Thank You

These past few years have been a wary blur, but with myopic vision comes a clarity within that radiates like sunlight ripping across open water.  It glides, glistens, and just as fast as you catch it, with a new cloud treading across the wind-blown sky, that clarity evaporates into nothingness.  And then, curiously, you see it again in a new shape, somewhat similar but also quite unique in itself.  Clarity does that to you sometimes.

This year especially has been a lot like that.  2021 saw the growth of my writing services and clients' interest in my writing process as a whole, which in turn made me realize that a lot of my writing is intuition based.  A clarity from within.  A voice that beckons truth and storytelling, a poetic turn of phrase and a hard-won rendering of what is rather than what should be.

2021 also brought the deepest acts of kindness that I will never forget.  A longtime customer kindly and without a need for reciprocation sending a gift; a thoughtful-soul musician offering the magical gift of song for my child; loved ones stepping up without judgment in times needed; the most honest reviews of my work (good and bad...); words of encouragement in moments where I lose my field of vision.

* * *

It glides, glistens, and just as fast as you catch it, it curiously takes on a new shape, borrows a new hat, but is quite evidently still itself.  Clarity.  Following my intuition, that inner guide.  Rooting, unfolding, bellowing from the cavernous spaces in between the real and the unreal, it grows, this myopia, into something quite magical in itself.

(Dedicated to bell hooks and Joan Didion)

We Did It!

via Instagram

A belated thank you for helping me reach 1,000 sales on Etsy!  It's been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it.  Crazy that 1,000 pieces of my jewelry, wedding goods, and writing services are out there - all over the world.  As a deeply private person, this milestone was met with a humble gasp and a giddy half-grin.  Again, thank you from the bottom of this excited mama's heart.

Almost There!

One sale away from the big 1,000th on Etsy!

Buyer of my 1,000th sold item will receive a free piece of my jewelry.
Thank you for all the shop love!

1,000th Sale

If you've stopped by my Etsy shop recently, then you've likely noticed it's nearing 1,000 sales.  I'm elated!  As a gesture of thanks, I'm gifting the buyer of my 1,000th sale with a piece of jewelry of my choosing.

P.S. I just did the math - and can't believe I've had my Etsy shop for almost a decade come this fall!

Year's End Recap

2016 has been a whirlwind year: periods of time have stood still, ran past me, and then slowed to an easier pace.  We got pregnant, birthed a baby in the fall, and then scurried around as the holidays came around - having a baby changes everything.  Also, I made it a 2016 shop goal to donate $175 to Feeding America.  With each shop item purchased by you, I've donated $1 to this worthy charity.  Yet as you could see, I didn't keep up with my donations past September.  Don't worry - I'll make a donation for the last three months of this year once the craziness of the holidays finally settles down.  I miss my coffee.

This being said, I wholeheartedly appreciate every shop sale and kind word received.  This year has been especially wonderful.  Many times, a sales transaction is so impersonal - especially when it's made online.  However, hearing your stories and sharing my work with the world has been a true blessing.  I've realized this as more time has passed.  My shop may not be the most popular or the most prolific, but as one buyer said:

"One last thing... from looking at your work, it's clear that you put a lot of care into it. There's way too many people who make jewellery devoid of character nowadays, and it makes finding your stuff all the more refreshing! Keep doing what you do :)"

So thank you.  Have a wonderful Christmas, year's end, and a thoughtful opening of the new year!

 P.S. If you're wondering about my writing services, I'll be adding them back to my Etsy shop in 2017. 

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March 2016 Donation

Thank you for helping me donate $9 for the month of March!

From each listing you purchase in my shop, I'll donate $1 to the charity, Feeding America. 

My 2016 goal is to donate $175, and so far this year, I've donated $31.  

Here is the March donation receipt:

Learn how to help me meet my 2016 donation goal: 

emeraldcut.blogspot.com/2016/01/meet-my-2016-goal.html

End Of Year Wrap-Up

Get it, wrap-up?  Christmas?  Okay, my humor isn't too unique here lately, but my thoughts have been otherwise.  Over the last few weeks, I have been busily creating and packing jewelry, answering convos, and working with some wonderful clients on writing services.  The energy has been high, so much so that ebullience runs rampant here lately.  It's a nice bookend for 2015.

