My Work for Sale
Find Me On
Etsy
The Shop: Stimulus
If you’re up for a fun bargain, many of the vendors on ArtFire are offering goodies at seriously reduced prices until August 31. To take advantage of the specials search AFSS or AFSP.
In my own studio I have a few little pieces up for the stimulus sale:
The Shop: Slices
This week, the shop has the Ode to Slice Beads as a theme I swear! There are my little 25 cent slices and the larger, more complicated ones I use in my charm bracelets. There’s a selection in my ArtFire shop to start – take a look:
The larger slices will be a dollar a piece or a dozen for $10. AF allows me to easily list multiple quantities, so if you need more than what’s there, do let me know. For example, my bracelets use between 10 and 30 of each flower type in them. I will probably make larger, mixed, quantities available soon.
And these will roll out to my Etsy shop in the coming days or weeks. Just have to start somewhere.
Classes Galore!
Historically, my summers are my slowest periods for work, both computer and art. This year I prepared for that by booking extra shows leading up to the summer and a week of classes in each of July and August! Phew. Plus the 20% off sale in my Etsy bead, Etsy cane and ArtFire shops. That ends today.
Here are some of the excerpts from my week of class. I had returning students and all new ones:
One of my regulars is a die-hard football fan (the local team is the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the team colour is pretty much Premo’s sea green): 
One of the adult classes we covered small bottles to make wish bottles. Combinations of embellishment, canes and imagination were on the docket. One of my first time students whipped up something awesome right to order of course!
A rerun of a popular kids project class for a local day camp were the Turtle Rocks. We had neon turtles, winged turtles, fanged turtles… and lots of fun:
Of course, after all that over-planning and over-preparing for a “slow summer” it hasn’t gone slow yet. Go figure. How’s YOUR summer going?
Show on the Lake
Within weeks of my moving to Saskatchewan last summer there was this little craft show at Lac Pelletier, a small resort town near here. It was a sweet show and a nice day even though I had the last of a flu for it. This year I’m happy to say it was STILL a sweet show and I was completely healthy.
The area is beautiful with a big lake nestled in the hills – for a flat province, Saskatchewan has a freakish amount of hills – and the show is in the community hall.
I was a dope and forgot a whole box of my stock which ended up not being a big deal. I had plenty of my bread and butter small show pieces and those went over well. Of course, I spent a big chunk of my proceeds on local baking and farm food but we’ll eat well for days yet.
My friend Cindy was at the show with me since doing them with friends is much more fun.
Now back to the regular week! My Christmas in July sale on Etsy and ArtFire runs until the end of the month. If you’re looking for beads or canes to use in your fall designs give it a peek!
Christmas in July
I know, way too early. Don’t even mention it. Didn’t Christmas just happen?
However distant it seems when you’re sitting out there on the deck with your icy cold lemonade enjoying the sun the holidays always show up much sooner than we’re ready for! And the Christmas in July promotion on Etsy and the Twelve Days of Christmas in July promotion on ArtFire gives you the chance to see what people are dreaming up for the season.
I’ve relisted a few of my favourite beads and canes, added a few fun sets of (summer) holiday themed beads into the mix and, of course, posted more of my poinsettia holiday beads:
I’ll be offering 20% off in my Etsy and ArtFire shops. I’ve marked them all down in both shops so there’s no fooling with extra invoices and refunds – if you have any questions please do let me know!
On ArtFire I encourage you to check out their Trend Page for the Twelve Days of Christmas promotion and this forum thread for a list of other active participants(and some fabulous deals on great handmade art, supplies and vintage).
The Handmade in Canada Party
The TransCanada Etsy Team and the Alberta Etsy Team are joining forces for a Canada Day Party! The TransCanada team has organized a treasure hunt and two seriously awesome prizes as part of the whole deal. There are a ton of details in the post about it, so check that out.
I’ll be offering my crowd favourite FREE SHIPPING in my Etsy shops until July 4th (may as well celebrate the south of the border folks too!). You can see what the rest of the Alberta Team is up to as well!
May Madness!
I’m a little slow getting to this but my Alberta Team (yes, I know, I’m not in Alberta anymore but they still let me play with them!) has kicked off their MAY MADNESS sale. We have more than 70 participating shops this time around including my two.
I’m offering FREE SHIPPING in my Etsy and ArtFire shops – Tooaquarius on Etsy, Claychicks and Tooaquarius on ArtFire – between May 1st and May 7th.
The Shop: A little of This
And a lot of that. That being mostly canes this week since beads are getting put into jewelry and the queue for the bead show. But some great sets of canes, which offer a real discount off buying them individually – one set of 6 for $16 ends up as a buy 4 1/2, get 1 1/2 canes free.
The Shop: Canes and More Canes
A lot of last weeks productivity has made it’s way onto ArtFire with a ton of new canes:
I think I’m most partial to my little chrysanthemum style canes, myself. Though there were a few other sweet ones in this batch! And now onto the even better part, making BEADS!
Life in a Small Town
My friends who live in smaller places are going to laugh at me but after a million people Swift Current, Saskatchewan is tiny. Even if it is 16,000+ people. And yesterday I had a craft show in a smaller, neighbouring community called Herbert. The show was perfectly organized, well advertised and unfortunately poorly attended. Still had some fun there meeting up with people.
One of my latest pieces, another dangly bracelet – I made a few of those in 2008 I think – is this one with little pink flowers, pearls and antiqued brass wire.
And finally, to catch you all up, I had my demonstration today at the gallery. It was great, lots of interest in classes about polymer clay, oohs and aahs about my beads and good chit chat. I completely forgot to get a picture of me doing my thing! So, here is a picture of my friend Cindy doing HER thing last weekend. You just have to picture me in approximately the same spot with spread out messes of clay.
