What's goin' on.............

Just wanted to give a quick update! I've been plugging away on inventory for the upcoming show. I was able to get five new pairs of earrings done yesterday afternoon - new designs! It feels so good to be able to sit at the bench and just create! By the way, five may not seem like much to some of you but I was overjoyed to have that block of time!! My plan is to photograph everything before the show so I'll be able to list them at some point. Still haven't ordered all the supplies I need to create everything I'm hoping but I've got a partial order on the way. Money is tight so I'm trusting in the Lord!



I've been sadly neglecting my Bonhomie Charms site since I put it up but I've committed to some print advertising for the holiday. We'll see what happens! I'll share the ad copy with you as soon as I've put it together (it's due tomorrow!!) I'm going to have to schedule in more work to the site so it's ready when the ad comes out - I'm planning for lots of business ;-)



And you all may remember that I intended to submit some pieces to the Sundance Catalog and I did! Forgive me for not letting you know at the time - I did it at the beginning of the month. I chose my Twisted Monogram Ring, my Love Knot Ring and my Blue Tear Squared Charm Necklace. I haven't heard anything but I may submit a few more pieces after this upcoming show, depending on feedback I get of my new pieces. I'm not certain there will be any interest in the pieces I sent......the same day I submitted, I received the holiday catalog in the mail and a few pieces in the catalog had a similar style to mine. Maybe that means I'm on the right track??



Last but not least, this has nothing to do with me but I think it's really cool! I stumbled across this "Peace Challenge" by a fellow TeamChristianArtistsandCrafters (CAC) member NewCreatioNZ. Check it out! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!

Bracelets, Beads and Earrings!

Here are a few pics of the bracelets and handmade beads I've been working on:

I think I may rework the bracelets to incorporate some more intricate knotting using some maedeup techniques (Korean knotting). The silver bead I crafted from metal clay. I did a few smaller ones also but they haven't made it to a bracelet yet. I've only done the one design in copper so far but I've got a few ideas for additional designs. I'm hoping to list these soon. With respect to the bracelet I mentioned in the last post, I still haven't determined the identity of that bead - the shop where it was purchased is open only one day a week right now and I missed my window of opportunity last week. I'll try again!

I'm not sure if I mentioned this but I'd been spending my time on earrings for gift bag donations. I made 10 pairs in all but only had the presence of mind to photograph 4 pairs which is unfortunate. They were all different designs and I was pretty pleased with how they came out but, of course, now I can't remember the exact designs! All were made with copper sheet.

A few other noteworthy items: I finally got a light box!! Very cool light box kit with 2 backgrounds, 2 lights and a tripod. I'm not a fan of the tripod - can't get close enough with the macro setting. These photos were all shot in the light box but I'm not sure if I see any improvement. I do believe that I am just an incredibly inept photographer. Maybe I need different props? Or backgrounds? What do you think?

And the last item is a proclomation of sorts. One of those "if you build it, they will come" kinda statements. I'm hoping that putting it down in black & white with witnesses will help me follow through. So.............I'm planning to submit my work to the Sundance Catalog. There. I've said it. Have I already made this statement? Looking through previous blog posts, I realize that I have. Maybe the second time's the charm?? Anyway, I'm still not sure which pieces and I've actually got another line in mind so it may end up taking a bit of time but that's my goal. I've got a few other lofty ambitions tickling my brain and I'll share those as well but one thing at a time!

Sooooo out of the loop!!

I've been so busy lately that I missed CraftCult's "Heart Charts"! That's a pretty nifty little tool! It made me realize just how much I've been slacking in my promotions lately ;-) Well, my slacking days are over because...........(drum roll, please..........)

Little man starts preschool next week!! Hip, Hip, Hooray!! Yes, I will miss him but I've got plenty to occupy those two hours, three days a week! All kinds of new designs are bouncing around in my head - yes, I know. You've heard it before. But now I'll actually have time to work on them!!

Another item on my task list: I had some wonderful fellow jewelry artisans from the Starving Jewelry Artists forum review my website and they had some really helpful feedback so......a few more changes are a' comin!

In other news, I was approached by another local shop owner about consigning some of my pieces in her shop. I'm HUGELY flattered!! I've yet to connect with her to discuss the details but I'll keep you updated.

Last but not least, I've been giving some consideration to submitting a few pieces to the Sundance Catalog. I'm not certain which ones - it would have to be something relatively easy for me to produce in little time, I would imagine. I'm REALLY not certain that my work is..........compatible with what their looking for but it doesn't hurt to try, right? So, if you've got any thoughts on which pieces I should submit or the submission process itself or the catalog or you just wanna say "hey", comment away!