This year has been full of lessons: when to fight, when to let go, and when to go along with the creative process to see where it takes you--regardless of the frustration that the process may bring out.  (I've chronicled these events in this blog, which you can read, if you're interested, via the drop-down list on the sidebar to the left.)  I've built my writing services over the last two years from scratch that's equal parts grit, knowledge with an MA degree, skill, and originality--but most of all, integrity.  Thank you to my clients who realize this. Thanks too for understanding that jewelry is still a big part of my work, but that I now have a specific multifaceted focus.  Although jewelry making was the original aim of my shop (when I started back in 2010), I made fewer pieces of jewelry this year, but I did add a new offering: interchangeable earring dangles.  Jewelry is a highly saturated market, so this creation is something I'm proud of because it's different and allows for versatile wearability.  As for handmade wedding goods, my bookish seed packets with custom initials have been well-received as wedding favors.  This year, I made stamped holiday gift tags and bookmarks, too.

* * *

Something new that I've done in 2015 was write the first draft of a novel.  I haven't stated this outright here because it's been a rollercoaster of a process, and I'm a deeply private person (despite active Instagram and Twitter accounts within the last six months).  This is the first novel that I've written as an adult that has seen completion, but now comes the hard part: editing and adding detail, making the characters as complex as we all are, and forging personal ties between characters--both implied and directly stated.  These nuances, which make the story believable and emotionally gratifying, are next year's work.  Adding detail is the hard part about writing, but I'm energized and excited, ready to take this adventure to the next level, even as anxiety still gnaws at me.

But this has been a year of fears and in turn, little acts of bravery realized.  So I need to ask this of you: Is there something that you'd love to see added to my shop?  Additional writing services, handmade jewelry, bookish wedding goods, etc.?  Currently, I am thinking of adding a wider range of donation items, in addition to high-end pendants to my existing Cascade collection.  I'm open to new shop item ideas, and will keep your suggestions private--just leave a comment on this blog post.  In return, I'll send you a one-time use coupon for 15% off your next order from my shop (includes writing services).  This offer ends on January 31, 2016.  

* * *

Thank you so much for supporting my work.  As 2015 comes to a close, I eagerly look forward to 2016 and to what the new year will bring.  Lots of new products are in the brainstorming stages, so stay tuned.  I wish you all a happy wonder-filled new year.  See you in 2016!

Giveaway Winner!

The giveaway winner is Jan!  Congratulations.  I will ship your dainty 14k gold necklace with tourmaline cluster with your order this week.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated--such a grand start to my fifth year as an Etsy seller!  Who knew, five years ago, that I would still diligently be at it today: making jewelry, wedding goods, and offering writing services.  It's definitely been a creative (and growth) process, but I am so grateful for everything and everyone who has supported me along the way.  Thank you.

(If you're wondering, I had a graphic to post here, but Blogger has been acting up today, and not allowing me to upload images from my computer.  However, if you're interested, I was able to upload the image onto Instagram here.)

* * *

Today is also Giving Tuesday.  The lovely Diana at Our City Lights wrote a beautiful post about this, which you can read here.  Ample food for thought this post-Black Friday and -Cyber Monday weekday.  My charity of choice is Feeding America--the proceeds from my donation items benefit this nationwide charity.  Now if only they would stop sending me junk mail.

Looking Back

First Emeraldcut piece sold!
Sold to a customer in Japan - 11/2010

Three years and seven months ago, I made my very first shop sale: an amethyst point pendant to a customer in Japan.  Who knew--those three years and seven months ago--that my little shop (as well as my photography and jewelry-making skills!) would grow exponentially?  Also, I had no clue that my shop would, in addition to jewelry, soon include hand-stamped wood ornaments, book page goods, and writing services as shop offerings.  And that they'd be well received?  This was perhaps the most beautiful surprise of all.


