Spring Has Sprung

I fall off the blogging bandwagon and I don't know how to get back on. You are only as good as your last post so here I am. I am going to let a picture my 11 year old son took today speak for me. I cannot find the words. I vow to try and do better. I am taking an online blogging course with Holly Becker of Decor8 in April and I am hoping I can learn how to stay on track. For now I give you this photo called Spring by Thomas D. McDonough who, by the way, came in second in an art contest for the RI Tree Council's Arbor Day Poster Contest. You can see his poster here.

Guess How Much I Love You

On the last few pages of Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, Big Nut Brown Hare settles Little Nut Brown Hare into his bed of leaves and whispers "I love you right up to the moon - and back". I swear I never got through that last page without tearing up when my kids were babies. I tore through the house looking for that book this morning. Maybe I'm feeling a bit melancholy because my baby boy is 11 tomorrow. I literally felt myself having panic at the thought this book had been put in the Goodwill bin. In front of 6 sleepover guests I'm begging my son to help me find the book. He looked at me like he might just kill me right there in front of 6 witnesses. "Whew never mind I found it in your sister's room" I said a few minutes later. I heard him say to one of his guests that he had no idea why I would think a baby book was anywhere but. I made this necklace as a tribute to unconditional love that spans a thousands oceans, a million miles...to the moon...and back.

A Valentine's To Love

My Arts In RI team members decided to creatively challenge one another to embrace the season of love with Valentine themed products. Between now and Valentine's Day we will share some of these "lovely" designs with you on our blog. Let us know how you feel about our art by leaving a comment. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a random drawing for an Arts In RI gift basket featuring goodies from many of our shops. (one entry per person per post. In other words you can enter once every time we post a new product!!!) Be sure to check back on the blog on Valentine's Day as we will announce the winner that day. Entries will be accepted until midnight February 13th.Have you ever fallen in love with something at first sight? That's how I felt when I saw this classy Valentine themed clutch made by Linda of Alamodestuff. The fabric is velvet flocked red taffeta. Linda said of the fabric: "When I saw it, I simply had to have it. I wasn't sure what I was going to make, but I bought it anyway. After staring at it for days, I decided that it would make the perfect clutch for a little black dress. The shape was inspired by the purses of the 1940s. It reminds me of a time when women wore evening gloves with their fancy little bags." Check out Linda's shop for this item as well as other wonderful items with urban appeal.

The Rhinestone Heroine

The year was 1973. I was in the second grade at Carl T. Thompson Elementary school in Rumford, RI. In the school yard at recess I was never asked to play jump rope with the girls. Neither was Diane Drake. She was tall girl, probably taller than most of the kids several grades ahead of us. I was small. We were on opposite ends of the growth chart and equally uncoordinated. Jump rope would have provided a mortifying experience for both of us and we were just as happy not to be asked.
David Farias was a little boy that never seemed to fit in with the boys. Instead he sought our companionship in the corners of the playground. Diane and I both liked David. He was a cute little dark haired boy who seemed to enjoy having competing love interests. Batman was the game we played. David, of course, got the starring role. Diane and I argued about who would play his Batgirl and who would have to be the villianess Catwoman. I usually won when I remembered to bring this rhinestone ring to school. My mother had some really mod jewelry from the 60's and this awesome treasure had become mine. David thought it made the best laser weapon! Ha, I had her with the bling. Occasionally I'd let her be Batgirl but then the enemy (me) would have the weapon. By the end of the year I knew David liked me best. He gave me a Linus pin that he had made with a button making kit.
I found this ring recently in my daughter's jewelry box. She is in the second grade so I told her the story of Diane and David and our little triangle. My daughter is one of the girls who would be playing jump rope although now the game is ball. She definitely seems to "fit in" alot better than her mother. She thought it was odd I'd have any interest in playing a boy's game like Batman but she definitely likes the bling. She's thinking of bringing the ring to school to show the girls. She thinks it looks like a ring Hannah Montana would wear. I still happen to think it makes the best laser weapon.

Artsinri Holiday Party

I hosted the Artsinri post holiday party last night at my house and we had a great time. Thanks ladies for all the great food and drink. It was so much fun and a pleasure having you all. It's so nice that we can market together but we all still know how to play too. I got to know a few of you a little better and that was really nice. We may be very unique among local street teams in that, because our state is so small, we can meet face to face so frequently. Now we need to add party together to the list too because last night makes me want to do this again soon. lol.

