Happy International Fairy Day 2013

Fairy Day is a day for magic, and for wishes to come true.  For one day, put aside the cynicism of the modern world and embrace the possibilities of the unknown… I always love an excuse to dress like a fairy. 🙂 It’s time to dust off the fairy wings and plan something magical for the day! Here are some fun fairy-fashion pics from the past… Wedding Fairy: Why not wear wings on your wedding day? …and yes, your bridesmaids should all wear wings too. FaerieCon Faerie: Did you hear about FaerieCon?  There is an annual convention just for faerie’s.  Fun! Halloween Fairy: What better to dress as for Halloween?  Instead of the typical good fairy, go for a more dark goth fairy. Fairy Essentials: Wings are the core essential for dressing like a fairy (although you never see Suki Stackhouse in wings). Other essentials include a whimsical headpiece, a frilly skirt, … [Continue reading]

2013 Spring and Summer Color and Gemstone Trends

By now you have probably heard that Emerald is the 2013 “Color of the Year”.  (If you missed it, check out the press release from Pantone here.)  Green is sure to be everywhere this year (which is great for me because it’s my favorite color :D). But what other colors will be popular?  Earlier this year, Pantone announced the 10 top colors of spring and summer 2013, which include balanced neutrals such as Dusk Blue, Grayed Jade, and Linen as well as the bright shades of Emerald, African Violet, Nectarine, Poppy Red, Lemon Zest, and Tender Shoots.  Pulling both the neutrals and brights together is the anchoring color Monaco Blue. Check out the top 10 colors for Spring and Summer 2013 below,  along with the associated gemstones in each beautiful color.  You will see these colors everywhere- from jewelry, to clothing, to home decor and furniture, to paint colors. They will … [Continue reading]

Crista Couture: New Website for Our Bespoke Jewelry

Some of Our Jewelry is Moving! I recently launched Crista Couture, a custom bespoke jewelry site for brides and entrepreneurs to work directly with me to create their own signature piece of jewelry. The new website also features exclusive one-of-a-kind fine jewelry featuring rare precious and semi-precious stones combined with sterling silver in unique and luxurious designs. The Crista Couture jewelry line had previously been a collection on the AmberTortoise Jewelry website, but starting 03/29/13, it will be available exclusively from www.cristacouture.com. You will find many new original designs, valuable resources about the healing properties of gemstones, as well as the opportunity for a complimentary design consultation for your own bespoke piece of jewelry. I invite you to visit the new website, explore the custom jewelry process, and browse the portfolio of completed  bespoke jewelry. {From the Crista Couture Website} I’d love to hear what you think of the new site! … [Continue reading]

Behind the Scenes: Jewelry Manufacturing Process

Last week I had the pleasure of touring a 100,000 square foot jewelry factory while in CA.  It was fascinating and oh so inspiring! I could get lost in creativity there for days (and I am fully planning on doing just that in a few months :D)! Want a behind the scenes look at how jewelry is manufactured?   Check out the video below for a sneak peak at the jewelry manufacturing process… I am very excited to be working with this factory in the creation of my new jewelry line.  More to come on this in future posts… I’d love to hear from you. Did you enjoy the video?   What do you think of the jewelry manufacturing process? Visit us online at www.ambertortoise.com  

2012 Holiday Gift Buying Guide from AmberTortoise Jewelry

Welcome to the 2012 Holiday Gift Buying Guide from AmberTortoise Jewelry. This year, we’re inviting you to follow along over the next few weeks as we unveil our fantastic gift ideas for everyone in your life. From great themed gift ideas, special Thank You presents for your children’s teachers, memorable gifts for Mom, to unique and sexy gifts for that special someone in your life, we guarantee you will find some amazing and perhaps unexpected gifts to make everyone on your list happy this holiday season. Here is what you can expect and a sneak peak of some of our most unique and popular products.   11/05: Top 5 Gifts Every Teacher Will Love (…and it’s definitely not a coffee mug that says #1 Teacher on it!) Click here to see the top 5 gifts every teacher will love. 11/08:  Top 5 Vacation Jewelry Gifts Does someone on your list … [Continue reading]

