SheFinds jewelry find: Edesignz.com
Popgadget
I love those stores where you can go in and pick out beads from hundreds of choices to make your own unique jewelry, but I never get around to making that one-of-a-kind, gorgeous necklace that I see in my imagination, probably for the same reason that I never get around to knitting that cashmere sweater I’ve been thinking about making for years.
My favorite online shopper, SheFinds, found the most perfect solution to my so far unrequited jewelry-making fantasy: Edesignz.com. At Edesignz.com, you can enjoy the experience of making your own jewelry without having to pick through bins of beads (which can be fun if you have loads of time), and without dealing with jewelry tools and the risk of ending up with a finished product that you really hate. It’s a very simple, elegant idea, and the site is so fun and user-friendly, even my tech-challenged friend Vilma can go there and make something pretty.
There are three easy steps to this process: select a chain (from a variety of colors and lengths), select a pendant (I like the Swarovski crystals), and then select the beads to go around the chain. I’m working with Firepolished Czech Glass beads and Fresh Water pearls at the moment. As you build your bracelet or necklace, you see it come together piece by piece. Using the computer mouse, you drag the beads onto the chain, which gives you some of the sensation of actually stringing them, and with just a few clicks, you can redo parts if you’re not perfectly happy with how the whole thing is coming together.
When I first saw this site, I thought a finished piece would be frighteningly expensive, but no, it’s very affordable. The one I’m making looks like it’ll come to about $25, maybe $35 if I get fancy. And just as I was thinking it would be nice to have a button to repeat the same bead over and over, and the option to use multiple chains and pendants, I found out that these are new features that will soon be added to the site, along with earrings.
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