Monday, November 23, 2009

Where have I been?

I know...I know...I haven't written in quite a while. Where have I been? Well, I've been busy making custom orders for stores and designing new work. I've decided recently to incorporate more semi-precious stones into my work, so now there's a lot more colorful stones, mixed with glass and intricate beading.




I've also been working on custom orders of not just jewelry but also beads...

But I promise to report back more often and keep you guys posted on whats going in my studio. Incase you were wondering I'm still taking special custom orders for the holidays. You can also check out more photos on my flickr page.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Not So Hot Jewelry Giveaway

Well the results of the givaway are in and the winner is:


Drumroll Please!


Are you ready for it?


Noone!


Yea I'm just as surprised as you are but noone decided to take part in the giveaway so there is no winner! My heels are turning as far as how to get more people involved. First item on the agenda: Gain more blog followers. Next: Find out what the people want!


In the meantime I'm working on something very exciting! So stay tuned!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

I Made a Treasury on Etsy!

Yay! I'm so excited to announce I made my very first Treasury on Etsy today!
If you sell on Etsy or buy handmade products on Esty you have seen some wonderful items on the front page, most of which are combined together in a Treasury and today I had the opportunity to make my very own Treasury.


I've got wedding on the brain lately so I decided to combine some of my favorite wedding themed items. Check it out when you get a chance here . The Treasury only lasts a few days so get over there and check it out before it expires.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Have Broken Jewelry? Will Fix!

Does your Jewelry Drawer look like this?



No? Well, neither does mine. Actually this is a shot of my moms jewelry drawer, well, one of them at least. What does that have to do with anything you ask?

Well...I'm super excited to announce I'm now offering Super Cheap Jewelry Repair!
How did this all come about you ask?

Well, if you're anything like a lot of New Yorkers I know then you have at least one pair of cheap earrings or a bracelet or necklace... something new and shiny and under $5 that you maybe saw in the street vendors bin on your way home from work, or in the mall, or maybe its a keep sake that someone else gave you? Or a vintage piece or even something antique thats falling apart...but you've kept it because you love it! Either way, we've all got it...the cheap good jewelry stuffs! And maybe, like my mom, you've got a lot of it.

And if you're anything like my mom (probably not, because really noone is quite like mom) then you've got a lot of cheap jewelry, you wear it all the time and you cherish it. And because you wear it a lot, something always breaks or pops or comes aloose.

I know what you're thinking...it doesn't make any sense...why would your mom buy cheap jewelry from a street vendor when you can probably make her all the AzizaJewelry in the world? Well, mom definitely has all the AzizaJewelry she could ever want but...what can I say my mom likes to buy the cheap stuff just to buy it! Sometimes there's nothing like instant gratification. The proof is in the jewelry drawer pic!



Lucky for her though whenever something new comes aloose that she absolutely loves, I'm there to fix it for her...which got me to thinking...

I'm sure there's plenty of other people out there with all sorts of broken jewelry out there...and I'm here to help. Whatever the issue is, I'm offering Jewelry Repair. Yep, thats right Jewelry Repair on the cheap. After all if you paid $5 for your necklace you shouldn't have to spend $20 to get it fixed right?

So here's what I'm offering: Restringing, relooping, rewiring, replacing, whatever it is that your piece needs (that I am actually capable of doing to fix it that is) and I will do it for a great price!


So to sum it all up, I'm now offering Repair Service! Yay! Feel free to contact me for a price quote! aziza@azizasboutique.com

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Another Jewelry Giveaway

Ok, you asked for it, so here it is!

I’m having another Jewelry Giveaway! This time I’m giving away a sweet pair of emerald green glass heart earrings. So fun and hearty, they are accented with Swarovski crystals for a little bit of sparkle. Pictured below, they measure about 1 ½ inches long x 5/8 inches wide x ¼ inch thick.




Now, lets move on as to how to enter:



This time I’m asking for feedback on my shop. For a chance to enter just answer a few questions about my shop: In order to qualify please answer ALL questions in the form of a comment below: If you don’t want to leave a comment, feel free to e-mail me your response to ALL questions to: aziza@azizasboutique.com and please make sure the subject of your e-mail reads: Jewelry Giveaway.



1. What is your favorite item in my shop and why?
2. Is there a particular color(s) you would like to see more of, if so what color(s)?
3. How easy do you find it to navigate around my shop?
4. Is there anything you would like to see more of…like a particular theme or shape or size or something for the man in your life?

