// BLOG
Sioux Falls Sidewalk Arts Festival
September 15, 2009
C-My Designs booth at Washington Pavillion Sidewalk Arts Festival 2009
Had a fabulous time at the Washington Pavillion Sidewalk Arts Festival last Saturday…we drove to Sioux Falls on Friday night, and stayed at a very nice Super 8 on 10th Street. Clean, quiet, very roomy room…just what we needed.
Up “before the chickens” on Saturday morning (Jeremy grumbled but was such a great help!) to get to the site by 6 a.m. and set up…we were essentially ready to roll by 8, which was a Good Thing, because there were already folks shopping!
Met some really wonderful people at the show, and while it was a long day (drove back home after tear down at 5), it was well-worth the trip. I even got to meet a fellow jewelry maker who I’ve gotten to know through a jewelry forum – it’s always great to chat with someone that I’ve just “talked to” online! Plus, I got to visit again with Brenda Flourish, a fabulous glass artist that I got to know at the 2008 & 2009 Grand Cities shows.
Looking forward to this venue next year!
Intergem Review and Stash
September 4, 2009
Last weekend, I made a road trip to Chicago to visit my friend Ami, as well as do some shopping at the International Gem and Jewelry Show (Intergem for short). After a great (but cold!) night at Navy Pier, we woke on Sunday morning to a gorgeous day and set out to explore the goodies at the show!
Intergem is set up with two sections – Retail is for the general public, and there are booths with beads, stones, clothing, purses, and more. It’s also VERY crowded, noisy, and busy!
The Wholesale section is all about jewelry making – from strands upon strands of beads, to cabachons and faceted stones for setting…even booths with great settings to put those fabulous stones in! Lots of finished jewelry as well.
Ami and I had a great time shopping. I scored an unbelievable find of .59/gram for Bali silver, and picked up a nice stash. I use Bali for my class kits as well as accents in my Brag Bracelets and other items, and there were plenty of choices at the Silver Planet booth!
Additionally, I got a LOT of beads. From gorgeous new shades of glass (chocolate cherry and red velvet – ooh la la!) to dyed hot pink moonstone with an unbelievable flash, I was in heaven!
The funniest thing we saw (over and over again) were carved “turquoise” (I think they were actually dyed howlite) peace signs in pendant and large bead sizes.
Overall, the quality of stones and other items in the wholesale section was very good. You do have to examine every strand (just like you would at an LBS!) but for the most part, these are not low grade beads! Vendors may give you a discount, and shopping on the last day of the sale will garner additional savings. We shopped all day on Sunday and found several vendors offering 70% off wholesale prices!
I would highly recommend Intergem to any beader or jewelry maker – to access the wholesale area, you need to provide a tax ID and proper identification (bring a photo ID and business card!) and register prior to entry.
Plan to spend the day – we started at the beginning of the show (11 a.m.) and left shortly before closing at 5 p.m. Take breaks periodically – the bright lights and sparkling strands will give you a bit of eyestrain – but have a blast!
My favorite jewelry cleaner
July 18, 2009
I LOVE Sunshine polishing cloths. I buy mine from Fire Mountain Gems, and they are really the best for getting a nice shiny finish on silver, copper, bronze, brass, even gold!
The best thing about Sunshine cloths is that they last FOREVER. I have a couple that I’ve used for several years, and even though they are black and tattered, they still polish up my metal very nicely!
To use, simply polish the metal with the cloth. Store the cloth in a zippered plastic bag, and don’t wash it, no matter how “dirty” it looks!
Another great use for Sunshine cloths is to use them as a giveaway to your customers. You can cut a large square into 2-4 pieces, put in a zippered bag with your business card, and it’s a great way to thank customers for buying your jewelry!
Themed Stampings
July 12, 2009
In Auguest, I have an art show at a wine tasting event, and wanted to offer some “winey” items to patrons.
In addition to the obvious Wine Glass Charms, I thought about some wine-themed jewelry, and stamping was the first thing that came to mind!
Using some medium-sized sterling silver disks, I stamped a few phrases that I thought might catch the eye of wine-lovers – “Wines Constantly” (I actually have a t-shirt that says this, LOL), “Pop My Cork” and “Vineyard Vixen”. I’ve asked some friends on Facebook and some of my jewelry boards for ideas, and have gotten some other good ones.
Stamping is a lot of fun, and you can be VERY creative! Not only in what you stamp, but how you place the letters, extra designs you can work in (notice the “I” in Vineyard is dotted with a spiral?)….plus I’m thinking color could easily be added using different colored Sharpie markers to “antique” the stamps.
Detailed free instructions for stamping are available on Beaducation, Lisa Niven Kelly’s fabulous site. Try stamping, you’ll be hooked!!
Simply Beads: Kit of the Month
July 10, 2009
Got an email from my beading buddy Heather of HeHe Beads telling me about the Kit of the Month program, available from Simply Beads.
I took a quick look, and for $15/month, it’s probably not a bad deal for someone who wants to start dabbling in various methods of beading. Some of the designs were not particularly my style, but I would hope that if you didn’t like the design, you could return the kit for a full refund.
Overall, it’s a great sales technique (sign up, get 50% off your first kit and then have recurring kits automatically sent to you monthly) that would appeal to someone who doesn’t want to hoard extra beads, doesn’t have space or desire to have all the supplies on hand, and would like to learn various techniques.
Myself, I’d prefer to get a couple of good books or do the research and find projects that appeal to me online and buy the supplies. But I’m sure Simply Beads Kit of the Month has it’s niche and is a good program for someone!
