Adieu, 2012!

Well, it's been quite a while since I stopped by here. It has indeed been a wonderful, yet sometimes crazy year.  I figured it's an appropriate time to reflect on all that has happened and resolve to be more present here in 2013.

2012 started out to be relatively 'usual'. It quickly got rolling though, with applying to various local art shows and a couple a little further away from home. I decided to branch out to surrounding cities: Yellow Springs and Columbus. Both went well and I met some nice artists and shoppers and hope to be back there again this year. The drives were not bad, but it does make for a longer day driving 1-2 hours from home and then back after working my booth all day. Nothing I can't handle and it seemed worthwhile to get my brand out a little further.

May had my husband and I decide to purchase my in-laws' home across town and also had us taking a family trip with them to Hawaii, along with my husband's sisters, brother, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew and grandma. (I think that's everyone, it was quite an organizational feat!)

We visited Honolulu with just my husband's sister for a couple days and then flew over to Kuaui to meet the rest of the family. We saw so many breathtaking places and sites! I will leave all that for another post...

July rolled around and one of the aforementioned shows. Turns out it was the Columbus one, 2 hours from home and the day before a trip to Las Vegas with two of my nieces. One had turned 21 in April, the other turned 21 at midnight the night we arrived. We did some shopping, some gambling, saw Cirque du Soleil's "O" at Bellagio, ate oh-so-much and just bummed around the strip sight seeing.

I also was fortunate enough to be able to participate in a 3-day PMC workshop/class through which I became a certified PMC artist. I am technically allowed to teach it now too, but I'm not sure if I'll be doing that any time soon. It's good to have the option though. I really enjoyed learning some new techniques.

Over the summer, we said goodbye to one of our darling cats, Zoey. She had been receiving subcutaneous fluids for about 3 years and on k/d food to maintain her failing kidneys. When we returned from Hawaii, I noticed she wasn't eating so well and she began losing weight and from there steadily declined. We didn't let it go on too long. I was just happy to get to spend an extra 3 years with her. She was such a sweetheart and I miss her dearly.

A month or so went by and my husband and I stopped in to Petsmart to get cat food for Lucy and dog food for Caesar. We stopped in to visit the adoptable cats like we always do and that is where we met Cheez-It. He was a little squirmy orange thing, just as cute and as playful as can be. We left and then turned around and went right back to apply for his adoption. Luckily for us, we got a call from the adoption place a few days later asking if we were still interested in him. Of course we were! I picked him up that Friday. He is now named Colby (like the cheese!) and he has brought such joy and happy energy to the house... Zoey would have loved him, I know it. Lucy is getting used to him and he and Caesar are the best of friends.

The first part of big move finally took place on Black Friday. So, we are currently in the house where my husband and his siblings grew up, but we still have a ton of stuff to clean out of our old house to get that on the market. I've been doing so much painting and settling... a little crazy! But, we are enjoying it here. The snowy scene is a view of our back yard. (Okay, it's really our neighbor's yard from our yard. They have fewer wires and no driveways behind them! lol)

In Etsy shop news, I set a goal to have 200 sales by December 31. As luck would have it, mixed with some hard work to get more pieces made and listed, I had an awesome November and an even better December and made my goal with time to spare. I am sitting at 207 sales right now!

So, as you can see, it has been quite an eventful year! Here is to a wonderful, busy, crazy 2013. Happy new year to everyone. May we all grow wiser, make new friends and realize our dreams.

What's new? Cockatoo blue!

Just checked out my Etsy activity to find that my new teal apatite bracelet has been included in this awesome cockatoo blue treasury! Thanks to LanaBetty for including me – you should stop by and check out her cute little shop.

On another note, show season is just about upon us once more. I just received notification of acceptance into my first one this year, the Trillium Art Fair on June 10 at Glenwood Gardens. This will be my 4th year at this lovely annual art fair, and I'm really looking forward to it again this year! Stay tuned for more shows soon!

A very colorful, very paisley treasury.

Love the pop of color here. And thank you to StampShackLady (who has an adorable shop, by the way) for including my paisley and pink quartz PMC necklace! Stop by and check it out!

Tying up loose ends and a last minute trip.

First the business: I have been a complete blog slacker for the last several months. I don't know what my problem is. I could say I've been busy or distracted, but I think mostly I've just hit a blog rut and haven't felt I've had much to say here lately. I will try to do better this year!

