Bead Shopping

I'm off to Santa Monica today for some bead shopping. Time to start thinking about holiday jewelry - I know, it's only July!

Will also be looking for crystals for my own necklace to wear at my son's wedding in September. I've only designed one other necklace that was personally for me and that was when my daughter brought back a glass centerpiece from Chile.

I'll let you know what I come home with ~

So Many Online Places To Buy Jewelry & Plate Stands

Out of all the online selling venues I've seen, I like 1000markets.com the best, and coming in a close 2nd is etsy.com. I also have shops on madeitmyself.com and shophandmade.com. However my domain name points to 1000markets.com shop because the overall feel is clean and professional. 1000markets.com is relatively new and is expected to be the number one online shopping site for handmade items. My personal opinion is that it will be Numero Uno very soon!

I just re-designed my 1000markets.com site hoping to make it easier for customers to see the variety of items available for sale. Wish there was a way to determine the best layout, I suppose the amount of sales is the true determining factor. I'll have to wait and see if Mrs. Joe Public buys more jewelry and plate stands because of the new look!

Here are the most recent necklaces listed in my shops ~

A lot of my jewerly is named for special people in my life. Sara's Marcasite Necklace is named for my great-niece. This reminded me of Sara because it is simply a STAR - Just like her!

The Purple Moon Necklace features a Swarovski button that is amazing. The color is primarily purple, however depending on the light it has blue and amber also. It's stunning!

Bracelets For Special Ladies & Little Girls

Personalized jewelry is a great birthday gift. Come see what's available at my website ~

Mother and Daughter Jewelry

Look what I just listed on Judy Evans' Collection. Personalized jewelry for mom's and daughters!

This one is for Lauren my Great Niece
And this is for Erin, her mom

How To Store Jewelry

As I was cruising etsy.com I ran across a few great ways to store your jewelry.

The first one is from Jewelry Holders For You. Marla and her husband Frank make these great jewelry racks that hang on the wall. They're made from hardwoods and will hold up to 100 pair of earrings. These are functional as well as beautiful.

Ginny at Timberline Treasures specializes in handmade bags, purses and pillows sewn from Pendleton blanket weight wools and western & cabin tapestry fabrics. This beautiful jewelry tote bag is from Pendleton blanket weight wool. This would be great gift. I love the colors and the way it’s constructed.

Here's a jewelry pouch from Greenwillow Crafts. It's small enough to tuck in to a small space in your suitcase. It's padded and easy to use - plus it's really cute. Makes a great girl friend gift!

Handmade Lariat Necklace - What Is It?

Here’s a necklace that is the most versatile piece of jewelry! It’s a lariat and it doesn’t have any type of clasp because you wear it like you would a scarf.

Tie it, wrap it, long or short – the choice is yours and you can wear it with any neckline!

The first picture shows all the colors of this lariat and the rest of the pictures show you how to wear a lariat necklace.

What's Your Pleasure When It Comes To Jewelry?

Do you like big & bold?

How about small & petite?

Do you prefer jewelry that's barely noticed or do you want it to demand attention?

Is your style eclectic and you like variety?

Or are you pretty consistent with your jewelry?

I’m getting pretty good at identifying a women’s style. It’s interesting to observe my customers at craft shows and boutiques and ask these questions.

It’s easy to identify someone who always wears big & bold by their make-up or hair style because hair and make-up are usually pretty much consistent from day to day – not always, but usually.

I’ve learned that someone with no jewelry on doesn’t mean that they don’t usually wear it. I know I’m not the only one who’s left the house with a bare neck, ears or wrist. It’s these ladies that are more of a challenge for me to identify. However I’m learning to make the right call with these women too. Sometimes I’m wrong, but more times than not, I get it right.

Occasionally someone will say that their mood determines what kind of jewelry they wear. Personally my style is eclectic although it’s not usually my mood that dictates my choice of jewelry, it’s usually what clothes fit me best that day as I’m always trying to look thinner than I actually am! Sometimes a strong necklace looks better with what I have on and other times just a modest pair of earrings work best. I’m comfortable in both and love to mix it up from day to day.

I consider my line of jewelry to be eclectic and always love it when ladies try something on that is a bit different than their normal look. I encourage everyone to push the envelope just a tad. It’s very rewarding to hear from a customer that has purchased something that’s out of the norm for them and thank me for suggesting that they step outside their comfort zone.

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone & Choose A Different Necklace!

When you're looking at jewelry do you always seem to gravitate to one particular style? If so, I have a challenge for you - step away from your comfort zone and go into a place that's a bit different from your norm. Look at necklaces in a whole new light and select something that puts you outside your comfortable place. I'm not suggesting that you take a giant leap and go crazy, just straddle the comfort zone line and push yourself to experiment with a new look.

Do you wear the same necklace every day with every outfit? If so, I have to ask, "Would you wear the same clothes every day?" I don't mean the occasional 'wearing today what you had on yesterday'. I mean "Every single day do you wear the same clothes?" If your answer to this is "No!" than my next question is "Why would you wear the same necklace every day?"

When I ask these questions at my craft shows and boutiques I usually get 1 of 2 answers.

