{custom designs...}

you know i've been busy working on two new collections but i've also had some custom orders i thought i'd share with you!


these were actually a couple of orders i had over the holiday....


this is my second year providing a custom charm to the titleholders in the petite america pageant system - run by a good friend of mine ;-)


here's one of the wedding logos i've created to be a part of the "bonhomie bridal suite"......


and here it is translated into a custom charm - along with 2 others i created :-)


and here's a mixed metal necklace - bronze with copper. i'm REALLY loving the bronze - you'll see much more of it in the "bonhomie bridal suite" and in the "inspired" collection.

many people don't realize that when i say i do custom work, i really do mean custom!

so if there's something you've been looking for and just can't find - bonhomie jewelry may be your answer!

biz post....{ideas, sneak peeks & blogging}

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas! ours was busy - and sometimes tearful - but spent with family and we had an awesome day.

yesterday was spent chatting with more family, lounging in pjs, playing with new toys, watching movies and eating cheese and crackers and christmas cookies (oh my!) how do you spend the day after christmas?

i've been giving (further) thought to this blog o' mine and i'd really like to see it grow. i'd like it to become a community that means something to you and to me. i'm wondering if anyone out there would be interested in doing some guest posts? let me know via comment or email if you are!

and on to the sneak peeks & ideas......

here's a custom piece i did as a holiday gift - i REALLY love the pattern in the copper. i've got an idea for a collection similar to this. i'm hoping to experiment this week so i'll let you know!

and i've been making mention of a whole new venture of sorts BUT still related to my jewelry. here's a hint:

here's another hint: "bonhomie bridal suite"

okay, okay, i'll tell ya! my idea is to offer wedding monograms - on jewelry, on favors & on stationary (invitations, note cards, etc.). sort of 'one-stop-shopping'. nothing too elaborate but custom, giving each bride a designer look to their wedding. i'm hoping to offer the jewelry in different metals to allow for a variety of price points. i have a few other ideas for items that would be available through the "bonhomie bridal suite" but i'll need to do some testing first.

i'm having so much fun working on this! i would love to have everything ready in time for the bridal season but i'm not going to push it - the collection will develop in time ;-)

i'm off now to do some shopping with christmas gift cards (one of my favorite holiday traditions) and then maybe a family game night with our BFFs ;-)

what's on your agenda today?

newest addition to “words of faith” {and discount code!}

finally, finally, finally……i’ve added another piece to the “words of faith” collection! believe it or not, this phrase was the first i came up with for the collection. giving credit where credit is due, i read it in a devotional some time ago and it really stuck with me. “pray thru”. so simple but so powerful.

“be joyful always; pray continually……..” 1 thessalonians 5:16, 17. doesn’t get any simpler than that, does it? (at least in concept. putting it into practice is a bit more challenging *grin*)

and if you’re looking for that discount code, you’ll find it in my most recent newsletter: http://mim.io/8feb41 

happy shopping!

so here’s what happened {and new charms!}

i realize i’ve been absent from my blog for quite some time. it’s amazing (and frightening!) how quickly time can slip by without even realizing. it started with an illness (my son’s – doesn’t it always?!?!) and that illness spread to me. then back to him. then back to me. and i’ve been working on the web site and working on my husband’s web site and other promotional items and trying to keep up with my other jobs and making new pieces…..and suddenly it’s 20 days later! i apologize for my absence but i can’t promise it won’t happen again *grin* next on the project list (along with all the others) is switching all of our financial ‘stuff’ over to quickbooks. somebody pray for me.

anyhoo………the new bonhomie charms site is finally up!! the design is basically the same but we’ve got some new functionality including discount codes (yay!) i’m still tweaking the site so if it seems your discount code isn’t working, please drop me a line asap – i haven’t gotten them all entered yet. and if you notice any bugs, drop me another line. i’ve done the entire site on my own. there’s a reason people hire professionals :p

and, introducing the “loved charm”!

she looks beautiful with an add-on pearl and equally sweet with the new “itty bitty bar charms” which are sold separately (and the more you buy, the bigger the discount!)

last but not least, be sure to check out the “deal of the day” on the new site! currently, it’s “buy 3, get 30% off!”

so please forgive me for my absence, please pray for my sanity during the switch to quickbooks and please go check out the new site! let me know what you think! oh, and one more question: should i put the music back into the site? or go without?

