ophelia cuff

I've gotten so many questions about my cuffs. I L.O.V.E them. So I thought I'd share my thoughts on them and give you a link to the lovely Kristen Briggs Etsy shop.

These gorgeous cuffs are handmade out of recycled yellow gold fill. Yay for recycled but what is gold fill you ask.

So is gold filled the same as gold plated....no! 

(reference) Is gold-filled the same as gold plate?

No, gold plating is a miniscule layer of solid gold applied to a brass base. The plating does not compose any measurable proportion of the product’s total weight. It is estimated to be 0.05% or less of the metal product. Gold plating will wear off rather quickly and expose the brass base product. It does not stand up to heat, water or wear over time. By comparison, gold-filled contains 5% gold by weight; moreover, all the gold is on the surface which offers product protection from tarnish and wear.

Gold fill is a great less expensive alternative to solid gold.

(reference) Can gold-filled tarnish?

Yes it can, but it takes a rare set of circumstances. Gold-filled is usually a lifetime product because the gold layer bonded to the brass core is quite thick. However, in rare instances of extreme sulfide exposure the gold-filled can blacken. This has only occurred a handful of times over our decades of gold-filled use.

I bought my cuffs (actually my mama did :)  ) in 2013 and they look as shiny and lovely as they day Mr. Postman delivered them. I wear them pretty much everyday, swam in the salty sea wearing them every summer since I got them. These handmade hammered cuffs come in three sizes (the thickness) - wide, medium and thin. I have two wide and one medium and I want another one!

I blogged the first cuff I got.

These cuffs come in yellow gold, rose gold and silver. Kristen's shop is called 

Lotus Stone Jewelry. She's super friendly.

xo

mother's day gift ideas

Hello!

Mother's Day is around the corner and I thought I would share some nice gift ideas I came across. 

My mom lives in Canada and I miss her. I think what I would love most (and I think her too) is a mom-daughter day. Spending time together and creating memories is priceless. That said...gifts are sweet too but as I always say to my kids, it's the thought that counts. The time and effort not how big or expensive a gift is.

I love this cuff....it's too bad my husband doesn't read my blog! ;)

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Society6 (I already bought 2 pillows and love them so that I want to add my own drawings...I'm a little nervouse but I think I'm going to give it a try!) is a great place to find gifts, like this pillow Mother's Day poem.

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This has been on my to do or should I say to buy list. Social Print Studio is another awesome place for gift ideas like turning your instagram photos into magnets! YES please! I know my mama would love to have such personal magnets on her fridge.

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I love this print....and aint it the truth! Found this at Etsy (another great place to shop).

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Tomorrow I'll share more ideas for Mother's Day gifts - DIY style! ;)

xo

bean stitch crochet cowl

Hello!

I finally finished this cowl I started months ago. I left it for a while but I'm back to crocheting.

I'll be adding this to my Etsy shop. Seems weird not that Spring is here but it's winter somewhere right! ;) I hope to fill up my shop with a bunch of cowls and scarves by the fall which means I gotta crochet them all spring and summer.

I made two cowls for my friend Tina and here she's wearing a dark charcole one I made which she loves. You can check out her blog post here.

This grey cowl (below) is 37.5 cm in length which is 14.8 inches. Approx. 81 cm in circumference is which is 31.5 inches. This yarn is not prickly and needs to be hand wash or machine wash cold (30) and gently cycle, lay flat to dry (do NOT put in dryer). 

I'm finishing off a baby blanket for a relative and will share that soon.

xo

bean stitch cowl

Hi!

I finally finished my crochet cowl and it's ready for sale! :) It's in a camel colour (below)

I posted about crocheting, how I learned and what it means to me. I NEED to crochet...you know what I mean.  I have been thinking about selling my crochet projects and 

I wanted to send my cowl to someone who will be honest about what they thought of it.....really honest. I'm sure many of you know Valentina Fussell of House of Valentina. I thought she would be perfect! We knew each other on line and I just always drool over how stylish she is! So I asked her if I could send her my cowls and for her to tell me what she thought and lucky me she said yes! Not only did she say yes she sent me some gorgeous photos wearing them! :)

I made the cowls using the bean stitch which is probably my favourite crochet stitch! This stitch isn't difficult BUT it is a time consuming stitch! The cowls I made are not ones that you could whip up in a single evening, or weekend. The thickness of the yarn I used is for a 3 or 3.5 needle so it's not a thick and chunky yarn. The thicker the yarn the fast your cowl or scarf will be finished. I love chunky yarn but haven't found one I like yet.

