

2011-10-11T09:41:00.002-05:00

This is my QR code that I will be hanging in my booth this weekend at Festivals Acadiens at Creoles in Lafayette. Come to my booth with your smart phone and give it a scan. If you do, I will give you 10% off!

If you don't have a smart phone, just mention that you read this blog entry and you can still receive the discount.

If you cannot attend Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, use coupon code SCAN when shopping online at beatrixbell.com and you will receive 10% off. This will expire on Sunday.

We just returned from The Red River Revel in Shreveport. Met a ton a great artists and festival-goers. Also did some art some art trading with Joshua Lee Studio, and Weird Chief Pictures.

And for those of you wondering, there was a schedule conflict this year and we will not be attending Hollydays in Baton Rouge. We will hopefully be back next year, and will be doing plenty of other events in Baton Rouge in November & December. Check out our events page for a complete listing of events.

random updates

2011-10-03T13:33:00.000-05:00

A big thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at Tinsel and Treasures in Lafayette. Our customers loved our new designs, and our new faux wooden floor! It was super comfortable and made our booth look 10x times better. Thanks Foamtiles.com!

Check out our updated events page, we have added lots and lots of new shows for October and November. Our next stop is the Red River Revel in Shreveport.

We were also featured on anyluckday.com 's website this week. Two lucky followers won a white peapod necklace. Stay tuned to our Facebook page, because we will be having another giveaway in November!

Tinsel & Treasure, this weekend

2011-09-19T07:28:00.006-05:00

We are gearing up for our first big show for the fall. Come visit our booth at Tinsel & Treasures in Lafayette at the Cajun Dome, September 22 - 24, 2011. It's a great show, and a great way to get a head start on Christmas shopping (yes, I know it's only September). We have tons of fresh & new designs.

These are our new large organic hoop necklace that come with your choice of 24K gold filled, sterling or oxidized sterling chain. They are modern, simple and very light weight.

Another new design is our quirky gris gris necklace. This necklace features a really cool chicken foot charm, clear crystal and bone skull. Hangs on a 30" antiqued brass chain.

And an old favorite, our plume fleur de lis earrings and necklaces. These are vintage inspired charms that we hand patina and buff to create a deep antique gold color. Ear wires and 18" chain are 24K gold filled.

Wholesalecrafts.com's Buyer's Guide

2011-08-31T12:21:00.000-05:00

Our gold peapod necklaces were featured in the Wholesalecrafts.com Buyers Guide this Fall. 2011 You can view our peapod jewelry sets on our website.

Wholesalecrafts.com is a place where "retailers meet quality artists". It's a great way for artists to put their work out there. They have a great website as well as print publications that feature work from all over the U.S. and Canada.

Labor Day Sale - Starts today!

2011-08-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

Please use coupon code "LABOR" at checkout and 15% will be taken off your order at beatrixbell.com.

Make sure to become a fan on our Facebook page for contests, prizes, coupon codes and other fun stuff. We have some really exciting giveaways, coupons and events in September and October, so stay tuned!

And for the locals...You can visit us at the Baton Rouge Arts Market this Saturday September 3rd from 8AM til noon. We will have one-of-a-kind SALE TABLE with huge markdowns to make room four our new fall/winter collections. We love and miss our Baton Rouge friends and customers :) Hope to see you there.

~Beatrix

*Coupon for website purchase only. Expires 9/6/2011

simple circle earrings w/ gold beads

abstract sterling silver fleur de lis earrings

gold panache earrings

ABC World News - Made in America

2011-08-02T10:11:00.007-05:00

ABC World News has compiled a list of products being made in the US, and we are one of the first listed in Louisiana. I'm excited to watch this list grow and will continue watching the segment with Diane Sawyer. You can click the Made in America image on the left to see a map of American Made products they are compiling.

Made in America is very important to me. All of Beatrixbell Handcrafted Jewelry's designs are created and "manufactured" in the U.S. We purchase all our raw materials and components from U.S. based suppliers that manufacture directly in the U.S. Our bead supplies are also based in the U.S. (however, the beads are originally from all over the world, of course!) Two of my largest suppliers are based in Louisiana.

I am so excited to be listed in this project, and I am very hopeful that it will spark a revolution of made in America.

InRegister

2011-07-31T12:53:00.005-05:00

Just informed by a customer they spotted us in InRegister Magazine a few months ago!

"Bright Bauble - Liven up their bridesmaids frocks with an understated necklace. Post-nuptials, it may become one of their go-to pieces." You can purchase the single teardrop necklace on our website.

Thanks InRegister! We definitely agree, our bridal jewelry is perfect for during AND after the wedding!

Beckman's Handcrafted - Chicago Living and Giving

2011-07-29T20:27:00.003-05:00

This week we are in Chicago at the Beckman's Handcrafted Show in the Chicago Mart. Here are some pics of our new booth setup. Since this was a last minute show, we did not use our usual setup. What do you think?

new items (and they're on sale)

2011-07-25T10:41:00.006-05:00

Two new items added to our website today, and they're on sale until Wednesday evening! We have added the coral branch necklace created with a gold plated coral branch and Swarovski 5.5 mm simplicity bead in dark coral. Strung on a 24K gold filled cable chain. Also added today is our fortune cookie pendant necklace. We could not pass up these cute little pendants, so we strung them onto one of our 24K gold filled chains.

My blue booth

2011-07-20T15:58:00.004-05:00

(the 13 floors of building 3)

Returned from AmericasMart yesterday, opened some new accounts and connected with more really inspiring people. Here are some booth shots. I was not very happy with my tan table cloths - they bothered me all week. They were wrinkly and bulky and looked like YUCK! A big "thanks" to the random lady who came out of nowhere and told me to change them last January...why did I listen to you!

However, I love my new blue backdrops, thanks to my friend Sara at 5 o'clock crows! I was inspired by the colors of her beautiful hand dyed scarfs, so she dyed them fore me and they look much more vibrant and pretty!

I already have a new booth designs in the works. They will not include big bulky tan table cloths.

Below are some more pictures for your viewing pleasures.

Broken things inside my shipping containers...grrrrr! I think that was partly my fault for not padding them enough. I hope they make it back without completely falling apart!

These are my new bright blue shipping containers.

new items

2011-07-08T11:58:00.003-05:00

We have been adding a lot of new jewelry designs to beatrixbell.com. Here are just a few:

Etruscan scroll earrings. We use an ancient chain making technique to create these earrings. All metals are sterling silver, and they are available with white coin pearls, turquoise, light blue chalcedony or Burmese ruby teardrops.

Our very popular and simple coin pearl necklace is now available in gold and silver. We have also added the fleur de lis option. Right now the fleur de lis is only available in gold, but it will be available in silver later this year.

Another very simple necklace. The turquoise cross necklace. These are also now available in silver and gold as well as the turquoise Swiss cross or traditional cross design.

