Weekend Sales and free shipping in my Etsy shop!!

I have a sample here of some of the things I sold this weekend. I was thrilled with the way things turned out considering how slow it was. We were competing against the main City craft show and the weather. So all in all, not a bad day at all :)

I think I sold about two dozen bookmarks and a few watches. My Etsy shop and website are pretty sparse right now. I intend to fill them up this week, but we will see if that will be possible. I have meetings, parent teacher interviews, a hot date to see New Moon, and work. Maybe I will find time to sleep somewhere in there. lol.

All of my Picasso Jasper is gone, so I need to get on that and make more. I have one necklace in the beginning stages and I have a couple of ideas for more bracelets. I really wish I had more Vintaj stuff left, but I am on my last hook, bead and bead cap and no money left to get more.

I tried on Saturday night to post something and I could not get it to work, and yesterday I had to work and ended up coming home early because I was feeling dizzy. Maybe I over did it this month? I am not sure. I do feel better today though, good thing because back to work I go!!

I have free shipping in my Etsy shop right now as well as some new sale items that I have just lowered. I hope you guys go and check it out and maybe take a little something home with you :)

                                                     Hugs always

Marie

M.I.A no longer!! {I hope}, and something new!!

What a crazy week. Those of you who submit to Bead Trends on a regular basis know what it's like if you leave it until the last minute. I had a few ideas I rally wanted to send in so I went a couple of days with barely any sleep at all to get those things done. That and another show on Saturday has been keeping me very busy making new pieces and replenishing the things I sold. I also have a special order with nine piece in it due for Monday, so needless to say it has been a little busy!!

I found these super fun clasps at Michael's. They were in the scrapbooking section and are from Tim Holts.

I thought they would make really nice key chains. These are two examples of what I made.

This top one is made with the antiqued brass clasp. I added a super cute lampwork glass bead from "Art by Lisi" on Etsy. I just discovered her beads and they are beautiful! I wire wrapped in onto the jumpring and wire wrapped a cone with chain dangles in it and little bells for charms.

Some more Art by Lisi beads and this time a gun metal grey clasp. I did basically the same thing as the other one. The only real difference being that I did more of a bell charm with the second lampwork bead.

I am quite pleased with the way they turned out and plan to make about a dozen more this afternoon for my Saturday show!!

Keep coming back!!

Marie

Working with Sterling!!

I have mentioned a few times that I am just starting to work with sterling. I must say it feels exhilarating!! There is just something about touching something a little more valuable and knowing that I can not mess it up. Knowing I have to be more careful, less wasteful and more patient. Taking just a little more time with the detail work and finishing up the "extras" to perfection.

That is how I feel about this necklace. I very carefully wire wrapped the focal piece, not wasting even a tiny fragment of wire. I attached the chain with two jump-rings to make it more durable.

On the back I took the time to wire wrap beads directly to the clasp and chain so they would not pull apart. This is by far the most "perfect" piece I have ever made. Not that it is perfect, it it just my personal best. I love this little sterling S hook. I found a few Etsy sellers that carry these in different style. I ordered a few and find them to be inspiringly {new word ;)} simple.

The stones are Sea Sediment Jasper from Alicediy on Etsy.

The Sterling is from 3 different suppliers, can't remember which exactly for each piece.

Keep coming, I love to have you visit!!

Marie

Another Chinook Jewelry Pendant!!

I was busy yesterday!! Here is another one of the necklaces I made with my new Chinook Jewelry pendants. I loved how this one had two very different colour tones to it.  A very distinct pink/purple in the deep creases and a lighter pink with yellow undertones on some of the raised pieces. This is what inspired me to use the three shades of pearls I chose. I chose one that had a bit more of the purple to it and another that was more pink, those are on one side of the necklace. On the other side I went with a slightly more champagne tone. I mixed all this with pewter spacers, beads and daisies.

I really love the toggle I picked for this necklace, it has so much texture and really catches the eye.

Here you get a closeup look at the texture in the pewter beads.

Here you see the champagne of the top strand versus the pink and purple/pink pearls I used in the lower strand. I threaded the beads in a completely random pattern, I wanted both sides to be distinctly different but complement each other as well.

{I can not believe that with my photography skills that I was able to capture the differences in colour!!}

I brought it with me to the Chiropractors yesterday and Sue at reception said it was her favorite!! I guess it's a hit!!  I think I have another one in that colour. Leaves me to try something else with those colours.

So there you have it!!

Marie

Eye Candy...a very successful necklace!!!

Looking for natural light in my house should not be a challenge since there are windows everywhere!!! But what can I say, I still manage to make life difficult on myself. lol

Here we have a stunning, fabulous, gorgeous pendant from none other that Mellisa at Chinook Jewelry.

I ordered a couple of pendants when she had her sale and I am not sorry  did. They are exquisite!!

