One Year Etsyversary Giveaway!

*** ENTRIES ARE OFFICIALLY CLOSED***


Thanks to everyone who entered - stay tuned for the winner to be announced tomorrow!




A first anniversary is always cause for celebration.


Reaching the one year milestone on Etsy is so special to me,
because it almost didn't happen...


It came down to fear, you see.


If I'd let my fear of failure get the better of me,
(and let me tell you, Fear tried its hardest!)


I never would have opened my shop in the first place.


I put it off for months,


trying to justify why I wasn't yet ready...


not enough stock,
timing isn't right,
the world will end if I do...


In reality, I was just fearful.


Looking back today,


with a fulfilling and constant workload,
and a fully independent business I can proudly call my own,


blissfully away (and thankful!) that my handcrafted jewellery is worn by women all over the globe...


I'm so glad I took that first step into the fearful unknown.


Closing the door on fear
opens the door to a world of possibility and opportunity.

It has been an unforgettable journey in so many ways,
and I couldn't have done it without you!


So, I want to thank you in the best way I know how...


... a giveaway!


I thought long and hard about what to give away,
and on my Facebook page I even asked what you wanted me to give away.
(free house cleaning for a year was a popular choice...)


Seeing as I'm the kind of person who wants to keep everyone happy,


I'm going to let the winner choose their own prize in the form of 


a custom made creation to the value of $150.


I know, right!


You will have access to


my time,
my supplies,
my imagination,
all of my resources...


and together we will dream up and bring to life something that is just for you.


Ring,
necklace,
earrings,
bracelet...


the sky is the limit!


You'll have plenty of cabochons to choose from...

and faceted gems too.


Though my efforts to show you what I have went a little something like this...





Yup.


It didn't quite go according to plan.


So, here's a few photos I took another time...


...when Jett was nowhere in sight...








Pretty...


In reality, my faceted gem collection is about 50 times the size of what you see here,


so rest assured, 
if you like faceted gems, 
you'll have plenty to choose from!


You have four different ways to enter...


~*~


1.  Tell me what you would do if you had no fear.  
Be it sky-diving, taking dance lessons, opening your own business, learning a new skill, swimming with sharks, telling someone you love them, whatever... just be honest, and tell me what fear is holding you back from doing.
(One entry)


2.  Follow my blog.
If you're already a follower, 
thank you, you're the best!
Just leave a comment below to let me know.
(One entry)


3.  Like me on Facebook.
If you're already a fan,
I love you.
Leave me a comment below to let me know, please.
(One entry)


4.  Tell me your favourite creation from my Etsy shop - sold items included.
It may just help you plot your custom made creation should you win! ;-D
(One entry)


~*~


If you could leave a separate comment here for each entry, that would be brilliant!


As always, my giveaway is open to anyone and everyone from all corners of the globe.


I will accept entries until 5:00pm AEST on Monday 7 May, 2012


and the lucky winner will be announced on Tuesday 8 May, 2012.


Any questions?
Email me:  belinda.saville@y7mail.com


I'm SO excited,


and so thankful.


:-)


Good luck!

A giveaway...to give thanks

I've talked about dreams before,


and you were with me a year ago when I started on this new creative path...


...so you know just how much it means to me to be here,


travelling THIS journey.


My dreams come true in metal and stone every day,


and I have you to thank for that...


I love that you love my work,


encouraging me with your kind words and gentle hearts...


adopting pieces that I have lovingly crafted with my own two hands and making them your own...


Your support means the world to me...


really and truly!


So I want to show you my appreciation with something special,


made just for you...


One lady with luck on her side will receive a custom made gemstone trio ring in a size that is just right for her.


It could look something like this...

...or this...

...or this...

...or this...





And these are the gems you can choose from...

I went through my faceted gemstone stash and picked a little of every colour,
something to suit every taste...





There are garnets of red and orange, agate, red jasper, yellow sapphire, scapolite, fire opals, serpentine, prehnite, green apatite, maw sit sit (yes, really...), malachite, chrysoprase, chrysocolla, turquoise, spinel, tourmaline, smoky quartz, pyrite, black spinel, white opal, white topaz...and more!





So, the choice will be yours...


:-)


Perhaps you'd like a fiery trio...



{garnet, fire opal, hessonite garnet}


or an earthy trio...


{turquoise, andesine labradorite, red jasper}


or a pretty trio...



{chrysoprase, pink tourmaline, green apatite}


or a trio that is barely there...



{prehnite, white topaz, scapolite}


or a trio that will get you noticed...



{garnet, green apatite, yellow sapphire}


or a trio that will never date...



{black spinel, pyrite, white opal}


Once you have chosen your gems, I will loving fabricate them into a sterling silver one-of-a-kind Gemstone Trio Ring in your size,


and you get to choose the finish...


polished, matte, brushed, oxidized.


If you don't like/wear rings, I will make you a necklace in the same style...
(I'm nice like that...)


Sound fun?


As always, I want to give you a few ways to enter...


the more, the better!


Here goes:


1.  Tell me about a dream that you hold dear in your heart.  It can be big, it can be small...the size isn't relevant, I just want to hear about it!
{1 entry}


2.  Tell me your three favourite colours
{1 entry}


3.  Follow my blog...easy!
{1 entry}


4.  'Like' my Facebook page
{1 entry}


If you could leave a separate comment for each entry, that would make my life a tiny bit easier...thank you!


