Earrings can be a real asset to any outfit. I know people who don't really wear jewelry (gasp!) but they always wear earrings.
Earrings are quick and easy to throw on with any outfit.
But how do you care for them?
Display
First let's talk about how to display and/or store your earrings. I know that I have a ton of earrings in different colors, styles and lengths. For a long time they were all in a drawer in my jewelry armoire in a mostly jammed up mess. Then, I made my Canvas Earring Holder. (You can make one, too, if you click on the link!)
There are all kinds of organizers and tools you can use to get your earrings organized.
This is another cute earring holder, although it will only hold 2 pairs of earrings. (You could get a bunch, though!)
Or for dangle earrings only, try putting them on a jar or around a vase on your dresser.
You could keep all your earrings in individual plastic baggies in a drawer, if that works for you. You could keep them in plastic tubs or decorative boxes.
Put them in pretty bowls and tea cups organized on your dresser top or in a drawer.
Organizing
Before you display them, though, really organize them. This is what I like to do when my earrings become a big jumbled up mess.
Dump out your earrings somewhere you can spread out.
Separate your earrings by color (or by whatever way makes sense for you. Maybe you have different lengths, etc.)
Pair up the earrings. Find the missing earrings you dropped on the floor.
Put the earrings on whatever display or storage solution that you are going to use.
Care
Handmade earrings really are artwork and should be treated as such. I joke about my jumbled up draw, but that is really no way to treat handmade earrings! They really should be carefully placed on or in whatever display or storage you are keeping them.
If they start to tarnish, very carefully use a silver polishing cloth to clean them. Since most of my designs have some sort of wire wrapped element, please be very careful when cleaning the wire wrapped aspect of the earrings.
I do not recommend submerging B.B. Bellezza earrings for a variety of reasons. I use vintage and repurposed items. While I do what I can to protect these pieces, submerging them in jewelry cleaner may not be good for all of them. If you use a polishing cloth, you have total control over what is happening. A polishing cloth won't damage stones and beads. A polishing cloth won't remove the protective seal I put over my hardware (or over the little numbers as seen in the above photo). I don't know if dipping it will, but I can't be sure.
-> The Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated! Please read about my experience here. You can still get the discount mentioned below, too!
Each Wednesday check in for Wonderful Wednesdays to get a free download from My Memories! <-
Scrapbooking:
I started scrapbooking at a young age. I remember when I was in elementary school – in 3rd or 4th grade – I was a pom pom girl. (Basically a cheerleader. We did a halftime show during the pee wee football game.) My mom suggested that I start a scrapbook. Back then scrapbooking was not at all what it is now. I basically used an album with sticky pages, cut out newspaper clippings, ribbons and whatever I felt was important at the time and then put the plastic back over the page.
As I got older and the scrapbooking supplies got better, so did my scrapbooks. I have more than 20 scrapbooks for the first 25ish years of my life.
Then I started to get really busy. I would save bits and pieces of things that I would someday scrapbook in a drawer. I had probably close to 10 years of stuff in various places. When I moved about 10 months ago to a much smaller place, I went through and got rid of a lot of that stuff and the rest got put in boxes and put into storage.
I rarely even print photos these days. To think, I was the person who would never switch from film cameras and boycotted digital. Yes, I still love film cameras. I still have one. I just rarely use it.
Digital:
Now most of everything I do is digital. My photos are on flickr and I share them on facebook, too. We order tickets for events online so we don’t have the cute ticket stubs anymore. I don’t have the time – or the room – to collect things, have photos printed and spend a day on a 2 page scrapbook layout anymore. I think that people who still do are amazing. (If I really wanted to devote that much time anymore I would – the time thing is a cop out. I just use my time differently these days.)
Take a lot of photos. Sometimes over 250 per week. Sometimes even more. I rarely print them. I'm happy if I just get them on my flickr photostream or share them on facebook. I have thousands of photos on my computer.
I'll be honest, I was skeptical about trying digital scrapbooking. I was really interested, but I didn't think I would really like it.
It’s easy, it’s quick. I don’t have to dig through photos, paper, embellishments, pens, scissors, etc. In fact, I don’t have to store everything. I don’t have to put off scrapbooking because I forgot that I ran out of glue dots.
It’s all on your computer, right at your fingertips. Plus when you want new background paper or embellishments, you just go to the My Memories online store for instant download! Instant gratification.
My photos are all on my computer, too. So it works great!
How it works:
To my surprise, it is so easy to use! You can even create an entire album with one click!
At first, I used one of the free layouts that came with the software. I just picked it, opened it and clicked on the spots where the photos were to insert photos. Add a little journaling and I was done.
You can see my AVAM post to see my first layouts. Here's one page:
This is my FIRST try! See how easy it is!
I have since downloaded freebies from MyMemories and made some purchases as well.
This is an example of a layout I actually made from scratch. I chose the background, the embellishments, the layout of the photos, etc.
I haven't even scratched the surface here! You can make interactive albums with videos and music! You save the album and then decide what to do with it. You can make books for your family, friends, etc.
Here's a video from My Memories to learn more about what you can actually do with the software:
I can't wait to use with with my wedding photos in May! Think of the awesome personalized Christmas presents you can make. (You know the grandparents are waiting for photos! Think how impressed and excited they would be with a book, or a calendar!)
If you have problems, don’t worry, they have tons of tutorials to help you through!
My new blog header was made using My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Suite!
To enter, just leave me a comment below. Comment about anything about scrapbooking – have you done it before, are you new, why do you want to try it, etc. Anything, really! Click on “comments” and type. Make sure that you enter your email address (if you don’t have a google account and are leaving an anonymous comment, please make sure to put your email address in your comment so I can get a hold of you if you win!)
----> UPDATE:
Extra chances:
Receive an extra chance by heading over to MyMemories and picking out your favorite digital paper pack and commenting here with the link.
Tweet about this and leave a separate comment to let me know you did.
Fan MyMemories on facebook (you're gonna want to anyway! They have lots of fun events and lots of freebies!!) and leave a comment that you did or already are a fan
Every Wednesday I will be giving away a My Memories freebie to add to your scrapbooking! Yep. Right here. Every week!
If you don’t win, or can't wait to get started, I have a great deal for you:
You can still get the software for $10 off!! Find it here My Memories Scrapbooking Software and use code STMMMS70060 when you check out. Plus, use the code to get $10 off in the My Memories store. ($10 goes a LONG way in the My Memories store!)
That's $20 off!!
Make sure to use the code above to get the discount.
To Enter the giveaway:
Leave your comment below to be entered to win free software! I’ll choose the winner next Wednesday evening, October 19th around 7 pm. (Also there will be freebies for everyone that day!!)
My pendants are great fundraisers! And your organization can make a lot of money from my fundraisers!
I can make a custom pendant for your organization to sell. You earn 50% with an order of 10 or more! For more information, see the linked Fundraiser Options document.
I am a huge fan of Stephanie Corfee. I have her art hanging on my wall and she's seriously the sweetest person you ever met. So I was thrilled when we talked about doing a collaboration of miniature versions of her artwork into pretty pendants.
I am so happy to announce that I have (finally) listed Art Pendants in my shop. I am so pleased with them, it's difficult to not buy them all for myself!
They make a perfect gift, and would be so cool paired with a print from Stephanie's shop. I know I would adore anyone who would get me such a gift!
