jewellery

Fabulous Friends & Filigree

by

“A friend is one who walks in when others walk out”

-Walter Winchell

I have been contemplating what to write that might appeal to our readers; jewellery or something else?

To date my ‘something else’ posts have been the most popular so I am going to go with another one of those today and maybe try to alternate jewellery:non jewellery posts after this.  Let’s see what happens!

So, I have decided  to write something to thank all our friends who have been so supportive of our endeavours to date, be it a LIKE on our facebook page and feedback on photos there, a jewellery purchase or a voice on the phone/Skype.  Thanks! It means a lot to both Doka and I to know we have the support of our friends and families.

Having recently moved to Croatia to start a new business with my husband and still knowing very little Croatian, I am finding myself spending more time on-line than ever before. The majority of this time has been focused on this blog or our new facebook page, (SebaDizajn) and learning about how I can use social media to promote our business.  Most recently I have opened a Twitter account to help spread the Seba Dizajn word on a new level – you can click on the links at the side of the blog to join us on Twitter or Facebook if you are interested.

I have found a strong and supportive network of on-line friends, many of whom I have not yet met but their help and encouragement warms my heart.  How nice to find people so willing to help when they don’t even know us.

I grew up in New Zealand and although I left home 12 years ago I still have many good friends there, we may not get to see each other but when we do it’s the best thing.  The internet allows some of us to catch up more often than others, yet there are many who I have no regular contact with and that’s ok too.  We will and do meet again and pick up right where we left off, magic!

This is a group of friends from my University years who gathered together in March this year to help us celebrate our recent wedding in Croatia – this is at the NZ version of the celebrations.

I have lived away from NZ for 12 years, although I am not sure how this happened! I left in 1999 for a year or two, with a visa to work in Canada and an onwards ticket to the UK to and a visa to work there for two years.  Now I’m married and living in Croatia! The latter two pieces were not part of the puzzle when I left home – I am not even sure I would have been able to locate Croatia on the map when I left NZ in 1999.

My two years in the UK somehow turned in 10 part time years, managing a Fair Trade business based in the highlands of Scotland where my passion for Fair Trade grew and flourished with the opportunity to travel regularly to Nepal and meet artisans there.

I feel so blessed to have been able to meet so many wonderful people in my travels and know that I now have friends scattered around the globe who mean so much to me. You are constantly in my thoughts, this short piece is dedicated to all of
you.

Thanks for being a part of my life, can’t wait to meet with you again!

How much is that Bracelet in the Window?

by

Our shop is tiny, we have a small display window outside that showcases a few of our unique Seba designed pieces of jewellery.  I often long for a great big window, both so that I can see out and so that passers by can look in and see that we create jewellery RIGHT HERE.  It is so nice to have the chance to share our passion for filigree with visitors to Korcula and we have met some really lovely people here at Seba Dizajn.  It is especially nice to see our young visitors enthralled as they watch jewellery being made – we have a few children wanting to stay long after Mum & Dad are ready to leave which is funny.

This morning we met a lovely group of Americans who were here on a chartered yacht trip, 20 friends sailing in Croatia for a week, understandably they were having a fantastic time.  It was so nice to start my day chatting with them, this bracelet in our window display was what drew them into our shop;

Silver Filigree Bracelet by Seba Dizajn

It was nice to be able to explain some of the filigree techniques used in making the bracelet and for them to be able to watch something being made was a special experience.

Coincidently when I opened my email after this group had left I found a message from a customer that was here in June asking about a price for this same bracelet!

Please visit our facebook page, www.facebook.com/SebaDizajn if you are interested in seeing any more of our unique jewellery.

My Favourite Piece of Jewellery – 2

by

Today I am really happy to introduce you to, Sharon Howard who has contributed a piece about her favourite piece of jewellery.  Sharon blogs too! You can find her own blog here, http://showard76.wordpress.com/

My favourite piece of Jewellery by Sharon Howard

To be honest I’ve never been the greatest jewellery fanatic. I know lots of women go crazy for jewellery and it’s usually a typical ‘good’ buy if you are trying to impress a girl, another way in which I’m just awkward I guess lol.  I don’t own much jewellery; I have a few rings and necklaces and a bracelet.

The one thing I get through lots of though is earrings; I have a nasty habit I finding a pair I love and wearing them to death or loss, loss being more common!  I also have a habit of buying a pair to suit a particular outfit and then not wearing them again.

But a favourite piece of jewellery is something I had never really thought about. I have several items that I wear for the majority of the time, but I think that’s more due to not being bothered to change for other items than them being favourites? I nearly always where my gold pentagram necklace, my gold ‘mum’ ring, my white gold Celtic style ring and of course my engagement ring. Of my earrings the pair my fiancée bought me last Christmas is the set I wear most of the time.

So, what is my favourite piece of jewellery and why?

