And the "Name It To Win" Winner Is...

Drumroll...

Elaine R is the "Name It To Win" soap winner from the blog giveaway contest that ended Saturday, June 10th, 2010. Her name contribution for my necklace design was "Desert Sky." Elaine has 3 days to respond to my email to claim her soap!

Everyone had very creative name contributions. Thank you all for participating! I chose Elaine's name because I also get a "desert" feeling from this piece, and the blue/orange combination is reminiscent of a sunrise or sunset desert sky just about anywhere across the southwest region of the U.S.

There will be a matching pair of earrings also listed with this name in my Etsy shop. Watch for both pieces to be listed on Monday...and stay tuned for my next blog giveaway. Can everyone say "earrings?" Let me know if there is a particular style or stone you would like to see for the earring giveaway.

Dana @ DLPom and Soap Sense

From One Pet Lover To Another

One of my kitties just returned home on Thursday from his radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism. Left untreated, hyperthyroidism is fatal. We were fortunate enough to be able to afford the treatment and the 3-day nuclear ward isolation required by law. My pets are part of our family, and I know others feel the same way.

If you are also a pet lover, please consider visiting Tasty Vintage on Etsy, and make a purchase for Molly. Molly is a very sweet, family dog that needs surgery. Read more about Molly here, and see her picture! Who could refuse those big, brown eyes?

After you visit some of the items from TastyVintage below, go hug your pet!



Dana @ DLPom & Soap Sense

Name It to Win!

Typically, as I am creating a jewelry design, a name just comes to me somewhere along the way. I can't explain this phenomenon...a fitting name just pops into my head and the jewelry piece is named!

But every once in awhile, nothing pops. No name ideas...nothing. And the harder and longer I think about it, the worse it gets. Writer's block sets in and sometimes I don't list it on Etsy for weeks because it is an orphan until I have the time to revisit it.

So, throughout the summer I would like readers to help with this dilemma. The carnelian and turquoise necklace at right has no name. This contest is about creatively naming the necklace for my shop, DLPom, to win a bar of soap from my other Etsy shop, SoapSense. Good for me, and good for you if you win! I'm hoping you will love both of my shops and visit me again in the future.

So, enter your best, creative name for the necklace by 7/10/10 in the comments below. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you via blog, shop, or email if you win. I'll choose my favorite of the names suggested, and you'll receive a bar of my wonderful "Relaxation" soap as listed on Etsy. If you are an Etsy shop owner, I'll reference your shop in the necklace listing as winner of this naming contest as an extra perk.

Other contest details:

- 1 winner, must be 18 years or older
- 1 entry per person
- Winner must reside in U.S. or Canada
- Prize Value: $5.00 and shipping to you is FREE
- Winner must respond within 3 days. If not, another winner will be chosen.

Good luck! I can't wait to see your name submissions

~Dana @ DLPom and SoapSense on Etsy

Tweet Earring Contest!

Follow me (DLPom) on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DLPom

Then, just RETWEET my contest tweet!

25th RETWEET wins these earrings from my Etsy shop, DLPom: http://twitpic.com/223sag

Winner will be announced on Twitter. Good luck!

AND WE HAVE A WINNER...DRUMROLL...

@Glambert2169 on Twitter!

Contest Closed!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I desperately need to get outside and do some photography... But hurricane Alex and other weather systems have had us in the rain for going on 4 straight days now. This is a picture outside my back door. I have a lot of cabin fever, but worst of all is that I can't accomplish the business tasks that I want, and really need to do.

It isn't easy for me to be derailed like this. Yes, there are many other crafting/business things I could work on - like cleaning my craft room, organizing my soap supplies, sorting through jewelry findings, etc. But the photography thing would still be nagging at me.

As soon as I finish this short blog for the day, I need to refocus on something productive. What do you do when your day doesn't cooperate with your crafing/business goals?

Beware of the Ultra-Sensitive

Seems that my last blog post titled, "Beware of Pseudo-Soap" touched a raw nerve with some fellow Etsians... Apparently, some are sensitive about implying that imported goods are somehow inferior.

