Happy Holidays!

I haven't had much time to blog lately, between buying a house, getting ready to move, custom orders, home parties and Etsy, I've barely had time to sleep! I have tons of new pieces, but haven't had much time to take pictures and list them. A couple of new pieces will be added over the next few days, and then I will have to take 2 weeks off for moving.

Here's a few pictures of my little one, the Z.E.N. in Zen Creations.




Happy Holidays!!!

Cyber Monday Sale!

Cyber Monday Sale @ Zen Creations!

Today, November 26th, 2007

http://www.zencreations04.etsy.com

All regular priced items are 15% off*
FREE shipping (within the US) on all orders of $50 +*

Just enter the code CYBER26 in the message to seller box when purchasing. Do not use the payment link provided. A revised invoice will be emailed to you with the discount(s) applied.

Buy Handmade this Holiday Season!

Tired of toy recalls, cheaply made goods, and generic gifts? Sick of having to wait in long check-out lines, searching for a space in the mall parking lot, fighting the crowds?

Why not buy handmade this holiday season? Get your friends and family unique, hand crafted gifts this holiday season and request they do the same for you!
Go to: http://www.buyhandmade.org and take the handmade pledge!!! Then, check out all of the great gifts that Etsy.com has to offer. Shop in the comfort of your own home and skip the crowds!



Buy Handmade this holiday season!

Busy, busy, busy!

Boy oh boy has it been a busy couple of weeks! Between catching up on the work I missed (on vacation) at my day job, custom orders, my Etsy shop, home parties and a craft show, I've barely had time to sit down and relax for a minute. I'm not complaining though, I love being this busy, even if it mean sleeping a lot less for the next month or so!

This week I have a home party (wen. evening) and a craft show at my husband's work (thursday). The home party is the first of two parties that have been booked (so far - crossing my fingers for more)and I'm just about ready for it. I finished up the last of the pieces last night, got them all priced and tagged. Now I just need to look over my stock tonight, clean up anything that is tarnished and repack it in my trays. I also need to pack up my displays and checkout stuff, and get it all in the car for tomorrow night.

My Etsy shop will be missing quite a few items due to these events. I plan on having it restored as soon a possible, hopefully by later thursday evening. I can't wait until I have my stock built up enough that I can have a seperate set of items, or "online exclusives" for Etsy and only Etsy.

Back into the swing of things...

Well, we made it back from our vacation. I could have stayed for another week, but then again, who wouldn't want another week of vacation?

Spent some time at Virginia Beach, took my little one to the Children's Museum in Portsmouth. If you have kids and get the chance to go to the Children's Musuem - GO! Trust me, your little ones will love it!!

I managed to make a couple of new pieces while I was away. Look for some new necklaces and bracelts to be listed in my shop very soon. I have to work on getting myself back into the swing of things now and shift it into high gear for the holidays. I have 2 home parties booked over the next 2 months and possible another one in-between the others. The JET (Jewelry on Etsy Team) Holiday sale is coming up in a few days as well, so I really need to get going on new pieces and listings!

Here is a picture of my little kitty at a recent halloween party:

Happy Halloween

Vacation

I'm on vacation this week. I will be back soon!

Fall Folliage Festival - Day 2

Day 2 started out much warmer than day one. A major plus when you can't wear gloves while hanging earrings or necklaces! LOL It was just as busy today as it was yesterday, with several tour buses, cars and at least one train bringing people in. My aunt was nice enough to watch our booth for a little while so my mom and I could walk around the craft show and check out the local shops. My mom and I picked up a couple of unique items from some of the local shops - a funky wood framed mirrow, carved wooden cat, cute ornaments made from bells, and an old wood soap box display. It was nice to take a break and strech our legs.

Here is a picture of some of my mom's primitave/country crafts from her side of the booth.

And one of downtown Jim Thorpe:


Overall I would say that it was a very nice weekend. I was a little worried at first when we discovered the booth next to us and behind us sold jewelry, but our jewelry was different enought that it didn't seem to hurt. My mom sold our of the majority of her winter/Christmas crafts and I picked up a beautiful glass piece that I am going to use as a focal piece for a necklace.

Fall Foliage Festival - Day 1

Day one of the Fall Foliage Festival in Jim Thorpe, PA.:
The day started out chilly, but thanks to our little heater, we managed to stay warm. Set-up was quick and we were ready to go about 45 minutes before it was supposed to start. Guess we can sleep in a little longer tomorrow! LOL

I think our shared tent looked quite nice, and I don't think we could have asked for a better spot! Here is a picture of my half of our shared space:

4:45 pm - end of day 1:
We had a very busy day today! It warmed up a little, and with the exception the the wind knocking down a few displays and one of my mom's pieces getting broken, day 1 went really well. There were a lot of people in town today, at least one train came in with about 700 people on it, and there were several tour buses.