Some wonderful things I've done through my shop with your support include:
- Work with sweet brides-to-be to create wedding favors and bridesmaid jewelry;
- Recreate an item of mine that was given as a gift to a survivor of Hurricane Katrina;
- Design and make meaningful family pendants;
- Brand, promote, and market both my shop and professional writing services;
- Collaborate with highly creative (and innovative!), like-minded Etsy sellers;
- Sell items to amazing customers all over the world--to date, I've sold to Japan, Russia, Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, England, Spain, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Canada, Singapore, and Nova Scotia (Canada), in addition to throughout the US;
- Help donate to worthy causes when customers purchase these items (I've recently added some new donation items with proceeds to benefit the US-based charity, Feeding America).

Thank you to my amazing customers, and of course my thoughtful family and friends, for their loyal support of all things EmeraldCut!

* * *

Have you checked out my new main website?

You can visit my new site here: www.theintrovertedwriter.com

News + Thanks

Rainbow moonstone lovers, rejoice!  I finally ordered some large rainbow moonstone nuggets to create into pendants for my shop.  The last time I had created rainbow moonstone pendants such as these was way back in 2012, which doesn't seem too long ago--but it's been two full years.  Seems almost crazy how quickly time flies, doesn't it?  My shop's (expanding) rainbow moonstone collection can be perused here.  I'm excited to add more as soon as winter gives me adequate lighting for photography.

Continuing on the subject of excitement, I would like to give a huge thanks to the following blogs/websites that have featured an EmeraldCut item in their Valentine's Day gifts list: BOOK RIOT, Eco Manu Faktura, and LekaArt.  I highly recommend that you check them out because each list is so unique and different from the others.  Thank you does not fully convey how I'm feeling right now.

As for what else is new in the EmeraldCut shop, I am always creating and test driving new items (the latter of which includes the "stress test" that I place on each item to test its durability--this sounds worse than it actually is), so please check back often for freshly hatched items and designs.

Season's Greetings

EmeraldCut Shop Sale

Having a little Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale in my shop to celebrate the shopping season...

BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY SALE!* 
Apply THANKFUL20 at checkout for 20% off your order, or FREESHIPPING for US orders over $15. 
*Excludes donation items, custom orders, and writing services; one coupon per order. 


Sale ends 12/3. Take a peek and let me know if anything suits your fancy--because as always, blog readers receive a special complimentary gift per purchase!  Just a little gesture of thanks for following along on my inspirations, mishaps, and ideas via this blog.  Hope you had a delightful Thanksgiving!

Mid-Year Thoughts

Is it already past the mid-year point?  I cannot even begin to fathom how quickly the year has unfolded, molding itself into a largely non-linear course of days, weeks, and months--culminating in now.  Some days feel infinitely longer than others, while others overlap and converge.  Is it the onset of age that makes one forget what one did yesterday?  At least it's written in my journal.  You see, that's something that I've begun doing on a regular basis just this year--after a handful of years of intermittent journalese and stream-of-consciousness scribbling.

When I reflect back on the six months of time immediately past, a recurring thought is:

How is it to be?

As in a general time frame and, more specifically, mortality--the age-old identifier of getting old.  It's not that I fear aging, since it's actually quite the opposite, as I fully embrace it.  Age, for me, is merely a number that grows in increments of one per year.  But some people mourn the years that are forgotten, the messy lost years. 

* * *

A few weeks ago now, I printed out seven copies of my thesis to be bound and submitted for summer 2013 graduation.  My husband took the ambient-rich shot below, of five copies, for the other two had yet to be printed.  It has taken me a difficult six years to obtain this degree, but I realize that time--so fleeting, so terse--has a strange way of providing lessons; coming full circle.

  

Taking a peek outdoors, I spy on our hummingbirds, stealth-like and spry, in hopes of one day being ignored rather than spied on.  With their daredevil spirit, hummingbirds make up for their diminutive size.  If only we were so gallantly protective, graceful, and street smart--all at the same time.  However, if hummingbirds were human, I am unsure if I would like them more than I do now.

