the mysteriously returned package

package returned from australia
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

i mailed this package of two necklaces to australia on september 6, 2007 and they never arrived to my customer. lo and behold they showed back up in my mailbox on december 28th... almost 4 months after i mailed them.

no idea why.

i triple checked the address and it was correct (i covered the address with paper in the picture to protect the addressee) and the replacement i sent to the same address did get to the there after 8 days. hmmm.

i'm so curious as to why it didn't make it to it's destination. i guess i should just be happy i got it back!

oh, the usps!

jakarta

jakarta
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

carved tile of blue with white and flame...

this necklace features a beautiful square tile of amazonite (carved with a flower - 26mm) paired with a coin of genuine white agate (16m) wire wrapped together in sterling silver. strung with faceted, glowing red agate (6mm) and all sterling silver findings, this necklace is lovely, warm and exotic.

*note the appearance of a fissure in the close-ups of the pendant tile; this is not a crack in the stone but rather a natural fissure in the stone material.

closure: sterling silver "s" clasp and extendable chain

length: 16" to 18"


happy cyber monday everyone!

garden gate

garden gate
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

amazing what one photo can do.

i posted these earrings for sale and within a day or two they were featured on the etsy home page(!). you can imagine my excitement. it lasted for about 20 minutes until the earrings sold and they were no longer on the front page working up some good exposure for me. but no matter... i still got that 20 minutes and made a sale to boot; i would call that a check mark in the plus column.

the next week i received an etsy convo regarding my wholesale policy. seems the buyer who bought the garden gate earrings showed them to some friends who are in the process of opening a new retail store. i submitted my information and got my first wholesale order ever (double !!). again, a big check mark in the plus column for mud and mint.

today, etsy premiered a new site feature: the gift guide. various lists of gift suggestions curated by etsy admin... again, the garden gate earrings made the cut and were featured in the jewelry addicts list. time will tell if this new site feature will be a boost to views and sales in my shop but it sure was a sweet little thrill none the less (thanks etsy).

i couldn't be happier and more proud of this one little photo.

i see you

i see you
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

yes, i'm still alive.

it's been awhile and i've been terribly busy. i did however take a vacation last week to colorado. i spent a couple days in boulder mostly relaxing with a little shopping and going out before meeting up with my dad and our friend ed to attend the great american beer festival in denver.

we had rooms in a fabulous hotel just across the street from the convention center where the event was held (and were the peeping bear is too) and drank beer for three days. we also visited the colorado museum of nature and science where we saw a fascinating exhibit of artifacts recovered from the titanic and attended a food and beer pairing put on by samuel adams at the restaurant 1515; the chicory bread pudding with cocoa nibs and espresso ice cream was an otherworldly experience.

after the event i went back to boulder were i watched the packers beat the washington redskins (go pack go!) and my friend barb made an awesome cheese fondue. i had such a great time.

now, back to the grind. i think i have about one month of more crazy busy ahead of me before things finally calm down... i can't wait.

lots of charm...

lots of charm...
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

i love finding cool vintage things...

the charmed earrings have been my best seller and it is easy to see why... while very simple, they are also unique and lovely. until now i had only seen the aqua blue and then last week i came across these new colors and i knew i had to get them... they're just so fun. along with the speckled aqua, there is pristine white, and translucent jade green in the large 22mm size; all suspended from delicate, sterling silver oval hoops. the super cute, coral red charms are a little bit smaller (16mm) and hang from 1" sterling silver ear hoops... they will be perfect for christmas.

i love a good find.

rose wheels

rose wheels
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

these are so sweet...

i bought these faceted rose quartz wheels years ago and found them again the other day, luminous and substantial.

adore

adore
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

i'm very pleased with these...

looking among all the photos of my jewelry i would have to say these earrings don't necessarily follow my usual style...which is usually a bit more...chunky. however, they do have a simple, clean quality and i'm all about that. for me, sometimes the simplest design elements make the most dramatic impact.

the centerpiece of these earrings are wonderful, gold tone, vintage brass rings of circles measuring 23mm; they are the perfect size. i only have a few of these and although i'm trying, i'm unsure if i'll be able to get many more. from the rings i attached charms of vintage, seafoam green glass beads with multi-color speckles.

i friend of mine saw these and fell in love; she does alot of nice things for me (giving me the spectacularly gaudy earrings for one) so i gave her a pair. she put them on the other day and i have to say i was quite pleased with myself...they are just totally fabulous.

i've been tagged!

sweetheart
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

this picture really has nothing to do with this post so not to confuse... she is just so sweet i wanted to share. this is lola. she is an english bulldog and she is my baby.

i checked the comments left for my last blog post and found i had been tagged by shell mitchell to share six things about myself and then tag six others to do the same. so here it goes:

1. i hate the sound of styrofoam rubbing against itself with a fiery passion.

