New Year, New Craft Swap

Hello all! I'm hosting my first swap over at Swap-Bot. The whole idea is to try a new craft/hobby that you never have before and send the lovely end result to your partner. The results may be ugly or deformed, but it will be made with love.

If you'd like to sign up, click here. If you're not already signed up for Swap-Bot, you're really missing out. It's such a blast.

If you have questions about the swap, leave 'em here, or contact me on Swap-Bot. My username there is GreyEyes. :)

I'm-Still-Alive Update

After my last post, our power went out at home later in the day and remained out for about five days. Work power returned the day before. In the midst of all the craziness, though, my responsibilities at the office increased. Literally, the week everything went insane, my job doubled and hasn't settled down yet. I'm being tested for a promotion while still doing many of my normal duties, so things have been out of control. Add onto that early deadlines due to the holidays, and you have my life of late. So, many apologies for not updating my shop. I will do that later this week once my early-for-the-First deadline goes away.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!

Also, check out this Etsy treasury, featuring Oklahoma artists.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Ice storm

Power outages at work are forcing me to work from home. The only problem is, if we're out of power, isn't everyone else? Many of the places with power are closed anyway because of the icy roads and such. I work for a newspaper, so reaching people on the phone is pretty much what I do. There isn't much I can do but send e-mails and hope someone gets back to me. Schools will be closed again tomorrow. Good grief! This will be a strange week at my "day job". Hopefully I'll be able to get some crafting done today. I don't have the proper equipment at home to upload my photos, so I can't update my shop until power is restored at the office. Sheesh! Anyway, new items will come just as soon as possible! Until then, shop your little hearts away, and check out my interview (below) with fellow Etsian CurlyGirlCrochet!

Introducing . . . CurlyGirlCrochet!

As a new blog feature, I am going to start featuring other indie crafters and artists, especially those who also sell on Etsy. For my first interview, I'm shining the spotlight on CurlyGirlCrochet who sells -- you guessed it! -- beautiful crocheted items.

(Sunflower Purse, $18 -- looks great in person!
I bought one for my sister's ninth birthday.)

If you're looking for a lovely, unique item and wonderful customer service, she's definitely someone to check out. So onto the interview . . .

1. Tell us about yourself.
Hello! My name is Jodie and I'm 39 years old. I'm from Byron Center, Michigan, and I opened my Etsy Shop in March 2007.

2. When did you start crocheting and why?
I started crocheting around age 11. It was fascinating to watch my Grandma crochet and see the beautiful creations she made with yarn and a hook. Ever since then, I've been hooked, so to speak!

3. What is your biggest art/craft inspiration?
I am inspired by things I see, hear, or read about. A color, object, or discussion might generate an idea for a project. I never know what's going to inspire me.

(Chocolate Kiss, $9)

(The Dream Catcher Shawl, $75)

4. Why did you decide to start selling what you make?

I decided to start selling the things I crochet as a way to share my creations with others and to hopefuly make a little profit while doing so. I love it when a customer tells me they love their item.

5. Do you sell any where else?
Yes, I've sold on eBay as well, but I much prefer Etsy!

6. Anything else you'd like to tell us?
I hope everyone gets a chance to visit www.Etsy.com. There are so many incredible, handmade items there and so many nice people.

Thanks so much to Jodie for being my first victim! :)
Please go check out her wonderful items here.

Shop update and preview

Here's what I have for you so far . . .

First, this is a picture of the Go Red, Go White Necklace. Bask in its glory. :)


Here's my most recent listing, Drops of Jade Earrings. These are so light and delicate -- anyone would look great wearing them, even super-pale folks (like me!). They each feature a large jade bead and two smaller agates. The jade is from a necklace my grandmother gave me. I deeply love these beads. The agates are from the stash my coworkers gave me for my birthday. I love getting to use the things they gave me in pieces.

These earrings would be a perfect gift for anyone (with pierced ears) on your list, and at $15, they're such a deal!



And in this corner, I have a recent piece: Stormy Day at the Beach Necklace. It will (I promise this time!) be listed before I leave my "real job" today. It features glass beads in opalescent grey, blue-and-grey swirled, crystalline grey, and clear. The center piece is a couple of white shell beads separated with clear seed beads on a headpin. It hangs beautifully and is a totally unique designs. The beads are attached to a silver-colored chain. It was inspired by a piece I made for a swap, so I modified it a bit for my store. Look for it soon!

Blog and MySpace only promotion

So the day got away from me yesterday and I wasn't able to update my store with the Go Red, Go White Necklace. It's done as of this morning. I was also not able to do my special promotion post, so here it is now.

I'm running a special deal for all my blog readers and MySpace friends now through Dec. 20. Anything you order from my shop will receive 15% off the listed price. In order to get the discount, either convo or e-mail me in advance or write in the "notes to seller" whether you found me on MySpace or my blog. Don't pay yet as I will send you a revised invoice through PayPal reflecting the discount. Sound good?