Getting ready for the Fall Foliage festival

Whew! Just a few more hours and I will be on my way up to Jim Thorpe for the Fall Foliage Festival. Spent most of last night getting everything together, finishing pricing and tagging new pieces and making a few more pairs of earrings. One of my newest necklaces that I'm pretty excited about (and inspired by the fall foliage) is my Fall Foliage Necklace:




This necklace was made with sterling silver, apple green turquoise, carnelian, green and read adventurine and features an apple green turquoise leaf pendant. The necklace measures about 22 inches long and has a sterling silver leaf clasp.

It looks like it's going to be a chilly weekend, but as long as the sun shines and the wind is minimal, I think we'll survive just fine! My dad picked up a small propane heater for my mom to use in the mornings. Last year we were almost frozen solid by the time we set up and it took us most of the day to thaw out!

I will post pictures of our shared space and from the event throughout the weekend.

30th Annual Fall Foliage Festival - October 13th & 14th

This weekend I will be heading up to Jim Thorpe, PA for the Fall Foliage Festival. My mother and I are sharing a space at the craft show that will be taking place in downtown Jim Thorpe, around the train station. Last year, we were near the large piece of coal (if you've ever been there, you will know what I am talking about!), but we are not sure where we will be this year. It looks like it will be a cold weekend, which will feel even colder after this heat wave!

If you are in or around the Jim Thorpe, PA are, you have to check it out! Between the craft show, entertainment, train rides, local shops,and of course the beautiful fall foliage --- it's not to be missed!! If you do go, please stop by and say hi! We should be the only tent that is half country/primitive crafts and half jewelry.

For more information about this event, please go to: http://www.jimthorpe.org/festivals/fallfoliage.htm

Bone marrow test & Moo cards

Well, I had the bone marrow test done yesterday morning. Overall, it wen't ok, but it was one of the most bizarre things I have ever experinced! The most painful part was when they drew out the marrow, and now I have several days of soreness ahead of me. I had to take it easy yesterday and had planned on returning to work today, but I was still way too sore to get around too well.

I did get some good news though. The tests the local lab did came back great with no signs of cancer. Whew! What a relief! Now I just have to wait until I get the results back from the specialist.

I also got my Moo cards and stickers today, making my short - and at times - painful walk to the mailbox worth it. I absolutely love my cards and stickers! If you haven't checked out Moo cards on flickr or the Moo cards website, you need to do so asap! Here are my cards and stickers:

New supplies, new pieces, new look

Just got in some new supplies. One of my faovrite things next to creating jewelry is getting new beads and materials! Nothing like getting a package of brand new jewelry supplies, especially when you already have plans for half of it. This is a only a small portion of the order I received today, with several more orders on their way + a new rotary tumbler and some patinas. This picture isn't the best, but you get the idea!

I listed a few new pices yesterday and this morning. I have a lot more that are finished but still need to be photographed + many new ideas and works in progress. I'm also working on sprucing up my shop with fresh pictures of my work. As new pieces are added, new pictures of older work will be added as well. Eventually my shop will have more colorful pictures of my work.

Recovering, bad news, holiday sale, etc.

Well, Boonsboro Days went even better than expected. Had the opportunity to meet a lot of people, get feedback on my work and, of course, sell jewelry. Next up is the Fall Folliage Festival in Jim Thorpe, PA (October 13 & 14th).

Had to take a few days off after the show to relax and recover + I had what I thought was to be my last chemo treament last week (for ITP, not cancer). Didn't get the chemo, just a lot of bad news. It appears that the chemo is no longer working, and my platelet count had dropped quite a bit. On top of that, my white blood cell count was down, while some other cells were up. What does this mean? Well, we're going to find out. First off, I'm scheduled to get a bone marrow test in a week and a half to see if there is a problem with my platelet production and to screen for lymphoma and luekemia (yikes!). It will take me 2 weeks to get these test results back, and from there we can plan our course of action.

This was a lot to process, especially since my Dr is recomending that I seriously consider a spleenectomy which only has a 50- 60% chance of actually working. So, I took a few more days off to process all of this and to do a little research on my treatment options. The good thing is that I feel that I now have a much clearer head about all of this, and fell that I am now ready to shift my focus back onto my jewelry.

I have just gotten in some new beads that I am very excitied about and have some design ideas that I just can't wait to get started on. The JET (Jewelry on Etsy Street Team) Holiday Sale is coming up soon, and I plan on having loads of new pieces in the shop in time for the sale.

Boonsboro Days, day 2

Day 2 of Boonsboro Days went even better than the first! Weather was much nicer today, so there was a much larger crowd. Had a few repeat customers in the morning, which was a very nice surprise, and I actually heard someone say, "Oh, your on Etsy! That's where I know you from!" It's nice to know that more people are shopping on Etsy and that my jewelry stood out enough for someone to remember it.

