Transitions and Changes!

Hi All,
   I have moved all my blogging activities over to my new website and will continue updates, treasury shares, craft fair news, and my favorite Sales Map updates there. Please update your bookmarks.
Cheers,
Sarah

Looking for that last minute gift item? Check out the wares from these shops who are all offering 12% off anything in their online stores on 12/12/12 from 12 Noon till midnight! Use coupon code SAVE12ON12 at checkout in any of these shops!

Participating Shops, Use Coupon SAVE12ON12 at checkout, Save 12%

Refined Pallet – www.RefinedPallet.Etsy.com – Hollow Book Safes and Woodworking Gift Items

Mrs. Talbott’s Homespun Goods – www.MrsTalbott.Etsy.com – Aprons, Stockings, Purses and more!

T & C Fine Goods – www.TandCFineGoods.Etsy.com – Newsboys Caps, Hats, Gift Bags and Purses

Talbott & Co Heritage Goods – www.TalbottandCo.Etsy.com – Toys, Candles, Cologne and more!

Rocks, Maps and Crafts – www.RocksMapsandCrafts.Etsy.com – Jewelry,  Crochet and Beaded Gift Items

It’s Sew Susan – www.ItsSewSusan.Etsy.com – Doll Clothing and Accessories

Designs By Marlo – www.DesignsByMarlo.Etsy.com – Jewelry and Hair Accessories

 

Hello All! I have an updated sales map and news for you! First off, I've had a few more international sales, and a few more domestic sales, which make me SO happy. So here's the new sales map:

I am taking custom orders for domestic shipments through the 17th of December. I am taking custom orders for Sacramento Area locals through the 21st of December.

I will be giving my website a major overhaul after the holidays and will HOPEFULLY be able to set it up for sales directly through my website at that time. More on that in January.

I have two craft fairs left this year. I hope to see you at them!

• December 8th - RESCHEDULED from the 1st!: 45th Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair, 8am-4pm
  • Historic Sutter Street, Folsom
• December 16th: Nevada City Winter Craft Fair, 10am-7pm
  • Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada City 
  
  

Check out the sale in my Etsy shop! I'll activate the coupon codes late Thursday night, and won't deactivate them until sometime early Tuesday morning. So November 23 through 26th you can get the best deal of the year in my Etsy shop!!!

New Sales Map, Fall Craft Fair Schedule, Treasuries and More!

Hi All! First, I'm so excited, I have had two international sales in the last 2 weeks and that means I had to update my sales map! So I zoomed out and re-centered and Ta Da:

Look at that happy purple star in South Australia!!! And a second star in the UK! YAY!

I also have a lot of shows coming up this fall:

• November 3rd: Carmichael Holiday Craft Fair 9am-3pm
  • Mission Oaks Community Center, 4701 Gibbons Drive, Carmichael
• November 10th: Taylor's Art & Antique Park, 10am-4pm
  • 3636 Taylor Road, Loomis
•   November 16th-18th: 19th Annual Mandarin Festival 11am-5pm Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun
  • Gold Country Fairgrounds, 1273 High Street, Auburn
• December 1st: 45th Annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair, 8am-4pm
  • Historic Sutter Street, Folsom
• December 16th pending... in Nevada City

 I'll be posting updates on my website so you can check back and see if I add any more shows and if I get accepted to the one in Nevada City.

It's been ages since I posted links to all the awesome Treasuries I've had the honor of being included in. Check out this baker's dozen:
Cheered Up Winter Blues
Ghost
Fashion Passion
Elegant Sacramento
Neutral Style
September Wish (Virgo)
Magical
It's Tantalizing Tuesday
Sunshine Yellow and Red Hot Summer by Sac Etsy Team
Red Red Red
Teal Appeal
Milky Brown
Navy and Tan


I will be taking custom orders for holiday gifts (jewelry, crochet and ornaments) through the early part of December. Get them in sooner rather than later!

News!

After a SUPER busy May, June and July at my day job, things are finally calming down a bit there.  But I've been busy with Rocks, Maps and Crafts, too! I have a ton of new items listed in my Etsy shop and more on the way. My very own website is up and running. I made my third ever international sale about a week ago (new map below)! I was commissioned to do a hand drawn map for an independently published book (check it out on Kickstarter). I am accepted to Nevada City, Placerville and Bella Vista  High School Craft Fairs (details are on the home page of my website). I sorted piles of pearls so I can make new rainbow pearl necklaces, laid out about 4 dozen pairs of lampwork glass earrings - can't wait to make them! - and made some new knotty silk necklaces with lampwork art glass beads from Megan Ellis and Barbara Steffen and so much more! I'm starting to ramp up for the holiday season and there are so many good things coming! Check back regularly for more!

Updated Sales Map and Other Fun Things

I'm delighted I've had a few online sales in the last month - 1 from my GroovePress shop and 2 from my Etsy Shop. I've added the locations my handmade creations have been shipped to and I must say, I like the new look of my Sales Map!

