Make sure you check out our Meet the November Gemstone Orphans video to quickly see the Orphans featured in this month's box: ruclips.net/user/shortsYSoXcjL8qzc?feature=share
I'm glad you got your box, all safe and sound. We have been having issues with our new Post Office distribution center. Also, happy I'm not the only one who ooo'ed and ahhh'ed over the new box.
Steve and Debby...you've outdone yourselves once again. Little red elephants! So darn cute! Absolutely love my orphan...Diata. really appreciate the explanations of why things were chosen for each box, the history of the gems...I have a new appreciation for sandcast beads...for sure. Thank you both.
Hi Sandra, this is so good to hear. Steve and I get concerned over how long some of our unboxing videos are and we're always wanting to edit them down but we can never decide which stories and information to share and which we can discard. And yes, those little elephants make me smile each time I see them.
We have a bead vendor named Muso, who is an immigrant to this country. He travels around the west in his beat up, old van, stacked from floor to ceiling with African beads he sells to small, independent bead shops, jewelry stores, and makers. He introduced us to the sandcast and trade beads you have in your collection. They are truly treasures.
I received mine today...a blowout of a box! I can't believe how much we get and how beautifully curated the accompanying beads and finding are! You really outdid yourself with this box!!! And my Kamari is soooo lovely...she makes my heart sing!
Melonie, are you sure you didn't get Wambui (meaning singer of songs)? lol There were only a few of the moon shapes but they were gorgeous, so I'm happy you adopted one.
It is sometimes hard to part with a lot of the Orphans, so we are happy when we hear how much they are appreciated. Our biggest struggle, right now, has been keeping the weight of the boxes under a pound so we don't get hit with shipping penalties. Might have to put the Orphans on some sort of weight loss program.
Hi Angela, Gabra (meaning gift or offering) was very excited to be going to your home and meeting you. I loved the swirls of gray patterns that accentuated the depths in this orphan. Gabra will make a stunning necklace.
One bloodstone Orphan is gorgeous; a whole table load of them is mind blowing. It's why we started doing the Meet the Orphans videos *** ruclips.net/user/shortsYSoXcjL8qzc?feature=share ***. We needed to share all the beauty we got to see before they were all separated out and sent to their individual homes.
all i can say is WOW !!! I love love this box , I'm so excited to receive it . all kind of idea's going through my head. And the button this time I love it. would like to see more of them. I'm so over the top with the Gun metal as well , that is something i don't have much of. Thank you both soooo so much . Beautiful
Debby *_loves_* buttons. She'll be happy to hear, she is not alone. This box inspired more jewelry ideas than we had time to finish for the video. We are looking forward to some fun tutorials.
You make me wonder which is more exciting, getting to put the boxes together, deciding on which components will be included, or opening one of the boxes without the prior knowledge of exaclty what is in the box? I sincerely hope you do enjoy discovering your box as much as I enjoy putting them together.
Thank you, but this box was just plain fun to put together, even if Debby *_did_* raid my stash of mother of pearl beads to jazz up the box a little. I can't have anything nice.
Good morning to you Nancy. Steve has a thing for pearls and mother of pearl, but you are right, I plan to continue sharing his hoard. I think secretly he likes knowing that others share their love for these beautiful beads.
Steve and Debbie, you have gone over the top on this box! This is an absolutely gorgeous curation of beautiful beads and findings. I can't wait to get my box! Thank you for all the work and searching you put into this box! Blessings to you both.
This is my favorite box, so far. Every time I sit down with all the stuff from the box, I end up wanting to make something. The little cuff bracelets shown at the end of the video were put together, at the last minute, yesterday and I already have granddaughters trying to decide which one to make.
Ohmygosh.... I watched this as my box was lovingly looking at me, hoping I'll open it soon lol. Absolutely gorgeous as always. I love this stone and your curation is fabulous and so on point. I so look forward to going on my own personal safari now! Amazing job, Friends!! ❤❤❤
Colleen, if you listen carefully, Hazina is going to try to coax you into letting her out of the box. She really is a rare treasure. I know with your creatitvity the two of you are going to have so much fun turning her into something wonderful!
