Creating an Adjustable Slide Knot...

I've been making necklaces with an adjustable slide knot. This gives the wearer a lot of options for length and style of the piece. You can go from 16" choker to 32" necklace by sliding the knots to get the look that's right for you. Below you will find an example of the necklaces I'm making, and a tutorial on how to make the sliding knots.

Step 1

• You need two ends of cord. I’ve used one brown and one blue for the purposes of illustrating this technique. You can use any colors you’d like. Normally, I would use two of the same color.

Step 2

• Cross the brown cord over the blue and wrap 2 times.

Step 3

• Take the end of the brown cord, go back over the 2 loops you made and poke it through the loops.

Step 4

• Pull tight on either side of the knot, but be careful not to pull too tight, you need to be able to slide the knot along the blue cord.

Step 5

• Repeat steps 2-3-4 using the blue cord on the brown.

Step 6

• Now you have a loop you can adjust by sliding the knots away or toward each other.

Have fun crafting!

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge, GA

My New Creative Space.....

I absolutely loved working with metal clay during my jewelry class at the John C. Campbell Folk School. My Husband encouraged me to continue working with metal clay after the class; he even bought me a kiln in my favorite color purple as a surprise...    

What he didn't realize was that I needed many additional tools to be successful at this new craft. Dryers, tumblers, polishers, textures, expensive metal clays, metal tools, etc, etc, etc... The tools for clay and supplies for other crafts began to take over every flat surface in the house.  When he had to move my tumbler, dehydrator, and handmade card stock so he could make dinner, I think he was sorry he encouraged me to start down this new jewelry making path...LOL.

So, today construction of  my new Metal Clay Studio is complete and ready for action; we've enclosed one of the porches on our house with weather tight panels and screens. Take a peek...you can't get much better natural light than this!

The entrance to the studio...

The kiln, tumbling, and drying area...

The design and production area...

The View...

The view of the stream...

Stay tuned for updates on my spring collection of  metal clay jewelry...I'll be working in both copper and bronze.  LOVE the new creative space!

Cheers!

Lori in Blue Ridge

New Design Space...

Now that I'm no longer working in the corporate world, I'm dedicated to reinventing myself and pursuing my creative side... 

I ordered this corner desk unit to use as my creative workstation at the new house. I will have a dedicated room for my studio. 

I plan to revamp and expand my current Etsy jewelry shop and develop a new shop dedicated to wedding decor.

I'm so excited to begin this new chapter in my life!

This piece will be used as my printer stand and file cabinet for my Etsy orders paperwork.  I like the wood grain finish and the industrial look framework.  

I will have two of these matching tall shelf units flanking the corner desk. One will be used for bead container storage and the other for wedding decor storage.  I will have easy access to both units for supply selection when I'm working on a project. I won't need to jump up and down to reach supplies like I do now in my current space.

We move to the new house in about three weeks.  I can't wait to get started on my new life!

Cheers!

Lori

Oh No...I’m losing it…

“You know… the thing that holds hot chocolate, above the dish cleaning machine.” 

Translation: I need a mug from the cabinet above the dishwasher….

Forgetting things and words happens with increased frequency, and I hate it.

In the past year, I have left or forgotten the following items during my adventures out in the world:

• Two umbrellas
• One necklace, handmade with a large turquoise pendant
• Five doggie bags
• My favorite fuzzy socks
• Six Pilot purple gel pens
• Countless words (mug, dishwasher, sprinkler, buffet, etc…)
• At least twenty names (sorry friends)
• Copies of Southern Living, O!, and a trashy romance novel
• My tenacity

I have become ‘that’ person… the person who leaves the water running and can never find her car. That person who goes into a panic when she can't find her reading glasses balanced on top of her head. That person who leaves sentences dangling as she madly scrambles for the right word to pick it back up. That person who recognizes a face she's seen 50 times, but can't remember the name of it's owner. That person who forgets the name of the band that plays the song in that movie with so and so who also stared in the movie she can't remember the title of either.