The number one answer is "Because I'm lazy and it's easier to wear this necklace all the time." I'm sure it's lovely, but it most likely isn't really noticed by your friends and family because they always see it, and people tend not to notice things when they always remain the same. If your necklace doesn't complement your clothes and it doesn't get noticed for it's own beauty, then it's really not doing you or your outfit any good. Adding color to your wardrobe is one of the easiest ways to coordinate clothing. Looking attractive and pulled together is critical to feeling good about yourself. And ladies, it really isn't that hard to put on a necklace that complements what you're wearing!

The number two answer is "Because my husband/daughter/mother gave me this necklace." OK, sentiment is very important and I'm not going to suggest that you don't wear it. I am going to ask you to consider wearing your special necklace along with another one that complements what you have on. Layering jewelry is very fasionable and this is a great way to give you the best of both worlds - comfort because of your sentimental necklace and confidence that you have a well coordinated outfit.

Let's say that you're wearing a pair of jeans with your favorite blouse or t-shirt. If you usually wear the same sterling silver or gold necklace then I challenge you to wear a necklace with color. This is a way to make your jeans and blouse/t-shirt into an outfit instead of individual pieces thrown together.

Adding color with jewelry to your jeans and an every day blouse/t-shirt pulls it together to create a pleasing outfit without looking dressed up. Look around and you'll notice that many women are wearing necklaces with color. Don't be scared, you can do this!

If your comfort zone is wearing the same necklace all the time you're probably not likely to wear big bold jewelry, and you may not be comfortable wearing things that get a lot of attention. However, tune in to the ladies who are wearing smaller quieter necklaces with color. Take a lesson from the ones that you admire. Their jewelry most likely complements what they have on and I doubt that the spotlight is shining on them and an anouncer saying "Look at her!" If they did it right (and it's not hard to do it right!), their necklace truly complements what they have on.

So ladies, are you up to this challenge? Try it, you really have nothing to lose and complements to gain! I'd love to hear from you, please share with us the comments you receive.

Tune in next time for more jewelry tips.....

What To Do With A Cake Stand

It's obvious that a cake belongs on a cake stand. And you're probably familiar with using them for cookies, muffins and other bakery goods. Small plate stands are also used for other food items like cheese balls, crackers, candy and other tasty dishes.

But, it's not all about food when it comes to using cake plates. They make unique and functional decorator items that can be used in every room of your home.

Your guest bathroom is the one room that visitors have complete carte blanche to view in private. How you decorate this room gets noticed! In this picture I set some lovely bath products on a beautiful plate stand for guests to use.

A plate stand is really very functional on a small counter because the added height allows you to make better use of counter space.

Did you notice that I called it a plate stand instead of cake plate? Don't serve dessert in the bathroom!!!


Kitchen counters easily get crowded and using a plate stand is a way to better utilize limited counter space. Fresh fruits and vegetables are lovely to look at, and keeping them handy reminds us to eat them more often.


At the end of the day this is a great place for men to drop their wallet, coins and whatever else they carry in their pockets.

Place a plate stand in a handy place, here it's on my husband's bedroom dresser. It's a convenient place for him, and he knows where to find everything in the morning rush to get out the door.

And ladies, here's an idea for you! Whether used on your bedroom dresser or bathroom vanity, a small plate stand is a great place to put your jewelry at the end of the day. It's a much safer place to temporarily set your earrings, necklace, rings, watch & bracelets - and it won't get swept into the sink or fall on the floor never to be seen again!

Whatever you call them - cake stand, cake plate, plate stand, pedestal plate stand, tiered cake plate or footed plate stand - really they're all the same.

It's what you do with them that puts your personal stamp on it. Be creative and, as they say "Think outside the box!"

All of the plate stands shown here are available to purchase, however they're not all on my website.

If you'd like more information about them, please email me at judy@judyevanscollection.com.

What Is A Cake Stand?

Cake stands are sometimes called plate stands, pedestal plate stands, tiered cake plates and footed plate stands. There are probably many more names that I can't think of at the moment. Whatever you may call them, they're pretty, functional and always versatile. Sometimes a glass cover is used to protect the food placed on these cake or plate stands.

Cake stands aren't just for birthday cakes anymore! Depending on thier size, they can be used for many things. They show off the usual dessert items: muffins, pies, cup cakes and of course beautiful layered cakes. However, they also make a great display for everyday food like fresh fruit and veggies on your kitchen counter.

Try using a beautiful plate stand in your bathroom with potpourri, guest soaps and even paper hand towels for guests. They make a great addition to your bathroom counter because they're elevated. The height allows better use of what is many times limited counter space in guest bathrooms.

Plate stands are multi-functional and can also be used for candles or a place to drop your mail. They're a lovely decorator piece on your bedroom dresser or bathroom vanity to use for your jewelry. They're especially good for the lady who wears the same jewelry every day, because she can set it on the plate stand at night and know where it is in the morning when she's ready to put it on again.

I've shown you a few pictures of empty plate stands that are very colorful and fun to use. In my next post I'll show some pictures of creative ways to use your plate stands.

I'd love to hear some ideas from you. Do you even have a plate stand? What have you used it for?