Updates

Hello! 

Around here, the Spring craft fairs have started once again.  I would like to do more of them!  It's hard to enlist help getting the tent up at the outdoor events though.   My hubby is available sometimes and very occasionally there is staff at a fair willing to give some assistance.  This past weekend, luckily, my favorite son-in-law was nearby and able to help! 

The weather was a bit cool and the sun only peeked out a few times but it was still enjoyable to hang out for the day, chatting with other vendors and greeting potential customers.

This necklace was one of the items that sold.  It was a new creation.  Most of my jewelry features Swarovski crystals.  Bracelets and necklaces, I string on stainless steel wire.  However, I've been pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone and work with different designs.  This piece was done with assorted metals and NO crystals, only glass beads.  It goes on over the head and has no clasp.  It got a few compliments before and at the show so I guess branching out must have been a good idea.

If you make jewelry, do you have a signature style or do you prefer to incorporate many different designs in your inventory?  Do you have a favorite metal or type of bead that makes your heart sing to work with?

Happy New Year!

Yes, I do realize that it's January 9th.  A little late with my greetings, I know.  They are heartfelt though.  :)  

We enjoyed the holiday season here.  Hectic, as usual, but fun too.  We had company for Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and New Year's Eve.   Before all those festivities began I had a couple of craft events to attend and an Open House here.  The Open House went the best.  Even though some guests weren't able to make it over, those who did all bought something.  At craft shows, there's no way to know what people might be interested in.  And it's very easy for potential customers to get distracted amidst so many vendors.  I know many times I've wandered around at fairs and been a bit overwhelmed at the choices.  Or I'd see something I thought I might buy and then ended up buying something else at another table. 

If you sell at fairs, how do they usually go for you? 

Sweetheart that he is, my husband took a small bag of goodies to work and made a couple sales for me.   One of the guys bought a pair of red dangle earrings for his wife.

Another one bought his 94 year old mom a crystal bracelet!  I was really touched by that. 

If it wasn't this one, it was very similar. 

I am going to be ordering new supplies soon and adding some additional products for sale.   I used to make rosaries and I've been considering doing them again.  This is one I made for my husband years ago.   Except for the Swarovski crystals, the rest of the components were all from Jerusalem.  

Hope you are all enjoying a very happy New Year.  Wishing you fun times, good health, and much prosperity.

I was just saying....

On one of my other blogs, I was just ranting like psychowoman talking about how hard it is to get everything accomplished and then I logged in here and noticed I haven't posted in almost a month.  See?  It's impossible to keep up!  

Amidst all the home projects and other goings on, I am still hanging on to a tiny shred of my creative mojo though.  I managed to add a few new items to my Etsy store.

These I adore!  Very simple... crystals and silver.  Anything purple makes me happy and Purple Velvet Swarovski's make my heart sing!  

I priced this next pair at $17.95 because someone I know expressed interest in them and I do occasionally give a 'friend discount'.   Since I'm a very small business I can't buy in bulk or wholesale all the time and have to shop at local stores for my supplies.  The rose gold (over copper) crosses on these earrings alone retail for $4 each.   I was able to get them on sale but when you add in the other beads and wires, I think the price was very fair.  Turns out, she thought they were a little too long for her and didn't buy them.  But that's okay, they are still in the shop and still the same price.  :)  

I've sold assorted pairs of alphabet earrings.  At a craft fair this summer someone asked for OMG.  I had Peace, Love, Joy, and a couple others with me that day, but no OMG's.  Oh, horrors!  I hope to one day have a kit with me so I can do up names, initials, or whatever a person might ask for on the spot.   I did give the woman my business card and told her to email me for a pair, but you know once someone walks away from your table at a show they are usually never heard from again.

Christmas is my favorite holiday.   Our card list is quite long and as I mentioned in my last post, I don't send a handmade one to everyone.  I'd like to have some put aside to go with a couple of gifts for local friends/family who we'll be seeing, but don't know if I can get them made in time since I'll need to have some for a couple craft events next month.  Maybe if there are leftovers, I can use them!   If you are a cardmaker, do you design cards for individual people as you need them, or do you make assorted ones ahead to have onhand and then pick something from the stock as occasions come up?  

I try to keep a small supply of memory bracelets around.  Since most all of mine are under $10, they are easier to sell at craft events. 



Happy Monday!  Hope the week is enjoyable for you. 

October happenings

These earrings were on hold awhile ago.  My friend must have changed his mind and got his wife a different gift because he never came over to purchase them.  So they went back into my case and finally sold at a craft event I did earlier this month.   I always liked them and am glad they'll now be adorning the ears of a pretty girl instead of sitting in a plastic bag! 

This card sold the other day.  I always appreciate a sale, but feel a little bad when it's a sympathy card, knowing that person has been touched by sadness.

I have an event to attend later in the week and will have some Halloween cards with me. 

I have made alot of Christmas cards over the years but I don't send handmade ones to everyone on our card list.  Sometimes a girl just buys a box or two from the store and is happy with that.  