I'll accept entries up until 9.00pm AEST on Friday September 30, and then I will enlist the aid of my trusty giveaway helper to draw a name out of the hat :-)


I will announce the lucky winner on Saturday October 1!


And of course, the giveaway is open to anyone and everyone,


in every corner of the globe!


Best of luck,


and happy dreaming!!!

Moving on...

These are all the pieces that remain of my *Moroccan Odyssey* Collection...

...they look so pretty together, 

a colourful collective...

...the result of many, many hours of love and inspiration and creation...

But I feel it is time to move on...

Each piece has been reduced by 15% for one month only,

(until 11 October 2011)

and any piece remaining at that time will be taken out of my shop and placed in a new venue.

I want these lovely pieces to find lovely homes!

As much as I love looking at them every day,

turning them over in my hand and feeling proud of my work,

I would feel happy to my very soul knowing that they are being worn and loved!

I hope you find something that has to be yours :-)

~*~

In other news, I realised that a few milestones have befallen me...

~ one amazing year of silversmithing ~
(though really, it feels like I've always been doing this...)

~ 50 sales in my Etsy shop ~
(each one special and momentous)

~ 50,000 hits on my blog and counting ~
(amazing!)

Any one of those milestones is a reason to celebrate,

but the fact that they have all happened at once has left me feeling,

grateful

overwhelmed

humble

ecstatic!

So, to celebrate, I'll be having a little giveaway.

Just to say thanks.

Details to come very soon.

I'm excited,

are you?!

:-)

Drumroll please...and the winner is...

I needed some help with the very important task of drawing a winner for my giveaway necklace...

...so I enlisted the help of my three year old daughter, India...

...she was very enthusiastic...

...there were 183 entries in that little yellow bowl...

(Wow!)

...and India really wanted more than just one of you lovely people to win...

("Oops...just pick one, darling...ONE!")

...but finally, she picked just one...

Eeek, so exciting...who is it??!!!

...and the lucky winner is...

Amy!!!

Congrats darlin', it's you! :-D

I'll send you a message soon so we can get your brand new necklace winging its way to you asap ;-)

Thank you to every one of you for participating in my giveaway...I'm completely overwhelmed by the response...

I wish I could give each and every one of you something special!

I had so much fun with this giveaway though,

that I cannot wait to host another giveaway very soon! ;-)

~*~

Wishing you all a wonderful, romantic, love-filled Valentines Day, my friends...

With much love,

Sterling silver and labradorite ring

Do you remember the custom ring I was working on last Thursday?

It is now tucked safely away in its little gift box and is heading overseas to its beautiful new owner as we speak.

Here she is:

Wonderfully organic...

...and textured...

...a tactile delight...

...a ring to trail your fingertips over...

Don't you just want to reach out and touch it!


It is a pleasure to watch a ring slowly unfurl and come to life,


from that first seed of thought, 


to a wearable dream come true.


~*~


Today is the last day to enter my giveaway.  I have been overwhelmed by the response so far...thank you everyone for your amazing support!


I'm so excited!  


I cannot wait to find out who the lucky winner will be tomorrow :-)

A giveaway, just for you...

This giveaway isn't really about me,

it's about you...

You who have supported me,

encouraged me,

inspired me.

You who have made me smile,

made me laugh,


made my heart so full that I feel it will burst.

You who have followed my journey with gentle words,

and open arms,


and infinite enthusiasm.

So to celebrate the next milestone in this journey,
(I cannot believe I opened my Etsy shop yesterday...this feels like a dream...)


which I would never have reached had it not been for you,


I have a giveaway...just for you.

This sweetly simple hollow form necklace...


Handcrafted from sterling silver,


shaped and formed,


and given a deep patina.

It has an olde worlde feel about it.


It could be something that your mother handed down to you,


and her mother handed down to her.


It is a little piece of me,


made with attention to detail...

and a lot of love ♥


My gift to you!


~*~


This giveaway is open to anyone and everyone,


and I will post this necklace to the winner wherever s/he may be in the world.


~*~


So, you will receive ONE entry for doing each of the following:


1.  Being a follower of my blog


2.  'Liking' my Facebook page


3.  Posting about my giveaway on your own blog (with a link back here!)


4.  Posting about my giveaway on your own Facebook page (with a link back here!)


5.  Telling me what your favourite piece is from my Etsy shop


~*~


Sound easy enough?


Enter once, twice, five times...it's completely up to you!


Please leave a separate comment in this post for each entry...


and don't forget to include a link to your blog or Facebook page if you write about my giveaway!


I will accept entries until 9:00am AEDST on...


Valentine's Day!  February 14 ♥


I couldn't think of a better day for a giveaway, could you :-)


Thank you, my friends...


I wish I could give you all something special, 


because you are all so special to me!


Best of luck!!!

Nicole's Birthday Giveaway

There are giveaways...and then there are GIVEAWAYS.


My good friend, the beautiful and talented Nicole Campanella, is having a GIVEAWAY to celebrate her birthday next month.  How nice is that!  Most people are happy to just sit back and receive things on their birthday...but not Nicole, she is giving something away on her birthday.


It's not often that you have the chance to win a piece of beaded art.  Check out this beauty:

Isn't it beeeeautiful!  I cannot even comprehend how Nicole begins to create something so amazing.  And I cannot even begin to comprehend how she can bear to part with it!


So you'll want to be a part of this giveaway.  Pop on over to Nicole's blog for your chance to win!