Earrings in Etsy
Posts
The 3/50 project
I love being a independant artist. The internet has made reaching so many more people much easier. The fact you can post an item on Etsy or Ebay and someone across the country or the ocean and see it is amazing. But we do need to remember the independently owned stored in our towns also. What stores would you miss if they were gone? The 3/50 project is about saving your local ecomony. Pick 3 stores spend $50 start a trend. Try to remember this when you are doing your holiday shopping this year. Lets see if we can turn this economy around one local store at a time. The 3/50 project
Gifts and excess
Do you shop on Black Friday? I don't and never will. The excess "stuff" that is passed around at this time of year makes me crazy. I have taken the pledge to only buy handmade items for gifts this year. Please take a minute to look at this Buy Handmade site. Everyone needs to think about what they buy and where it comes from. Buy handmade and try to buy local.
Jewelry
More jewelry being added to my Etsy store today. If you see something you would like and you don't have an Etsy account just e-mail me to purchase.
Upcycling
I am always on the look out for found items to recycle into jewelry. Right now I am working with bullet casings and I have an idea using old silverware. I love the idea of taking something "useless" and giving it a new life. Coming up with something "new" can be the biggest problem. I use books, magazines and the internet to get inspiration, always putting my own twist on pieces. Since I am a glass artist try to incorporate lampwork or fused glass whenever I can. Here are two books that look interesting, I am adding them to my wish list. Wrap, Stitch, Fold & Rivet: Making Designer Metal Jewelry Making Connections: A Handbook of Cold Joins for Jewelers and Mixed-Media Artists
Hummus Dip
This was one of the munchies served at the party this weekend. It is so good I think it can be a meal by it's self. Hummas Dip Hummus I used the classic Olive Tapenade or Muffuletta drained Mild Gardniera drained Feta Cheese crumbled Layer in this order, make sure you drain the tapenade and gardniera well Serve with chips or crackers
Self Promotion
I have always had a hard time with self promotion, but I have made a promise to myself to make this a priority in the future. My goal today is to get some good pictures of jewelry to put online. It is grey here today so I am going to have to set up the photo studio. I would much rather take picture in natual light though.
Creative Ideas
I am back from Chicagoland and ready to get creative. I love it when I go to the city, it seems like so much changes everytime I visit. My show was a good one, the rivets and leather bracelets were a big hit. I need to make more the the show in Platteville. I went to the two beads stores in the area and have to say that Galena Beads is still the best. It was amazing the difference, I am very lucky to have them close by. This was a great find in Oak Park and I can't wait to take a class the next time I am in town Prodigy Glass Another find I made in Chicago was this book, Enhanted Adornments by Cynthia Thornton of Green Girl. I can't wait to sit down and get inspired using Cynthia's ideas. The sun is shinning here on the farm. This may be a wonderful day to take some pictures so I can stock my Etsy store. I need to put the show displays away and go feed the animals. Have a great day.
Independant Artists
I am doing a home show tonight in Chicago. Since selling the Faire house at Bristol I haven't done any shows, the economy has been so hard on artists. My friend Teri is hosting this show and it has been a good one in the past years. I also get to go to Whole Foods and stock up on items I can't get around here, so thats a plus :) One of my business goals for 2010 is to promote myself more as an independant artist. Look for jewelry and beads here and in my Etsy store.
