7.18.2009

It all started...

...with this
Pewter Butterfly focal- Lynn Davis
I sat down with a goal today. I wanted to do some things that were requested in the giveaway comments, on what you'all wanted to see show up in my etsy shop. I created several pair of earrings, a couple of bracelets, and incorporated some brighter colors, all the while, sticking to my usual style. I am excited to list the newbies, But I've run out of steam. Go to my flickr page to see the new stuff.
The past week has been hard- sales are really really slow right now. Is it just me? Are you having the same experience on Etsy? Why must it be so unpredictable, so up and down!? Where the heck have all the shoppers gone! Are they waiting for something new? Are they tired of the same ol' same ol'? Maybe the economy really is taking its toll on my usual customers.
At any rate, it's hard to keep creating new stuff, when you haven't really sold any of the older stuff.
Just venting. I know I can do that here. My blog readers are very good about being all supportive and stuff.



Posted by Lorelei at 2:56 PM | 8 comments  

7.17.2009

Obstacles, an ABS entry, and a piece of drift wood

Mmmmm. linen cord, yum!
Wha? you don't need these beads below my fat ass, do you? I didn't think so.
Ok, look what I have to deal with! I'm not making this stuff up. Marley has been especially clingy since we got back from our trip.
It's safe to say that I'm back! I spent a few days thinking things over and trying to wrap my head around something specific. It felt hard to get back into it but I'm back. And I'm happy with the outcome of some pieces I finished last night. Below, is a necklace inspired by my trip to Plum Island. Oh and that piece of driftwood? I found that on the beach! I love photo props lately and what better way to remember my trip!!
This necklace celebrates many different bead artisans- at the forefront is a ceramic sand dollar from Erin Siegel. There is a lampwork flower from Gardanne beads, a ceramic round from Keith O'Connor, an olive green lampwork spacer from Studiorent, a coral lampwork round from The Orange Bell, a ceramic House bead from Jubilee, a lampwork disc that is hard to see in this pic from Loupiac, a drilled stone from Stones Studio Too. I used some etched cable chain from AD Adornments, and some silk cording from Ornamentea, and created my own steel wire hook clasp.

And finally my ABS entry. I quite like how it turned out.
I hope it gets good response. I wasn't sure how to
portray the painting without all the bulls and horses, but
I think sticking to a rustic color palette, I've captured
the feeling of the painting.








Posted by Lorelei at 7:52 AM | 14 comments  

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7.16.2009

A new Giveaway!

The prizes:


An issue of Creative Jewelry 2009 which features several tutorials from yours truly...


AND


My Kiss necklace- featured in the magazine!!

Ok, you know the drill.

Leave a comment on this post.

Tell me what kind of things you'd like to see in my etsy shop. New styles? Old favorites?

You are only allowed 1 comment.

I'll draw a random winner 1 week from today.

Thurs. July 23.



Posted by Lorelei at 7:52 AM | 48 comments  

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7.15.2009

Back to the Grind

Back to work today. I won't inundate you with thousands of photographs from my trip butdo want to share a few favorites from our getaway. What a nice time we had. We kept saying that this area would be a great place to live... we think we'd like to live in Amesbury. Cute town with a lot to offer, really laid back, and close to really cool places like Newburyport, and Portsmouth. We did a lot of driving, up and down the coast, and even ventured into Hampton Beach, which wasn't really our scene. It took about 45 minutes to drive down and up that boardwalk. GAH. But it was something to see, for sure.

Here I am with Erin Siegel. She showed us around town and we had a nice little lunch at Flat Bread Pizza. Got to see the Riverwalk Bead Shop and Gallery, where she works and also
sells her pretties. I bought a few beads, of course! It was fun meeting in person. Erin is just as sweet as I had expected. We got along well and agreed that we would probably be attached at the hip if we lived closer. We had fun talking about projects, and Etsy, and blogging, and Jewelry, and beads!


Joe and I drove up the coast to Maine and checked out our favorite little hot spot, Marginal Way. A beautiful and scenic walking path that twists and turns along the coast. It could not have been
a more beautiful day!!

Here is the main building at Three Chimneys Inn, in Durham NH where we stayed for 2 nights. A beautiful inn, with the most awesome breakfast ever. The grounds the Inn sits on, are gorgeous as well. Lots of land, hidden in the trees. There were fountains and little sitting areas, I fell in love with its charm.

Here is our room, the 4 poster bed was so high I had to use that step stool to get up into it. It was such a comfortable room, nice and homey with beautiful antique furnishings.

Erin took this picture of us at Newburyport, by the bay. Another beautiful day! We got really lucky with wonderful weather the whole time we were there. We had a nice relaxing time and are looking forward to going back again. See more pics from our trip here.

Posted by Lorelei at 7:26 AM | 8 comments  

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7.14.2009

On our way home


I'm a little sad we have to leave New Hampshire today. We had a wonderful time. It was so perfect to get away for a few days, away from the every day grind. And we had a chance to re-group, and re-connect, something that was needing to happen before we start
a new venture in our lives. I feel rejuvenated, and ready.



Posted by Lorelei at 7:22 AM | 8 comments  

7.12.2009

Weekly Bead Links

I am so dedicated! Coming to you from Sunny and Beautiful New Hampshire/Maine - Here is a nice photo of Joe and I before we walked along Marginal way up in Ogunquit Maine this morning.