{finally!} NEW words of faith collection…….

this collection has been weighing on my heart for some time and it’s finally coming to fruition! it began as a tiny idea, about 2 years ago. however, it was just that – only a vague idea. but it wouldn’t let me go. i knew i wanted to design a line that reflected my faith but i didn’t have the vision. still, i started keeping a list of verses and words that really stood out for me – the ones that were making an impact on my life at that time. and slowly, i began to see the designs. kinda blurry at first. lots of (bad!) sketches, some quickly discarded. but some i held on to. they just felt….right. over the course of a few months, more and more of the sketches were right and they’ve become the collection i believe He led me to. each charm will be a completely different design but all will be a message of hope and inspiration. perhaps sometimes a bit abstract but, as i said, based on verses that have been speaking to me. hopefully, they’ll speak to you as well!

i’ve designed the stamps myself and, even though these charms aren’t meant to be personalized, i believe the message itself makes this collection the most intimate i could offer.

the first charm of the series that i’ve created is based on the verse:

“i will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. my help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
~psalm 121:1-2

this verse has seen me through many a hardship. when my mother was first diagnosed, casting crown’s “praise you in this storm” stayed on ‘repeat’. praise Jesus. it moves me every time. surprisingly, this charm wasn’t meant to be the first in the collection. the first was supposed to be a charm who’s design was only finalized yesterday. i guess God had His own ideas about which should be first :-) so, without any further ado:

the next charms in the series should be coming pretty quickly – i just sent the files to my stamp maker (babyjewels) who is AWESOME, by the way!! check her out here and here if your looking for custom stamps or graphics! (or just go say ‘hey’ and tell her what an excellent job she did on my stamp)

so what do you think?

“sweethearts” charm debut…

the “sweethearts” charm made it’s official debut on april’s funky vintage lovely blog yesterday (and the giveaway over there is still open!!) but here she is again, just in case you missed her:

isn’t she lovely…….isn’t she wonderful *grin*

i’m very pleased with the design direction my charms are taking and i hope you are, too! i have at least 3 more coming very soon (one that’s perfect for mother’s day!) so make sure you keep an eye out! also coming soon – i hope – is a redesigned website. yes, i know….again?!? i’m basically happy with the current design so it won’t change too much but i am unhappy with the site’s limitations (for instance, there’s no option to use coupon codes without jumping through hoops. not cool.) so it’s back to the drawing board :-)

a new bracelet for bonhomie charms!

in case you missed the facebook and twitter announcements, bonhomie charms has another new addition! (i know, two within 7 days. the world must be coming to an end, right??)

the “one word” bracelet was inspired by this “one little word” exercise and the first word i chose was due in part to this post by gitzengirl. (she’s also the creator of the graphic of my “one word” over on my sidebar!)

i wanted to make this bracelet “me”. and i wanted to keep a handle on the price point, ya know? the charm is copper and what’s cool is the textured backside! charms on a bracelet hang differently than a charm on a necklace – as much as you’d like it to, the bracelet doesn’t always show ‘the pretty side’ so i decided to make both sides pretty :-) the bracelet is crafted of a double strand, egyptian leather cord. and i just love the bead trios!! the combinations are all me and there will be more to come!

of course, if you’d like your “one word” bracelet in silver, all ya hafta do is ask!

i’m thinking i might like the jump rings a bit more oxidized to soften the transition from the copper to the black leather – what do you think?

and tell me, what’s your “one word”?

introducing the “whimsy monogram” collection!

mixed metals, light-hearted and organic monogram charms!

