First Friday Art Walk Weekend

It's first Friday art walk time again for the BOCPAT members. Come check out our team website to see all of the fabulous bead artists with links to their stores. Beads of Clay Team

Many of us have coupon codes active through the weekend. Mine is BOCPAT for 15% off your order. Come see us!

Changes

Times are tough. What is usually my most busy season has been some what of a disappointment. I know I should not count my chickens before they hatch but I really was counting on my sales to make the holiday spending easier on us.

I was doing great this last spring and summer and It was exciting to see my shop really take off! Then October hit and my sales came to a grinding halt or a trickle.  Etsy made some changes to the categories that I think was a huge loss for us in the ceramic world. Then Google changed stuff and on top of that there was a new surge of ceramic bead artists that have come up.

I love to see new peoples work and our bead group encourages people too with all kinds of helpful info on the blog.  What I don't get is why they have to undercut our prices so drastically. It drives me crazy to see stuff going for practically nothing and it under values the hard work that it takes to do this.

I can not put that many hours into something and then sell it for nothing it is a waste of my time and makes me unhappy. I don't want to try and cut corners either because that is unfair to the customer.  So I have some thinking to do.

I know I am going to spend more time on my miniature sculptures. So I am looking forward to seeing where that takes me.

So keep a look out for new miniatures and hopefully some new designs in the component category.

Black Friday Cyber Monday Destash Event!

I have started my Black Friday/ Cyber Monday event  early by putting a lot of items into my destash/sale section of my shop.

I have also put up a coupon code for %25 off you order. ARTBEADS25

Here is a collage of some of my destash items I put up.

Most of these sets are going for around 10 buck.  Add your coupon and you have a dealio!

I have some new lovely bead and pendant sets that I am putting up.

Polymer Bead Adventures

A few weeks ago my kiln broke down.  While waiting on parts to fix it, I was perusing the isles of Michael s craft store and I saw a colorful set of Sculpty Clay and what do you know I happened to have a %50 coupon on me!

I had played with Fimo clay when it first came out and even took a cane class so I figured I could remember some of the techniques and google what I did not know.

I pulled out my pasta machine and some clay tools and went to work.  My first attempts at marbling were a disaster.  My clay turned a muddy grey color ..I guess I was overzealous with the pasta machine....opps!  I decided to work with it anyway and textured it and I could add paint later if I still didn't like.

I also made a lumpy rainbow cane, a super bright colored flower cane, and some bird and hedgehog beads.

I was delighted that it took such a short time to bake and that I could sand and paint them right away, which totally feeds my instant gratification part of me.

I have to say I love the results and the ugly grey beads are my favorite ones! I even made a new section in my store for them here Polymer Clay.

These are the beads I made with the ugly grey clay disaster. I used Vintaj Patina on them and I love them!

This is what I made from the "Lumpy Rainbow Cane" I love these too.

Some sweet little birds I made and then painted.

 I really like this set too.  I used white clay and cut it into geometric faceted beads.  I then used Vintaj patina on them. I used a low grit sand paper too scuff them up and applied a clear satin finish.

I think I will continue to experiment with this fun medium.  There is so much to learn and try.

New Bead Bundles

I have been using copper wire to string up my bead sets forever, but with the cost of copper wire going up it just seems like a frivolous expense. 

I also have been wanting to change the look of my shop to something maybe a bit warmer and inviting.

  I bought some lovely green hemp cord on etsy and started stringing up my beads into these sweet little bundles and I am very pleased with the outcome.

My Cat is My Happy Place

We adopted Tiberious (Tibbs for short) almost 3 years ago.  He was a barn kitty rescue so he is really shy and skittish.  He runs for cover if someone other than a family member enters the house. He freaks out when we change the kitchen garbage bag, sweep, vacuum or mop.

 He has issues but they make him interesting. He loves to be groomed and is super playful.  He loves to sit on the love seats arm and with his haunch's facing you so you can smack them like bongo drums and it cracks me up every time.

