JTV Blog

Jewel School Weekly with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

Jewel School Schedule

September 26 & 27- (today and tomorrow) Jewel School is taking a very short Fall Break to get ready for our NEW schedule, that will begin THIS coming Saturday (September 29). Our lovely hosts, Kim and Mandy will be sharing the new shows, bringing in even more special Guest Artists!

October---New Jewel School Hours !!

(Note the times listed below are EST)

Tuesday 4-6pm        Wednesday 10pm-midnight

Saturday 6-8pm       Sunday remains 10am-noon

(Before I go much further, I'd like to thank Jewel Schoolers Ann Kelley and Kris Mattingly for sharing their event photos with me!)

The fabulous Fernando DaSilva in his classroom last week.

Did you see Fernando launch his New "Signature" Line this past week? He introduced it to his students at the JS Event - everyone was "Glam"!

"Cougarism"-- (what I'd like to share with you this week)

Although the 3rd Annual Jewel School Customer Appreciation Event is over, I'd like to share a few special highlights with you.

During the Opening Ceremony, Chief Services Officer Donna Burns introduced CEO Tim Matthews who  welcomed all of the instructors, guest experts and our very special guests--our customers with a brief description of "how" a company like Jewelry Television works. The "spinning wheel" was decked out with different colored numbers (each one assigned to a special gift) and guest names were drawn to spin for a prize! The gifts ranged from goodie bags of jewelry making supplies and tools from Jewel School, to finished pieces of jewelry and gemstones from Jewelry Television.

The wonderful "Prize Wheel"!

CEO Tim Matthews presents an awesome prize to one of our special guests!

Workshops, sponsored by Jewel School vendors (like Beadalon, Art Clay World, Wubbers, Knotty-Do-All, Bead Smith and many more) were held in classroom settings at both the main JTV facility as well as in our New Jewel School Institute building. Members of the JTV staff and call center were available as assistants to the instructors as well as to help guests with directions and several drove the golf cart "limos" to shuttle folks between the buildings. (One of our guests suggested a golf cart race for next year - that would be fun!)

Jackie Truty shares her amazing Art Clay skills with event students.

The beautiful weather helped make the variety of complimentary lunch selections a treat, held in huge tents outside both buildings and served by JTV staff members; snacks and beverages were also available during afternoon break times. The New Supply Store at the JSI had a wonderful selection of tools, books, DVDs, beads, etc for sale; while Bruce Barlow and his lovely wife Debbie offered a gorgeous collection of NEW Designer Cabochons in the main library. Guests also enjoyed the opportunity to shop at the JTV gem and gift store, where they were treated to chocolate and champagne.

Wyatt White likes to use a "lipstick" camera while teaching, so everyone gets a great view!

Friday's morning session featured a very special guest, Jean Baruch, the founder and creator of "Beads of Courage". (I encourage you to follow this link, to learn more about how special and important the BOC Program is!) Jean told us all of the fantastic news about how the BOC program has grown, including: the addition of several new hospitals; members of the USA Olympic Team carrying them to London; beads being taken to the top of Mt Everest; NASCAR Driver Carl Edwards wore beads in several races, and so many more stories of people sharing "their" courage with children in the BOC program.

JTV teamed up with BOC last year and personally, it was an honor to be able to participate in the Jewel School Guest Artist Challenge. Each of us was given a specific lampwork bead and asked to use it within a design, using our favorite medium. We each presented Jean with our finished creations Friday evening. These very unique pieces will soon be put up for auction to benefit Beads of Courage. (I'll let you know and provide the link as soon as we have it.)

Jewel School is going to become even more involved with BOC in the future, as our own lampwork artist Carol Crye will be working to set up an event at the Jewel School Institute! (BTW, lampwork beads aren't the only beads that artists make from their hearts and donate to the program, Art Clay, polymer clay, ceramic...you should see the beautiful variety. Actually...you can! I purchased a little book, "The Ladybug Star and the Jester's Hat", that shows and tells the story of the 2012 Bead Design Challenge.)

