Sahara Amaya Designs

I Love a Great DEAL!

2011-01-23T08:44:00.004-07:00

I've gone totally nuts with taking part in deals, couponing, and saving for my family. I follow a couple of blogs and one of my favs is called Freebies2Deals, it is AWESOME! In honor of their saving ways I'm offering 15% off either of my Etsy stores, Sahara Amaya Designs and Amaya Designs, using the coupon code "FREEBIES". It automatically takes 15% off your order at check-out and is a great way to save on a Valentines gift, Mother's Day gift, birthday or even wedding pieces! Enjoy!

P.S. This deal expires at the end of the week, January 29th!

Rockin Angel Boutique at Extravadance!

2010-12-03T16:06:00.002-07:00

Rockin Angel Boutique December 4th at Extravadance in West Jordan, off 7800 south. I'll be there from 10:00am until 4:00pm and I'd love to see some of my friends there! The whole boutique will be full of great gift ideas for Christmas, not to mention some new pieces I just created! It's at Extravadance Dance Studio 8527 S Welby Farm Rd. (off of 4000 west), West Jordan.

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Ultimate Holiday Boutique!

2010-11-18T19:50:00.003-07:00

I will be at a boutique in West Jordan, Utah on Friday and Saturday, the 19th and 20th with some really great new pieces and special offers on some of my most popular pieces. Click on this link to view the details. I'm very excited and hope lots of my friends show up to see me!

Another boutique will be coming December 4th, more details will follow!

Making a Statement

2010-07-23T14:23:00.002-06:00

Every girl grows up imagining their wedding day. Whether it is a fairy tale, traditional, or a dream come true, each bride pictures it differently. I didn't though. As the middle child of five girls and having been volunteered by my Mother to serve, take gifts, or help out at tons of her friends and family member's wedding receptions (she has 9 siblings!) I saw all kinds of weddings and still didn't have that whole "dream wedding" vision in my head. Maybe that's why I eloped!

I think the most important part of a wedding is to make a statement about who you are individually and who you will be together. If I did it over I would live it up, go all out, and look like a princess fit to be a queen! My advice to all the brides is this simple: Make a statement and don't hold back! After all, you only get to do it once so do it right.

Father's Day Free Gift with Purchase

2010-06-20T09:37:00.004-06:00

I just finished cleaning up from our Father's Day breakfast for my hubby. The kids ran out his gift, purchased from an Etsy seller named JackGlass and he loved it! This totally inspired me to offer all my clients a free gift with any purchase placed today, a Father's Day thank you to all the Dad's and Future Dad's out there. The Black Swarovski Crystal Cufflinks are a great way to say thank you and love you to any special man in your life. The cufflinks are available in either gold or silver cufflink with a beautiful chessboard cut Swarovski Crystal attached.

Attack of the Bridesmaidzillas!

2010-06-19T08:39:00.001-06:00

I just came across the craziest article ever! It's all about EVIL BRIDESMAIDS! Read the article, it's insane what some bridesmaids have done to the brides or at the weddings or receptions. Absolutely insane!

Super Easy Tarnish Removal

2010-05-23T11:33:00.006-06:00

I went through my jewelry boxes today and found several pieces that are very tarnished, one in particular was almost black. I though I should share my easy tips for removing tarnish in an extremely delicate way. It is much more delicate than cleaning solutions and is safe on both solid sterling silver and plated metals, both gold and silver. No rubbing required! My results are shown below:

Step-by-Step Instructions for Easy Tarnish Removal

1. Line a deep sink (I use my kitchen sink but a bathroom sink or large bowl will also work) with a sheet of aluminum foil
2. Boil 3-4 cups of water in the microwave or on the stove.
3. Place each piece on the foil ensuring the tarnished metal is touching the aluminum
4. Slowly pour the boiling water over the jewelry pieces until they are fully submerged
5. Sprinkle baking soda (about 1-2 tablespoons at a time) over the pieces
A chemical reaction between the tarnish (oxidization), the baking soda, and the aluminum foil takes place causing it to bubble and remove the tarnish from the metal without stripping any of the metal (essential in plated pieces especially filigree).
6. Continue steps 4-5 until the pieces look shiny and bright
7. Rinse with fresh water and pat dry
8. Lay on an absorbant surface such as paper towels or soft cloth to dry.

