Thanksgiving Craft Party

Kaye Lynn, Amelia and me

Emily and Amelia

Hi to all,

In our family we have a long standing tradition of doing crafts at Thanksgiving.  Here we are working on holiday cards and wire bracelets; all crafted using recycled paper.   We used paper beads for the wire bracelets and tube beads for the cards.  You can check back to my September posts for a tutorial.  Here are some examples of what we made:

These handmade items would make great gifts for the holiday season.  You will see these and many more at the Holiday Craft Show in Tarrytown on December 1st.  It will be at the Reformed Church on N. Broadway from 11am until 5pm.  There will be refreshments and lots of local artisans there with great one of a kind gifts.  The show is put on by the Hudson Valley Crafts Collective.  It would be great to see you there.  Bring this blog and get 20% off your purchase at my table!



I will also have lots of glitzy glamorous jewelry for your holiday fashions.  Be sure to come see it.  All of the jewelry fashions are available on my Etsy site annemadethis, so please take a look.

Have a great week, check out my Etsy site and I will talk to you later!

anne

My Beautiful Nieces

 

                 Kirsten, the photographer

Emily the model (photo by Kirsten)

These are my beautiful nieces, two of many in my family.  You can see they are beautiful women, but they have beautiful hearts too.  Both Kirsten and Emily worked hard to make these pictures to help me update my Etsy site.  Kirsten is a professional photographer and Emily works at EMILY'S List, she's not a model.  Although, maybe she should be.  You can find Kirsten on Facebook or via the link I provided.   

My Chunky yellow cereal box necklace (photo by Kirsten)

I have been working very hard this last week, getting ready for the Artisan's Fair in Croton, NY next weekend.  Here are some of the items I have crafted recently.  I will have all of them at the Artisan's Fair.

Chinese Tubular Bead Bracelet

Paper Bead and Ribbon Necklace

Alice in Wonderland Necklace

Alice in Wonderland Bracelet

Below is the information on the Croton Artisan Fair.   I'll be there with my sister Kaye and my daughter Tori.  We will have all of the new necklaces and bracelets I have shown you lately along with lots of paper beads for you to use in your crafts, wine charms, and a special Free Paper Bead Bracelet Kit Giveaway!   There will be activities for the kids and food!  I hope to see you all there.

PS:  Bring a copy of this blog for 20% off any item at the fair.

See you soon,
anne

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

More Uses for Paper Beads

Memory Wire Bracelet-Violet Cereal Box

Halloween Bracelet

Greetings All,

Although it's not getting cooler, it is getting darker earlier and earlier now.  We are seeing a few of the first signs of fall. Another sign of the season, I'm making my paper beads in darker more jewel like colors now.  Take a look at the violet memory wire bracelet, the colors are deep and rich--perfect for fall fashions.  

And I've made a bracelet for Halloween, each bracelet has a couple of paper beads and a Halloween lamp work glass bead.  So cute and lots of fun for little girls.  I'll have these bracelets at the Croton Fall Arts Fair; Saturday, October 27th.  Just in time for Halloween!  If you want the bracelet sooner you can leave a comment on this blog or contact me through my Etsy shop.

Another Craft Idea

As the holiday season rolls around, you can make great cards and tags with paper beads embellishments.    These cards and tags will cost a fraction of what you pay in the card shop.  And you will be recycling those  magazines you have!

Use  toothpicks to roll these beads, so they will be nice and tight.  Follow the basic directions for the tube paper beads in my earlier tutorial.  I usually do not glaze the beads used for cards and tags. They come from glossy magazine stock and they just look better left as is.    Here are some samples I made.

The candles, the rays of the sun and the branches of the tree are all thin tube paper beads.  They are cut from magazine pages, rolled on tooth picks and glued.  Once the paper beads were dry, they were glued to the cards.   Looks like fun, right?!!

Check my Etsy site for new things and let me hear from you soon.

