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.

Rest in Peace

On Sunday the 23rd my Mother was visiting us from Colorado when she received a phone call from the police back home telling her that her husband had passed away in a motorcycle accident.  I watched as my Mother was told over the phone that her soul mate was dead and it was crushing.   I am getting teary eyed right now writing about it. The top picture with the cross is above where he died. The picture next to it is our escort to the funeral and the bottom picture is the patch his fellow bikers in sobriety made for him and they will sew to their vests.  Doug's funeral was overflowing with people who loved and cared for him and they are having a memorial for him at his AA club house on June 6th.  That is all I can write for now as I am still upset but I wanted to explain why I have been absent from my blog and my etsy and artfire shops.  I bought some new raku clay yesterday (my old clay turned in to a rock) so now that the weather is nice I am going to start rakuing again.  I seems like everyone is rakuing lately!!  Even my husband wants to try his hand at it and he has not played in the mud since college.  Well thanks for stopping by I will post again real soon

Birthday Black Widow Battle

Yeah it's my birthday.... I have what is called Arachnophobia not only was it a fun film from the early 90's but it is also the irrational fear of spiders. I have that. Which I have actually started to make some breakthroughs with it like I no longer think they are stalking me....

But when I am having mmm lets say a bit more anxiety than normal the condition is amplified so ... Here is my scary tale. I went to plug in my Wii controller into its charger and there she was bigger than life long spindle legs clacking together, red hour glass winking and ferocious fangs glistening in anticipation of its meal... ME!

Ok I didn't actually get that close to see fangs a'glistening, and I did remain calm instead of running out of the house screaming I thought about how shall I defeat this epic monster....

I quickly remember the bug spray I yelled at my husband for using in the house and ran to look for it under the sink... carefully I might add I have been surprised by many a foe under that dank sanctuary.

Armed with bug killer I faced my foe and aimed. A cloud of sweet lavender tinged with death shot from my can. A direct hit! The black widow stumbled and fell from the wall coughing ( well not really but for theatrics) She Was Stunned! and hopefully dying.

I watched her looking for signs of life, ahhh her leg twitched she was recovering an epic foe indeed! She was coming for me... I knew I would have to battle her Mano a Mano...

So I grabbed the broom and dustpan out of the kitchen... En Guard! I whacked her and she finally curled up in a ball so I used my dustpan to try to nudge her into it for disposal. But like all worthy foes she was not dead. With a mighty OMFG! I proceeded to whack the shit out of her til her legs fell off. Then I gave her a proper burial at sea (toilet) said I was sorry cause I do feel bad and farewell.

I scrubbed the bug spray and looked for an egg sack and web but could not find one. After further contemplation and a conversation with my hubbie we decided she must have traveled in on something.... but what?

Then I remembered I had left me favorite black cardigan outside on a chair overnight and this morning I stumbled out there retrieved it and put it on.... well I screamed like the silly girl that I was and tore that sucker off even though the spider was long gone my crazy arachnophobia brain could not except it. Betrayed by my favorite sweater.....

On a lighter note I sold 3 items yesterday woot woot happy dance! One of my bead sets :) and some other goodies. Now I am trying to decipher the whole SEO thing mehhh my brain does not like.
Anyhow happy birthday to me the big amazon warrior!

Doing Bead Sets

Well like I have said before... Hello my name is Janel and I am addicted to Beads..

Que the "Hello Janel!"

So I have lots of my own ceramic beads and have yet to figure out a way to market them. I have decided to try and sell them in sets. Oh boy and is it hard to part with them... I especially love the raku ones... so shiny, I love to just look at them ... hold them... Okay I am a Beadaphile.... but I know you fellow beadaphiles know what I am talking about.

I have beads that I have bought before I was pregnant with my daughter who is now 21 years old. Do the math. I am hoping that other fellow bead lovers will see my beads and think wow I gotta have them beads and love them too.

Tomorrow I will be at the Ren Faire drinking honey mead and feasting upon turkey legs so that is why I double posted!

Looking For Fans!

I am looking for fans for my Facebook fan page! So for it's just me,my Mom, my Mother-inlaw and my Sister. How lame is that? So throw a fellow crafter a bone and join my facebook fan page!

Panic .. oh my what am I to do!

Well I picked up my last paycheck and now that has happened I feel a little panicky.  I really would like to use these next few months to concentrate on my business and see what happens when I focus my energy into it instead of splitting it up between work and well all the many many other things that come along when you have a family. I am wondering with the extra hours where will it take me creatively. 

Well I have some craft show applications I need to fill out and send but darn it I don't like how my pictures are turning out when I printed them.  Arg... picture taking has become my nemesis.

I did manage to post some new items in my shop so I will throw up a picture of that.  I have a huge batch of beads that I am going to bisque tonight some with that lovely red clay. I am going to start offering bead sets as soon as I get these glazed.

I have to get to sanding them beads so thanks for letting me VENT!!!!