a 5/8” copper charm, hand-stamped with the lower case initial of your choice pairs with a fine silver, whimsical personality tag! it’s all about who you are!

currently, the personality tags available are: heart, flower, star, butterfly, peace symbol, cross, coffee cup, dragonfly, paw print, sun, ampersand, and music note. more tags will be coming soon! a sterling silver spacer bead is nestled between the charms and hangs from a 16” leather cord.

add on additional monogram charms & personality charms to make your necklace unique.

now available on the Bonhomie Charms web site.

new charm available!

there's a new addition to the Bonhomie Charms "signature collection".......

introducing "daisy-girl"! isn't she sweet??

new goodies…….

i really love the silver pebble & pearl necklace (i wear mine everyday!) so i decided to make one for my sister…..

and i did a new charm: a distressed petite initial circle. i’m considering offering this one for sale on etsy instead of the charms website – i’d like to see the response and i’m having a hard time generating traffic to the website. anyone care to share some tips??

speaking of etsy, the new etsyonsale app was AWESOME over the holiday weekend! but…..as of 5pm on tuesday, everything is still stuck on sale. i’ve sent an email and posted on the forum so hopefully it will be resolved soon. i certainly don’t plan on shutting my shop down because of a software glitch, especially during the holiday shopping season so some of you may end up with some awesome deals because i’m offering another discount (nope, i’m not crazy. okay, well i am a little bit) ………

but you’ll have to head on over to gussysews to see how to take advantage of it!

new listing!

my newest spinner ring! a petite silver band with copper – love this! perfect for guys and gals. at least i think so! i have a few other new pieces in the works but unfortunately, i don’t think they’ll make it to the shop before the holiday. but here’s what’s cool: hubby designed three of the pieces!! yay! i love family collaboration ;-)

and speaking of family collaboration, my niece is helping me out with some online marketing – it’s a family affair! super cool! i am so thankful for my family – they’re so supportive and many of their lives are grounded in Christ. huge help to me when i’m feeling weak. and when am i not?

okay, i’m doing the family dinner thing for Thanksgiving, cooking for eight people, so i may not get back before the holiday. don’t forget the black friday thru cyber monday sale – everybody gets the “friends and family" discount (20%!!) and after that, i’ll announce my plans for additional holiday deals.

so what are your plans for Thanksgiving? and what are you thankful for?

new listings......

FINALLY getting some of the new listings up. aren't these sweet?? check out the new petite couleurs earrings and petite couleurs necklaces on etsy! available in turquoise, cobalt and spring green.

New listing (finally!!)

Lawdy, lawdy..........how long's it been since I listed something new??? Seems like for.ev.er but the wait is over!!

I've been spending so much time on the new website and charm redesigns that I'd completely forgotten about my time I spent contemplating different methods of forging and manipulating metal. (here's a funny.....just went looking for the post I wrote re these pieces and found I'D NEVER POSTED IT!! it was still in draft format - sheesh!) So anyway........

Here's the Twisted Copper series. The first listed is the Twisted Copper Ring. I'll list the necklace and the earrings shortly. And remind me - I have other forged and manipulated metal pieces to list later on!

Official Pageant Sponsor........

I had the fabulous opportunity to be one of the official sponsors for the first annual Petite America Pageant system!! Don't know if I've ever mentioned this but I am a 'pageant girl'!! I started with a local, New Haven pageant and then competed in the Miss America system on a local level. When I stopped competing, I volunteered for several years in several capacities in the same system. But I digress!!!

I provided some discout coupons for the contestants, gift certificates for the winners and..........

I created some custom charm necklaces for each titleholder!! The custom stamp was created by my favorite stamp maker babyjewels on Etsy. I'm very pleased with how the necklaces turned out. I just love custom work!!!

Bonhomie Charms will soon be offering custom stamps for everyone! Now your charms will truely be one-of-a-kind!! If you can imagine it, I can create it!

Bonhomie is back!!!

