Jewelry & Supply Organizing in my Makeshift Studio

Posted on December 29, 2015July 10, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

My diningroom aka temporary studio here in Nova Scotia

I’ve taken over our diningroom here in our little vacation home in Nova Scotia. It serves as a makeshift studio space for me when I’m in town. When we want to do sit down lessons, the girls will also do “schoolwork” here. It is a high traffic area in this home and prone to clutter. Creating tends to lead one into the direction of a…creative mess, but I cannot work in an area prone to chaos. The energy simply doesn’t flow. If the energy gets stuck my ideas feel stuck too.

Which brings me to my early New Year’s organizing today. I had originally set up binders with business card/baseball card inserts to hold my supplies (as shown above). Tiny ziplock bags organize all the components necessary to make one item from the website. I usually have on hand at least 3 of these pre-pulled supplies per item. I try to aim for 6, if not 12 for very popular items. Efficiency is very important. It is the main reason why I can keep my prices so affordable. If you can imagine, it takes less time to pull the supplies needed for 6 necklaces at once than to pull them one at a time after each order. Having the supplies pre-pulled means they are ready for assembly and engraving at time of order. It is also the secret as to why I usually can turn around an order in 24 hours, and is handy for travelling when you are working out of more than one location.

I am finding though, as my product base grows I am becoming more and more frustrated with the binder setup. It is easy for things to become misplaced, particularly since the binders are becoming so full. Most of the time the item I am looking for is staring me right in the face in a sea of supplies that all look the same. The fuller the binders are also means spillage, and more misplacing of products that are located…somewhere in there. Not being able to find what I need will send me into a feeling of panic, and I usually enjoy what I do. But not when I am stressed out unable to find something, or taking more time than usual and my family is waiting on me to get done.

After scouring the internet, including jewelry suppliers and wholesalers with somewhat pricey solutions, I found the most affordable option today at Canadian Tire:

A supply organizing dream! I am excited to fill orders again. :) — A supply organizing dream! I am excited to fill orders again. 🙂

It’s a small parts cabinet with 60 drawers. I got two for $39 each! They are lightweight, stackable and can even be mounted to the wall, which is great when space is at a premium. With my handy Dymo label maker everything is clearly and neatly labeled. This is going to make me really efficient; so much so that it’s time to reassess and adjust the pricing on some of my items…lower. 🙂

Studio Closed for 1 Week

Posted on November 29, 2015July 10, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I am in need of some time away from the studio but will be back by December 7th, 2015 and shipping from my Nova Scotia address. Thank you for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!

Je besoin de temps personnel Je expédie à partir de mon adresse Nouvelle-Écosse, le 7 Décembre 2015. Merci pour votre patience!

Feel free to browse while I am away.

Return to bb3.ca

retourner à bb3.ca

Picking vs. Throwing: Continental Knitting in my Jammies

Posted on November 28, 2015July 10, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Since teaching myself to knit I have been a thrower – formally known as English style knitting. This is the way that made the most sense to me when learning and I have been content to do so – until now. I really like to knit (or crochet) in bed. It is definitely not the most ergonomic way to knit, but I am too fidgety to sit and knit. Let’s face it, if I’m sitting in a chair I am pulling one of my spinning wheels up. Yup. I’d literally rather sit and spin. 😉

All this obsess – er- excessive spinning really puts tension on my right arm, around the elbow area. I’m finding my preferred way of knitting puts more strain on the right arm. Strain means I slow down, slowing down means the projects don’t work up as fast as I would like and then I lose interest. It was time to look at an alternate way to knit so that I could give the right arm a rest.

I’ve never really tried continental knitting (aka picking). I’ve seen videos of the technique but since I was comfortable with the English style I never saw a reason to really give it a go. But I am left handed (left dominant mostly with ambidextrous tendencies) and it seems that the speed knitters out there use this style. I also hear that pickers find their knitting works up looser. I do tend to have tight stitches as a thrower. Since I knit a lot with handspun bulky art yarns a looser stitch is definitely appealing.