It's that simple!

New Summer Designs

2010-04-26T20:55:00.010-06:00

I spent some of my baby's nap time photographing some new designs for summer. They are made with white Swarovski Crystal Pearls and these beautiful white gold plated flower pieces.

The center of each flower has a sparkle with a little cubic zirconia, added elegance for sure! I can't wait to get them up on the site! I'm also working on a bracelet that matches all three pieces, as well as a necklace. What do you think?

New Online Store!

2010-04-21T15:42:00.002-06:00

Sahara Amaya Designs are now available in another online venue, Zibbet! Zibbet is a fairly new online handmade marketplace and is very cool. Click on the title above to check it out.

As an added bonus the first person to use coupon code H4J8TB will save 25% off an order of $20.00 or more! This coupon is automatic and will be taken off your total before paying (love this feature!).

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-19T08:38:00.002-06:00

I have a confession to make, I hardly ever vaccuum my studio! I vaccuum the whole house 2-3 times a week thanks to my 3 1/2 year old and 2 year old but I rarely vaccuum the studio. Little pieces of sterling silver, beads, crimps, pieces of chain are hiding all over and even if I get down on my hands and knees I still miss some! Don't get me started on how much I don't like the sound they make getting sucked up into the vaccuum, yuck!

Flower Girl Feature

2010-03-18T15:13:00.004-06:00

Click on the title above to view a beautiful Treasury created by Etsy seller JustScrapsNThings featuring my Flower Girl Cross Necklace as part of a beautiful selection of special things for a flower girl.

Colors - What's Hot for 2010

2010-03-13T19:10:00.007-07:00

I spent some time today online looking up color trends for weddings this year and it is amazing what I found. There doesn't seem to be a really popular color for the year, rather, brides are choosing bold, bright, fun colors and mixing it up this year.

I found one really interesting part of market research that talks about blues being big this year: Wedding Color Trends 2010 Report
"This report provides a look at color themes, color tones, color shade with tones, and color parings demand for 2010 to be married couples." Very formal, exact research, I had no idea this type of information existed!

Wedding Style says that purple is really big this year, as well as a bold blue, ruby, coral, and light grey.

After looking at a ton of sites (okay, really more like 10) I decided I liked what The Knot had to say and the way they presented it the best. They show bold, bright, primary colors and also have great color combo ideas: Blue and Yellow, Black and White, and Pink and Yellow. Check out their slide show at the link above, it's beautiful.

After looking at all the color ideas for the upcoming wedding season, bridesmaid jewelry is on my mind and I have a couple of new ideas for bridesmaid gifts. Keeping it affordable is always a top concern so I have been exploring simple, elegant, fun and bold pieces. Check the store for new listings this week!

Sahara Amaya on Etsy Has a New Look!

2010-02-15T20:56:00.004-07:00

I finally spent some time last night and redesigned my shop banner and avatar! I have been meaning to get to it for months and months but finally found the motivation (or call it avoiding taxes) last night. What do you think? I'm really loving it but already have a few new ideas I might try out in a week or two. Do you like it? Do me a super huge favor and answer the quiz on the side menu! Thanks and happy day after Valentine's!

New Feature! Ordering from the blog!

2010-02-04T07:36:00.003-07:00

An amazing site has provided a widget to order more quickly from my Etsy site. Simply click on the "Buy" word in the window at the right and the item is placed directly into the shopping cart on Etsy! It's a very easy way to order! Let me know if you have any questions, post a comment or e-mail me at amayasahara@gmail.com.

The Show

2010-01-30T08:16:00.006-07:00

I have never in my life seen so many treats! The bridal expo was filled with booths of all types, even teeth whitening and Realtors, but my favorite were the ones with treats. Booths from hotels and catering companies had the most amazing ones, but even the dress shops had chocolate!

