Psssst!

Have you grabbed your favorite piece with my 20% off sale yet?? Things are moving!
Use coupon code BOXINGWEEK2010 to get 20% off anything in either shop - the sale ends Dec 31st at 9pm PST!!

Some of my favorites still waiting for new homes from my One of a Kind Shop :

Satsuma Bracelet 

 Lucky Bamboo Necklace

Plume Necklace

Crimson Ring 

Classic Favorites up for grabs in my Made to Order Shop : 


Take Flight Bangle

Angelic Ring

 Boho Hoops

Fern Cuff

Also, have you entered my giveaway for the Story of a Lady Brooch ??
The contest submissions end tomorrow, Dec 30th at 9pm PST!!

Dinner Dilemmas Solved :: Red Thai Curry

Dinner Dilemmas is going to be a new series I am going to try and continue through this new year. I am by no means a superstar chef, but I am pretty good at whipping things up in a pinch, so I thought it might be nice to share some stand by, tried and true recipes with you all.
I would love to hear comments from you all on if you try the recipe, or if you want to share a recipe of yours!


The first Dinner Dilemmas recipe is one of my favorites. Super easy, great taste and easily changed so it never gets boring ::


Red Thai Curry


Ingredients List :
2 tbsp of red thai curry paste
1 can coconut milk ( i use the light and it still tastes great!)
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces (you could easily swap tofu in here for to make it vegetarian) 
4 kaffir lime leaves sliced in thin ribbons ( sometimes I can't find these - I will zest 2 limes instead) 
1 cup quinoa ( I also use brown rice sometimes)


Veggies of choice - this time I used a can of baby corn, 2 cups chopped cauliflower, 2 cups chopped mushrooms, 1 cup peapods. I have used bell peppers and broccoli in the past too. 

Directions:

Start by adding the curry paste, fish sauce and coconut milk in a wok or deep pan, and blend over low heat. 

Put one cup Quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Let boil for 13 minutes, then turn heat off, cover and let sit.

Chop chicken and veggies.

Add chopped chicken to the sauce, and cook for ten minutes ( do not let boil )  

Add the veggies, sugar and sliced lime leaves/lime zest, stir well then let simmer for another 10 minutes. 

Fluff quinoa, and serve in the bottom of a dish with curry on top.

Enjoy!!! 

Boxing Week Sale!!

Tis the season to clear house and make room for new designs in the New Year!!

Use the coupon in either shop until Dec 31st for 20% off!! 

www.bellabijoujewellery.etsy.com and 

www.bellabijoutoo.etsy.com 

YAY 2010 is almost OVER Giveaway!!

**EDITED - the contest is now closed! The winner will be announced on New Years Day!**
As some of you may know, 2010 has been a bit of a rough year for myself, my family, and my friends. I am very honestly looking forward to it ending.
Bring on 2011!!


I figured what better way to end this year with a bang than to have a giveaway! A few of my metalsmithing friends have done just this and it has gotten the giving spirit flowing in me!


Please watch :-)** upon playing this back it seems the sounds is a bit off from the timing of the video - rats!*

Story of a Lady Brooch,
Sterling Silver, Copper and Freshwater Pearl




THE RULES:


In order to be entered:
Please leave a comment telling me one of your favorite traditions this time of year. It can be a Christmas tradition, or some other holiday, or a completely non-holiday tradition that you like to do in the winter time! 
{For example - every year I HAVE to watch National Lampoons Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. It just ain't Christmas until I have giggled my way through this movie.}


Its *THAT* Easy!


Contest runs from now until 9pm PST Dec 30th 2010. 
Winner will be announced New Years Day 2011!!!


I look forward to reading all the entries - Good Luck and thank you for your continued support this year!!

Fleur De Sel Caramels = Love at First Taste!

I have always been a sucker for caramel anything.
in fact, you could probably put caramel on anything and I would go to town on it.
It is a weakness of mine for sure.

So, this holiday season I decided to step away from my usual Christmas baking, and make some things I hadn't before.

As you can imagine, Fleur de Sel {sea salt} Caramels were at the top of the list!

They were fabulously easy, and melt in your mouth soft and chewy, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Now, I feel compelled to warn you - these will tempt you! I strongly recommend wrapping them up in gift baggies and giving them away to friends and family and people you truly love asap - or you will eat them!!