"amazonite" glass necklace with our popular large round cable chain. all metals are sterling silver

AmericasMart July 2011

2011-06-24T08:52:00.001-05:00

Unique jewelry designs sure to delight your customers
Handcrafted in the USA by a skilled artisan
Precious metals and gemstones

Have you checked out our new website? It is now easier than ever to create your wholesale purchases online. Simply click here to obtain your information. Then, login to our website to view over 400 jewelry designs at wholesale prices. Email or call us with any questions!

two new earrings

2011-06-03T11:31:00.003-05:00

Two new earring designs added to beatrixbell.com today. The first item is the simple circle earrings. The name says it all. They are just a chain of small circles. Very light weight and easy to wear! The diameter of the circles are about 1 cm, and they hang about 1.75". When these earrings move around, they produce a nice kinetic effect, so I also added this picture showing how they hang.

The other item is a variation on the simple circle earring, so, we call it the simple circle earrings with gold beads. If you can think of a better name for these earrings, please let me know! My jewelry-naming skills have been lacking these days. These earrings have the same dimensions as the above earrings, but they feature gold plated wire wrapped 3mm beads.

Giftware News Magazine Feature

2011-06-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

green pea pod necklace

A big thanks to Giftware News for featuring our green peas in a pod necklace in their June issue.

Giftware News Magazine is a worldwide magazine for gifts, home accessories, stationery, tabletop and collectibles catering to gift shop industry.

gift wrapping service now available on beatrixbell.com

2011-05-30T11:20:00.000-05:00

Gift packaging is now available on beatrixbell.com for an additional $1.00 charge. Our gift wrapping features a neutral colored gift pouch with raffia bow and dried flowers. Each jewelry piece will be individually gift wrapped. The image to the left is an example of the gift wrapping. We may periodically change raffia color and dried flower.

If you would like several pieces in the same gift package, please select gift wrapping only once (to avoid being double charged) and let us know which items will be gift wrapped together in comments section during checkout.

Let us know if you would like to include a special gift message.

700 Bracelets for Hope

2011-05-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

We are excited to announce that we will be donating a bracelet to 700 Bracelets for Hope sponsored by the Global Genes Project, a children's rare disease campaign. This is such a great way for jewelry designers to use their talents to give to a good cause.

Here is the one of a kind bracelet we sent them today. It is created with faceted rose
quartz rondelle beads, vibrant blue freshwater pearls, sterling silver and a handmade hammered hook clasp. The bracelets will be distributed to families in December 2011 as a way to brighten their day and show support from far away places.

Contest Winner & Upcoming Events

2011-05-16T08:31:00.001-05:00

The winner of the product review contest is Annette of Baton Rouge, LA. She was #8 and was selected using random.org. Thanks to everyone who participated. Check our Facebook page for more contests and special offers.

It is Monday and this week we are getting ready for Wednesdays on the Square (May 18th) and Bayou Boogaloo (May 20-23). Also filling two big wholesale orders and enjoying my newly renovated studio. I'll post pictures next week!

Win a $25 Gift Certificate

2011-05-09T10:55:00.000-05:00

I have a brand new shiny website....it's prettier, faster and easier to use than the old one...so go check it out! And while you're perusing my handmade adornments, write a product review. On May 15th, I will give away a $25 gift certificate to a random product reviewer. We have already received quite a few product reviews after making this announcement in our newsletter last week. Thanks for your feedback!

To write your product review, pick your favorite item or an item you have purchased from Beatrixbell Jewelry. Tell us why you like it, and submit your contact info. Please note, your email will not be published, it will be used to contact you if you're the winner.

A big shout out to 3dcart, my new and favorite e-commerce solution!

Mother's Day Stroll at the Shaw Center

2011-04-18T15:26:00.002-05:00

Join us Saturday, May 7 from 10am - 4pm at the Shaw Center LSU Museum of Art Gift Shop for a Mother's Day Shopping Stroll

25% off any ONE item
free gift wrapping
refreshments

We will be displaying a large spread of jewelry. You can also visit Sara, artist and owner of 5 O'clock Crows. She has some great handamde items that would make awesome Mother's Day gifts. You can read all about them by visiting her Etsy shop!

The tea towels form 5 O'Clock Crows are awesome. I have a few in
my kitchen :)

Mother's Day Coupon & Suggestions

2011-04-11T12:01:00.008-05:00

Mother's Day is just around the corner. Use coupon code "mommy" for 20% off your online purchase*. May we suggest our nest necklace or a peapod necklace for mom? Then again, it's your mom...you know what she likes!

We are honored to be showing our work at the Baton Rouge Midcity Art Hop on Friday May 6th from 6-9PM. We will be located at Arnold and Associates Interiors, 3707 Government St. Come by and say hello!

You can also visit us the next day at the Shaw Center Museum Store for a Trunk Show! An extensive collection of our designs will be on display, just in time for Mother's Day! Leanne Russo, the manager of this great gift shop, has been a wonderful supporter of my business endeavors for the last several years. Thanks Leann!

More details on our events coming soon!

*Please note that our mother's day coupon is only applicable for online orders. Coupon expires on May 4th.

give us some LOVE...help us win some grant money!

2011-03-23T07:34:00.009-06:00

Intuit is awarding $100,000 in hiring grants for businesses you love. Your votes help determine which three local businesses win! Anyone can vote by sharing a brief comment about why they love the particular business. You can vote for Beatrixbell Handcrafted Jewelry by clicking the image below or clicking here.

As many of you know, my business has grown tremendously over the last year. I am currently handling all the facets of my business by myself. I design all the jewelry and I physically make all the jewlery. That itself is already a ton of work. However I'm also the book keeper, graphic designer, photographer, web master, marketing coordinator, customer service representative, sales representative, supply buyer, misc office administrator, chauffeur and custodian. It is a lot of work, and I'm finding that there just aren't enough hours in the day anymore for me to continue growing! So I would really appreciate your vote.

I would love to train an employee in hopes of giving them a long term job with flexible hours and fair pay. I think they would also enjoy learning lots of cool stuff!

Wireless Catalog

2011-03-22T10:05:00.000-06:00

Check out our green peapod necklaces that have been picked up by national retail website, Wireless Catalog!

new metal tags!

2011-03-16T15:52:00.000-06:00

Yay! After years of wanting these, I finally got them! I am now the proud owner of 4,000 stamped metal Beatrixbell logo tags. I will be attaching these to all my necklaces and some of my bracelets!

about our handmade hammered hoop jewelry...

2011-03-11T14:05:00.000-06:00

Each hoop starts its life as a piece of sterling silver wire. The wire is formed into a circle so that the ends meet up perfectly. Then, the hoop is soldered with a jewelry torch. The process does not end here! The hoop is then reshaped into a perfect circle (or teardrop, rectangle, marquise, etc.), soldered, filed, hammered and polished by hand. Time, care and lots of love are put into each hoop.

Freshwater pearls, gemstones, and other unique glass beads are sometimes added to the hoops. However, the plain sterling silver hoops are just as fun to wear.

We use different gauges of wire as well as different hammering techniques to achieve different thicknesses of hoops. The organic hoop is one of our popular hoops. We call these "organic" due to the unique shape created through the hammering process. We hammer them really, really hard!

Orb Necklace

2011-02-10T13:51:00.003-06:00

Check it out! We were given a little cameo in Country Roads Magazine's February Issue.