See you all soon,

anne

Looking towards the fall

Henri Rousseau

Hi to all,

Boy the hotter and muggier it gets around here, the slower and muggier my brain gets.  It seems like we are in the middle of a rain forest  summer today! 

We found out the other day that our booth made the local news services.  There were a couple of photos taken at the  Peekskill Craft Fair, you can see them if you follow this link.  We are in photos #7 and #8. 

I've been working on some custom orders lately.  I love collaborating with a customer and incorporating their new ideas into a project.  Here is a bracelet I've been working on.  The original bracelet I posted several weeks ago is teal & turquoise buttons; my friend wanted her bracelet to be made of black & white vintage buttons.  This is what I have so far, what do you think?



                                     



So even though it is only the first of August, it seems the calendar for the fall and the holiday season
is rapidly filling up.  Tentatively, I already have the following scheduled:

                                    October 27: Croton Arts Fair
                                    November 3: Greenburgh Nature Center Workshop
                                                          & Holiday Sale
                                    December 1: Tarrytown Holiday Fair

I will certainly keep all of my local fans informed about when and where I will be this fall.

So as I learned the hard way last winter, now is the time to start stocking up on your best sellers and reworking the stuff that is stale.  I have gotten some good constructive criticism from friends and family on displays and jewelry pieces, I am working on putting those ideas in place.  Also customers have given me ideas on new pieces they would like to see. So it is work, work, create create now.

Check my Etsy shop for new postings!
Talk to you soon,

anne
                                  

Peekskill Craft Fair Coming Soon

Stretch Bracelet made from
 nature book pages

Chunky Bracelet made from Nature Book
beads, vintage buttons and glass beads

Both of these items will be brand new at the Peekskill Fair, come take a look. Nice fall colors!

Peekskill’s 6th Annual Jazz & Blues Festival

Saturday, July 21, 2012 1pm-10pm

 A free outdoor concert and fair that will be held in historic Downtown Peekskill, at the intersection of Central Avenue and North Division Street. 

 Craft Alley, (1pm – dusk) featuring a variety of finely crafted handmade goods by local artisans, for sale.

  Jazz & Blues Brunch  (1 – 4pm) the best local music at restaurants and cafes around town.

  Food Court: samplings of area foods, art & family events, Peekskill Farmers Market and  more!     

  Main stage starts at 4pm:

      Masters of Latin Jazz, Multi-Grammy® nominated Bobby Sanabria & Ascensión 

      Marc Cary Focus Trio

      Lakecia Benjamin & Soul Squad

      Nation Beat

 The Annual Peekskill Jazz & Blues Festival attracts thousands of people from across the tri-state area, and has become one of Westchester's premiere summer musical and creative events. Visitors are encouraged to come early and stay late!

 One Hour From NYC on Metro North + Free Peekskill Trolley Making Regular Loops Direct To  Festival!

For Festival details, visit www.downtownpeekskill.com

Here's my booth, it's bright yellow and you can't miss it.  My sister Kaye and my daughter Tori will be there with me!  So stop by, see my new stuff and see my new tent.

Remember if you see something you like but would like a color change or a metal change; let's talk.  Although my pieces are one of a kind, their are many items that can be custom made for you.

See you soon,

anne

Endless Inspiration

Hi to all,

I really don't have a lot to say today, but I do have pictures of the pieces I worked on this week, all inspired by vintage buttons, pins and charms we sorted through a few weekends ago.  This box of buttons will be an endless source of creative energy!

Ode to a Gardener

Ode to a Gardener is the first piece that was crafted the from those  buttons.   I absolutely love it!  The bracelet is made of vintage buttons, pins and some beads from my stash, even a paper bead.  It is a custom order and will not be posted for sale.  In fact it is a gift, so if you know who it is for, don't say anything!  It is supposed to be a surprise.  Already, I have another bracelet fashioned from vintage buttons, crystals and earrings laid out on my studio work table. It is a real dazzler, all pearls, gold and rhinestones.  Take a look on my Etsy site during the week, it will be posted soon.