I'm fond of saying, "my hard drive is full" because it's true. My brain is so packed with a half-century's worth of information that there's just no more space to shove anything else in there. And good luck pulling anything back out. My mind's a mess, and I really need a new memory stick.  I rely more and more on spastic arm movements and hand gestures to help convey what I'm trying to say but can't remember how to. It's like being in a never-ending game of Charades.

When one becomes that person, it pays to have a sense of humor, or you will never want to leave the house. So, I look on the bright side of turning so dim: For one, during those times when I can't find the word I'm looking for, I'm forced to come up with some pretty creative alternatives, like "that container where you put dirty laundry" for "hamper," or even, "striped four-legged meow machine" for our cat Buddy.

I’m off to visit what’s her face, on that road by the big orange box store; we're having brunch or lunch or something!?!

Cheers!

Lori

Based on a post by:  Blank Stare, Blink.

Refined Halloween Designs...

I was browsing on Etsy and stumbled upon an artist with an amazing shop filled with wonderful mixed media designs. Several of her creations caught my eye for a refined Halloween party idea that has been lingering in the back of my mind for several years. 

Mirjana Cesar’s designs are a fusion between acrylic painting and fiber collage with emphases on incorporating natural and recycled materials. It's constantly evolving with extensive use of old artisan techniques to achieve original, one of a kind pieces.  She incorporates weaving, beadwork, and embroidery in her mixed media artwork.

I think the fiber art spiderweb heart and the beaded bird from her Etsy Shop would be fabulous on the fireplace mantel for my refined Halloween party...

She says that she is greatly influenced by nature, with its inexhaustible beauty.  She is inspired by the plants and flowers of central Florida, as well as vivid memories of her naturally diverse Croatian heritage and seeds of creativity from her artisan grandparents.

“Beauty lies all around us. We forget to look at the simple, small things, like fern buds unfurling, unfolding just like life itself. We should walk the fields of flowers instead of concrete sidewalks.“

The fiber cuff and collar below would work well with my idea of the modern refined witch. No flowing skirt, pointy hat or broom stick, my modern witch would wear a fabulous little black dress and these lovely accessories.

Mirjana works with burlap (rather than canvas) because of its organic roughness and its receptivity to her specific techniques. Acrylic paints, fabric cutouts, various yarns, threads and wood beads allow her to achieve a dimensional, primitive but contemporary theme.  Fabulous!

Take a peek at her shop, there are many fun and colorfully works of art available: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Cesart64?ref=si_shop

Cheers!

Love this.....

I've got to add this to my Honey Do list....

Hope you've having a great weekend!

Cheers!

Why should the white eggs have all the fun at Easter??

 

We are big fans of The Country Hen brown eggs. Our favorite meal is breakfast and we love baked goods made with the fresh brown eggs.  After doing some research online, I believe they will also be the perfect Easter Egg choice as well. Their strong, brown shells should be perfect for coloring.

Brown Eggs - Photo Credit: One Sunny Acre - Adventures in Micro Farming

If you are not looking for pastel colored Easter eggs, brown eggs will actually dye to a richer, more beautiful tone than white eggs. It does require using a different type of dye than the typical Easter egg coloring kit, but listed below are two very simple methods. One utilizes food coloring and the other is a natural dye method.

 

Peeling hard boiled farm fresh eggs is a bit more difficult; follow these instructions on how to boil them so they will peel more easily when you’re ready to turn your dyed eggs into egg salad…

   1.   Use the oldest eggs you can, 7-10 days if possible

   2.   Submerge eggs completely in a pot of cold salted water

   3.   Bring water to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and set timer for 10 minutes    (or adjust according to preferences, this step is not as critical)

   4.   Remove from heat and drain hot water

   5.   Fill the pot with cold water and let sit until eggs are cooled down

   6.   When ready to eat, Peel eggs submerged in cool water

   7.   Random Tip: if you want more centered yolks for deviled eggs, turn your carton of eggs on its side a day or two before hard boiling them.