Earlier this month I found myself laid up in bed feeling under the weather so since I wasn’t feeling well enough to sit up and spin, a little personal knitting workshop was in order. Off to YouTube I went to see different styles of Continental knitting. After trying different people’s styles below is what has worked well for me thus far. I was amazed that not long after I was continental knitting in my jammies. 🙂

beginning to wrap the yarn around my pinkie finger for tensioning

In the videos I watched, many people liked to simply let their yarn hang between their fingers. I definitely prefer to have the yarn tensioned. The best technique was wrapping the working yarn around my pinkie twice then laying it across my fingers towards the index finger.

laying yarn across all 3 fingers toward the index finger

So once I found a comfortable way to hold the yarn in my left hand – which by the way – felt so awkward at first since I am so used to using my right hand – I found that my knitting for the first few rounds resembled crocheting with my index finger held up in the air. The problem being that my index finger would get tired really quickly, and I definitely could not get the rhythm for purling with my finger so far away. In another video, I found my answer: rest my index finger against the needle. It was all starting to make sense now.

holding my finger too high and too far away from my work

The outcome is I really like Continental knitting. I started by knitting in the round with a bulky reclaimed yarn that already had stitches done in the English style. There was a definite difference in the tensioning of my stitches. I found with continental my stitches were looser and thus looked/felt much better with the bulky yarn. I also found my knitting worked up much faster with the picking method, although I’m not sure if it is because I am quick at it yet or simply because I don’t get fatigued as quickly and can sit for more rounds before stopping. I’ve also practiced ribbing since then and I do like the closer change up between the knit and purl stitch. I’m finding my ribbing maybe a little too loose for my liking, but I think that will change with practice. All and all, I am so stoked to have another way to knit, so when I get tired (or injured!) on one side I can switch it up and keep knitting. 🙂

Are you a picker or a thrower? Have any tips for me? Drop me a line, I’d love to heard from you!

P.S. I didn’t keep a list of the videos I watched on YouTube, but if you search for “continental knitting”, “continental vs. english knitting” and even “speed knitting” you should get a good amount of examples to help you.

Deconstructed: Unravelling Thrift Store Finds for Yarn

Posted on November 1, 2015July 10, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I have read a few articles with great fascination about buying wool sweaters from thrift stores with the sole purpose of unravelling them to reuse the yarn. It seemed like a lot of work to me, but I loved the idea nonetheless. I am surrounded by fleece and my own handspun, but what a great idea to a) reuse and b) obtain wool yarn without breaking the budget. If you have the time you can get a nice stash of yarn for just a few dollars.

Although the idea of unravelling sweaters sounded daunting to me, I am a picker and puller – I love to undo things. I find great satisfaction peeling paint and glue, dismantling jewelry that was not quite right (or to reuse components), or unravelling my own knit/crochet to make something bigger/better (in my mind, anyway). I have even been known to unravel my own handspun yarn – which is no easy feat but very satisfying when I can use the plies again.

I haven’t had any luck finding suitable sweaters, but I did find these 2 scarves, one with the tags still on. Although this is synthetic yarn they were super long, soft and bulky. Lots of yarn to be had here not to mention easy to unravel (in theory). I figured it was a great place to start – for practice anyway.

I vegged in front of the tv one night and gave it a go. The tags and tassels came off easily, and the end was petty obvious – just a loose knot so they unraveled like magic! Of course the unworn one unravelled the easiest. What to make? Definitely not more scarves. I have many of those with my handspun already. Slippers? I am thinking maybe chunky mittens/arm warmers or even some quick hats for my kids. They are always losing their hats/mitts so it would not be a shame if they lost ones made out of old scarves from the Thrift store. 🙂

Studio Closed for the Long Weekend

Posted on October 8, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

This up-coming weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. So the studio will be closed for the long weekend. I will be unavailable to make orders from October 9th to October 13th, 2015. Orders should commence no later than October 14th. You may still order via the website but expect a delay in the shipping of your order. Please contact me if you have any questions.

Je ne suis pas disponible pour rendre des commandes d’octobre 9 – 13. Les articles seront expédiées par le 14 octobre. Contactez-moi si vous avez des questions.

Engraving: How Much Text Can I Really Have…?

