chrome hearts apparel: 2014

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Smith Wesson Holding Corporation FQ Qtr End

ï»¿Smith Wesson Holding Corporation F4Q08 Qtr End 04

Thank you, and good afternoon! Before we begin the formal part of our presentation, let me tell you that what we are about to say as well as any questions we may answer could contain predictions, estimates, and other forward looking statements. Our use of words like project, estimate, forecast, and similar expressions is intended to identify those forward looking statements. Any forward looking statements that we might make represent our current judgement on what the future holds. As such, those statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties. Important risk factors and other considerations that could cause our actual results to be materially different are described in securities filings including our forms S3, 10 K, and 10 Q. I encourage you to review those documents.

This conference contains time sensitive information that is accurate only as of the time hereof. If any portion of this presentation is rebroadcast, retransmitted, or redistributed at a later date, we will not be reviewing or updating the material content herein. Our actual results could differ materially from these statements. Our speakers on todays call are Mike Golden, President and CEO, and John Kelly, Chief Financial Officer, and with that Ill turn the call over to Mike.

Thank you Liz, and thanks everyone for joining us. Let me give you the agenda for todays call. First, John will review our financial results, then I will share my thoughts with you regarding our performance for the quarter as well our strategy and outlook for the future. After that, well open up the call for questions from our analysts. Go ahead John.

Thanks Mike. Sales for the year ended April 30, 2008, were $293.3 million, up $59.1 million or 25.2% increase over sales of $234.8 million for the year ended April 30, 2007. Firearm sales increased by $53 million, or 23.9% over the previous year. Net income for year ended April 30, 2008, was $9.1 million or $0.22 per diluted share, compared with $13 million or $0.31 per diluted share for the year ended April 30, 2007.

The increase of firearm sales in fiscal 2008 was primarily attributable to the full year impact of Thompson/Center Arms which was acquired in January 2007 and accounted for $46.6 million or the $53 million sales increase. Revolvers grew at a rate of 9.6% year over year. Sales of our M tactical rifle increased by 30.5% over the previous year. Pistol sales declined by $8.5 million or 10.9%. It should be noted, however, that pistol sales in fiscal 2007 included $8.7 million shipped to the Afghanistan National Police and $6.2 million shipped to the California Highway Patrol. Excluding those two sizable contracts, pistol sales were up 10.1% year over year. Walter product sales grew by $3.8 million or 16.4%, benefiting from continued strong growth for the P22 pistol as well as the introduction of two new pistols.

Gross profit for the year ended April 30, 2008, increased by approximately $16 million over the previous year. On a quarterly basis, gross margins of 30.6% for the quarter of fiscal 2008 showed dramatic sequential improvement over gross margins of 25% for the third quarter of fiscal 2008. Gross margins as a percentage of sales and licensing was 31.2% in fiscal 2008, compared with 32.3% in fiscal 2007.

Gross margin was adversely impacted by approximately $8.9 million in promotional costs and $2.6 million in unabsorbed fixed costs related to plant shutdowns, a 3 week shutdown at our Springfield facility in the third quarter and a 1 week shutdown at our Rochester facility during the fourth quarter. Historically, we have always scheduled a 1 week holiday shutdown in Springfield during the third quarter. This year, that shutdown was extended by 2 additional weeks to reduce inventories.

Cost of goods sold for the year ended April 30, 2007, included $2.7 million and increased cost related to the effects of purchase accounting on Thompsons inventory. Operating expenses for the year were $68.2 million, $16.3 million higher than fiscal 2007. Approximately $13 million of the increase was attributable to a full year of Thompson operating expenses. As a percentage of sales and licensing, operating expenses were 23.1% compared with 21.9% fiscal 2007. Operating expenses also included $4.1 million in amortization of acquisition related tangibles, compared with $1.6 million in fiscal 2007.

Capital expenditures for fiscal 2008 totalled $14 million, approximately $1.7 million lower than the capital expenditures for fiscal 2007. Majority capital expenditures were related to new product introductions, expansion of our pistol capacity, and process improvement. Free cash outflow for the year was $7.9 million. Cash flow was adversely affected by higher inventory levels. Inventories peaked at $56.5 million in November 2007, ended the year at $47.2 million, $15.1 million higher than inventory levels of April 30, 2007. On a positive note, during the fourth quarter, spending decreases and inventory management drove significant improvement in the balance sheet. Short term borrowings were reduced by $12.1 million in the fourth quarter to $7 million.

We reduced inventories by $4.3 million even though our year end inventory included two large international orders which are awaiting shipment. Reducing inventories will remain a focus for us in fiscal 2009. Free cash flow was a positive $13.1 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, compared with $565,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.

In May, we completed a registered direct offering of 6,250,000 shares of common stock which yielded net proceeds of $31.9 million and allowed us to repay the $28 million bank loan that financed a portion of the Thompson/Center acquisition. In conjunction with this repayment, we retired with $70 million acquisition line of credit. Covenants within the convertible debt agreement limit debt including open lines of credit to three times trailing 12 month EBITDA. Retirement of this line of credit gives us more options of financing future acquisitions. We expect to incur a $485,000 non cash charge in the first quarter fiscal 2009 for unamortized debt acquisition cost as a result of our decision to terminate the acquisition line of credit.

A combination of strong fourth quarter cash flow and the equity offering provide us with a strengthened balance sheet as we enter fiscal 2009. In fiscal 2007 and 2008, we issued restricted stock units to our officers. The RSUs vest evenly over a 3 year period. As they vest, the delivery of one third of these units each year creates a taxable event for the recipient and the appropriate income and payroll taxes are due at that time. For that reason, as they did last year, most of our officers have filed 10b5 1 sales plans to sell a portion of the shares they will receive later this month to cover the taxes due. Although less than 100,000shares, we want investors to be aware of this event when the relevant Form 4s are filed later in the month.

That concludes my financial discussion. I will now turn the call back over to Mike.

