A Studio That Sparkles

Sparkles By Design

www.sparklesbydesign.etsy.com

Well, I finally got my studio organized...what a job. I started making jewelry about 7 years ago because I needed a necklace to match an outfit I was going to wear to a special occasion & since I've always done crafts, gift baskets, etc. since I was young, I thought...why not try making jewelry and it's been a learning process since then. I love designing & creating jewelry. It's relaxing and, also, rewarding when I see the finished pieces. I get ideas for a piece of jewelry any time of the day & anywhere.

Then, I try to sketch a picture of what's in my mind & list the materials & colors I want to use & then I start making it when I'm ready to create.

Sometimes I like the original idea, but other times, I make several changes along the way of working on a piece. I love to use some item that gives a little sparkle such as Swarovski crystals, metals, glass beads, & pearls. I have a good friend that I've known for almost 30 years & every time she would see me she would comment that I always had to have a little sparkle on me in the jewelry I would wear, so I guess that's where I came up with the name for my shop. I enjoy making jewelry because it seems that it makes customers smile & happy when they look at it, try it on, or purchase it. I especially love making jewelry for weddings, which I have done several. It's fun to get together with a customer & create a design customized especially for them and it's even more satisfying to see the appreciation on the customer's face when they are given their finished purchase. A little info about me is that I love gardening & crossword puzzles (when I have time). I always take the time to admire & cherish the beauty that nature gives us. The colors, the sparkle, & the uniqueness. Too often people are rushed and don't realize that they don't even notice the many beautiful things around us that nature has provided us with. When I need a few moments to relax, I sit out at our beautiful fish pond & waterfall. Family is very important to me, too. I have my husband, 2 adult daughters, 2 step-daughters, 2 son-in-laws, & 4 grandchildren. I, also, work 10 hours a week in a local child care program working with the pre kindergarten age. I've been there for almost 14 years. I would like to thank anyone that visits my Etsy shop and to thank you for this great opportunity to introduce myself & my Sparklesbydesign shop through Etsy. Thank you very much for your time.

Studios, Studios, Studios

Cloth .Paper.Scissors

One of my most favourite magazines is Coth, Paper, Scissors. I discovered it this summer and fell in love with the articles and the creativity of the artists featured in this magazine. It is how I found my new passion for mixed media. Many types of artists are featured. Usually the artist submits their art piece and writes an article describing their piece and how it was created. It's a great way to discover new techniques, tools and products and give them a try yourself.

They have special editions as well. Check out the new Fall/Winter edition of Cloth, Paper, Scissors Studios. This edition features artists and their creative spaces. Their spaces are as unique as the art they create. So inspirational! If you click on the title it will bring you right to this edition. Enjoy!

The Long Weekend

Hello everyone. I hope you had a great long weekend ( if you are in Canada). It was Thanksgiving here in Canada this past Monday. The fall colours are amazing. My family and I took a long ride North to a place called Agawa Provincial Park. We hiked on an ancient trail which led us to rock bluffs along Lake Superior. When you reach this spot you can actually stand right next to ancient Native Pictographs over 700 years old. Some scientists believe they are maybe even 1000 years old. The ride through the Canadian Shield is breath taking. Amazing!

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives and take gratitude in all of our gifts. I am grateful for many wonderful things in my life.

Click on the title to read more about the Pictographs!

Have a great day!

Craig's List

Well I joined Craig's list the other day and posted my first add. It was quite easy and relatively painless. I was expecting something more spectacular with all of the hipe but it was straight forward with no bells or whistles. After you sign up with a user name and password, you simply choose a city to list your add in. Next you fill in the title for Craig's list for your add and a description of what you are selling. I basically did a general description and listed my websites to connect my Etsy shops and blog. I'm not sure if there is anything else I can do to make it work in a better way for me. Maybe someone knows a trick. When I reasearched Craig's list there were a few cautions about what people are selling and scams . All in all it seems like a pretty harmless venture. If you click on the title "Craig's List" above it will bring you directly to the site.

Have a look and check it out for yourself!



Here is my new ad. I just realized that you can add pictures too.

Have a peek.



http://soo.en.craigslist.ca/art/866698110.html



Here is a picture and little bio about Craig.



Craigslist is a central network of online communities, featuring free online classified advertisements (with jobs, internships, housing, personals, erotic services, for sale/barter/wanted, services, community, gigs, resume, and pets categories) and forums on various topics. (From Wikipedia).

Craigslist Inc.

Type
Private
Founded
1995 (Incorporated 1999)
Founder
Craig Newmark
Headquarters
San Francisco Bay Area, USA[1]
Area served
450 cities in 50 countries
Key people
Jim Buckmaster (CEO)
Revenue
not published
Owner
Craig Newmark
Employees
25
Website
craigslist.org
Type of site
classifieds, forums
Advertising
none
Registration
optional
Available in
English, French, German, Spanish
Launched
1995
Current status
active

Flower Bed Head's Studio Tour

(Click on the title above to see her video)

Flower Bed Head

I love Flower Bed Head's shop. Her shop is so unique and whimsical.
I especially liked her "Time Flys Necklace" (see below).
It seems very fitting to my life right now~see yesterday's blog!


FlowerBedHead's Shop

Welcome to the FlowerBedHead Garden of suprizes!!!In this Shop you never know what is going to pop up ~ In my shop you will find my artwork- in various forms. I also have quite a collection of vintage items that you will find from time to time.Thank you for checking it out...hope you fall in love with the things I love.

Check out her Etsy shop at http://www.flowerbedhead.etsy.com/

Here is a video of her studio- Have a look!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vUxLEwC3x0

Time Sure Flies!

Well...what a week. I am soooo zonked! I think that everything has just kind of caught up with me this week. I started a new job, which I love! It is very time consuming and I find that I am doing a lot of extra work and professional reading at home to stay afloat...just while I'm starting out. I've been trying to keep up with my Etsy shop but that takes time as well. I love being on Etsy. I also have two little ones that now have homework and are involved in activities in the evening so needless to say there hasn't been a lot of time for blogging.

I will try my best to keep up with Etsy Studios. I'm waiting for some other studios to send me their information to feature them. Oh! I also had a show this weekend- lots of fun and great sales. Slowly but surely things are starting to move along! Ask me a year from now how things are going and I hope to say "couldn't be better, all the hard work has paid off"!

Come and visit for new fall and Halloween items www.thereddoor.etsy.com

and www.folkartbykerry.etsy.com

Hope to be back sooner than later .

Best wishes~ Kerry.