Not that I've actually gone anywhere.........but (obviously) I've been absent from the blogosphere. I'm sure you don't want to read all the tedious details of my life since last December - suffice it to say, I spent some time concentrating on my family and home life, reprioritized quite a bit, and have come up with a brand new gameplan (which may not look like a new gameplan to you BUT includes a brand new mindset for me!)



So..........up and coming: new designs, some redesigns, new photos (more on that later) and a new direction for my blog. You can also expect to see some price changes. I've held off as long as I could but material costs are gettin' up there..........:-( In addition, I've let go of my 1000Markets shop for the time being. Marketing one shop is hard enough!!! *grin*



Some specific changes to look out for: I'd like to begin my "Artist Confession" series again. There is so much fabulous work on Etsy and I'd really like to start sharing some of my favorites again. That being said, if you haven't been featured before, see the "Confession Instructions" on my sidebar. To see what they're all about, you can read previous confessions here.

I mentioned "marketing one shop" a minute ago. Technically, I'm actually marketing two shops if you include my Bonhomie Charms site. I'm considering offering a few charms through my Etsy shop. The customization options wouldn't be as great but perhaps it would get the word out - my local sales have been great but no real activity online. My thought would be to have a specific font assigned to a specific charm shape......what do you think?

I would really like to thank all of my customers - the support they provided even when I wasn't working as hard as I should have been is so greatly appreciated!!!

Please, please, please do comment! Fellow artists, former & current customers and anyone who just happens upon my blog! Your feedback is invaluable!!



Until next time (which will be much sooner than you've previously been accustomed!!!)

Sneak Peek II...

So I've finally finished my marathon photo session and here's a sneak peek of the rest of the pieces!

Petit Bijou Necklaces:

Whimsy Necklaces:

Calla Lily Collection:

Bracelet additions to the Elements Collection:

I haven't quite finished with the Petit Bijou Collection - there are at least two necklaces and two pairs of earrings I've in mind to create. And I'm anticipating some minor changes to the Whimsy Collection - I've come up with a better idea for the necklace bails. But, for the most part, there it is!

Now I've just got to get them all listed!! Whew!

My copper obsession.......

I promised you photos of the new copper pendants so here they are:

I've already listed them in my etsy shop and will be listing them in my 1000Markets shop shortly.

I haven't yet created the pendant to match my ring but I have come up with a name for the series thanks to Stacie, a fellow SATeam member..........this will be my "Moonrock" series! Fitting, yes?

FINALLY...........

.......Something new to show you!! You may remember, I've had in mind for some time a new series working with metal clay. Here's an unedited, sneak peek photo of the first piece:



My original plan was to incorporate some black pearls but the stock I have on hand was a bit too large - they protruded too much for my liking. I'm really excited about this series - I'm planning a couple of pendant variations and maybe some earrings as well. I haven't decided on a name for the series but I'm close! Before I made the first piece, I had in mind "The Galaxy Series" but looking at it now, I'm not so sure. Suggestions??


I've also started a copper pendant series but they need a bit more fine tuning before I photograph them. I'm so happy to be working on new pieces!! I've also purchased some new supplies for the 'mystery' series that will be available only at Brazen Betties - photos for that soon to come, as well!


And speaking of "unedited photos" I've gotten to the point that I HATE even thinking about having to photograph my work!! Obviously, that's an issue since I sell my pieces online. I'm pretty sure my work won't sell on description alone! I've tried the DIY light box and that hasn't helped my photos. Next step is to buy a light cube kit. I found this which seems pretty reasonable. It comes with a tent, 3 backgrounds, 2 lights, a camera stand and carrying case. But there's also this cube for less. It doesn't include the lights but I've heard others say they use inexpensive lights they've picked up from Home Depot with the daylight bulbs. I'd love to get some feedback! Also, is anyone using a Canon PowerShot SD750? If so, do you have any tips on the settings? I think it's time to get out the manual so I can move away from the auto settings. *sigh* So much to do!! ;-)