Silver Jewelry Sample Sale!

Dozens Of Handmade Jewelry Items Now In The B3 Etsy Shop

sample-sale-2020-buyonEtsyWe made so many samples back in Chicago, I still have a ton of items left, so it’s time for a new sample sale! 😀 These are all precious metal pieces (plus a few bronze ones) offered at suuuper low prices. Most pieces are in amazing shape and many were never worn by a person, just displayed on jewelry forms! (For hygienic reasons, none of the earrings have ever been worn.)

Check out the sample sale section in the B3 Etsy shop for dozens of bracelets, a few necklaces and earrings in sterling silver, niobium and gold-fill.

These pieces are sold as-is, so if you’re gift shopping, be sure to let me know so I can do a thorough examination of your piece. (And I can upgrade any item to include a cleaning/gift box for $2.50.)

Happy shopping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Decade of CHAINED

Disclosure: Some of the links to products below are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. It helps me create content like this for you, and I thank you for your support.

Thank You To Everyone Who Purchased (Or Borrowed From The Library) My Book

chained-signed-by-rebeca-mojica-horz

It’s hard to believe that my book CHAINED: Create Gorgeous Chain Mail Jewelry One Ring At A Time was published 10 years ago already! The book has been out of print since last year, and yesterday, I finally signed my last remaining copy of the book and shipped it off to its new owner.

You can still purchase CHAINED on amazon as a Kindle edition. There are also plenty of used paperback copies available. (There are also some new copies available, though the markup prices can be eyebrow raising!)

It’s been quite a journey and I’m so thankful to each and every person who purchased a copy of my book or borrowed it from their local library. I hope you enjoyed making your projects. I’ll likely create standalone PDFs of a few of the projects at some point, but right now I’m focusing on creating tutorials for new designs. I hope you’ll continue along for the ride!

If you’d like to talk a walk down memory lane, check out this blog post from 2013 on the 3-year anniversary of CHAINED.

CHAINED copy

Thanks again! I’m so grateful for your support.

 

Providing Connection & Support In A Time Of “Social Distancing”

Sign Up To Receive Regular Phone or Email Check-Ins

WeHo Neighbors Helping Neighbors green logo with palm trees in background

If you, or anyone you know, could benefit from a regular check-in during these times, please complete our client signup form.

rebeca-on-phoneConfession time: I haven’t done very much mailling in the past few weeks. Ever since the health crisis began to rapidly unfold, much of my time has been spent creating a neighborhood group to connect volunteers with elderly people, those with disabilities, and immunocompromised individuals for daily phone/email check-ins.

Humans are social creatures. Being stuck at home, with no specific end date, can be tough on many people, even introverts like me. The brain craves stimulation and novelty – both of which can be difficult to come by when you cannot leave your home. I wanted to create something that would help some of our most vulnerable and isolated residents feel a little less alone during the next few weeks and months.

I connected with several amazing neighbors (none of whom I actually knew before, although I had recently met a couple of them at an event) to create West Hollywood Neighbors Helping Neighbors. We pair volunteers with clients for regular checkinsanywhere from twice a week to dailyvia email or phone. Our group is now just over 2 weeks old, and we’ve gotten great feedback from our clients.

We have many dedicated volunteers and we’d love to reach out to beyond our community, as we know there are certainly isolated folks all over the world right now. I figured I’d turn to you guys and invite you to sign up if you’d like a distraction and pick-me-up during these times.

Please complete our client signup form if you or anyone you know could benefit from a regular check-in.

 

Here are a few recent press articles about our group from local media:

wehoville-article-neighbors-covid

 

wehotimes-neighbors-helping-neighbors

If you’d like to start a similar group specific to your area, please feel free to message me. I’m happy to share resources (volunteer training info, etc) so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Limited Shipping Until Further Notice

US & Canada Only, Once Per Week (Typically Wednesdays)

[UPDATE April 24: B3 is now shipping only on Tuesdays and Fridays]
[UPDATE April 15: B3 is now shipping to Canada as well as within the US.]

text reads that Blue Buddha is shipping domestic orders once a week and there may be delays with the postal system

Due to current events, the Blue Buddha Boutique Etsy shop is shipping domestic orders once a week (typically on Wednesdays but this is subject to change). Please note that shipping may be further delayed once your item enters the postal system.