2. i own many, many handbags...the bf refers to it as ridiculous.

3. i'm a super picky eater...especially when it comes to onions and tomatoes.

4. i'm totally awesome at air hockey.

5. i have an interesting birthmark on one side of my butt.

6. i always want to be organized and have everything in its place but at heart i'm really a bit of a slob so i find it hard to maintain a sense of order.

i'm off to tag the six blogs i've chosen. be sure to check them out and see what they are up to:

little thing by craftpudding
kitty grrlz knits & spins
pretty girl things
inspired by color
green circle studio
minefull

spectacularly gaudy

spectacularly gaudy
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

these so need a wash!

these are vintage clip-on earrings (no, really!) my boss purchased in italy in the mid 1960's when she was in her early 20's. i found them sitting out in her house last week and immediately my heart started to race: oh my god.....coolest things ever...!

well, when she came home i pounced on her for them. at first she didn't want to give them up and even tried them on for me (you should hear them!) but i finally managed to convince her that although they were awesome and cool, they were also spectacularly gaudy and they had served their purpose; it was time for a better life.

the flowers are thin, durable plastic with beautiful detailing and measure around 12mm. the small, faceted ovals are also plastic and the wire work is brass. once i get these cleaned up they are going to make some great earrings...many, many pairs of earrings.

stay tuned for the reincarnation of the spectacularly gaudy earrings...

not a bad start

lanterns
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

when i decided to change the business name and move into a new store on etsy i knew it would be a bit of an unknown. it took me a month to get my first sale in the old shop and i had built up alot of really nice feedback... i knew that wasn't going to be easy to let go of, especially just before the start of the holiday shopping season.

well, good news came my way thursday night. about 20 minutes after i listed these icy lanterns earrings i checked into etsy and these along with the russets earrings had been sold! at first i didn't understand and was like "hey, where the heck are my listings!" (duh!) before i figured it out..it was just such a surprise. i was so thrilled i sent my customer and ecstatic convo and a pair of lovely sterling silver and vintage lucite earrings as a free gift. so, for those keeping track (me) the first sale in the old shop took one month from the first listing and in the new shop just 8 days...not a bad start at all.

also, i joined indiepublic last night and have just been floored by the warm welcomes and hospitality i have received there...what a great site! you can visit me if you like...it is still a bit of a work in progress.

have a great labor day weekend everyone!

Ah Qua by HolSum...inside view

Ah Qua by HolSum...inside view
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

the Ah Qua bag from HolSum

I bought this fabulous clutch from HolSum on etsy. it is constructed of hand painted canvas on the outside and screen printed with becky's signature bird design on the inside. two snap closures keep the clutch closed and a flexible key ring allows me to hang my keys securely inside my purse and slip my fingers through the loop to carry it. this isn't just a clutch...it is truly a work of art!

you can see a side view of the Ah Qua bag here.
you can shop HolSum on etsy here.

i heart the new blog...promise!

sweetness
Originally uploaded by mud and mint

i neglected my old blog...so sad really.

why?
well, i had a few issues with it but in the end it was really about me not being content with my business name. carisdesigns...it just wasn't a good fit, decided on in a moment of haste years ago. it was a mistake and i wanted to take it back. so, i worried and agonized over making a decision and finally decided if i was going to do it, it had to be now...so here we are. i finally have a name i love and know will serve me well in the years to come as i continue to learn and grow.

now about the jewelry...

these sweetness earrings are one of my new loves. i bought the white agate discs last year and they are completely opaque and wonderful...i have not been able to find any more so these will be the last pair just like this...truly one of a kind. the little enameled bead caps are a lovely shade of sunshine that i picked up recently; again a limited edition find. i'm looking but still haven't been able to find any more just yet.

i hope you keep an eye on my blog...i'm still setting it up just so but i know it will be super spiffy real soon. i'll be featuring new items from myself and others who make cool, independently crafted goods...and maybe a few contests too.