Lilikoi Passion Handcrafted Jewelry

Re-Post: How to Clean my Sea Shells

2011-09-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I seem to get this question very often, “how do I clean my seashells?” I only collect seashells that are on the beach. But, when I was a child my uncles went diving and they were known to collect some of the living seashells. They used to bury them in the back yard, by doing that the ants or other insects will have a feast on the sea creature. It took several months before we were able to rinse it out and be able to admire the shell. I’ve heard of freezing, boiling, and even bleaching the “live” seashells to get the sea creature out.

If you are like me, and you only collect “dead” seashells, here are six easy steps that you can follow:

1. Soak the seashells in a 50-50 solution of bleach and water. The length of time depends on the type of seashells and the quantity of seashells being cleaned. It usually takes at least 24-48 hours.

2. If there are still barnacles and other matter on the seashells, you can use an instrument, such as a dental pick, to chip off the material. Other useful tools are a toothbrush, grill brush, wire brush or a water pick.

3. Rinse the shell thoroughly in running water. Scrub gently with an old toothbrush and mild dishwashing soap.

4. Don’t forget to allow the shell to dry completely.

5. If you want to give your seashells a nice finish, you can wipe them with mineral or baby oil. Use a soft rag to rub mineral oil onto the shell and let it soak in for a few hours.

6. Finally, wipe the excess oil off and now you can enjoy your beautiful treasure!

Jewelry Classes

2011-09-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hui Noeau is a great way to keep your mind, body and soul tuned in with your creativity. I'll be learning new techniques of making my dream become a reality! Stay tuned for more up to date jewelry designs.

Aloha!

2011-09-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! I didn't think that I have been off of blogger since November 2010! I plan to update my website with new and stylish handcrafted with "aloha" jewelry.....Stay tuned for more of Lilikoi Passion! Also, you may follow us on Tumblr as well as FaceBook and Twitter. We would love to hear what you have to say about our beautiful handcrafted jewelry.
See you online!

This Month's Favorite

2010-11-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hoku in Hawaiian meaning star, handcrafted with aloha. Hoku is a 7” sterling silver bracelet with a sterling silver starfish, beads from Bali to accent the different colors of green sea glass that is handpicked from Maui’s beaches.

Free Shipping is available!! To purchase this piece visit our website at lilikoipassion.com Hoku will also go well with Baby Beach.

Our Favorite Hangout Spot

2010-10-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Honolua Bay is a place where people love to go surfing, or to watch the surf. It's a nice place to relax and enjoy Maui.

This Months Favorite

2010-10-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

The jellyfish or the Portuguese man-of-war inspired by its beauty and color. This piece is handcrafted with sterling silver, opal gemstone, seashells, turquoise beads, and coral.

Please follow the link to purchase this beautiful pair of earrings.

LilikoiPassion.com

This Months Favorite-September

2010-10-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Waiakoa is located on the beautiful island of the “valley isle” Maui. This piece is inspired by the beautiful green and lush forests of “upcountry” Haiku, Olinda, and Kula. Waiakoa, is handcrafted with 14kt gold 18-gauge wire with orange silk orchids, swarovski crystals and beads from Bali.

Please follow the link to purchase this beautiful pair of earrings. LilikoiPassion.com

This Months Favorite

2010-08-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

The name "Windmills Beach" derives from an old windmill that used to be nearby that drew water for the Honolua Ranch. The windmill is no longer there, but it’s nickname still remains.

Inspired by Windmills Beach is a beautiful piece that is handcrafted with gold-filled chain, Tiger Puka Shells and Mother of Pearl.

To purchase this piece please visit our website Lilikoipassion.com Free Shipping is also available.

Two Creative Ways To Store Your Jewelry

2010-08-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

In a previous blog I talked about How to Make a Jewelry Organizer. For those of you who don’t have much time for arts and crafts or maybe you feel you aren’t “crafty” here is two different fun ways that you can store your jewelry.

One of my favorite ways to store my jewelry is to first, empty out one of your drawers and line the bottom with one of your favorite prints of wallpaper or wrapping paper, this will create contrast. Next, find mismatched china that you have around the house or at a yard sale. Stack bangles in a saucer; dangle earrings over bowls, or fill them with necklaces or beaded bracelets.

Here is another fun and easy and very creative way to store your jewelry. First, cut a piece of floral foam and place it inside a fun ceramic cup or vase. Then find a large piece of driftwood, one with character, and curves to dangle your favorite necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings.

This Month's Favorite

2010-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

This month's favorite jewelry design is Baby Beach!

Baby Beach is located in Lahaina Town. Baby Beach is one of my personal favorite beaches. I've spent many days on Baby Beach as a child, and I still go there when I want to relax and enjoy the beauty of Lahaina, Maui.

This piece is inspired by Baby Beach, handcrafted with 18" sterling silver chain and star fish with green, light green and clear sea glass.

To purchase please visit our website: Lilikoipassion.com FREE shipping!