Posted on September 21, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

I get asked often to engrave full words or even 2 lines of text & sentences on my items. It’s been happening so often lately that I thought I should write a blog post about it. I try to be very clear on each piece just how much space I have to work with. In the age of computerized engraving I think most potential customers don’t realize that this is done manually and I am limited with size and space. I can really only comfortably fit 7 characters (letters like this: ABCDEFG) – and in some cases 8 characters (letters like this: ABCDEFGH). This is with the plain font (#3 option above). My script fonts definitely cannot do more than 4 letters on the typical 15mm blank that most of my pieces are made with. Remember that the more letters you add the smaller I have to go, and I will not sell anything that does not look good. The smaller the letters the less detail you can see, and thus it does not look clean or in some cases legible. So if you are going to need a magnifying glass to see it, I won’t be offering it. 😉

blogengraveeg — Example of curlz font; example of curlz vintage font

With the popular curlz & curlz vintage fonts, they are larger templates and are only intended as a focal initial. That means even at my smallest setting I can only get 2 letters, max on the blank.

I’d love to be able to fulfill all your requests and maybe in the future I will have bigger blanks that will accommodate more text. More text = more work which = more work for me, and potentially higher costs to you. Manual engraving is a skill that I have been honing for 5 years now. It’s not as simple as choosing the right letters and go. I have to position the blank accordingly, gauge what size to go with; often times deciding which of the fonts will look the best (it really does depend on initials vs. a word), and this is all done more by feel and intuition than by measurement. Mistakes do happen, so then I have to scrap that blank and start again. Sometimes I scrap a blank not because I made a mistake per se but because I think I can do better. Many times before I even start on the actual blank I will engrave on a piece of scrap metal first to make sure I have the size and spacing just so. By the time I offer an item to the world I have spent a lot of time perfecting its execution. It’s important to really stick with what the piece is intended to be: an affordable gift with an initial or two, or a simple word with meaning for the intended recipient.

I don’t want to discourage you from contacting me, I love to hear from you all, and if you have a request out of the norm feel free to send me an email. But hopefully this answers some questions in regards to size. 🙂

Back to bb3.ca

The Website is getting a Facelift…

Posted on September 4, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Click here to go back to the website

I’ve been quiet as far as my online presence goes, while I desperately finish this website facelift: upgrade and design. I finally came to the conclusion that I need to just put it up and change things on the fly, otherwise my complicated creative mind gets wrapped up in making everything just perfect.

Everything has been tested as far as ordering an item goes, and you should have no problems there. There may be some wonky things, such as asking if you’d like to receive updates and offers from our partners – obviously, my little creative project has no partners, and we do not give your personal info to any 3rd party. These options are hardcoded into the website software and I will have to get hubby to remove them from the code.

If for any reason you have difficulty with ordering, because I have been unable to test every single item, please drop me a line so I can complete your order. If you let me know specifically how your order failed I will be happy to give you a 25% discount. 🙂

Click here to return to bb3.ca

Sneak Peek at the New bb3.ca Website Design

Posted on August 2, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

fresh look for bb3.ca launching fall of 2015

Back in June it became very clear that the website needed more than just a simple update. So instead of making the old theme work with the new software version, I decided to go ahead with a new, clean design.

I naively thought it would take me a month to do, but there have been delays along the way – not to mention it is summer vacation here! So I’m aiming to be done in September. I hope to get this completed soon as I have many new projects I would like to get listed and shared with you all.

Cats Love Yarn: Here’s Proof.

Posted on July 26, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

We all know that cats love to play with yarn. Anything that moves, it seems. But how about cuddle up to a ball of yarn? Here’s my photographic proof that cats love yarn, they really, really do. These are my 11 and 13 year old cats, cuddled up to some of my handspun on two different occasions:

Life would be so boring without pets! 🙂

Short Studio Closing July 21, 2015

Posted on July 21, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

A quick note and a quick closure. I’ll be road-trippin’ with my family but I’ll be back by Sunday (the 26th) at the very latest. Thanks for your continued support!

Le studio est fermé jusqu’au 26 Juillet. Merci de votre compréhension.