After presenting Jean with our BOC pieces, Jewel School hosted a "Customer Fashion Show". What fun it was to see everyone modeling their handcrafted jewelry designs, paired with outfits chosen to enhance the colors of the gemstones and beads! There were so many amazing pieces that it was difficult to vote!

First place went to Jo Anne Montgomery, for this really beautifu set that she created around a "find" from a yardsale!

And here is the 2nd place winner, a kumihimo set done in labradorite and seed beads by Kris.

I enjoyed being the Saturday morning speaker, talking about how to price and sell your handcrafted jewelry. It was an informative/interactive session, with some great comments and questions from our guests and additional tips from my fellow instructor friends. Saturday afternoon found us all in the main building for the Closing Ceremony, more prize wheel action and lots of hugs, photographs and some tears. New friends were made, faces were put with pictures from facebook and numbers were added to phones. It truly was an amazing event. (Now, we begin planning and working on the 4th annual!)

Until next week, "Stay Twisted"!!

Dale/Cgr

"EXTRA"!! Jewel School Weekly with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

Jewel School Schedule

Remember that tomorrow---Sunday September 23th - The Jewel School Design Contest Winners will be announced!! That's right, Jewel School will be on the air for 3 full hours of fun and specials! (For details about the artists and products that will be featured, check the 9/19 post.) And on Monday, Fernando DaSilva launches his New "Signature" line!!

 Mark your calendars with these New Jewel School Hours for October!! (Note the times listed below are EST.)

Tuesday 4-6pm

Wednesday 10pm-midnight

Saturday 6-8pm

And Sunday remains 10am-noon

"Cougarism"Special-- As I promised on Wednesday, this is an "extra special" Jewel School blog post, to share a few photos from our 3rd Annual JS Customer Appreciation event!

Wednesday: Mandy, Christiane and part of the JTV crew greet Anne Dilker.

Candie Cooper goes over her featured products with JJ, Jewel School producer.

Mandy and I share a laugh with you, on the air.

Thursday: At the opening ceremony, Jackie Truty, Ann Dilker and I smile for the camera while Katie Baum attends her service dog.

CEO Tim Matthews presents a fabulous gift to a guest for "spinning the prize wheel"!

Friday: While Executive Director and Founder of "Beads of Courage", Jean Baruch updated us on the past year's BOC progress, we passed around a sample bead strand (held by lapidary Bruce Barlow).

Christiane Ross teaches her popular chain maille class.

Dinner with lots of friends, pictured are Wyatt White, Fernando DaSilva and Christiane Ross.

That's all for now. Later this week, I'll tell you about the fun fashion show we had with our guests; more about Jewel School's wonderful partnership with "Beads of Courage"; share photos from other classes and LOTS more!!

Stay "twisted"!

Dale/Cgr

Jewel School Weekly with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

Jewel School Schedule

Wednesday 9/ 19- (today!) Join us live, for the beginning of our 3rd Annual Jewel School Customer Appreciation Event!! The next four "special" episodes of Jewel School are loaded with Guest Artists who will be offering "new" products and inspirational design ideas, as well as customer favorites.

In last week's preview we learned that I will be officially launching my 6-pack DVD "Jump Start" series only on Wednesday 19th. (Don't forget the materials kit, so you can get "wired" at home!)

September 19 & 20- Kumihimo expert Anne Dilker joins us with colorful new, "Jewel School Exclusive" choices and Katie Hacker and Candie Cooper will be showing some cool Beadalon products and design ideas (detailed in last week's post).

As I write, Candie is visiting Katie in Chicago, getting ready to share how to make this very cool copper cuff! Always innovative, Candie took this fun photo for us by hanging the bracelet on a cafe coffee mug.

 

Sunday September 20th - The Jewel School Design Contest Winners to be announced!! One winner every 30 minutes!