I went to the expo, which was surprisingly empty last night, and talked to every dress shop there. Every one had amazing dresses and I wish I was getting married again! Alysse's Bridal and Formal in Orem, American Fork, and Las Vegas actually had a dozen live models in their "modest" designs. These cute teenagers had their hair and make-up done and stood there smiling in their amazing gowns.

Some of the other great shops and vendors there included:

Mary's Bridal of Holladay, Utah
Danielle's Bridal Salon of Holladay, Utah
Memorable Funktions, an amazing wedding planner for events in California, Nevada, Florida, and Utah

Hopefully it wasn't a total bust. It was definitely educational for how the wedding industry is functioning in this economy. I made a couple of good contacts but all but one of them wanted to follow-up with me, rather than the other way around. Fingers crossed!

To Bridal Show or Not to Bridal Show

2010-01-29T17:18:00.002-07:00

So I am going to a bridal show tonight. I haven't been to one of these super huge expo type shows since my little sister got married about two years ago. I thought that it might be a good opportunity to see many of the shops all at once and compare their styles. I want to find shops that fit my style and vision. The overall goal is to make contacts and market my designs wholesale. I have product books, super cute by the way, business cards, my awesome bookmarks, samples and some give aways to whom ever I end up actually meeting.

I'm excited! I'm also really nervous. It feels like a job interview and I'm the only one who knows about it. Mostly, I'm writing this to hopefully prepare myself to not look like a dork or anything. We'll see what happens, and if there is actually anyone reading this, I will follow up later tonight or tomorrow morning with what went down!

Weekly Special - January 17th-23rd!

2010-01-16T11:25:00.003-07:00

The new weekly special starting Sunday January 17th and going through Saturday January 23rd is an awesome Buy Two Get One FREE on all earrings on Http://Saharaamaya.etsy.com! The special applies to all earring orders, even custom orders. A refund will be issued via Paypal after the order is placed for the lowest priced earring. Additionally, I'd be happy to place a reserved listing on the site to take care of the discount right away. Send me an e-mail at amayasahara@gmail.com or convo me through Etsy.

Support Your Local Artisans

2010-01-06T14:20:00.004-07:00

I started selling my designs on Etsy over a year ago. In that time I have only sold one single pair of earrings to someone in my home state of Utah. I have checked the Etsy site and there are over 100 stores that name their location in Utah. Not many of my friends and family, or even friends of friends, have heard about Etsy so I am on a mission to spread the word. Why not support people down the street, in the town over, maybe someone just over the mountain ridge or in the next county?

Think about how often you go to the mall in search of that perfect item, or just to browse and scratch that shopping itch. Do you ever find it? Do you settle on something almost perfect just to scratch that itch? Trust me, I know that feeling all too well. Before I had kids I was an insane shopaholic that couldn't pass up an awesome sale at Ann Taylor, Banana or Nordstrom. My closet (and another walk-in in our guest room) is full of these now seldom worn items. My jewelry box is a full to the brim 12 drawer dust box because I have so much stuff I bought but really didn't love.

Alas, now I am a mom to two beautiful little ones and not only don't have all the extra income (diapers and special formula cost an arm and a leg) but I don't have the patience, or rather my kids don't have the patience, to find exactly what I am looking for in these large stores. Right now a local seller on Etsy is making my daughter the perfect Tutu for her 2nd birthday and guess what? It is going to be beautiful, high quality and didn't cost a ton (try $20!). She is one of the amazingly talented people on Etsy: http://raegun.etsy.com

Check her out. While you are at it, try looking up someone locally who sells online and send some love their way. Not only is it going to be worth it to you, but you might also be making someone down the street or across town very happy. Help them make their bills instead of lining the pockets of huge corporations.

As an added bonus, anyone from Utah (shipping to or ordering from or both) that places an order on either of my Etsy sites in the month of January will have shipping costs refunded to their Paypal account! Get Shopping!

Happy New Year... Free Gift with Purchase!