Here is a closeup!! I love the green/brown colour mix. I love the pattern, I love it all!

I used Rhyolite, which has a natural green/brown to it. I used different shapes and sizes as well as making both sides different and adding green pearls on the other side. I used copper just for the findings and kept it mostly green. I imagine it will sell this weekend. I will be sorry to see it go.

The clasp is from OLAY on Etsy, they have some fun stuff.

Thanks for coming by, come again soon for some more fun stuff!!!

Marie

Shows, shows and more shows

This was my first show back in October. It is a work in progress and I find it very difficult to fit everything I have made onto even three tables!! What am I going to do when I get to a one table show!!

I am refining the displays and taking out some stuff and adding different stuff. I have a lot of busts and I find them best for displaying my necklaces properly, but they take up a lot of room. I have sold a lot of these pieces but am adding new ones all the time. Another thing I am doing is putting my earrings on cards. Some of them are already on cards but by looking at this picture I find it too messy. I am now keeping different types of earrings on their own colours of cards and keeping each colour together.

I do love my bird racks. One of those is the same as what Lorelei has, but I have a few more. I was working at Pier1 when I bought all these. I got a great deal or I would not have so many. I have now invested in some nice chocolate brown table cloths. It looked fine at the time, but pictures tell a thousand words don't they? It looks messy and unprofessional. So since I want to be taken seriously as an artist and a designer, I upgraded. I will be able to take a few new pictures of the show coming up Saturday.

I know I will have to be choosy when it comes to the show this weekend, I have one table, and somehow I will have to fit some racks, display boxes, busts and my mirror. I will be cutting out the handmade cards, even though they are a pretty hot seller, I will have to cut out my bargain basket, and the wire displays. I am hoping to be able to rig up a way to hold up this scroll wire work wall art that would be perfect for holding up almost all my necklaces.

Well wish me luck, and come back next week for the pictures of the Saturday show!

Marie

Sea Sediment Jasper

If I was independently wealthy I would hire myself a full time photographer. This picture is so bad you can not even see the beauty of the stones.

Well at least you can see something in this one. This is one of my most favorite stones. It has the deep rich blue/greens of the sea. This necklace was a special order from a good friend of mine for his wife. The top picture is before I sized it for her neck. It is one of my first pieces pulling out the expensive Sterling wire and chain. The pictures don't even come close to giving it justice. Plus I had to hurry to take the pics so I could not take the time I would have liked to set up better lighting and a better background.

I hope she likes it, I am never sure of her reactions, she is different than most people I know. She is hearing impaired and has been all her life and I try to be extra attentive when she speaks so I can understand her. She is the sweetest girl you would ever meet and so if she did not like it I would never know!!

I got an order of beads today from one of my favorite lampwork glass bead artists. Susan Kennedy from Sue Beads sent me all the beads I have been buying and ordering for the last couple of months or so. It took time to get everything together but it was finally done and I got to enjoy Christmas a little early :)

I may not post anything with the beads right away, but very soon. I need to admire them and touch them and let them talk to me before I separate them. Does anyone else do that?? Or am I alone here? lol

Have a great week :)

Marie

New Earrings and already gone!!

It amazes me sometimes how fast things just go. I was experimenting with mixed metals again and trying to use up some beads I have been sitting on for awhile and the next day two ladies from church that visit me every month, came down to my studio and snatched them right up!! They seem to do it every month, they have turned into great advertising for me at church on Sundays. lol.

Did you notice that picture???

One of my better ones for sure. lol.

I used my own handmade ear wires and some matt gold chain from Michael's. I used copper jump rings to attach the wire wrapped beads and that is really all. They are pretty simple but I guess they were a hit! I might have to make some more like these, I do need to make more ear wires, maybe I will find time after work today {I can't believe they scheduled me on a Sunday!!!} I will have some pictures of some new bookmarks I made, they are pretty fancy, a little different from what I was making. I really like the way they turned out!! I might have to list some in my Etsy shop...

Have a great Sunday!!

Marie

Long Lampwork Necklace

I gt these beads at Michael's ages ago {which means early this year} lol. I did only start this year after all. They are small lentil beads with green or cream centers and I still love them. I have a few left but this necklace just happened and I am so pleased with it!!

The spacer bars are from Alicediy on Etsy and I may just have to order some more. Next year anyways, I think I have ordered all my supplies for the year now. They have a huge variety of basic supplies at a great price. You should really check them out!!

Here is a close up, I just did simple loops with the lampwork beads and some bead caps. I attached the spacer bars with copper jump rings and Voila!! I wish I could give the beads justice with my photography, but alas you know my dilemma well. lol. Maybe I should be asking for photography classes for Christmas, what do you think?? lol

Have a great weekend and keep Kelly Morgan {Silver Parrot} in your prayers and thoughts, she is going to need all the Internet hugs that we can give her. {go to her blog to know more about what I am talking about}

Marie

Oh So Blue...

