Where are you from? and a little bit about you.I am from Lakewood, CO, which is in the Denver metro area. I’ve lived here a little over 6 years. I’ve been a little bit nomadic in my life, so aside from where I currently live, there’s not one place that I call home that I’ll always go back to. We moved around a lot when I was growing up.
I work full time as a therapist for juveniles on probation. I do individual and family therapy. It’s a very challenging job, but it can also be very inspiring. I get to work with them at a time when they’re really developing their identities, so I aim to have a positive impact on that and instill in them that they have value and strengths, even if no one has told them that before. The idea of my shop is kind of tied to that concept as well. I enjoy all things creative and the expressive arts have always been my outlets. Therefore, I also use those tools a lot therapeutically. I am married to a wonderful husband Steve and have a Bengal cat Merlin who is always trying to help me bead, but he just doesn’t have the finger dexterity.
What items do you carry in your shop?
As I tell my friends, I can make anything with beads. That why it says necklaces, bracelets, and ‘other sparklies’ in my shop. I have a line of adult pearl bracelets and created baby bracelets that match them. I also have a couple pairs of earrings. From time to time, I have anklets, lanyards, and eye glasses holders.
How did you decide on your shop name?
Well, the general idea of my shop is all about how we should feel empowered and valuable. I was working on this idea with one particular client who was a big Twilight fan. You know how the vampires in the story actually, physically sparkle? Well, one affirmation statement that we came up with for her was ‘You can sparkle’ (in a metaphorical sense, that her strengths can shine. Well, when I was thinking of a name for the shop, I thought it was ‘punny’ to speak of jewelry in that way and also reminding of us of our value and strengths shining through.
Do you have anything new you plan on adding to your store?
Yes, I am working on adding in new anklets, glasses holders, and lanyards! I took the first lanyard I made to work and sold it straight away, so I just made another one last night, and it’s been sold too! I’m also thinking of adding some rings that are strung on stretch magic cord, but I’m testing them right now. I saw them at a craft fair, and that was one of those things that I thought, “Wow, I can’t believe you want that much money for that. I can totally make that myself.”
Do you have a blog, twitter, or facebook page?
Yes, my blog is http://youcansparkle.blogspot.com/ and my FB page is http://www.facebook.com/melissahouser128#!/pages/YouCanSparkle/127348303961358?ref=ts. I just got a twitter: http://twitter.com/YouCanSparkle.
What or who inspires you?
I draw inspiration from a lot of sources. I have a background in art, so I like to think of each piece of jewelry as a little composition where I have an opportunity to play with color and contrasts. I look at a lot of other pieces of jewelry and check out the trends as well.
Aside from Twilight, I got a lot of the inspiration from my shop from the book Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge. Sometimes as women, we feel alone even though we are very relational, and we can feel alone in our ideas and desires. Their book really normalized a lot of the ideas I have come to believe are true and important as far as my philosophy of counseling and of my shop.
I think my feminine nature also inspires me and drives me to create and attempt to make the world a more beautiful place.
What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?
Anything else you would like us to know?
That all women are beautiful, have strengths, and deserve the opportunity to sparkle on the inside and out!
I am lucky to have been able to review a gorgeous pink and black pearl necklace handmade by Melissa at You Can Sparkle. I hope that I don’t upset any other sellers by saying this; but, this necklace is the most beautiful pearl necklace I have ever reviewed. The necklace arrived in an attractive pink draw string bag which most of you know that I always feel special when a package arrives so nicely put together. For the necklace Melissa has thoughtfully placed a beautiful black and pink ribbon at the clasp to add a touch of beauty. The ribbon is also easily removable if you do not like the look of it there or if the ribbon is in need of washing. I also find it very handy that there is a clasp on the necklace so I don’t have to worry about the ribbon coming undone and losing my beautiful pearls. The necklace is held together with a solid piece of wire and after pulling on the necklace nothing has come loose. The necklace seems to hold securely and I am not worried about the necklace breaking as I wear it. The Craftsmanship seems to be outstanding. I love Melissa’s items and I know you will as well. I encourage you all to stop by and take a look not only at her wonderful pearls but also the many other amazing pieces that she offers in her shop.
Contest will close on Wednesday July 7th at 11:59 p.m. MST and the winner will be chosen via Random.org and notified via e-mail. Giveaway is open Worldwide!
Winner will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail. If I do not hear back from the winner than another winner will be chosen!
**This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others. Thank you, Melissa(You Can Sparkle) for supplying the product(s) for the review and giveaway.