Pentagram necklace - similar to mine

I guess really it must be the pentacle necklace. It is slightly unusual as most pentagrams are silver or ‘costume’ jewellery items; silver is most popular as it represents the moon in paganism. I found my gold one in a small independent jewellery store in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, about 4 years ago, and just had to have it. It represents my ‘erring towards paganism’ beliefs, although I am not actually a pagan. I suppose it also is quite a symbol of ‘me’ now as well, people identify me with it – unique, different.

It is also a good talking point, a conversation starter when I meet new people. For some, who recognise the symbol appropriately, it will trigger a conversation about paganism and views on the topic. For those who don’t recognise the symbol correctly it becomes a learning experience as I explain the difference between it and what they mistake it for; for example the most common mistake is for people to say “Oh, are you Jewish?” as they mistake it for a Star of David –

Star of David

which just shows how little they know as the five pointed pentagram is quite different from the six pointed Star of David the most shocking example of this is when I met Russell Tovey (who plays George in Being Human) his character wears a similar pendant in the show, but even he thought it was the Star of David! The other common mistake is to think I am a devil worshipper, as some people think it is a satanic pentagram, which always makes me laugh, fair enough it is the same symbol, but for so called devil worship it is placed upside down/inverted.

If you would like to share something about your favourite piece of jewellery we would love to hear from you, sebacroatia@yahoo.com

A post about Jewellery!

by

I seem to have digressed a lot recently and been blogging about whatever pops into my head, but I have also seen an increase in readers, so maybe it doesn’t matter what I write about?  I am open to suggestions.. please let me know if there is anything in particular you would like me to write a post about and I will add it my growing list of blog ideas.

I also look forward to welcoming some guest bloggers soon – something on is its way from a friend in New Zealand and another piece is being written in Germany for us.  If you are interested in contributing a post to our blog then please let me know.

While I was participating in Nikki Pilkington’s 30 Day Facebook Challenge I started a discussion on our facebook page, ‘Tell us about a favourite piece of jewellery and why it’s special to you’ – Nikki was the only one who joined the discussion so it was a little short-lived!!

Here is a wee blurb about my ‘favourite’ piece of jewellery, I say ‘favourite’ because there are too many to choose from and maybe my lovely husband is creating something for me now??

The piece of jewellery that is featured on our business cards and as our profile picture on our facebook page is a stunning necklace featuring Tibetan turquoise and silver filigree balls. Not only is it beautiful and much admired it was also my first Christmas present.. Not for Sale! A few people have asked when they have seen me wearing it here in the shop so I stopped wearing it to work, happy to sell whatever other jewels I might be wearing.

Me & My Favourite piece of Jewellery winter 2009

By the way, it’s not to late to join that discussion, you can join in our facebook page (www.facebook.com/SebaDizajn) or leave your comments here.  We love jewellery and jewellery related stories and would love to hear your if you would like to share.

Thanks again for stopping by.

Tweet Tweet – My 10 Favourite Twitter followers to Date.

by

So we’re Tweeting, I still don’t fully grasp the concept or how it will bring in any business but I seem to have embraced the tweeting with already 228 Tweets by me (@SebaDizajn is our twitter name) and have 91 followers to date.  That’s about 20x the number that are following this blog.  Maybe I’m more interesting in small snippets?!

I have found some amazing people & businesses to follow, I am especially interested in the ethical businesses and websites that I have been discovering.

Here is my TOP 10 to date & why

1. @NZJewellery – mates since we were 10 years old how could I not put them in number 1 spot?

2. @Goodleaf – tree climbing on the Isle of Wight, friends since we met working in a dodgy restaurant in Jasper, Alberta 10+ years ago.  Tree climbing, nature loving, flapjack eating, mellow adventurers from the Isle of Wight

3. @NikkiPilkington – social media guru whose free advice I have found invaluable as I tread these new waters

4. @KorculaExplorer – another new business here in Korcula, gotta help each other!

5. @Crazy_Golfer – purely because of the bio ‘I’m the future world #1 womens golfer and theres nothing you can do about it 🙂‘

6. @ethicalinstyle – ethical style tips, 1000+ Ethical ideas, what’s not to like about that?

7. @ethnicsupplies – sustainable solutions to poverty among African Women, love this!

8. @ethicalstore – Over 8,000 Fairtrade, Organic & Eco-friendly gifts, gadgets & groceries.

9. @jewelsandfinery –  antique, vintage and pre owned jewellery – who knows what treasures you might find with them

10. @thejewelryworld – informative & fun, and hopefully so positive leads for the jewellery business I am busy trying to promote!

ohh, 92 followers…. @Bridal_Magazine just joined the SebaDizajn journey.  Welcome aboard, hope you’ve had a look at our stunning cufflinks!  Perfect for a wedding party – must go tweet them and let them know…

Have just added a Twitter link here, join us, maybe you’ll make my next top 10!

The photo finish - they're following me too!