Spring is really here...

Yea!!  Spring is here!

Tuesday was the first day of Spring.  And here in New York the temperature has been up to 80 degrees already!  When I was walking today, I found more evidence that spring is really here!

So with spring comes the craft fair season.  This will be my first, and even though it seems grueling I am going to give it a try.  And I have tons of work to do to get ready.  I've found some really great ideas for getting my "table" set up.  I found this fabulous site on pinterest with tons of DIY ideas for attractive, interesting ways to display my work.

 I just got something called "Square".  What a great idea and it is free.  This small plug in allows your iPad or iPhone to swipe credit cards and function as a cash register.  It will tally sales, add sales tax and send receipts to the buyers email account--just like the sales people do in the Apple store.  The ability to take credit cards can really boost my sales.  If you are in the craft fair business and you don't have "Square", just Google it.  That's how I found out all about it.

So to get ready for the craft fair season, I need to figure out what I have in inventory and what I need to make.  I have thought of a few new things to try out this spring.   I got a fabulous vintage world atlas; the pages make gorgeous beads.  Here is a bracelet I made from one of the maps, you can find more pictures on my Etsy site.

Paper Bead Cuff Bracelet- Vintage World Atlas 

I thought it might be a good idea to put together kits so DIYers  can craft  this bracelet on their own. Everything you need to make the bracelet, along with directions is included in the kit.

So as you can see I am getting ready for the spring craft fairs.Anyone who can give me some good ideas on displaying my jewelry or for that matter, surviving a craft show, please leave me a comment.  Check my etsy site for new listings.  I will keep you up to date on times and places, hope to see you all there!

anne

annemadethis giveaway winner

Hi to all,

I am really sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to everyone.  When there is too much to do, it just becomes overwhelming and nothing gets done right (or at least the way I want it done!).  My mind just clouds over and I totally lose my focus and my creativity.   I am always afraid that I will forget something, something will "fall between the cracks".  Then I don't feel good about what I am doing or myself for that matter. But, now I think I am back.  Once I  focus, I can prioritize and weed through the mess.  So I can say that a lot of neat things will be coming up this spring and I'll let you know about them soon. But first I have to announce the giveaway winner.

 annemadethis giveaway winner

And the winner is...    Meg for her comments on February 27th about my collage art beads. 

Congratulations Meg!

Please contact me at annemadethis@gmail.com to confirm mailing instructions for your bracelet. Thank you everyone for participating.

Stay tuned for another annemadethis giveaway!

I"ll be talking to everyone soon,   Be sure to visit my Etsy shop.

 anne



"Creating is my Happiness, sharing it with the world is a dream come true."

Square Fused Glass Art Piece

Hi to all,

Isn't this glass piece spectacular.  A friend of mine and a fellow Etsy artist made it.  Today I'd like to tell you a little about her and her art work.  Her name is Kelly and her shop is RedPony50Creations.  Kelly and I worked together in the corporate world for many years.  She was in Texas and I was in New York.  




When she was laid off from her corporate job, Kelly created every day to lessen the stress of job
 hunting. Her Etsy shop was born! But Kelly did not get there overnight, it all started fifteen years ago when she took her first stained glass class with a friend. As soon as the class was over, she began investing in glass and tools to set up her own home studio. Working on glass at the end of a busy day helped her decompress and relax.

Black & Gold Dichroic fused glass pendant
Another example of Kelly's work

When she took her first fused glass class, she knew she was hooked. Her studio out grew her garage, so she built a barn to work on glass. Recently Kelly relocated to Colorado and set up her studio in her basement. She says the "air in Colorado is so fresh and the skies are always blue...it's an inspirational space to create in!"

Glass Flower Stake Sun Catcher
What a fun piece!

I hope that you will visit Kelly's shop RedPony50Creations, just click on the link. Make the store one of your favorites.  Feel free to convo her for custom work or a specific color combinations.  She will also create wholesale orders.

Just a reminder

The drawing for the Recycled Paper Pendant is March 15th!  You can enter easily, just leave a comment.   That makes you eligible.  Read my post of February 9th for all of the details.

Check out my Etsy shop annemadethis  

Take a look at my button bracelets and my new tropical paper bracelets and thanks for reading my blog!

                              anne