I love the color choices, and I'm a big fan of window beads as well. Thank you for all the lovely options, and I especially want to thank you for the leather/faux leather pieces. It isn't something I usually work with, but you've opened my eyes to possibilities, and now I look forward to seeing what you've sent. An occasional button would be an excellent addition, so I vote 'yes' for future boxes.
Hi Kathi, leather wasn't my thing for a very long time. I really had to work into it but now I find it has it's own charm and personality and I've grown comfortable with it. Surprisingly, I find myself wearing a leather bracelet more often than my other choices, not exactly sure why, but there it is.
We have drawers filled with leather cords so you should continue to get leather for quite a while yet. And buttons!!! Debby loves and collects buttons. It will be nice to "share" some of her hoard of buttons. (Maybe we need a Button Orphan box???)
Fantastic. Everything is beautiful. The history is so interesting. Love it all. I squealed with delight when I received my box in the mail last night. I love all the thought that you put into curating for my baby. The live auction surprise will be so fun. The designs at the end are all beautiful. Love the African Ladybugs *giggles* 😉🖤❤🤍 Thank you.
I thought it was late-night trick-or-treaters that woke me from a sound sleep last night. Now I know it was your squeal of delight. We are *_so_* attuned. These are most likely the only African Ladybugs you will ever get in a bead box, so treat them kindly, Minky, and you should be safe.
Wow! I wish I had tried to get in on this bag! My daughter and granddaughter are really into red and black plus this bag is full of so many beautiful beads and findings and gemstones! Amazing!
Wow! I am so excited. My box is out for delivery today. I am waiting patiently... The two of you are sooo generous with the quality and number of gemstones included in this box. Also, the type and number of metal finding and components is amazing. In addition...adding in old stock Swarovski pave'. What a treasure! Thank you so much!
Thank you for the wonderful comment. Putting the boxes and videos together are quite a bit of work, since it's just Steve and I doing all of it. The comments you share with us makes it all worth it though.
Debby is the generous one. I hear my Scottish ancestors cry out in pain every time she throws a couple of extra strands of beads into the boxes or adds another bag of findings. It is easier for me to just not watch.
Looks like you did it again! I love African Bloodstone. Especially Makalo with it's window of Chalcedony. I really appreciate all the research you have done of the stone, it's history and African culture associated to it. I am learning so much from you and having such fun doing it! Thank you and God bless!!
Hi Jamie, thank you for the comment. I grew up with parents and grand parents who were rock hounds. I started learning about the history, myths, legends and stories surrounding these semi-precious stones as a teenager. I suppose this might explain how I ended up with such a large selection of these orphan pendant stones. They are all unique with their own personality.
Thanks. Debby really loves getting into all things gemstone related. I think knowing the background and history of each type of gemstone, along with the stories and legends, is part of what makes any jewelry I make more fun and more valuable to me and whoever I gift them to.
I just saw a video from Sara Lovecraft. She made a gorgeous pendant necklace with beads and findings from this box. I can't wait to make something similar.
This is an amazing box. I can't wait to get mine! I love all the jewelry you made from the box. I can't wait to see the tutorials. I know it's a lot to ask, but would it be possible to have tutotials for all of them?
All of them??!!??! Hmmmm.....we'll do as many as we can. I do have plans for a tutorial on the embellished spiral weave. The spiral weave is a basic weave, but I couldn't find much about how to work embellishments right into the weave, so I plan to show how I do it. I would also like to show my version of the leather cuff bracelets. So these are two tutorials we hope to have out within the next couple of weeks.
Blood stone is a birthstone not sure which month but always wonder what it look like till now . From what I saw I'm loving it. But sad I can't get my hands on one.
I'm not sure about traditional birthstones, but I do know the bloodstone is the official birthstone for the zodiac sign Aries the ram which runs from the first of March through about April 20th. We may have African Bloodstones available through future Adoption Auctions if there is interest.
