Fall Jewelry Goals

With Fall fully upon us, the dark setting in earlier and earlier, it is time to start putting more time into my jewelry making. I want to have at least twice as many pieces as I currently have for shows so that when I sell a piece, I have something to fill the hole. I want to learn some new techniques and I want to get better at some techniques I currently use.
This spring, I started a 30 Day Bead Challenge from Fusion Beads. I want to finish the challenge. I will pick up where I left off and then find another challenge. I want to broaden my jewelry horizons.
I want to bead with friends more.

What about you. What are your goals for this fall?

Etsy Sales and Another Show!

I had my first two Etsy sales over the last few weeks. So exciting!
I finally ordered and received my business cards. Love them.

I have been accepted at the Bethel, VT 'Our Community Festival' formerly the Bethel Forward Festival.  It is September 22, you should come see me!
I have applied to the Queen City Craft Show in November. Fingers crossed.

Etsy Shop - LIVE!

Finally, I bit the bullet and posted several items to Etsy. Come check them out!
Sirenical on Etsy.com

Shows! Past and Future

With some coaxing from Bethany, over at Bethany Renee Jewelry, I ventured out to my first vendor showing in Randolph called The Randolph Antique and Artisan Sale held on the park at Gifford Medical Center.

We each had goals that we surpassed!  It was a great experience to see what people liked, how much time it took to set up, and what items I really did and did not need to bring with me.

My set up is on the left, Bethany's is on the right. 

I have officially been bitten by the bug, drank the koolaid, whatever you want to call it. I am signed up for another show this weekend! Bethany and I are planning to be side by side in Burlington at The Ramble's O.N.E. World Market.

Here's to a better display, more confidence, and some great sales!

Using up Some Beads, Kind of

I decided to spend a bit of time beading outside this afternoon. I was looking through my beads, trying to figure out what to make, when I remembered the challenge. 

I have a fair amount of beads, but several containers with only a few beads in them. I decided to see if I could use up the left over beads.  While I didn't use them all up, I used up some of them.  It was great to get creative with them and make it happen.

#1 Make Earrings- Done.
#2 Use up Some Beads - Done.
#11 Make a Beaded Gift- Done.
#13 Make an Inspiration Board - Done.
#16 Make Something Green - Done.
#20 Inspired by Spring- Done.

Feeling Green

I've been sitting at home with a stomach bug. I decided to be somewhat productive with my beads, so I tackled another challenge.

While feeling a bit green, I decided to tackle making something green.  Malachite is my favorite stone and I bought some chips last time I went bead shopping on my own.  I have made a tree similar to this one that had been a gift for my mom. It turned out beautiful, but not exactly like I had pictured.  I decided to make another one. This one came out more like I had envisioned.

#1 Make Earrings- Done.
#11 Make a Beaded Gift- Done.
#13 Make an Inspiration Board - Done.
#16 Make Something Green - Done.
#20 Inspired by Spring- Done.

Beaded Gifting

Another challenge listed is to make a beaded gift.  While beading with my cousin last weekend, one of the necklaces I made I realized would be a perfect gift for my sister-in-law.  While I didn't set out to make a gift, it was an excellent coincidence.

The necklace I made was out of chain, amethyst, and fresh water pearls. I love the contrast of the stone with the pearls and the chain.  The gift was a hit, although I did have to make a new chain for her as the length was a bit too short.

#1 Make Earrings- Done.
#11 Make a Beaded Gift- Done.
#13 Make an Inspiration Board - Done.
#20 Inspired by Spring- Done.

Inspired by Spring

I spent some time hanging out with my cousin Stacey this past weekend. Stacey was telling me about a type of necklace she was interested in, so we went bead shopping.

I started off making a necklace Inspired by Spring.  This is #20 on the 30 Day Bead Challenge.  The style was one that my friend Bethany created, you can see her examples on her blog, Bethany Renee Jewelry.  Stacey wanted a bright, bold, fun necklace. She picked out some beads and the blues and greens reminded me of spring.  The added light green rondelle's brightened it even further. So much fun!

#1 Make Earrings- Done.
#13 Make an Inspiration Board - Done.
#20 Inspired by Spring- Done.

Challenge Earrings

Today I ticked another item off the 30 Day Bead Challenge! 

I brought my beads and findings with me to the Northfield Teen Center today.  One of the volunteers and two of the teens played with me and had fun making some bracelets. I made a pair of earrings. I am struggling with how much I like them, but here they are non-the-less.

 

#1 Make Earrings- Done.
#13 Make an Inspiration Board - Done.

30 Day Beading Challenge

My friend Bethany over at Bethany Renee Jewelry is doing this challenge called the 30 Day Challenge for Craft Month, and it is all about the beading.
She has inspired me to take the challenge myself.

I am not planning on tackling an item every single day, as I find my life a bit too hectic for that.  What I am going to do is tick off at least one to two items every week until the list is complete.

The first day of my challenge was #13 - To Create an Inspiration Board.  Instead of creating a physical board that would require me to tear pages out of magazines and to remember to print off images I find online, I decided to create an electronic inspiration board on the website Pinterest.  You can check out my inspirations here.

Fabric Scrap Bowl

This is on my list of things to try to make!


The directions are over at PrudentBaby.com and are incredibly easy to follow. Once I have made it, I will post my finished bowl! I hope to get working on that book to house multimedia accessories as well.

DIY

I really want to make this DIY - Vintage Book Travel Tech Organizer

Anyone want to get together sometime, perhaps this fall, and make one with me?

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http://www.sirenical.com

Quilt Squares

The 9 Patch Crazy Quilt is coming along nicely! I was finally able to take a few pictures to share.
As I said before, it is being made of fabric that my grandmother either had left over from quilts she had made or had made to go towards a new quilt. There are wonderful blues, purples, pinks, greens, and neutrals.


These are 5 of the twelve stacks cut and sewn together. Each stack is comprised of 9 squares and when cut, there are 9 different crazy patch squares. While some stacks are very similar, there are no 2 stacks that are exactly the same.

9 Patch Crazy Quilt

I am getting very excited about my quilt. It is really starting to come together. After looking through a bunch of fabric my grandmother gave me when she stopped working on quilts due to her eye sight, Jeremy's sister Mary helped me pick a pattern so I didn't have to go buy fabric. It totally rocks, I only have to buy batting and backing.
The 9 patch crazy quilt is going together quickly and I have only been working on it for a total of 4 nights, including cutting. I cut 12 stacks of 9, each stack being a bit different from the next if only in one square, and will make a 90" by 120" (approximately) quilt when finished. Everything except the backing is cut out, and I already have 4 of the 12 stacks cut out.
It won't take but a few more nights to finish cutting and sewing the stacks into crazy patch squares then I can looking at arranging it and sewing it together!

Stitchi-n-Bitch

I have been knitting and crocheting up a storm.
I finally finished a scarf I started, it was really simple but I ran out and had to go buy a new skein to finish it.
The felted bag I am in the middle of making is knitted and just needs to be felted, so next time I am at Dad's I should be able to finish it!
I just started a Grannie Square afghan for myself in really pretty purples, green and taupe.
When I finally get my camera fixed I can start posting photos of things I am making.

Felted Bag - Finally Finished

Ok, so the bag I started back in March for a birthday present for Katy, whose birthday is in April, is finally finished! It has taken me a long time from start to finish, although there was a lot of time in there that I wasn't actually working on it.

I was originally going to add a liner to the bag, but after three attempts at making the liner, each time making some sort of large error, I gave up and decided to finish the bag!

Happy Birthday Katy! :-)