Deelights-jewellery

New items

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:38:00 +0000

A selection of our items available to buy from the website or the Facebook shop.

Competition time

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 15:48:00 +0000

We are having another competition and this time there are

four stainless steel bracelets up for grabs.

Have a look at our Facebook page for details on how to enter.

Giveaway winners!!

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:01:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway, it is now closed and the winners have been chosen.

The three lucky winners are:
32. Emma Cutts
22. Kate Huxstep
6. Janice Channer

Below is a list of entrants with their allocated number.

1. Rosa Lily
2. Sugarmice
3. Emma
4. Elaine Jones
5. Sue Harrison
6. Janice Channer
7. Mandy 'Roberts' James
8. Kerry Kirkwood
9. Sue Bell
10. Patricia Edwards
11. Jasmine Collier
12. Nic Shipley
13. Jill Jones
14. Emma Cella
15. Emma Jane Hodder
16. Lianne Whingers Martin
17. Ann Smith
18. Carol Mears
19. Cecelia Allen
20. Diane Ayres
21. Claire Woods
22. Kate Huxstep
23. Melanie Gardiner
24. Toni Caddis
25. Julie Thomas
26. Michelle Blane
27. Jenny Bell
28. Jane Morfett
29. Lorna Peppiatt
30. Susan Barnes
31. Charlotte Hoskins
32. Emma Cutts
33. Karen Scammell
34. Emma L Clarke
35. Mel Johnson
36. Denise Soos
37. Johanne Woon
38. Heather Walsh
39. Zoe Spinner
40. Graham Jones
41. Traceyann

Winners were picked by www.random.org

Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:37:00 +0000

Win your favourite piece of jewellery from Deelights-jewellery.

Rules:
1. Go to deelights-jewellery.
2. Window shop and choose your favourite item.
3. Leave a link on here or on our Facebook wall to your favourite item. If you leave a link here you will need to leave your email address as a way for me to contact you should you win.
4. Each entrant will be given a number.
5. Three lucky winners will then be chosen at random by a random number generator.

The list of names and numbers will be posted here before the draw takes place. Choosing more than one item will not gain you extra entries. Winners will be able to choose the metal finish and request size adjustments where possible. If for any reason you can't post a link you can still enter by stating the item title from the item page instead of a link.

This giveaway will close at 8pm Wednesday 17/11/2010.

Best of luck to everyone and have fun window shopping. : )

Website - www.deelights-jewellery.co.uk
Facebook - www.facebook.com/deelightsjewellery

Closing for maintenance

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:15:00 +0000

Deelights-jewellery will be closing on the 1st August for approx two weeks. This is for maintenance, upgrades and general cleaning up of the site.
Sadly I don't have access to lots of techy type peeps who can do it for me quickly, it's just me and rather a lot of pages to sort through, which is why it takes so long to do, but it will be worth it.
All items available for sale will be on the Facebook page under the photos tab along with prices so, if you want to buy while the website is offline you can do by sending me a message through Facebook or emailing me direct on info@deelights-jewellery.co.uk

Summer sale

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Deelights-jewellery is having a summer sale. Up to 60% off selected items.

This sale will end on 31st July 2010 or until everything is sold.

Metals, allergies and alternatives.

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:27:00 +0000

Handmade jewellery makers now use a wide variety of metals in creating their pieces. While they may look beautiful, if you suffer with a metal allergy chances are you will never be able to wear most of them.
Nickel is the number one culprit for metal allergies, nickel is used in a lot of metal alloys as it is very strong and ductile. All other metals in their pure form are virtually allergy free.
In some cases people can be allergic to the pure metals but this is extremely rare.

Gold
Yellow gold above 14 karat is virtually allergy free and is ok for most allergy sufferers. Having an allergic reaction to 14 karat gold and above is extremely rare.
9 karat gold will contain nickel and can cause a reaction depending on your sensitivity. Most allergy sufferers can wear 9 karat gold with out having a reaction. White gold also contains nickel and will cause a reaction if you have an extremely sensitive allergy. Approximately 9 out 10 nickel allergy sufferers will have a reaction with white metal.

