Fun Rafflecopter Contest plus 15% off!

Don’t forget to enter our Rafflecopter contest! Janie from Janie Junebug Righting and Editing and I have teamed up to offer a fun Rafflecopter contest to win a great prize package:

  1. Tiger’s Eye and Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet with matching earrings;
  2. a $15 gift certificate to use at my store Accent Gem Designs;
  3. a physical copy of the book The Amaranthine by Murees Dupe, edited by Janie Junebug;
  4. a physical copy of the book Sophie Writes a Love Story by Linda Kay, edited by Janie Junebug;
  5. a physical copy of the book Creating a Joyful Life by Jennifer Williams-Fields, edited by Janie Junebug.
Tiger's Eye & Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet and matching earrings set

Tiger’s Eye & Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet and matching earrings set

 

This fabulous Tiger’s Eye & Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet and earrings set is another “Accent Gem Designs by Michele” signature set! Ever wonder what the healing powers of these gemstones are?

Tiger’s Eye – With its vibrant golden color, tiger-eye is used to increase wealth and vitality. It enhances courage, brings passion and physical strength, and allows these attributes to be tempered with mental clarity and a joyful outlook.

As a power stone Tiger Eye has a wonderful reputation for attracting wealth, money and luck. However it has some powerful spiritual uses as well. The liquid movement of light across the stone makes it an excellent tool for vision or divination work.

Historically Tiger Eye has been used in protective medicine. Roman soldiers would wear engraved stones during battle, it is especially helpful against dark magic. A good luck stone, it is also used for discerning the truth in any situation, it can help with understanding of any cycle through which one is living.

Healing Properties: Healing eye disorders is one of the most common medicinal uses associated with Tiger’s Eye. It can help slow the flow of energy through the body which makes the gem very helpful in stress related illnesses.

Ruled by the sun and possessing a golden flash of light, this stone is worn to strengthen convictions and create courage and confidence. It is a warm stone, and it promotes energy flow through the body when worn. It is quite beneficial to the weak or sick. It balances the male and female energies.

Aventurine: Aventurine is used to balance the male/female energies, to help reinforce decisiveness, and supplementing greater motivation in all activities. Especially useful in leadership skills and abilities.

Aventurine is known to stimulate dreaming and enhance visualization. It has a positive effect on the psyche.  This is a wonderful stone for anyone involved in creative ventures: it is supposed to help impart creative ideas from one’s inner openness. Aventurine is considered a good luck stone, in any color, though the green color seems to be the most powerful, especially where money is concerned.

The blue shade of Aventurine is used in healing and balancing the emotions, helping us to communicate more clearly and creatively. It stimulates creativity, intellect, as well as independence. It is also said to provide patience, eliminate stubbornness, control excitability, and to give one a deeper understanding of the cause and effect in situations, thus allowing one to more completely understand any situation and to assist in finding the optimal solution.

Healing Properties: Aventurine is told to assist one in making decisions from the heart and bestowing the courage to live one’s truth openly and proudly around others, without worry of judgement.  It is comforting, supportive, and balancing as well.

Physically, Aventurine has effectiveness on the adrenal glands, muscular system, connective tissues, and nervous system. Said to be one of the best stones for relief of migraine headaches. Always helpful with eyes and eyesight, it also helps one “see” in true light. (Source: shimmerlings.com)

 

That’s one powerful combination! And it can be yours. Guys, be sure to enter the contest: you might win and have something really different to give to the special woman in your life!

Speaking of special: There are tons of special gemstone jewelry items in my store. And this week, EVERYTHING is 15% off!!

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All you have to do it enter the coupon code JUNEBUG at checkout. My prices are fantastic anyway and 15% off is a deal you shouldn’t pass up!

Be sure to enter our Rafflecopter. It’s a great prize package! Use this link to enter. Contest runs through Cyber Monday.

And while you’re at it, stop on over to my store, Accent Gem Designs, and take advantage of the Great Thanksgiving Sale! Remember to enter the coupon code JUNEBUG when you check out!

Have you entered the Rafflecopter yet? If not, do you plan to? Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Do you prefer brick & mortar store shopping or online shopping?

I just completed another batch of healing jewelry

Today I’m showcasing my latest gemstone creations and sharing with you their healing properties. All are available at my store site, Accent Gem Designs.

First up, this fabulous Tiger’s Eye & Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet and earrings set. This may become my new favorite. Tiger’s Eye is known to increase wealth and vitality and attract luck. Historically, Tiger’s Eye has been used in protective medicine. Roman soldiers would wear engraved Tiger’s Eye stones during battle. Physically, healing eye disorders is one of the most common medicinal uses associated with Tiger’s Eye. It can help slow the flow of energy through the body which makes the gem very helpful in stress related illnesses.