Jumbo Knitting Needles: (Not Quite) The Biggest I Have Seen

Posted on July 14, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

Officially the largest knitting needles and crochet hooks I own.

I was browsing Michael’s the other day and I was happy to see these jumbo knitting needles size 50(!). Since I had a coupon I decided to add them to my needles collection (along with the crochet hook to match).

I haven’t made anything with them yet, just playing around with some of my jumbo handspun. Other than a scarf I wonder what I could make with these. I’d happily take suggestions and advice! I love jumbo yarns and large needles, but I am definitely out of my element with these.

As far as the largest needles I have seen, here is one of my all-time fave extreme knitting videos:

Experimental Crazy Handmade Yarn Creation

Posted on June 28, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

scarf; shrug; accent piece: I am not sure exactly what I would call this but I am quite satisfied with how it turned out.

I made this yarn out of…frustration? Boredom?

I was really dissatisfied with the original yarn. So I decided to go for broke, and see what would happen if I boucléd it around some commercial cotton. This crazy handmade yarn is the result.

The outcome is certainly interesting to say the least! So what to do with it? I now have a bulky, buckled spiral yarn made of wool, banana fibers and beads (now, cotton yarn added to that mix). What in the world to make with this hot mess & a half?

When in doubt with a funky bulky handspun, I always turn to the elongated knit stitch. There are many different variations but one that I love to do is really simple. Cast on the number of stitches you want, insert needle to knit one, but bring yarn around both needles before looping around the inserted needle like a regular knit stitch. This extra bit of wrapping will elongate that stitch nicely.

Here is a video by Ashley Martineau of Neauveau Fiber Arts demonstrating the stitch. I love Ashley’s videos and her spinning style! I probably learned this stitch from her originally, a video tute on a pillow cover comes to mind. 🙂

So back to this funky creation I made with this yarn-I-was-so-fed-up-with and a simple knit stitch. I was shocked by the result. I didn’t expect much from this so I didn’t keep any notes. But I cast on approx. 80 stitches on large circular needles (17 comes to mind, possibly bigger). Then it was elongated knit stitch until I had just enough to bind off. That was it. Total TV watching knitting.

My intention was to make a cowl or infinity scarf, but I guess you could call this what – like a shurg or a shawl too? And once I started to tug it out/form it it was screaming for this chain detail.

These are the things I love to make. Happy accidents. Throw all the rules out the window and just go! I get so caught up in perfecting technique sometimes it’s nice to forget it all; not have a plan and see what comes. This may still be a total hot mess, but I know one thing. I throw this on with a nice jacket, and I have a conversation piece. And that is true artistry to me.

The moral of this story is: don’t be shy to go there and totally own the result. 🙂

wholesale/consignment

Posted on June 13, 2015 by superadmin — Leave a comment

Not seeing what you are looking for? Interested in potentially carrying my products in your shop or business? Need a large (bulk) order for your event or organization? Fill out this form and I will get back to you with the possibilities. Wholesale is available to Canadian & US customers while consignment is available to Canadian businesses only.

custom requests

Posted on June 13, 2015 by superadmin — Leave a comment

coming soon

FAQ

Posted on June 13, 2015 by superadmin — Leave a comment

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take until my order ships?

You can expect your item to be made & shipped in as little as 3 business days, although I strive to turn around orders within 24 hours whenever possible. You will be contacted of any delays past this point.

Where does my item ship from?

From the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.

I’m local. Can I browse your products in person?

Currently bb3 exists as an online entity only, however if you are in the Canning/Wolfville/Centreville/Kentville/New Minas area, we can arrange for pickup or delivery of the items you have ordered. Delivery via local courier could be arranged for HRM as well.

I also offer delivery in the Maritimes via Maritime Bus. Once your item is shipped via the bus, receive it same day/next day (weather permitting in winter). The bus runs 7 days a week and goes to many destinations in NS, NB & PEI. Pick up your order at the bus station near you.

Click here to see Maritime Bus locations

How long will it take to receive my order?

You can expect your item to be made & shipped (or ready for delivery/pick up) in as little as 3 business days, although I strive to turn around orders within 24 hours whenever possible. You will be contacted of any delays past this point. PLEASE READ BELOW FOR DELIVERY TIME AVERAGES. Note that these are averages and not guarantees.

