June Show Follow-up

Thank you all who visited my booth at the Dundas Street Festival on June 14, 2014. The weather was a tad cold for the vendors, but the day was mostly sunny and I think the show was well attended. Lots of volunteers were available and one gal helped my husband move the table to my spot. Here is a photo of my new tent and my display. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. Must have been my cold hands, not to mention brain!

If I'm going to do any more outdoor shows, I will have to figure out how to cover up the UCLA logo on my tent, although I only had one person make a comment. Unfortunately, after the show I noticed that Giant Tiger had tents for $10 less than I spent on this one. Plain white with no logo. Oh well. I really do prefer the indoor shows where I can escape the weather, be it the cold, sun, rain or wind. All four have their own particular problems to deal with.

Gallery Additions

I've added some new photos to my Photo Gallery Page. I'm still catching up with the photography as I had a hard drive crash and lost a lot of work.

Please click on "Photo Gallery" from the top menu, then choose Photo Gallery 2.

Thanks for having a look!

Evolution of a Design/er

In 2011, I made this bracelet from a Fusion Beads kit called Peyote Ruffle. I loved the colours and always had it in mind to do another one, but to really make it my own this time around. If I want to call myself a designer, well then I'd better get designing...

For the first time, I laid out my own peyote stitch pattern using computer software called Easy Bead Patterns. To make things go easier, I decided to try a 2-drop peyote stitch - not entirely a "first", but my first time doing 2-drop for an entire bracelet. However, because I wanted a symmetrical pattern, I had to go with odd count peyote, meaning an odd number of columns. Not so easy now! I went with the traditional method of odd count where you do a turn-around within the beads at the end of every other row. The tension was off a bit, so another time I'd like to try a different method.

 

Here it is...

Welcome to "Razzle Dazzle Dots"! I decided not to do the ruffle like in the kit, to keep the lines more simple. I also found out that it was much easier when adding the picots to go down and up two beads instead of trying to go through one bead. Of course I didn't figure this out until part way through. I decided not to go back, so the second edge went easier and I just hope that no one, except me, notices the difference!

I used the same clasp, a gun metal plated sliding tube because it is so easy to use and the colour works well with the beads.

The bracelet isn't perfect, but I'm very proud of my progress.

Back After a Short Hiatus

I'm back. I can't say that I was very productive since my last post, but I can say that I'm definitely ready for my next creative spurt.  I now have a counter top display unit for my jewelry.

I got very discouraged last year after finding a very friendly venue for my work here in London, but then having several items stolen. Unfortunately, I had to make the decision not to show there any more. The solution seemed to be some sort of glass cabinet that could limit access, preferably be lockable, but still display my jewelry to its best advantage. Easy. Not. These cabinets only seem to be available through specialty display companies and are very pricey. I would also have to factor in shipping costs which could be steep. I even sought out my handy hubby, but nothing came readily to mind.

Finally, after an unexpected monetary gift and a serendipitous email sales flyer, I was able to purchase what I needed. Here is my new "showcase" from Zakka Canada:

I chose this one first of all because it was lockable. It also has a light and enough shelves, four, to display a good variety of my work. (Or some nice sea shells, which is mostly what I have at the moment!) It also rotates automatically which wasn't a requirement and I'm not sure if I'll use this feature because it seems a little noisy. We'll see.

Next I need a display solution for Grenada. I have a marina who graciously offered to show my jewelry, but they would prefer to have a cabinet that could be locked.  I saw some that I liked at a booth at one of the antique shows at Cherryhill Mall.  They were made from wood with a glass cover that could sit open at an angle. After buying some beads and vintage jewellery, I asked the owner where she got her cases. It turned out that her husband made them. I already carry about 50 lbs. of beading supplies when I travel, so I'd need to have them made in Grenada. (Right, dear?!) So Scott Bell, of Rush Creek Renovation in St. Thomas has promised to do up some plans for me. Wood, glass, hinges and a lock should be easy enough to obtain once we're in Grenada, or a trip to Lee Valley may be warranted. There are some better photos on his Facebook page, but it will look something like this:

Now all I have to do is make some goodies to fill 'em up!

Free Pricing Tool

I received this pricing tool from the folks at Bead Manager Pro and would like to pass it along. It's great for making sure that you are using the most up to date price for gold and silver when pricing your jewelry pieces. This link will take you to BMP's Facebook page where you can find the info.

Gold Pricing Sheet