Our Orb Necklace was chosen for a drawing organized by the Baton Rouge Arts Market and Country Roads Magazine. This necklace is available in sterling silver or gold filled metals.

I love this necklace! It is created with randomly wrapped wires giving it a free form feel. I just made 7 of them yesterday, and they were shipped with some wholesale orders to Massachusetts, Colorado and Mississippi.

Valentine's Day Coupon

2011-02-08T07:47:00.000-06:00

This offer ends 2/14/2011 and is only valid for beatrixbell.com purchases. Order today to get it by Valentine's Day!

Bridal Jewelry Coupon!

2011-02-07T09:15:00.001-06:00

We are putting the finishing touches on our bridal jewelry website, and will continue to add new designs monthly. We now have a permanent coupon for all bridal purchases. To obtain this coupon, "like" beatrixbell handcrafted jewelry on Facebook and then tag us in your status with your favorite product. Contact us via email, so we can verify your infomation. We will email you a 15% coupon good for any item(s) in our bridal galleries! This offer does not expire, it is a permanent coupon.

All of our bridal jewelry is made to order. Many of the designs in our gallery are created with clear and ivory color combinations. However, we are able to customize most pieces to your specifications. After you have completed the check out process, contact us and let us know which colors of crystals or pearls you desire.

When ordering bridal jewelry make sure to check our store policies so we can accommodate your deadlines. Since each piece is made to order, we require a little more time than the 5-7 business days to create your order. When requesting jewelry from our bridal pages, orders may be delayed up to 7-10 additional business days outside of our normal 5 day processing time frame.

Please let us know if your order requires rush delivery at time of purchase!

AmericasMart - International Gift and Home Furnishings Market

2011-01-17T22:25:00.001-06:00

We are at the end of our third show at the International Gift Market in Atlanta. Once again the show has been a success! We were really excited to write lots of re-orders from existing clients. We also had a lot of fun hanging out with the ladies of Tracy Jane Jewelry.

As you can see from the picture above, this building is ridiculously huge. This is the interior of building 3, where I have been residing on aisle 11 of the 4th floor for the last 7 days. I feel like a tiny little needle in a giant haystack. It is amazing and quite rewarding when people write orders. They have a massive amount of area to shop and a million top knotch exhibitors to choose from!

New accounts opened in MA, MI, ME, MD, CA, KY, NC, CT and CO. I'm also sending in samples to a gift catalog...that should be interesting. Heading back to New Orleans Wednesday morning with a lot on the to-do list! Processing online orders and getting ready to start production for Spring orders, adding new items to our website, doing a lot of product photography, designing new earring cards after some feedback from customers, sprucing up some wholesale line sheets. We even have another top secret project we are planning, but I'm not sure if I can talk about it just yet! I think it's time I hired an assistant, because it is quite a lot for one person to handle. But isn't that what I said last year?

NOT Hotlanta

2011-01-13T16:56:00.000-06:00

The last few days have been pretty hectic. Just as I managed to unpack my suitcase from France, I had to repack to go to Atlanta for the January 2011 Gift Temps. There was a not a huge amount of time after my return from abroad, but somehow I managed to get everything ready, including about 25-30 new products.

There has been some incredibly treacherous weather in Atlanta the last few days. I started to freak out when I realized the entire city was covered in snow and ice! Driving in snow and Ice is something I have never experienced until yesterday! Needless to say, I am here and managed not to wreck my truck (however, there was some skidding involved).

FINIS!

2010-12-28T06:12:00.001-06:00

The Montbéliard Marche de Noel is officially over. It was truly an amazing experience. I sold jewelry to people from all over France, Germany and Switzerland. I also slipped on a lot of ice, trudged through a lot of snow, and made a lot of wonderful memories.

During all the planning and preparations of this adventure, it never once occured to me that I would have so much fun!

I am now in Strasbourg on vacation....however....today I took a day off to get some much needed work done. But I have a great view from my hotel window.

Merci beaucoup à tous mes Amis nouveaux francais.
J'ai passi un fabuleux moment dans votre pays!

All pictures

2010-12-20T04:03:00.000-06:00

I have been working 11 hours a day, 7 days a week for almost a month! It has been difficult to keep up with the blog. The weather has been brutal, but somehow I am managing to have fun and keep warm. Only four more days of this market, then off for a much needed vacation!

Since blogger gives me trouble with pictures, here is a link to see all of them.

I have also been meaning to put a link to the "Live Market Louisiana" web camera that shows our village in the marche. It is usually on during business hours.

J'adore Oscar of Nouveau Orleans.

2010-12-10T04:10:00.000-06:00

This blog post is dedicated to the famous Oscar of New Orleans. His booth is always surrounded by the prettiest French ladies, and everyone in Montbeliard says "bonjour" to him on the streets. He is famous. A few days ago I had the pleasure of watching him feed the animals at the "Mini Ferme". Even the animals love Oscar!

Impromptu Concert

2010-12-08T04:43:00.004-06:00

Ryan Brunet gives an impromptu concert for the folks at Soixante Six in Montbeliard.

Second Line in Montbeliard & other stuff

2010-12-07T04:39:00.004-06:00

This was fun.

These are some freaky electronic polar bears. Not very interesting but I felt the need to video tape them.

It is suppose to flood tomorrow. Not quite sure what is going on. I'm pretty sure it is no big deal.

Je ne sais pas.

night time pictures

2010-12-06T04:11:00.000-06:00

Papa Noel!

Louisiana Village - daytime pictures

2010-12-04T03:06:00.002-06:00

The Louisiana Rum and Beer booth. Marjorie makes Vin Chaud (hot wine) in the
big metal pot. It is a combination of red wine, New Orleans Rum, and various
spices. Delicious! Drink at least one a night to stay healthy.

Ryan Brunet and and some of The Malfecteurs playing outside my booth.
Phillipe (on the right) was nomiated for a Grammy the other day!

Louisiana state flags line the Cajun Village area

cool trees

poupee voodoo!

2010-12-03T02:22:00.000-06:00

Poupee Voodoo! My chalet neighbor, Annie, decided to sell these voodoo dolls so she could have some extra inventory. Little did she know, they would be her best seller. I hear people saying, "Poupee Voodoo!!!" all day. One customer has come back several times, reporting to Annie how well the doll is working.

I also have voodoo earrings, which I now call "poupee voodoo earrings". I finally sold my first pair yesterday. My other "hot" sellers are my alligator earrings (eye roll) and music note earrings. People point at the Louisiana pendants and ask me, "Why did you cut out a boot?". The crab and crawfish necklaces also seem to creep people out.

The market has been really slow. It supposedly picks up as it gets closer to Christmas. It is somewhat excruciating sitting in the chalet all day in the freezing cold temperatures. I just looked out the window, and the river is frozen, so I guess today will be another cold one.

Here is a video of the musicians we are staying with. They are all very awesome. You may recognize some people in the background.