Thanks John. When I spoke to you all last year at this time, I laid out several objectives that we intended to deliver on in fiscal 2008. Those were growth in our core firearms business, growth in new markets with a focus on professional products, regular visits to Washington to heighten awareness of our capabilities, and a focus on profitable growth with each initiative. Despite the exceptionally tough challenges in both the general economy and the firearms industry, particularly during the second half of fiscal 2008, we were able to deliver partially or entirely on each of these commitments.

I want to first talk to you about the current environment and how we have addressed and will continue to address the challenges there. Then, I will recap our fiscal 2008 highlights and accomplishments in detail, and lastly, I will address our strategy for diversification and growth, a strategy that has remained intact despite the challenging environment that weve been facing.

As you all know, the domestic consumer firearms market experienced a decline in demand during our third fiscal quarter due to lower retail traffic driven by a variety of weak economic factors that caused a general showdown of consumer spending across many industries and products. Additionally, on unseasonable warm autumn weather throughout most of the United States also adversely affected retail traffic in the sporting goods channel. At the same time, significant purchases by distributors and retailers which had occurred earlier in the year across the industry in anticipation of a strong hunting season created unexpected high inventory levels in the channel and limited the ability of distributors and retailers to purchase additional products. We have taken many actions to address this situation. Let me give you an update.

Many of you have heard me explaining our use of the NICS data. For those of you new to our story, NICS data which is generated by the FBI gives us the number of federal background checks that are conducted each month and reflects general trends in the consumer purchases. This is only one of many tools we use at Smith Wesson to assess the health of the retail market and changes in our own market share. Very importantly, we also gather feedback from our distributors and large retailers on their sales.

So let me tell you where things stand now. In short, we continue to see encouraging signs, and as our release mentioned, we believe that the handgun inventories appear to be back to normal. However, long gun inventories in the channel have not yet cleared. NICS data for the first five months of calendar 2008 is very encouraging. The numbers have been improving. In fact, the most recent data indicates that NICS background checks for the month of May increased nearly 9% over checks done in May 2007. Thats encouraging news, especially when coupled with feedback our distributors on their Smith Wesson sales to dealers and POS feedback indicate that we continue to take market share.

Im pleased to say that in this difficult but seemingly rebounding market, Smith Wesson handguns grew 12% in the sporting goods channel in the fourth fiscal quarter. NICS data does not differentiate between handguns and long guns, so its important to realize while this is a very encouraging trend, it is not an indication that everything the industry is back on track just yet. We know from discussions with many of our distributors that there is still long gun inventory in the channel from various manufactures including Smith Wesson which must be cleared out. We also cannot know entirely which competitors may still have large supplies of inventory on hand. As a result, we will begin to scale back some of the promotional programs we launched over the past several months. We will continue to assess how inventories in this channel are moving, and we will adjust our marketing programs accordingly.

Now, Id like to turn my discussion toward the important progress weve made on our strategy on fiscal 2008, because it is our consistent focus on that long term strategy that will help us build a company that can successfully navigate short term changes in our environment. Our strategy is to grow our core handgun business while diversifying into new markets of safety, security, protection, and sport where the Smith Wesson brand can fuel growth. We grew our core business in fiscal 2008 by introducing a large number of new products and product line extensions including the addition of a compact and a midsized version of our M 45 polymer pistol as well as several line extensions to our M 15 tactical rifle. The entire M product line has been a tremendous success. These products were designed to cross multiple markets including military, law enforcement, and consumer, and they are hitting their mark in a big way.

Let me give you some facts. Since we launched our first M polymer pistol in January 2006, a 40 caliber version, we have continued to expand the product line. Today, it includes 4 calibers in both full size and compact and an entire series of M tactical rifles and M revolvers. The portfolio continues to grow, and the traction we are getting in both the consumer and the law enforcement market is very strong. So far, the M pistol has been chosen by 348 law enforcement and security agencies. That continues to translate to a win rate of over 80% of all the law enforcement contests in which it has competed.

The tactical rifle is delivering equally impressive numbers, winning 160 law enforcement and security agencies, or over 90% of all law enforcement contests that it entered. With 800,000 officers and about 18,000 agencies nationwide and 150,000 federal agents, the law enforcement channel continues to provide a significant opportunity for us to diversify by growing in the professional market and non consumer channels.

In fiscal 2008, we also launched a classic version of our popular Thomson/Center Icon bolt action rifle, and we added new calibers for this product line. While the long gun market has been challenging to say the least, the Icon has been very well received. We continue to get accolades on the Icon, so we are particularly excited to think about what this new product under the strength of the highly regarded Thomson/Center brand will accomplish as the market for hunting rifle strengthens.

Innovation is an important legacy at Smith Wesson and Thomson/Center arms, and that innovation was highlighted in fiscal 2008 by our winning a number industry awards. We received the NRA Golden Bullseye Award for three of our products. Our Thomson/Center Icon bolt action rifle was name rifle of the year. Our Smith Wesson Elite Gold shotgun was named shotgun of the year, and our M 45 polymer pistol was named handgun of the year, and while we proud to claim these accomplishments as a reflection of our employees craftsmanship and skill, we are also excited about the exposures that these awards generate for Smith Wesson and Thomson/Center brands and products. For a company that for over 100 years primarily made revolvers, the awards for rifles, shotguns, and pistols reflect significant product diversification.

We achieved many synergies in fiscal 2008 as a result of our acquisition of Thomson/Center Arms. There are a host of services that each company was out sourcing independently that have now moved inside our combined organization. Our Springfield factory now produces several components for the Thomson/Center Icon rifle. One of the most high impact synergies weve obtained is our ability to eliminate an outside vendor for the Icon rifle receivers and manufacture that product completely in house. We just began to realize the resulting savings at the end of fiscal 2008, and will realize a full year of savings in fiscal 2009. On the Smith Wesson side, weve now moved all manufacturing for the M tactical rifle barrel into the Thomson/Center Rochester, New Hampshire, facility, again a notable savings that we will realize for a full a year in fiscal 2009. These are just two examples, but the key message here is that there are multiple synergies, and we expect to develop more in the future.

