And The Winner is...

I've been waiting for this moment all week! It is time to tell you all who the winner of my summer contest is! Hopefully one of you will be slightly happier than I am to hear the winner but I am pleased none the less to announce that the winner is...

Krista Skov-Nielsen!

Krista writes the blog, A Ferry Crossing Away & wrote this totally cute post about the contest!

Her favorite piece was Crocus Burst

Krista has won a necklace & earring set in her choice of colour or colour combination in my brand new fall style of necklace! I'm so happy to bring you all a preview of the new style today.

The new simple pieces hang on simple wire, getting their beauty from magnificent, unique collections of beads, textures & colours.  An extra bonus? The price point of these new pieces is 30$ to $40!

I think one of my favorite things about this style is the way they hang & can be layered with other pieces.

The necklace length can be altered as per customer preference & have been created in over a dozen colours already! Make sure to check the fanpage & my website throughout the week to see them unveiled!

Again thank you Krista & everyone for entering! Remember - just because you didn't win does not mean you can't get a wonderful Darling Dilemma creation - ALL items are currently on sale til the end of the month!!!

HOT HOT HEAT

So yesterday I told you all about the contest, but today I have news about the sale....

Double Rainbow, was $60, now $38!

It's on!

Ya that is pretty much the news, but isn't it great??




Punk Pink, was $60 now only $49!

Every item in my etsy shop is now on sale - some pieces have been marked down by more than $20 even!

Hoo Do You Love, was $75 btu now only $55!!!

If you have always loved something, always meant to buy it... get it now while it lasts!
And in case you didn't see it yesterday, check out the contest for your own, free, one-of-a-kind, custom creation!

End of Summer Smash!

Summer has been intense with selling at the outdoor artisan market, Loyalist Plaza, battling an awful lot of rain & of course, trying to squeeze every last moment of summer out of this too short season.

My guilt of a loooong absence is only a good thing for you though, my readers.

I normally love to offer a great discount but this was a particularly long absence so I thought a big contest & even bigger sale were a WAY better idea.
Don't you agree?

So here is the deal - You must 'like' the Darling Dilemma fanpage on facebook.  Leave a comment here letting me know you are a fan AND which is your favorite piece currently in my Etsy shop.

For extra entries in this contest you can;

• tweet about the contest,(please use my twitter name @DarlingDilemma so I can find your entry!)
• blog about the contest

Please leave separate comments here for each of these, to qualify for an extra ballot! Contest closes August 21st, 2011 & is open to all North American residents.

I suppose you would like to know why you should bother doing all of this? What is in it for you??

The winner will receive a necklace & earring set in their choice of colour or colour combination!  This piece will be custom made & one of a kind (as are all of my pieces).

So check out my Darling Dilemma etsy shop for all the deals that will be appearing this week & join the facebook fanpage! I'm excited to create something unique for one of you & hear what everyone's favorite necklaces are...

xo
Emma Dilemma

Maritime Shopaholic!

And no, I don't mean me!!

For those of you that have been following my blog for awhile, you might remember the giveaway I did with local Saint John blogger, Maritime Shopaholic in the fall.

Shopaholic, aka Chelsea, is a staple in the local blogging community & fashion community (anyone see her in the recent trunk show at PGals Closet? Adorable!).

I've waxed on before about the friendly nature of East Coasters & specifically Saint Johners but Chelsea is probably who I owe my (now) wide social circle too! Collaborating with her for the blog contest, brought me full force into the Saint John 'scene' & the twitter world.  She also got me hooked on we love color tights. I love her for all of it!

This past Sunday, we hit uptown Saint John's Market Square on an incredibly rainy day for some photos. Check out Chelsea's blog to see her outfit post, wearing pieces from our favorite local shops;
Je Suis Prest, Urban Shoe Myth & Manchester Shoes!

Chelsea also modelled several Darling Dilemma pieces, available in my Etsy shop.

Orchid

Careless Whisper

Waves of Love

*Click on any piece name to be linked to item in my shop

Check out Chelsea's blog to see more of the photos from the days adventures; Maritime Shopaholic 

Apple of My Eye, Sunshine of My Life

Some days have a theme song, don't you think?



Sometimes I wake up with a song in my head or heart, sometimes I have a lyric that randomly springs to my lips. Am I the only one? Surely not.

But where do they come from & what inspires them? I have on occasion woken up from a dream & had the soundtrack to it stuck in my mind.  Or an incident happens in real life that plays out like a song lyric.  Personally, that is my favorite type of theme song.