9/20- Janice Mae has some awesome New Paper Bead Making Kits to offer. (Imagine what colors her "Peacock" selection includes!) I was intrigued by one title, "I Choose To Be Happy Today", so I asked Janice to share a bit more about it for us. She said, "I designed this particular kit in the happy colors of red, green and yellow, and only the first 300 orders will include a "I Choose to be Happy Today", smiley face charm! I really love the "happy" kit because it will make not just any kind of bead or jewelry, it has a positive affirmation attached to it.  A reminder that being happy, or to be in a happy state of mind, is a conscious choice."

Janice sent the following pictures to share with you. The first is of a bracelet made using the red in the "Happy" kit and the second is a close-up of the "limited edition" charm.

9/20- Professional lapidary Bruce Barlow brings a new collection of his gorgeous Designer Cabochons to the show! I caught up with Bruce last week, to see if I could get a few hints about what we can expect. He was so nice to explain, " I am very excited about the upcoming show! These are some of the best quality cabochons we have ever had, and they have been "custom cut"- exclusively for JTV! We have high grade red and yellow mookaite jasper from Australia; some gorgeous blue and green chrysocolla/malachite free-forms from Arizona, and Kambaba jasper, which is a stromatolite. (Stromatolites are fossils of the oldest form of life on earth!)  Another unusual material we'll have is orange colored, coquina-fossil jasper (composed of small, ancient shells that have been compacted and fossilized); and a stunning purple banded fluorite, that is very translucent. (This one we only have a limited supply of.) Although I tried to work up a larger supply of each stone, they are all one-of-a-kind cabs, and in limited supply."

Wow, I agree with Bruce--this is certainly a "Don't Miss" show!

Pictured below is a sample of Bruce Barlow's rhodocrosite cabochons.

Sunday 9/23- Anie Piliguian brings new quantities of her "Ultimate Jool Tool Kit"; Wyatt White, Fernando DaSilva and yours truly offer special deals on Beadalon customer favorites; Patti Bullard works her Wubbers pliers, and Sandra Younger, inventor of the Knotty Do All, will share how easy macramé can be!

Check out this lovely necklace that Sandra made using pearls!

Personally, I know how much I enjoyed making macramé jewelry when I was in high school (there were no video games or cell phones) and I love the fact that Sandra has come up with such an easy and fun way to get young people involved in handcrafts again! While talking with her about her product, Sandra exclaimed, " Ohh, I have so many thingies and ideas about how to use all of the cool techniques you can use my board for, that I don't know where to begin!"

(Of course macramé is for people of all ages, it can also help those with arthritis to keep their fingers nimble too.)

Monday 9/24- Although Wyatt White, Patti Bullard and Sandra Younger will be staying over for Monday's show, I think we all need to tune in for Fernando DaSilva's Big Announcement - he will be launching his New Signature Product Line!! (Sorry I can't tell you more, this has been a really well kept secret!)

Weekly "Cougarism- with so much going on at Jewel School  right now, my news is that I will have an "extra" post later this week and I will share some of the Event's highlights next week and (hopefully) lots of pictures!

Mark your calendars with these New Jewel School Hours for October!! (Note: the times listed below are EST.)

Tuesday 4-6pm

Wednesday 10pm-midnight

Saturday 6-8pm

And Sunday remains 10am-noon

Stay Twisted!

Dale/Cgr

 

JTV's Exotic Gemstone Expert Larry Pereg on Sapphire: Part 3 of 3

Well it’s still September and although I thought I had said all I had to say about Sapphires, I found myself thinking about how much more there is to say, so here goes. I was thinking about history and how Sapphires have been with us since ancient times. Having a precious Sapphire connects us with that history. It’s possible that your Sapphire comes from the same area or mine as the sapphire belonging to a Queen from the tenth century.

I was thinking about the long history of Sapphires and Royalty. It’s fascinating. Did you know that when Prince Charles proposed to Diana he didn’t have that famous Sapphire engagement ring with him? In fact, it was only after Diana accepted his proposal that she was given the opportunity to choose her ring from the Royal Collection. Her engagement ring was not custom made for her as many people think. I would think she could have any ring she wanted but she loved Sapphires and fell in love with the ring that reminded her of her mothers ring--and we all know the ring. (Most women would probably feel insulted if their future husband had her choose an engagement ring from his mother’s jewelry box. Not in this case, it seems.) When it comes to jewelry there’s always a story. 