PLEASE BE AVAILABLE FOR CONTACT AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS GIVEN IN YOUR ORDER. Most of the time, orders become delayed because information (such as engraving) is missing, or because I have a question about a request. If you have not received any order confirmation within 24 hours, please check the SPAM/JUNK folder of your email. When in doubt, always contact me. I have had situations where the customer entered an invalid email address (usually a typo) and the order never completed on my end.

Delivery times are based on Canada Post shipping standards & Customs. Please allow adequate time for your item to arrive on time if it is a gift. There can be delays due outside factors such as weather & customs or higher volume periods such as the holidays.

Here is more info on the different types of shipping rates available:

***CANADA***

ORDERS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE SHIPPING WILL SHIP WITH THE MOST ECONOMICAL METHOD (WITH TRACKING)
I try my best to honor your prefered way of shipping, but at the end of the day the cost of shipping comes out of my pocket so I have to do what is most affordable for me. If there is a reason why you prefer one carrier over another please let me know in the comments box at checkout. I will accommodate you as best as possible.

REGULAR MAIL: Canada Post Standard Mail – delivery is not guaranteed by a certain date and the average to most Canadian destinations is 10 business days.

Expedited (Canada) – tracking number provided. Can take up to 7 business days depending on your location in Canada

Xpresspost (Canada) – tracking number provided. Get it in as little as 2-5 business days.

Purolator Ground – tracking number provided. Delivery time approx 1 – 6 business days. Rural areas may take more time.

Canpar Ground – tracking number provided. Delivery time approx 1 – 6 business days. Rural areas may take more time.

Maritime Bus – available for residence of NS, NB & PEI who live near a Maritime Bus stop. This economical shipping method is fast and convenient as the bus runs 7 days a week, and items are usually available for pickup the day after they are shipped. If you have a prefernce of bus stop please state so in your order, otherwise you will most likely be contacted via email or text to confirm your pick up location.

Click here to see Maritime Bus locations

***USA***

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OF $45+ WITH CODE FREESHIP45
From time to time I offer free shipping without minimum purchase or certain or all items. The best place to find these codes is on my blog, facebook page or instagram.

ORDERS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE SHIPPING WILL SHIP WITH THE MOST ECONOMICAL METHOD (WITH TRACKING)
I try my best to honor your prefered way of shipping, but at the end of the day the cost of shipping comes out of my pocket so I have to do what is most affordable for me. If there is a reason why you prefer one carrier over another please let me know in the comments box at checkout. I will accommodate you as best as possible.

Delivery via Freight Forwarding to US Border (recommended)
How it works:
Once your order is completed, it is dropped off to a company who will drive your package over the Canada/US border for USPS or UPS to complete your delivery. Although it may seem like your order takes longer to ship (normally one day a week designated for this option) you will receive your package much faster than waiting for it to clear customs with Canada Post. This option also means you will always receive tracking on your package with USPS where the economical shipping with Canada Post does not. USPS Priority & UPS Ground also available through the same option.

Small Parcel USA – No delivery date guarantee and averages about 10-12 business days for delivery to most locations. This is the most common way I ship and it has proven to be very reliable. In 15 years selling online only one light packet USA went missing (it was returned to me – customer provided wrong mailing address to recipient).

Tracked Packet USA – tracking number provided and delivery average is 7 business days to most US locations

Expedited USA – delivery average 4 days to most locations in the USA

Purolator Ground USA – tracking provided. Arrives on average within 7 business days.

***INTERNATIONAL***

I AM NOT SHIPPING INTERNATIONALLY AT THIS TIME.

Between rising shipping costs and confusion regarding GDPR compliance I am forced to not sell internationally for the time being. If you are outside Canada & The US and would like to purchase something, please email me directly for a direct quote. Thanks for your understanding!

LOCAL PICKUP/DELIVERY

If you are in or can travel to the Centreville/Kentville/New Minas or Canning/Wolfville area we can arrange to meet up for pickup of your order and I am happy to deliver your order if you live in this area. I can also arrange delivery via local courier service to HRM, and to other locations in the Maritimes via Maritime Bus (see info under Canada shipping options).