Once again I’m choosing a random winner so everyone’s got a shot at winning.

Well, that’s it. The giveaway ends October 3rd at midnight and the winner will be announced the following Monday on October 5th. Good Luck and thanks for entering!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

09-09-09

It's 9-09-09! What a day to return after a little bit of a hiatus. It's been quite a busy summer for me this year. I've been busy taking a few courses and also working on new designs. I can't say its been all work and no play though. Besides that, I have also been playing on a pool league, mostly to brush up on my skills, and to have something else to look forward to besides work.

It's also been a great time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. There's always so much going on in NYC in the summer time, so much to do, see, and somewhere to go. I've also been really fortunate to have my work featured in quite a few online blogs and treasuries on Etsy. I haven't made it to the front page of Etsy...yet! But I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Want to see one of the pieces featured in a recent blog? My egg post earrings were featured here! Oh, yes and my wine glass charms were written about here!

Also since its Fall and all (well not quite officially yet) I'm getting ready for my Fall inspired and Halloween inspired jewelry. Two of my all time favorites are my candy corn and my pumpkin glass bead earrings. Sure to get you lots of stares, oooh's and ahhh's. They are really just so much fun.

One more thing- I'm gearing up for another jewelry giveaway so stay tuned...details are coming soon! Very soon! I promise!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Lucky 8-Ball Jewelry


Hi there!

I've recently been getting back into the pool scene (billiards) and lovin it! So, as an ode to pool and for pool lovers everywhere I've started making 8-Ball glass bead necklaces. First of the series is a black and white 8-Ball necklace. It's small but it really stands out! Whats really nice about this piece is the "8" shows up on both sides of the bead, just incase it flips around on you.

It's also great even if your'e not a pool player and you just need a bit of luck. The number 8 is lucky... right?

Check it out here! And please let me know what you think!





Also just a reminder, today is the last day for the FREE Sterling Silver Swirly Earrings Promotion.

Until next time...
xo
Aziza

Saturday, July 11, 2009

FREE Earrings Promo Ends in 4 days!

This is just a reminder that the FREE Earrings Promo ends in just 4 days. Click here for details.

Also Billiards themed jewelry is in the works, coming soon!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Featured articles about the Aziza Jewelry line

Todays blog is a BIG Thank you to all those who have showed me love and wrote about me in their own blogs. To view the past write ups click here and for the most recent click here. A BIG Thank you to Laura Foreman of Household Treasures Blog and Mallory of MissMalaprop.

In other news, I'm expecting to do another jewelry giveaway at some point and I've recently been designing billiard jewelry to show off my love of the billiards. Become a Fan of my jewelry on Facebook to see some early designs.

I'll be back to share more soon, until then have a great weekend everyone!!

xo
Aziza

p.s. you can always check out my newest pieces on my web site www.AzizaJewelry.com

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Summer Fun!

There's a lot going on in the Aziza Jewelry Workshop this summer! For starters I'm celebrating the dawn of summer this year with bright colorful jewelry and stuff that reminds me of summer. My all time favorite place to visit during the summer is the beach...so since I can't always get there I designed this bracelet as my takeaway. Perfect for wearing right on the beach or off.




I've been designing other beach themed jewelry too...for this bracelet and more check out my Etsy Shop.
Then there's fruit. I love eating cold grapes in the hot sun...but not too hot! So I captured them here!

You can buy these here. Look for more grapes coming soon to my Etsy Shop...don't worry I'll keep you posted when they arrive! Enjoy the heat...and stay cool!

update 1-30-14: the above items have sold, however I will always have colorful fun jewelry available for sale on my web site at: www.AzizaJewelry.com

xo
Aziza

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Free Sterling Silver Earrings Studs with purchase

Hi there,

I'm offering a new promotion and I'm very excited about it. :)

From now until July 15th, 2009 I am offering a FREE pair of Sterling Silver Earrings with every purchase of $30 or more from my Etsy Store. The earrings are the shape of a swirl and are hand hammered for that extra bit of shine. This is a new design I've just come up with, so I'm very excited. They remind me of the sun, perfect for summer!







These are valued at $15 retail but you can get them FREE just by spending $30 or more in my shop. You can also purchase them separately without purchasing anything here!