Well, I really have been pretty busy with work (not making excuses!) and trying to make my goal of 100 pieces in my Etsy shop by the end of 2011. I ended up with 82. I'm not terribly upset with this, as I had a last minute show in early December, and November and December found me a nice amount of sales from the shop too, so, all is well. I think I'll reach my goal of 100 pieces very soon and then set the next listing milestone for myself.

I hit my first sales milestone — 50 sales — on Etsy at the end of October. 60 wasn't far behind and hopefully things keep rolling now that the holidays are past.

In other news, my husband started a new job back in September which has him doing a fair amount of traveling. So far he is really enjoying his new endeavors, and he is home on the weekends and some weekdays in between engagements, so I am ending up with plenty of time to work on new jewelry and listings.

Now the pleasure part of this post: The afore mentioned new job found hubby in Phoenix, AZ for about 4 weeks. Rather than coming home for one of those weekends, I found pretty decent airfare out of Dayton, OH and so I flew out there to meet him. We planned to drive up to Sedona for a weekend, which is just a couple hours away. It was my first time flying solo, which at first was a bit frightening to me, but I got over my fear and then ended up at the conclusion that it's just a little boring.

We booked a jeep tour with A Day In The West. It was originally supposed to be a photographic tour (smooth trail, panoramic views), but that trail was closed by Forestry the day before my arrival due to ice. We switched to a sunset tour instead. Well, this was not a smooth trail. It was quite rocky. Bumpy is an understatement! It was so much fun and so interesting to hear our guide's stories and he was very knowledgeable about the plant life, which was very cool, and about Sedona in general. This is the sunset over the mountains:

The next day, we didn't really have any plans, so my husband mapped out a route to drive around to some of the well-known vantage points. We stopped at one of the visitors' centers too, and found the lady there to be quite helpful, providing advice and maps. She recommended Weber's IGA's deli counter for great sandwiches made to order, so we stopped there for sandwiches, snacks and drinks. So pretty much what we did is take advantage of the gorgeous day and we drove up around the red rock mountains, stopping here and there for photos. We ate our picnic lunch at the overlook at the Sedona Airport. The sandwiches were awesome and the view too, of course.

One place the visitors' center lady recommended was Boynton Canyon. You can drive through it yourself without being on a Jeep tour. We were in a regular car, but I guess they have to warn you about the road being unpaved. We didn't have any issues getting around, but it was definitely bumpy!

At one point in Boynton Canyon, we started to see these cactuses along the side of the road and we pulled over to snap a couple pics. Then we looked up and realized they were scattered all along the mountainside. I guess it was a particularly favorable spot for them to grow. There must be some water run-off or something on that side. They look like something out of a movie. I made it out without being injured by one!

So that was our little taste of the Southwest. I would go back there in a heartbeat. It is something to see! I made it back home safe and sound too, wrapping up my first solo flight. I have a feeling I may get to have a few more little weekend trips this year if my husband goes somewhere interesting. I will fly solo again for more great photo opportunities!

Where has November gone?

Seems like yesterday I was talking about September and shows and such. Now, here it is less than a week before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure where the time went!

In October, I was a participant again this year in Art Off Pike, which went very well. They seemed to do more advertising this year and it paid off with a steady stream of shoppers throughout the day. Sales were good and I gave out lots of business cards that will hopefully yield some more Etsy sales. After that, the first weekend in November was the Autumn Air Art Fair. It was my first year there and it was a nice break doing an inside show. No tent to lug around! There was also a steady crowd there and sales were very good!

Speaking of Etsy, I made my 50th (and then 51st) sale just recently! Exciting stuff there. I have been constantly working to create more pieces and get them listed, increasing my inventory, but with the number of successful shows I did over the summer (a great problem to have, I know!), it has been difficult. My goal at the beginning of the year was to reach 100 pieces in my shop and keep it above that number. I have about a month left and currently 71 pieces listed. I think I can do it.

My husband and I just returned earlier this week from a short trip to our favorite place: Las Vegas. This time, we were fortunate enough to stay at the new Cosmopolitan. My husband worked his magic at the front desk and managed to get us onto the 67th floor. The view was astounding! We were able to walk out onto the balcony, which was overlooking the Bellagio fountains. See the night time photo above. The other photo is of the sunrise over the mountains and Planet Hollywood, also from the balcony.

The basement just got a lot hotter.

Meet my new friend: the Paragon SC-3 kiln.