Green Sea Glass: Comes in a wide range of shades and hues. They come from a wide range of bottles from Heineken bottles, Steinlager bottles, and red wines come in green bottles. There is a wide variation of green sea glass and common greens are generally referred to as a “kelly green” color. Older green sea glass could be considered unique if bubbled or patterned, embossed or textured.

Sea Foam Green: The most common source for this shade of light green glass, was most likely an old Coco Cola bottle made in various parts of the world. The shades vary from a light sea foam green to yellow green to light aquas. Transport was difficult so many of these bottles were manufactured locally, hence the color variations in old coke bottles. A lot of older white glass however, had a greenish tint and depending on thickness and whether bubbles are present, could be an old piece of rarer glass. New glass of this shade is still used for wine bottles.

White: White sea glass comes from clear glass Corona bottles, soda bottles, wine bottles and maybe even windows from a storm, wrecking auto glass and home windows. You can determine how old your white glass is by the thickness and any markings or bubbles.

Sneak Peek!

2010-06-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

That’s right ladies, I am now going to be making sterling silver or 14kt gold filled bangles with your absolutely favorites, black peacock pearls and puka shells. I will be making them in three standard sizes, Small: 7 1/8” Medium: 7 3/4” Large: 8 1/2” upon request other sizes will be made; fees will vary depending on the size.

Don't forget to visit our website to purchase your favorite styles. LilikoiPassion.com

Free Shipping!

This Month's Favortie

2010-06-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

We have decided to change "This Week's Favorite" to "This Month's Favorite".

This Month’s Favorite is Keokea, made with sterling silver hoops with green silk orchids, swarovski crystals and Bali bead accents. Keokea is “primary sources of income in Keokea come from farming, ranching and forestry. Keokea produces vegetables and flowers, which include cabbages, Kula onions, carnations and proteas. Ranches also abound in the area, with some offering horseback riding tours”. To purchase this piece visit our website Lilikoipassion.com, remember that we offer free shipping any where within the United States.

What is a Lilikoi?

2010-06-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Here is an ongoing question that particularly visitors have asked me: What is a Lilikoi? To answer this question I too only know very little information about. I know that it is a passion fruit and that taste sweet and sour and not to mention that beautiful flowers bloom from this vine. I decided to research more on the topic to learn more about the Lilikoi myself. I found this great website called Instant Hawaii they stated that “there are over 500 species of Passiflora only one of the species can be called passion fruit.” Which is very interesting, 500 species and only one is a passion fruit? WOW! That’s crazy! Another interesting thing about this plant is that as “As the flower ages it begins to close and harden into a young fruit. The fruits start out as dark purplish-green nut shaped fruit that matures to about a 3 inch wide fruit that becomes purple or bright yellow. Within the fruit is the delicious pulpy juice and many small black and brown edible seeds.”-Instant Hawaii

Most of us know that the Lilikoi Passion fruit is also used to make jams, syrups and butters, juice, bread, deserts, and many more delicious foods and treats. Here are a few recipes for your enjoyment, that I have found on AuntyLilikoi.com

Lilikoi Cheese Cake

Ingredients

1 pkg. graham crackers (20-24 crackers)
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup melted Aunty Lilikoi Passion Fruit Butter
1 - 8 oz. Package cream cheese
1 - 8 oz container Cool Whip
1 cup Aunty Lilikoi Passion Fruit Butter

Instructions Crush graham crackers and mix in 1/2 cup sugar and melted butter to make the crust. Press into a 13” x 9” baking dish. Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip and Lilikoi butter. Pour into the crust. Drizzle the top with more Lilikoi butter.

Lilikoi Mochi

Ingredients

2 cups mochiko flour
1 cup sugar
2 cups Aunty Lilikoi Passion Fruit Syrup
Aunty Lilikoi Passion Fruit Butter

Instructions Mix ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Pour into a 3-quart microwave bowl. Brush with Aunty Lilikoi butter. Cover and microwave on high for 9 minutes. Cool, slice and roll in potato or corn starch.

This Week's Favorite

2010-05-30T13:22:00.001-07:00

This week’s favorite style is inspired by Pearl City, located on the island of O'ahu. In the late nineteenth century, these waters (Pearl Harbor)were clean enough to support oysters and were referred to Water of Pearls. This is the sight that gave Pearl City and Pearl Harbor their names.

Pearl City is handcrafted with Peacock colored fresh water pearls it is 7.5" in length and made from 14 kt Gold Filled wire and chain. This beautiful piece is retailed for $120, to purchase this bracelet visit Lilikoi Passion.com

How to Make a Jewelry Organizer

2010-05-21T15:21:00.001-07:00

How to Make a Jewelry Organizer

Supplies:

an unfinished wooden frame
fabric – you’ll need a piece that is several inches wider than your frame on all sides
plastic canvas – you’ll need a piece as big as your frame’s opening
cup hooks
fabric scissors
Mod Podge
a paint brush
a bone folder

Remove the glass and backing from the frame opening and lay your fabric out, right side down, on the table. Using ModPodge, quickly glue the whole surface of the frame and lay it down on the wrong side of the fabric. Flip it over and rub the fabric down with a bone folder, smoothing out all creases and wrinkles.