Royalty has always had the edge when it comes to dealing with gemstones. What I mean is that they have always understood the rarity and how difficult it is to find beautiful gems, in particular beautiful Sapphires. So when the opportunity presents itself, they act, they buy, and they create jewelry. They don’t necessarily wait for an occasion. The Sapphire you can have today just might not be there tomorrow. We see that happen every day with so many gems. That’s why I talk about timing and opportunity. We have unprecedented access to beautiful gems and jewelry at Jewelry Television and jtv.com, and as the royals worldwide have shown us through the centuries, it’s about taking advantage and appreciating the opportunity. How much time and money was spent throughout history on expeditions to find these same gems you can now pick up the phone and have delivered to you from JTV?

Each month we have a chance to reintroduce ourselves to the birthstone of that month--to think about the history of that gem, and our personal history that we’ve created with the gems and jewelry we collect, get as gifts, or give as gifts. Some gems have been around for thousands of years and others have just recently been discovered. We get to see and feel so many of them. It is extraordinary.

Sapphire is a magical stone with an amazing history. Enjoy yours. Once again, a very happy birthday to September Sapphire babies! 

- Larry

Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood Getaway by JTV Sweepstakes Presented by Jewelry Television

"We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle" is one of Marilyn Monroe's more famous quotes, and the inspiration behind Jewelry Television's line of jewelry inspired by Marilyn Monroe! Set to make its debut on Jewelry Television and jtv.com in October 2012, Marilyn Monroe™ Jewelry is designed to embody the style, beauty, and elegance of an icon.

In celebration of this exciting jewelry launch, Jewelry Television and JTV.com announce the Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood Getaway by JTV Sweepstakes! Enter between now and October 7, 2012 for your chance to win a Hollywood, California getaway for you and three of your friends, plus Marilyn Monroe™ Jewelry--a prize package valued at $13,000! Click this link to enter now: Enter the Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood Getaway by JTV Sweepstakes.

Jewel School Weekly with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

Jewel School Schedule

September 12 & 13- (today and tomorrow) Jewel School's own, Christiane Ross will be the Special Guest Artist! Featuring some beautiful products such as Larimar (pictured below) and Snowflake Obsidian bead strands.  Christiane will also talk about how easy it is to add "sparkle" to almost anything, with Hot Fix Crystallized ™Swarovski Elements. And---get ready for some "Hot Metal Deals" in Argentium and copper!

September 16 & 17- tune in for some "Sneak Peek Specials" for our upcoming Workshop Shows and get your "Core and Essential" supplies, tools and beads to be ready for our Special "Fall Designer Days" event and shows!

Christiane has a great eye for color and balance, even in her "seemingly simple" designs, such as this one that she aptly titled, "Spectator". (Very elegant-yes?)

JSI Happenings- If you haven't had the time to comment on last week's blog, with regard to what type of jewelry making classes you're interested in taking, please take a moment to do so!

FYI- Did you know that JTV also has an official YouTube channel? Follow this LINK to 35 Free jewelry making videos! (It's not too soon to begin thinking about and making your own holiday gifts.)

Weekly "Cougarism - Mark your calendars and program your recorders!

Jewelry Television will be hosting our 3rd annual Jewel School Customer Appreciation Event and if you can't be here in person, you won't want to miss the Jewel School Workshop Shows on Sept 19, 20, 23 and 24th. Each 2 hour show will be jam packed---No less than a dozen Guest Artists = LOTs of fun + LOTs of Great Deals!

With so many Guest Artists, their inspirational photographs and products to talk about next week, I thought I would give you a brief preview, this week!                                                                                                    On Wednesday September 19th representing Beadalon, Candie Cooper will talk about her Necklace Kits and some favorite tools, and Katie Hacker will show how quick and easy it is to create designs with her New Scalloped Katiedids™ (shown below).

