Hello! Welcome back to my monthly blog. 😃
Well, while the middle of summer is a slower time for many, July did NOT slow down for me!
The biggest event of this month took place right in the middle: San Diego Comic-Con! I go every year and have a blast! Seeing all those people in cosplay and some of the most amazing costumes ever is so fun. I cosplayed as both Tifa from Final Fantasy 7 and Harley from Suicide Squad this year. 😉 I also made TEN limited edition pieces around the Comic-Con theme! I was a busy bee in the weeks leading up to the event. 😅 Five were official limited edition releases (check them out on my website in the ‘Themed Collections’ section under ‘Comic Con 2023’ if you missed my posts about ‘em!), two were bonus Comic-Con inspired pieces released a week after the event, and three were for the Treasure Hunts I hosted during Comic-Con around San Diego. I have descriptions of each of these pieces for you at the bottom of this blog.
How great is it when a whole event you planned out goes off without a hitch? Well… this hunt was unfortunately NOT like that. 😭There was a HUGE “glitch” with Instagram where they TOOK DOWN BOTH OF MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS right as Comic-Con started, the day after I did the first (of what was supposed to be FIVE) treasure hunts. 😡My business account and my personal account (where I post about/host the hunts) were just… gone. And then because I spent the next couple days trying to sort things out & losing a couple days of Comic-Con, and ended up getting my business account back (thank goodness), I ended up doing only two more hidden treasures. It worked out in the end, though I’m still one Instagram account short. Sigh. But yay for hidden treasures and the people that found them!
One thing that came out of the Instagram issue & not knowing when or if my account would be accessible was that I created an awesome mobile backpack to display my jewelry while walking around Comic-Con! I ended up learning all about the sidewalk vending permit as well due to that. Turns out you need to have that permit to display your business in a portable way like that. To apply for the permit, you must pay a fee and it must be officially associated with your business. This is an example of the extra fun side of running your own business, am I right? 🤪
Another thing that took place that same weekend was COSPLAY DAY at the Vista Farmers Market! In honor of Comic-Con, the market held its first ever Cosplay Day, which took place on the Saturday of that same weekend. There were some great costumes, but we want more next time! Some of the ones I saw were Doc Ock from Spider-Man, a pirate, and a dinosaur. Yours truly was Harley Quinn. 😉 People needed to submit a photo of themselves in costume somewhere at the market, and the following weekend, the market had them displayed for patrons to vote on for their favorite! The top three winners received a bunch of prizes donated by different vendors at the market, including a piece of jewelry from me 😁. The first place winner was an adorable little girl in a Supergirl costume!
~~~~~~~~~~
I had a couple jewelry restocks and releases in July outside of the Comic-Con stuff too. I restocked a couple pieces in the anime collection (Totoro Bangle & Moon Stick) and created stamped rings for you so the stamped bangles have some company!
I also started a new series in my Instagram posts called WHAT’S YOUR SIGNET?—each one will feature jewelry from one of the 6 main signets from the Star Wars universe with a deep dive (in the caption) into its history and significance. The first part of this series was on the Mandalorian signet!
~~~~~~~~~~
While there were some chaotic and anxious moments, it was still an AWESOME MONTH! Sunshine, costumes, making jewelry, and Comic-Con! I’m grateful for all of that and all of you and the best boyfriend in the world. 😊
Catch me here next month to hear updates from August! Hoping we all have a smooth month. 🤗
Read on for the descriptions of the Comic-Con releases and the hidden treasures.
The pieces released in anticipation of Comic-Con:
🎉 Comic-Con Release #1:
✨DITTO!✨
🥸 This adorable master of disguise appears as sterling silver earrings and necklaces! The stud earrings are just under ½ an inch and Ditto sits at an angle. The necklace pendant is just under ¾ of an inch and there are two versions: one where Ditto hangs straight and another where he hangs at an angle. A special feature the pendant has is a hidden bail—that means the little loop for the necklace chain to go through is on the back, instead of right on top, giving Ditto a floaty look as he hangs on the chain!
🎉 Comic-Con Release #2:
✨MOON DROP EARRINGS!✨
How amazing would it be to have the same earrings as Sailor Moon? 😍 Our dreams have come true!
Sailor Moon’s heavenly drop earrings have a crescent moon hanging at the bottom, facing upward, under a vertical line of three circles. There are two ear wire options: stud and French wire. The three discs are sterling silver and the moon is 14k gold.
