Beads of the Month -- Year Twelve!
Welcome to Beads of the Month!
We start taking Year Twelve BotMo orders as of right now, September 12, 2015. However, you can order a package (or several packages) any time you like during Year Twelve, which runs from October 2015 through September 2016.
Note that we've added a ninth option for theme this year: My Personal Quest.
How does this work? It's pretty simple: you send me money and I send you beads. We used to do only one theme per month, but some of you wish it could be Jasper month every month all year long. Others like certain themes enough to have tiny packages but for others they want humongous packages. Still others have favorite themes that never seem to match up with their birthday month, which is when they'd love to treat themselves to a package of that theme to celebrate. We took this into consideration and experimented with a wild plan to make Beads of the Month fit better and have even better beads -- and we succeeded! Here's the plan:
1. For each month you purchase, you choose the theme of your Magpie for that month from these options:
Blood and Roses and Elegance
Cabinet of Curiosities
Focals and Earring Pairs
Glorious Glass
Jasper and Agate
Look What I Found!
My Personal Quest
Treasure of the Deep
Tricks of the Light
Themes:
Blood and Roses and Elegance
Every now and then a person needs flower beads and leaf beads, garnets (or other red beads), beads in many of the shades roses come in (and a few complementary colors), and elegance in the form of crystal beads plus some of the classic gemstones.
Cabinet of Curiosities
This is where cool science beads go, beads with history, and curious and unusual beads. Tektite beads often wind up in here, and so can Roman glass beads, fluorescent beads, stegodon bone beads, odd patterned beads, and other nifty things. (Note: not every package has all things in it, but if you fill out the questionnaire I send and tell me that you love stegodon bone beads or Roman glass or tektites or whatever, I will do my best to find some for you.)
Focals and Earring Pairs
Just what it says on the tin. Focals! Earring pairs! Not necessarily matching sets of three, mind, but there may be some of those as well.
Glorious Glass
I love glass, and I love finding wonderful and interesting glass. (I've even tempted scotia_girl into getting lovely glass, which is quite a feat given how devoted to stones she is.) This is the best range of that glass I can find.
Jasper & Agate
This is definitely the most popular theme over the years. If you get several months with this theme, you'll see a LOT of different jaspers and agates, and we will have most excellent fun.
Look What I Found!
The latest goodies, the treasures I found on my last scouting expedition to the wholesale shows or to NYC's bead district or wherever I've been bead-gathering lately.
My Personal Quest
This is a special package on a theme you and I choose together. (You choose it and I fine-tune if necessary; when we both agree, we're good to go!) Need a special package on the theme of "All Purple All the Time" or "Astronomer's Delight" or "Davos the Onion Knight" or "Dragonflies" or "My Friend Loves Harry Potter and I Want To Make Her Some Jewelry"? We can figure something nifty out.
Treasures of the Deep
Love pearls? This is the package for you. Pearls, ocean and water themed beads, and the occasional mermaid delight.
Tricks of the Light
Sparkle and shimmer and shine. This is where the labradorite hangs out, and the opal, and all sorts of other goodness.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DOING THEMES MORE THAN ONCE: If you get the same theme for more than one month will you get exactly the same thing in all the packages? NOPE! There may be a bit of overlap, but not much; we're trying to give you mainly new and different goodies each time. (And seriously, are you really going to object to seeing Botswana agate or ocean jasper in more than one package? OK, then.) Personally, I love it when someone gets twelve months of Jasper & Agate, because it's so much fun finding good examples of it. (Please note: if you give me your orders right before the month happens, you're more likely to get repeats than if you give me the whole year's plan at once. This is because of how we sort and pack. To maximize variety, ordering early is best.)
2. For each month you want, you choose the size of your Magpie by selecting any price you like as long as it's a multiple of ten.
You can get a one-star Magpie for ten dollars. You can get a three-star Magpie for thirty, or a five-star Magpie for fifty -- or get a gargantuan Magpie with all the stars in the sky, if you like. Get a two-star Magpie for every month except your birthday when you get a seven-star Magpie, or get a different size package every month, or get a five-star Magpie twice a year -- it's completely your choice.
3. Choose your shipping option.
PLEASE NOTE: shipping has increased as of May, 2016. Shipping is $7 per package in the US, shipped by priority mail. We are not currently taking new international orders, alas.
You can always combine shipping with purchases of jewelry, so if you want to buy something from Current Shinies or a sale and you already have a Beads of the Month package ordered, please ask for a combined shipping rate so I can save you some money. (Usually there's no additional shipping at all, but necklace-crowns or hairsticks sometimes need a larger box.)
4. Send an order and make payment.
There's one email address for orders, and another for payments. Orders (and questions) go to LionessElise@gmail.com -- please put BOTMO YEAR TWELVE in the subject header, and I will send you an invoice. Once you get the invoice for packages and shipping, PayPal payments go to elise@lioness.net. (Payment can also be made via check or money order.)
