Labor Day

Hi everyone,

OK I am a few days late, but happy Labor Day to all!  

Labor Day marks the end of summer and the start of the new school year.   The holiday celebrates the contributions of the American worker, it is on the first Monday of September.  It is one of the few holidays that does not have a religious tradition, even the first Labor day was celebrated with parades and picnic and fun!  For over 100 years we have continued marking the Day with parades, barbecues, picnics and now a 3-day weekend of sales!  Hope you all enjoyed the holiday!

Striped Tube Beads

These beads are yet another variation of the tube bead.  I think they will look great  as a bracelet in either a stripe or checkerboard pattern.  Nice fall colors, right?  I'll make a few bracelets from these beads and post them on my Etsy site.   Later I will post a tutorial for making these beads.

And finally, with the help of my most trusted advisers, I am trying to develop more "shopper friendly" displays for my bracelets.  Bracelets in my original display are difficult for potential customers to handle or try on.  With this new three-tier display, the bracelets are lying in a bed of dried beads.  Now they are easy to pick up and try on.  What do you think?  I'll try it out at my next craft fair this fall.

Three-tiered Bracelet Display

Well that's it for tonight, talk to you all soon.  Check out my Etsy site and let me know what you think.  My next craft fair will be the Croton Fall Arts Fair on October 27th.

anne

Flowers, Mother's Day and New Ideas

There is always flowers for those who want to see them.

                                                                                                    Matisse

Mother's Day Flower from Max & Tori

Hi to all,

I have only attended three craft fair/workshops so far, but I feel like I have some handy advice to pass on to anyone who is just starting out.  I have gotten into the habit of writing notes about the events as soon as I get home.  Yes, I know you are exhausted, so am I, but I may forget by the next day.  I record all sorts of information about the event including vendor table costs, sales, expenses (including those free giveaways); and any customer comments or suggestions.  I like to write down what went well, customers loved the Square; and what didn't go so well.  And last, what do I have to replenish before my next fair and what can I change to make it better. Recording this information makes the next event easy to prepare for and it will be a reminder to me next year when deciding which events to sign up for.

Teapot Wind Chime by Amelia Ariella 

Well...what about this teapot pouring a stream of sparkling beads.  The beads glisten in the sunshine and they jingle like bells as the breeze ruffles through them.  They are fabulous hanging on the porch in the summer or in an open window. The pot was designed by my sister Amelia Ariella Levine, she also has a shop on Etsy.  The wind chime pots are made to order only. You can reach Amelia by convo at her Sunfire Gallery on Etsy, just follow the link.  Sorry the photo doesn't do it justice!

Here are a couple of new ideas I have been working on this week.  I am getting ready for summer and these are my beach series art beads.  These beads are crafted with many layers of cardboard, glue, tissue, various papers, fibers, glitter and gloss.  I have designed them in two colorways to reflect the colors of beach sand and the foamy waves as they come to shore.  I have shown them with some beads I will string them with. What do you think?  This week they will be made into bracelets and posted on my Etsy site annemadethis, so please take a look.   Also I opened my Etsy site for international orders and credit card payments.  Hope to see you this week at my Etsy shop!

Thanks,

anne