2009-12-29T18:07:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year! 2010 is going to be great (I'm hoping!) so to celebrate I'm offering a Free Gift with Purchase from my Etsy site. Any order placed through Saturday the 2nd will get a choice of five pearl hair pins or a simple sterling silver and pearl wire wrapped ring. Go to the site and check out my newest designs:

Http://saharaamaya.etsy.com

Thanks for visiting!

Weekly Special Buy 2 Get 1 on Earrings!

2009-11-14T08:55:00.002-07:00

It's getting really close to Christmas. I say really close at this point because I am usually done shopping by Thanksgiving. So, with only 5 weeks to go I need to raise money for my Sub-for-Santa. Each week until right before Christmas I am going to try to go crazy with my specials. From today until November 21st it is buy two earrings, get a third free. This is really designed to help a bride get bridesmaid earrings or gifts for the bridal party or family members for Christmas. Check it out, it is a really good sale and it will hopefully help me raise enough money to make an amazing Christmas for a beautiful family with two georgous little girls. Best to all! Thanks for reading the blog!

Loving this Idea!

2009-11-04T07:51:00.006-07:00

When I was married, I had a beautiful yellow and white rose bouquet. I hung it upside down to dry and then saved the rose buds in a dish I made. It was a nice reminder of my wedding day but sadly I dropped it when we were moving three years ago and the flowers went everywhere. I ended up dumping the whole thing in the trash (it was raining and they get all wet and gross). It was sad. So I am totally loving this idea: Claycraft Bouquets! All the beauty of real flowers but without the whole dying part. They last forever. There are several stores on Etsy that make them and they are all beautiful. This one is my favorite:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22110433

It's on my list for ideas for my vow renewal next fall!

(Image from Fenton Florals on Etsy )

One Year Anniversary Special!

2009-10-25T20:19:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of opening my Etsy shop. I have changed all my shipping to $0 to anywhere! Plus, I have been coming up with ideas on free gifts like earrings, hairpins, rings, etc. to include in any order placed today through the 31st. I can't wait to get started on this weeks orders!

New Week, New Special!

2009-10-04T07:53:00.003-06:00

Last week was a bust. I didn't have a single customer use the promo code for last week. I'm thinking that I need a new approach, I'll figure that out later.

Tomorrow, my munchkin turns 3! That means I have been a mommy for 3 years, a Stay-At-Home-CEO for three years (can that go on my resume?), and a craft-aholic for... okay, my whole life but even more so in the last three years! I can't believe how time flies. Three years, two babies, and countless hours of missed sleep.

So for his birthday my Etsy shop special is Buy One Get One 50%. This is valid today, October 4th through October 10th and the promo "Happy Birthday Asher" must be in the "Message to the Seller" section of check-out. This is a great deal so get shopping!

Weekly Special - Bridesmaid Gift SALE

2009-09-26T20:46:00.008-06:00

The new Weekly Special is simply this, purchase 3 or more of one item, get a fourth FREE (limit to items under $30)!!! This special is designed specifically for your bridesmaids so if you have four, buy the three and get one free; have eight then buy 6 and get two free. It's a great opportunity to save some dough for the wedding!

Convo me through Etsy or email me at amayasahara@gmail.com for a custom listing. This special is only available if you arrange the custom listing and mention the weekly special in your correspondence. Act soon, it is only available through October 3rd.

New Ideas for Winter/Spring

2009-09-24T21:10:00.004-06:00

I have been spending time in the studio brainstorming new designs for the upcoming seasons. I have several in the works, sketched or laid out on design boards and I can't wait to get them all done and photographed. I have a few new ones up already and a preview is above. Check back on Etsy for new designs regularly!

It's Official, I lost my wedding ring...

2009-09-22T11:43:00.005-06:00

It has been two weeks from yesterday since I last saw my wedding ring. I have looked everywhere! I remember the last time I saw it, I took it off to go hiking with the family and left it on the kitchen counter. My baby girl, who is 18 months, loves rings and is constantly trying to get mine from me. I though she might have taken it but it's no where to be found. I'm devastated and broken hearted about it. It's like a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Hopefully it doesn't make me sad but I think a way of cheering myself up is to offer a BOGO (Buy One Get One) Free on all rings in my shop. The code: BOGORING

Enter it in the "Message to the Seller" box at check-out on Etsy and a refund will be issued through Paypal. Same as everywhere else, the free ring must be of equal or lesser value.