She could make anything look good!

My cowls are more loose fitting and no two are alike! LOL! I hate measuring and I eyeball everything. :) It's loose around the neck.

Valentina told me that she 'loves my cowls and wears them pretty much every day!' 

 Yay! 

So the cowl I'm selling is the camel coloured one below (we're having foggy, blah weather and I just can't get a good photo of it so I'm using the one below which was taken while I was working on it).  I used a soft acrylic wool. Hand wash or machine wash cold (30) and gently cycle, lay flat to dry (do NOT put in dryer). 

The cowl's circumference is approx. 36 inches and height is 13 inches. 

The price for the camel cowl is $40 plus $10 shipping.

Each stitch is infused with love. Crocheting brings me such joy.

If you are interested in buying this cowl email me at janebeljo@yahoo.ca

I will add the cowl to my Etsy shop by tomorrow where I hope to add more cowls and scarves in the future.

xo

friday favourites

Hello!

It's the last day of school!!!! Holy MAMA!!! Where did the year go! I'm so proud of Mia and Marko for another successful year and a much deserving break!!

Also did you watch the opening game for the World Cup Brazil - Croatia?? Let's just say I'm so exhausted and feel like I played the whole time!! Proud of my team!

On to my favourites!! Let's start off with this sweet doll! I've had the privilege to meet the talented, crafty lady behind this doll! Zrinka's so sweet and I do hope we'll have a craft session together soon! I will have to get one of these dolls for me Mia soon! :) Check out her Etsy shop!

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LOVE these Mint ombre measuring cups...I don't think I'd use these rather just have them on display!! :) LOVE!

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I'll take the whole kitchen thank you very much!

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I'll be stylish....one day! :)

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I will be announcing the winner of our Father's Day giveaway over at the Jane's Doodles blog AND there's a 20% off all stamps weekend sale that starts right now! :) And last but not least a little peek of Ange's gorgeous card on the JD blog today!

Hope ya'll have a lovely weekend!! 

xo

friday favourites

Hello!

It's Friday favourites time! :)

I'm just loving this pillow I found on Etsy!!! And you will soon see a card inspired by this pillow soon! LOVE this pillow!

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Ok...I seriously wouldn't mind this being my work station!!! 

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I don't have a record player or any records but I feel like I need this in my life! :)

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LOVE the reclaimed wood diy!! I hope to have some furniture made of reclaimed wood in the future...adds so much character! 

I always gotta remind myself to go with the flow! :)

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Have a great weekend!

xo

crocheted scarf

Hello!

Well...I'm feeling a lot better...very tired but thank God fever, stomach flu have left the building!!!!! I have so much catching up to do and cleaning (laundry)...pretty much what I'll be doing during the weekend. So it's 2014!!! Wow! I do have lots of plans/wishes/hope for this year...one of them is paying more attention to my Etsy shop...obviously Jane's Doodles is my first priority when it comes to work but I do love to dable in different types of crafts. I had some yarn left over from a while back and decided to make a scarf...it's a gorgeous soft grey yarn (I believe it's wool)...I just added it to my Etsy shop here.

Have a great weekend! xo

Ophelia cuff and a sneak peek

Hi!

I have been wanting this Ophelia cuff from the Etsy shop Lotus Stone forever...I even pinned it way back! So I did something I haven't done in....years.......treated myself!! And I just LOVE my cuff!!

First of all Kristen (the owner) is sooooo sweet, helpful and professional! I had no problems with the shipping (which was international), communication was great and just take a look at how she packaged my cuff!!!

I got a sweet note and a little cloth (to clean my cuff with). I really like the fact that Kristen asks you to measure your wrist because I have chicken wrists...for real!

The only problem I have is I need MORE!!! Just look how gorgeous they are stacked in different widths (thin, medium (the one I got) and widest.....I need at least 2 more widest, another medium....)

Before I sign off for today here's another sneak peek.....I feel an evasion coming on!! :) We're having our new stamps release blog hop on Friday...hope you'll join us! :) 

xo

Etsy window shopping

I LOVE Etsy...don't you! :)

I go there for inspiration (not only to shop)....here are few goodies that caught my eye...

I'm lovin this purse...the shape and size is perfect for me.

I LOVE this little make up bag...do I need it...no...do I WANT it ....yes!

I LOVE this!

and this....

and this!!

Have a great day!

xo