What if I do not receive my order?

USA/CANADA:
Regular mail – If you do not receive your order within 30 days please contact me for replacement/refund.

With Tracking – if your package has not arrived within a week of the date stated for arrival by the carrier, please contact me to trigger a search for your package. Canada Post will require to speak to you before issuing a refund. Normally, lost packages turn up and in my experience a totally lost package within Canada & The US is rare. I am happy to refund shipping for any late packages (as stated by tracking with the carrier. Does not apply to standard mail). Completely lost packages will be refunded in full of course, after Canada Post speaks with you on the matter.

You can rest assured that I want your experience to be a pleasant one, and to gain your trust. Should you have any issues with shipping I will work to rectify it with the shipping service in a timely manner, and will refund you out of pocket if need be.

What is your return policy?

CUSTOM ORDERS SUCH AS NAME OR MONOGRAM ENGRAVING ARE NON-REFUNDABLE (generic engraving is certainly refundable – see below) & CLEARANCE ITEMS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Due to the nature of custom work, & due to the low price of my Clearance items, these orders are considered FINAL SALE with the exception of: error made by me, the artist, in size/specifications made by the customer, or defect of craftsmanship. If there is any problem, you must contact me within 7 DAYS of receiving the product. Defect or error will be remedied by replacement of the item or refund. Whenever possible, I will replace the item. Refund will only be issued if a replacement cannot be made.

ALL OTHER RETURNS MUST BE INDICATED WITHIN 7 DAYS OF RECEIPT AND RETURN SHIPPING WILL BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CUSTOMER.

This would include artisan jewelry, and non-specific engraving (one letter, a (generic) word or symbol).
You must contact me directly to advise me of the return. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY GOODS LOST IN TRANSIT, it would be wise to purchase insurance/tracking whenever possible.
ALL RETURNS MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE SAME CONDITION AS THEY ARRIVED AND IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGING.

EXCHANGES

If you wish to exchange your non-custom/engraved item for an item of equal value, you are free to do so at your expense if you inform me within 7 DAYS of receipt of the original item of your intention. Return shipping & the cost of shipping of exchanged item is the responsibility of the client. Original item must be returned in original packaging in its original state. I am not responsible for the original item if lost in transit. Exchanges for customized/engraved product please email me leilani@heavenlyflower.com to discuss as these are normally final sale items.

Above all, I want my you to be happy. If you are left unsatisfied by your experience/purchase I want to know. The intent is to share my talents/expressions. I would hate to think someone was left with a less than satisfactory experience with their purchase. I am happy to hear your feedback and offer solutions so that you are left feeling confident in your purchase.

What forms of payment do you accept?

Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

Paypal

INTERAC EMAIL TRANSFER: At checkout you will see this option as well as a space to enter your challenge question answer. I will await your money transfer before the order can be processed. Please note that once you enter the challenge answer and hit “make payment” you will NOT have another chance to review your order. Please review your order before submitting your challenge question answer.

Cheque/Money Order (must clear before order ships)

Barter/Trade (Please contact to work out an agreement prior to purchasing).

Can I have back engraving?

Back engraving options are available on individual product listings. Choose the style of back engraving you want in the drop down, and don’t forget to specify your engraving in the “personalization” box before adding to cart. There is an additional fee for back engraving.

Can I substitute engraving for a different font/word/date or more than one line of text?

I engrave manually and not via a computer, so I am limited on the size/number of characters that will fit. I usually give the maximum of what can be engraved as an option already. If you see another engraving style elsewhere on the site and you would prefer it, send me a message via the “Product Inquiry” option on the product description page.

Here is a blog post I wrote on the subject: http://creativityinspired.ca/engraving-much-text-can-really/

What are the jewelry pieces made out of?

I generally provide this information on each individual listing. Most pieces are made out of sterling silver (necklaces), as well as 14KT gold-filled. All other engraving pieces are made of a silver or gold plate over steel or brass (keychains, stitch markers, bookmarks). I’ve spent hours and hours researching and finding items that are suitable for engraving but also fit the price point of the majority of my customers. **PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE** and are based on current silver/gold prices, as well as the ever fluctuating Canadian dollar.