Now I just have to sell like 200 rings and I can replace mine... (sigh)

Loving this idea...

2009-09-13T07:30:00.005-06:00

I have seen so many cool ideas on Etsy for weddings. I have been married for 11 years (Ouch! a lot longer when I write it) and I love jewelry so that comes easy for me but all the other wedding stuff honestly doesn't. A few weeks ago my brother-in-law announced that he is getting married and they set a date for next June. It's funny, I have started marking shops and items as favorites like crazy because they are just some of the best ideas I have ever seen!

I found this one yesterday:

Made for you just by me Http://madejustforyoubyme.etsy.com

Thier luminaries are beautiful and such an easy DIY for the event.

Weekly Special - September 13-19th

2009-09-13T07:23:00.004-06:00

So I am bummed that no one used the promo code last week for the 15% off so I am extending it one more week. September 13-19th save 15% by entering the code "Weekly Special 9-19-09" in the "Message to Seller" section of check-out on Etsy and at 15% refund will be made to your paypal account after the purchase is made. I am also working on a few new small designs and maybe you will be one of the lucky orders to get a free hair pin or ring!

Weekly Special - September 8-12th

2009-09-08T08:15:00.006-06:00

I know, a little late, but now that I have recovered from the long weekend I want to start a new weekly special!

Today through this Saturday, September 12th, get 15% off your total purchase, not including shipping, from Sahara Amaya on Etsy. Just enter the code: "Weekly Special 9/8/9" in the "Message to Seller" section of check-out and a refund will be applied through Paypal.

Vote in the Poll, Win a Bracelet!

2009-08-30T21:25:00.008-06:00

I just found a feature of Blogger that I am super excited about: Polls! So, to kick things off I have a poll for which bracelet you all like best (Hint: Click the image above for a more detailed look).

Please vote in the box to the right and let me know what you think. After the voting closes, I will be selecting at random one person from my list of followers (that hopefully voted in the poll!) to win a free bracelet and will be posting the winner on the blog!

Please make sure you sign-up to follow the blog so you will be notified if you win and we can make arrangements for size, color, and where to send it.

Announcing AMAYA DESIGNS!

2009-08-26T12:29:00.007-06:00

I now have a place on Etsy for my more casual and fun pieces:

http://amayadesigns.etsy.com

Check it out! I have dozens of pieces to photograph and put up on the site in the next few weeks and hope to make my first sale soon!

Weekly Special August 9-15th: Free Hair Pins with Purchase!

2009-08-09T08:03:00.006-06:00

All orders received through ETSY this week will also get a set of five matching pearl hair pins. I use Swarovski Crystal Pearls or freshwater pearls and attach them using silver craft wire to two inch hair pins. They are a fun addition to an updo or to accentuate a twist or bun, plus I really enjoy making them.

I'm at 193 sales and counting... Can't wait to hit 200!

Weekly Special on ETSY: FREE SHIPPING ON EARRINGS!

2009-07-20T08:03:00.004-06:00

So, a new idea I have is for a weekly special. I have done a few already but want to make it official! All earrings on my ETSY site have free or reduced shipping (international is $1 instead of $5 because going to the post office with two toddlers is a true pain!) through the 25th of July. I can't wait to get to making beautiful earrings for my clients this week!

Time on my hands...

2009-07-17T13:44:00.005-06:00

Every time my husband goes out of town, I have a nasty habit of changing things around the house (paint, new furniture, light fixtures, even the locks once!). He was gone for 3 days this week and one of my 3 projects was to re-paint and re-organize my studio. I picked a light lavender wall color called Brook Trout by Behr and got some beautiful flower prints and black frames at IKEA (love IKEA!), here is a preview of my inspiration. I'll post photos as soon as I finish putting shelves back up and things back in their places.