Skippy

2010-11-30T18:26:00.000-06:00

This is Skippy. He was my first sale of the day at 9:00. He was extremely intoxicated. He purchased a pair of alligator earrings. He then approached Megan, and asked her to open the little bag so he could put them on. This is what happened......

more pics again

2010-11-27T15:46:00.000-06:00

Just finished walking back from my first day of the market. It snowed all night and the walk outside to the market was beautiful. The market was kind of slow, probably because it was very cold and snowed almost all day. It is suppose to be a little "warmer" tomorrow.

The walk back to the apartments today was fun! Well at least I thought it was fun. The route home involves some hills and bridges. People were slipping and sliding all over the place. Someone slid backward down an icy hill (I will not mention their name for privacy purposes.). No one was hurt. I thought it was really funny. I was laughing so hard I almost didn't maket it up the hill myself.

I took pictures of the chalets today.

Annie with All Tied up and Edie Varnado with Camp Topisaw

Margo Rosa's Booth. She is my neighbor and she is
really hilarious. I have enjoyed meeting her. She has
been doing Jazz Fest for a million years.

Joshua Lee, it is weird taking a picture of a photographer.

Oscar of New Orleans. He is famous.

Forrest working on the Montbeliard Sans Soucci Gallery. Forrest speaks
French and he has really helped us communicate with the festival
coordinators. He also likes playing in the snow.

Meghan Barra and her chalet. I need to get
closer pictures of her work, because it is very beautiful.

More Pictures

2010-11-26T14:18:00.002-06:00

It snowed last night, and all day today!

I scraped the snow off this sign. While taking a picture of it.....

these friendly city workers wanted to be in the picture too.
These are some of the guys that set up the millions of Xmas Lights all over the city.
The people of Montbeliard are very nice.

Today, I finished the interior of my chalet, but I still haven't put the
jewelry on the display fixtures yet. It was a little difficult because
it was snowing so hard and I was accumulating rather large snow drifts
in my booth! The festival starts tomorrow at 10:30AM, so I have to get up very
early to catch up on some stuff.

I also have to practice my numbers tonight, so I'm signing off!

First few Days in Montbéliard

2010-11-25T12:54:00.000-06:00

This will be very brief and informal for those of you wanting to see pics from Montbéliard. The last 3 days have been hectic and crazy (in a good way most of the time). I am staying in a large apartment with several other artists, musicians, chefs, and festival coordinators. The festival does not start until Saturday, so we have been unpacking, decorating and getting to know each other. I have also been practicing my extremely bad French on the poor locals, when I get lost.

Last night the cajun band arrived from Lafayette. They played in the dining room til 3am and it was very, very fun.

Yesterday I was assigned to my chalet, and today I began setting up the interior.

Here is a view from my apartment window, and a castle/museum that I pass on the way to the market.

more pictures coming soon

Beatrixbell Jewelry spotted in House and Home Magazine

2010-11-21T13:10:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Susan G. who spotted our peapod necklaces in House & Home Magazine last week!

Christmas in France, The Advocate, Baton Rouge

2010-11-14T09:25:00.002-06:00

Christmas in France
Local artists among those representing Louisiana at monthlong holiday festival
By KAREN MARTIN
Assistant People editor

Shirley Devard and Beatrix Bell came to be jewelry artists by very different means, but they’ve ended up in the same spot — representing Louisiana at a Christmas market in France this year. Devard and Bell, both of Baton Rouge, are among about a dozen artists from Louisiana selected to participate in the monthlong Christmas lights festival, Les Lumières de Noël, in Montbéliard in eastern France.
A Cajun chef and musicians also are making the trip. About 30 people in all will be in the state’s entourage, said Doug Stannard, president of the Louisiana Crafts Guild. “It’s the ‘Louisiana Experience,’” said Stannard. “It’s going to be kind of cool.”Already about 500 bottles of New Orleans Rum and 2,500 bottles of Abita beer have been shipped to Montbéliard, along with about two tons of artwork, Stannard said. “There’s about 140 booths, called chalets, at the festival, which runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24,” said Stannard. Bell will be selling her jewelry in one of the outdoor booths, while Devard will offer her jewelry and that of other artists who didn’t make the trip in an inside space. “It’s inside to the extent that it’s closed in, but it’s just a wooden building from what I understand,” said Devard, who is packing hand and feet warmers along with several pairs of long underwear to wear in the snowy town about 250 miles southeast of Paris.
Both Bell and Devard have already sent necklaces, bracelets and earrings to France, and both are still working frantically to add to their stock while still selling at local crafts shows.

By far, this will be their biggest market ever with about 400,000 people expected to attend the festival.

“I’m still trying to wrap my brain around how much I’m going to need,” said Bell, 31, who’s shooting to have at least 1,500 pieces ready to sell.

Bell, who started making jewelry at age 16 but only last year decided to stop teaching and make it her fulltime job, is concentrating on crafting her signature pea pod necklaces, where she wraps up to four pearls in sterling silver or gold-filled wire.

“The pearls represent family or friends,” Bell said. “They sell really well here.”

She’s also added some Louisiana pieces — necklaces with a charm in the shape of Louisiana or with small crabs or crawfish — to her repertoire.

“I make what I like and am comfortable selling, and I wanted to do something with a Louisiana twist that wasn’t a fleur de lis,” she said, knowing that many people are going to want to take home a souvenir from the festival.

Bell crafts all of her pieces using silver and gold wire, twisting it with pliers, hammering it into geometric shapes or soldering it with a torch. To that she adds semi-precious stones, glass beads and Swarovski crystals and pearls.

Most of her pieces sell here for between $40 and $50 at about 40 boutiques across the country, including the LSU Museum of Art in the Shaw Center for the Arts.

“Right now I’m learning how to convert to euros,” Bell said laughing, “and I’m practicing counting in French.”

Devard, who will be handling the sales for herself and 10 other artists, is counting on the assistance of fellow jeweler Forrest Bacigalupi with the money.

“He’s fluent in French,” she said.

Devard, who is 66, only started crafting jewelry six years ago, after watching a woman in a New Orleans shop do it.

“I saw her making jewelry and figured if she could do it, I could too,” she said.

Her background is in teaching and administration — 20 years at LSU and Southern University, then a 12-year stint as head of the city/parish Office of Social Services under former Mayor Tom Ed McHugh, followed by six years as a teacher in East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. She retired in 2008.

Devard, with the help of books and visits to local bead shops, taught herself how to make jewelry. She concentrates on delicate pieces strung with thousands of tiny seed beads and big, chunky pieces on wire with Swarovski crystals and pearls, freshwater pearls and Chinese crystals.

The prices for her one-of-a-kind jewelry range from $20 to $300, and she, like Bell, has been working her fingers to nubs trying to stockpile an inventory for the show — a show she almost didn’t make.
“Initially I wasn’t interested,” said Devard of the France trip. “Then I thought, ‘I have no real responsibilities. Why couldn’t I go?’”
She put her name on a waiting list, and it wasn’t long before she was asked to run the shop for other artists.

Montbeliard’s Office of Tourism calls the Louisiana visit “a little piece of France from the United States of America … Everyone will be dazzled by Louisiana.”

Happy Birthday Baton Rouge Arts Market!