As promised last year, we maintained a heightened awareness in Washington through fiscal 2008. I personally spent a great deal of time in Washington on a regular basis, and let me say its time well spent. That change was a provision which for the first time will now require the Department of Defence to allow domestic manufactures to compete for future small arms contracts it issues for weapons that will ship to the Iraq and Afghanistan military and police, and while its true that we have actually won only few new contracts that the Defence Department has issued in the past few years for handguns, it is reassuring to know that we will have an opportunity to bid on every single new small arms contract for Iraq and Afghanistan, and as history shows, when we have a chance to compete, we do well.

Let me give you a brief update of where we are with the military because I know everyone is interested to know where that stands. This is the potential business opportunity that may arise from the militarys consideration from switching from their 9 mm to a new pistol, likely a .45 caliber. Let me tell you what we know so far. As I mentioned to you on our last call, the Air Force has requested $116.4 million for about 100,000 pistols in a larger caliber on its fiscal year 2009 unfunded requirements list. What this means is that the Air Force recognizes the need for a new handgun and is officially asking Congress for the money to purchasing new weapons. I am happy to report that positive developments continue in regard to the Air Force handgun program. In April, the US Army program manager for soldier weapons on behalf of the US Air Force issued a sourced sought announcement for a modular handgun system, and of course, we responded with our pistol recommendations. The sources sought announcement indicates that the procurement will be conducted in three phases. They are a competitive down selection process, a system development and demonstration phase, and a full rate production phase. At a recent National Defence Industry Association Conference, an air force officer announced that the request for proposal for the modular handgun system would likely be issued late this calendar year. We look forward to competing to provide the US military with the best pistol in the world, and were actively encouraging Congress to fund the new pistols for our war fighters.

We continue to make progress on the licensing front. Our strategy is to use licensing opportunities to diversify and to introduce our strong Smith and Wesson brand into new markets. We signed a licensing agreement in the fourth quarter with Nationwide Digital, a division of New York Merchants Protective Company. This is a very well established company, over 100 years old, which provides alarm systems and monitoring services to companies and residences. In fact, this company has installed systems and provides monitoring for many of the municipal buildings in New York City. Nationwide is in the process of developing and will be marketing later this calendar year a line of Smith Wesson brand security products and services.

That recaps the fiscal 2008 highlights, and I think you will agree there were many. They clearly indicated that we have delivered at every opportunity on a strategy that we set in place sometime ago and will fuel our ongoing growth and health of our business. With that, let me turn to fiscal 2009 and our key objectives.

Friday, July 4, 2014

How to Make a Flat Jewelry Tree

ï»¿How to Make a Flat Jewelry Tree A flat jewelry tree is used to display a variety of costume jewelry such as pendants, earrings, brooches, lapel pins, necklaces and bracelets. A pine tree shape is used to encapsulate the jewelry into a dazzling display. The jewelry is encased in a picture frame under glass to insure the jewelry stays in place and is not damaged by the elements. Things Youll Need:Wire cuttersStep 2 Locate the top center and mark. Lightly draw the shape of the pine tree and base, if desired, on the foam core board. The costume jewelry is glued to the edges are just past the line to prevent the line from being seen. Step 3 Remove the backs from all pieces of costume jewelry. Bend and break them off with your hands or a needle nose pliers. Cut the backs off with a wire cutter. Step 4 Arrange the pieces of costume jewelry in the shape of the pine tree. Rearrange the pieces until the tree looks aesthetically pleasing. Step 5 Remove one piece at a time and hot glue it to the foam core surface. Step 6 Outline the outside of the tree with beaded necklaces or chains. Add draping across the front of the tree using the same items. Step 7 Allow the hot glue to dry 1 hour. Place the completed project in the shadow box frame. A jewelry tree takes a large quantity of costume jewelry items to complete. Start watching at the thrift store and garage sales until you have accumulated enough to make the desired tree. Published by Kim Blakesley The passions in my life include education, the arts, home remodeling, woodworking and travel. Due to my eclectic plethora of interests, writing and photography have become two extraordinary outlets of expres. View profile Easy Styrofoam Christmas Tree Designs for Your Table or MantleGet a Styrofoam and use any one of these designs to make a unique miniature Christmas tree for your table or mantle. Related ContentFree Fun Craft Idea : Easy to Make Cardboard Ginkgo Leaf NecklaceCreate a Designer Jewelry Tree for Next to NothingHow to Decorate a Victorian Christmas TreeHow to Make a Miniature Tree and DecorationsHow to Make 3 Victorian Ornaments for Your TreeHow to Make Seasonal Holders for Cards, Photos and MoreWire Jewelry Making Create a Christmas Tree Pin.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