Gold plated metals are typically copper or silver mixed with nickel and coated with a thin layer of gold. Allergic reactions will depend on the technique of plating and your allergy sensitivity, gold filled jewellery will give better protection from the Nickel as the gold layer is 50 - 100 times thicker than standard gold plate.

Silver
Sterling silver 925 is one of the most common metals used in handmade jewellery. It is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, the most common being copper, tin, zinc and sometimes nickel.
If you find you are allergic to 925 silver this is more than likely to be the nickel mixed into the silver to give it it's strength. Not all 925 silver contains nickel, if you are in doubt ask the seller before you buy, if they are unsure or do not answer your query then buy elsewhere.

If you find your skin turns black with 925 silver, don't worry as this is not an allergy, it is the tarnish on the silver that passes to your skin. If you keep your silver jewellery clean and free from tarnish you will not get this.
Fine silver is allergy free but at 99% silver it's far too soft to used in jewellery making. It is extremely unlikely that any handmade sterling silver items contain 99% fine silver.

Silver plate is similar to gold plate, a base metal of either copper, tin, zinc or nickel and is best to be avoided by allergy sufferers.

Tibetan silver is not silver and is similar to pewter, it typically contains a mix of copper, zinc, nickel and tin and is best to be avoided.

Bali silver is sterling silver made on the island of Bali, it contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Real Bali silver contains no nickel but there are a lot of fakes on the internet, anything calling itself Bali style will be fake. If your unsure then ask questions.

Thai Hill Tribe Silver is made completely by hand by the Karen Hill Tribe in Thailand. It is 95-99% pure silver and is one of the safest silvers for allergy sufferers.

Alternatives

Copper - Jewellery made with pure copper is considered safe for people with allergies, copper only contains nickel when it's used as an alloy with other metals, mainly in gold and silver plate. Copper is known for turning skin green, this is not an allergy, it is the chemicals in the copper reacting with the acidity in our skin. Coating the copper in clear nail varnish will stop your skin reacting and turning green.

Platinum - Platinum jewellery is considered safe for allergy sufferers as it contains 95% platinum and 5% iridium. Both of these are allergy free. Platinum can be expensive, stainless steel or titanium may be a better choice for your purse.

Stainless steel - Surgical grade stainless steel does contain very small amounts of nickel but it is so tightly bound into the steel that it will never come into contact with the skin. This makes it ideal for allergy sufferers as it's virtually allergy free, if you have a severe allergy you may find you are allergic to stainless steel but this is very rare. Cheaper than titanium, it wont rust or tarnish, this makes it an excellent alternative to silver jewellery. Stainless steel is commonly used in body jewellery and surgical and dental instruments.
When buying stainless steel jewellery always make sure it is grade 316L as this is the purest form for jewellery, anything less could cause a reaction.

Titanium - Titanium jewelry is both hypoallergenic and durable, contains no nickel and is allergy free. Titanium will not rust or tarnish but it is expensive, if you don't want to pay too much for your jewellery then stainless steel is a better option. Titanium is an excellent choice for those who find they have a reaction to stainless steel.

Bronze - Bronze is a metal alloy of copper and tin. Most allergy sufferers can wear bronze as it contains no nickel. Bronze may turn skin green as copper does as it contains copper, this can be stopped by coating the bronze in clear nail varnish.

Brass - Brass is an alloy consisting of copper and zinc, it contains no nickel. As it contains copper it can turn your skin green, as with bronze coating the brass in clear nail varnish will stop this. Cheap to buy too so it's an excellent alternative to gold jewellery.