The future holds infinite possibilities against a darkened sky. I just have to seek them out, push myself to look beyond the deepening horizon, and try.  Trying is the most difficult part of it all; at times it is the dooming precursor of frustration more than the origin of inspiration.  But it's always the process that is itself, contradictory: while confining one like a canary, the process can allow for a critical learning experience, too.  Like journalese and stream-of-consciousness scribbling, attempts at uncovering the unknown are ultimately, undoubtedly worth it--to the bleary eyed and worn, included.

What I've Learned

I've been thinking about posting about this subject for awhile now, but in the past, I deeply felt that the topic was far too personal, and of paramount significance, to simply sit down and type away at.  What I did not want was a lackluster blog entry, for it would be easy to publish a post that would be overly sentimental and thankful--or at least, one that would come off that way.  I wanted the entry to reflect the thought process that I've gone through and continue to go through, which I find to be so important for the work that I do.

This post is my wholehearted attempt at this.

When I started my shop in November 2010, I would never have thought that I, through it, would be somehow touched by others, much less world events.  It all began with my first shop sale to the Sendai region of Japan, which would, less than five months later, be devastated by a horrendous earthquake and tsunami.  Watching the disaster unfold on television, I sadly realized that the region was that exciting first sale's destination.  This was part of the reason why I continue to donate the proceeds from designated items to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund via GlobalGiving: there is one item left in my shop for this cause.

The event of the Japan earthquake and tsunami was not the last time that my shop would link me to another natural disaster.  In late 2011, I sold an item to someone, who in turn gave the item as a gift to a friend.  It turned out that the friend lost almost everything in Hurricane Sandy, and searched for the item-gift from my shop among the disaster zone that was once called home.  The EmeraldCut item was eventually found, I believe, but was in non-salvageable condition.  This person's friend, the one who purchased it from my shop, contacted me shortly after Christmas 2012 to recreate the piece--it continues to be one of the most meaningful items I have ever created.  Via PayPal, I am donating the proceeds of selected items to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief and rebuilding; two shop items remain.

Other shop moments that I continue to hold close to my heart involve the significance of family.  One buyer commissioned a good luck-type pendant to start a family.  Another had parents who were ill, and asked me to create a piece with particular stones to represent family members--so that they would always be near.  This truly resonated with me.

With each piece I create, there is a deeper meaning than what can be read or seen on the exterior.  And it's not solely the work that I've put into designing and creating because it also includes what I've learned in the process from others, as I've discussed here.  It's pretty intense, this life; these lessons have not fallen by the wayside.  I'm thankful, that's all.

The Day My Computer (Almost) Died

I have an older version of the celebrated Macbook, and it has truly lived up to its hype: no computer viruses, quick log-in time, and too many fun apps to fill up my free time.  What more could I ask for?

Well, the Macbook lived up to its hype until yesterday, when I turned on my laptop and it gave a dejected sigh, and then subsequently went dead.  In disbelief, I tried turning it on again and again, until it quit making any noise and went completely dead.  My six-year-old workhorse, dead??  I was in a mild state of shock over this, I kid you not.

Don't know how I got this bright idea, but I did.  (You see, I'm not fully in-tune with technology.  Case in point: I taught myself how to use the iMovie app just last year.)  Take out the battery--which now does not work without the outlet charger plugged in at all times, clean off the dust layers that thickly line the surfaces of where the battery and battery chamber meet, and lastly, put it all back in safely and securely.  What do you know, that did the trick.

Today, my laptop turned on normally, sans the dejected sigh and blank screen--so, it was a (very) superficial battery issue and not a hardware one.  Who knew that a layer of dust could cause a computer to malfunction like this.  And I thought technology was the culprit, ha!

November Giveaway Winner

I'm happy to announce the winner of my November/shop anniversary giveaway:

Enjoy your pendants!

 * * *

And the last minute, runner-up prize goes to:

Your pendant is a surprise.

Congratulations, ladies--

I will be contacting you shortly with your win.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in this giveaway!

Anniversary Giveaway Details

Win these!