Covergirl

I had one of my key necklaces featured on the cover of Stringing magazine in the 2008 Fall issue! A dear customer of mine Heather of Humble Beads used one of my boro beaded skeleton keys in a necklace that she submitted to a design contest for one of Stringing Magazine’s sister publications Bead Star. This caught the attention of Stringing Magazine’s editor Danielle Fox who contacted Heather to find out where she got the key. Danielle then contacted me and asked if I would submit one of my beaded keys for the next issue. In the Beads to Buy section of the magazine they were doing a feature on key beads, pendants and charms. I happily agreed. Then Danielle noticed that in my Etsy shop, my necklaces featuring the beaded keys used alot of vintage components and lockets. On one week’s notice she asked me if I would consider submitting a project featuring a key necklace that used a vintage locket. She said they would pay me $85 and I would get my necklace back after they photographed it. I needed to write up very specific directions for making the necklace complete with sources. I’ll admit at first I panicked. I had to weigh the incredible exposure I would receive against the risk of revealing my sources and basically inviting other designers to copy my design. Then I thought of a way everyone could win. I quickly ordered some vintage components from some favorite suppliers on ETSY, Tulle and Gems Jems and even a few lampwork boro beads from my friend Kim of Kim V Glass . I put together a beautiful necklace using as many Etsy sources as possible and I listed my shop as the source for the key and the chain figuring that even designers need to come to me for the beaded key. I already sell to a lot of designers why not more? In the end, the realization that being published in a magazine as fine as Stringing far outweighed any worry about the copiers and I submitted “I Love You More” as a locket project as well as a single beaded key for the beads to buy section. I remember sitting at one of my daughter’s softball practices writing out the project directions trying to figure out: “ Now is that a 6 mm bead cap I used? A 1 ½ or 2 inch head pin?” It had to be so detailed! That was in late June. Stringing sent me a contract and the editorial copy for me to approve and then I had to wait until the Fall to see the magazine. I received my copy when the subscriber’s copies went out at the end of September. I knew I would be featured in two spots in the magazine but I nearly died when I spotted my necklace on the cover. I started squealing and jumping up and down in front of Chris my mailman. Even he was happy for me. Danielle was cute and included a little note telling me I was a “covergirl”. What a wonderful surprise! It was probably the biggest highlight of my bead-making career short of setting up my own home studio of course. The magazine came out on newsstands on October 8th and it has been a big kick to see the magazine in Border’s Books and Walmart with my husband and kids. My husband was skeptical that it was a publication sold in those mainstream locations. I think he thinks there are like 5 other people out there making glass beads. LOL. He’s impressed as are my family and friends. It has been very rewarding getting convos from customers and potential customers who have seen the magazine and are excited for me or complimentary of my work. My sales have definitely improved because of the exposure and like anything else that produces an adrenaline rush, I think I might be addicted. I have already contacted Danielle about working with them again and she is thrilled. So, you might not have seen the last of me on newsstands near you….

My Etsy Street Team Arts in RI is sponsoring a Halloween contest and offering a treat with no tricks. All you need to do to enter is search for the Halloween pumpkin Artsinri logo in a featured item in one of our shops. You will need an etsy account and can register for one here. Along the right column of the blog you will find a link to all of our shops. When you find the Halloween logo with the carved pumpkin, convo me with the name of the shop and the item name and number where you found it and you will be entered into a random drawing to win this beautiful glass pumpkin hand blown by our very own Suzanne Tanner of Tanner Glass. The pumpkin is made of transparent orange glass with a transparent green stem. It measures 4" tall by 3.5" wide. It is signed and dated on the bottom by Suzanne, and a gift box is included! The suggested retail price is $35. Suzanne was kind enough to make this pumpkin especially for this contest and it is one of a kind! For this reason, Suzanne doesn't have these in her shop but if you convo her she is happy to take special orders. Now enjoy your not so spooky trip through Artsinri. We would love for you to ring our doorbells along the way if you like what you see! The contest will run from October 21st and end at midnight on Monday October 27th. The winner will be notified by convo and posted here and on the Etsy forums on Tuesday October 28th. Thanks for playing.