Earrings, Earrings, and More Earrings

2009-07-11T13:36:00.004-06:00

In the past week or so, I have had several brides ask me to come up with some new and unique earring designs. I have sketched out a few and decided to put them together to see how they looked and low and behold I came up with nearly 2 dozen designs. I narrowed down to 6-7 new designs to post on ETSY. Here is a sneak peak with more to come!

Free Earrings with Purchase...

2009-06-25T07:23:00.010-06:00

I just ordered in a huge stock of 8mm Swarovski Crystal Half-Drilled Pearls to make my pearl stud earrings. So I am passing on my savings to my clients! I have gone through my necklaces and picked out several that they would look fabulous with and are offering them free with purchase.

June Brides SALE!!!

2009-06-10T14:57:00.008-06:00

June is the biggest wedding month of the year and to help out all you brides out there I am having a month long sale in my ETSY Shop. Many of my most popular pieces for bridesmaids and brides are going on sale this month and this month only. So shop soon, because when I run out of supplies or the month ends this sale will be over :(...

Ah, the Russian...

2009-05-29T14:59:00.008-06:00

Last night a miracle happened! Both kids were asleep before 8:30pm! I know, amazing. Normally after they go to bed I spend the remainder of the evening making the pieces from that day and the previous day's orders while hanging out with Chris. Last night I didn't have anything to work on and the game was on so I sent hubby downstairs to watch it while I vegged on the couch and flipped through the channels.

I came to Sex and the City on one of the channels. I love those reruns. I started paying close attention to the Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlottes jewelry (which I LOVE) and realized that I wanted a necklace like the one Alexander Petrovsky gives Carrie in Paris. Low and behold, I had the materials. Thus The Russian. I love it (although Amaya is all over it and I'm afraid she'll break it right off my neck)!

Emmaline Bride

2009-05-29T12:49:00.003-06:00

I am very pleased to announce that I am now a featured artist on emmalinebride.com. They have collectively gathered artisans from around the world that specialize in handmade wedding items. Absolutely gorgeous items are on this site and I highly recommend their top picks!

http://www.emmalinebride.com

Spring and New Beginnings

2009-03-29T14:05:00.001-06:00

I have a tendency of going a bit overboard in all things. I am a huge planner and I like to plan big! So, I have lots of new ideas for jewelry designs. This being the case, I'm making room for new designs in my Etsy store. There is a new section of Spring Clearance sale items. I went through my designs and picked ones that are not as popular as others or ones that were not profitable (spent way too much on supplies but didn't price high enough to make a profit) and I marked them down to cost, or very close to cost.

Now for my new ideas!

I am putting together some pieces in birthstone colors. I'm not one of those people that doesn't like their birthstone color and I'm hoping that there are many more like me! There will be sets with Swarovski Crystals and other natural stones. I can't wait to get them all done and on my site, I'm very excited!

I decided to do a little homework on Etsy, Buy Handmade, and a few other sites and realized just how overpriced other designers are. Simple elements, even when purchased individually and not at wholesale, are being sold at a 400-800% mark-up! It's crazy. So, I'm picking up a few simple pieces to put together with a way lower mark-up and hopefully I can make someones day by giving them a lower cost option. Seriously, we're not made of money and especially these days people need to save where they can, even on their most special day.

How to make earrings...

2009-03-23T12:04:00.000-06:00

I have played around with the idea that I want to make my own earwires for my earring designs. So, I finally got a wire jig and all the tools to make them. I love the fun pattern ideas that all the jig companies have but I didn't just want my style to be the same as someone elses. I goofed around with it this weekend, much to my Husband's dismay and annoyance, and came up with a design I really like. I can't wait to try it out in sterling silver!

I'm Finally Here

2009-01-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

Finally. I have started a blog.

I have always been one of those people who didn't really like the idea of having my life out for everyone to see. But, I am simply too excited about my ETSY that I can't help myself. I started an ETSY store at the end of October and have become completely obsessed.

Check out this link: http://saharaamaya.etsy.com/