Hope you all had a wonderful, safe Halloween.  As October gives way to November, I am again reminded of my shop anniversary.  It will be my second.  This year, instead of a coupon code, I've decided to have an anniversary giveaway--given the success of my harvest giveaway a few months ago.

This anniversary giveaway is for a set of three small dangles trios in pink tourmaline, citrine, and peridot.  The gemstones are microfaceted, so when worn, sunlight will gently play across these little stones.  All metal is sterling silver; the jump rings are 6mm in diameter.  Retail price for the set is $25.50.

When the pendants are strung on a chain together, they will look like this:

Pretty, right?

Size-wise, these pendants are well under an inch long (see the image below; clear quartz point is roughly an inch long), so they can be worn together or separately on a delicate necklace without looking too large:

The rules: 
Anniversary giveaway entries are from 11/1-11/30.  As with the previous giveaway, each purchased listing in my Etsy shop equals one entry for this giveaway.  For example, if you purchase two listings from my shop, you will be entered twice.  The winner will be hand drawn on 12/1.  Thank you for your support, and good luck!

Weekend Work

Hope you all had a productive, relaxing weekend.  The words, productive and relaxing, may have quite different connotations--one being the act of getting work done and the latter, of supreme ease and lounging around--but these words accurately describe the bulk of my weekend, which was spent creating new business cards front 8 1/2"x11" thick cardstock and thank you notes from vintage book pages.  When I am working on a project, I leave everything scattered across my desk and on the floor immediately surround my workspace: from the many tiny sheets of paper, cardstock, and pictures, to stamps, to glue sticks and scissors.  Even my husband said (with slight surprise), "Wow," when he saw the aftermath.  Oh, the aftermath!  However messy it may have appeared, there is a relative method to my madness: see below.

Business Card+Thank You Note Set

Created thirty of these new business cards+thank you note sets this weekend from sheets of thick cardstock (cards) and vintage book pages (thank you notes).  I decided to try sage green-colored business cards, and am increasingly happy with the results--truthfully, I think that I enjoy this color more than the previous business cards, which have solely been created from already-cut brown kraft paper.

Don't know what to do with the thank you note, but like the photo?  The thank you notes can also double as a neat bookmark (see middle image).

Halloween-themed Thank You Notes

I was hesitant to change my thank you note paper from thick cardstock to vintage book pages, for book pages are both flimsier and word-heavy, but I like the tactile contrast between heavy cardstock business cards and the soft texture, and printing, of the book pages.  The printed words also give the cards an air of mystery, I think.

With a dark moth photo per note, these particular tiny cards were created with Halloween in mind--so be on the lookout for them to arrive with October purchases.

The End Products

Left to right: New Halloween-themed thank you notes created from vintage book pages--complete with hand-glued moth photos, new business cards in sage green, the "per order" set: business card, thank you note, and a coupon code to use with future purchases from my shop.

* * *

Anyone excited for autumn?  Can't wait for autumn to arrive, but I am also content with the present time, since much needs to be done prior to the changing of seasons.  Please check back soon for a harvest sale coupon code.

P.S. Just wanted to say thank you to the wonderful buyers who take the time to let me know that they enjoy their new EmeraldCut piece(s)--your kind words truly mean so much to me.  Completely uplifting!

Support Small Businesses

From Curator SF

I feel like I don't say it enough, these simple words--

thank you. 

 ***

Your support over this past year and a half has been so phenomenal; humbling.  (Back then, I was hesitant to open a shop, mainly because I was fearful about how it would be received by others.)  Mere words do not, cannot, possess the expansive breadth and depth of my gratitude.  

Okay, enough of the outpouring of heart.  Just know this: I appreciate it all.

20% OFF Through the End of December

Items purchased from my Etsy shop will not arrive in time for the holidays, but all is not lost!  Excluding HELP JAPAN items and gift certificates, take 20% off my shop through the end of December with the coupon code: THANKFUL20


The LAST shipping date BEFORE Christmas is 12/16--shipping will then resume on 12/27.  Thanks for understanding, and happy holidays!