Ever since I started working with PMC a couple years ago, I've tossed around the idea of owning my own kiln. Previously, I would have to form my pieces, prep them for firing and then drop them off at a local bead store and pay to have them fired. After running into some, let's call them scheduling issues with firings, I swore them off and pretty much stopped working with PMC. (Heck, I pretty much stopped shopping there. Anyway...)

Back in June I received an email from a nice lady over at Metal Clay Supply who informed me that they had received a few factory reconditioned SC-2 kilns at a discounted price and that it was first come, first served to buy them. Well, I responded quickly, but didn't get one, but I was kept on the list in case they received any others. I didn't give it much more thought until I got another email saying they got a few SC-3 kilns instead for just a bit more. Well, I jumped on that offer! It is likely more kiln than I need, but then it gives me room to expand into other areas if I want to get into fusing glass or things like that later.

I won't lie, I was a bit scared to use it at first. I mean, these things get into 1000's of degrees. Well I read the manual and did some online research for the best way to safely set-up and operate it. I ended up buying a couple 18 inch square ceramic tiles to set it on, on top of a sturdy cabinet in our basement. I had to do some much needed tidying up too, while I was at it, so there was a clear safety area of non-combustibles around it. (See, using words like combustibles makes me nervous!) We had been experiencing some severe storms all week too, and I didn't want to start a batch and then lose power. Naturally when I turned on the kiln, the lightning started. But it made it through, thankfully!

Programming it was a breeze, basically like using an oven. You set the speed, temperature and hold time. Easy! Somehow I got the idea that it would take hours to fire a batch of silver PMC. This is incorrect. In fact, my PMC3 took a mere 25 minutes of the kiln being used - from start up to completion of firing. I did leave it in idle overnight to cool. I didn't even open it until the morning, but the temperature continued to decline the rest of the evening.

Here was the first batch when I opened up the kiln. As you can see, I have plenty of room in there.

I love how pearlescent the pieces look when they come out of the kiln.

Some polishing and burnishing (my next purchase might just be a tumbler/polisher!)

And a little patina added to most of the pieces.

This is the first piece I've listed in my etsy shop. It's called Tapestry and you can find it here. I'm thrilled with the results and I'm sure this is just the first of many new PMC creations to come.

New pieces, new treasuries.

Lucky me! Two of my newer pieces are in treasuries! Check them out:

The first one "Meet me at midnight party..." was put together by BrotherWorks, which features my Bordeaux ruby necklace and is quite lovely. Really great color scheme with the pops of red against the subtle grays.

Next we have "Mmmm… Earthy", a beautiful bright and colorful one put together by CandiceChetta. She included my Rivulet turquoise earrings. It feels so cheerful and summery!

Please stop by and visit the treasuries and the two shops! One of these days, I may end up on the front page... :)

Feel the breeze...

I just love the soft feel of this cool-as-a-summer-breeze treasury. My Verdant earrings in turquoise and fine silver are included in it, thanks to Leah over at StudioZen. Stop by her shop and check out her lovely nature inspired works of art! It's such an adorable shop!

Whew! That was fast!

Wow, I just listed these earrings tonight and I happened to check my activity feed and there they were in this lovely, springy treasury! It really has a nice feel, and I thank WeekendVintage for including me! Please stop by and check out all of the yellow and grey items if you have a chance!

I do weddings!

I love when people find my shop. I'm always so curious as to how it happens and I rarely find out. I know I need to educate myself more on how Google Analytics can work for me. I seem to get quite a few shoppers who are first-time Etsy buyers, which intrigues me even more. Were they browsing, searching categories...?

This week I received a convo from a very sweet bride-to-be who said she adored my necklace entitled Lightness. She was wondering if I truly only had one available or if she could order more of them. Naturally, I replied telling her I would check my supplies, but was fairly certain I could accommodate her order. She wanted 5 of them!

It's always a bit nerve-racking for me to be at work, away from my supplies or sold orders because I want to be home, designing or shipping right then! But I had to wait. I ordered some back-up pearls though, just in case. Checked my supplies at home and found I had all I needed to make the necklaces. When I contacted my shopper, she had seen a pair of ametrine earrings in my shop and decided to change the lemon quartz to ametrine instead.

I am thrilled with the results! It's a lovely stone and it pairs so well with the little oblong white pearls. Perfect for a spring wedding!

This is the 3rd wedding for which I've designed bridesmaid jewelry and it is certainly an area where I'd like to have more sales. I enjoy creating something a little different for the brides, and they seem to enjoy having input in the design process. It makes a wonderful and memorable gift to the bridesmaids, who are usually dear friends or siblings!

A very cheerful treasury.