 {I'll just have one more...}

Fleur De Sel Caramels

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon Fleur De Sel (sea salt)

1 ½ cups white granulated sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup water

Equipment needed:

Deep fat/candy thermometer

Parchment paper

Wax paper cut into 4 inch squares

Instructions:

Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.

Bring cream, butter and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Boil sugar, corn syrup and water in a large saucepan, stirring until dissolved.

Once sugar is dissolved, boil WITHOUT stirring (gently swirl pan ever few minutes) until mixture is a light golden caramel.

Carefully stir in cream mixture (warning, mixture will bubble up!) and simmer, stirring frequently until caramel registers 248°F on the thermometer (approx 10-15 minutes)

Pour into lined baking pan and cool for 2 hours. Cut into 1 inch squares then wrap in 4 inch squares of wax paper, twisting ends to close.

Last and very important step!!!

EAT AND ENJOY!

-Jaime

PS - What are YOU making this holiday season??

Shop Update Preview!

Finally my first shop update of December! I have been shamefully bad at blogging this month, but would you forgive me if I told you that I threw my back out at work and it has been rather ( um, actually very) uncomfortable to sit for long periods of time? Or stand, or lay.... I have been in quite a discomfort period really.
Apparently I am no spring chicken anymore, and cannot quite maneuver as many heavy boxes as I used to!
Either way, here is the first sneak peek for December - I will be adding them to the shop Monday around noon Vancouver time (PST)

I also have some new goodies I have been working on for my Made to Order shop to debut for the new year, should have previews of those up soon! ( famous last words, right?)


Starry Starry Night Ring
Sterling Silver and Labradorite

Rainbow Fragments Necklace
Sterling Silver and (super delicious!) Ocean Jasper

Garden of Secret Thoughts Ring
Sterling Silver and Chrysoprase

Lucky Bamboo Necklace
Sterling Silver and Ribbon Turquoise

Hope you love them and they find good homes!

Aspirations - The Handmade Divisions Dec Talk About Blog

By now you know I am part of a team of amazing people called The Handmade Division.
Each month, we blog simultaneously about a pre-determined topic. This months is :

"Where do you aspire to be in 5 years?"

This is something I think about, and dream about constantly. I have always been the type of person to set goals and plans for myself. I have always been the girl who dreams about what is to come - and something I have known since I was a little girl was that I have always wanted to work for myself.
With 2010 marking the 5th year of Bella-Bijou, more and more I dream about making the leap from working a part time job as well as my jewellery, to just creating for a living.
But, I am not solely a career person - more than anything in the world I want a family. In 5 years, I would like to see myself happily enjoying motherhood ( something I wish was already in the works...) I dream of having a proper home studio, where I can work for myself, at my own pace and still be home to enjoy my kids.
I see Bella-Bijou continually growing, both in design and concept, as well as hopefully with its  presence in the jewellery world. I started out with no plans of business, just wanting to sell some of the pretty stuff I liked to make. I worked full time at my job, and was discovering a way to curb my creative urges through jewellery design. Slowly ( sometimes painfully so!) and surely, five years later I have cut my work week in half, and feel completely soul satisfied with hammer in one hand and metal in the other.
I can only imagine the potential the next 5 years could bring :-)

Check out what some of my teammates think about this subject :

Andes Cruz: www.andescruz.wordpress.com

Tess Norberg: www.nova-designs.blogspot.com
Rebekah Timlin Meddles: www.lunasadesigns.blogspot.com
Jewelry by Natsuko: www.jewelrybynatsuko.blogspot.com

JJ Papke: www.rosyrevolver.blogspot.com
Beth Cyr: http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com

Tosca Teran: www.nanopod.wordpress.com

A little preview...

I very, very rarely post pics of items in progress. Mainly because I tend to work non stop from start to finish, and I always forget to take a moment to snap a shot or two.
I thought I'd change things up a bit, and spark some interest early by posting a snap of 3 upcoming items!