I also had the opportunity to do a little shopping today. Picked up a great oversized ceramic mug, sweet smelling soaps, bath salts and lotion + a lip balm for my daughter. The vendors around us were fantastic, and it was hard not to spend all my money!!

Boonsboro Days - Day 1

Day 1 of Boonsboro Days - It was a sunny & very humid day today, which made me thankful that our spot was under a tree! Crowds were great today, met a lot of nive people, got to see tons of crafts, and buy some goodies for myself. Demonstrated some jewelry techniques today, and made several pieces in the process. Necklaces were a big seller today, followed by earrings and then rings and bracelets. I'm really tired from a long and busy day in the heat, but it was worth it! I'm off to finish a custom order for tomorrow and make 2 more necklaces.....

Boonsboro Days - This weekend!!!

Come join Zen Creations @ the 36th Annual Boonsboro Days!

Location: Shafer Park, Boonsboro, MD
Dates: September 8&9th
Time: 9am to 5pm both days

FREE ADMISSION!

~Over 150 crafters and early american artisans
~quality antiques and collectibles
~historical craft demonstrations
~"sheep to shawl" demonstration
~pony rides
~Antique car show (sunday only)
~Civial War displays and artifacts
~free parking and trolley service

Directions:
From I-70 East or West:
Take exit #35, MD RT 66 South,
5 miles to Boonsboro

Zen Creations will be set up near the main pavillion. If you are in the area, please stop by!

Only 9 more days until Boonsboro days!!

Only 9 more days until the Boonsboro Days craft show! Trying to make a couple of pieces a night this week and then make as much as I can this weekend. By tuesday night, I'm hoping to have everything ready to polish, price, tag and pack. I got my space assignment last week, and it looks like I have the space next to my mom. That should work out very well, since she has been selling at this craft show for about 6 years now, and people come looking for her. We can also team up and help each other with our booths when we get busy. I just hope we have good weather next weekend!

It really is a great weekend. I highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area. Boonsboro days will be held in Shafer Park, Boonsboro, MD on Sept. 8 & 9th from 9am to 5pm. There will be an antique car show, Civil War display, antiques, over 150 artists/crafters, food, and craft demonstrations. Hmmm.... I still need to decide what I am going to demonstrate....hmmmm.........

Philly, displays,more new rings

Well, as our luck would have it, our closing was post-poned until this week. Since we still had to drive up to Philly for an inspection, it gave me a great opportunity to stop by my old work, Paul Morelli Designs, and Ed-Mar on Jewelers Row for some new diplays and storage.

Got a great deal on a square, rotating earing display that holds about 144 earring cards. This one is much sturdier than my old one, and holds about 42 more pairs of earrings. I also invested in some more stacking trays and some great inserts for holding bracelets. These new trays work out much better for storage + they are nice enough to use them for displays at shows.

Finished a few more rings and started playing with using different colored backgrounds for my listings. Here is a new ring and some new pictures of a few of my necklaces.....

Carnelian Ring:


Amazonite and Freshwater Pearl Necklace:


Matrix Jasper Necklace:

New rings; closing

This week is already a very busy week. Still working on new pieces for my shop(s) and for Boonsboro Days next month. I also have closing on our house in Prospect Park. Yes, we are finally selling our house! I can wait to start looking for a house here, one with enough space to allow me to have a proper work area.
Here are 2 rings that I have made and listed recently in my Etsy shop:



The first ring was made with an oval turquoise bead and sterlign silver wire, hand wrapped and coiled around the stone.



The second ring was made with 2 different thickness of sterling silver wire, coiled, woven and wrapped by hand.

Help me choose my new banner!

I'm sick of my old shop banner and wanted to create a new one. The problem is that I have a few that I like, but can't decide which to use.

Banner #1 stones with logo:


Banner #2 stones without logo:


Banner #3 flames:


Banner #4 dots with logo:


Banner #5 dots without logo:


I took down my old banner this morning and put up banner #2 until I decide which one to use. Which one do you like?

Birthdays, carnivals and supplies -- oh my!

These last 2 weeks have been very busy for me and my family. Preparing and then vending at the Sidewalk Days, then my mom's birthday, followed by my daughter's 3rd birthday (the Z.E.N. in Zen Creations), the local carnival, etc., etc. The only thing I have made in the past week was a ring, but I have plenty of ideas! I placed a couple of orders for supplies, and I just got some gem beads over the weekend that I am really excited about. The rest of my supplies should be trickling in over the next few days,and then I can get started on all these ideas that have been roling around in my head! Until then, I plan on enjoying a night or two of just relaxing and sketching.