Cut a small rectangle out of the center of your frame. Then make diagonal cuts into each of the 4 corners, about 1/16″ away from the frame. Then trim down the fabric along the sides of the frame to be just long enough to cover the inside edges of the frame.

Glue the fabric to the frame.

Cutting exactly into the corners in the last step is important because that allows you to glue the fabric down around the corner without being able to see the wood from the front.

Now I’ve glued the fabric to the front and inside edges of the frame.

The last step is to prepare the fabric to glue to the outside edges of the frame.

Fold the corner of the fabric at a 45 degree angle, as shown in the top left picture, and rub your finger along the fold to make a temporary crease, as shown in the top right picture.

Cut about 1/4″ away from the crease (bottom left picture).

Do that to all 4 corners (bottom right picture).

Choose a side to start with and glue the fabric down to the outside edge first and then to the back of the frame.

Fold the corners in and glue down.

Glue the fabric down to each edge until you’re finished.

Cut a piece of plastic canvas to fit the opening, and drill holes along one edge and screw in cup hooks for hanging necklaces, etc.

Making one of these jewelry organizers takes about 30 minutes and is a very inexpensive project to do for yourself or as a gift. GOOD LUCK!

About Lilikoi Passion

2010-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Relatively new to the jewelry industry, artist and designer Nika is quickly gaining popularity with her attractive and exotic handcrafted jewelry collections. Described as exquisite and breathtaking, Nika’s exclusive collections draw inspiration from the turquoise seas, shimmering beaches, and vibrant forest of her Hawaii home.

Lilikoi Passion offers free shipping on all orders. Orders are shipped via US Postal Service Parcel Post. All in stock merchandise is shipped within 24 hours. Currently, Lilikoi Passion is only accepting online orders to shipping addresses within the United States.

Lilikoi Passion is dedicated to creating “customers for life” by providing exceptional products and personalized customer care. If any of our handcrafted products become damaged in anyway, we will happily fix or replace it.

This Week's Favorite Style

2010-05-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

This week’s favorite style is inspired by Sandy Beach located on the island of O’ahu. Sandy Beach is known for the rough surf and beautiful sandy beach. On occasion beach glass is found on Sandy Beach. This piece is made from sterling silver sand dollar with a rare piece of red sea glass.

Why is red sea glass very rare to find in Hawai’i? Red is not a common color in glass bottles. If you are lucky enough to find this treasure, it is likely that you have found a piece from the early 1950’s. In the 1950’s boat lights and car tail lights were made from glass.

How To Clean Your Seashells?

2010-05-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, and you only collect “dead” seashells, here are six easy steps that you can follow:

1. Soak the seashells in a 50-50 solution of bleach and water. The length of time depends on the type of seashells and the quantity of seashells being cleaned. It usually takes at least 24-48 hours.

3. Rinse the shell thoroughly in running water. Scrub gently with an old toothbrush and mild dishwashing soap.

4. Don’t forget to allow the shell to dry completely.

5. If you want to give your seashells a nice finish, you can wipe them with mineral or baby oil. Use a soft rag to rub mineral oil onto the shell and let it soak in for a few hours.

6. Finally, wipe the excess oil off and now you can enjoy your beautiful treasure!

How To Keep Your Jewelry Looking New?

2010-05-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Many people ask the question "how do I keep my Lilikoi Passion jewelry looking new?" Living in Hawaii it can be very difficult keeping your jewelry looking its best all the time. Wearing your favorite jewelry everyday exposes it to the sea salt in the air, dirt, and body oil that is absorbed by you! By taking care of your jewelry every day before your nightly routine, it will help save your jewelry from tarnishing.

We’ve all heard the secret of tooth paste and the wonders that it can be for your jewelry. I found another secret, if you rinse your jewelry with liquid hand soap everyday it will help maintain its shine. Once you have rinsed your silver jewelry you should use a silver jewelry polish cloth. You can purchase this cloth from Amazon.com. Depending on your preference you may spend between $1.50 - $4.00 USD (without shipping). By using this cloth, it will also help keep your sterling silver shiny and polished.

This Weeks Favorite Style

2010-05-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

This week’s favorite pair of earrings is inspired by Haiku, Maui. Haiku is known for its lush green forests, waterfalls, and its beautiful blue ocean views. This piece is handcrafted with sterling silver flex wire with sea shells, glass blown flower beads with Bali beads and swarovski crystals accents. To purchase this piece visit our website LilikoiPassion.com free shipping is also available.

Welcome

2010-05-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

WelcomeLilikoi Passion by Nika is a brilliant collection of chic handcrafted jewelry inspired by the sweet and succulent lilikoi passion fruit of Hawaii. Each piece of this exquisite collection has been meticulously designed and crafted to embody the unique look and feel that is Hawaii. Whether you desire the perfect accent for that special occasion or an exquisite gift for someone special Lilikoi Passion’s timeless pieces will surely appeal to your every sense.