This is a gift. What chain length should I choose?

I’ve tried to add the sizes XS, S, M, L, & XL to the chain sizes to help give a rough idea of the length of each. Here is a blog post I wrote on the subject, that may help you: http://creativityinspired.ca/necklace-lengths-personalized-gifts/

Will you engrave on an item of mine?

I do not offer engraving on your personal items. I engrave manually; therefore I do not feel comfortable engraving on anything that cannot easily be replaced, just in case error occurs.

Will you wholesale or give a discount on your jewelry, keychains or stitch markers for my wedding/event/business?

Yes! I would be happy to discuss supplying your event or business with my products at a wholesale or bulk discount. I’ve supplied jewelry for wedding parties, keychains/bookmarks for wedding favors, keychains for events such as breastfeeding and babywearing fundraisers, and I’d love to discuss having my items in your store either wholesale or consignment. Please fill out the special order form for more info. I look forward to hearing from you!

Will you wholesale your yarn or take special orders for specific types/colors/amounts of yarn?

I’m happy to discuss bulk/custom orders for yarn as well as the possibility of a bulk discount on pre-made yarn. Please note there is no markup on handspun yarn; it is impossible to recoup all the time involved in developing and making yarn but I am happy to give some kind of discount on a bulk order. I will also need several weeks to develop a bulk order from sratch. Please fill out the special order form for more info. I look forward to hearing from you!

How often do you have sales?

You can view my current sale items here. As far as sales for percentage off for promotion or a holiday I rarely have them. I don’t have a lot of wiggle room with my pricing. Most items on clearance are at or below cost. I make the items by hand and absorb a lot of the cost/time that goes into these pieces. I would much rather sell at an honest price than one with 3 or 4+ times markup like you’ll find in a retail store or an MLM business. I am not from money, and I feel it is important for my work to stay affordable to all walks of life.

How can I contact you?

I answer email, direct or via my facebook page promptly, usually in less than 24 hours. If you do not receive a response from me in 24 hours, check your spam/junk folder. If still nothing feel free to send another message. It is very rare that I do not respond to messages right away, so don’t hesitate to send another message. It is possible I never received the first one.

lcd@bb3.ca

Please check out the RECOMMENDED POSTS section of the blog. As it will cover information such as: back engraving, choosing a chain length, cleaning & storing your jewelry and general posts on my handmade philosophy that I think would be of interest to individuals interested in my work.

About us

Posted on June 13, 2015 by superadmin — Leave a comment

About Us

“Fiber work is my way of coping with daily stress and anxiety; whereas jewelry making is my way of releasing it.” ~ Leilani

BB3: Leilani Handmade (formally known as heavenly flower/fleur de paradis) is a fiber & jewelry studio owned & operated by Leilani Cleveland Deveau. Inspired by her family, the name of the studio is derived from her daughters (AKA 3 gems/3 bébés), fiber interests (baa baa black sheep, 3 ply wool) & the overall superstition that things (good or bad) come in 3’s.

Born and bred in Nova Scotia, her home studio is currently located in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. The studio is currently not open to the public, but meetup for delivery of your order in the Centreville/Kentville/New Minas or Canning/Wolfville area is available.

Leilani started making/selling jewelry over 17 years ago, a pursuit started as an outlet for expression and healing from a stressful job situation. Now as a mom the jewelry has evolved into wearable keepsakes. The progression into working with fiber started in 2011 when the family began attending Wool Shows and Fiber festivals throughout New England. Turning raw, unprocessed fleece into beautifully dyed fibers for felting and spinning into yarn has become a daily ritual, and yarn for sale is listed at the wholesale price for all to purchase.

The items for sale on this site were designed to be affordable to everyone, despite income bracket or circumstance. The goal is to share the creativity, to have an outlet for expression, and not to monitor profit margins. Handmade work is a labour of love and it would be impossible to recoup all costs involved in bringing these products into fruition. Most items here are available to giveaway for grassroots fundraisers and payment is accepted in many forms including barter (trade). Simply contact for more info.