On the Left is Rainbow Fragments NecklaceThe top right is Starry Starry Night RingBottom right is Garden of Secret Thoughts Ring
The rings have yet to be attached to any particular size... just in case they strike your fancy, let me know! :-)

Hand Me Down Tree

Nothing beats the smell of a real live Christmas tree for me.
I have fond memories of going with Dad ( AKA expert tree picker outer ) and spending what seemed like hours ( very possibly could have been with my dad!) finding the most perfect, plump and full tree. 
I miss these things - taking a day away from the stresses of life to find that tree and decorate it. Each of us with our rolls : Dad in charge of lights, mom in charge of the breakable ornaments, Jason in charge of tinsel, and then I was in charge of finishing touches - to go around and rearrange everything and spread out the globs of tinsel :-) 
A great team!


Ever since moving out years ago I miss this,
because pulling a tree out of a box because you live in a rental just doesn't have the same glamour does it ? LOL
What does help is the collection of ornaments that have been passed down to me, from my grandmother to my mother, and finally to me. Some of them are incredibly special, and I hope one day I can pass them on and continue the tradition. 
In fact, my tree itself is a hand me down from my grandmother - and a darn good fake tree if I do say so myself! 


So last night, out of the box it came. The tree stand some how got dismantled which led to about 45 minutes of me cursing under my breath whilst trying to put it all back together. 
Dan did the lights,
we both hung the ornaments,
I did the tinsel...


And then I secretly rearranged plenty of the ornaments later *shhhh* 


Without further adieu I give you :


The Hand Me Down Tree

First Time Fair Goer

So, as I mentioned a couple of times lately, I did an Art Market last weekend. Previously I had only ever done one ( very poorly organized and advertised) craft fair, and I will be honest, I have avoided these things like the plague ever since.
You see, I am shy. I always have been.
I get a little funny about trying to promote and sell my work - its completely out of my comfort zone. For me creating is about something so much more soul satisfying than constant selling. Of course, I continually amaze myself when my pieces do sell, thus helping me pay my way through this life. Like maybe, just maybe I am doing something right?? LOL.
I feel blessed every time I sell something, knowing that I have poured a part of me into each and every thing I make, and there is someone out there ready to connect with that.
How amazing is that?
Anyways, I have always loved the idea of selling online to get seen by wonderful people worldwide. I get a little giddy when I think of how there is Bella-Bijou Jewellery out there in far away places like Japan, Finland, Tasmania,Vietnam etc. Yet another reason I have never focused my energies into local shows.
BUT, it has been on my mind, it was an experience I knew I should let myself have, whether it end up good or bad. Thankfully, it was good :-)

I learned plenty, and I soaked in as much feedback as I could from the fair goers that gazed on my table.
There were favorite pieces which I expected.
There were favorites that I completely didn't expect.
There were plenty of "oohs and ahhs" and many compliments on the attention to the finer details in my pieces ( that was truly so wonderful to hear!)

Here are a few pictures of my table.
YES, I know it is probably so very amateur compared to some, but my main goal was to not look like the (many) other jewellery vendors there. I wanted my table to fit with my style, and to display things in a way that wouldn't look to prim and proper.

 I tried to get a full view - not so easy with an 8 foot long table!
{check out the amazing umbrella display on the back wall!}

The right side of my table, with my sign, ring display and necklace tree.

We mixed up the necklaces on the table a few times over the weekend, just to keep things fresh. Have things dispersed throughout the table kept equal attention I found.

My ring box display {it was bought as a candle tray!}
It was propped up and gathered quite a bit of attention.

My handmade necklace board {lined with corduroy} 

I pinned all my really intricate one of a kind necklaces here, so they could be easily seen.

I also found these great little white leaf dishes that I used to put bracelets and rings it - I thought their shape matched my nature inspired style perfectly!

All in all, it was a great experience. There were plenty of people shopping, and I was surrounding by amazing artists and creators everywhere. 

it was however, and incredible amount of prep work - I really don't know how people do this all the time?? I am still exhausted a week after it is over lol.

Still totally worth doing, changing my outlook and expanding my level of comfort... I may just even do it again ;-p

Sometimes you just gotta...

.... indulge in the finer things in life - like a tasty glass of Malbec your honey won for second prize in a Halloween costume contest ( he went as a National Inquirer Magazine cover lol)

After weeks and weeks of being sick, while trying to prepare for a two day market, I think I earned that glass...err, glasses ;-P