I have applied to over a half dozen craft fairs, been accepted at some, rejected from some and am waiting to hear from 5 or so. So here's the updated list of craft fairs, until I hear more:

• Taylor's Art & Antique Park, Loomis, May 5th from 10am-5pm
• Spring Antique, Craft and Garden Show, Cameron Park, May 12th from 9am-3pm
• Art and Wine Festival, Walnut Creek, June 2nd 11am-7pm and June 3rd 11am-6pm 
• Downtown Davis Art & Craft Fest, Davis, June 23rd

Hopefully I'll be back at Taylor's Art & Antique Park on July 7th and August 4th (it happens the first Saturday of every month), and in Placerville on August 12th. Still waiting to hear about one in Benicia in September, one in Napa in September, a local Sacramento show in October,  and a Napa show in November. 

And as I'm typing this blog, I just had another sale in my Etsy shop and now get to add a new star to the map in Florida! YIPPEE!

Ponderings and Craft Fairs

I will be at the Spring Craft Fair in Carmichael at the Mission Oaks Community Center on Gibbons Drive this Saturday from 9am til 3pm. Come check out all my new items!
I have applied to 5 other shows in the past week, I'll post here if I get accepted to them - keep your fingers crossed. :)

I've been thinking a lot about pearls lately. I love stringing pearls. But I don't just string them, I knot them. I'll start a new length of silk cord with a sterling silver bead tip, then string a bunch of pearls onto the length, and then, one by one, put knots between them, making sure the new knot snugs up against the previous pearl. It's very rhythmic and therapeutic; soothing in a way. Once I'm done, the pearls drape SO beautifully. The weight of them against the silk, the knots separating them from each other both so they don't rub (which protects the pearls) and so they have the freedom to flow perfectly around your neck, over your collar bones... it's all so lovely. Here's one I loved so much I couldn't part with it:

 

I have strings and strings of mixed color pearls waiting to be sorted into rainbows so I can make more necklaces like this. That brings out one of my other favorite things - sorting! When I was a kid, I'd sort my skittles candies into rainbow order so I could eat one rainbow at a time. I did the same thing with M&Ms. Any food I could do that with, I would. Pearls are the perfect (healthy!) alternative. I definitely have a day of soothing sorting ahead of me. And when that's done, I'll have days of knotting pearls after that. YAY!

Blog Readers Discount!

Don't forget, you get 15% discount in my Etsy and Artfire shops with the coupon code 15BLOG and that's 15% off your entire purchase!
Also, I can ship as late as Dec 20th for domestic orders and for International, check out the cutoff for your region on the USPS website.
Happy holidays!

Treasuries, Collections and Craft Fairs - Oh My!

This Saturday, Dec 3rd, I'll be at the Folsom Christmas Craft Fair (44th annual!) from 8am til 4pm on Sutter Street in Historic Folsom, CA. Next Saturday I'll be in Benicia for their Main Street Holiday fair. Come check it out!

In the mean time one of my beaded ornaments was featured in a cool Yule collection on Artfire and some of my other creations have been featured in Treasuries on Etsy: Black Friday Black and White and Christmas is Coming Sooner Than You Think and When they say, "Oh, you shouldn't have!," this time, they won't mean it!

Big Sale this weekend!

My biggest sale ever is running now in my Etsy Shop! Black Friday through Cyber Monday get 25% off your entire purchase in my shop with the coupon code BFCM25off (enter it at checkout). I have listed over a dozen new items in the last 3 days and more are coming throughout the weekend. Check it out!

Updated Sales Map

Yippee! I've had a few online sales this past week, plus a GREAT show at the Holiday Craft Fair in Carmichael. I'll definitely be back for that one next year and will also give their spring Craft Fair a try. So, I've updated my sales map to show what new places are now home to my creations!

I've also started a Picasa Web Gallery for my creations, so please check it out!

Holiday Craft Fair this weekend...

Saturday November 5th, I'll be at the Mission Oaks Community Center in Carmichael (off Gibbons Drive) for their Holiday Craft Fair! from 9am til 3pm. Come by and see all the creative vendors and find the best in unique holiday gifts!

Great things coming!

This weekend - TOMORROW - I'll be in Historic old town Folsom, CA for their Fall Harvest Festival and Craft Fair. From 10am til 4pm on Sutter street. There will be LOTS of talented artists and craftspeople, including me! I have gobs of new items not yet listed in my shops and all kinds of pretties I'll be finishing tonight. Come check it out!
And in the mean time, check out this great Rainbow Treasury on Etsy!

Davis Ranch Harvest Festival

You really should stop by! It'll be so much fun! Saturday and Sunday both, 9am -5pm
http://www.zslproductions.net/harvest/

Pictures taken, more listings coming soon!

I finally got pictures taken of about 80 jewelry items not currently listed in any of my shops. I didn't have my favorite model but I at least had my good setup with light box. I have another dozen or so jewelry items still to be photographed, and a half dozen crochet items and almost as many beaded ornaments still to be photographed. But before I try my next photo-shoot I'll get the 80ish item photos (usually about 3 pics per item) cropped and ready to list. SO coming soon will be many new items to my shops!!!