Because the situation is changing rapidly and several countries have announced foreign shipping restrictions, I’ve suspended delivery outside of the US and Canada. I’m so sorry – I hope to reinstate international delivery soon!

Please note that I am unable to ship orders on additional days, even if you offer to pay an extra fee.  (As much as I’d love to accommodate you and appreciate the extra money, I am only leaving the house once per week. My asthma and allergies have been acting up recently, and I have no desire to take my chances with this virus!) I wish I could arrange for Post Office office pickups, but sadly, package theft is rampant in my building. I appreciate your patience and understanding during these surreal times.

My apologies for any inconvenience. Be well, and may crafting be a soothing distraction during these times. 😊

Peace, love and chainmaille.

RM-sig

 

Rebeca wearing dystopian clothing with a black face mask and holding a bag of packages

Ready to drop off items at the Post Office!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craft In The Time Of Coronavirus

Social Distancing & Staying At Home Is Becoming A Thing? Crafters: “We Got This.”

For the past few days, I’ve been wanting to share photos of some new products, but felt I first needed to take a moment to address the thing that so many people are talking about, which is of course, COVID-19.

dozens of chainmaille craft kits are spread out with meme text reading: Confessions of a Crafter - This is What My Panic Buying Looks Like

Mitigation

Over the past few days it became clear the containment effort of COVID-19 has not been successful in the US, and things are going to get worse before they get better. The virus’s exponential growth needs to be stalled and reversed to keep US hospitals from being overloaded. The continued spread is inevitable. What this leads to a few months down the road can be vastly different, based on all the actions we take or don’t take moving forward. The sooner we can slow this growth, the better. (Here’s a great video about exponential growth and epidemics.)

Even with the best efforts, there’s going to be disruption in many people’s daily lives, sometimes minimal and sometimes substantial. I already have customers (and family friends) across the world who are under lockdown or self-quarantine. The mother of an acquaintance died on one of the cruise ships. People are panic-buying all over the country.

B3 Response

There are obviously a lot of unknowns with this situation that experts rightly refer to as “rapidly evolving.” I know that right now, the coronavirus risk to me personally is very low. There have been no confirmed outbreaks in my neighborhood. I, like everyone else, am still far, FAR more likely to die from heart disease or a car accident. But, should I catch the virus, I could easily carry it and pass it on to someone vulnerable.

My mom is one of those vulnerable people, due to age and a compromised immune system. I see her multiple times a week, and she helps out with B3 kit assembly. She’s pretty much all the family I have, and for her sake, starting February 29, I began minimizing my risk by essentially being a hermit until the situation is more understood and under control. To be honest, being a homebody is basically my normal lifestyle, so this isn’t actually a huge change or sacrifice for me. Introverts, it’s our turn to save the world!!! 😉

As far as Blue Buddha goes, I’m still prepping and shipping orders and will continue to do so while adapting to the situation. (For instance, my trips to the Post Office may eventually become fewer and far between). I’ll keep you guys updated on this blog, on the B3 Facebook page and/or in the announcement section of the B3 Etsy shop (scroll down on the main shop page past the listings until you see Announcements.)

Crafting is soothing for many people, and I want to keep inspiring you especially if you’re struggling. Because the more soothed and calm people we have in the world, the better. Also, if you’re stuck at home for days on end, it’s great to have something to do to keep your mind and hands occupied. Not to mention, you wind up with something tangible, which is more than can be said for binge-watching a TV show! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I’ll do some binge watching in the next couple months, heh.

Let’s Hang Virtually: B3 Community Craft Session Online Coming Soon!

This is the perfect time for me to launch a hangout session, which we used to do in-person at the Blue Buddha shop in Chicago. I’ve been meaning to do an “ask the artist” video/webinar to answer a few questions an artisan sent me… maybe this would be a good chance for me to answer those questions while y’all craft. Are ya down? I was thinking a YouTube livestream would probably be the best and easiest way for most of you to listen/watch. If you have other suggestions for platforms, let me know in the comments below!

I wish all of you the very best. Feel free to reach out anytime.

P.S. The title of this post is a play on words from Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquezz, one of my favorite authors. If you’re panic buying, might I also suggest books? There’s a few suggestions in my recent post on sci-fi audio books.