A Sale, A New Logo, Tweeting, and Other News from Lunar Blue

Hello readers! It has been busy in the Lunar Blue Studio and I want to fill you in on all the activity.

First, you can now follow us on Twitter!

I was reluctant to start "tweeting," but I'm surprised how relevant and fun it can be. I've already found one great article about why press releases don't work anymore as a way of promoting your business, and what does. (Hint: it all comes down to that niche marketing/figure out your angle way of thinking.)

Second, we are releasing our first monthly newsletter in a matter of hours! I'm very excited about this new way of connecting with our clients and providing some great information: an in-depth column about gemstones written by our own Ph.D planetary scientist/jewelry designer, advance notice of sales in our online boutique, news about Lunar Blue events and workshops, and a special discount every month created especially for our newsletter subscribers. Click here to receive this free newsletter.

Finally, you may notice that we are transitioning to a new logo. It's a little sad to see the old one go, but it's truly fun to make the change to something brighter and rather nifty.

One final mention as a courtesy to our readers--all of our charms will be 50% for the entire month of August! That's $6 for a spiffy adornment to your purse or handbag, cell phone, zipper, belt or jeans loop, or just about anywhere you want to add some classy individual style. Add just $1 for First Class shipping and a free small organza bag and you have yourself a great gift or treat for yourself.

All of our charms are handmade with sterling silver and gemstones, crystals, and designer glass. Just because it's little doesn't mean it shouldn't be high-quality, beautiful, and made to last!

Amy

Lampwork Glass and Some New Charms

As our designer has mentioned before, glass is a wonderful material and especially nice for making jewelry. Gemstones are so popular right now--and for good reason, they're gorgeous--that it's easy to forget how beautiful and versatile glass can be.

Our chief designer loves to work with a variety of beads called lampwork glass. The artisans who make this kind of layered, colorful bead start with solid rods of glass, then use a gas torch to melt the rods. Once the glass is melted, the artisan can use tools or simply blowing on the glass or through a tube to shape the material and add layers of design in any color or shape she chooses.

Not surprisingly, this practice of lampworking glass was perfected in Murano, Italy, a location reknowned for making many kinds of beautiful, high-quality artisan glass. I'm wondering if I can write off a business trip to Murano. You know, to check out the glass. :-) (Find more information on lampworking here.)

We have several lampwork glass items in our shop, the newest being our lampwork glass phone and zipper pull charms. You can find them here.

Do you work with or purchase lampwork glass items? Do you specialize or find them a nice occasional alternative to gemstones and other materials?