 He is always trying to get an extra snack and will go at great lengths to get it talking up the storm and trying to lead you into the kitchen.

 When my youngest daughter sits on the stairs he will run down and pause long enough above her to get in a few playful swats at her head before moving on.

 He is more gentle with me than my husband when playing. My husband almost always leaves a mock battle with Tibbs with a wound but Tibbs also lets my husband do raspberries on his furry belly.

He has a sixth sense when I am bringing clean laundry and has to burrow into and take a nap which leaves us with cat fur covered wrinkled clothes but how can you say no to him?

He sits by me when I work on the computer, roll new beads or glaze pieces for a firing.

He hates being forced to cuddle and it has to be on his terms but if you are patient he will sit right next to you and allow you to love on him.

That is my cat and he is my happy place. If that makes me a crazy cat lady then I am happy to be one!

Copper Foil Wrapped Jewely

A few months ago I decided to try something new with my ceramics using a copper foil wrap technique that uses silver solder. I really enjoy this technique and I think it compliments my ceramic wares. Here are some items that are in my shop made with the solder.

I have lots of new pendants and earrings posted in my shop.  If you are a jewelry designer and are interested in my components for your jewelry designs, send me a message on etsy for a 20% off coupon code.

Sale Section And First Friday Art Walk!

In my Etsy shop I have been fooling around with the sections trying to make it easier for customers to find what they want. I also wanted to combine my different jewelry sections into one section with all the jewelry.  I decided to create a new "Sale" section.

I like the idea of a sale section.  I feel like it's kinda like cleaning house and many of those items I don't make anymore. I am going to keep adding stuff often so keep checking it for dealiOs!

Also don't forget tomorrow is first friday and I have got a great coupon code for you! For 15% off you order FFAWBOC

Etsy Theme Shop on Facebook

I am trying out the new Etsy theme shop app. on facebook. It allows you to make coupons for your face book followers and if they share it.

 Here is mine JeraLuna Designs.  If you click through the link you get 10% off anything in my shop.

I am off to make deviled eggs for todays festivities at my Sisters house. Have a great holiday!  

(Isn't that little bunny cute?  He is in my shop right now but I am seriously thinking of yanking him out and keeping him.)

200th Sale Give Away!

I am 2 sales away from getting my 200th sale in my shop. To celebrate this acheivement I am giving the person who becomes my 200th sale the beads and baubles that are in the above picture. 

This includes:
 2 buttons
 1 flat cab with a giesha design
 1 mesa clay heart
 1 double sided charm with paisely design
 1 spiral tube bead
 2 knot beads

I am also having a sale to celebrate just type in 200thSALE in the coupon part of the checkout for nice 20% off!
Thankyou to everyone!

Tiny Creatures

I finally got to glaze some of my tiny animals and here is what they look like!  I really love the bunnies.  The hedgehogs and the squirrel are a bit wonky but cute.

I am going to glaze and fire some more tonight.. hopefully.  I have a huge army of tiny gnomes to glaze too. 

When I get more fired I will post them in my shop under mini's.

Pissed Off about Picnik!

I got an email last week saying that Picnik my favorite photo editing site was closing on April 19!!  I am so mad!  I use this site for all of my shops photo's.  It's a perfect fit for me I am able to edit photo's in a flash! I love their clone feature and the quick importing.

 I am going to have to find another place for my photo edits.  I feel like I have been dumped.

On a happier note I managed to get a glaze fire into the kiln and take pictures and post most of it.  So here are some photo's of my new stuff. They are availble in my shop!

Yeah it took me a Month to recover from the Holidays

So as usual I over did it.  I always plan to make it simpler but it never is. So it has taken me awhile get back into the saddle again! 

Last week I did post a bunch of stuff I made right before the holidays struck... and this week I have been making lots of little gnomes, fairy stumps, mushroom houses, and a bunch of cute little woodland creatures!  I can't wait to see how they look finished.

Here are some pics of some new stuff I posted last week.