Friday Auction!

On this lovely Friday afternoon, I am auctioning off the Prom Hot Pink Earrings! They are made out of pink shell and have a crystal at center. I love these earrings so much and I am definitely going to make myself a pair, but today – these earrings could be yours!


Bidding starts at $ 1 (free shipping)

Auction Ends on Friday 4/18/07 at 11pm central standard time

Go to Mimi's myspace page and click on the Friday Auction blog to place a bid!

Happy Bidding!

-Kimmy ♥

No Cinco, Yes Trades

Just a quick note - the Cinco de Mayo give away has been cancelled due to lack of participation. I think it was too soon to have another after the St. Patty's day. So, that's that. I have contacted everyone who said that they were going to participate; if I forgot you - I'm sorry and I hope you stick around for another INcrowd event in the future!

On the flipside, there is a Trade N' Replace (TNR) starting on April 20th for all of you Etsy shop owners out there! I had lots of fun in the last one -I got two necklaces and 4 bars of homemade soap! This is a great way to buy gifts using what you've already put money into. Your very own crafts. I'm thinking of making some non-jewelry items to stock in my shop as well. So if you're thinking of doing some trades check the Etsy Traders Blog for more info. We should have a thread up on the Forums section of Etsy. When it's up, I'll post the link here. Love to you all! And happy crafting!

Cool Is As Cool Does

Try something cool for a change....

Catch a flick inside when it’s cool outside.

Thrifting for clothes has never been cooler.

Trying something new that doesn’t require spendng a penny, and keeps things a little greener will always be cool.

Cinco de Mayo Give Away Pic to be Posted

Hola!

For anyone in the INcrowd, please post this picture in your shop on the first or second page in one of your listings. After you post, shoot me a convo/email telling me where it is with the link to the page. We've already got some donaters to the basket, but we need more. Let me know if you would like to join in on donating an item!

Join us for Happy Hour! Friday Only!

Fridays are Happy Hour Day with Mimi’s Jewels on Etsy!

Instead of drinkies, we are serving jewelry...and it’s all on sale! Hope to see you there for a virtual cocktail and a bit of girly glamour!

Join Us For Happy Hour!
Friday 3/28/08 from 4pm CST to 10 pm CSTEverything in my shop is 25% off

If your purchase is $25 or more, you will receive

free shipping!

Please put "Happy Hour" in notes to seller at

checkout!

I include freebies with Etsy purchases!
www.mimisjewels.etsy.com

Attn All INcrowd Members! Needed: Participants for the Cinco de Mayo Give Away!

All INcrowd Members of Etsy please check this thread on how to participate in the Cinco de Mayo Give Away I am heading. It's going to be lots of fun! Email me with any questions: mimisjewels06@yahoo.com

Let The Fiesta Begin!

This Could Be Yours, If The Trade Is Right!

My very last trade of the trade-a-holic event was some yummy soap! For smelling and washing, not for appetizers and eating! I traded the Prisms Cuff (made by my crafty sister Krystal) for a soap trio handmade by Indulgent Creations. The soaps that I chose are Lilac, Pink Sugar, and Rhapsody Raspberry. I soooo cannot wait for my new presents to get here! Monday I received both of my necklaces that I had got in a trade. The seller for the pink pearl necklace threw in a pink pearl bracelet to match! What a treat! I can't wait to show them off! I'm always open for trades. Check my Etsy shop for items if you are interested in trading with me.

What a lovely day in the trading-hood.

Trade-A-Holics!

I'm a new member of another team. It's only my second team on Etsy, so I shouldn't be too overwhelmed.....yet! I think limiting it to two right now is a good choice. Soooo the new team is Trade-A-Holics and I've traded twice this week and very excited about my "buys"!


I traded jewelry for jewelry. So, here's some pics of my lovely presents to me - to come in the mail asap!





This one is from GinaBee :

And my much needed TGIF trade from JennLee Jewelry :



The jewelry that I traded out for these lovely items up for bid: Skies Bracelet, April Necklace, and Sorbet Earrings.
What a lovely addition to my jewelry box these cute pieces will make! I LOVE trading!!