Enjoying our time away, and I'll share more pics after we come home. Read the weekly links below!

A Bead A Day
Lisa�s �Swarovski Summer Picnic� project is progressing. The only thing missing are the crystally butterflies!!
 About.com Jewelry Making
School's out for summer, but is it really? Nope, not when you can take one of these free jewelry making e-courses
 Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge painting for July is the Lascaux Cave Paintings. Get your stash of beads out in ivory, red and brown to match the color palette of these ancient drawings
 Beading Arts
Wonderful wonderful wonderful new CopprClay! Cyndi is so excited about this new material that she can't stop playing with it!
Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi attempts to create a necklace after a resin pouring disaster.
Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
Cindy shows off some new chain and realizes one should never shop for jeans on her lunch hour.
Humblebeads
Check out the 2009 Bead Cruise design contest winners!
Jean Campbell
Jean Campbell finished off her new LeTemps Necklace design which marries bling to grunge. Hurray!
Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei has busted out of the studio and into the Museum of Art for a trunk show.
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews a different, colorful, and inspiring book called Glass, by Marlene Blessing and Jamie Hogsett
Strands of Beads
Melissa talks about where to find reliable information on copyrights - the U.S. Copyright Office, of course!
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Challenging himself with a smaller scale, Andrew tackles doll jewelry. Check out five new designs with dolls in mind!


Posted by Lorelei at 8:13 PM | 3 comments  

7.10.2009

Time for a break.

TGIF! Whew! I thought this week was never going to end. It was the longest week ever and usually is the longest week right before a vacation. Yup that's right. I'm finally going on a little mini vacation. And the in-laws aren't coming. And I don't have to make coffee, or do laundry. But there also will be no jewelry created, and no blogging. (*but I will have my laptop to keep up on what's going on in internetland, cuz that's just how I roll) There will be hopefully, sleeping in, lots of good seafood, maybe a cupcake or two, sand on my toes, and wind in my hair, bead purchases (but only a few) and the meeting of a new friend!

Joe and I are headed to New Hampshire tomorrow morning. When we get there, we'll be stopping in to see Erin of Every Heart Crafts. Erin emailed me when she found out were going to be like 1/2 hour away from her and suggested we meet up for some chatting, and coffee and possibly beads. I am so excited to meet her in person and I think we'll have a great time. We'll be staying in Portsmouth the first night, and then Durham NH the second two nights. I am really looking forward to seeing a new place, and getting some new inspiration!

I'm keeping my shop open but won't be shipping purchases until the 15th. I'll have my laptop and will be keeping up with emails so feel free to contact me.

Here are a few pieces I created last night. I had that super awesome beading Mojo last night. Sometimes I have it and sometimes I don't but last night was one of those nights where I showed up and got "completely lost" in the beads and all of a sudden, I had 3 beautiful pieces of jewelry. I'm actually really excited to list these today! What a great way to end the week!

Another exciting happening from this week is I decided to go to the Philadephia Bead Fest! Heck why not!??! and I invited Kelley to come with me! I can't believe she agreed to fly up from Georgia for the weekend but you know, I'd do anything for beads too. It will be the first time meeting Kelley in person and it will be like we've always been friends. I've been chatting on a daily basis with Kelley for a few months now. I am so excited to meet her face to face and give her a big ol' lorelei bear hug.

So if you're headed to Bead Fest too and you want meet up, lemme know! We'll be there Friday thru Sunday!

Posted by Lorelei at 6:04 AM | 12 comments  

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7.09.2009

Ohhh Yeaaaaa

... Boump Boump
Chikachicka....

Posted by Lorelei at 10:00 AM | 6 comments  

7.08.2009

Artisan Clay

I've only recently become familiar with the ceramic work of Kristie of Artisan Clay. I saw her work in person when I went to a big bead show out in Albany a few months ago. Kristie approached me recently and asked if I would put some of her ceramic components into some sample jewelry that she could display at an upcoming bead show in Philly called Bead Fest. I was so thrilled she asked me, and couldn't wait to get things created. Her work and my designs go hand in hand, it seems. I love the earthiness of the pieces she sent me. Kristie will display these at her booth, and they will be for sale, so be sure to stop by if you're in the Philadelphia area August 21-23!

Posted by Lorelei at 6:56 AM | 8 comments  

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7.07.2009

A Fair Success


Yesterday's trunk show was pretty good! I had a lot of traffic come through and a few sales, mostly from coworkers. People enjoyed flipping through the presentation book that I put together. And I got a lot of nice compliments on my displays, and people loved the paper cards that I attached the earrings to.



I had a bit of space on the end of the table to sit and do some beading while I was there, which really made the time go by fast! I created a necklace and a few bracelets while I was there. One of the bracelets sold, HOT OFF THE PRESS, immediately after I finished it. I'll be listing the others today.

I filled the shop back up with a lot of the stuff that remains. I kept quite a bit of it to hand off to the Gift gallery to build up their stock. I'm going to take a few things back that they have now. Older pieces that I could probably clearance on etsy.
I will mark a few things down in the shop today, keep your eye out for some sales.


Posted by Lorelei at 6:31 AM | 10 comments  

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