OOdles of goodies, Quick Giveaway :)

Hi everyone!
Oh my, I've been busy busy busy! Valentine's Day is rolling around quickly, and I've been working hard getting all my materials in for He Qi Valentine's specials.

This year, I'm focusing my efforts on making all Valentine Special pieces very affordable, but simple and classic, made with absolutely the BEST sterling silver (imported from Italy, that's why it took so long to get everything). Here are some pieces, all priced under $30 (with FREE world wide shipping!)





And some other jewelry, not necessarily made specifically for Valentine's Day:













^ This piece features genuine quartz gemstones!


^ HOW CUTE?!



I will have crown and pearl stud earrings coming later tonight. I won't be updating it on here, but it'll be posted on my website.

And to answer a question I get pretty frequently:
If you see a piece on my blog, but no longer see it on my website, YES that means its sold out, sorry! You can try to send me an email to inquire about my plans for restocking if you'd like :)


Also... I wanted to do a quick giveaway in celebration of having reached 600 followers on my blog!
The prize will be a surprise necklace from the He Qi collection. You have until Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 to enter. Please come back here to find out if you've won :)
Rules:
- Must be a follower of this blog
- Must be 18+ or have guardian permission to enter
- Open to residents world wide

To earn your first entry: leave a comment on this post, with your name, location, and the link of the item you're most likely to purchase from my website

Please make a NEW COMMENT for each additional entry!
For +1 additional entry: tell someone else about He Qi Crystal Designs: I can't check you on this, so I'll take your word for it :)
For +1 additional entry: be a follower of my Twitter
For +1 additional entry: be a Facebook fan!
For +1 additional entry: Spread the word about this giveaway, and leave the link here!
For +1 additional entry: Leave a NEW review in my shop for an item you've purchase (reviews from prior to Jan. 24, 2011 do NOT count) (Please only review items you've purchased... how can you review something which you have not purchased?)
For +5 additional entries: by making a purchase between now (Jan 24. 2011 and Jan. 28, 2011, post your order number here!
For +5 additional entries: make a youtube video spreading the word about this giveaway! be creative =)

love,
Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
SHOP HE QI
TWITTER
Facebook

Giveaway Winner, News, stuff & Weekend Promo!

Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes! Tonight, Brian & I are officially celebrating my birthday by going to see Wicked in San Francisco! I'm super excited-- this will be my FIRST musical/play/whatchamacallit. Tomorrow will be dinner with my parents.

I've read through ALL of the giveaway entries-- I really appreciate all the feedback I've gotten! To address a couple of very specific things..

This is why I don't model every single piece of jewelry:
I model most necklaces / bracelets, but I don't model earrings because I want to keep them in their newest, cleanest, most pristine shape. If I own a pair myself, I will model that, of course. If you guys would like to submit MODELED photos, please email them to me! I'll happily put you on the site. Also, if you want to see a specific pair of earrings modeled, EMAIL ME and I will personally take the time to hold them up to my ear so you can see a size comparison.

Also, keep in mind everyone's computer screen are different, so colors will vary in real life vs. what you see on the computer. I can't... really change this :X. I try to make it true to life, according to what I see on my laptop, but that's not always what you see... can't help this issue.

I also apologize that I don't own a DSLR to bring you even more realistic photos. I own a simple point & shoot camera, and sometimes that doesn't capture the crystal in their most natural form. I'm trying to save up for a camera right now-- the more sales I make, the sooner I can get my new camera ;)

I randomly chose a giveaway winner, congrats: The Indecisive One !!!
If you could email me your full name & shipping address, that'd be great. I'll have your goodies in the mail coming to you next week! heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com Don't forget to include your free eyeshadow of choice! Shades can be viewed on my website =)


New items:
I was inspired by this trailer I saw of Natalie Portman, something about a Black Swan. Don't know the uhhh exact details-- scurried off to make this:



And I wanted to satisfy some requests and make some simple, quality, sterling silver (Italian imports) necklaces. I know no one wants to pay big bucks for a simple pendant necklace, so here they are!




Labor Day Weekend Promo(s):
(ends on Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010)
FREE My Beauty Diary Mask w/ ALL orders over $25 USD! Limit 2/customer (if you end up placing 2 separate orders or something)
Use code: MASKME UP in the comments section during checkout.
ANNNNNNNNNNNNNND this is the ONLY promotion that's combinable with the above offer! Generally, I only have limit 1 code per order, but this is an exception!
Buy over $200 worth of He Qi Products, receive ANY ONE item on the website $25 or under, FREE! That's pretty much the same as saving 13%! Simply order $200 or more worth of items, and then in the comments section, leave me the URL of your free item of choice! I'm offering this promo NOW because I'd like us to all start shopping for the Holidays before the rush really hits me (I have finals, which means orders get backed up).

- Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
SHOP HE QI
TWITTER
FORMSPRING
Facebook

Homemade Taffy Fail , Some randoms, New monthly giveaways, new HQCD

I've been wanting to try my hand at homemade taffy for a while now. I figure, since I can make caramels, taffy shouldn't be hard.

Boy, was I wrong.

Taffy is meant to be cooled, and then pulled vigorously. Nowadays, machines have the job of pulling and I know why! It's darn near impossible.
I soon discovered that you need some big guns to pull taffy. I honestly have NO IDEA how people hand-pulled taffy-- what's the TRICK?! So... hot... and hard, and my skin feels like it's being burned off :( You can't let it cool much since it gets hard quickly....

Here's my complete, utter fail:


mm I'm sad... look at those poor little taffy turds :\

BTW, I put in BLUE food coloring, and my taffy turned out looking like JADE, hahaha. FAIL.

The only upside? It was delicious. There's no way sugar and sugar can taste bad, lol.
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A random link I wanted to share:
I love this charm! http://www.strapya-world.com/products/36922.html
SO CUTE.


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For those of you interested in some reading about pricing handmade goods, here's an article I came across today:
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/02/biz-ladies-how-to-price-your-work.html

An exerpt:

Pricing Etiquette

Yes, Virginia, there is a polite way to price.  Here are a couple of common pricing faux pas to avoid:

1. Changing your prices too often: yes, you should absolutely market-test your prices, but don’t just throw numbers out randomly to see what sticks.  Focus on testing one or two products at a time, and try to do it at a live event like a craft show, where you can gauge customers’ reactions directly.  Changing your published prices too often (like the ones on your web site) will make repeat retail customers think they are overpaying, and will make your wholesale customers struggle to keep their prices current.
2. Pricing just to maintain your hobby: I think it’s lovely that you make so many beautiful things that you’ve run out of people to give them to.  I also think it’s great that you sell your extras in order to support your hobby.  It’s selfish, however, to sell a fair-isle sweater you knitted for just the price of the yarn.  Your customers might be thrilled, but underpricing devalues creative work and makes it harder for creative professionals to make a living.

Sadly, there is no magic formula for pricing, but with some research, careful thought, and a little finesse, you can find the sweet spot that makes your business the most successful it can be.

I get a lot of questions on lowering the price of my work, etc. And #2 kinda answers it. I'm trying to run a business, not just maintain my hobby and passion. When I sold mainly on the forum, there would be gals popping up here and there selling for just materials price, maybe $1-$2 higher than that. I wish I could do that, as well. But when you're doing something like this to pay for rent, food, etc, there's no way you can survive without making profit. I also know that the reality is, those who don't do this to maintain a lifestyle will just always sell at a lower price, even if it makes it harder for others to make a living out of this. It's just the way it is, and we just have to work harder around it. Hang in there, my fellow independent crafters.

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This week has been uber busy for me on the school front. The quarter's coming to an end, and all my midterms are done. Finals are in two weeks! I'm not doing as well as I'd like to do, unfortunately :(. I feel like I need to learn how to study smarter, not longer.

I decided to take it easy today and spend the whole day at home, with Brian. He programmed for class all day:


While I made jewelry, and played on this:

What a way to reward myself for doing poorly in class, right? With a PS3? -_-
I know I'm late, but Brian and I finally saved up enough money for a PS3, woohoo!

Here are SOME fruits of my labor for Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010













^ This took well over an hour, lol. A customer of requested a dense cluster with a violet theme. This one's for you, Erica!
My cluster bracelets (like THIS ONE) have been selling REALLY quickly (within hours/days).  Is there a cluster bracelet trend around that I'm missing out on? I really need to get on catching up with fashion... after school ends.... next year... haha.
I really wish I had more time for work like this, but I just don't! The bracelets are SUPER loaded, and every single link has a bead on it.


^ I sold a pair of these to a 7-yr old cutie at a craft fair last year. She had to beg her mom for them. Ahh memories.






^ My first NON Swarovski piece. Turned out quite nice =) Yay for quartz and freshwater pearls!

I'm trying to buy some AAA quality gems (the best, most opaque/clear). They're about $30/pair just for the stones. Pretty intense. I've been saving to treat myself to some London Blue Topaz.

Only ONE of each unless otherwise noted in the listing!

SHOP HQCD

HQCD's New Monthly Giveaways

(First prize will be given out at the end of March). 

Be a frequent visitor of HQCD, drop me a few lines every once in a while (I honestly LOVE hearing what you have to say, whether or not it's jewelry related!).

I haven't been updating and posting as much lately, but I want everyone to know that I appreciate every single person who visits! I think this will be a great way to say "thanks" to people who often visit! I'll get to decide how many prizes to give out, etc. Could be one, or even 10! You never know =)

.... to celebrate the beginning of this new promo, get a 10% off HQCD coupon just by commenting on this post by leaving your name, location, and email address! Coupon expires in a week.