St. Patrick's Day Give Away Results!

The results are in! The winner of the St. Patrick's Day Give Away courtesy of the INcrowd, are as follows:

1st Place: taleri
2nd Place: unefemme
3rd Place: mlsextras
4th Place: orangetheroy
5th Place: ksoe

Thank you a million times over to those of you who were on the hunt for our fabulous green treasures! And also a big thanks to all of the participating INcrowd team members for making this a success.

This Give Away was brought to you by the following INcrowd Crafters:

bagsandmorebypam - Green Crocheted Scarf

belladio - Belleek Pendant

cade - Necklace

crescentwench - Bandana

erinlee - Headband

gnomeclothes - 4 Green Flannel Napkins

happylake - 2 Pottery Bowls

keepsakecouture - Notebook

kreatedbykelly - Tote Bag

mimisjewels - Green Crystal Earrings

nilochlainn - Green Glass & Chandelier Crystal Pendant

passionandpatience - Scissor Fob & Swallow Scissors

redelephant - Earrings

schwa - Coffee Cup Sleeve

thepeachmartini - 4 Wineglass Charms

Photos will be posted as soon as they are posted from the INcrowd member in charge of this giveaway. I hope everyone who joined in on the fun had a blast, and please stay tuned for our next give away: The Cinco de Mayo Give Away.....hosted by yours truly!

Noggin Tune Ups

So, the crafting has been on hiatus for a week or two. After the Prom Expo, the flu camped out in my body for a while and kept me sleeping all weekend. Now that the flu is gone and I've got my energy back, I've got a good couple of hours worth of cleaning. I know that once it's all done, I'll be glad that I got it over with and I will be able to craft in an organized manner. *sigh*

Last night I was catching up on LOST before I sailed away into a new week. I've got about 45 minutes left of last week's episode, and then I must watch the one from the week before that with the 'pop-ups.' I was thinking about it and wondering if I should even waste my time on the pop-up episodes only because I don't think I remember any of the extra info in the long term. My brain doesn't work that way. I have to see/hear something more than once for it to be imbedded into my noggin. Maybe I need a noggin tune-up?

The St. Patrick's Day give-away is over and the winner should be announced very soon. I think the moderator has been sick and not near a computer recently to clue us all in. I'll post it up here as soon as I know.

Around this time of the year, I really want to make pinatas for some reason. I think I shall as soon as I get my jewelry table/area fixed up. I'm thinking maybe instead of a big pinata that gets busted open (down the drain goes all of your hard work!), I could make mini pinatas that are for decoration. Sounds good, huh?

Here's a link on how to make a simple balloon pinata:

Example of what it could look like:




Hope everyone has a Happy St. Patty's Day! Don't drink too much green beer!

How'd It Go?

The prom extravaganza was fun - lots of teenagers everywhere dressed in some of the most beautiful gowns! I want to go to prom again just so I can wear a pretty dress and have an excuse to get my hair and nails did. hehe. My mom was awesome and gave out lots of our
(La Rosilla and I) business cards while we manned our booth. Hopefully when prom rolls around, the fruits of our labor will be here to welcome us! I ended up taking pics with a disposable camera and I'll be getting those pics back tonight and hopefully posting them by the end of the week.

I was in such a rush to get prepared for the prom expo, that I left a tornado in my work area. It is so messy! I'm overwhelmed with the amount of random paper, newspapers, and beads laying around that I have chose to be productive in other things such as updating any important documents and reasearching the Forums and Storque on Etsy. Now that I am semi caught up with those non-cleaning up type tasks, it is now time to get the trash bag out and do some spring cleaning! Before and after pictures will be available soon!

P.S. If you haven't visited the Naughty Secretary Club's myspace, you should! She has very interesting blogs that are muy informative for the beadster or crafter in you! She posted a link to a podcast that any Etsy user or future Etsian should listen to. It's all about marketing your shop. Enjoy!