2010-11-04T17:44:00.000-06:00

Visit us at the Baton Rouge Arts Market, Saturday November 6th. This is the market's 12th birthday! Time has flown by. I started doing the arts market when I was a freshman at LSU, studying flute performance. A well-known cajun fiddler, Anne Vidrine, was taking a music theory class with me and told me about a new market the Art's Council was starting. Now it's 12 years later. Needless to say, I never finished that music degree. A big thanks to the Arts Market and the Arts Council of Baton Rouge...I seriously don't know how I would have paid rent in college.

This is my last Baton Rouge event of the year. If you need any Beatrixbell Jewelry for the holidays, now is the time. If you need any other awesome handmade goodies, there will be tons of artists and craftpersons on 5th and Main. We will have a lot of new designs this Saturday. Take a lookey.

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog. I thought nobody was reading this. I guess I was wrong!

making lots of Louisiana's

2010-10-28T19:30:00.003-05:00

I have decided to make 60 Louisiana necklaces to showcase at my 6 week festival this winter. At first, I was only going to bring 20, but they were so popular at my recent shows, I decided to go ahead and crank out 60 more of them. Here are some pictures that show the process.

I start off with a piece of sheet metal (this one is sterling silver). Then I attach some Louisiana outlines I created in photoshop. Is this cheating? How dare you ask. Then I saw them out with a jewelry saw, peel off the stickers, file them, do some other top secret things, drill holes in them, and attach chain. This takes a really long time.

Here's the finished product.

The necklace on the left features a brushed silver finish. The necklace on the right features your choice of gemstone. A limited amount of these will be for sale on my website until November 15th or until my stock runs out. I'm saving the majority of them for my trip abroad!

happy hollydays

2010-10-17T13:19:00.001-05:00

Just returned from Hollydays last night. Did a cross promotion experiment with Claire Sanchez Studios and displayed this lovely silver Anderson Wristlet handbag in my booth. Also, check out my new giant peapod sign! Our next show will Be the Baton Rouge Arts Market on Saturday November 6th. This is our last show in Baton Rouge for 2011. In the meantime we will be making more jewelry for our France trip which is in 36 days!

Now We're Off to Hollydays

2010-10-12T09:10:00.000-05:00

Back from Lafayette, home for a day, and back on the road again. I have shined up all the jewelry from the dusty yet excellent Festival Acadiens and am ready to be my best behavior for Hollydays. I have even managed to squeeze in some jewlery making time, and have made some extra gold bird necklaces and peapod necklaces.

We had an excellent time in Lafayette for Festival Acadiens. We were interviewed and videotaped by some French journalists for our upcoming trip to Montbeliard. I was also able to meet some of the other artists that I will be traveling with. Very, very excited!

Now, off to re-pack the car and head to good old Baton Rouge.

Festival Acadiens et Creoles this Weekend!

2010-10-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

Instead of writing a blog about Festival Acadiens et Creoles, I'm just going to cut and paste a message from the festival that I received yesterday.

Extended Festival Forecast....we go from Sunshine to ABUNDANT Sunshine! It doesn't get any better than that!
Hi 84°F Lo 54°F Thursday: Sunshine. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 50s
Hi 87°F Lo 57°F Friday: Abundant sunshine. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 50s.
Hi 86°F Lo 59°F Saturday: Sunshine. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the upper 50s
Hi 85°F Lo 63°F Sunday : Abundant sunshine. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the low 60s.

Bienvenue aux villes de Lafayette et de la Nouvelle Orleans!

2010-10-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

We are featured on the official 2011 Lumieres de Montblieard tourism pamphlet.

Double Booked this Saturday!

2010-09-28T12:14:00.001-05:00

We have two great events going on this Saturday. Early birds can join us at the Baton Rouge Arts Market from 8AM to NOON. In the evening we will be located in New Orleans at Art For Arts' Sake at Branch Out on 2022 Magazine Street from 6:30-10ish.

France Update

2010-09-28T09:41:00.025-05:00

Bonjour! As mentioned in a blog earlier this summer, I have been selected to participate at Les Lumineres de Noel in Montbeliard, France for six weeks. I will be leaving on November 22nd, and selling my designs there everyday for six weeks.

This particular Christmas festival has a theme each year, and this year's theme is "Louisiane". I am traveling with several other Louisiana artists, a cajun band and a cajun chef. Along with our artwork, the festival coordinators are also shipping several palettes of Abita beer and 500 bottles of New Orleans Rum that will travel across the ocean! Those folks in France will know Louisiana by Christmas Day...beer, rum, music, food, art, what an experience!

Please note, our website will either be closed or have very limited product during this time. We encourage you to place your orders by November 15th. You can use FALL2010 on my website to receive a 15% discount. This offer ends November 15th.

Tinsel & Treasures & Beatrixbell Jewelry Coupon

2010-09-18T16:24:00.015-05:00

I have a 15% off coupon to give those that will be attending Tinsel and Treasures in Lafayette this coming week. (please note, the coupon is only redeemable in the Beatrixbell Handcrafted Jewelry booth!). If you would like us to email you a coupon, simply fan us on Facebook and then contact me with your email address and name. We will email you a coupon ASAP. If you are already a fan you can still contact us to get your coupon. Hope to see you there!

Check out our entire collection @ beatrixbell.com

Visit us at the 2010 Tinsel and Treasures Holiday Market, Wednesday,

September 22 (Preview Party) through Saturday, September 25.

To purchase tickets, or for more info, click here

banners and stuff

2010-09-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

One of our new banners for our upcoming holiday shows. Still need to design at least two more.

New Earring Cards!

2010-08-29T10:28:00.000-05:00

crab et l'ecrevisse boucles d'oreilles
(crab and crawfish earrings)

I searched the internet far and wide for some sort of cardstock cut out Louisianas that I could transform into an earring card. I then realized, duh, I just needed to make an alchemy request on Etsy! Within 5 minutes I found Cheariefaerie who whipped me up some wonderful 3"x3" Louisiana outs and shipped them to me immediatlely. If you need some sort of special shape, contact her on Etsy. She is awesome!

I am using these earring cards for some of my Louisiana themed designs at Les lumières de Noël de Montbéliard.

I made crawfish / crab necklaces & earrings all last week. This week I need to make aligator jewelry, which is a little out of my comfort zone. The little alligator charms I purchased are very dainty and sweet, but the regular size components are quite big.

I can't wait to finish my "charm" projects and move on to some more ideas that are a little less critter-ey!

August 2010 Survey

2010-08-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in our online survey. Over the last year, we have been getting online orders from all over the country...and even a few from overseas...which is very exciting! We are trying to figure out how people are finding us, as we have not invested a lot of time or money promoting our little shop on the web.

85 people responded to our survey. I used a random number generator from random.org and 33 is the lucky winner! Congrats Rene, I will be contacting you!

Online Coupon

2010-08-12T09:24:00.000-05:00

Don't forget about our coupon code that expires on August 31st! Enter "facebook25" to receive 25% off your online purchase. We have added our crab and crawfish jewelry to our website...so far it has been a

big hit in the Gulf Coast region. The crab and crawfish neckalces below are composed of sterling silver chain with vintage replica stampings. The stampings come in an antique gold or antique silver finish. The sterling chain is patinaed to a dark gray. We also have crab and crawfish earrings with sterling and gold filled ear wires.