Skin allergies are very unpleasant and can be extremely painful for the sufferer. Different people will have different levels of sensitivity. If you have doubts about the piece of jewellery you have your eye on then please do ask the seller questions. A good honest seller will not mind, in fact we would prefer to be asked and have very happy repeat customers than to sell an item that causes the wearer pain and discomfort. If you find a seller is not answering you or being very vague with their answers then it would be wise to move on and avoid buying anything from them.

At deelights-jewellery we like to give you the choice. We offer our pieces where possible in either sterling silver 925, silver plate or stainless steel. This is so that anyone can wear our jewellery.

Giveaway winners!!

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:50:00 +0000

We had a massive 75 entries for the giveaway.
All entries were written on pieces of paper and folded then placed in a box and 3 were picked out at random by my cheeky assistant (8 year old son).

First out was Alison Tripp who wins a £30 gift voucher.
Two runners up prizes go to Andrew Waterhouse and Dottie Designs.

Well done you three and thank you to everyone who took part.

Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:04:00 +0000

The Prize

Up for grabs is a £30 gift voucher to spend at Deelights-jewellery

Also two runners up prizes of £10 gift vouchers each.

The Rules

Follow this blog or like/fan my page on Facebook

Leave a comment either here or on Facebook (or both) stating why you would like to win.(Commenting on both will gain you two entries)

Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you are not a Facebook fan.

All entrees need to be in before 2pm (BST) 28th May

The winner will be announced by 5pm (BST) 28th May

All names will be put into a hat and the winner will be chosen at random.

If the winner does not claim the prize within 3 days another winner will be chosen.

EDIT:

Because there has been so much more interest than expected and we have hit the 60 entry mark there are now two runners up prizes of £10 gift vouchers to be won along with the main prize of a £30 gift voucher.

Good luck everyone.

This giveaway is now closed.

Thank you to everyone who entered I will be back in a little while with the results.

Good luck everyone!

Summertime

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Sat, 08 May 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Free website promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:38:00 +0000

We all love free stuff, and website/shop promotion is no different. It doesn't need to cost you a fortune to advertise your website and get it high up on google searches.
I have tried many free promotional sites and tweeks, some good, some not so good.
This is a list of ideas and sites that I have personally found to work well in getting my site high up in google search.

As with everything else there are lots more of these sites, a simple google search will find you thousands. These are the ones I have found that work best for me and my site so far. You will probably find a different combination that works best for you. Most will also work for your Folksy, Etsy, Misi shop, it does not need to be your own website.

1.Keywords
By far the most important thing you need to make your site visible is your keywords. Too many keywords and you will be considered a spammer and demoted in search. Too few keywords and the search engines will not find you. Around 10 keywords per page is considered to be the optimum number.

2. Submit your website to the search engines.
They will pick up your site on their own without you submitting, it's just quicker if you submit your site yourself.
Obviously Google, Yahoo, Bing are the main search engines to aim for but there are literally thousands of other smaller ones.
Google Yahoo Bing Others

3. Get your site listed in Dmoz.
This is a very good directory to be listed in, search engines like websites that are listed in Dmoz and will show them higher up in search results. Only submit your site once, if you submit it more it will be more likely to be rejected. It can several months to get listed in Dmoz so you need to be patient.

4. Social networking sites.
Personally I only use Facebook and Twitter but there are lots more available. Facebook has a new free shop front where you can now sell your items on your fan page. It can be quite fiddly setting it up but like most things once you have done it a few times it's easy to navigate.
To set up a Facebook shop got to any shop already on Facebook and click on "Launch your free storefront" at the bottom of the page. You can use my shop page if you like.
Other well known social networking sites :
My Space, Bebo, Flickr, Stumbleupon, Twitter.

5.Get your name and products in as many places as you can.
The more links you have back to your website the better for google ranking and search engine placement. Link exchanges is a good way to do this, this means swapping links with other sites.
There are a few link exchange sites you can sign up to. I find it easier to sort link exchanges through these sites but you can maually search out sites and ask for link exchanges by direct contact. The more links you have that are relevant to your site the better.
My links page as an example of relevant content.

