Long Cold Winter?

Well that can mean a lot of things, like Winter will be long (it always seems to be!), cold (it normally is depending on where you live, but here in Ohio it is usually cold for the duration and sometimes beyond!), and it can also mean that it is long and cold because there are no or few craft shows  due to weather and in general less shopping and therefore less cash flow - cold!  But it is a good time to review existing inventory for re-appearing on the sale tables or reworking or donating to a thrift shop or to the bead pile!  I often rework pieces because the beads themselves are cool but the design, for whatever reason, just didn't work.  If it is a piece that got a lot of attention and positive comments I will leave as is, because I know it will sell eventually.  If it seems to just sit there and get minimal or no attention, it needs to be considered for a different future!

So while I am busy reworking and re-evaluating, I will also be planning and preparing for my upcoming shows:

March 9 - Church of the Cross, 5100 Cleveland Road, Wooster, OH, 9-3

March 16 & 17 - Rolling Acres Spring Craft Show, "Spring is in the Air", Marion County Fairgrounds, 220 E. Fairground St., Marion, Ohio, 10-4

March 23 & 24 - Rocky River Memorial Hall, 21016 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River, OH, 10-5

See below some pictures of recent creations, some of which will be for sale at the above and other upcoming shows if they are still available by then!

Have a great winter and stay warm and safe!

Winter Slump

Well it stands to reason that as less people are out and about, less of them are shopping and even less are shopping for JEWELRY!  But I did have a successful holiday season at Local Roots, 140 S. Walnut Street,Wooster, Ohio 44691.  Too bad that success normally does not carry over into the slow dragging months of January and February!  There is a reason for that, if we can lift up out of our disappointment over low sales, we can see that slow times are good for creating new product!  When you are in a constant selling state you are trying to keep up with depleting inventory and never get ahead comfortably to take a break and relax.  But if sales are slow and inventory is in balance with sales, you can work and have extra product on hand and enjoy days when you can do something other than your craft work!  Besides, that slow period really is pretty short, I had my first show of the new year last weekend and more are already listed on my calendar!  

Its nice to have some extra items on hand so that when that first show approaches you don't have to panic and worry that you don't have enough to put out for a sale!  Another thing that is beneficial to work on during slower times is reworking and repairing.  What didn't sell last year might be a big hit with just a few minor adjustments!

Summer Outside Success!

I have been so pleased to have had such success at the summer/early fall shows that have been outside!   Marysville's Festifair was a huge success even if the weather was uncooperative initially - I got a new tent with sides and I could not get it to open up for me while my hands froze and my hair got soaked!  This after my tub of jewelry fell out of the back of my car into a puddle and opened spilling contents into the rain!  But I had great neighbors who helped me and lots of sales, and the sun came out and warmed and dried everything into a beautiful day!  Thanks to all who bought my jewelry and gourds!

Back East and Heading east - er!

Well the trip out west and back was too fast and furious to really see much let alone actually buy some cool components to incorporate into my jewelry.  It was sooooo hot and we had the dog and just really had to keep moving.  So here I am back east and have been doing a few shows here and east of here!  Next show is this weekend, Saturday September 8 at Marysville, OH, it is called Festifair and is a 30+ year-old event.  The next show after that I have scheduled is the Barberton Mum Festival September 29 & 30 in Barberton OH.  The following weekend I will be at the Holmes County Antiques Festival in Millersburg OH, also both days.  Fall Festival of the Arts in Ashland OH is the following Saturday, October 13.  Lots of shows in a short time period, means lots of hours at my worktable!  See below photos of some of my recent work:


Some items that will be available for sale at the shows, through this site or as a custom-made similar "copy":

Beaded leather spirals

Criss-crossed chains of multi-tone metal with
fire agate, copper, silver and stone drops

Swirled copper encircling stones

Beaded bronze focal with a hint of
the Southwest

Feathered Leather Loops

Flights of Fancy feathered friends multi-dangle
with silk ribbon tie

Frosted Berries wire and stone earrings

Late Bloomer fall colors flower necklace

Swirls and sparkles

Silver and copper stacks

For more shows, mostly East of Wooster, (or at least East of San Diego) as scheduled:

Festifair - September 8 - Marysville OH

Barberton Mum Festival - September 29 & 30 - Barberton OH

Holmes County Antique Festival - October 6 & 7 - Millersburg OH

Fall Festival of the Arts - October 13 - Ashland OH

West Holmes Craft Show - November 10 - West Holmes High School, Millersburg OH

Dalton Holidays Festival - December 1 & 2 - Dalton High School, Dalton OH

Go West, (old?) Woman!

About as far west as one can go and still be grounded in the continental US - San Diego here I come!  My youngest daughter, a US Marine Corporal, is stationed there, and will be driving with me back to Ohio.  Since much of my  jewelry is Native-American and Southwest-inspired, I am really looking forward to seeing the jewelry designs of the local shops and getting even more inspired!  I have been wanting to do such a trip for as long as I can recall and can hardly believe the day is almost here!

This summer has been so hot (my "studio" is on the 2nd floor of my non-air-conditioned home) so I have slowed down on my creations somewhat.  I have also been working at the family business, Three Sisters Basket Co., LLC, in Wilmot, OH quite a bit, and spending much time watering my struggling flower beds!

Hopefully when I return from my trip I will have a few bag-fulls of beads and materials and lots if ideas to brew up some new pieces, and take the upcoming shows I will be attending by storm!

Shaker Square Arts Festival (Cleveland, OH)

Shaker Square Arts Festival (Cleveland, OH)

From This Day Forward...

Wedding Bells will ring for Alden Sewell (Systems Developer/Engineer, coworker at OARDC/OSU, Wooster, OH) and Cassi Kerr (also of OARDC) on May 26 (barely over a week away!).  I have been asked by Cassi to design the wedding party's jewelry!  What an honor, I have to say.  Her style is somewhat rustic but elegant.  She has a white dress would like Canadian Jade, with come crystal and silver rather than gold-colored metal in the jewelry.  She also has a lovely long neck and long curly hair she will probably wear swept up, so longish dangly elegant crystal earrings will look so good... the necklace will feature a pattern of beads that will replicate the earrings somewhat; for the daughters I am doing charms and little stone in colors to match the yellow and aqua floral dresses; for the bridesmaids who are wearing jade-colored dyed eyelet sundresses I am doing earthy rustic beads in natural colors with the Canadian jade, some white crystals and multiple metals, with a rainforest agate focal pendant suspended from a hammered copper ring with a few beaded charms.  The one will be longish to fit in the halter neckline, the other more choker-like to complement the strapless neckline.  Similar colors and stones will be used for each and for the matching earrings.

For photos of the jewelry click on the Facebook link.

Thank you for taking the time to visit!