When I purchased the Halloween Tween box I bought it with subscription. I have not received my November box. I am concerned, I was really looking forward to the subscription.
Gluing seems to come up a lot in your videos. You mentioned gluing flatbacks onto the PU leather. You also said that the cord ends that fit the leather cord in the box need to be glued in. In a previous box you included crystals that needed to be glued into a metal finding. Could you do a video on glue? What kind of glue do you use for each application and what is the best way to do it? I have GS hypo cement, E6000 and B7000 and i never know which to use for leather, metal, etc Or maybe there's a better one?
Good questions and a good idea for a video. I use and have on hand all of the glues you mention. They each have their uses. Debby, almost exclusively use an acrylic/super style glue called Starbond. It is great. It's a little pricey, but well worth it. We had one bottle that lasted for well over 5 years without drying out. It also comes in different thicknesses making it far more usable for jewelry making than the standard, thin and watery, dollar store glues. We mostly use the medium thick. We'll look into doing a video where we can go into all the many details of gluing stuff together.
Make sure you check out our Meet the November Gemstone Orphans video to quickly see the Orphans featured in this month's box: ruclips.net/user/shortsYSoXcjL8qzc?feature=share
Great box! I got mine yesterday and couldn’t stop oooing and ahhhing.
I'm glad you got your box, all safe and sound. We have been having issues with our new Post Office distribution center.
Also, happy I'm not the only one who ooo'ed and ahhh'ed over the new box.
Steve and Debby...you've outdone yourselves once again. Little red elephants! So darn cute! Absolutely love my orphan...Diata. really appreciate the explanations of why things were chosen for each box, the history of the gems...I have a new appreciation for sandcast beads...for sure. Thank you both.
Hi Sandra, this is so good to hear. Steve and I get concerned over how long some of our unboxing videos are and we're always wanting to edit them down but we can never decide which stories and information to share and which we can discard. And yes, those little elephants make me smile each time I see them.
We have a bead vendor named Muso, who is an immigrant to this country. He travels around the west in his beat up, old van, stacked from floor to ceiling with African beads he sells to small, independent bead shops, jewelry stores, and makers. He introduced us to the sandcast and trade beads you have in your collection. They are truly treasures.
I received mine today...a blowout of a box! I can't believe how much we get and how beautifully curated the accompanying beads and finding are! You really outdid yourself with this box!!! And my Kamari is soooo lovely...she makes my heart sing!
Melonie, are you sure you didn't get Wambui (meaning singer of songs)? lol There were only a few of the moon shapes but they were gorgeous, so I'm happy you adopted one.
It is sometimes hard to part with a lot of the Orphans, so we are happy when we hear how much they are appreciated. Our biggest struggle, right now, has been keeping the weight of the boxes under a pound so we don't get hit with shipping penalties. Might have to put the Orphans on some sort of weight loss program.
Oh wow this african blood stone is so gorgeous ❤ All the beads and components are gorgeous too. I am so excited to meet my orphane gemstone ❤
Hi Angela, Gabra (meaning gift or offering) was very excited to be going to your home and meeting you. I loved the swirls of gray patterns that accentuated the depths in this orphan. Gabra will make a stunning necklace.
One bloodstone Orphan is gorgeous; a whole table load of them is mind blowing. It's why we started doing the Meet the Orphans videos *** ruclips.net/user/shortsYSoXcjL8qzc?feature=share ***. We needed to share all the beauty we got to see before they were all separated out and sent to their individual homes.
all i can say is WOW !!! I love love this box , I'm so excited to receive it . all kind of idea's going through my head. And the button this time I love it. would like to see more of them. I'm so over the top with the Gun metal as well , that is something i don't have much of. Thank you both soooo so much . Beautiful
Debby *_loves_* buttons. She'll be happy to hear, she is not alone.
This box inspired more jewelry ideas than we had time to finish for the video. We are looking forward to some fun tutorials.
😯 My first box! I am so, so excited! You all do a beautiful job!! And, the box just arrived!! This is super awesome!! Thank you!