My personal best top three link exchange sites : UKlinkexchange LinkMarket Link2me

There are also many places you can list your items for free.
Bttradespace - Free gallery and free shop with a link back to your website. Friendly network forum and fan this shop gadget.
Hotfrog - Free shopping directory. You can list items but not sell. Shoppers must click through to your website to buy.
Freeindex - Free shopping directory. You can list items but not sell. Shoppers must click through to your website to buy.
Yell - Basic submission with a link to your website is free.
Uk small business directory - similar to Yell.
Ebid - Market place similar to eBay with free listings.
Facebook - Free shop with any fanpage.

Please read all sites terms and conditions regarding advertising before you sign up. Please don't break any site rules.

Green

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:54:00 +0000

Copyrights and Trademarks

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:31:00 +0000

After a recent discussion on copyrights and trademarks I thought I would do a post to try and help put the subject into an easy to understand format. Before this I must admit I had no idea what was involved. I did however find the subject very interesting and researched and read a lot of information.
I am in no way stating what I say here as fact or legally binding. This is my interpretation of the law from reading documents on the copyright and trademark laws. If you are in any doubt then please contact the company involved for clarification and access rights. They are human and will not bite you. If you have a question about something you make or are thinking of making then contact them. You never know it could do you some good.

There will be links at the end of this to various sites and laws for you to read if you wish and if you have anything to add then please do so in the comments.

Firstly copyright and trademark are two different laws. You cannot copyright a name, the ideas, logos, can be copyrighted, names, character, brand names and in some cases real names come under trademarking laws.
Both laws however are more or less the same and the same penalties apply.
If you see something with TM next to it it's trademarked, in the UK using the © means the same thing as TM. Copyrighted items will have ® next to them. If you see any brand name without these it does not mean they are not trademarked.
This applies to everything from quotes to out and out fakes. If it has a brand name or is used by a brand name then assume it's trademarked or copyrighted and it's a no go area. Unless you have permission of course.

Q. You want to sell an item with a Hello Kitty theme, are you allowed?
A. Yes and no!

Yes, if you have an authentic item of Hello Kitty you can use this on your handmade item and sell it as Hello Kitty as it has the authentic item included. You also have full rights to sell any authentic Hello Kitty item as long as it's used.
You cannot buy a job lot of brand new Hello Kitty items and resell them without permission from the copyright/trademark holders.

No, if you are making something from scratch to resemble Hello Kitty then you must not use the Hello Kitty name to sell it. You can by all means make the item and use it for your own personal use or put it on display (without charge) but as soon as you start to sell you are infringing trademark laws. Even giving it away in some cases can land you in trouble.

This is also known as fan art, whereby a fan makes or paints/draws or makes a film/photos of a copyrighted character and adds there own twist to it. This is fine but you still cannot use the brand name or sell it.

Q What about the fair use exemption?
A It would seem that this only applies to the written word, things such as quotes, newspaper articles, commentary, research, education, it is not a defence for anything else. The fair use exemption is purely for freedom of speech laws.
For example you may need to quote something you have seen or include a paragraph or two from some Else's work to explain something, or as in this post I can only use the name Hello Kitty as it comes under the fair use exemption rule. If this rule wasn't included I wouldn't even be able to type the name on my blog at all without permission.

Q But surely it's good for the brand, it gives them free advertising.
A This maybe true, but that's up to the copyright and trademark holders. If they don't like what your doing they will stop you one way or another.

The laws I have written about here apply to the US and UK. The UK tend to be a bit more lenient and turn a blind eye until you start to attract some attention. The US companies will sue you as soon as they find you if they can, it makes no difference what country you live in. Anything copyrighted or trademarked outside the UK and US will have it's own countries laws.

If in doubt, leave it well alone.

Links to sources and Laws.

