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Archive for January, 2011

This is a treasury created just yesterday with some interesting stories behind it (Big Peeps and Little Peeps). I can remember one Easter my three sisters and I each receiving little chicken peeps. One grew up to be a rooster and would sit on the end of the ironing board while my mother was ironing or he would ride around on the back of our big, black german shepard.

I have always loved birds… I like to think of them as baby angels… and have rescued several when I was a girl. A favorite was a baby robin named “Frank” (why Frank???… haven’t got a clue). I found him after a storm and hand-fed him with “cat food” (how funny!) soaked in water. I would let him out everyday and play with him and eventually taught him how to fly. The day came to let him free and I threw him up in the air and he flew away. I thought that was the last I would ever see of him. Right before dinner I was standing out in the yard talking with my mother and all of a sudden Frank was sitting on my shoulder. So that became our daily routine. I would let him loose in the morning and he would return right before dinner to sleep in his cage. I guess he just felt safe there.

Later as an adult, I was gifted with a pair of finches. I lived in an apartment building and soon fell in love with the sound of the little peeps and right before Easter was gifted again with a nest of eggs. The babes were born and it was such entertainment to watch the incredible intelligence of the parents in how they instinctively knew when to “push” their young ones out who were afraid to take their first flight. I had to learn to not pick up the babies they literally pushed out of the nest (I would put them back in and out they would come again). In this case the babies were sick and the parents were protecting the rest of the nest. The parents worked in shifts and shared the responsibilities of raising the young. I soon purchased my first home and expanded my aviary to several breeds of finches, then canaries and parakeets. Each had their own personality and unique way of relating. The canary would sit on my finger and sing away while pecking at his reflection in my nail polish (he loved the bright red).  

I could go on-and-on with more bird stories. I wanted to share these stories with you along with the treasury. Enjoy and appreciate those little baby angels.

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It has been an absolute “bear” of a week so I am happy to be back bloggin’.

If I had a #1 recommendation to make to anyone who is considering making jewelry for a living  (or any craft) it would be to plan your projects and then spend according to your plan. I love creative work and therefore deeply appreciate the creativity of others. So when I see another item “that I just love”, my first impulse is to buy it. But consider that when you are first starting out, you might not know yet what your style is or will become. Speaking from experience my tastes, skills, and style changed tremendously over the first few years of being in business. Many of the supplies initially purchased no longer fit my evolving style. Also consider repeatability of your products. If a customer loves a necklace you created, can you remake it for another customer? … possibly not if you didn’t purchase enough materials to repeat the design. If you plan to relist the same item multiple times you may be able to save on material costs. So back to the word “plan”… it doesn’t have to be for a lifetime… make a plan for a year, or for a shorter time frame initially, three months, until you get some experience and know your tastes better. That’s the beauty of creating… it is an adventure that evolves over time… you decide the techniques, colors, and textures… and experience the wondrous gift of expressing your passion! 

Have fun creating!… Feel free to comment with your own suggestions.

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Some wonderful people have featured my work in their Etsy treasuries. Click on the Treasury Name to view the treasury and the Artist Name to view the artist’s etsy shop:

Bronze, Copper, Texture by Stonz – visit the Stonz Etsy shop for wonderful sterling silver, beach glass and beach stone artisan jewelry.

Variety of Earrings for Valentine’s Day by TahelSadot: Find handmade bags and accessories here.

Love You In Purple! by Carellya: Visit this shop for fashion and bridal accessories.

Blushing Zebra by Elves in the Attic:  Shop here for handcrafted scrapbooks, tags, and cards.

A big thank you to these artists!

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There is a vast amount of information on the internet for crafters. If you haven’t tried it yet, Interweave has a number of newsletters, articles, as well as crafting patterns and books for purchase. I subscribe to a number of their newsletters and they are very informative. I received one today that had a feature on a local Cleveland jewelry artist, Kieu Pham Gray, and her Cleveland-based bead store (Bead Q!).  For you local Clevelander’s, I highly recommend a trip to her store for a large selection of high quality jewelry making supplies.

Access Interweave at www.interweave.com.

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I am striving to journal and post more on my blog. Today it is about making new jewelry designs…. this business has one season after another with different customer needs and tastes to be satisfied. It is an ever-changing marketplace and a challenge to keep up with the latest techniques and yet keep to your own style. My focus has been on Valentine’s Day (see links below) since shortly after Christmas and wedding season is already in full swing. One of my next goals is to become more proficient at hand-knotting pearl strands since those are very popular for weddings. Speed can be important when you are working a more than full-time job, running a brick-n-mortar store and an Etsy shop, selling a shows, etc. Quality is most important to me but being more efficient would be a big plus.

Bless this Garden Bracelet – a sweet blend of acrylic flowers, pearls, and natural brass findings.

Bella Wedding Necklace – my own version of Aro’s wedding gift to Bella. Made with an authentic Strass 30mm Swarovski crystal prism.

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Well, I have been on a Etsy treasury roll lately. Check out these beauties:

Purple Passion Wedding Day – gallery of wedding wear and gifts in purples and lavendars.

Natural Beauty – In gratitude to our mother earth and those artists who make her natural elements even more beautiful.

Love to the Rescue – Love heals all things…. friends, family, warmth, hugs, and kisses, snuggling a baby, caretaking and nurturing, a genuine being… what the world needs now is LOVE!

Mother Earth – The Earth Mother’s greatest gifts on Etsy.

And these wonderful Etsians have graciously featured my work in their treasuries.

Find the Treasure, Just Things I Like, A Little Bling, Wanna Get Away?, Love is in the Air

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Les Trois Fleurs will be participating in the Lowe’s Greenhouse Community Sunday Garage Sales on January 16th and January 23rd, noon to 4 pm. This would be a great time to pick up some Valentine’s Day gifts. Click Here for location and other details.   

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“Latest” is a bit of a stretch. It was a very busy Christmas season. Wishing you all a profound and opulent New Year! Enjoy!

Here are some great treasuries created by “moi”:

Love Me Forever – all about love and your favorite Valentines.

Winter’s Ice Painting – inspired by the New Year and the beautiful wintry view out my workroom window.

Ho! Ho! HO! – inspired by Guess Who?

And some that I have been featured in:

Victorian Valentine – By Sybillinart

My Favorite Color – By Stonz

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