Also through Dec. 20, all orders I receive will include free gift wrap. :)

I'll do an item update post in just a bit. Thanks for being my loyal readers!

More new stuff

Alright friends, amici and amigos! You guessed it -- I have another new item at Grey Eye Designs.

They are temporarily entitled Cascade Earrings, though I'm open to suggestions of a more interesting name. Just leave them in the comments of this post.

Anyway, the are made of sterling silver, agate, and three colors of Swarovski crystals. They are just lovely. The drape is so elegant. Plus, the colors are vibrant and even more beautiful when the light hits them. They're only $15, so clearly you should go buy them. :)

Also, they are both the same lengths. Don't let the photo fool ya.


And this afternoon, I will be posting a sister piece to the one pictured at left. As this one is the Go Blue, Go White Necklace, the new one shall be the Go Red, Go White Necklace. I don't have a preview pic of it right now, but the piece will be available for purchase before 5:00 CST today. It will look just like this one except -- gasp! -- it will feature red beads instead of blue in the middle. I have one like it at home that features turquoisey ones that I love. The beads glow in this really eye-catching way. Plus, I think these would be perfect for a spirit group of any kind. I can make them in a variety of school colors. I think it would be adorable to see them on a group of high schoolers during a Homecoming game or something. I know I would have loved it back then. :)

Later, I'm going to do a post about a special promotion I want to try running in my store. Check it out!

Store update and a preview

I have a new pair of earrings up at Grey Eye Designs!

They are the Honey-covered Cherry Earrings, and they're just lovely. They're also a great deal at only $7. These would make a perfect stocking stuffer, Hanukkah gift, or small Christmas present. I have fallen completely in love with the honey beads, so look for more of them soon. I just think they are gorgeous and delicious. The little red beads make a colorful accent, don't you think? I'm also really enjoying working with the antique/brass bronze. It adds a totally different feel to everything.

And what do we have here? A preview of a listing to come!

Ever since I rediscovered crocheting (and, you know, taught myself the right way to do it), I've fallen in love with making simple, colorful, functional stitch markers. These, the Saucy Stitch Markers/Zipper Pulls, are one of my favorite sets. The big beads are youthful and fun, and each one is topped with a hematite bead. I know -- so unlike me. :)

These also work as row markers in knitting and as fantastic zipper pulls, as I was recently informed by a woman at Sunday's craft fair. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself.

This set will be priced at $5. Check out my shop this afternoon for them and other great deals at any time!

New items

I listed two new items today that are very different from one another.

Just now, I added a beautiful bracelet that I've titled "Serenity Turtle Bracelet."

It's made of beautiful agates, carnelians, and a carved centerpiece that I think is a jasper. It's not really a turtle, but doesn't it look like one?

I don't know what stone it is for sure because it was a birthday gift. My b-day was in September, and my real-job coworkers bought me a beautiful assortment of beads from Bead Gallery (1304 N. Elm Place in Broken Arrow, OK). I'm usually the person who takes care of birthdays, so I was surprised by their thoughtfulness and generosity. So, the buyer of this gets that happy thought. :)



My second item is a pair of earrings I'm calling "Tangled up in Blue Earrings." I am in love with these! They are beautiful and elegant and still totally wearable on a day-to-day basis. In fact, I love them so much that I'm making myself a nearly identical pair! This was my first time using Swarovski crystals and sterling silver headpins and eyepins instead of mixing base metal with the sterling silver ear wires. I don't think I'll ever go back! Not only does it look better, it's easier to use, it's higher quality, and it's lighter. I love it! Look for more all-sterling pieces from me in the future. 'Til then, though, buy these before someone else does!

Alright, that's all for today. Look for more tomorrow! Thanks for being my loyal readers, too. :)

I'm sorry I neglected you!

Oh blog, I am a terrible maintainer! I have neglected you. I won't do it again -- I promise! I missed you ever so much.

So here's a entry: I did my first craft fair this past weekend and enjoyed it. It was for a good cause -- my church's youth department -- so that made it all the better. I did decently, too. I didn't sell as much jewelry as I hoped, but I almost sold out of the 70ish marble magnets I made. Sheesh! I thought they'd catch some eyes and some extra quarters, but I had no idea they'd be so popular. I'll make 1000 for my next show. Here are a couple of truly bad photos of my table.















I was back lit, and my mom isn't much of a photographer, but it's something. My booth wasn't the fanciest or the most uber-professional, but it was eye-catching enough, and I earned about as much as anyone else, I think. Plus, even if I have lots of inventory left over, I have tons more stuff to add to Etsy. I'm updating all this week, so come check me out. :)