Hi everyone! Only 5 days left until the winner is selected in the giveaway! Be sure to comment on the previous post to enter.
I have been really busy the past week, but as luck would have it I have also been really inspired and gotten some great new ideas. The unlucky part is, I just haven't been home to work on those ideas. This weekend should be less busy though, so I am planning on a quick trip to the store for some new wire and some crystals, and then holing up in my apartment and making stuff until my fingers hurt!
I'm going to be adding some custom bookmarks to my collection soon. I've been wanting to make some for a while but keep forgetting to grab the supplies when I go to the bead shop.
Anyway, sorry for the quick update but it is past my bedtime. Only one more day of work until my weekend, so watch for some cool new stuff really soon!
'Night!
The East Valley Artisans is a group of artisans who all live in the East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Our goal is to support local artists, encourage the handmade movement, and develop a closer-knit community of talented people living in this particular region of the Valley of the Sun.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Freaks and a giveaway!
Tonight I made myself some dinner and watched the final episode of Freaks and Geeks. It was a good night.
I've always heard that that show was good, but it is really, REALLY good. I can't believe that shows like Freaks and Geeks get cancelled, but The Bachelor keeps on going. (Sorry to any Bachelor fans reading this!) I shouldn't judge. But I seriously recommend watching Freaks and Geeks if you haven't seen it. It's just so well written and the characters have such heart. I will definitely be watching it again sometime, and I rarely do that anymore.
Anyway back to the craftiness, I made a new pair of silver and pearl earrings last night and I love them!
I'm still practicing my weave technique using 26 guage wire, but these are my cleanest work yet. I want to practice more, leaving less space between the weave, so it's less zig-zaggy. Not that I don't like the effect these have, but I love wire wrap that looks really solid.
I also made another piece, the Dineen pendant.
It's a two piece so it has lots of movement. It's made with all sterling silver wire and Swarovski crystals, and it is strung on an 18" silver plated chain. The pendant itself is 2" long, so it's a little dramatic but it's still nice and lightweight. I'm happy with this one too.
In fact I am so happy with it, I decided to make it my giveaway!
Here's what to do to enter to win this necklace...
Post a comment on this blog, I'll enter you once.
Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and I'll enter you twice.
Easy, right? I'll announce the winner on May 10th! Be sure to check back and good luck!
I've always heard that that show was good, but it is really, REALLY good. I can't believe that shows like Freaks and Geeks get cancelled, but The Bachelor keeps on going. (Sorry to any Bachelor fans reading this!) I shouldn't judge. But I seriously recommend watching Freaks and Geeks if you haven't seen it. It's just so well written and the characters have such heart. I will definitely be watching it again sometime, and I rarely do that anymore.
Anyway back to the craftiness, I made a new pair of silver and pearl earrings last night and I love them!
I'm still practicing my weave technique using 26 guage wire, but these are my cleanest work yet. I want to practice more, leaving less space between the weave, so it's less zig-zaggy. Not that I don't like the effect these have, but I love wire wrap that looks really solid.I also made another piece, the Dineen pendant.
It's a two piece so it has lots of movement. It's made with all sterling silver wire and Swarovski crystals, and it is strung on an 18" silver plated chain. The pendant itself is 2" long, so it's a little dramatic but it's still nice and lightweight. I'm happy with this one too.In fact I am so happy with it, I decided to make it my giveaway!
Here's what to do to enter to win this necklace...Post a comment on this blog, I'll enter you once.
Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and I'll enter you twice.
Easy, right? I'll announce the winner on May 10th! Be sure to check back and good luck!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Guest blogging
Hi there. I'm Trish from Little Silver Stars and I'll be your guest blogger this month!
I guess the best way to introduce myself is to send you to my blog, littlesilverstars, rather than bore you with details all over again. I've been an etsy seller since 2005, and a member of EVA since it began. And while my job sometimes keeps me much busier than I would like, I really try my best to focus on my true passion at the end of the day, making jewelry.
I thought a fun way to start the month is to show you my workspace. (This has nothing to do with the fact that I just cleaned and organized it today, I swear it. I also have no idea what happened to that bag of cookies that were in the pantry...)
I have two mascots on or around my desk all the time, depending on how much real estate I have. The first on is my pink glittery deer. I bought it at Christmastime two years ago in a bookstore, and I just think she's so cute I can't bring myself to pack her away. The second is a turquoise garden gnome my sister gave me. No real reason for him, I just like him.
