Sweet Hearts

It's mid January...and the holidays are in the past, but don't let the winter blues get you down. In the light of Valentine's Day, I recently created a few "Sweet Heart" designs to keep those blues away. Hope these charms warm your heart!

Keep heart and stay warm this winter.

Jewelry by Carmen Bowe

FEB 14th is Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is FEB 14th, here's my shipping cut-offs for getting some glittering goods.

***Important Dates:

Jan 30th is the "recommended" last day I will ship via Canada Post prior to Valentine's Day within Canada, Jan 26th is the recommended date for US & International shipments. Ok, so let's back track (7-15 business days to create your custom order). Jan 16th is the last day I will accept a custom order for Valentine's Day. Pressed for time, perhaps we can make an arrangement for Express Shipping...Or I can create something for you for Mother's Day (May 10th).
It's never too early to think about Mother's Day!

***Please Note:

Unfortunately, due to possible delays at customs, I cannot guarantee on time delivery for any International shipments (US & Overseas).

To avoid disappointment, please order early.

Cheers,
Carmen

Welcome to my 'New' Blog

Hello, and welcome to my newly transformed blog. Many thanks to the lovely and talented designer Emily at PolkaDotPixels for helping me create my new blog background. She is a dream to work with.

After a busy holiday season, I am looking forward to a promising year ahead. Hummmmm, what will 2009 bring? Isn't that the magic question. This year, I hope to add more designs to my shop, blog a little more, spend more quality time with my family, workout a little more and hopefully have the opportunity to expand my jewelry collection locally.

Enough said, please stop by often...As always, feel free to zip by my shop to check out my latest designs. I specialize in custom designs, so if you can imagine it, perhaps we can work together to transform your idea into a personal 'wearable' piece of art.

Yours in Design,
Carmen

Warmest Wishes for a Very Happy New Year

Warmest wishes for a very Happy New Year! Many thanks to all my friends, family and clients for a successful start with my jewelry business. My Etsy adventure started on Oct 21, 2008 and has been growing ever since.

Your support and business is much appreciated. A BIG Thank You to all of you from the bottom of my heart.

Yours in design,
Carmen Bowe

The stories behind the jewelry

Creating jewelry has been an incredible journey...being able to transform an idea into a wearable piece of art is truly a special job for me. I enjoy creating special designs for people from all over the world and hearing about all the beautiful stories behind each jewel piece. I am blessed and truly honoured to have something I made, be worn by others. Many thanks to all my friends, family and clients for the opportunity for allowing me to create something truly meaningful for them.

I am always sporting a piece of jewelry that celebrates my family; it's become sort of a "good luck charm" for me, as well as for many other moms I know. I realize everyone wants something a little sentimental, something that is theirs and theirs alone. Something special that you can't just pick up at your local mall. Carmen Bowe jewelry is just that...custom pieces, as special and as unique as the person wearing the jewelry.

I LOVE the above designs so much, I plan on introducing them to my shop in 2009!

"I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have"
~Thomas Jefferson

Cheers,
Carmen Bowe

Testimonials

Hear what people are saying about jewelry by Carmen Bowe:

"I wanted to say thanks for being so quick to design/send the bracelet - it's a christmas gift for my mom. The bracelet is perfect and I know my mom will be so touched and just love it. Again, thank you, and I hope your etsy business flourishes. Will definitely buy from you again in the future."
~Danielle-Fergus, Ontario

"Just recieved the necklace. Absolutely gorgeous, and so quick. Thank You."
~Cath Caesar-Wilts, England, United Kingdom

"I LOVE your work! I get many great compliments on it! Thank you."
~Kari Gilmour-Hamilton, Ontario

"Hi Carmen, I received the bracelet today. It is beautiful! Thanks so much. I'll be sure to let everyone know where I got it."
~Heather-New Brunswick

"Just wanted to let you know that I got the bracelet in the mail today and it's absolutely gorgeous! Better than I even expected. Can't wait to order from you again!"
~Natasha-Lynchburg, Virginia

"It arrived yesterday and I LOVE IT!! Thank you soooo much! You not only did a great job on the jewelry, your personalized customer service is top notch!!! It was a pleasure working with you and I will certainly spread the word about you!!"
~Virginia-Lake Mary, Florida

Dreaming in Baubles Custom Charm Necklace

I have had many requests for a toggle clasp closure, so here is a picture of my latest design. This dreamy little necklace is perfect for the days you want to wear something special, it's unique and elegant. I designed this piece to represent a mixture of modern couture and timeless comforts. I hope you enjoy this piece, as much as I enjoyed creating it.

By Carmen Bowe

Embrace The Warmth Of Copper

Copper has become a new favourite metal of mine. If you love the look of gold, but hate the price, copper is an affordable alternative which also gives a beautiful warm glow. People often question how well copper keeps, and if copper will turn. Copper oxidizes by tarnishing, the same way that sterling silver tarnishes and the way iron rusts. It's a natural progression and the environment determines how rapidly it will happen. Oxidization progresses faster in high humidity, but the effect of oxidation is also affected by one’s body chemistry. The effect is different for everyone, one person may wear copper every day and never have it turn, and another person may wear it for one day and it may oxidize. Similarly, one can oxidize sterling silver in one day as well. Sterling silver is a metal alloy of silver (92.5%) and copper (7.5%). The addition of copper to silver makes it stronger. It is the copper in the alloy that causes sterling silver to tarnish. People are different, thus is the reason why the same perfume may smell different on everyone…again symbolizing that we are all a little different through our body chemistry. Although, I'm not an expert, there is a lot of subjective evidence to propose copper metals may also help people reduce arthritis pains.

Bringing out the shine in copper:

If your copper oxidizes, all you have to do is rinse it about in a small container of water and a squirt of lemon juice, along with a pinch of salt to bring out the bling again. Finally, you can polish your copper with a jewelry polishing cloth. When not worn, remember to keep your copper jewelry in an air tight container or bag (mini zip lock bags will do the trick)…this will help slow down the oxidation.

Yours in design,
Carmen Bowe

Keep your bling in tip top shape!

Tips on keeping your jewelry in 'tip top' shape:

*Always put on your jewelry last and avoid direct contact with beauty products (perfume and body lotions).
*Always store your jewel pieces away from direct sunlight, in an air tight container or bag. Mini zip lock bags are perfect. This helps to prevent tarnish. Store your sterling and gold jewelry in separate bags before putting into your jewelry boxes.
*Finally, you can polish your jewelry with a polishing cloth; just make sure that it is safe for your jewelry. Some polish can damage stones and remove the oxidation in the letters…so we don’t want that to happen. Read the care instructions on the polishing cloth to be certain.

For normal everyday wear:

I design my jewelry to endure normal everyday wear; however, I don’t recommend my jewel pieces to be worn while sleeping, showering, exercising or partaking in any strenuous physical activity. My jewelry is Not Recommended for those under 3 years of age.

***Not for Under 5 years:

Jewelry by Carmen Bowe is Not Recommended for those under 5 years of age. I do my best to make my jewels sturdy, but the findings, Swarovski crystals and pearls are small and I don’t want you to take any chances. Upon purchase, Buyer acknowledges that Carmen Bowe is not responsible for any accidents.

Custom Bling

I recently had the pleasure of creating a few custom orders (Thank You Ladies!I appreciate your business and your referrals are most welcome)...if you have a specific design in mind, please contact me to see if we can create a unique jewel piece together. I am in the mist of doing another custom order this weekend, but will be adding more items to my shop in the near future.