Anyone who has perused my etsy shop will know that songs play a heavy part in my inspiration & for helping me translate an intention thru my jewelry work.

Today's new listing comes right out of my Stevie Wonder day;

Apple of My Eye

Or there is yesterday's that came from a particular favorite by Band of Horses;

The Funeral

*click on the names to be taken to my site*

Do you have a theme song for today? Or maybe one that is your personal soundtrack for life? I'd love to hear them!

1 Year!!?!?!

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
Lewis Carroll

It has been one year since my friend Stacy from Parker Buttons helped me get my Etsy shop off the ground & what a great year it has been. I have met so many wonderful people all because of Etsy & this venture. I have had wonderful conversations about jewelry, business, Etsy & the art of crafting. I have learned & shared tips & tricks for buying & selling online. I even started up an Etsy Street Team for New Brunswick Etsy sellers... we have started calling ourselves NewBEST (New Brunswick Etsy Street Team).


All of this happened because of Etsy. Or it happened because of an over abundance of beads in my home. OR it happened because I once made a necklace & everyone complimented me on it...!
For whatever moment it was that brought me here, I thank the universe. And I thank all of you for supporting me in what I do.
Because of the support I would like to offer all of you 15% off your purchases until the end of the month of January!


To get your 15% off simply enter the coupon code: 1YEAR when purchasing from Etsy. If you find something you would like to purchase but do not want to purchase thru Etsy (although it really is very easy & safe), I can offer you free shipping instead, just send me an email to darlingdilemma@live.ca so we can work out the details.


Just one last note, for those of you who are not already fans on my facebook page I have included the link to this as well because besides being able to contact me there & view items for sale, there will also be specials that will be offered only to fans



Thank you from, Emma Dilemma

 Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DarlingDilemma

Facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/DarlingDilemma
 

Red for Remembrance



Red Riley from Darling Dilemma



Being part of an Etsy Street Team means participating in challenges & a certain level of camaraderie with your fellow Etsy sellers.  



Red for Remembrance Treasury



I have been putting a lot of energy into my NewBEST  (New Brunswick Etsy Street Team) group lately, trying to exchange information, promote shops & just create a certain amount of friendship.  We recently had a November treasury challenge that was titled 'Red for Remembrance' and the point was to promote team members & their items, as well as reflect on the time of year reserved for our Veterans.  As most of you will know from my previous post, it is a time I take to heart.  When posed the challenge I decided to take it a step further & include only Canadian shops in the treasury, looking to members of the other team I am part of the Trans Canada Team.  The treasury pictured here was the result and we were lucky enough to make it to the front page of Etsy!!





The Autumn of Happy Beading!



WICKED & WEIRD on Etsy

 As we close out on the first official day of autumn, I wanted to share some of what I have been working on for DarlingDilemma.  Things happen fast in the crafting world, one always has to be ready for the next leap, the next season & the next holiday.  Those of us who create, always have to think ahead & try to interpret what you the buyers, might want next (and we have to think of it before you!).



ICY BLUE on Etsy now!

 Sometimes (usually) I just make what I want to make, hope someone will love it & it all works out.  When fall was approaching I lucked out because my current colour obsession happened to be the same as everyone else's! Purple!

Elderberry, necklace & earring set

Pretty Girls Make Graves available on etsy

And of course, made obvious by this post, my other favorite thing is my big time SCORE of various beads of awesome & epic proportions! Mainly all the great skull beads, of dyed turquoise & some tiny acrylic that I have collected. With Halloween & October coming I figured I could finally enjoy them & let the rest of the world get a little freaky too!


DYING ROSE, found on etsy

 I love love love photography my pieces, showing them here gives them a life of their own.

New Brunswicker are the BEST

They are, they really really are.
Since moving here almost two years ago I have been trying to re find myself, start over, or find my place in the world. 
I have a place here now, in New Brunswick.
I teach art to children.  I work in an after school program designed for grades 3 to 5 (http://www.esteycreations.com/) showing them cartooning, watercolour & drawing skills.  I travel to schools all over New Brunswick with Jostens selling grad rings, meeting teenagers & seeing the beautiful province I live in.
And I make jewelry.
I spend a majority of my time at home, crafting, designing, photography & promoting my DarlingDilemma creations.

Normally something that is that much work, quickly becomes a hassle & a lot less fun, but with DarlingDilemma... well the fun never stops!