I just checked my activity feed and found that my Peppertree bracelet has been included in a nice, bright and springy treasury put together by birdsoforegon. I love how happy it feels. Here is a peek at it and if you'd like to shop the other sellers, check it out here on Etsy.

Let's talk Tanzania.

You may remember a couple weeks back that I put together my very first treasury. It happened because I fell in love with a lioness... photo, that is. I couldn't take it. I bought that gorgeous photograph! It didn't last even a couple days in my treasury. I never get tired of looking at her and can't wait to have her framed to display in my home! She is below in a piece called "queen of the grassland."

I had a couple Etsy convos back and forth with Sharon, the photographer, who told me of her travels to Tanzania, where she shot many of her wildlife photographs. Her work and stories transport you there and, frankly inspired me to want to go there and see these amazing creatures for myself one day. Amongst others in her shop are an absolutely adorable baby elephant, a majestic sleeping lion and curious hyenas. Whether you're looking for a gift for an animal lover or a beautiful piece of artwork for your own home, smrrk photography has something for you. The photographs come well packaged and protected and signed and numbered on the back.

*COPYRIGHT: original photographs by smrrk photography; artist retains copyright after purchase.

One more time!

Okay, I'm not trying to be a pain or a braggart or just have a blog about treasuries, but I'm pretty excited that my new Busy Bee lariat necklace made it into a treasury within a couple days of listing it. Honey Sapphire is the name of this one. I love it! Thank you to ananemone for adding me to this one!

Well, I decided to curate a treasury.

I figured it was about time I figure out how to do it. I really enjoy looking through them and having the glimmer of hope that mine will make the front page is a cool notion too. And, I guess I'm paying it forward for the handful of people who have been kind enough to include me in theirs lately.

It's pretty easy to put one together, although it took me a little while to pick just the right items. Here it is if you'd like to purchase any of these lovely items, please follow the link here. Cheers!

Well, this is a first!

I woke up this morning to a convo from a fellow Etsy seller, Feathers of Artemis, telling me she'd included my new Starry Night earrings in her treasury, Starry Starry Night.

Then, tonight before heading off to bed, I decided to do a treasury search and found my latest listing, Warmth earrings, included in a treasury as well! This one, Fire and Ice, was curated by Carolyn Rachel. It made for an exciting day for me!

Keep 'em coming!

Wow, so I guess July is my lucky month. This makes the third treasury for me for July. Very exciting stuff! Check out Tango 3.0 here, which includes my carnelian drop earrings aptly named Tango. Thanks to EmporiumGitane on Etsy for including me!

Another treasury!

Well, 2 posts in one day, this is a first for me. I couldn't resist though! I've made it into another beachy treasury. Thank you to bombshellbettiesvint for creating such a cool, vacation-feeling compilation. Here is link to the treasury.

I made it into a Treasury!

Thank you to fellow Etsian Auramatic for putting one of my bracelets (Seaside) into a lovely, beachy feeling treasury! Very exciting! Check it out here. And be sure to stop by Auramatic's shop too. :)

A good morning.

It was probably close to 7 pm last night when I checked in with my shop last. I checked out early to go play cards with some friends. We got home very late and went straight to bed. This morning I woke up to a sale (yea!) and also to see that I now have 100 Etsy members who 'heart' me! It's a baby milestone for my shop. It always feels good to wake up to a sale, but I was hanging around just under 100 hearts for a few days and was wondering if it would ever flip over to 100!

Loving the PMC...

These are a few pieces I finished up Sunday (meaning I finally put some of my PMC elements actually into some designs!). I've been such a slacker lately, so it feels fantastic to get some new pieces made and I'm really happy with how they turned out too. Not bad for my first attempt. I will be adding them to my shop before long, but I need to get some more photos. After that, I'm going to be purchasing some more clay and working on my technique. I'm very excited!

First up is a fine silver pendant paired with a AAA amethyst briolette. I had two of these little guys and they are stunning stones. Just have to figure out where the second one will live now. I finished the chain with a hand-formed clasp and two tiny faceted peridots.

Next is one that I'm especially fond of.. I had this teardrop shaped pendant and couldn't quite figure out what to do with it until I sat down and dug through my gems. I came across this beautiful garnet and it just spoke to me. Really a lovely piece, if I do say so. Also finished with a handmade clasp and two faceted garnets.

Last is a pair of earrings. 'Lace' is their name. AAA pink amethyst, fine silver discs and hand-formed sterling earwires. Perfect for spring!