Friday Find of the Week: Organic Green Screen Sunscreen by Kabana Skin Care

I love eco-friendly and organic products and love to share the ones I use with you, so this week’s Friday Find of the Week is Organic Green Screen Sunscreen by Kabana Skin Care.  It is my absolute favorite sun block and one that I only recently discovered. I had the pleasure of meeting Kabana’s owner, Erik Kreider, earlier this year and the first thing that struck me about him was how incredibly passionate and knowledgeable he is about organic skin care, especially sunscreen. I was getting ready to head to Trinidad and needed a good sun block so I thought of Kabana and decided to give Green Screen a try.  I am officially hooked and can’t imagine ever using another sunscreen! For the first time in my life, I got to enjoy a tropical vacation without burning.  I am pretty light skinned and tend to not only burn easily, but … [Continue reading]

Are You Ready to THRIVE? Join Ali Brown LIVE this Thurs & Fri

Getting a mentor for my jewelry business was a big decision for me this year and I couldn’t be happier to have done it!  This year has been completely transformational in so many ways, both for my business and for me personally.  More to come on that later or you can read a little about it in this blog post here…. For now, I wanted to share with you a special event that my mentor, Ali Brown, just announced. It’s a *FREE 2-day LiveCast*, happening this THURSDAY & FRIDAY, *September 13 & 14*, 2012.  You can get the details and reserve your spot here. If you’re a business owner or are dreaming of starting your own business, you don’t want to miss this!  (and yes, it works for artists too!) Over the course of *12 content-rich hours*, Ali and her guest experts and colleagues will deliver some impactful training that … [Continue reading]

Fashion Feng Shui Tips: 5 Ways to Accessorize your Intentions with the AmberTortoise Collection

Guest post by Christine Bove You probably don’t think about the jewelry you put on your body and the impact it can have on your energy. Maybe you heard about different crystals and how they have the ability to heal you, but have you ever considered selecting jewelry that affirms your intentions? In Fashion Feng Shui consultations, one of the techniques I teach my clients is to dress their intentions using the 5 elements of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal.  By affirming your intentions in your wardrobe you naturally attract it into your life. One simple and fun way to dress your intentions is with jewelry. I’ve highlighted some fabulous pieces from the AmberTortoise Collection to give you examples of how to dress your intentions using the 5 elements. Water Intention: If your intentions require you to go deep inside for a spiritual healing, write a book, create music or art.   Custom Barefoot Sandal Foot … [Continue reading]

Beautifully Fall- Etsy Treasury of the Week

Fall is upon us and this week I have created a treasury of items that reminds me of  how truly beautiful fall can be.  I hope you enjoy this weeks treasury!  

How to Remove Tarnish from Gemstone Jewelry

If your jewelry has gemstones or organic materials such as pearls, cleaning it safely can be tricky. Once your know the right method for the job, you can safely and effectively clean your gemstone jewelry. Below are 2 different categories of cleaning methods to address all of your gemstone jewelry cleaning needs: Category 1- Hard Non-Porous Gemstones: such as diamonds, tanzanite, sapphires, rubies, etc. Category 2- Soft Porous Gemstones and Organic Materials: such as pearls, shell, opal, turquoise, amber, emerald, etc. Cleaning Hard Non-Porous Gemstones: Jewelry that contains hard gemstones are the easiest to clean by using jewelry dips that are designed for non-porous gemstone jewelry.  My favorite dips to use are the Sunray Jewelry Cleaner and Hagerty Jewel Clean because they are all natural, and are safe and effective for all materials, even the porous ones. The Sunray Jewelry Cleaner works great on jewelry that is dirty or mildly tarnished (just starting to take on a … [Continue reading]

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