How to Dress for a Job Interview

ï»¿How to Dress for a Job Interview First impressions are everything when it comes to interviewing for a job. When preparing for a job interview, it is important to consider the first impression you will make on the interviewer. Your prospective employer will get a lasting impression of you from what he/she sees when you initially step into the office on your interview day. Will you appear to be an incompetent slob or will your appearance give the interviewer the impression that you are exactly the person for which the company has been searching? Basic HygieneFirst things first: remember basic hygiene. If you appear for an interview with broccoli hanging out of your teeth, dirty ears, and reeking of body odor, your chances of landing the job are shot regardless of how many years of experience or how much education you have. Be sure to run through your basic hygiene routine before you walk out of your home to head for your job interview. What Should I Wear to My Job Interview?One of the most important things you will want to take care of is selecting appropriate attire for the interview. If you are interviewing for work in an office setting, you will want to dress in professional business attire. For men, this may involve a suit, tie, and coordinating socks and shoes. Depending on the work setting, men may opt for a white or pastel button down shirt with a conservative tie and dress slacks, rather than a complete suit. For women, a two piece suit jacket with slacks or skirt is appropriate for most jobs in office settings. A modest, coordinating blouse should be worn beneath the jacket. Solid colors are most acceptable in an interview situation. Hosiery should be skin toned in color and shoes should be conservative and functional. For men and women who wear jewelry, there are certain unspoken guidelines that you may want to follow in order to secure the best chances of getting the job. Men should remove earrings before interviews. Women may choose to wear one pair of small earrings. Men will fare well if they choose to leave their necklaces at home, while women may opt to wear one simple necklace. As far as rings are concerned, men may choose to wear a wedding ring, but this is all that is recommended. Women may wear one ring on each hand. All other jewelry should be removed for interview purposes. When it comes to jewelry and job interviews, less is usually better. What Should I Wear to My Retail Job Interview?Up to this point we have only discussed dressing for an interview for an office position. But what if you are interested in a job in the retail industry? For these interviews, it is generally best to wear a button up shirt in a solid color, slacks, and coordinating socks and shoes. It is best to wear little jewelry, minimal makeup for women, and only light cologne or perfume. What Should I Wear for an Interview at a Fast Food Restaurant?Many fast food restaurants require their employees to wear a button up uniform shirt, black slacks, and black socks and shoes. If you are interviewing for work at a fast food restaurant I would strongly recommend wearing a button up shirt in a solid color, black slacks, and black socks and shoes. If you appear to be ready to play the part during your interview, your chances of being hired may increase. When Interviewing for Factory WorkMost factory work requires manual labor. When interviewing for a position on the factory floor it may be appropriate to wear a nice T shirt, jeans, and work boots. This will indicate to the employer that you understand that your job will involve hard work. If you were to wear a suit to this type of interview, you would likely be dismissed because the employer might get the impression that you are not aware of the type of labor that would be required of you as a factory employee. What Can I Do to Guarantee I Will Get the Job?Each job interview is different. The employer is looking for the person that he/she believes will be the best employee. If you have followed guidelines for hygiene and proper attire, have put your best foot forward in your interview, and presented a healthy resume, then there is not much more you can do. If you do not get accepted for a position, continue to put in applications elsewhere. With hard work and dedication you will find a job that is right for you. Just remember that patience and persistence will pay off in the long run.

How to Dress for a Job Interview

Saturday, June 28, 2014

How to Choose Accessories for Your Clothes

ï»¿How to Choose Accessories for Your Clothes Current jewelry designs have revisited the 1960s and the 1990s two decades of fashion disasters that were bad enough the first time around. It may be back in style, but it doesnt mean that it should be. Jewelry should be a unique accessory that compliments what youre wearing. It should draw attention and make you feel stylish. Jewelry also makes a statement about the type of person you are; it can tell others whether you are eccentric, elegant, out going, introverted, etc. Some days you feel like being a fashion queen who demands attention, and other days you just want to have understated elegance. Here is a list of tips that I go by when choosing accessories for my clothes: 1. Evaluate what is appropriate for the occasion. Should it be flashy and fun? If so, wear something colorful. Or are you looking for simple elegance? If this is the case, dont wear anything very large or colorful. 2. Make sure the color of the jewelry matches the color of the clothing . Color mismatching is a thing of the 1990s. Not only does it look juvenile, but it also appears that a person is fashionably inept. 3. 4. 5. Be aware of the neckline of the clothing. It will determine the length of the earrings and whether or not you wear a necklace. If you wear a top or a dress with a plunging neckline, you probably want to wear a necklace. If it doesnt show a lot of skin, dont wear a necklace; wear larger earrings. 6. If you are wearing your hair down, larger earrings are necessary to stand out. Wearing your hair up gives an all around better view of the earrings. 7. Clothing and jewelry should be rather harmonized. Harmony is appealing to the eye. So dont overdo it. A small sophisticated clutch is definitely the way to go. Not all jewelry is created equal and much of it should have never made it into stores. These 8 tips will help you choose slimming clothes that show off your figure and keep you personal style on display. Packing for BusinessPacking for a business trip has requires more forethought and strategy in order to ensure that you look professional during your entire excursion. With a deep breath, and these ten packing tips, you are sure to be rea. I know guys clothes and cool clothing stores.

How to Choose Accessories for Your Clothes

Friday, June 27, 2014

How To Buy Coco Chanel Clothing and Accessories

ï»¿How To Buy Coco Chanel Clothing and Accessories Born in Saumur, France, in 1883, Gabrielle Bonheur Coco Chanel became one of the driving forces towards comfort and sensibility in womens fashion. Famous for fragrance and the little black dress, Coco Chanel died in 1971, and now Karl Lagerfield is in charge of design for the House of Chanel. Chanel clothing and accessories are a true investment in good taste and quality. Before you shop, learn a bit more about Coco and the Chanel fashion line right here. This article will also show you how to locate and buy accessories and clothing. Coco Chanel started out with a small shop where she designed hats to sell to the elite women of society. Though she was born to a poor family, she hooked up with a couple of well to do boyfriends who helped her get her start in the fashion business. The name Coco comes from a nickname Chanel used during a brief stint as a cabaret singer. In the 1920s, she began combining elements of mens clothing with womens fashions. She designed shorter skirts and made clothing in roomier cuts to add a functionality that women found liberating, having been confined in corsets and restrictive garments for so long. The famous fragrance Chanel No. 5 was created in 1921, and remains a popular scent even today. Chanels little black dress hit the runway in 1926 and was one of the top fashion moments in history. Since then, every fashion house has adopted their own version of the dress, and it is still featured in Chanel collections. Coco also designed business like suits, handbags, and cardigans that became instant haute couture classics. Coco Chanel died in 1971 at the age of 87. At the time, she was busy designing the garments for her next spring collection. Today, Karl Lagerfield is the head designer for the House of Chanel. His designs are true to the vision Coco Chanel created with her sublime sense of style and quality. The Chanel American flagship store can be found on 57th street in New York City. Here youll find the full line of ready to wear clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry, and fragrance. To find a store that carries Chanel clothing near you, use the Store Locator feature at the Chanel website. Vintage Chanel clothes and other pieces are collectors items, and can be found at auction houses, fashion resellers, and even online. If youre planning to purchase a vintage item, have it looked at by a Chanel vendor to ensure it is a genuine article. Chanel also designs and manufactures a line of eyewear that is both fashionable and practical. You can find these collections almost anywhere designer eyewear is sold. There are tons of designer clothing options out there, but Chanel has been around for a while and can be considered a trusted source in the fashion world. Good luck finding your next Chanel piece!