You make me wonder which is more exciting, getting to put the boxes together, deciding on which components will be included, or opening one of the boxes without the prior knowledge of exaclty what is in the box? I sincerely hope you do enjoy discovering your box as much as I enjoy putting them together.
we're glad it got to you safely. Be sure to tell us what you make from the box.
Lol...I was hoping for a video
There will be videos.
Steve, & Debby, Thank you so much for letting me be a member, I just love the November subscription. My little orphan is so cute !!!!
Thank you, Sherene. Without all of you we wouldn't be able to place as many of our Gemstone Orphans. We wish we had the resources to share more.
You guys did a Wonderful job 🎉🎉🎉 Good morning Debbie n Steve ❤❤
Thank you, but this box was just plain fun to put together, even if Debby *_did_* raid my stash of mother of pearl beads to jazz up the box a little.
I can't have anything nice.
@@homestrungjewelry You know Debbie Loves you,it's just her way of sharing her love for you with Us! Thank you Debbie 😊 💓
Good morning to you Nancy. Steve has a thing for pearls and mother of pearl, but you are right, I plan to continue sharing his hoard. I think secretly he likes knowing that others share their love for these beautiful beads.
@@debbycaldwell-homestrungje775 The two of you are so Adorable much love
I need to find better hiding places.
Steve and Debbie, you have gone over the top on this box! This is an absolutely gorgeous curation of beautiful beads and findings. I can't wait to get my box! Thank you for all the work and searching you put into this box! Blessings to you both.
This is my favorite box, so far. Every time I sit down with all the stuff from the box, I end up wanting to make something. The little cuff bracelets shown at the end of the video were put together, at the last minute, yesterday and I already have granddaughters trying to decide which one to make.
Ohmygosh.... I watched this as my box was lovingly looking at me, hoping I'll open it soon lol.
Absolutely gorgeous as always. I love this stone and your curation is fabulous and so on point. I so look forward to going on my own personal safari now! Amazing job, Friends!! ❤❤❤
Colleen, if you listen carefully, Hazina is going to try to coax you into letting her out of the box. She really is a rare treasure. I know with your creatitvity the two of you are going to have so much fun turning her into something wonderful!
Debby had wayy-yy too much fun putting together this box.
I love the color choices, and I'm a big fan of window beads as well. Thank you for all the lovely options, and I especially want to thank you for the leather/faux leather pieces. It isn't something I usually work with, but you've opened my eyes to possibilities, and now I look forward to seeing what you've sent. An occasional button would be an excellent addition, so I vote 'yes' for future boxes.
Hi Kathi, leather wasn't my thing for a very long time. I really had to work into it but now I find it has it's own charm and personality and I've grown comfortable with it. Surprisingly, I find myself wearing a leather bracelet more often than my other choices, not exactly sure why, but there it is.
We have drawers filled with leather cords so you should continue to get leather for quite a while yet.
And buttons!!! Debby loves and collects buttons. It will be nice to "share" some of her hoard of buttons. (Maybe we need a Button Orphan box???)
Fantastic. Everything is beautiful. The history is so interesting. Love it all. I squealed with delight when I received my box in the mail last night. I love all the thought that you put into curating for my baby. The live auction surprise will be so fun. The designs at the end are all beautiful. Love the African Ladybugs *giggles* 😉🖤❤🤍 Thank you.
I thought it was late-night trick-or-treaters that woke me from a sound sleep last night. Now I know it was your squeal of delight. We are *_so_* attuned.
These are most likely the only African Ladybugs you will ever get in a bead box, so treat them kindly, Minky, and you should be safe.
Wow! I wish I had tried to get in on this bag! My daughter and granddaughter are really into red and black plus this bag is full of so many beautiful beads and findings and gemstones! Amazing!
Wow! I am so excited. My box is out for delivery today. I am waiting patiently... The two of you are sooo generous with the quality and number of gemstones included in this box. Also, the type and number of metal finding and components is amazing. In addition...adding in old stock Swarovski pave'. What a treasure! Thank you so much!
