Back from a really long break!!

I took a half year break from blogging to focus on other things having to do with business, family, and my crazy health. I'm feeling pretty stable in most areas these days so I'm going to give it another whirl.

Let's see, over the last 6 months I've:

1. Participated in a number of really fun shows. I've learned the ropes and know where I want to return next year.
2. Placed my jewelry with 6 different stores and one gallery! This was a higher number than the goal I'd set for myself so I was really pleased.
3. Became a premium member of Trunkt and have an ever growing portfolio there.
4. Improved my Focal Point Birth Pendant line and have had a bunch of sales through attachmentscatalog.com.
5. Created a line of copper and leather bookmarks which I love! I gave them to my whole family this holiday season!
6. Worked hard on my soldering skills in a 6 week mentored metalsmithing class.
   
7. Opened a shop on 1000Markets. It's a lovely site and well worth visiting!

Whew! And that's just the jewelry biz! Anyway, I hope to get back to regular posting and making some decisions on how best to use the blog. Stay tuned!

My First Give Away!

Come read this giveaway blog- babylyonstreasuries. Wire Tree is featured and I'm giving away a pair of silver and jasper earrings. All you need to do is visit my shop and then leave a comment about one of my pieces on her blog and you'll be entered in the giveaway!

10 City Promo Idea

Sometimes the forums on Etsy produce great things. A few weeks ago I was surfing around and got in on a conversation about cross promotion. AlwaysAmy had this idea: 10 people mail out two promos to 10 other people across the country(world). Everyone takes the promos they get and posts them on two community bulletin boards. Then, take a picture, send it to Amy, and blog about it. About 20 people replied so Amy put us into two groups.

As of now, I've received 5 out of 10 promos and am planning where to post. I'm thinking the shops on Alki Beach are a good choice for a lot of exposure. Here's who's in my group:

AlwaysAmy
Bamabelle
RecycledIdeas
adlenskrafts
RosannaElizabeth
BeadBratOriginals
CustomMemoryBooks
DesignedbyLucinda
LoveMeKnotCreations
Stubbornwoman

I'll post pictures when I get everyone's promo!

Movin' Right Along

Oh poor neglected blog. Let's get some new info out there!

First of all, I just spent four days staying with my sister-in-law and helping her with her new baby. Oh man, I love newborns! Certainly easier when they're not your own. Gave lots of breastfeeding help which, new moms and moms to be, you're gonna want! Get help- it might not come naturally and it might not feel so good.

Next, it's summer vacation for the kids! They're home all the time! I need a plan! Seriously, I'm hoping for lots of sun, time at the beach, and no homework. The kids are old enough to stay alone for a while too so I'm planning on a little time to myself.

Then there's the jewelry stuff. I'm happily making copper and have re-supplied the gallery. I also need to make more earrings for Oak, the craft store in Boston I've got my things in. And, I've got some shows coming up so I need to get cracking on the production! I don't know why I've been putting it off. I like pressure, I guess. And, I got accepted to trunkt, an online portfolio site that wholesalers and retailers like to shop. I need to spend time getting my portfolio together today, as I decided to spring for the premium account.

Finally, still sick. Boo.

Motivation in the face of no vitamins

Well, as I posted in January, I had surgery to remove most of my small intestine. I'm frustrated to say that I'm still struggling with the after effects in June. I'm sick to my stomach most of the time and tired all the time. This is making moving ahead with my business plan very difficult. To say nothing of maintaining myself at work and being a good parent and wife.

I have so many cool ideas floating around in my brain that it's hard to sleep but I'm having trouble with the follow through.

To keep my spirits up, I'm moving along as though nothing has happened and planning for the future. I'm scheduling shows, which are fun and exciting, I've come up with two totally new design ideas that I've introduced to my shop, and I've had a meeting with a gallery director in West Seattle. And...... she took all my new copper patina pendants! That was a huge boost last week.

I guess I've been thinking a lot lately about what kind of person gives up under these circumstances and I'm hoping it's not me. It would be so easy to crawl into bed but something just won't let me do that. Doing my art has helped me to stay optimistic and has given me a reason to keep looking forward.

Trina and Friends

Afew weeks ago a new online crafts company asked if they could feature some of my pieces on their site. This site is geared toward "high end" shopping and I was pleased that their buyer felt that my jewelry qualified. A very nice thing about this site is that there will only be 5-10 sellers in any one category. This will make it MUCH easier to find my jewelry. I am, of course, sticking with Etsy because I love it there but this is another web presence for me.

Anyway, I check their site progress periodically and was surprised to find my pieces available for purchase today! The whole thing looks great and I'm excited to be part of it. Check out my jewelry and the whole site here: Trina and Friends.

Heat Patina

I've been spending some time experimenting with heat patinas and copper. After several unsuccessful attempts, I came upon a method that works for me and gets me some beautiful colors.

After shaping, sanding, hammering, and tumbling my copper, I use my butane torch. I heat the whole piece until it starts to turn and then I quench in cold water. I then put the copper back on the fire brick and heat all over again. I may do this process several times until I get the colors I want. Next, I run the copper upstairs to the freezer and leave it in for a few hours. The pieces have come out very shiny and with lovely color variations. I'm currently using no sealer, as I'm worried this will alter the patina. Let's see what happens....