Copyright myths

US copyright law
US trademark law
UK copyright law
UK trademark law

Deviant art article
Dr who infringement case
Paramount cease and desist letter
Hello kitty infringment letter

Copyright/ Trademark information

Hello kitty remains the registered trademark/copyright of Sanrino.com. All material found on this site is for personaluse only. and qualifies as fair use under United States copyright law, and not personal or financial gain. No infringements on their copyrights is intended.

Aqua

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Are you registered?

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:20:00 +0000

I have come across quite a few online sellers recently who call themselves "hobby sellers". I have no idea where this term comes from but as far as the tax office is concerned there is no such thing. I have put together this check list of things to do once you start to sell your handmade goods.
Don't let them catch you selling illegally you could face a fine of up to £1,000.

This is for UK sellers only, sellers from outside the UK will need to seek advice from their own countries tax offices.

Firstly are you a business? If you buy items to sell or make items to sell then yes you are. If you are selling your unwanted belongings then no you are not.

1. Register with HMRC for tax and national insurance as soon as you start advertising items for sale. Failing to do so could land you with a fine up to £1000.
You need to do this regardless of any other jobs you may have, or you dont make any profit. Most small businesses run at a loss for the first few years. You could even claim tax back if this is your second job.

Dont worry about VAT, this a completely different thing and you need to be making an annual profit of at least £70,000 to qualify for VAT registration.

2. If you are claiming any tax credits you will need to notify them as soon as possible. Dont worry, your payments will not change if you are not making any or are making very little profit.
If you claim any other benefits i.e. income support, job seekers allowance, housing and council tax benefit then you will need to contact your local benefit offices to let them know. As with tax credits your benefits will not change if you make none or very little profit.

3. Keep records of everything going out and coming in. Print out all invoices for all incoming and outgoing and organize them accordingly. Don't forget things like listing fees, postage, packaging, printer ink, paper. Anything you use for your business can be included.
Doing this makes it easier for you when you need to provide paperwork for the benefits, tax credits and your annual tax return.
I use a ring binder folder with seperators to keep things in order.

4. Tax returns are not as scary as they sound. If you keep all your paperwork in order throughout the year they are in fact very simple to fill in. Keeping all your paperwork in order will also keep you from needing a book keeper or accountant, and save you a lot of money.

5. If you are unsure of anything contact the tax office for advice. They are very friendly and very helpful and will let you know exactly what you need to do if you are confused with it all or have any doubts.

6. That's about it so now you can relax and enjoy your new business. I wish you the best of luck with your new venture.

Useful links
HMRC for businesses
Business link
Tax credits
All other benefits

What is Tibetan Silver?

noreply@blogger.com (Deelights) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:21:00 +0000

Tibetan silver beads and charms are widely sold on the Internet. Many people believe it to contain real silver, sadly this is simply not true and can in some cases be dangerous.

Tibetan silver used to contain up to 30% of real silver about a decade or so ago, but due to an influx of Chinese cheap imports the real Tibetan silver no longer seems to exist, or if it does it is extremely hard to find.
Tibetan silver to most jewellery makers now just means a silver coloured metal.

Today's Tibetan Silver beads are similar to Pewter, they are in most cases a base iron casting, overlaid with a pewter type metal (copper and tin or nickel) and silver plating.

Chinese Tibetan silver beads should be avoided at all costs as most if not all contain Lead and in a few cases even arsenic has been found. Many of you will know how dangerous Lead is, especially for children and Pregnant ladies and I'm sure you all know that Arsenic is a powerful poison.
Not something I would want to give to a friend or family member of mine.
When buying beads or jewellery containing Tibetan Silver ask the seller questions (good honest sellers will not mind) and if you are still unsure then walk away and buy somewhere else. It is not worth putting yours and your friends and family's health at risk for the sake of a pretty bracelet.

At Deelights-jewellery we do use Tibetan Silver beads because they have the silver look and do not fade or wear as silver plate does, and of course they are a lot less expensive than Sterling Silver. We buy all our Tibetan Silver beads from reputable sellers, none come from China. All the beads we use are safe and legal.