How To Buy Coco Chanel Clothing and Accessories

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Holiday Sparkle Bracelet

ï»¿Holiday Sparkle Bracelet :Related Resources: Holiday Crochet Patterns Free Bead Crochet Patterns Free Crochet Jewelry Patterns Project Description:Learn how to make a lovely bracelet with this free crochet pattern. This bracelet is named after the holiday sparkle colorway of DMCs Light Effects metallic embroidery floss. Dont let the name fool you; while it would be perfect for use during holidays such as Christmas and Valentines Day, this bracelet is suitable for year around wear. Materials:Metallic Embroidery Floss:1 skein 8 m / 8.7 yards of DMC Light Effects embroidery floss; the colorway used in the sample is called Holiday Sparkle. Feel free to substitute other brands if you prefer, but keep in mind that the fiber needs to be strong enough to support the beads you be using. Beads:To make the sample bracelet, I used a 4 / 10 cm strand of red glass cathedral beads by Blue Moon Beads. There are 12 of these beads per strand, packaged with a few smaller beads that I didnt use in this project. The beads I used measure approx. 7.5 mm each. I used all 12 of the beads. Skill Level:Crochet Hook:Size C / 2.5 mm, or your preferred size Other:Needles for stringing the beads and weaving in ends Finished Size:My sample bracelet measures 7.5 inches long, not including the closure. Crochet Abbreviations Used in This Pattern: ch = chain sc = single crochet sl st = slip stitch st = stitch Special Crochet Stitch Needed for This Pattern: Beaded Ch St:The beaded chain stitch is basically just a chain stitch with a bead inside. Here are the instructions for crocheting it: Grab a bead and slide it over, so that it touches your work in progress. Tug very slightly at the active loop on your crochet hook to enlarge it a wee bit not much at all the larger your bead, the larger the loop needs to be without the bead going through the loop. The goal is to enlarge the loop ever so slightly so that it will be a comfortable length for completing your stitch. You also dont want the loop to be too large. Then work your chain stitch. You work it just as you usually would, except that there a bead caught in the stitch. Project Instructions:Thread a needle with your metallic embroidery floss and string all of your beads onto your floss. Crocheting the Bracelet:ch 3, work beaded ch st, Repeat until bracelet is desired length, then work 3 more ch sts. Ch 1, turn, sc in each ch st across row. Do not turn as usual. Instead, you are going to work a longer than usual chain and then turn the work upside down to work back across your foundation chain. Ch 4, flip the work, sl st to join your chs to the upper right side of of your piece or upper left side if you are left handed. Sc into each st across the foundation chain. Next, you are going to work back across, folding the piece in half onto itself to form a beaded tube. To do this, work 1 sl st through both loops of both sc sts on either side of the beads. Work all the way across.

Holiday Sparkle Bracelet

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Gripping Discoveries On Native American Jewelry

ï»¿Gripping Discoveries On Native American Jewelry Visitors to the American Southwest usually marvel at the lovely turquoise and silver jewelry made by the Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni people today who live within the region now identified as Arizona and New Mexico. Of course, just before the invasion of the western hemisphere by Europeans, this was the realm of the native individuals who named it using words from their different languages. Theres a whole lot to be mentioned for Native American jewelry artisans that had been in on it early. The final 100 to 150 years have verified to be an astounding period of creative growth inside their culture, plus the pioneers that set the stage, created many of the design elements that are still in use today. Today, tourists, collectors and other shoppers delight in going into trading posts, pawn shops, antique shops and fashionable jewelry boutiques hoping to uncover treasures of genuine native turquoise jewelry, within the form of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, belt buckles along with other articles. But these bangles had been not always so desirable and expensive. A lot of modern jewelry on the market is becoming produced inexpensively and quickly mainly because demand is pretty high, in particular when taking into consideration that mass produced goods could be provided to the public inexpensively. Many artisans have been absorbed into the mass production aspect of the craft, which in my humble opinion, has devalued the art form. Designs and methods that were as soon as an artisans calling card, are now being used in a fully unique way. There was a time Native American Indians saw no need to have to hallmark their work their designs spoke their name towards the fellow tribe members the pieces had been created for. But global demand has placed such pressure on the industry, and spawned so quite a few businesses that produce knock offs, entities like eBay will no longer permit you to offer unsigned Native American jewelry in the Native American category. It has to go into a category referred to as Unsigned Artisan Jewelry and of course, should you ought to list an unsigned masterpiece in that category, it goes unnoticed for probably the most part. This edict was handed down by the Native American community itself, on account of all the knock offs flooding the market. During the 1950s, when western style square dancing began to turn into common within the United States, these native Indian fashions became incorporated into the wardrobe of the males and girls square dancers who wore Stetson hats, cowboy boots, squaw dresses or crinoline skirts. As time passed, classic native American jewelry became trendy as artists, singers and movie stars had been seen adorning their bodies with so called Indian style jewelry crafted from turquoise, silver and coral. Curiously, it isnt only the native people today of North America who make this sort of jewelry. If you travel to parts of India, Nepal and Tibet, you will also see very comparable searching jewelry rings and necklaces handcrafted from silver and inlaid with turquoise and coral stones. Those who believe in the spiritual properties of gemstones say that turquoise may well enhance the spiritual journeys and wisdom of 1 who wears it. According to some American native traditions, turquoise jewelry is worn for the reason that it is usually a power stone and it also assists to heal the spirit.

