Phew! I Made It!

Alas, readers, another Christmas has gone by. And I made it. All of the shopping, the baking, the planning, the gift wrapping, the get-togethering, and the stressing is nearly over. Honestly, I don't know why I get so busy at this time of the year, it's not like I don't know how to plan for it! However, this one was a bit different, and the reason was my Etsy shop.

Let me just tell you, as mentioned in my previous post, I definitely wasn't prepared for the holiday rush. I really didn't think I'd be a part of it, being a fairly new seller and all! It was exciting though, and it kept me very busy. Luckily, I did have nearly all of my shopping done at the beginning of December, which helped quite a bit. I'll also have you know that at least 60% of my gifts came from Etsy, or were handmade by me. I also received some handmade goodies--a birdhouse, some coasters and some hot pads, and a painting--as well as items that PROMOTE doing handmade activities (a gift certificate from Fire Mountain Gems and a kit to make my own incense!).

In '08 I'm going to be a busy, busy girl. Today I did a bit of shopping for my belated birthday (December 19), and it included some metalsmithing tools--a jeweler's saw, a torch and some solder, a ring clamp, some new tweezers and needle files, and of course some new beads and wire. In late Jan, or perhaps March or April, I'm going to be attending a private session with a metalsmith in State College, PA to learn some additional skills. Most of what I've been doing is self-taught, but from what I've read it seems that once you get into soldering and the like, it helps to do some one-one-one instruction. I can't wait!

Over Christmas I took a little break from the shop, but I still got some orders. I'll be working over the next few days to fill them, as well as try to come up with a few new designs for earrings. I'm also waiting on materials to continue developing my Beneath the Moon necklace and earrings (smoky quartz smooth teardrops are becoming hard to come by these days!). I'm also working on variations of this design...changing up the stones and whatnot. For instance, my up-and-coming "Beneath the Blood Moon" necklace will feature garnet teardrops and freshwater pearls in place of smoky quartz and peach moonstone. I'm hoping for a nice outcome on that one! The garnets I purchased are big and gorgeous and perfect for someone to show off. I'm also going to be doing a made-to-order piece called the Jonelle necklace, made after the person I made it for this Christmas. :oD I haven't talked to her yet, so I hope she liked it! I'll be putting pics of it on my Flickr page soon.

Well, I'm off for now, gotta get to work in the studio. Have a nice breather before New Year's!

Time for an Update

Dearest readers, sorry for the delays in posting; it's been a crazy week and this week is only going to get crazier.

The holiday rush hit me much more than expected. I figured that since I didn't open until late October, I wouldn't be so busy around the holidays, but WOW WAS I WRONG. If I was any more buried, I'd be in serious trouble! Stay tuned for lessons learned from this holiday after the season ends. In case you want to get a jump start on things, check out littleputbooks's article in the Storque. I wish I had it much, much earlier!

In other news, I finished a few of my custom items. I posted some pics here for ya; click on them to get to my Flickr page. Note that one of them inspired my Back to Earth necklace, currently available in my Etsy store. I have two other items to finish before the holiday--a necklace, bracelet, and earring set, and a pendant for a trade.

Finally, I'm letting my stock run down until after the 19th, basically because most of my items are made to order. To accommodate my customers during the holiday, I built up my stock, but now they have dwindled down to almost nothing, and I have to finish my custom work first! So, after the 19th I'll have a near-full storefront again, and production will resume.

Also--just a note--I am probably going to close the store on December 24-26 in order to spend time with my family, get last minute things ready for Christmas, etc. In 2008, I have many ideas for many new items, so stay tuned!

Red & Gold

Greetings, readers. Alas, here is yet another entry for the Etsy Bloggers Street Team Blog Carnival. The theme? Holiday Traditions & Musings.

I thought plenty about what I wanted to write...I don't have a large family; therefore, there's not many traditions that we follow. Honestly, Thanksgiving is the bigger holiday for us, so that's usually where many of our "traditions" are established or have been established. I did, however, remember one tradition that I follow, and that's decorating in red and gold for Christmas.

The tradition of using red and gold decor was started by my grandmother. I don't know if anyone used this color scheme before her, but what I remember most is the way her and my grandfather used to decorate their house for Christmas. White lights were a no-no. "White lights aren't warm, Chelsea," she would say, expressing her disgust for the white light trend that seemed to keep growing and spreading from house to house each year. "You need red to make your house look warm and you need red so it shows up better in the snow."

Every year, my grandfather would drag out those red, fat, monster-sized lights (can you even buy those anymore?) and cover their bushes in the front yard with them. I will say, against the snow, my grandmother was right--the lights looked beautiful. On their front porch was a life-sized wooden Santa Claus, which was bathed in a spotlight powered by a contraption that I think my grandfather built himself (he was quite the gadget maker, I must say).

Inside their house, taking up the entire width of their large front window, stood their Christmas tree. Adorned with red lights and red velvet ornaments accented with gold, it was truly a sight to see. The red lights on the tree created beautiful reflections against the ornaments, and the star on top--a multi-pointed 3-D star--was also embellished with red lights (you should know that I think the star originally came with white lights, and knowing my grandmother, she had my grandfather replace them all with red). To finish it off, each front window was dressed with a decorative arrangement comprised of red plastic bells, pine needles, and gold accents. The bells had twinkle lights inside, and when they flickered, they would light up the windows with that lovely, warm, red glow.