After the promo they will still be available for purchase! And look out for the same earrings in 14 Karat Gold coming soon!

update: October 2014, these earrings are now available in gold filled and solid 14k gold

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Easy Silver and Gold Jewelry Care Tips

Caring for your Aziza Jewelry

It's essential to take proper care of your jewelry if you want it to last so I've come up with a new Jewelry Care Instruction Pamphlet and it will now be available with every purchase from my Etsy store. If you've purchased something previously from me, please let me know that you'd like one and I'll gladly email one to you. You can email me at: aziza@azizajewelry.com.

For my blog readers, I've outlined some tips below. This guide is especially for Aziza Jewelry so please keep in mind this method of jewelry care may not work for all other kinds of glass jewelry.

Maintaining clean shiny Aziza Jewelry: It's important to keep the following in mind when wearing and storing your jewelry.

Wearing: Never wear your jewelry in the shower or in the pool. Wearing your jewelry in the shower leaves it susceptible to soap scum residue building on your glass, gemstones, pearls and possibly your silver or gold tarnishing and dulling quicker. Wearing it in the pool or hot tub leaves it susceptible to chemicals and heat which may dis-color your jewelry. Exposing your jewelry to these and other chemicals such as chlorine also leads to quicker wear and tear of your jewelry, making it more brittle and stripping any luster or coating that may have been added as a protectant to your jewelry. Also be mindful not to wear your jewelry while working out, or doing any hard labor as sweating may add unnecessary body oils to your jewelry. Remember to apply all perfumes and lotions before putting your jewelry on.

Storing It: My Aziza Jewelry comes with a plastic ziploc style bag and a small pouch or box. When not in use, store your clean, dry jewelry in the plastic bag and put the plastic bag inside of your pouch or box. This will protect the jewelry from dirt, dust and keep the silver or gold from tarnishing due to being exposed to the outside air. Remember to wipe your jewelry dry after wearing it and before storing it in your plastic bag.

To care for the glass: If your pendant has accrued oil or dust, as it may, over time, simply get a soft cotton cloth, cotton ball or even a Q-Tip for smaller beads (like earrings), and apply some alcohol. Lightly wipe the surface of the glass with the damp cotton cloth until the residue is removed. For smaller jewelry, small dips and crevices, I would recommend using a Q-Tip.

To care for the silver: If your silver has tarnished or oxidized over time, as it may from regular wear and body oil, especially if it is a bracelet where both glass or gemstones and silver are combined, use a soft cloth designed especially for polishing silver. I am now offering these 4 layer cloths in my etsy store HERE.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/75274729/polishing-cloth-for-your-sterling-silver



For polishing the silver only, using the white layer of this polishing cloth, gently rub the silver until the tarnish is removed. You should begin to instantly see tarnish removal, restoring the piece back to its original shine. Remember, you specifically want to use the white sheets on the inside of this cloth.


Caring for your gold jewelry: First make sure that you only polish real solid gold! Gold vermeil, Gold Filled and Gold Plated Jewelry CANNOT be polished using this cloth or any cloth! Why? Because the gold coating will just be removed while polishing.
I offer a select amount of jewelry in my shop with solid 14 karat gold chains and findings and a few bracelets and its just as important to be able to care for those in addition to your silver! First, please keep in mind that gold is harder to polish than silver which is much softer. For this reason, it is important to care for your gold just as much as you would for your silver jewelry. You can also use the polishing cloth to remove any tarnish or oil residue but you want to only use the blue sheets for gold.
Gently polish any oil or residue away using only the blue sides of the cloth. The white sides may be too harsh for your gold jewelry. For any tiny, hard to reach places, simply use a dry Q-Tip and wipe softly.
Remember, the best way to keep your jewelry for a long long time, is to keep it clean and stored when not in use. For Proper Jewelry Storage Tips, please check out this post!

Happy Jewelry Care!
xo
Aziza

Monday, June 22, 2009

Winner of the Aziza Jewelry Giveaway is Announced!

And the Winner of the first Aziza Jewelry Giveaway is:




Drumroll please!!!




Get Ready for it!




Here it comes!




Isn't the suspense just awful!




Ok ok, here it is:




FiveStarProdj! Congrats! He entered via Twitter.