Sidewalk Days - Day 2

Day 2 started out even better than day 1! There were a lot more people out and about this morning, and few new vendors. Today we decided to add to the business cards we were putting in our bags, and include an Etsy flyer and a flyer on our next event (Boonsboro Days).

The morning was very busy, and lunchtime was even busier. Around 2:00 it started to die down a little, which was also around the time the wind started picking up. Really picking up. On gust of wind knocked down a corner display and my rotating earring rack, sending everything out into the street. Thankfully, everything was ok, and we were able to get it set up again in a few minutes. After that, we took turns running out to hold things whenever the wind picked up. Sometime around 3:30 a huge gust of wind knocked over one of our table and nearly picked up the tent! We packed it in for the day shortly after that. As much as I would have liked to stay for the last hour and a half, I just couldn't risk having a whole table full of jewelry and display broken.

I guess we need to work out something to help hold the tent down (and the diplays) at outside events. We shouldn't have a problem at Boonsboro, since we will be in the grass, and we should have vendors on either side of us to help block the wind. In the end though, we did very well at this event, and plan on doing it again nect year.

More on Day 1 (Sidewalk Days Sale)

I'm really pleased with how our booth turned out. The mesh sides helped define our space, but allowed a lot of light, which is a must with jewelry. The 2 corner shelves also worked well and helped to showcase certain pieces. The nice part was that we got everything in, it looked great, and we still had enough space for our packaging/checkout stuff, and some room for me to work on new pieces during the slow periods. We only had 1 person use the coupon we put in the local paper, but we did hear a few people mention seeing our ad. Overall, I would say day 1 went really well.

This is our first year vending both days, so tomorrow will be interesting. The other vendors told us today that Saturday gets an even better turnout. Can't wait to see!

Sidewalk Days - Day 1

First day of Sidewalk Days. Turnout was much better than expected, especially for a friday. There was a steady amount of traffic throughout the morning, lunchtime was busy, and then I was very, very slow in the afternoon, which was to be expected for a weekday. Much better than last year, although, we have a much better space this year, in a fairly high traffic area. Here is one picture of our booth, taken on my phone this morning:

Sometimes I feel like a complete idiot.

Nothing like backing into a truck while out running last minute errands!

Getting ready for Sidewalk Days

Tomorrow is the Greencastle-Antrim Sidewalk Days. I got my space assignment last night, and it is much, much, MUCH better than last year. Being stuck on a street where the only other vendor is an ice cream truck, that blocks everyone's view of your booth was not very good. This year we will be in the square, near the First National Bank, across from ELM Dept. store. Hopefully this spot will work out much better.

Last night I made 8 more pairs of earrings, mostly smaller, less expensive pairs, which are always good to have! I had to send Lance out Tuesday night to pick up 2 more plastic coated wire shelves for me to hang earrings on. They were not easy to bend, especially with a playful kitten around who just wanted to pounce on it! I think I should just invest in another rotating rack for the next show.

My trip to Marshall's the other nut proved to be very fruitful. I found a great red, rectangular dish that will work well for rings and bangle bracelets. My table cloths are blue, so the red should really pop out. I still haven't gotten a chance to finish the little Zen Creations sign that I was painting for the booth. Maybe tonight I will get a chance after I get the car packed up. Right now I'm just worried that I will forget something important!

Bad girl! Bad, bad girl!

This morning I got up, and one of the first things I thought, was, "hmmm, I don't think I've blogged in quite a while." That was the understatement of the year! I logged in this morning, and the last time I posted was over a year ago! Bad girl! Bad, bad girl!

So.... what have I been up to since the last time I posted? Lots of things!

First, I went back to work part-time, then gradually moved into full time. While the $$ is great, and allows me to invest more $$ into Zen Creations, it leaves me with only a small amount of time to actually create, photograph, list, promote, etc, you know, all those things necessary to run a business. At least I can take care of a few things at work while I'm eating lunch!

I revived my geocities page (thanks in part to the Etsy mini tool! -- love it!), sold off most of my pieces over the holidays, created a ton of new pieces + some old favorites, added a store on Ecrater (which still only has a few items on it) and added a few local events to my calendar.


First up, is the Greencastle-Antrim Sidewalk Days, July 13 and 14th, in and around the square in Greencastle, PA. I don't have my space assignment yet, and probably won't until thursday, but I am hopefull that I will have a decent spot this year. Last year I was only able to sell on one of the two days, and I'm glad that I have the stock and open schedule to add the second day.


I have been churning out the jewelry lately, trying to get a wide selection of pieces for this event. I'm really excited about the cubic zirconia pieces that I made last night. The colors are gorgeous, and they really reflect the light beautifully. Making my own earwires has also been a lot of fun, and has give me more options for earrings.