Thank you for the wonderful comment. Putting the boxes and videos together are quite a bit of work, since it's just Steve and I doing all of it. The comments you share with us makes it all worth it though.
Debby is the generous one. I hear my Scottish ancestors cry out in pain every time she throws a couple of extra strands of beads into the boxes or adds another bag of findings. It is easier for me to just not watch.
Looks like you did it again! I love African Bloodstone. Especially Makalo with it's window of Chalcedony. I really appreciate all the research you have done of the stone, it's history and African culture associated to it. I am learning so much from you and having such fun doing it! Thank you and God bless!!
Hi Jamie, thank you for the comment. I grew up with parents and grand parents who were rock hounds. I started learning about the history, myths, legends and stories surrounding these semi-precious stones as a teenager. I suppose this might explain how I ended up with such a large selection of these orphan pendant stones. They are all unique with their own personality.
Thanks. Debby really loves getting into all things gemstone related. I think knowing the background and history of each type of gemstone, along with the stories and legends, is part of what makes any jewelry I make more fun and more valuable to me and whoever I gift them to.
I just saw a video from Sara Lovecraft. She made a gorgeous pendant necklace with beads and findings from this box. I can't wait to make something similar.
Sara is a real sweetheart. I just mailed her a special thank you.
This is an amazing box. I can't wait to get mine! I love all the jewelry you made from the box. I can't wait to see the tutorials. I know it's a lot to ask, but would it be possible to have tutotials for all of them?
All of them??!!??! Hmmmm.....we'll do as many as we can. I do have plans for a tutorial on the embellished spiral weave. The spiral weave is a basic weave, but I couldn't find much about how to work embellishments right into the weave, so I plan to show how I do it. I would also like to show my version of the leather cuff bracelets. So these are two tutorials we hope to have out within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks and the tute's are coming; long and short.
@@debbycaldwell-homestrungje775the spiral tutorial would be great!! That's my favorite of all the projects from this box. 😊😊
Debby tells me " *_we_* " will be taping the spiral weave next week. When she says " *_we_* ", it means I can't hide.
I received my box Monday. (Got one of the moons😊) Love the theme of this box, and the gun metal findings. Looking forward to designing with it.
Wow!!! We *_are_* good. We weren't even suppose to ship them until today. A little African Bloodstone magic for some of you.
Blood stone is a birthstone not sure which month but always wonder what it look like till now . From what I saw I'm loving it. But sad I can't get my hands on one.
I'm not sure about traditional birthstones, but I do know the bloodstone is the official birthstone for the zodiac sign Aries the ram which runs from the first of March through about April 20th.
We may have African Bloodstones available through future Adoption Auctions if there is interest.
Is it the stone or the whole box. Yes I'm interested ❤😂
OMG! I'm an Aries. Now I really wish I have a box. Will they feature it again in different Month?
When I purchased the Halloween Tween box I bought it with subscription. I have not received my November box. I am concerned, I was really looking forward to the subscription.
We contacted everyone who picked up the subscription from the Halloween Tween; several times.
Email me at the address in the description.
Gluing seems to come up a lot in your videos. You mentioned gluing flatbacks onto the PU leather. You also said that the cord ends that fit the leather cord in the box need to be glued in. In a previous box you included crystals that needed to be glued into a metal finding. Could you do a video on glue? What kind of glue do you use for each application and what is the best way to do it? I have GS hypo cement, E6000 and B7000 and i never know which to use for leather, metal, etc Or maybe there's a better one?
Good questions and a good idea for a video. I use and have on hand all of the glues you mention. They each have their uses. Debby, almost exclusively use an acrylic/super style glue called Starbond. It is great. It's a little pricey, but well worth it. We had one bottle that lasted for well over 5 years without drying out. It also comes in different thicknesses making it far more usable for jewelry making than the standard, thin and watery, dollar store glues. We mostly use the medium thick. We'll look into doing a video where we can go into all the many details of gluing stuff together.