Recent custom order by Darling Dilemma



I love doing it all & can honestly say I am addicted! To all of it!  I love the making & creating, seeing a vision become realized (especially with custom orders) but I also love all the steps that lead up to it & the ones that make it happen.

One of the reasons I have been feeling particularly fond of my fellow New Brunswickers (besides the fact that living here lets me do what I do...) is the creative community.  Moving here from Ontario, specifically, near Toronto area, I know all about how inclusive the art world can be.  Attending art school, I also know all about art snobs*.  So to find myself in a place, so far removed from that attitude is amazing! and freeing!



Photography by PoedyPencilPrincess



Once I joined the sellers world of etsy I decided to seek out other new Brunswick etsy sellers & there were lots! We have formed a group which we have taken to calling NewBEST (New Brunswick Etsy Street Team).  It is a group of extremely talented artists & crafts people all working together to share information, promote & sell. I wanted to share some of what they do, with you.



Jewelry by uglyart

 

 

earrings by InspiredByOnline





Photography by soulfuse



Keyper Keychain by MomsCrafts4U

To search for NewBEST shops or New Brunswick artists, enter 'New Brunswick' into your etsy search engine!!

*Art snobs are the elitist crowd who define art only by the textbook definition.  They also appreciate habitual dissing of craft & all things related.

The Warm Fuzzies (+ CONTEST!)

Trying to get the word out about your business can be challenging but I've learnt that it can also be a lot of fun...
After having my first, very successful, contest to have facebook fans invite their friends to my page, I wound up with over 400 fans (or rather 'likes' as they are now called, but I prefer fans still). It was exciting to check the count each day, count up people's referral's & feel a 'buzz' over my page! It was a close race to the finish line for the competitors that everyone seemed to be watching & enjoying. The winner, Tara, received a OOAK necklace from Darling Dilemma.

I was concerned that I would drastically or even slowly lose these fans but, amazingly enough, I didn't. Sure a few disappeared, but they were replaced with new fans, who were even more interested & eager to see what I do!!

... maybe I should take a pause here and explain something.
I'm an art school graduate.
In other words, I'm used to people not caring about my creative output beyond opening night.

So that initial contest led to, fans, friends, custom orders, sales & continued support - all of which leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling. So to celebrate the 'warm fuzzies' I am holding an End of Summer Contest! - a fun new contest with 2 chances of winning!! 1 winner will be a random drawing of a participant & the other will be for most interesting/inventive/fun entry!
This contest is about posting a link that leads new people to Darling Dilemma's fanpage or etsy shop . (as a bonus if you link to my blog I will give you an extra ballot in the random draw)

Here is how to participate:
1. Post a link to my fanpage and/or etsy shop on your facebook page or blog. How you choose to do this is up to you - creativity will give a chance at the second prize!!!
2. If you:
- Linked on a blog: post a link on the Darling Dilemma fanpage wall

- Linked on your facebook wall: screen capture it & email to; darlingdilemma@live.ca

(to 'screen capture' press the Print Screen button on your keyboard and then open any photo/photo editing program i.e. Paint, and hit CRTL V. The image should appear for you to edit or save)

*please note: I will be using screen captures of entries & posting some of my favorites in an album on the fanpage. If you do NOT want me to post yours, please state so in your email*

Further details:

The contest is that easy & can be as fun as you want it to be! Remember creativity is rewarded here folks!
1 ballot will be given for entering my link on your facebook page
1 ballot will be given for entering my link on your blog
1 bonus ballot will be given if you link my blog as well.

The second prize will be awarded to the most creative entry (as chosen by me).

Contest closes August 31st, 2010.

Treasure Trove

In February I opened my Etsy shop, Darling Dilemma. I've been amazed by the support of friends & family, & by how quickly word spread and made my little shop successful. All that support means I can continue doing what I love & make jewelry. It has afforded me the chance to expand & learn, as well as create.

I am thankful.



Etsy is full of amazing shops & items. It is filled with incredible OOAK (one of a kind) finds that you won't find anywhere else that were made by someone who loves to create, just like me. I wish I could tell you I am altruistic enough that I shop on etsy to return the karma & support others like I am supported but the truth of the matter is - I am addicted. I am addicted to having something special, something OOAK that no one else on the block will have (well, no one else period!).



On that note I decided it was time to create another etsy treasury! Treasuries (for those non-etsyers... although, come on!! Don't you want to be immersed in the etsy universe now??) are curated showcases of someone's favorite things. They can have a theme, a connection or just be random & have nothing in common other than just being loved.





For a better look, click Treasury.