Anne Dilker returns with some new kumihimo kits, featuring a spectacular "Color Suite" she calls Vineyard---(these "vineyard kits" are exclusive to Jewel School) and my personal favorite--a "Raspberry Kit"!!

Anne sent this photo to share with you, saying, "This is a swirl end cap/toggle/focal, on a kumihimo braid made with size 6/o metal seed beads on Tex 210 S-lon." (I can't wait to see this piece in person!)

Are you someone who has been thinking about trying wire jewelry design? Would you like to make your own hooks, eyes and clasps to finish your beadwork? Or maybe you'd like to make simple "cold" jewelry using things you have been collecting for years. Good news---I will be officially launching my wirework "Jump Start" 6-DVD series for Jewel School next Wednesday too!

Wow, that's 4 Guest Artists  in one 2-hour show! Next week I'll highlight more of our JS Event Guests, including lapidary Bruce Barlow and his fabulous designer cabochons.

Stay Twisted!

Dale/Cgr

 

Jewelry Television and JTV.com Launch Stretch Pay Option on Company Founder's Day

On Monday, September 10, 2012, Jewelry Television and jtv.com officially launched Stretch Pay™, an installment payment program that allows customers to purchase certain items in installments over a specified number of months. The announcement of this program coincides with the company's Founder's Day celebration.

Currently, jtv.com offers over 100 jewelry and gemstone items on Stretch Pay™. Shop these items here: Stretch Pay™ Items on jtv.com. For example, this top-rated 10kt rose gold morganite and pink sapphire ring (jtv.com item number YAM016) is available at the time of this blog post for 2 payments of $124.99. 

The company website, jtv.com, offers these FAQ's on the JTV Stretch Pay™ program: 

FAQ's for StretchPay™

What is StretchPay™?
StretchPay™ is an installment payment program offered by Jewelry Television® that allows you to purchase certain items in installments over a specified number of months.

How do I know what products are eligible for Stretch Pay™?
When you’re shopping online, you’ll see a StretchPay™ logo or graphic on the catalog pages, product detail pages and in your shopping cart. If you’re shopping through our broadcast, our show hosts will indicate which items are eligible, and you’ll see a StretchPay™ logo or graphic displayed with the item.

How do I know how many installments I’ll have?
If you buy an item from our broadcast, the number of payments will be displayed near the description of the item, and our call center agents will review this information with you. For internet orders, the number of installments will be displayed next to the StretchPay™ logo on the product detail page, on the order review page and on your order confirmation.

Why is my first StretchPay™ installment higher than the rest?
The product price is divided by the number of installments. Shipping and handling, applicable taxes and all services (such as Jewel Safe™ warranties, appraisals and sizing) are added to the first installment. Because of this, your first installment will always be higher than any subsequent installment(s).

When are my installments due?
We will charge your method of payment for the first installment on the day your item ships. Any additional installment(s) will be charged every 30 days thereafter until the price of the item is paid in full.

What methods of payment can I use to purchase StretchPay™ items?
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card and the JTV Preferred Account.

Do you accept debit cards or prepaid cards?
You can pay for StretchPay™ items with a debit card but unfortunately we do not accept prepaid cards.

How do I update my credit card info for my StretchPay™ orders?
If you would like to update your credit card information for StretchPay™ orders, please contact our customer support at 800-550-8393.

Can I use StretchPay™ on an existing order?
To use StretchPay™ installments on an eligible item, you must choose to participate at the time you order. Unfortunately, we can’t apply a StretchPay™ option after an order has been placed.

 

Jewel School Weekly with Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

Jewel School Schedule

September 5 & 6- Our show planner, Debbie has put together some really nice products! Wednesday (today) be sure to watch for a Crystal & Silver Tone Slider Kit (with 56 components!) as well as a 117 Piece Silver Tone Cross Shaped Pendant kit. (Pictured below is the "slider" kit.)