It's best all around if you can pay for all your packages at once -- best because having the money before my fall/winter bead buying trip means better beads and more of them!-- but sometimes life happens such that paying month-to-month is the way to go. If so, that's cool; please do sign up for all the packages you want, and tell me it'll be month-to-month. If you're paying month-to-month, payment must be received by the last day of the month before the one you're ordering. (However, if you DO pay all in advance, I'll put some special bonus goodies in your Pirates package. Whee!)
5. Get FREE BEADS in September, when you will receive a Pirates Beads of the Month package equal in value to ten percent (less shipping - see below) of whatever you paid for all packages purchased during the other eleven months. Whee! These beads are on us -- and they will be weird and glorious loot as is usual for our Pirates packages. There could be anything in these packages, and there usually is. Any especially nifty beads that I only have four of, or a weird amethyst, or sometimes special things I've been stashing away in the workshop but haven't used in three years might end up in a Pirates package. (If you're not paying shipping for another package in September, you can send us shipping for your Pirates package or have us take it out of the value of your package. If your shipping for September is higher than the worth of the beads, you can convert your Pirates package to a credit towards next year's Beads of the Month or shinies, if you would prefer.)
FAQ:
If I get a three-star Magpie, does that mean I will get three identical one-star Magpie packages? Nope! You'll get a three-star Magpie of expanded glory, is what you'll get, with more and different beads. Bigger Magpies are a chance for us to put special groups of beads in, things you otherwise might not see.
Can I get two different Magpies in the same month? If you want a two-star Blood and Roses and Elegance Magpie and a one-star Glorious Glass Magpie for the month of December, you can do that. They'll come packed together, so it's still only one shipping charge.
Can I order Magpies for September even if it's Pirates month? Sure! And you will still get a Pirates package free, shipped with whatever else you get for September.
Can I order a package for December and a package for March and skip all the other months? Sure! The best part about how Beads of the Month works now is that you can choose the themes you want for the months you want them -- as few or as many as you like!
What if I'm reading this in January and want to start getting Beads of the Month? Can I still get in on it? Yes! Send an email to LionessElise@gmail.com telling me what you'd like to order and where I'll be mailing, and I will send you an invoice. (Please put BOTMO YEAR TWELVE in the subject header. Thanks.)
Thank you, and I really hope you enjoy this year's Beads of the Month.
We start taking Year Twelve BotMo orders as of right now, September 12, 2015. However, you can order a package (or several packages) any time you like during Year Twelve, which runs from October 2015 through September 2016.
Note that we've added a ninth option for theme this year: My Personal Quest.
How does this work? It's pretty simple: you send me money and I send you beads. We used to do only one theme per month, but some of you wish it could be Jasper month every month all year long. Others like certain themes enough to have tiny packages but for others they want humongous packages. Still others have favorite themes that never seem to match up with their birthday month, which is when they'd love to treat themselves to a package of that theme to celebrate. We took this into consideration and experimented with a wild plan to make Beads of the Month fit better and have even better beads -- and we succeeded! Here's the plan:
1. For each month you purchase, you choose the theme of your Magpie for that month from these options:
Blood and Roses and Elegance
Cabinet of Curiosities
Focals and Earring Pairs
Glorious Glass
Jasper and Agate
Look What I Found!
My Personal Quest
Treasure of the Deep
Tricks of the Light
Themes:
Blood and Roses and Elegance
Every now and then a person needs flower beads and leaf beads, garnets (or other red beads), beads in many of the shades roses come in (and a few complementary colors), and elegance in the form of crystal beads plus some of the classic gemstones.
Cabinet of Curiosities
This is where cool science beads go, beads with history, and curious and unusual beads. Tektite beads often wind up in here, and so can Roman glass beads, fluorescent beads, stegodon bone beads, odd patterned beads, and other nifty things. (Note: not every package has all things in it, but if you fill out the questionnaire I send and tell me that you love stegodon bone beads or Roman glass or tektites or whatever, I will do my best to find some for you.)
Focals and Earring Pairs
Just what it says on the tin. Focals! Earring pairs! Not necessarily matching sets of three, mind, but there may be some of those as well.
Glorious Glass
I love glass, and I love finding wonderful and interesting glass. (I've even tempted scotia_girl into getting lovely glass, which is quite a feat given how devoted to stones she is.) This is the best range of that glass I can find.
Jasper & Agate
This is definitely the most popular theme over the years. If you get several months with this theme, you'll see a LOT of different jaspers and agates, and we will have most excellent fun.
Look What I Found!
The latest goodies, the treasures I found on my last scouting expedition to the wholesale shows or to NYC's bead district or wherever I've been bead-gathering lately.