And to everyone else who entered the giveaway I am offering 15% off anything in my Etsy shop until June 30, 2009. Thanks so much for playing! This was so much fun for me that I'm having another giveaway soon! And I'll definitely be switching the format up a bit...So stay tuned!

You can check out Aziza Jewelry on Twitter at: @azizajewelry

Monday, June 15, 2009

First Aziza Jewelry Giveaway!!

Hi there! Thanks for being here!

To celebrate my new blog I’m hosting a FREE Jewelry Giveaway! Yep, you read correctly, its FREE! I’ve decided to give away to one lucky reader this beautiful pair of Copper Green Leaf Lampwork Glass Bead Earrings. I'm very excited!!




These are made from Murano copper green glass and sterling silver wire and measure 1 5/8 inches long. The copper green is such a wonderful color because if it catches the flame of my torch just at the right point, it produces a hint of a silvery metallic color. These have lots of silvery glints and veiny green flints as well.

These are a really nice pair of earrings! Now on to how to win them…

Two ways to win:

Via Twitter:
If you have a twitter account please follow me on twitter via @azizajewelry and then retweet the below to let others know about the giveaway:
“Follow me then Retweet this post for an entry to my FREE Jewelry Giveaway! Details: http://www.azizajewelry.blogspot.com/
(mention @azizajewelry in your retweet so I can trace your entry ofcourse ;)

Or Via this Blog:
Just sign up to follow my blog using Google Friend Connect right here on this page!

That’s it! Just do one of the above and I will choose one very random* lucky winner within 1 week. This contest ends June 21st at midnight and the winner will be announced June 22 here. *very random means I’ll probably be picking names completely blindly (like out of a hat) so everyone is eligible!

These earrings will be absolutely free to whoever wins this contest. There will only be 1 winner however please visit my blog often as I’m sure I’ll be hosting another giveaway in the near future! Good Luck to all!

Oh! and feel free to become a Fan on my Facebook Page

E-mail me or comment below if there are any questions! Have Fun and thanks for playing!

update: the winner was Fivestarprodj, who entered via twitter.

Friday, June 5, 2009

New Blog!

Welcome to my First Blog Entry here at my new blog Aziza Jewelry!

So what is Aziza Jewelry? Aziza Jewelry is a jewelry line created by me, Aziza Browne. My parents must have known I would be a jewelry designer, after all they named me Aziza which means 'Precious' in Swahili, lucky me huh? Precious jewelry...Aziza Jewelry...perfect fit!

My jewelry line involves mostly glass bead creations and most of my pieces are sort of built around these beads. I make all of my glass beads by hand using a process called lampworking or flameworking. I make some of my beads hollow, by using glass blowing techniques as well. Some of my pendants and earrings are also fused.




I incorporate swarovski crystals, pearls, silver, gold and many other components to achieve the desired result I have in mind. I also incorporate techniques like wire wrapping, hammering and soldering to create finished pieces. I even make some of my beads from Precious Metal Clay. You can find out more about PMC here.

So How Did It All Start?

I first dabbled with jewelry making when I was about 9 years old but I have always been creating things...well, as long as I can remember. I started out making beads from polymer clay and soon moved on to making other things from clay like refrigerator magnets. You can view some of my older creations here. Then, in college I studied ceramics, after all, it seemed more 'career' practical than making beads from clay. Practical, if there is such a thing!




I loved it! And best of all, it opened up the desire for me to study glass. After all, glass and ceramics are very much intertwined (I learned this in my chemistry of ceramics class). It wasn't until 2002, about a year after I graduated from college, that I took a class in glass beadmaking and rediscovered my love of beadmaking and jewelry making again.


My work is mostly centered around the glass beads that I make but I love adding in fun stuff like swarovski crystals and sterling silver bali beads...


and freshwater pearls and jingle bells...




and some of my jewelry is made from just semi precious gem stones and swarovski crystals...






Ok But What is the Aziza Jewelry Concept?


My jewelry line has several different themes including: bridal, young at heart, beach and classy chic. Most of it is just so much fun for me to make...infact I have so much fun, it hardly feels like work at all. Some have described my work as funky or whimsical. My inspiration for new work comes from many sources... from nature, everyday people and by doing everyday activities, like going grocery shopping...

having a glass of wine over dinner...



or just cooking breakfast...





Want to see more of my work? Check out My Etsy Shop!
Thanks for reading all about my jewelry line and how I got started.

Comments? Questions? Please feel free...