I have always had a soft spot for all that is green. I have been trying to expand my horizons and so I have been trying to to use the rest of the spectrum. Blue is one of those colours. Here I have some Montana Blue swarovski crystals with antiqued brass. Baby steps...

Here I have some blue glass and glass pearl with a fun little starfish. This is one of my last dolphin bookmarks, they are selling fast and the supplier is out of stock.

I came out with "Tea in Paris" a few weeks ago and it sold so fast I decided to make more. I of course am making them all different, the first has a green stone and I have made red and now blue.

Last but not least a new watch done with the same blue glass and glass pearls. I added a few silver leaves and some clear glass cubes. I love this one. These were my wedding colours. My dress was white with navy at the top and so I co-ordinated everything to match the dress. Good memories.

Hope you have a great week :)

Marie

Mixed Metals and finding time!!

I am always amazed at how fast the week goes by and how little time I have managed to find to do the projects I have envisioned. I have seen so many lovely projects on all the blogs and in the magazines that involve mixed metal. Two artists pop into my mind instantly, Lorelei Eurto and Erin Prais-Hintz. So many of their projects have inspired me to try new things and to go outside my comfort zone. This is the result of such inspiration. I made three pairs of earrings, 1 using antiqued brass and shiny brass and the other two using copper and brass. One of the three pairs will not be on this post but you can look for it in the April issue of Bead Trends magazine.

Once again my lack of photography skills shine through. lol.

Anyways, moving on. For both pairs of earrings I made my own ear wires and spiral links. I added some fun dangles made with crystals on the first as well as these sweet little fan charms. The second pair I made to co-ordinate but not to match. One holds the keys and the other holds the lock. I wish the picture was clear enough that you could see that I did with the earwires.

Here, I found one that is a little clearer. I made the earwires with a bit of a wiggle {for lack of a better word}. I added copper daisy spacers and gold crimp beads in between, one to add contrast and two to keep the spacers in place. The to "s" swirl links are different sizes so that the earrings are about the same length and the charms are added at the bottom on jumprings. The one with the lock also has a couple more spacers and crimp beads to keep the dangle from coming loose and to add balance to the whole thing.

I also made this very basic simple necklace. I had this pendant from Michael's for the longest time, and I could not get inspiration from it. I just all of a sudden thought that it just needed a simple but large chain. Something that would stand out and add continuity to the pendant. This brushed gold chain was just perfect with it's large circles and thin links. I also added a little Vintaj bird charm to complete the necklace, because after all, anyone can hang a pendant on a chain, its the finishing touches that count.

Thanks for visiting

Marie

Tutorial Exchange with Shaterra Clay Studio!!

This is a tutorial exchange with Shaterra Hosted by Totally Tutorials.

This lovely Leaf Pendant was made by Sharleen at Shaterra Clay Studio. I chose this pendant because of the lovely mix of greens with hints of brown. I could envision it with textured ribbon and yarn in similar shades and with Leaf charm dangles. So here is what I did...

I chose these two strands, one thin sheer brown organza ribbon and some green fibers I has in my Scrapbooking stash.{never throw out anything, you never know when you might use it ;)}.

I chose these clamps for the fibers because they were the right width and matched the bail on the pendant.

I joined the two fibers and folded them together at the ends, with the ribbon on the outside.

I placed the clamp over the folded ribbon and used my chain nose pliers to crimp the clamp.

I tested it for strength and the repeated the process at the other end, first winding the ribbon together.

Closeup of the two fibers.

I added jump rings to the loops on the clamps.

I then added the chosen clasp. I chose this particular one because the leaf reminded me of a grapevine leaf.

The completed clasp

I then added a fancy SP jumpring to the bail. I wanted to bring it down a little from the fibers since I was going to be adding some dangles.

You can see here that I added two more fancy jumprings to the first one and I hung these onto the fibers.

This is the start of the dangles. I used eyepins and glass bicone beads with a nice shimmer.

I made a loop with my round nose pliers

and wire wrapped it. I repeated this process 5 times making two of them double dangles.

I then attached the leaf dangles with jumprings.

These are the finished dangles. As you can see, I used three different leaves. One large, two small sp ones and two antiqued silver ones.

I hung the large leaf dangle onto a jumpring, on one side I placed the double dangle with the antiqued silver leaf, on the other side I hung a single dangle with a sp leaf.

I then attached the large jumpring directly to the double fancy jumprings. I added the last two dangles directly onto the fibers one on each side alternating the sp leaf and the antiqued silver leaf.

Here is the finished pendant hung onto the fibers.

The finished Necklace

You will be able to find this tutorial on "Totally Tutorials" soon, as well as many other wonderful tutorials. Please visit Sharlene on her blog "Shaterra Clay Studio" and her Etsy shop as well, to find more wonderful pendants and other supplies.