Tiger's Eye and Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet and earrings set

Tiger’s Eye and Blue Aventurine stretch bracelet and earrings set

Blue Aventurine stimulates creativity, intellect and independence. Aventurine is used to balance the male/female energies, to help reinforce decisiveness, and to supplement greater motivation in all activities. It is especially useful in leadership skills and abilities.

Aventurine is considered a good luck stone, in any color. The blue shade of Aventurine is used in healing and balancing the emotions, helping us to communicate more clearly and creatively. It stimulates creativity, intellect, as well as independence. It is also said to provide patience, eliminate stubbornness, control excitability, and to give one a deeper understanding of the cause and effect in situations, thus allowing one to more completely understand any situation and to assist in finding the optimal solution.

Physically, Aventurine has effectiveness on the adrenal glands, muscular system, connective tissues, and nervous system. Said to be one of the best stones for relief of migraine headaches. It is always helpful with eyes and eyesight.

I think the combination of Tiger’s Eye and Blue Aventurine is quite stunning.

My next creation is another Aventurine and Tiger’s Eye combination. This one uses Green Aventurine (which is known to be the most powerful color in attracting money) as the main focal points with Tiger’s Eye as accent beads.

Green Aventurine and Tiger's Eye stretch bracelet and earrings set

Green Aventurine and Tiger’s Eye stretch bracelet and earrings set

This might be a stone you’ve never heard of before: Unakite. I wasn’t familiar with it until I saw these beautiful beads. I just had to have them and knew I wanted to make something earthy. This is exclusively Unakite with copper accents.

 

Unakite triple strand wrap bracelet and earrings set

Unakite triple strand wrap bracelet and earrings set

Unakite is said to lift your spirits when you are feeling down –This is the gemstone to help you to see the beauty in life. It is also used to uncover deception.

This gemstone will help one to maintain a balance between spiritual and physical lives, allowing them to join forces in assisting one to create the life one needs. This is exceptionally important in today’s busy lives because the trials of just getting by can make you feel like you have been deserted by your higher power.

Unakite helps you to move beyond issues from your past that seem to haunt and hold you back from being all you can be. It assists in removing the obstacles that stand in the way of one’s personal growth. It will aid in the release of pain and anger. It can be very helpful in the steady release of feelings long held in. Unakite is very good for someone who is having a hard time moving on after the loss of a loved one or for anyone who has recently went through a divorce.

Unakite is also great stone for all stages of pregnancy. From conception to birth the stone helps nourish both mother and child to ensure a healthy birth.

Physically, healers believe that Unakite has the ability to unleash buried emotional pain and to aid in the body’s healing process. Since many illnesses began as an unhealed trauma to one’s psyche, letting go of emotions aids the body’s tissue in relaxing on a cellular level. Thus promotes healthier organs, muscles and soft tissue.

Up next is a Fancy Jasper and Emerald Jade wrap bracelet and matching earrings:

Fancy Jasper & Emerald Jade triple-strand wrap bracelet and earrings set

Fancy Jasper & Emerald Jade triple-strand wrap bracelet and earrings set

Fancy Jasper is also known as India Agate. This gemstone is an opaque creamy beige or gray stone with lavender, green, pink, orange or red swirls and specks. It is said to facilitate tranquility and help eliminate worry and depression. It also might bring mental clarity. It is useful for general healing.

Jade assists you in connecting to your inner self – the Divine within. It brings you joy, love, prosperity and abundance. Used as a protector, it also brings in an appreciation and openness to beauty and serenity. Jade provides clarity, modesty, courage, justice and wisdom. It is the stone of peace, bringing serenity to your mind by releasing negative thoughts. It’s a stone of balance and healing, and alleviates anxiety and fear based emotions. Jade assists in seeing the truth in all situations. .

As for physical healing, Jade is said to be a stone of the heart, strengthening it as well as the kidneys, nervous system and immune system and to promote health in the organs that purify the blood.

And finally, while Trick or Treaters were traipsing around my neighborhood, I was making this fun Hematite and Red Quartzite stretch bracelet and earrings set:

Hematite & Red Quartzite stretch bracelet and earrings set

Hematite & Red Quartzite stretch bracelet and earrings set

Hematite grounds and protects us.  It strengthens our connection with the earth, making us feel safe and secure.  It endows us with courage, strength, endurance and vitality.  A “stone for the mind”, Hematite stimulates concentration and focus, enhancing memory and original thought.

Hematite utilizes the magnetic qualities of our yin-yang energies to balance the meridians within the body and to provide a stable equilibrium between the ethereal nervous system and the physical nervous system.  It focuses energy and emotions for balance between the body, mind and spirit.

It dissolves negativity and prevents you from absorbing the negativity of others.  Hematite is strong, supporting timidity, boosting self-esteem and survivability, enhancing willpower and reliability, and imparting confidence.  It helps to overcome compulsions and addictions, treating overeating, smoking and other forms of overindulgence.