Harrison Avenue Marketplace

2010-08-06T11:36:00.000-05:00

We are excited to be participating in the Harrison Avenue Marketplace this Wednesday August 11th from 5:30 - 8:00 PM. This market is located in Lakeview by the new Lakeview Grocery.

Harrison Avenue Marketplace will come to life the 2nd Wednesday of every month from 5:00pm until 8:30pm at 801 Harrison Avenue. This is the place for delicious local food, drinks, kids activities, live music, special guests, and unique arts & crafts.

Where to Buy...

2010-07-26T09:36:00.003-05:00

We have been diligently filling orders, and will be shipping out to The Blue Parrot Gift Shop today. They are located in Hilton Head, South Carolina. What a great place for my jewelry to live...kind of wish I could ship myself there too. Become their fan on Facebook!

We were also featured on Olive's Ltd. blog. They will be carrying peapod necklaces this fall. You can keep up with them on Facebook as well.

Freebies on Emilyhudspeth.com

2010-07-23T17:58:00.001-05:00

We have partnered with Emily Hudspeth of Emily Hudspeth Hair Design/Makeup for this blog giveaway. Click here to find out how to enter!

we have returned!

2010-07-22T13:13:00.000-05:00

I just got back from AmericasMart. Once again, a sucessful market. Had a lot of fun hanging out with the lovely ladies of TracyJane Jewelry, opening new accounts and meeting new people. I was able to view the newest collection of Maruca Design handbags. The only bad part of my trip....my very first-ever speeding ticket in Alabama involving a cop that really could use some lessons in being POLITE!

Our online store is up and running again. The next few months we will be processing orders, creating backstock for our upcoming Christmas shows, revamping our wholesale line sheets, preparing for the big jewelry adventure in France, and of course creating new necklaces, bracelets, and earrings for you to wear!

Today I designed this new point of sale peapod sign for my new and exisiting clients. They are printing as I type, and will be laminted and shipped off tomorrow. Peapod necklaces are now sold in almost 20 states, check my where to buy page for a store near you! They are also avaiable online.

Custom Bridal Jewelry

2010-07-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

cuthe stunning bride, photo by Genovese Photography

A few months back we had the pleasure of designing bridal jewelry for Becca's wedding. Just got the pics from Genovese Photography and we love them! If you need portraits or a wedding photographer in the future, you might want to check out his website.

And of course, if you need bridal jewelry, schedule a face-to-face, email or phone conultation with Beatrixbell Jewelry!

putting on the Beatrixbell Necklace,
photo by Genovese Photography

the bridal party, photo by Genovese Photography

blog feature

2010-07-13T10:09:00.002-05:00

We have been featured on beading-arts.com's blog this week. Check it out!

2010-07-12T18:44:00.001-05:00

Please note, all beatrixbell.com orders placed between July 13 and July 20 will not be processed until July 21. Thanks for your patience!

We will be at AmericasMart Gift Temps in Atlanta this week. Come check us out in building 3, floor 4, booth #1108.

more new items

2010-06-30T14:00:00.002-05:00

We have been on a quest to find some unique fleur de lis designs, and I think we found them. These earrings feature gold filled french wires with antiqued vintage replica fleur de lis. The charms have been antiqued to create contrasting shades of gold. Charms hang about 1.5" in length. These earrings are available on our website under the Louisiane Collection, or you can view the entire collection of fleur de lis jewelry.

"valley" fleur de lis earrings

"lily" fleur de lis earrings

"plume" fleur de lis earrings

sneak peek

2010-06-26T14:31:00.002-05:00

antiqued brass crab charms, oxidized
sterling silver chain, sterling French
wires & Swarovski pearl

The last several weeks I have been brainstorming on Louisiana-themed jewelry. This is an idea that I have never attempted (and was a little apprehensive to tackle). These pieces are inspired by my trip to Montbéliard this winter. The theme of the market is "Louisiane" and my big design task this summer is to somehow capture this theme. I'm pleased with the results so far. What do you think?

Don't fret. You don't have to come to France if you want to buy some. They will be available for purchase on my website in August. Sign my mailing list, and I will send you a coupon code when they are available!

antiqued brass crawfish charms,
oxidized sterling silver chain, sterling
French wires & Swarovski briolittes

antiqued brass crab charm, with
freshwater pearls. chain is sterling silver
oxidized wire wrap

What to Look for When Buying Handmade Jewelry

2010-06-18T09:53:00.000-05:00

This article is going to give you some pointers on what to look for when buying handmade jewelry, specifically strung jewelry. When we say "strung jewelry" we mean beaded jewelry that has been strung on some sort of cord and affixed at the ends with crimp beads.

So many people these days are making jewelry....and why not? But like any other art or craft, there is a certain amount of knowledge, skill and practice that any jewelry designer must master before they venture out into the craft or gift show scene. Unfortunately, many jewelry designers don't do this, and they end up selling sub par jewelry to the unassuming public. Not cool. After being in the gift show and craft circuit for 10 years, I have seen a lot of this.

So today, I'm going to give you some warning signs to look for in beaded jewelry.

Exhibit A
Exhibit A displays the end of a necklace or bracelet. Note the crimp bead is not folded over. This is a sign of bad craftsmanship! Crimp beads are always suppose to be folded over using a special pair of crimping pliers. When a jewelry designer just smooshes it flat, a) it will have pointy edges that can annoy or scratch you and b) it puts too much pressure on the string which will eventually lead it to pop and break. Exhibit A also shows a string sticking out. The string should always be tucked into the bead and not exposed. This too is scratchy and annoying against the skin. These two details are small to the naked eye, but if you look for them, you will see them.

EXHIBIT B

Exhibit B - Beware of open jump rings! These are the little circular hoops that make up part of the clasp on a bracelet or necklace. You can either have open jump rings (pictured) or closed jump rings. Open ones will work their way out of the string....duh! There is a 100% chance this will happen due to the laws of physics. The proper method is using a closed jump ring. This is a soldered hoop in which the string cannot possible work its way out. Many, many, many jewelry artists do not use closed jump rings.

EXHIBIT C
Exhibit C displays too much slack in the cord. This is a warning sign that your crimp bead was not attached properly, and your jewelry piece could be in the process of stretching to the point of popping. It could also mean that piece was not given the proper amount of tension when attaching the clasp. This too is bad craftsmanship. You should never see exposed string.

EXHIBIT D This is the correct way to fold a crimp bead. It should be folded, kind of like a taco.

EXHIBIT EExhibit E shows the correct use of a crimp bead (seen on left). This necklace uses wire guards and crimp covers (the two little doo dads pictured in the middle). Wire guards, also called wire protectors, are little things that protect the wire from scraping and rubbing against the clasp, therefore extending the life of the piece of jewelry. This image also features crimp covers, which is a nice way of covering the crimp bead to give the piece a finished look. Look for wire guards and crimp covers when shopping for handcrafted jewelry. I would not pay top dollar for a necklace if it did not have these findings.