Chunky Blue Paper Bead Necklace

Above is another one of my creations, inspired by collection of vintage buttons.  I made this necklace from some giant paper beads, crafted from a box that contained trash bags.  Aren't the colors great.  I strung these paper beads with large acrylic beads, wooden beads and some of my vintage buttons using a technique that summer campers use with lanyard.  The necklace is a great statement  piece.  If you want stringing directions just let me know.  The necklace is posted on my Etsy site, please take a closer look, let me know what you think.

This week I met with a Nature Center and visited their gift shop We discussed workshops, a possible holiday fair for local "green" artists and displaying my pieces for placement in their shop. Here is a necklace made with my vintage buttons and paper beads rolled from their Wild Life Encyclopedia destined for the trash.  I made this necklace specifically for the Nature Center gift shop.

Vintage papers

 Finally, I am now offering  some the same vintage papers I use for my beads, these papers are posted on my Etsy site.  They are original pages from an old atlas,  a wild life encyclopedia, my forty year old French grammar books and some pages from the reproduction copy of Jane Eyre I used for the Jane Eyre collection pieces.  There is more information about the vintage papers on my Etsy site, just follow the link.  You can  use the paper for many different projects including, paper beads, scrapbooking, collage, card making etc. And consider that all of these book have been rescued from the trash, using these pages is all part of my recycling and reusing philosophy.

Check it out.

Talk to you soon,
anne

Button Fest!



Buttons and pins and beads, oh my!

Hi to all,

Last Sunday I spent the day with family celebrating my nephew's new wife Kat and their baby Addison.  But if the the truth be told, my sisters and I spent the majority of the day and the evening sorting through thousands and thousands of old buttons, pins and miscellaneous junk.  Buttons etc. from my mother's stash, her mother's stash and my sister's mother-in-law's button jar.  All the buttons were old, vintage, beautiful colors and designs.  I'll use these to make great chunky jewelry pieces.  What an inspiration for a recycle and reuse junky like myself.

This week I am trying to get my Etsy shop updated, assuring all of my new pieces are online.  I will finally get the rest of the Jane Eyre collection up and I have quite a few new bookmarks too.  They make great gifts especially paired with a favorite book.  So please take a look, see if there is anything you like.  Also I am putting together a few paper bead workshops for the fall.  I will keep you posted about that.

And a final word about last week's Craft Fair.  I think it was one of the best organized I have been in this year.  The hospital volunteers worked very hard.  Best part, there were volunteers to unload your car and place all of your things in your assigned spot.  Yea, that was wonderful!  I was located on the James Mansion House veranda, overlooking the Hudson River.  What a beautiful view.  Probably the hardest part of the fair was parting with a recently created charm bracelet and earrings from my Jane Eyre collection.  But I am glad I sold it and clearly some one else loves it too.

Talk to you soon,

anne

Phelps Hospital Craft Fair Tomorrow

Chunky new necklace

Hi to all,

Just a quick reminder for those of you in the Hudson Valley, NY area--the Phelps Memorial Hospital Craft Fair is on for tomorrow!  The chunky new necklace will be one of the items I will be featuring.


Here are pictures of my new displays, the Beach Art Beads and I'll have tons of new earrings! Also all of the new Jane Eyre collection will be there.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Rain or Shine!

10 am - 4 pm

at

The James House Mansion

on the grounds of

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center

701 No. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY

free admission  free parking

 Music  Prizes Refreshments for Sale

 Silent Auction  James House Tours

My table space will be on the veranda, hope to see you all there.  I'll  have a bead kit giveaway for tomorrow

Still have lots of work to do, so this is short.  Talk to you soon.

anne

Work in Progress

Jane Eyre Necklace

Hi to all,

Hope this post finds every one happy and healthy on this Memorial Holiday.  While you are enjoying family cook outs, thank a soldier and remember all they have done for us.