For the event next week, I do want to offer a few assorted holiday designs.  Guess I better get to work, huh?

                     

If you are a cardmaker, do you make them for all holidays and occasions?  If you sell cards, what is your best holiday for sales?


Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend!



hearts and fans

These two pair (or is it 'pairs' ...hmm?)  are fairly recent creations. 

Rose gold hearts/wires/beads with Swarovski crystals and black onyx. 

I don't know yet, but I think these might have to be re-worked.  They feel heavy.  Since I can't wear earrings (insert gentle sobbing here) I'm not sure if the middle beads/crystals add too much.  I know alot of people who love the dangly gypsy earrings but these seem like they might be weightier.



World Card Making Day!

World Card Making Day

I didn't know it was WCMD until a friend posted it on my wall at Facebook.  Duh, I'm cardmaker and I didn't know about this before??   Ah well, I'll get around to a few sites maybe tomorrow and check out as many designs as I can since right now I'm exhausted from a craft fair today. 

Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps is another site that looks really interesting and has alot of links for cards. 

A nice surprise

My sister won a cool prize at an event that she attended recently.  It was a basket full of rubber stamps and other items.  She wanted to keep the basket since it was quite nice but she bagged up the contents and gave them to me!   She doesn't make cards and isn't into scrapbooking either so she had no use for any of it.  

Even though I have hundreds of stamps, these are all from the company 'Stampin' Up!' and I don't have many of them so I was thrilled to accept her generous gift.

Now maybe someone can give me a little of their spare time so I can start playing with all these goodies.   I could really use a few extra hours!!  I can't believe it's already Thursday night!   I have a craft fair this weekend and still have display cards to make, 'PHILS' earrings to finish, and a couple Halloween cards to get ready......

Better get back to my craft room.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Waiting... waiting....

My sister was kind enough to take a bag of my jewels to her office recently to show  co-workers.  Cool, eh?  However, since it's the end of summer, a few ladies were on vacation so she kept the bag to show them upon their return.  Now she's away on vaction!!  But she assured me that when she returns, she'll show the others who wanted to take a look.

Of course, I'm wondering.... what sold already?  She said there were a few sales before she left.  Initially, it was a pair of abalone earrings she bought from me and was wearing in work that someone admired.  So I did include a few pairs in the bag.  Hmmm.... did these sell?? 

Or maybe one of my abalone bracelets found a new home??

The holidays ARE coming... 95 days until Christmas!   Maybe someone was thinking ahead and purchased these red dangles for themselves or a gift? 

OR with all the drama that sometimes goes on in her office, maybe someone found these whimsical ones to be appropriate.   

Ah, maybe it wasn't any of those items that sold.  The Phillies sure are HOT this year and I did send in some of those PHILS earrings (see post below), so it could have been a pair or two of them, or a stretchy bracelet, or ... or ... or ...

OH this is an exercise in patience!  

 

Assorted designs

This card sold awhile ago but I came across a photo of it while updating some picture files.  I always like it.  I used ripped mulberry paper and little paper flowers.  The tag says 'kick up your heels' and in the corner is embellished with a gold victorian shoe. 

Love the saying on this one.  :)

I had a raincheck for Bazzill paper at one of our local craft stores.  It finally came in, so I can get back to making box envelopes for my handmade greeting cards.  I don't pair one up with every card I make, but as long as I can get this paper at a reasonable price I do prefer them to flat envelopes. 

This set was originally part of an order that didn't end up going through.  Recently, I offered to make a donation for a friend of a friend who is going thru treatment for cancer.  She's choosing some alternative therapies for part of her recovery, and since medical insurance generally does not cover those things family and friends are having a benefit for her.   So this set will soon have a new home!  I restrung it to make a bit longer and put a different toggle on to change it up some.    

If I wore earrings I would sooooo wear these!  Whether you call them rainbow or chakra earrings they are COLORFUL!

SALVATION earrings
We were dead in our sins (black)
Until Christ shed his blood (red)
Which washes us white as snow (clear)
Now we have the eternal (green)
The Holy Spirit dwells within us (blue)
As a sign that we will one day
Be in Heaven with the streets paved in gold (gold)

These have been popular lately.  We have a great team in Philadelphia!  I have to deliver a pair this morning, someone is coming over today to pick up 4 pairs and few pairs are being considered.   I have a couple assorted designs.



Abalone beads are very pretty.  They have such a nice range of colors to them and go with lots of crystal accents and charms. 

Have a happy Friday and wonderful weekend! 

Your attention please!!!

Ron from Moi Review Blog contacted me about doing a review on my handmade greeting cards.  I feel very honored that something I truly love to do is appreciated and admired.   Ron has been in the beauty and retail industries for many years and initially he highlighted my Etsy store because I make jewelry and that's fashion-related! But since I am now including my cards there for sale he asked about doing another review.  Yes!  Absolutely!  

So if you'de be so kind, please stop over and check out his kind words.