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....

Shows and HAIL!

Yesterday was not the best day to spend outside doing a show. We got to see a mix of rain, sleet, sun, and hail stones- alternating about every 15 minutes! This did not make for a huge turn out at the Arts Unlimited show in Renton. Luckily, I was stationed near several Etsyrain folks and had people to talk to all afternoon.

I viewed this show as a learning experience. I'm actually rather proud to say that I was able to set up and take down my tent (with a little help) and could carry everything- including the cinder blocks I used to keep the tent from flying away. Those blocks are actually part of a bookcase that we built in our 20s and yes, we still use it.

I learned that I really need to order some tent walls! Thanks to Marlo and Suzanne for lending me their extras. Without them my tables would have gotten even more soaked. Ah yes, and thank to to Marlo for the paper towels. I figured out, too late, that if you're doing a show in the rain your tables will get wet while you set up your tent. I definitely need to throw in a roll next time.

Overall, I'm still glad I went- I even sold a pair of earrings. Now I'm very pumped for our next show in May. And it's indoors. Hurrah!

Shows and Rain

Quite a month. I'm still not allowed to eat most foods and I'm not feeling my best but I've decided to forge ahead anyway! After a fun trip to NYC I've gotten to work on setting up my studio and making LOTS of pieces. I'm going to be doing a few shows in the coming months so I'm trying to get ready for them. Actually, on Saturday I'm doing my first outdoor show by myself. I've got the tent and tables and I'm pretty happy with the display this time. I'm using shutters to hang the earring cards and a wood lattice from some french doors to hang the pendants.

However..... it's supposed to rain and possibly SNOW on Saturday. Yes, I'm sure there's no trace of climate change! Snow in Seattle in mid-April is unheard of. So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep warm and dry and not have my jewelry blow away. Some other folks from EtsyRain, now also known as Puget Sound Indie Artisans, are brainstorming survival tips for the day.

And by the way, the Puget Sound Indie Artisans are putting on our own show the day before Mother's Day in Edmonds. We are so excited!

Bead Trends Idea Book

My copies of Bead Trends March/April edition arrived in the mail today and I'm very excited! Two of my designs are featured with photos and instructions. This publication is always looking for designers to submit their pieces for review. The process was fairly simple and their photographer did a great job with everyone's jewelry. So fun to see my stuff in print!!