I use a planter for my pen/pencil/crochet hook/random tool holder. It's bursting at the moment. I am sort of a pen hoarder I think. There's also always some jewlery hanging off of it, like these earrings. I made these a long time ago but I think they're boring, so I have just left them there so I don't forget to redo them. They are now tarnished and dusty.
This is the red cabinet that I keep just about everything in. It's about as organized as it gets in here. It's packed pretty tight with random junk, you can even see my hammers on top, which haven't seen the inside of the cabinet in months.
I am realizing as I post these photos that my office looks my prettier in the daylight. Oh well, you get the idea!So that's it. My little work area. I dream of the day I will have an actual house where I can set things up more permanently, maybe have a larger corner of the universe to work in. But you deal with what you got. In fact some of you with houses of your own might even have smaller work spaces than I do, so here's me not complaining.
So anyway, stay tuned this week for a very special giveaway of one of my own original designs! Check back soon!
And one last thing....
This is Bella. If you stop by, she would like to sync with your iPod!Thursday, April 15, 2010
Update on the Vegas Show
I had a wonderful time at the Glass Craft Vegas show this year. I met a LOT of talented artists there from jewelry designers, enamelers, and of course, glass arts.
This was a great venue to use for meeting others and getting some great networking started. I may even be teaching a class or 2 there next year, but have to get with some people and meet the submission deadline - - hope I make it!
Here are some pics of the showroom floor. Most of the sellers are glass artists, but there are also sellers who carry findings and supplies, PMC, chain mail, enameled pieces for jewelry and jewelry designers who don't actually make glass beads but use them in their product.
Jeannie
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Off to the Vegas Glass Expo
Hi Again,
It is very late, going on 1am and I am still preparing for the Vegas Glass Expo at the South Point Hotel and Casino. I am on the road at 6am, so as usual, I am cutting it close.
This is a great event for everything glass and also no-so-glass stuff, too, so I wanted to point out some of the "other" things that are available there, if anyone is interested.
Of course, there's ALL glass stuff there - - stained glass, fused glass, lampwork (like me), sculpture, marbles, goblets - - you name it, along with a ton of suppliers. They have beginning glass classes there also for anyone who just wants to try their hand at one of the many aspects of glass.
But along with all those glass classes, they also have chain mail classes, PMC classes, wire wrapping classes, photography classes and many more. They also have various lectures on being successful in business. It's definitely a great place to gather info and learn a thing or 2.
Please check out the link below if you are interested. This is an annual event, so if you can't make it this year (cutting it pretty close since it starts tomorrow), but maybe you can make plans for next year.
Jeannie
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Many Talents of the East Valley
Here are some pix of my favorite items up for sale this week from our talented group of Artisans of the East Valley. Our group is a varied mix of artists from painting to paper and sculpture to shrinky dinks.
Please check out their Etsy sites.
Support our economy, support local business, support our artists!
Monday, March 29, 2010
March meeting re-cap.
We had a great meeting in March! It was the 4th Wednesday of the month this time around. Nobody wanted to do a St. Patrick's Day meeting so we changed it. Jeannie, Trish, Jen and myself were there ... and I felt we made a lot of progress! We discussed attendance, and began the design of a new system that will hopefully encourage attendance. I believe it will help for some and perhaps discourage attendance for those who have been involved with the group half-heartedly.
At this meeting, each person there chose a special role that they will have from this meeting until the next:
- Jen is going to bring an activity to the next meeting. For anyone who is interested, she is bringing supplies to make ATC's.
- Jeannie is going to write up some blog posts for this blog
-Trish is doing some research on no-cost or low-cost ways of advertising EVA.
- I will be officially reviewing the book, The Handmade Marketplace and sharing a copy of Artful Blogging.
Trish brought a whole bunch of her new wire wrapped work to share with us. It is really great! Check it out.
Our theme for the April meeting is "Desserts and Treats"
Our Spring Time exchange items for March ...
At this meeting, each person there chose a special role that they will have from this meeting until the next:
- Jen is going to bring an activity to the next meeting. For anyone who is interested, she is bringing supplies to make ATC's.
- Jeannie is going to write up some blog posts for this blog
-Trish is doing some research on no-cost or low-cost ways of advertising EVA.
- I will be officially reviewing the book, The Handmade Marketplace and sharing a copy of Artful Blogging.
Trish brought a whole bunch of her new wire wrapped work to share with us. It is really great! Check it out.
Our theme for the April meeting is "Desserts and Treats"
Our Spring Time exchange items for March ...
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