 

Dye using the Food Coloring Method:

1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon of food coloring (you can adjust the amount to reach your desired shade)

Mix the 3 ingredients for each food coloring you want (red, blue, green, etc.) Don't forget about using your base colors to create other colors. For example, mix red and yellow for orange, red and blue for purple, or blue and green for teal, etc... Dip cool, hard boiled eggs into the food coloring dyes until the desired color is achieved. Let eggs dry on a rack or in an egg carton.

Dye using Natural Egg Dyes: Dye Ingredients: Blue - Red Cabbage Leaves Orange - Paprika Red - Lots of Red Onion Skins Pink - Beets Purple - Small amount of Red Onion Skins Yellow - Saffron Bring 1 cup of water and dye ingredients to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes to 1 hour until the desired color is obtained. Strain dye liquid and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Dip cool, hard boiled eggs into hot liquid and let sit until desired color is achieved. Take eggs out of the dye and put on a rack or into an egg carton to dry. (Careful color can easily be removed until the egg is dry.) Eggs colored in this way have a dull finish, but when they are dry, use cooking oil to add a gloss to them.

Have Fun!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Atlanta Artists and Crafters - New Meetup

Clipboards used for Jewelry Display

While chatting with some fellow Etsy sellers, we were discussing how much we all love creating our art, but we all need to focus some of our time on selling it. I found a new Meetup group in Atlanta called "Art Biz in the 'Burbs"; the sponsor will focus on creative ways to advertise and market our creations through digital, social, and traditional media. Additionally, we will discuss galleries, gift shops, shows, art walks, and exhibitions. Together, we hope to expand our visibility and increase our understanding of the ever-changing art market.

If you are in the Atlanta, GA area and would like to join the group, I've included the link to the Meetup site below.  The first meeting is on Monday March 18 in northeast Cobb. 

http://www.meetup.com/Art-Biz-in-the-Burbs/ 

9 Excuses Preventing You from Becoming a Successful Etsy Seller



Start Your Own Etsy Store - Image by Schugirl08



Be honest. How often do you interfere with yourself?

Today or really any day, you know you have tasks you’d like to finish because they’d positively impact your Etsy business, and then there are the tasks you actually do. You trick yourself into thinking that keeping up with Pinterest, following others on Facebook, and reading the latest blog posts is “working on your Etsy shop”. You do know better, but some part of you believes that having an understanding of all things “Etsy” will better position you when the time is right. When that time comes, you’ll be the absolute front-runner of the handmade world, because you’re so well studied… But that day doesn’t come.

Something is holding you back from great success on Etsy, and you can’t quite put your finger on it. So instead of moving past it and taking action, you make an excuse. You justify your reasons for not moving forward.

 What follows are 9 of the most common excuses you might tell yourself.



Take a risk!



 

1.) You can’t afford to take a risk right now.

If not now, then when?

This excuse is fear of the unknown.

The reality is that you can’t afford not to take a risk right now.

Putting on the breaks doesn’t just inhibit your creativity…it prevents people from ever making a purchase from you. Just go for it, take the risk!

2.) You don’t know where to begin.

Just take it step-by-step.

Think about it, every great seller on Etsy probably thought “I don’t know where to begin.”

Before you know it you’ll be a pro and will hardly remember how nerve-wracking these first steps were.

I found this article a big help when I was starting my Shop: 

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/the-quick-start-guide-to-selling-on-etsy/



You don't have to be.



3.) You’re not that good or creative enough.

Don’t sell yourself short!

Not everyone needs to be über creative.

Yes, there are extremely talented artists on Etsy, but there are also regular folks with very successful shops selling craft supplies, and vintage items. Some of the top sellers in the jewelry category (my category), simply hang a pretty pendant from a single chain; not tremendously creative but exactly what their buyers were looking for.