Competing with my desire to get those things listed is my need to get my new table covers made before the Lodi Street Fair, which is Sunday October 2nd. I got the fabric washed and dried so it's pre-shrunk, and will get one of the tables set up in my craft room behind my sewing machine so I can measure out what I need. I'll be SO excited to return the borrowed table cloths I've been using for the last year to my momma. :) The new table covers will be a light-to-medium purple swirly print that completely covers each of my 6' tables down to a half-inch above the ground, and over that I'll have big diamond shaped overlays that are a cream-on-cream print of butterflies. I'm so excited! I'll post pics of my booth at Lodi when I'm done so y'all can see. OH, and I just remembered I need to make more business cards...

Have a great weekend and hope to see you in Lodi on the 2nd! OH and I'll be in booth #1004, on Church street, near Elm street - almost smack in the middle of the handcrafts section.

Craft Fairs - update

Hey All! I'll be at Midtown Bazaar for Second Saturday tomorrow - noon til 8pm, in the WEAVE parking lot at 18th and K, next door to Harv's Car Wash, Sacramento, CA. Come check it out! I'll have all the new necklaces (finished since the last pic I posted) and some more new fun stuff.
Also, good news, I think. I haven't heard for certain where my booth will be, but my registration fee checks were cashed for the Folsom Fall Fest and the Folsom Christmas Fair. So I'll be selling at those too!

Plus, my items have been featured in two Etsy treasuries recently:
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - featuring my labradorite spiral earrings
Hush! The rain is coming but not today - featuring my gorgeous chunky lace cape

Craft Fairs

Well, I did NOT get into the juried craft fair I applied for. I'm a little disappointed, but then again, it's probably the mark of a growing artist to get your first rejection notice. :) I followed up on two other shows in Folsom I hadn't heard about yet, and the coordinator emailed me the apps and asked me to apply again, something was wrong with the online app I filled out. There's another show I'd been wanting to do that was the weekend before the juried show, so now I'm free to apply for that too. I'll mail all my new applications in tomorrow. So the plan is:
1) Lodi Street Fair on Oct 2nd (already accepted and booth number assigned)
2) 3rd Annual Fall Fest in Folsom on October 29th
3) Midtown Bazaar 2nd Saturday November 12th
4) 3rd Annual Davis Ranch Harvest Festival November 19th
5) Folsom Christmas Fair on December 3rd
6) Midtown Bazaar 2nd Saturday on December 10th.

That's assuming my applications are accepted for the Davis Ranch and Folsom shows. :) They aren't juried shows, but if they already have too many jewelry vendors (for example) they'll probably turn me down.
And, since I haven't been doing much creating (grad school is almost done, but it still calls!) here's a sneak peak at the new items waiting for clasps! 8 knotty crystal necklaces, 2 bracelets and 2 rainbow pearl knotty necklaces. I have 2 more Renee 3-strand knotty pearl necklaces that are almost done too!

Recent Treasuries and Collections, planned craft fairs & shows

I've applied for two craft fairs in Folsom (one end of October and one early December), we'll see if I'm accepted. I applied for the Crocker Art Museum Holiday Craft Fair and I haven't heard from them yet. That's the first juried show I've ever applied to, so I'm really anxious! I'll also be doing the Lodi Street Fair on October 2nd. If I don't get into the Folsom craft fair on Dec 3rd, I'll be doing one in Granite Bay instead. I'll also be doing Second Saturday at Midtown Bazaar in November and December. Gearing up for all that, I have been trying to make more things, and have been totally slacking on getting them photographed and listed in my online shops. maybe this weekend... :)

Meanwhile, here's the most recent treasuries (Etsy) and collections (ArtFire) my items have been featured in!
Monday Night Stripes - featuring my striped beanie
Red - featuring my red beanie
Simply Sapphire - featuring my midnight moon crystal and pearl cluster earrings
and Handmade Crochet Lace - featuring my chunky lace shawl

Treasury Roundup and Creations Update

Yippee! I've had a quite few items featured in treasuries on Etsy since the last time I posted here. Please check them out!
Misty Blue - featuring one of my knotty silk necklaces
Sunrise, Sunset - featuring my Sunshine crystal and pearl cluster earrings
Summer's Watercolors to Stay COOL - featuring my Aqua Ocean crystal and pearl cluster earrings
End of the Rainbow - featuring my rainbow Fun Fur crochet hat
Dont' Break the Bank - featuring my multi-colored beaded choker necklace
A Whisper In the Mist - featuring one of my knotty silk necklaces
Autumn On Its Way - featuring my mini beaded Autumn ornament
A Little Girly - featuring my Pink chunky lacy Beanie

I have been frantically creating and making new things. I have 8 knotty silk necklaces waiting for clasps, a new Renee 3-strand pearl necklace in natural white freshwater pearls waiting for a clasp, another Renee 3-strand pearl necklace started in peacock blue-gray pearls, a new smaller cape/shawl in the same lovely pattern as the one currently listed in my shops is almost done, a new rectangular lacy shawl in a lovely color-change yarn, a new scarf in the absolute softest white fluffy yarn I've ever touched is almost done in a cute chain of hearts crochet pattern, and I just finished another basketweave scarf in this fabulous bamboo blend yarn in pinks and whites. So new stuff is coming soon, I promise!