New Shipping Info

I updated our shipping today - I'm still getting the hang of this crazy thing called running your own business! I think you guys will like the changes. Let me know what you think - it really helps with all of the tweaking here and there. So, shipping is now at $1.50 per single item and .50 for each additional item. Not much more going on today. It's supposed to snow a lot....maybe....if it makes it this far. I just wanna crawl into bed and get comfy. Hope everyone is having a good day!

One Stop For Prom!

Mimi's Jewels and La Rosilla Jewelry will be setting up shop at Portage High School Thursday, March 6th!
Read below for more info!

Region Prom
Expo & Fashion Show

THURSDAY MARCH 6, 2008
5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Portage High School East
6450 E. US Route 6

Tickets available at the door
$3.00 … 13 yrs and older
12 yrs and under … FREE with adult ticket purchase
Show your Student ID and receive $1.00 OFF Adult Ticket

Prom is fast approaching!
Join us for an entertaining,
One stop shopping, event for all your prom related needs!

Features:
2 Fashion Runway Shows
5:45 pm and 7:15 pm

Music, fabulous door prizes, & exciting specials from area businesses Such as: hair salons, limo services, cosmetics, tanning salons, florist, jewelry, and fabulous formalwear. And more…all to make your
Prom
A memorable night!
Various Northwest Indiana high schools participating
Proceeds will benefit the Portage Junior and Senior Class of 2008

Want to Shop, Need to Craft

The Shamrock scavenger hunt is on!! I wonder who will be the lucky winner? .....

So today has been a productive day, and I've got a few orders to fill and a gazillion ideas in my head for new stuff! I've really been wanting to go to a flea market to find some one of a kind cool stuff to make pendants or earrings out of. I read Naughty Secretary Club's blog almost everyday, (she's on my top friends on myspace) and she writes a lot about her adventures to flea markets and all of the cool shiz she finds. Maybe it's a good thing that I haven't been on any thrift-outtings because I'm up to my ears in supplies right now. Wellsies, tomorrow I will be writing about my friend Rosa (La Rosilla [local crafter in Portage - also on my top friends]) who makes awesome jewelry and is a cool cat in general. Hope your weekend was full of smiles and sun!

Taking A Break From Crafting: Tangent #1

Just sittin here kinda lost in all of the craziness of this week. I know that there are a million and one things to do for Mimi's Jewels, but today I'm kinda feeling lethargic and just kinda lazy. But in a good way. You know... the kind of lazy where you could lay down on the couch with a pillow and blanket and watch your favorite tv show (LOST). And while you're enjoying your show, idea after idea pops into your brain shufflin out the tv show and pushing it's way into your mainstream of thoughts. I think of what colors are inspiring me at the moment, and what new type of jewelry should I learn how to make. I think of the business cards that need printing and the spreadsheets that need updating. Or what new spreadsheets I need to make. And even though I love love LOVE crafting, I have to tell myself TAKE A BREAK! And I do. I get back into the love triangle that is Kate, Jack, and Sawyer. I wonder why they've decided to tease our minds by showing us flash forwards instead of flashbacks. And my biggest wonder of all is....why are there "extras" on this show? We know who all is left on the island from the main cast, but whenever there is a gathering of some sort, there are other people on the island who are supposed to be survivors but we never hear their story. And probably never will. And I could go into a whole big thing about it, but really - I just want to forget about those ghosts and submerge myself into this island of mystery. And try to forget about crafts for an hour. Anywho, that is my "Taking A Break From Crafting Tangent #1." I'm sure there will be more to follow!



P.S. Taking a break helps you to refuel and recharge your creativity! Yay for that!

A Timeline of our Baby Business

November 2005 to December 2005 – Bloomington, Minnesota

Before Mimi’s Jewels ever began, it was a hobby. One day while at Target, I spotted tubes and more tubes filled with beads in their dollar bins. I grabbed everything up that I could, including tools, wire, and findings. All of which are necessities to complete a bracelet and necklace. Weeks later, my wonderful boyfriend, John and I packed our suitcases and drove to Northwest Indiana to visit my family. By this time, I had a couple of small containers full of beads that I decided would make a great “family – time” craft project. One night my brother, sister, and I took part in making bracelets and necklaces for Christmas gifts. We had a blast and at that moment I decided this hobby was a keeper!