...and that concludes your tutorial on how to shop for handcrafted jewelry!

Les Lumineres de Noel

2010-06-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

I received some very exciting news earlier this week. I have been selected to sell jewelry at the Les Lumieres de Noel in Montbeliard, France for six weeks this winter! A super huge Thank you (merci) to the city of Montbeliard who is generously transporting and housing several artists and musicians free of cost so we can spread some Louisiana cheer throughout the festival! They will also be providing us with an outdoor wooden "chalet" to sell our wares. The cute little setup is equipped with electricity and heat. Yes, it will be cold, but that does not bother me when I'm in Europe!

All of the sudden, I'm no longer feeling sad about being rejected from the other six shows I applied for this fall/winter. This makes up for it ten fold.

relocating!

2010-05-17T12:09:00.000-05:00

I'm relocating my studio in the next few weeks! All orders placed between now and Memorial Day will be processed on June 1st. Relocating 15 million beads, tons of tools, and entire office is going to be quite a challange!

This Weekend!

2010-04-28T13:16:00.000-05:00

Join us Thursday April 29th at Branch Out for ShopFest, sponsored my the Magazine Street Merchants Association. Branch Out is an awesome style conscious, eco-retail boutique featuring sustainable clothing and accessories for men and women. Branch Out also carries hand-selected, quality vintage pieces and locally made designer goods. Become their fan on Facebook! Branchout is located on 2022 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA. Here is their website.

After our New Orleans trunk show, we head back to Baton Rouge to participate in Fest For All on Saturday and Sunday. We plan on having some refreshing beverages at our booth for our blog followers and fans, so stop by and ask about the yummy stuff under the table! Here is a link for everything that's going on at Fest for All!

Just in for Mother's Day

2010-04-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

We have added our Little Nest Necklace to our online shop! This adorable little necklace comes with 2,3, or 4 Swarovski pearls in your choice of light blue or ivory. All metals are sterling silver and the chain is 18" in length. The nest measures about 3/4" in diameter. So sweet!

A great gift for mom, the pearls can represent children or family. Put it on your list for Mother's Day and order today!

To make a funky little set, pair it with our sterling silver Little Bird Earrings.

Some Pics from Old Algiers Riverfest

2010-04-20T11:19:00.007-05:00

A view of the French Quarter from the Algiers Ferry

WOW, Algiers Riverfest, what a totally awesome festival! An amazing lineup of awesome jazz music (free), great food, and, of course, a great selection of Louisiana handmade items. Also, an appearance by the Mardi Gras Indians. More pics after the jump.

Crowds of people watching the Mardi
Gras Indians. They were dancing so fast
that I couldn't get a good picture of them.

Some booths with the Old Court
House in the background

A poodle wearing huge sunglasses

crowds of people coming off the ferry

Bridal Jewelry Slideshow

2010-04-05T14:43:00.000-05:00

To learn more about our custom bridal jewelry, please visit the bridal page of our website.

Algiers Riverfest

2010-04-04T14:41:00.003-05:00

We are really excited to be participating in the Old Algiers Riverfest in a on April 17th & 18th. Not only do we love the charming neighborhood of Algiers Point, but we'll also be relocating our studio to the lovely little area in the next several months.

Old Algiers RiverFest™ is presented annually to celebrate the cultural contributions of Old Algiers. This growing festival, now in its sixth year is dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional jazz and other indigenous sounds that came of age along the banks of the Mississippi River. An authentic New Orleans cultural experience that features performances by some of the top names in traditional jazz, Gospel choirs, brass bands and Mardi Gras Indians, RiverFest™ also offers local cuisine, local and regional arts and crafts and children's activities along the levee near the Canal Street/Algiers Ferry Landing.

For those of you that are not familiar with Algiers Point, it is a quaint New Orleans neighborhood located on the Westbank. Simply jump on the ferry, located by the Aquarium of the Americas, and you're there in about 10 minutes. A peaceful and charming neighborhood, full of New Orleans architecture, great pubs, restaurants and B&B's, just a hop, skip, and a float to the French Quarter and CBD!

For pedestrians the ferry is free, for cars it's $1. The ride accross the Mississippi is very picturesque 10 minute ride. During the Riverfest, they will even have live music on the ferry!

<--a view of Jackson Square from the Algiers ferry. Click here for more information about Algiers Point including ferry schedule, tours, parks, history etc.

Etsy Shop Updated

2010-03-30T11:26:00.000-06:00

This weekend we added some OOAK (one of a kind) pieces to our Etsy Shop, as well as a nice assortment of peapod jewelry (for those early and conscientious Mother's Day shoppers....)

Spring Sale and Other Stuff

2010-03-23T07:42:00.001-06:00

I have been busy, busy, busy in the studio, filling over 30 wholesale orders since mid-January. Yesterday I finally finished, and it felt really good make the last piece and seal up the last box. Haven't had the extra time to calculate excactly how many pieces were made, but I'm guessing about 500-600. Amazing that I am able to make that much jewelry and still love every minute of it. Visit our Where To Buy page on our website to see a list of all our stockists all over the country.

It has been really exciting to watch my business grow over the last 5 months. I am especially grateful that somehow I survived and flourished during a recession. Thanks to all my customers, both retail and wholesale, that have helped me make it this far. Thanks to all the people out there who appreciate and support handmade! Going back to market in July to open more accounts and expand my little empire!

I am now focusing on our upcoming Spring shows, in Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There will be a Beatrixbell Jewelry sale at the Main Street Market this weekend. 20% for all the customers on my email list, as well as some other perks. So if your not on the list, sign up here! We will not share your email address with anyone. We will not clog your inbox with tons of annoying messages either.

Bird jewelry makes great accessories for this lovely springtime weather. Use this web coupon - SPRING2010 - on my website to get 20% your online purchase.

New Design: The Asymmetrical Airplane Necklace

2010-03-19T16:31:00.000-06:00

We are adding our Asymmetrical Airplane necklace to our web store today. This is such a fun necklace, and a great piece for someone who loves to travel! It features an 18" gold filled cable chain with a center airplane pendant. Off to the side is a smaller airplane (further away, showing perspective). The necklace is dotted with 4 Swarovski crystals...this image features Pacific Opal, but the necklace looks great with all sorts of colors....especially shades of blue! We have a color chart on our website that enables our shoppers to customize the colors of their jewelry.

This necklace is also available in sterling silver.

Upcoming Shows in the New Orleans area

2010-03-15T21:27:00.002-06:00

As we transition to our impending move, we are starting to participate in more shows in the New Orleans area. We are very excited to be participating in the Algiers Riverfest, April 17 & 18, and an outdoor shopping event at the Chenier in Mandeville this Sunday from 12-5. Hoping for awesome Louisiana Spring weather....

We will also be in Lafayette for Festival International, April 24-26th. Such a great festival, one of my favorites!

You can also find our jewelry at The Villa in Mandeville, the exclusive carrier of Beatrixbell Jewelry on the North Shore and Teche Gifts, the exclusive carrier of Beatrixbell Jewelry in Lafayette. They picked out some very cool pieces for the stores, so check it out!

iCraft.ca

2010-03-01T15:14:00.000-06:00

Check out my little shop on iCraft.ca!