Please check out the RECOMMENDED POSTS section of the blog to learn more about the products I develop, and my handmade philosophy.

Leilani loves to hear from others in the handmade/art community & as well as those looking for items for consignment, wholesale or group events. Whatever the reason, never hesitate to drop her a line.

bb3 exists online only, but if you have suggestions as to where you would like to see these products, don’t hesitate to pass it along.

BB3 on Facebook

Studio bb3
Leilani Handmade
Leilani Cleveland Deveau

Mailing address:
156-9049 Commercial St.,
New Minas, NS B4N 5A4
Canada

902.996.1234 (text)
1.866.665.6776

Follow my studio life via Instagram

lcd@bb3.ca
(Please note: email or text is the quickest way to contact). (Also note: Leilani frequents Hants, Kings & Annapolis Co.: pickup or delivery is possible in these areas).
leilani
Testimonials

Read my reviews via Etsy

Legal

Posted on June 13, 2015 by superadmin — Leave a comment

Legal

Credits

All items featured on this website are the copyright of Leilani Cleveland Deveau and heavenlyflower.com.

Images may not be reused without the prior permission of the artist.

All items may be resold only at the credit of the artist, Leilani Cleveland Deveau.

Copyright heavenly flower/fleur de paradis/bb3: 2002-2018
Artisan creative custom keepsake jewelry/gifts and yarn with a handmade twist.
Kings Co., Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia Canada leilani@heavenlyflower.com

design by: Leilani Cleveland Deveau; architecture by: Deveau Developments, Inc.

Necklace Lengths for Personalized Gifts

Posted on June 12, 2015July 11, 2017 by Leilani — Leave a comment

What necklace length is appropriate for a gift? If you google necklace lengths there are many good diagrams to give you a visual idea of the different lengths available. Here’s my advice for some of the common chain lengths that I offer with my personalized engraved and artisan jewelry.

First and foremost, who are you buying for? What body type do they have? What length of necklaces have you seen them wear before? As with most things, all necks are not created equally. When I first started making jewelry, I was barely out of my teen years & far more petite than I am now. I really liked chokers, thus I made a lot of choker style necklaces. So I naively made all my necklaces in the 14- adjustable-to-the-16 inch range, believing this would fit my target clientele just fine. Until a 6 foot plus co-worker tried a necklace and she could barely get it around her neck. My bracelets, in that 7.5 – 8 inch size would not fit her either, and let’s not even go there with anklets. It made me re-examine the “average” size stereotype, and why it’s more important to know who you are buying for rather than relying on the S, M, L, XL size categories.

Here is my general guideline for picking necklace lengths, but again think of who you are buying for:

14 inch – this is my general child size, or choker size for a petite person.

16 inch – Another length on the smaller size, great for children, teens or petite/slender build people

18 inch – I consider this the “when in doubt” size. It is a decent average length without being too long or short.

24 inch – for those who prefer longer chain or are more bigger boned or curvy/full figured.

30+ inch – this is a nice long chain that I find great for layering with shorter necklaces.

I will emphasize that this has simply been my experience & observation selling jewelry for 15 years. It is definitely not true of all people. I hope it helps with your decision making if you are unsure which length to go with.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take until my order ships?

Where does my item ship from?

I’m local. Can I browse your products in person?

How long will it take to receive my order?

***LOCAL PICKUP/DELIVERY***

What if I do not receive my order?

What is your return policy?

What forms of payment do you accept?

Can I have back engraving?

Can I substitute engraving for a different font/word/date or more than one line of text?

What are the jewelry pieces made out of?

This is a gift. What chain length should I choose?

Will you engrave on an item of mine?

Will you wholesale or give a discount on your jewelry, keychains or stitch markers for my wedding/event/business?

Will you wholesale your yarn or take special orders for specific types/colors/amounts of yarn?

How often do you have sales?

How can I contact you?

Please check out the RECOMMENDED POSTS section of the blog. As it will cover information such as: back engraving, choosing a chain length, cleaning & storing your jewelry and general posts on my handmade philosophy that I think would be of interest to individuals interested in my work.

About Us

Legal

Credits

LOCAL PICKUP/DELIVERY