Destash ... Pendants in my Shop 4-5 Dollars Woo Hoo!!

I don't know about you but I am a bead hoarder..  I have a ton of Ceramic stuff I have been hoarding.  I guess when I make new stuff the older stuff gets stuffed into tiny bags and and cubbyholes.

  So yesterday I finally got most of it out and took pictures, edited, and started posting them in my shop Whew! ...It's a lot of work!  But the good news is they are all only 4-5 dollars each!!

This Raku Leaf Pendant is in my Raku Section.. 4 dollars people!! I have a lovely green Raku Leaf too!

Woo hoo It is the New Year!

My first post of the New Year and let me tell ya whew, am I ever happy that Christmas is behind us.  No I am not a grinch but dang the holiday's are tiring. My daughter has been sick with back to back colds since Sept so that didn't help and I caught one over the holiday too.

 While laid up in bed I did manage to roll a few hundred beads so I am getting back into the swing of things.  I also got some new raku and porcelain glazes that I am eager to try out. Tons of new ideas for the New Year!

I want to take my shop to the next level and my social networking too.  I feel like I am blogging to myself most of the time, I need to find my people.

I am also in the process of posting all of my old stock and making room for the new beads on the horizon so here are some pictures.

Handmade Brigade

I made some coupons for the Handmade Brigade goody bags and coupled them with my business cards.  The coupons are Buy one get one for half off type dealio.  I am also planning to put together a variety of items to give away in a drawing. I have not decided how I am going to do it yet, maybe having people write their names and emails down and put in a bowl.  In the past I have put samples of my items in the goodie bags.  My samples being little charms that I sell for 3 to 5 dollars each.. Well I did the math and it was not in my favor!  So coupons it is!  Which I think is a great idea.

I have been working non-stop it seems, I have shows every weekend until July!!!  I have been rakuing and stringing up necklaces and making bead sets, hand making copper clasps and putting them on leather cord.  I am having my husband design and board that will sit along side my table about chin height where I am going to hang all of my pendants. Tons and tons to do, good thing I love it!

Through all this mad mad rush I have been neglecting my poor blog and my poor Etsy shop! But my Etsy shop has been very good to me even though.  I have been featured in three treasuries and a few sales plus my first International sale to Norway!!! Yippeee!!

I do love doing what I do!!

It's a nice day for a White Crackle.....

Well I have been rakuing my little heart out all this week and while no I don't have pictures yet hopefully tomorrow I will have some to put up. I have this white crackle raku glaze that I bought a couple of years ago and I don't know if it got contaminated with another glaze or if its the reduction part but damn I am getting this lovely moonstone type color which I am seriously in love with. Sigh Murphy's law is that now I have written about it i probably won't acheive it again! I am awaiting some new raku glazes with abated breath hopefully Monday I will get them.

On another note I have been in three different treasury's on Etsy this Month, woo hoo go me! I keep missing when they are up but dang I am happy as can be about it! I also made my first international sale which was awesome thanks Norway! I am doing another Handmade Brigade show in Santa Ana on July 10 and am doing music by the sea in San Pedro for every Sunday from July 11 to August 1. I will post more info as the dates get closer. I am thinking about making coupons with 10 to 15% off a purchase for live shows and making up a bag of goodies to do a drawing for each show... wheels are a turning.

So that is what I am up too and pictures will be up soon of my new goodies.

Playing with my Beads

I have been having a great time playing with my beads making bracelets. I am using copper wire for linking together the beads and a larger gauge that I bang on with my little hammer and anvil to make the clasps. I also have been using some lovely glass beads that I got in a mix, I think they look nice with my ceramic beads and charms. So this is what I am doing in my evenings after Rakuing all day!

I love RAKU!!!!

Last year in my Ceramic's class I got myself a taste of Raku, (Actually my first taste was about 20 years ago in my College Ceramics class, too young to appreciate it, but I digress) Ahhh I fell in love with it and have been itching to do it again, So after much thinking and a bit procrastinating I finally bought some Raku clay, glazes and various other implements you need and dove in. I am so addicted! Raku feeds that Veruca Salt part of my personality that screams " I WANT IT NOW!" I have a 25 pound bag of raku clay and 14 new glazes and I am gonna Raku my little heart out!