My grandparents aren't here anymore, so over the past few years I decided to take over the red and gold tradition at Christmas. Much of my decor is red and gold, but I have to say that my tree is what I'm the most proud of. I pile on tons and tons and tons of red lights, as well as red and gold bulbs (see some of 'em here...along with a little reflection of me with my camera in them!). I have a few other ornaments sprinkled here and there, of course, but the red and gold is what catches your eye first.

My tree will be here next weekend, and I will spend my Saturday afternoon decorating it (as well as--ahem--working on my custom orders!). Once it's finished, for a brief period of time, it will take me back to a place where Christmas was a magical event, full of wonder and surprise and visits from that jolly Santa Claus fellow. It will remind me of the warmth of my grandparents' living room, and the way the front of their house used to glow under a blanket of freshly fallen snow.

Yes, during the holiday season my colors will be red and gold, dear readers. White lights aren't warm, and I know this because my grandmother said so.

Shop Etsy for the Holidays!

Today’s entry is related to the Etsy Bloggers Street Team Blog Carnival. The theme? Christmas Gift Ideas! This one is going to be soooooooo easy, as I’ve already been doing Christmas shopping on Etsy. Not to mention, I’m trying to stick with the Handmade Pledge as much as I can, because gifts that are crafted by hand are much more unique and meaningful than those that are mass produced.

What this nice little entry will do is give you an idea of some of the wonderful items that are available on Etsy…I’m trying to stay practical and reach a broad audience. I’ll provide five items below that would serve as a great Christmas gift…if you don’t think so, you’ll at least be exposed to the wide range of goodies available! Also, please keep in mind that I’m not going to let you know if these are MY specific Christmas gift items…I have friends and family reading this post, so I don’t want to spoil it, of course! Anyway…enjoy.

Scarflettes!

These are one of the coolest items I’ve seen on Etsy so far. They’re like a little mini neck warmer, without all of the extra material that goes into a scarf! Many sellers are going to be offering scarflettes as the cold weather sets in; my favorite so far is from AllInStitches. The color combination is fabulous, and it matches just about everything I own!

Hats!

My hair was short for a very long time, but now it’s long once again, and so I LOVE wearing hats (they just didn’t look right with the shorter ‘do). Etsy sellers have a fabulous line of hats available, in all different styles. I need to get one for every day of the week! One of my favorite sellers that specializes in hats is BKMHattitude. I love this one especially…practical ‘n funky.

Toys!

Yep, I love toys. Especially ones that are handmade, of course! This little creature here is brought to you by NattyStuffs. I just love it! And, I can tell you that I’ve already bought one, and the quality is fantastic. I can’t wait to buy more!

Pottery!

When I decide to break down and redo my stoneware theme for my kitchen, I can tell you that nothing will come from Target or The Bon Ton. They’ll come from someone who specializes in pottery, like khphillips. His Mudstuffing Pottery studio has some amazing items, all done up earthy and practical, just like I like ‘em! This lovely set I have pictured here is one of my faves because it would be the perfect addition to my kitchen, especially the colors. I am certain that YOU have friends or family members that would love this!

Handbags!

Handbags are a very popular item on Etsy…there are a ton of fabulous sellers, each offering different styles, color combinations, and themes for their handbags. The one I’ll mention here is HerRoyalMajestyBags. HRMB’s items are absolutely lovely, with styles that accommodate anyone’s taste. Not to mention, her descriptions for her items are a joy to read, and I’m sure the Queen would be delighted if you visited her shop! She has a wide variety of offerings, and stands behind the quality of her work. From what I’ve noticed just by running into her on the forums, she’s an all around great person, and a pleasure to converse with.

So, that’s it for now. As you can see, I only listed a small number of items…I wish I could list more, but I have work to do for my own store, silly! Now, get out there and BUY HANDMADE. Your friends and family will love you for it, and you’ll be considered the best gift-giver EVER. Happy shopping!

My Latest Purchase

One rare occasions, I do buy jewelry for myself. This does not happen often, as most of my creations are spoken for, or I make them as gifts. But every once in a while I find an item that I just can't put around anyone else's neck but mine. Recently, this happened when I visited Mary Boden's site, Wood Thrush Studio. I bought this lovely li'l pendant from her site on Etsy. A visit to both of her locations is recommended; she really makes some amazing stuff. I'll also be posting this work in progress as I create it. As of today, metals, gemstones, and materials to be included will include amethyst, citrine, glass foil beads, and copper. Sorry folks, this one will be my Christmas present to myself this year. But, be sure to check back often for photos! Perhaps my design can give you some creative ideas.

Simply Wired Custom Jewelry Current Projects Update

So, in anticipation of getting ready to open my store on Etsy (http://www.simplywired.etsy.com/), I wanted to give viewers a sneak peak of what I've been working on. Finished pieces as well as works in progress can be viewed on http://www.flickr.com/photos/Simply_Wired. Note that items posted prior to today's date have already been sold and are no longer available. Also, in my opinion, some of them are still a little "bush league," but hey, I'd call it a decent effort for just starting this hobby approximately 19 months ago. I'm liking my most recent piece (not yet posted, but it will be on this page soon), as it reflects the colors of my kitchen...perhaps I will wear it as I bake pies until it sells! Hahahaaaaaa. Anyway, send some comments my way on Flickr if at all possible, and let me know what you think. And OH YEAH Christmas orders...the time is near. To ensure Christmas delivery, please let me know by September 30. If you're requesting a simpler piece, there may be some flexibility with the cutoff date, but I just want to be sure I have enough time to complete everything to make my customers happy.

Peace, love, and a bead on a wire,
Chelsea