My Personal Quest
This is a special package on a theme you and I choose together. (You choose it and I fine-tune if necessary; when we both agree, we're good to go!) Need a special package on the theme of "All Purple All the Time" or "Astronomer's Delight" or "Davos the Onion Knight" or "Dragonflies" or "My Friend Loves Harry Potter and I Want To Make Her Some Jewelry"? We can figure something nifty out.
Treasures of the Deep
Love pearls? This is the package for you. Pearls, ocean and water themed beads, and the occasional mermaid delight.
Tricks of the Light
Sparkle and shimmer and shine. This is where the labradorite hangs out, and the opal, and all sorts of other goodness.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DOING THEMES MORE THAN ONCE: If you get the same theme for more than one month will you get exactly the same thing in all the packages? NOPE! There may be a bit of overlap, but not much; we're trying to give you mainly new and different goodies each time. (And seriously, are you really going to object to seeing Botswana agate or ocean jasper in more than one package? OK, then.) Personally, I love it when someone gets twelve months of Jasper & Agate, because it's so much fun finding good examples of it. (Please note: if you give me your orders right before the month happens, you're more likely to get repeats than if you give me the whole year's plan at once. This is because of how we sort and pack. To maximize variety, ordering early is best.)
2. For each month you want, you choose the size of your Magpie by selecting any price you like as long as it's a multiple of ten.
You can get a one-star Magpie for ten dollars. You can get a three-star Magpie for thirty, or a five-star Magpie for fifty -- or get a gargantuan Magpie with all the stars in the sky, if you like. Get a two-star Magpie for every month except your birthday when you get a seven-star Magpie, or get a different size package every month, or get a five-star Magpie twice a year -- it's completely your choice.
3. Choose your shipping option.
PLEASE NOTE: shipping has increased as of May, 2016. Shipping is $7 per package in the US, shipped by priority mail. We are not currently taking new international orders, alas.
You can always combine shipping with purchases of jewelry, so if you want to buy something from Current Shinies or a sale and you already have a Beads of the Month package ordered, please ask for a combined shipping rate so I can save you some money. (Usually there's no additional shipping at all, but necklace-crowns or hairsticks sometimes need a larger box.)
4. Send an order and make payment.
There's one email address for orders, and another for payments. Orders (and questions) go to LionessElise@gmail.com -- please put BOTMO YEAR TWELVE in the subject header, and I will send you an invoice. Once you get the invoice for packages and shipping, PayPal payments go to elise@lioness.net. (Payment can also be made via check or money order.)
It's best all around if you can pay for all your packages at once -- best because having the money before my fall/winter bead buying trip means better beads and more of them!-- but sometimes life happens such that paying month-to-month is the way to go. If so, that's cool; please do sign up for all the packages you want, and tell me it'll be month-to-month. If you're paying month-to-month, payment must be received by the last day of the month before the one you're ordering. (However, if you DO pay all in advance, I'll put some special bonus goodies in your Pirates package. Whee!)
5. Get FREE BEADS in September, when you will receive a Pirates Beads of the Month package equal in value to ten percent (less shipping - see below) of whatever you paid for all packages purchased during the other eleven months. Whee! These beads are on us -- and they will be weird and glorious loot as is usual for our Pirates packages. There could be anything in these packages, and there usually is. Any especially nifty beads that I only have four of, or a weird amethyst, or sometimes special things I've been stashing away in the workshop but haven't used in three years might end up in a Pirates package. (If you're not paying shipping for another package in September, you can send us shipping for your Pirates package or have us take it out of the value of your package. If your shipping for September is higher than the worth of the beads, you can convert your Pirates package to a credit towards next year's Beads of the Month or shinies, if you would prefer.)
FAQ:
If I get a three-star Magpie, does that mean I will get three identical one-star Magpie packages? Nope! You'll get a three-star Magpie of expanded glory, is what you'll get, with more and different beads. Bigger Magpies are a chance for us to put special groups of beads in, things you otherwise might not see.
Can I get two different Magpies in the same month? If you want a two-star Blood and Roses and Elegance Magpie and a one-star Glorious Glass Magpie for the month of December, you can do that. They'll come packed together, so it's still only one shipping charge.
Can I order Magpies for September even if it's Pirates month? Sure! And you will still get a Pirates package free, shipped with whatever else you get for September.
Can I order a package for December and a package for March and skip all the other months? Sure! The best part about how Beads of the Month works now is that you can choose the themes you want for the months you want them -- as few or as many as you like!
What if I'm reading this in January and want to start getting Beads of the Month? Can I still get in on it? Yes! Send an email to LionessElise@gmail.com telling me what you'd like to order and where I'll be mailing, and I will send you an invoice. (Please put BOTMO YEAR TWELVE in the subject header. Thanks.)
Thank you, and I really hope you enjoy this year's Beads of the Month.