Gripping Discoveries On Native American Jewelry

Monday, June 23, 2014

Gemstone Jewelry Box Project

ï»¿Gemstone Jewelry Box Project Try this gemstone jewerly box project and keep your jewelry in a dazzling box decorated with gems that match the colors of your room. What Youll Need:63 craft sticks5 wooden barrel beadsSilver acrylic paintAssorted faux gemsCraft gluePaintbrushHow to Make a Gemstone Jewelry BoxStep 1: Line up 12 craft sticks side by side on your work surface. Glue a craft stick across the top and another across the bottom to hold the sticks in place. This piece will become the box lid. Set it aside for now. Step 2: Repeat step 1, using 11 sticks instead of 12, to make the box base. Step 3: With the cross sticks facing up, place another set of craft sticks on the opposite 2 edges of the base, perpendicular to the first set of cross sticks. Glue in place where the sticks overlap each other. Build up the sides in this manner, alternating the top and bottom edges with the left and right, until there are a total of 10 sticks on each side. Let dry. Step 4: Glue a barrel bead to the bottom of each corner of the base, and glue the last barrel bead to the middle of the lid on the top side not the side with the cross sticks. Let dry.

Gemstone Jewelry Box Project

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Five Great Reasons to Buy Antique Fine Jewelry

ï»¿Five Great Reasons to Buy Antique Fine Jewelry Photo Victoria and Albert Museum, London Although it often conjures up images of diamond tiaras and watch fobs, much antique jewelry is actually quite wearable. The more delicate settings, smaller stones, and older methods of faceting rose cut, old mine cut which produce more of a subtle sparkle than a fiery flash can make a piece appropriate for even the most conservative office or the most casual of clothes. Plenty of high quality antique pieces cost less than $1,000; more serious pieces run in the mid to upper four figures. Whatever the price, an antique item is likely to be less than a comparable contemporary article. For example, an Edwardian engagement ring, with a diamond band and a 1.5 carat center stone can be had for $9,500. Try finding that at a high end jeweler, where comparable rings start around $20,000. You also get more bang for the jewelry buck: the quality and workmanship of the earlier pieces is, dollar for dollar, a better value, says Joyce Jonas, president emeritus of the American Society of Jewelry Historians and an Antiques Roadshow appraiser. Much of that workmanship displayed in the highly detailed designs of antique jewelry is a vanished art. In this era of mass market production, very few jewelers do hand finishing anymore. Along with the craftsmanship, many of the materials are unique too. Antique pieces contain gems and stones or materials that, due to scarcity, are almost impossible to find in modern pieces: jet, red coral, tortoiseshell, and Burmese rubies with their unique, pinkish red brightness. Photo Victoria and Albert Museum, London Older pieces cost less, yet they often worth more. With contemporary jewelry, a piece worth correlates to its break up value that is, the quality of the gemstones and amount of precious metal used. But with an antique, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Because of its rarity and craftsmanship, has a resale value a premium over its materials, says Stephen Nelson of the New York City antique jewelry and silver store Nelson Nelson. in effect, you getting more for your money when you walk out of the store with an antique piece. And, if kept in good condition, it appreciate even more over time.

Five Great Reasons to Buy Antique Fine Jewelry

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Fabric Scrap Necklaces

ï»¿Fabric Scrap Necklaces If the phrase fabric necklace calls up images of summer camp afternoons spent in the arts and crafts tent rather than fancy cocktail parties, then this ruffled cloth necklace from Happy Together is for you. Pair an elegant fabric with a strapless dress for a night out, or put together a more casual collection to go with your favorite shorts and tees. Though Jessica, the artist who created this tutorial, used a 20x3 piece of fabric, she promises that you can experiment with whatever you have leftover from your last project. Other than that, youll need only a necklace chain one from your collection is fine, a sewing machine, and a safety pin; a heat sealing tool is optional. Fold the fabric in half a sew, creating a long loop that you can thread the chain through, and youre finished. The ones shown here are made from dressier fabrics but try a brightly colored cotton print, gingham, or graphic black and white version to go with different outfits. Along with the reuse benefits of this project, we loved seeing the piece that inspired Jessica to make this necklace: a $178 designer version highlighted in a fashion spread. Thrify, green, and fashionable? If only your summer camp projects had all of that going for them. Via Craft

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Endgame progression

ï»¿Endgame progression jump to contentmy subreddits limit my search to /r/ffxivuse the following search parameters to narrow your results:see the search faq for details. If you exceptionally skilled, then you can usually jump ahead as well. If you running stuff with a good group of people with voice communication, then you can generally jump WAY ahead. If you with a group who geared to the teeth, then you can get carried through pretty much everything before Coil. Do me one favor though. Please do more then just farm CM until you at full Darklight. CM is efficient and easy for Philo Tomes, and grinding it mindlessly will get you lots of ilvl70 gear fairly quickly, but it will NOT teach you how to play your job under pressure, and it will NOT challenge you to get better. A Fresh 50 could clear CM playing with their elbows. Darklight gear obtained through farming CM is merely a testament of your patience, not your skill, and not really even your progress. Fresh 50 I bought as much GC armors as I could that were available. Just to get that boost. No 50 GC weapon yet, still using the 44 one from questing. I then farmed Wanderers Palace. This was where I learned about the Relic quest and weapon it needs. I used that weapon with the 2 materia to get into AK and finish it for 50 GC weapon. I found the 50 GC weapon more than enough for either AK or Ifrit HM farmed them both for the Ifrit weapon and AK armors. I didn bother with Garuda yet until I was in at least AK armors and an Ifrit weapon. Completed that, so I moved on to Garuda while farming AK for Philo and DL armors. Did this until Garuda weapon dropped. Decided to try and start up the Relic quest kind of late, should have started as soon as possible to coincide with doing HM Primals. Finished up to Garuda HM again and only had Titan left. Since I couldn find a pre made yet which is the most probable way of completing it, I was trying my luck and learning the fight more through DF groups while still farming AK for Philo stones. Finally managed to finish titan, got my Relic, farmed Philo stones to complete it, and now waiting for another week to get it to +1. The way I view it and I may well be wrong here, Ifrit seems like the first gate of content; before Ifrit weapon you should probably stick to Castrum or Wanderer but you don really NEED to do much of either for Ifrit. I went in as a WHM with a level 43 GC weapon and healed that fight just fine though, I can understand why people would expect DPS to have something better. I HIGHLY advise people to be geared before HM Garuda/Titan. People in here will brag about how little gear they had before doing those fights, but these are mostly people who either 1 are extremely hardcore with tons of MMO experience, or 2 high quality groups to carry them. Remember, Garuda a DPS check, but it can be done with one tank and one healer, if they good, so six meh geared DPS should have no problem downing the fight. If you run a more traditional party, and all four DPS are strolling in with artifact gear, it probably not going to die unless you all amazing. HM Titan is, as a posted somewhere in the thread said, more about knowledge of the fight than gear that said, each setup is gear dependent for SOMEONE. If there are 3 healers, DPS needs to be relatively geared to make sure the heart phase is doable. If you run the slightly less common 2 healer setup, then you don need your DPS to be as geared, but those healers better be on their game and that tank should REALLY be in mostly full darklight / ilevel 70 crafted gear. Will they die without it? Probably not, but it definitely matters, ESPECIALLY for warrior tanks who will simply drop to a Tank buster if they not geared enough.