I temporarily abandoned the shop during my busy holiday rush. Today I devoted a little time to it, and hopefully will continuously add things to it each week. I'm hoping to be able to add one-of-a-kind pieces, as soon as I relocate my studio. There are lots of international artists and craftspersons on this site....that's why I like it.

Something Blue? No! Somthing GREEN!

2010-02-03T12:33:00.003-06:00

We added a little chain to these
vintage crystals for an updated look.

Something we have been doing for years, before the whole green trend, is "reworking" vintage jewlery into updated pieces for the bride and bridal party. Many brides have vintage jewelry pieces that have been handed down generations. Some of the brides are ready for a modern twist on their old jewels!

My client Jamie brought me a georgeous vintage Swarovski triple strand necklace this summer. However, the clasp was just downright gross. It was literally turning green! I helped her select a 24 karat gold clasp (I gave her tons of options in all styles and price ranges). We then restrung the neckalce on high quality cord, attached the shiny new clasp and, voila! An updated vintage necklace for the bride.

Another client, Amy, had an entire bag of broken vintage crystals from her great grandmother. We sorted out the beads, selected some filler beads (similar beads that would match and compliment the vintage beads) and were able to create three matching necklaces and earrings for her and her 2 sisters.

Add a vintage pearl or crystal to
one of our many silver or gold filigrees.

There are so many options when it comes to these loose beads. Don't throw them away or stick them in the back of your sock drawer! You can string them back into their original style, add accent beads, wire wrap them, incorporate them into chain, cake pulls, beaded combs, or headpieces.

Not only is recycled jewelry green, but if it comes from someone you love, or was handed down through generations, it is so meaningful. So let us turn it into something useable, functional, sturdy and lovely!

A personal friend of mine, Susan, made me cut apart her very
expensive cultured pearl knotted necklace. We incorporated it with
white gold chain and wire wrap. It transformed the necklace into
2 bracelets, one for her and one for her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
A completely different design, which was excatly what

she wanted!

You can either schedule a one-on-one consultation if you're local, or you can contact me for more information. I have worked long distance with many brides. As long as you know how to check your email and open image attachments you are good to go!

I Love Maruka Bags!

2010-02-01T18:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got my very lovely shipment of Maruca Bags that I ordred in Atlanta. These are lovely, happy, DURABLE purses with zippers...a new requirement for my purse carrying...long story. The fabric, which they design themselves, it rich, bold, funky and delightfully HAPPY. Can you tell I love my Maruca bags? Or should I say bag, I'm giving 2 of them away to family members....maybe.

Just when I thought this company couldn't be any cooler, I watched their YouTube video. .

Coming to a city near you?

2010-01-21T13:07:00.000-06:00

We are on track and shipping orders everyday. Visit our where to buy page to find a stockist near you.

Today we shipped orders to Patricia's in Collierville, Tennessee, Take Me Home in Palos Park , IL, Flag Lady Gifts in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and Pursesnickety in Mansfield, Ohio. Each of these stores will be carrying the ever popular Peapod Jewelry Collection, just in time for Valentine's day! More stores to be listed soon!

Atlanta Update

2010-01-12T19:58:00.000-06:00

It has been a long and amazing week, giving us a great kick-start for 2010! We were able to open 28 accounts and will now be represented in 31 different galleries and gift shops accross the United States. Visit the stockists page on our website to find out where to buy Beatrixbell Jewelry! Back to the Red Stick tomorrow, then off we go to the studio to get some of these orders processed and shipped!

Atlanta

2010-01-07T16:54:00.002-06:00

I made it to Atlanta. I am having a great time. The show officially starts tomorrow, and I have already met some fun and interesting people. Photos are not allowed at this show, but I was given permission to take some pictures of my booth. I feel lost in this overwhelmingly enormous amount of very cool stuff. This place is huge. Or should I say, these 3 buildings are huge!

A big shout out to Dave Gallent at Gumbo Good Photography who helped me photo edit my signs as well as print them out for me. I think they look great. Thanks Dave!

And for your viewing pleasures, here is a slideshow of the progression of my booth.

P

The Final Countdown!

2009-12-31T05:54:00.000-06:00

I depart for my big Atlanta trip in exactly 6 days! Things are finally coming together. Just have to work out some last minute details. And for your viewing pleasure, here is a tote bag that I will be sporting while I'm there.

Have a safe and exciting New Year's!

Postcards!

2009-12-13T17:12:00.000-06:00

Today we ordered our promotional postcards for our upcoming wholesale show at AmericasMart in Atlanta, January 8th-12th. Visit us in building 3, floor 4, booth #1108.

We have been working really hard on our catalog, which features over 5 different product lines. Things are falling into place!

Keep reading our blog as the countdown continues!

Happy Holidays from Beatrixbell Jewelry!

2009-12-12T21:36:00.001-06:00

Our last jewelry show of the season will be at the Main Street Market this Friday & Saturday. We are offering free tiger striped gift pouches and mini stockings with all purchases, 20% off all charm earrings, clearance table and 15% off all other items. We are ready to clear out our inventory to make room for the fabulous year of 2010!

And dont forget, December 16th is the final day to place orders on beatrixbell.com

Main Street Market:

Friday 9am-2pm

Saturday 8am-1pm

Gold Peapod Necklaces

2009-12-06T13:32:00.001-06:00

We have finally finished the photography for our gold peapod collection that will available exclusively at our wholesale show at AmericasMart Atlanta in January. Here is a sneak peak! Silver peapod jewelry is available online at beatrixbell.com.

White Christmas, Black Friday

2009-11-23T10:31:00.004-06:00

Events - We have a lot of great events going on in December! Come visit us at our Trunk Show at the Shaw Center Museum of Art Gift Shop December 4th, the Main Street Market, Arts Market, and even a great Community Art Show at Gallery N! To view a complete list of our events please visit our events page.

Coupons - Mention this blog at any of our shows and receive 15% off your purchase*. We will also be offering other special holiday perks and discounts, so make sure to check our facebook page to keep updated on last minute give-aways and promotions. *discount not available at our Shaw Center Trunk Show

Private Showings - With the holidays fast approaching, I'm sure your schedules and to-do lists are filling up! We are scheduling appointments for private jewelry showings starting November 30th. Call or email us to schedule a showing so we can accommodate your schedule. Simply reply to this email, contact us at bb@beatrixbell.com, or call us at 225-383-6989. Feel free to bring a friend!

Peapods, website & other stuff - The ever-popular peapod collection is once again a big hit this gift giving season. You can order this, along with many other items, off our website! Also, come check out some of our newest gold earrings at the Arts market December 5th!

Mistletoe & Moss Holiday Market, Lake Charles

2009-11-18T09:07:00.001-06:00

The 2009 Mistletoe & Moss Holiday Market will be held on November 18-21, 2009 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Join us for this one-stop shopping experience with vendors from across the country as well as from our local community. Enjoy shopping, entertainment, food, and many special events for you and your family. When you shop, you support the many Junior League Projects within the area.