✨ The shine on these is sublime. ✨
Never stop reaching for the moon and fighting for love and justice! 🌜
🎉 Comic-Con Release #3:
✨AKATSUKI CLOUD RING!✨
☁️ A symbol of the sky is always powerful! The Akastuki cloud is a specific cloud style and shape, instantly recognizable as the image adorning the long cloaks that the members of the Akatsuki organization wear in Naruto. While the cloud on the cloaks in the Naruto TV series is dark red with a white outline, the cloud ring here is sterling silver! This solid ring has a masculine look to it, with the cloud and the band itself measuring at just about half an inch. The ring has a shiny finish, but with some slightly darker silver & aged or weathered-looking shading. For those who prefer it, the cloud can be done in 14k gold as well! ☁️
🎉 Comic-Con Release #4:
✨COMIC SPEECH BUBBLE NECKLACES!✨
POW! Comic strip-style speech bubbles have arrived and are perfect to help you display what’s on your mind! 😜
The speech balloons come in four forms, all in sterling silver:
💬 SPEAK.
🌬️ whisper.
💭THOUGHT…
📢 SCREAM!
(The pendants for each speech style look a little different.) There are two hidden bails on the back of each speech bubble pendant so they hang dreamily on the necklace chain without the clasp spinning around.
And best of all—these bubbles are customizable! 😃
🎉 Comic-Con Release #5:
✨GROGU!✨
🥹 Ahhhh, the cuteness! The cuteness of Baby Yoda is unmatched. 😍
Grogu comes in two forms: RING and NECKLACE.
There are three rings and three necklaces available. The ring is a heavy band, 4mm wide. The pendant hangs on a 17” chain and because of the awesome hidden bail feature, it appears to float on the chain as if by the power of the Force! [These pieces are so cute & shiny that even our slimy friend from the darkest depths in an alternate universe would be unable to resist them and their preciousness. 😉]
Grogu, who is sitting in his pod, is all sterling silver and you have the option of with or without eyes on his face—I have to confess that the reason there are some without eyes is that learning how to draw eyes on metal rather than paper is a bit harder and less straightforward than it seems! 😜But worry not—mastered, the skill has been. 😏
🌌Much like a shooting star does not appear in the night sky simply when wished for, Grogu is only available when in stock and cannot be ordered. However, even if you are not incredibly Force-sensitive like our sweet, little friend, ALWAYS APPRISED YOU WILL BE when he comes back in stock! 👌
🎉 Comic-Con BONUS Release #1:
📢 Calling all ninjas—this exclusive RING is inspired by the NARUTO HEADBAND!
All sterling silver, the band has a slightly matte finish and the top part has a shiny finish, matching perfectly with any other silver jewelry you wear.
These epic rings are inspired by one of the most popular anime series of all time, representing your love for Naruto and the world of shinobi! 🥷The ring already made has the symbol for Leaf Village. 🍃⚔️
What is even better is that you can customize the symbol you choose to go on top! You can choose another of the various symbols in the Naruto series, or even a symbol that is something completely different (that would fit on the top plate of the ring).
🎉 Comic-Con BONUS Release #2:
This fabulous creation is a PIN HOLDER NECKLACE! 📿
This is the ultimate way to showcase your most cherished pins as fashionable necklaces. The pin holder pendant itself is sterling silver, comes in a couple different shapes, and is ready to go for you to simply attach your pin to it. Display your favorite pins like never before, making a statement at every Comic-Con and event!
The treasures that were created to be hidden and found for Treasure Hunt #6:
💎HIDDEN TREASURE 6.1:
🎮🪙1-UP MUSHROOM TOKEN! This trinket from Super Mario is in the form of a sterling silver coin. Wahoo! This was hidden in Little Italy.
💎HIDDEN TREASURE 6.2:
💖 PIXEL HEART KEYCHAIN! This is the most adorable heart you ever did see, made of sterling silver, and it is already planned as a future regular release. 🎉 This treasure was hidden by Broadway Pier.
💎HIDDEN TREASURE 6.3:
💠HARLEY QUINN’S DIAMOND PENDANT! This sterling silver beauty is just under an inch long. It features a hidden bail on the back, so it can be converted to a keychain OR necklace. This treasure was hidden by Rady Shell.