At the risk of even more criticism, I want to defend my previous post.

First of all, I simply reported what I saw. I was telling it like I saw it. Simply the facts.

Nowhere did I say "all" imported goods were inferior. Goodness knows that I use many imported gemstones and sterling silver findings in my jewelry designs!

And once people veered off the path and into the ditch, the point of my post was lost. I was simply trying to say that folks should be careful what they purchase and put on their skin, regardless of where it is made...and in this case, mass produced.

I find it unsettling that people try to spin a message to fit their agenda or highlight some point with which they are "sore."

Hope this isn't too controversial for you! :)

Until next time, happy blogging!

Beware of Pseudo-Soap!

A few days ago I was browsing my local "all things imported" store, (which shall remain nameless) and since I had a little time to kill, I worked my way through the imported furniture, imported pillows, imported baskets, imported foods (do you get the picture?), and stumbled into the bath and body section...imported of course!

I thought I'd check out the competition in bar soaps. And first impressions were fantastic: Lovely packaging with colorful labels. Nice, chunky bars with exotic names and intoxicating scents. The price was right...only $6.00 for a 4-5 oz. bar.

But then, I looked more closely. "Made in China" and "Made in India" was the name of the game on these soap bars. And upon even closer inspection, the ingredients contained many chemical names I could not even pronounce. No mention of olive oil, jojoba, or shea -- the ingredients I have come to know that make great, handcrafted soap!

Then, it got even more interesting...

In even smaller print, the label said:

- avoid contact with eyes (O.K., all soap can burn if it gets in your eyes)
- avoid contact with lips (Huh? How am I supposed to wash my face with this?)

AND...

- avoid contact with sensitive areas

So, exactly how am I supposed to use this soap? Isn't all skin "sensitive" since it is porous, with a direct path to the bloodstream?

Back to my title. One meaning of "pseudo" is "fake," or "not genuine." And I would go so far as to say that the imported soaps I was investigating the other day were just that. They were compressed, processed chemicals in disguise to look like soap. Real soap I WOULD put on my skin. I'll pass, thank you very much, on the fake soaps -- regardless of where they are mass produced.

Bottom line: Read the labels on the soap you purchase. Where is it made? Can you pronounce or recognize the ingredients? Are there warnings in fine print?

My shop, SoapSense, and many other reputable handcrafted soap sellers on Etsy take great pride in their soap ingredients. We are very conscious about taking care of your skin, and not introducing any harmful elements.


Do a little research, and happy soap shopping!

Hand Formed Earwires 101

Ready to shift from manufactured earwires to hand formed earwires in your earring designs...read on!

Every beader who tackles earring design eventually gets tired of manufactured earwires over and over again. With the exception of leverbacks, and possibly the twisted wire "no slip" french earwires, it is easy to create your own and give your designs a little more uniqueness! And, it is actually cheaper if you buy wire in bulk by the foot!

You would be surprised at how easy it can be. First, you'll need some 20 gauge or 21 gauge wire. I use sterling silver...always. I prefer dead soft wire, but half hard will also work if you have some extra strength in your hands to bend it.

Then, cut two pieces of equal length, 2-3 inches is a good place to start. Use a pen or pencil to make the uppermost bend, and a pair of round nosed pliers to make a hanging loop and provide any extra shape to the backside of the wire. It is best, and makes for more consistent earwires, if you bend and shape both pieces of wire at the same time. The possibilities are endless!

Then, when you have mastered this and want to go a step further, you can consider a small jeweler's hammer and anvil to flatten portions of the wire. Also, a tumbler and steel tumbling shot with a little Dawn dishwashing soap will polish and harden your earwires in about 30 minutes of tumbling time. Any small nicks or scratches from cutting and bending the wire will also be removed!

Finally, invest in a small rounding tool, often referred to as a cup bur. Use it on the exposed tip of the earwire prior to tumbling to remove any sharpness from the cut edge.

I've scattered some pictures throughout of earwires I have formed. Good luck with yours!

DLPom Handcrafted Expressions on Etsy