Endgame progression

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Different Styles Of Womens Watches

ï»¿Different Styles Of Womens Watches Its rare to find a woman who doesnt love jewelry. After all, its a generally accepted maxim that diamonds are a girls best friend, and that the way to a girls heart is paved with Tiffany boxes. We love necklaces and chokers, dangly earrings and pearl studs, diamond and ruby rings, delicate tennis bracelets and clunky, chunky bangles. One piece of classic jewelry that we often overlook, though, is the timeless wrist watch. Ever since the Swatch craze died down, you just dont hear much about womens watches in the fashion press. And thats a downright shame because womens fashion watches are among the best, most utilitarian and most stylish jewelry pieces you can buy. From timeless classic wristwatches to fun and funky watches with interchangeable straps, womens watches should take the forefront of the fashion jewelry stage. Why give one watch when you can give a whole wardrobe of watches? The concept dates back to the 1970s, when Timex came out with a single watch paired with seven different colored straps that could be swapped out a different watch for every day. Invicta has carried this tradition through in several of its womens watch lines. The Classique from Invicta includes seven interchangeable straps in Hot Pink, Pearl White, Lime Green, Orange, Golden Yellow, Black and Sky Blue and a watch with a mother of pearl face and sixteen diamond accents. The Invicta Baby Lupah features seven straps in the same colors with crocodile embossing, and the Baby Lupah timepiece, a classic timepiece based on the Invicta Lupah watch for men. Womens Watches with Fashionable Straps and Big Designer Names Wearing a famous name on your wrist makes a high impact fashion statement. Fabulous designers better known for clothing and shoes have put their monikers on some of the hottest watches for this season. Gucci, Dolce Gabbana, Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein these are just a few of the high profile designers that have put their names on watch designs. Some of the hottest styles of the season include: The Gucci Garnet Accent Womens watch set with 28 shimmering garnet gemstones set around the steel bezel. Got a January girl on your gift list? This is the luxury watch for her! The Christian Bernard 5th Stainless Steel Bracelet watch, featuring a stainless steel woven multi link bracelet in highly polished silver tone From Kenneth Cole, a womens Reaction Gold tone Stainless Steel Chain bracelet watch, featuring a braided chain bracelet that rivals the hottest bracelets From Calvin Klein, a gorgeous oval watch case in brushed silver, matched up with a double link stainless steel bracelet Casual and Sports Fashion Watches One of the hottest upcoming fashion trends is to have a wardrobe of brightly colored sports and casual watches that are as much bracelet as they are time pieces. One great example of the trend is a trio of watches from Activas Sport collection. Each of the three features a round polyurethane watch case in bright blue, bright magenta and smoky topaz, with matching polyurethane straps. The sporty jelly straps and cases are candy colored and completely delicious. Theyre perfect for wear with jeans and sports clothing. The price is very reasonable under $40 for three watches. If you can spend a bit more, you can get a similar look and higher quality from names like Swiss Legend, whose Commander series features rubber straps and stainless steel case set with 206 diamonds around a rotating bezel. The quality is miles ahead, of course, in a watch that measures its abilities in complications that are well known in the world of luxury Swiss timepieces. Renato and other watchmakers are stepping out with bold, bright colors that move beyond the strap choice and into the watch case and face. The stunning Renato Beauty Sapphire Diamond Alligator Strap watch comes in five different luscious color combos, each set with diamonds to lend their sparkle to the rainbow. Brown, black, pink, white and red watches each are lavished with about 1.02 carats of diamonds scattered across the face, logo clasp and lugs to blaze against the colored background. The numbers are diamond pave, and the logo on the clasp is set with pave diamonds. It retails for $2,385, but can be found for less than half that price if you keep your eye on the jewelry sales. Womens watches are more than just time pieces theyre also pieces of jewelry that range from the casual and inexpensive to the very pricey and extravagant. With a bit of careful shopping, youll easily find watches that fit both your fashion style and your pocketbooks demands.

