No time! Setup is in 12 hours! Gotta run!!

In the midst of unbelievable chaos, I managed to complete a last-minute batch of steampunk flower pendants before the CBCCD show in 4 days!

I especially love the one with the red/orange leather, below:

I had to make some more because I nearly sold out at my last show! These things go very fast.

I was tucked in behind the table at the C200 show and it was fun watching jaws drop from my nearly-hidden vantage point.

I started playing with sheet metal – copper and aluminum – shaped, hammered and hole-punched as a basis for the flowers. It’s working pretty great! You can see it on the left, above, and in the middle, below.

In other news, about a month ago I was building flat, round, upholstered display discs (see turquoise, above!) and in so doing, I think I over-used the duct tape and strained a tendon in my right index finger. It could also have been the heavy wire-work I was doing for ornaments and neckwires.

In any case, working was painful and it seemed the best thing was to rest the finger. So aside from my day job, I’ve been avoiding using that hand for four or five weeks now. Getting back to the bench and being able to create again was a relief! It’s still a little stiff but I couldn’t help myself.

I hope to get a few brooches done before the show, but it is hard to say if I will have the time.

The fancy martini fundraiser party is this Thursday, and you can contact CBCCD for tickets. After that, we are open Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday for only $2.00 admission. Hope to see you there!

Covered one of the presentation boards I got on the cheap with fabric that I guessed at the length for and was an inch shy of being not enough. This process caused me to stretch in ways I haven’t stretched in a while. Today I am paying for it with aches and pains. But it’s totally worth it! Then I loaded the presentation board so I can just slip it into its case and have the world’s easiest set-up.

Completed a wholesale order for… wait for it… Little Mysteries in Halifax!!! Squee! They took one each of my new Focus line, as well as a dozen simpler gemstone pendants with meaning cards attached. I’m so delighted with this I can’t even think straight. The photo below – of simple gemstones with simple meanings – is the culmination of my career. Literally, this is all I’ve ever wanted to do but could never figure out properly.

Printed cards for my rare beach glass pendants that fit into the new boxes I have on hand and loaded them up. They look so fancy!

Created new STEAMPUNK cards and loaded my clay steampunk into boxes.

Loaded some beach glass onto cards.

Loaded my ring tray.

Counted and sorted my inventory.

Did a dance of joy.

Today I need to figure out the final say on my ornament design… I ran out of beads from the very successful ornament from last year, so I had to order new ones but they’re too small for the old design. I posted a new design on my Facebook page, but private and public opinion was that it wasn’t right. So it’s back to the drawing board! I might make a smaller version of last year’s design; I haven’t decided yet.

I DID decide that I will be making a small batch of Christmas earrings, and they will be my Show Special at only $15! I’m pretty excited about that… I was playing with the new beads to come up with the new ornament and have a bunch of too-small-for-the-tree pieces that will be perfect for earrings.

It was fun this week to be someone’s mentor… a friend I showed some jewellery techniques to about a decade ago is finally worked up to her first show, and she had questions for me… and I had the answers! I felt like a rockstar for a second there.

After ornaments, my priority this weekend is to make coal pendants and beach glass pendants.

OK. I have got to get to the studio. Have a great one folks!

Check out how awesome that labradorite is!

Finished up a bunch of rings lately, some even with gears and such!

Managed to get a few gemstones going as well, although I’m not quite able to identify this one.

This rainbow one is totally fun.

And a huge flowery one! So cool.

For the first time ever I’m running a calendar and a production schedule. Today I’m supposed to be making ornaments :)

Centre 200 Christmas Craft Fair

Friday, November 11: 2pm – 9pm
Saturday, November 12: 10am – 8pm
Sunday, November 13: Noon – 5pm

Holiday Spirit at Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design

Tentative schedule:

Private Shopping Party, Thursday, December 1: 5pm – 9pm
Friday, December 2: 5pm – 8pm
Saturday, December 3: 10am – 6pm
Sunday, December 4: Noon – 5pm

If you happen to know my avon lady or my future mother-in-law, they’ll be holding private jewellery parties at their homes next month as well.

And of course, my work is available year-round at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design:

CBCCD is open year-round, Mon-Sat.
PO Box 1686,
322 Charlotte Street
Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 6T7
Tel:  902.539.7491
Fax: 902.539.4807
www.capebretoncraft.com

My Etsy shop is currently empty; once I see what my returning inventory is like after Arts North closes this weekend, I might be able to put up a few items. I’ll keep you in the loop!

For the first time in 3 years, I got my little behind to the NS Gem & Mineral Show. I went completely bonkers and oh boy am I glad I did! Check out the colour on that aquamarine! The deep blue apatite! the brilliant yellow citrine, the peridot… oh man I’m excited.

I have been planning my Focus series for like a billion years now, and now I have the full complement of what I need. Here are some closeups!

The most amazing blue AAA kyanite, citrine, and amethyst/citrine points.

AMETHYST!

Carnelian. Loving these facets.

Top row is some rainbow moonstone, nearly invisibly. The rectangles are the kyanite I had before – rough, inconsistent colour, full of matrix. The triple-a stuff is just so much better. The bottom three rows are iolite, iolite, and more kyanite.

One of the big regrets I had about the last show was not going back for more agate slices. This time, I bought nearly everything they had!

Including these brilliant tumbled fragments.

I am completely in love.

Hoo boy, I love this batch. I had several new sets of components I had wanted to try – enameled flowers I got from an artist on etsy, lacquered birchbark I’d harvested from a friend’s woodpile, skeleton keys my dad salvaged from his basement, and stamped bronze and copper filigree that I’d coloured and varnished myself. I meant to do four different styles, but somehow they all got mashed up into my steampunk line and turned into something crazy and awesome.

I can, however, totally tease you :)

And ok, you can see some of the half-finished bits in the background. Maybe I jumbled them together on purpose so you can’t make them out. Y’know. Maybe.

For those of you who have asked if I make brooches …. I do now!

I know I’ve been inundating you with updates lately, but I can’t help it! I’ve just been so productive and I love to share :)