This doesn't mean that I'm stopping my regular giveaways! I'm still going to have those larger, long term giveaways. =)

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I have some Alice in Wonderland charm bracelets coming in soon-- be on the look out! I'm excited for the movie =)



love,
Lisa
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com
Always feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or just to say hi!

10% of all HQCD proceeds will to towards Haiti Relief & EyeCurl & New Pieces

Most of you are well aware of the recent catastrophic earthquake that affected Haiti on January 12, 2010.



In order to lend a helping hand to the victims of the Earthquake, I've decided that 10% of proceeds of ALL orders I get between now and Jan. 30, 2010, will go to redcross.org.
This means that 10% of my profit (excluding materials cost and S/H) will be donated to the cause.  Donations will be made on a weekly basis until the end of the month, and receipts will be posted here. First donation (if I get any sales) will be made the coming Monday.
EVERY SINGLE ITEM (yes, even beauty items!) that's for sale in my SHOP will be included in this event!

Other ways to help:
Text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross. The amount will be charged on your next phone bill.

If you guys could help spread the word about this event, I'd appreciate it!

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And on the note of beauty, I wanted to do a product rave.
It's about the Eye Curl heated Eyelash curler that I'm selling on my site. I bought one for myself a few weeks ago, and picked up a few extras to share. 

I admit, I'm obsessed over having long, curly lashes. But the one problem I have is that only my left eye's lashes stay curled-- the right side curls for a bit after using a curler, but falls straight within a matter of... well. a couple minutes if I'm wearing mascara.

In high school, I came across the Eye Curl. It lasted me a year, before I dropped it on my hardwood floor. Since then, I haven't really used an Eye Curl, since I had mine shipped from HK. It was a hassle, I figured that other eyelash curlers would be about the same.

Wrong.

In the last 4 ish years, I've been experiment with TONS of different manual curlers. Anything from Revlon, to ELF, to Shu Uemura (my latest). The best, out of them, was the Shu, which as lasted me months without much complaints. But, the Shu still didn't solve the issue of my RIGHT EYE's stubborn lashes. They still fell, within MINUTES. It was frustrating!
 
And then.. I decided I really wanted the Eye Curl back. I know a lot of people don't even notice that my lashes aren't curled or what not, but I personally do.

Here are my results:

Pros:
- Holds curl all day
- Heats up quickly
- Easy to use
The bottom line: Does its job well.
Cons:
- The cap sucks. But I don't use it anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter (and you don't need it, either)
- Dropping it, as with any electronic device, could (and probably will) break it
- You need to clean if after every use to prevent build up.
The bottom line: There's some maintenance involved. Slightly more than a manual curler.

Would I buy another one if this one broke?
Yes.
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Moving on to Jewelry!
New work =)

An Avatar inspired piece! Features some colors and themes from the planet Pandora.






The cluster obsession continues...






















SHOP HQCD
Contact Lisa: heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com

Winter Giveaway WINNER, New HQCD packaging, New!

I'm SO LATE announcing the winner of the winter giveaway! I'm so sorry! I just haven't had time to sit down, go to random.org and count out the entries.
The giveaway was a blast, and it had over 200 entries-- a great, high, and unexpected turnout level!

Congrats to post #22, *BlingBlingKitty*! She's our lucky winner from Singapore =)
I've sent you an email :D 

I'm having another giveaway soon! SOON SOON SOON. It's in honor of obtaining 300+ followers, AND Valentine's Day.

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In other news... I'm taking 4 engineering classes this quarter. I'm planning to kick some class butt-- so I'll be around a little less. Blogging will be exclusively for batch news, and if I've got some big plans or something like that. Otherwise, please go to my SHOP (link on the sidebar on the right) to see new pieces every 2 days or so! I won't be posting all the updates up here anymore.

I got a new layout! One of the New Years' resolutions down! haha

I ordered some personalized packaging early December-- they took a while to get here, but they look PRO. They're laminated and everything. One downside is that they don't have earring holes, and these cards are hard to poke through. Hole punchers just don't quite do the trick...



Here's the new batch of jewelry on my website. Some are sold out already, sorry!


^ That's a pretty big teardrop. I believe this particular cut is discontinued, and this is the last one I have left.






^ Works BEAUTIFULLY for bridesmaid jewelry!


^ I'm starting a whole series of baroque clusters. This one sold out quick!
Another top choice for bridal/bridesmaid jewelry.

Confession:
I'm back in my cluster phase. I went through such a phase in about Jan-Feb last year.... it's been a year, and it seems like it's about that time again :X

A random old piece of work from mid last year... I went through a sakura craze :X


I recently got some bridal orders! I'm truly, SO HONORED to be a part of your big day! I do custom bridal jewelry, and here are just a few examples of my bridal pieces:


^ My pride and joy. Not exaggerating =)


^ Bridesmaid bracelet






"Something Blue"

(remember, I customize!)

- Lisa
SHOP HQCD
heqicrystaldesigns@hotmail.com