Different Styles Of Womens Watches

Friday, June 13, 2014

Culture Background of Indian Jewelry

ï»¿Culture Background of Indian Jewelry Do you know where the first diamond was found? Do you know the fact that carat is invented by Indian? Peopled of the ancient civilization has been in favor of producing lights entwined with colorful brilliance and silence with skilled and traditional crafts to create the most fashion Indian jewelry. Indian has been the most jewelry exporter in the world. With strong national characteristics in styling, 24K gold accessory is the main jewelry in the local. With excellent crafts, crafts of the country are famous for their chic, classical, gorgeous and complex characteristics. Tourists would love Indian jewelry, and it would be the indispensible decoration for daily lives for the native Indians. The symbol for identity Female Indian jewelry is of various categories, earring, necklaces, rings, bracelets, bangles, hair decorations, frontlets, chest ornaments and anklets would be appeared as stunning. Most Indians take the opinion that jewelry should dominate about a half of the female daily life into grant. Females should take full use of jewelry to decoration themselves as beautiful as possible. It is concerned that even those who born in poor family should attach great importance to dress themselves with less expensive metals or plastic jewelry as they can. In some sense, accessory is the symbolization of one identity. Jewelry such as silver bell anklets would be the necessary decoration of an Indian bride. According to one local friend, sounds form the ankle bells can avoid the deviant issues of the bride. Those who wear lucky gold chains with black beads in Maharastra would be in the married group; sealing star rings in hair in West Bengal is the symbol for being married. Expect in wedding, women should dress themselves beautifully with jewelry as possible as they can when represents social communicating occasions such as birthday parties, friends meeting ect. Gifts that the elder would give to the younger are regularly jewelry or items related to it. Male adult in Indian would have at least one ring in fingers; some would wear bangles or red lines on wrist to pray for safeties. Celebrity of a wedding would be the best moment for women to show their jewelry. Accounts of wearing accessories would be the important standard to measure the state of the bride dowry. However, bride jewelry would be varies from different regions. Brides in the southern area would have pierces on both side of the nose and wearing them with nose studs, or they would have the pierce under the left nostril to dress it with a nose ring inlaid with pearls, and toes would have rings as well. Brides in the northern area would wearing gold nose ring and connect it with an exquisite gold chain to have the other hung on ears. Wearing in sets can be authentic In the Indian women opinion, pieces will never be taken as units to count jewelry; it is a whole set that can be the basis to count. From thousands of years, Indian female would decorate themselves with sets of jewelry which would have the fragile sounds when walking, no less than ten kinds of jewelry which have different auspicious connotation would be used to form the unique Indian tradition by reflecting with the original beauty of the wearer. History of the a jewelry set originated in the pursuit for royal identity, the conservative rulers then desired to manifest their wealth and power with a whole set of jewelry beauty, which later gradually became the most common folk in Indian. Peacock, the national Bird of India The national bird peacock would be the frequent theme in India accessory design. Among the Hindu system, peacock is the eldest son of Shiva and the mount of the Ares. Later the government officially put blue peacock as the national bird in 1963. In addition, the favorite for nature and lives attract the focus of jewelry making on the beautiful bird, both the shapes of a peacock and patterns on the feather all became the indispensible inspiring elements to design traditional jewelry.

Colorful Jewelry Inspiration

ï»¿Colorful Jewelry Inspiration Color is a leading element when designing jewelry. Who doesnt find him or herself inspired by a shade in a painting or contrast in new shirt? If you are thinking about colors for fall 2010, then you will enjoy virtually flipping through the Pantone Fashion Color Report for fall 2010. Sixty two pages are full of information on the colors we will see in clothing and other fashion items for this fall, so of course, as jewelry designers this is pretty helpful information to know. Some of my personal fall color favorites include chocolate truffle yum, oyster gray, and lagoon. Other interesting information in this digital brochure includes top designers must have clothing items for fall, their take on how the economy has affected the way they think about color, and general fashion trends. Comments are closed for this post. See All Posts September 23, 2010 at 11:18 am 1 Lori P says:Thanks for posting the Pantone Fall 2010 color report! It a very interesting fashion/accesories update to read, and shows the latest colors beautifully! September 23, 2010 at 12:14 pm 2 Sharon M says:Thank you for the digital preview of the Pantone color report. For years I used this in my job in architectural design. With the industry suffering as badly it is, and me and so many of my co workers being unemployed, it was fun to feel in the swing for a bit. I love the bright primaries mixed with army green! September 24, 2010 at 12:53 am 3 Grammajojo says:Loved the colors, but I didn like many of the fashions. Some of them were downright unflattering. September 26, 2010 at 10:49 pm 4 Lori says:I must have ESP. I just designed some new earrings in a unique shape last week, using colors that just appealed to me. And WOW 90% of the EXACT colors I used for these designs are in this report!

Colorful Jewelry Inspiration

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Charles Albert launched Springjewelry collection

ï»¿Charles Albert launched Spring 2011 jewelry collection Charles Albert, INC launched their nature inspired Spring 2011 Jewelry Collection on November 3rd, 2010 at the ultra deco Art Fusion Galleries in the Miami Design District. The Collection was made available for first time to fashion stylists, boutique owners, magazine editors, members of press and other special guests. There were amazing prizes give aways, complimentary drinks and Charles Albert himself made an appearance. Albert and his wife donated a portion of proceeds to The American Cancer Society, in addition to generous personal donation. Hot: The Spring 2011 Jewelry Collection that hosted numerous couture styles that draws inspiration. The use of innovate stone choices and sleek silver presentations set Charles Alberts jewelry apart. Definitely one of a kind jewelry. Cool: The perfect exhibition. Guests could enjoyed the great jewelry showcased while they were indulged by complementary drinks, prizes and more. Good: The team of Charles Albert, INC that made a 5 stars event. The best: Charles Albert himself ,The Man behind the jewelry. We got an exclusive interview with this talented designer, who explained his work, his inspirations and he defined his work and himself with 3 words. I want women to wear pieces that get them noticed, I always thought if you are going to wear a statement piece, it should say something, said Albert. I have been collecting stones since I was a little kid, my stones come from all over the world; Asia, South America, North America and Europe. I look for material wherever I can find them, added Albert. If you find a beautiful stone and you set it in a piece of jewelry, then everybody can enjoy it, said Albert, very proud. We asked Define your work and yourself with 3 words. 3 words? said Albert, laughing.One of a kind, handmade and desirable. Our team Miami Fashion Over 40 Examiner and Miami Celebrity Fashion Examiner, have one word to define this Designer: AWESOME. In the last few weeks, Charles Albert Jewelry has been seen 3 times on E!, including on Joan Rivers. Ke$ha has worn his pieces on a few occasions as well as Mya and Trina.