Physically, Hematite restores, strengthens and regulates the blood supply, aiding blood conditions such as anemia.  It supports the kidneys and regenerates tissue.  Stimulates the absorption of iron and formation of red blood cells.  Treats leg cramps, anxiety and insomnia.  Hematite aids spinal alignment and fractures.

Quartzite is known to stabilize positive changes by anchoring them in your physical being. It is said to prevent you from slipping back to your old state after you undergo any uplifting, healing or spiritual experience. Quartzite helps the body establish a new state of balance, yielding beneficial changes. It also helps you maintain your perspective and balance.

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So there you have it. All the exciting things that come along with my creations. To see more of my works, visit my store at http://www.accentgemdesigns.com.

The holidays will be here before we know it. Get a jump start on your holiday shopping. All pieces come with a detailed gemstone information sheet so your gift recipient will know all of the healing and metaphysical properties that come with their gift. Oh, and I will gift wrap too so if you want something mailed directly to your gift recipient, rest assured that it will arrive all wrapped up in holiday fashion!

And don’t forget about yourself! You deserve something pretty too…

Accent Logo extra large

What do you think of my latest pieces? Do you believe in the power of gemstones? Are there other gemstones you’d like to see me use in my jewelry designs?

 

Long week with an unexpected laborious job!

Some of you know that I have an online jewelry store (Accent Gem Designs). Well, I got an email last week that my shopping cart renewal was up, which of course I expected because it’s been a year since I launched the store. What I didn’t expect was the price tag: $599!

I did a double-take when I read that. Yep, that’s what it said. $599. And I said No fucking way! That’s absurd! Last year when I bought the store, I got in at an introductory price. You know how that goes…

So I called Godaddy to discuss the issue. First of all, I LOVE Godaddy. They have the absolute best customer service I’ve ever encountered. I’ve been working with them for years on various domains and websites. They are available 24/7, their agents are super friendly and really go the extra mile to answer your questions or solve your issues.

I get this guy Neil on the phone and told him there was no way I could afford a $600 renewal. He said, “Yeah, that’s pretty outrageous. Let me take a look and see what’s going on.” Well, here, the shopping cart store program that I bought last year was their OLD system. I bought it last October. Three months later they came out with a new shopping cart store program. He recommended that I transfer to that platform because it was so much cheaper and so much easier to work with…and it had built-in perks that I paid extra for last year with my old shopping cart (the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer encryption) certificate, (which by the way I just renewed at $70 a few days before I got the $600 email notice) and Search Engine visibility: I paid $35 for that last year). With the new version, those are packaged in so there’s no extra expense for these necessary add-ons.

How much cheaper is the new version, you ask? A LOT CHEAPER! I only had to pay $255. That’s a far cry from $600!! Plus they refunded me the $70 that I just laid out for the SSL certificate. Nice!

So that’s great, right? Yeah, BUT … I HAD TO REBUILD MY ENTIRE STORE ALL OVER AGAIN!

Noooo! I can’t do THAT! It took me weeks to build the last one! OMG, I was freaking out. Plus, extra pressure: I only had ten days until my shopping cart renewal would come due. The thought of having to upload every single item, all the pictures, the descriptions, setting up the credit card bullshit, the shipping, the search engine optimization…Oh my God, I was overwhelmed. But it had to be done.

So I rolled up my sleeves and for the last five days I been working day and night on the rebuild. I actually think it’s better than the other store. It looks much cleaner.

Now I’d like to invite you to check it out: Accent Gem Designs.

Take a look around, shop till you drop. And let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance!

Accent Gem Designs jewelry store

A New Direction

After a year of fairly disappointing shows, I’ve decided to go a different route with my jewelry business. No more shows! Instead, I’m going to sell exclusively through my online store Accent Gem Designs. The store has been up and running for about a month now and I’ve had a few decent sales. It takes a long time to get noticed out here in the big bad world of internet commerce! But rather than throwing my money at shows with table and booth fees, I’m going to invest in online advertising and see how that works toward achieving my goals.

The other thing that is new as of this past September is that I’ve gotten back into jewelry design and creation. Years ago I was making gemstone necklaces for dogs (they were really cute: each necklace had a little St. Francis medal attached to the collar ring) and I sold them primarily via ebay and at a few dog shows. Now I’m back at the jewelry-making table, only this time I’m making the designs for people.

I’ve been busy making Bracelet & Earring sets. Here are some of my latest creations:

I’m also doing commission work with the beaded gemstone jewelry so if you want something special designed, let me know and I’ll see what I can come up with. Additionally, I also have gemstone and sterling silver pendants, solid sterling silver chains, necklaces, rings and gift items.

To purchase, please visit my store at http://www.accentgemdesigns.com. I ship anywhere! And will even gift-wrap and have it delivered directly to your gift recipient. Buy a unique handcrafted gemstone jewelry set for your loved one or do something special for yourself!  Your business will be very much appreciated.

Happy Holidays, my blogosphere friends!  

Christmas Tree with wrapped presents