January to April 2006

I returned to Minnesota with motivation and a brain full of excitement! My employer at the time was very flexible and allowed me to work on my hobby after I had finished my daily tasks and projects. Soon, I began to sell jewelry to my coworkers, their families, and to my friends and family too! I had made plenty of sales, enough to keep me going and stay on track with my newfound love. Breaking even paid for my habit and that was fine for now.

March 2006 to July 2006

John and I relocated back to Northwest Indiana to be near my family. John became more involved in my little side business and helped to get me more business and keep up with the paperwork end of the deal. We sold jewelry up the wazoo to family, friends, and coworkers of mine, John’s, and my mom’s. The demand for our jewelry became greater. Orders were pouring in and it was time to ask for help! My mom and sister would come over when they could to help create jewelry. This was great for me because I had less stress, and crafting is always more fun with other people!
We had been selling jewelry for a while now and it was time to come up with a name. I racked my brain day in and day out but everything I came up with wasn’t what I had really wanted. One night after my mom was over, she said that she’d take my jewelry to work so the ladies could shop. She said, “I’ll call it (my jewelry biz), Mimi’s Jewels!” That was it! That is our name! You’re probably wondering, who the heck is Mimi? Well, Mimi is me. My niece is about 1 ½ at this time and can’t pronounce my nickname – Kimmy. So, I was dubbed Mimi from the moment she could verbalize my name…or something like it.

August 2006 to August 2007

In August of 2006, John and I were able to participate in a local fashion show. The models were sporting a new line of t-shirts and were also adorned with our jewelry! It was the highlight of my year! My lifelong dream to have my creations in a fashion show was finally granted! A month before the fashion show, we had family members enlisted to help make jewelry. I designed the pieces, and then they assembled them. It was a relief to have extra hands around to get the job done!

A month after the fashion show, we participated in the first annual Bizarre Bazaar in Hammond, Indiana. We drafted those great family members again for some nights of serious crafting! In thanks, we fed them, and hosted a free make and take for all of their help and support. Bizarre Bazaar was awesome! We had the chance to put our jewelry up for adoption while learning the skills it takes to be successful at an outdoor craft show.

Mimi’s Jewels is in the line up for the second annual Bizarre Bazaar on September 15, 2007 in downtown Hammond, Indiana. We are churning out loads of new pieces…I so wish I could keep them all, but that’s the price you pay when you love what you craft! Last year’s festivities was a ton of fun, and this year proves to be even better! Check out our Events page for more information!

September 2007 to January 2008

Bizarre Bazaar this past year (2007) was a great time! We didn't sell much - there were more competitors than we anticipated, but all in all it was a nice day out. We took a break after the festival - we were burned out to the max! It's January now and as this new year begins, we also are at the start of some new things on the business front. We've got 2 Make And Take parties scheduled for January and hope to have some more soon. We will be taking photos at the parties and will post them so everyone can see how much fun our parties are! Also, we will be moving to www.etsy.com in the very near future. We will keep our Freewebs and Myspace sites updated with new info, including the new web address. Etsy is such an easy site to work with and is primarily dedicated to handcrafted items. It's kind of like a spin-off of Ebay. So, keep those special orders coming in!

February 2008

We have proudly popped a squat on Etsy (www.mimisjewels.etsy.com) and I encourage all of you to sneak a peak!

Welcome to Mimi's Jewels Blog!

Making crafty items and selling them has been something I have dreamt about all of my life and now it's finally a reality! I have always been into different crafts, but so far my favorite is creating jewelry. I am Kim, the co-owner of Mimi's Jewels, along with my significant other, John. Mimi's Jewels was established in 2006 after I began beading as a hobby. I made bracelets and necklaces here and there, then people started asking to buy my pieces. One year later, Mimi's Jewels has given us a chance to start a little business of our own. Thank you to all of you who have supported us through our first year and a half of craftin out to the max!