Thursday Jewel School will feature a "Basics of Bead Stringing" kit, that includes everything but the beads! Not to worry though, because one of the bead selections will be a 3 strand combination of Bamboo Coral and Magnesite.

September 9 & 10- Have you ever tried to make small, consistent knots between pearls or special beads? The answer to this challenge will be revealed on Jewel School, when jewelry artist and tool inventor Maureen Oliveta (Rennie) will share how easy it is to use her original Easy Knotter!

As you can see in Maureen's photo below, knotting isn't just for use between beads!

Also appearing on these episodes of Jewel School, will be the "Fire Behind the Wire", Julianna Hudgins! She is bringing 2 NEW Beadalon kits: "Pendant Making" and "Twisted Artistic Wire" with her and will also talk about Beadalon's fun-to-use Coiling Gizmo.

When thinking about using the above mentioned "gizmo" and Artistic Wire, checkout this colorful creation by Julianna!

 

Weekly "Cougarism"- JSI (Jewel School Institute)

2013 will be an exciting year for Jewelry Television's Jewel School department; we are gearing up to offer a wide variety of live, hands-on jewelry making classes --- All Year--- at our NEW Jewel School Institute!!

Not only will we be able to offer more class choices from our expert Guest Artists, but we also have an amazing list of professional instructors who are ready to come to Knoxville to teach you! The selection of class choices "could" include:

Cloisonné & Enameling

Round Wire Weaving & Coiling

Russian & French Seed Beading

Scrimshaw

Polymer Clay

Silver Smithing

Cabochon & Stone Cutting

Fiber & Textiles

Cold Connection Metalwork

Filigree Design & Execution

Photographing Handcrafted Jewelry

                                  and MANY more!!

If you are interested in expanding your jewelry making skills, techniques and knowledge, please take a moment to answer this week's question. OR, if you have a specific interest that is not listed above, please let me know!!

Reader's Poll:

      What type of jewelry making classes are you interested in taking?

Stay Twisted!

Dale/Cgr

JTV's Exotic Gemstone Expert Larry Pereg on Sapphire, September's Birthstone, Part 2

In my first blog for Jewelry Television, we covered that fact that sapphires come in many different colors, but it’s also important to note the extreme range that we find in each color. The blues come in incredibly pale blue to almost black. We sometimes lose sight of what it takes to deliver the beautiful colors of sapphire we see every day on JTV, but I do think about it. 

I remember the day I was walking down the street in Chanthaburi, Thailand, a sapphire mining town about 150 miles from Bangkok. It was the first time I had been there. It was on the weekend when the gem market was opened, and I was just soaking in the sights and sounds. I distinctly remember the smells of the food coming from the street vendors. It was another world. Sapphires seemed to be everywhere, all shapes and sizes and qualities. There was the look of pride on the faces of the people as they showed their gems proudly. You could just tell that they had been doing this for generations. I had to smile. 

Anyway, I turned the corner and saw something amazing. There were a few older women with their grandchildren that were 2 or 3 years old. The women had poured out small piles of colored beans, and were teaching the children to sort them--by color. The kids were loving this game, not realizing that they were already in training to continue the family legacy of sorting precious sapphire by color. 

So when you watch Jewelry Television, or go to jtv.com, and see that matched pair of sapphire earrings, or a bracelet, or a ring for that matter, know that there’s quite a story behind what you see. There’s life, and culture, passion, and families, and we get to appreciate it every day, you and I. Think about the people who touched those sapphires you bought to celebrate this September and it will make it that much more special.

Happy Birthday to those born in September!

- Larry Pereg, Exotic Gem Expert for Jewelry Television and JTV.com

Editor's Note: Read more about Sapphire and the various treatment processes in the JTV.com Learning Library in an article from Gemstone Enhancement and its Detection in the 2000s: Thermal Enhancement and Diffusion Treatment, by Shane F. McClure, Robert E. Kane, and Nicholas Sturman from GEMS & GEMOLOGY, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 218–240.© 2010 Gemological Institute of America, Fall 2010, from which the image to the right was taken.