4.) You don’t know what your passion is; you can’t think of a niche.

Understandable. Not everyone is there, yet.

However if you want to do something, but just can’t figure out what, go to the bookstore and see what section you gravitate towards. Spend some time browsing through the magazine racks; if there wasn’t a market, there wouldn’t be a magazine.

Do some soul searching to determine what you’ll forever be passionate about.



There's a buyer for everything!



5.) Nobody will buy.

If people will buy the “Pet Rock” they will buy what you’re selling.

You just have to figure out how to market yourself.

Good photos of your merchandise and detailed descriptions are a good start, but you also need to work at getting your items noticed. You’re probably already using facebook and pinterest; create your own promotions using the tools available to you.

I found this article on marketing interesting: 

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2010/how-to-effectively-use-social-media-to-market-your-business/

6.) You can’t be successful until you have _______.

Money, studio, tools, website, expensive camera, stock pile, or any other number of other factors.

Make every attempt to acquire the bare essentials quickly.

Plot out your steps and create milestones to acquire additional resources.

Missions and objectives do wonders for progress.

7.) It’s too hard keeping all the balls in the air.

Anything worth doing is hard.

When was the last time “easy” had a huge payoff for you?

“You are in the middle of your day today, and you’re caught up in the sandstorm of thoughts, feelings, to-dos, meetings, readings, and communications of this day.

Pause. Breathe. Let all of that fade.

Now focus on doing one thing, right now.”

~Leo Babauta

8.) You can’t commit right now.

Fair enough, we all have a lot on our plates.

But when can you commit?

Don’t use this excuse to push something aside, if you don’t want to invest the time.

If it’s genuinely interesting, look at your calendar and ask “when can I commit?” and put yourself on a productive path.

And if you don’t want to do it, be honest and admit you’re not interested. Close your shop.

People will always respect honesty over being strung along waiting for your new items.

9.) You don’t have time.

Seriously? You just had time to read my blog post. You have time.

In fact, you have all the time, resources, and knowledge required to be a great Etsy seller.

Being great, no, being excellent is a choice.

It’s a choice to never stop. It’s a choice to view yourself as limitless. It’s a choice to stop at nothing until everyone knows your name and shop.

Without a doubt, you’ll encounter many obstacles on your journey. That’s a given.

So what are you waiting for?

Go.

Be great.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Rust, dust and an aging crust!

I've mentioned before that I'm a big supporter of buying local and an even bigger enthusiast of buying handmade merchandise.  I also make an effort to upcycle odds and ends around the house giving them a second life as it were.  

I was recently introduced to an Atlanta artist named Rodger Thomas of Benclif Designs. Rodger’s creations are right up my alley (literally, in Atlanta) and his use of up-cycled materials is refreshing.  Relics that would otherwise collect dust are repurposed into useful household lighting, giving them a new life, function, and keeping the original designs nearly intact.

From Rodgers Website…

"Rust, dust and an aging crust! That's what I look for when I am out there hunting for my lighting inspiration."

 “My art creations are all about upcycling. I take vintage and antique relics from the past and give them a new purpose.  Chrome percolators, plastic rotary telephones, metal sprayers, lunchboxes, Thermos bottles, vintage tin cans, jars, adding machines, projectors and a myriad of others, all make for some pretty interesting and exciting lighting creations.  Those are things I search for when junking.”

 “Obviously, my percolator lamps are my favorite! But I am always on the hunt for that vintage relic in a basement or closet…that certain thing in which or on which a light bulb will shine new life.  Sometimes, I don’t have a vision for it initially but just a sense it can become a light or lamp. I’m the upcycling guy (or at least one of the upcyclers)!  My passion is lights and lighting, but repurposing and upcycling speak to my sense of efficiency and practicality.”

I love this local artist’s work, you can view his recent designs in his Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BenclifDesigns

Cheers!

Lori in Atlanta