Above is a preview of my Jane Eyre necklace.  I crafted the disks for the necklace from the pages of a reproduction copy of Jane Eyre destined for the trash. The cover was used to by one of my Etsy friends to fashion a pocketbook.  Always, reduce, reuse and recycle!! 

The disks in this necklace are strung with vintage beads from my mother's jewelry box (also destined for the trash) on a silver chain, ribbon and a faux suede cord.  The necklace, along with matching bracelet and earrings will be available in my Etsy shop next week. 

Beach Art Beads Bracelet-Pink I

Beach Art Beads Bracelet-Blue I

Following up from my last post, the Beach Art Bead bracelets are available now.  Just click on the links and you will see more photos.  Didn't they come out lovely, just like a sunny beach!  The bracelets were picked as favorites in Etsy in less than ten minutes of posting them.  They will look great with your summer tan. The beach art beads are strung with crystals, cracked glass and faux pearls.  Read more about them at my shop.  And there are special discounts when you buy two. Check my shop, annemadethis on Etsy.

My Jane Eyre necklace and  Beach Art Beads can be seen at the Phelps Memorial Craft Fair on June 9th in Sleepy Hollow.  There will be lots going on for everyone, so I hope to see you there.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Rain or Shine!

10 am - 4 pm

at

The James House Mansion

on the grounds of

Phelps Memorial Hospital Center

701 No. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY

free admission  free parking

 Music  Prizes  Refreshments for Sale

 Silent Auction  James House Tours

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

Paper Bead Workshop

An eighth grade assistant at the Middle School Earth Day Fair

Hi everyone,
The local Middle School Earth Day Fair was held last week.  What fun!  There were many exhibits and displays and I am sure all of us learned a lot about recycling and reusing.

I set part of my table up with paper bead bracelets, earrings and book marks for sale.  The other part was set up for the paper bead workshop.  I also prepared some posters about the history of paper beads and some different ways of making them. As before. I offered a raffle for a Vintage Atlas Bracelet Kit.

The objective was not only to teach the middle schoolers how to make the beads, but also to see that something beautiful out of trash.  The school assigned me three eighth grade assistants to help me teach the other students how to make the beads.  They were fabulous.

  I had pre-cut cardboard and paper triangles for making the beads.  I brought lots of glue, tooth picks, brushes and other supplies for the kids.  Each one made about two beads, then let the glue dry for about ten minutes.  We used styrofoam egg cartons as drying racks.  We skipped the glazing step, their simply wasn't enough drying time.  The next step was to string the beads on a 12" piece of hemp.  We added a couple of large seed beads and then tied it on their wrists.  A very chic bracelet they were all proud of.

So what did I take away from all of this.  You really have to be super prepared for a workshop, especially with children.  Think about everything that can go wrong, it will.  Be sure to bring paper towels and baby wipes.  I would also recommend an adult helper. 



My sisters, niece and I  at Shipley's Choice 5K Walk/Run

So on to a totally different subject.  Here I am with my sisters and my niece getting ready to run or in my case walk my first 5K.  When you are running or even walking; 5k seems like a pretty long way!  I came in third....from the last!  We all had tons of fun, kudos for all of us for trying.  After the run, my mom had a beautiful brunch all ready for us.  A great Sunday!

Please check my etsy site; I am always adding new things.

Until next time,

anne

Croton Spring Arts Fair

Setting up my table for the Croton Spring Arts Fair yesterday

Hi everyone,

Here I am setting up the table for my second craft fair!  It was yesterday in a Croton-on-Hudson park.  What a beautiful setting and a beautiful day for a fair. One note to all of you who are are new (like me) to the craft fair circuit, be sure to have wind proof set-ups.  Displays and even tents went flying in yesterday's wind.

And just like they say, each time you set up your table or booth it does seem to get easier.  I think you are more organized and a lot more confident that it will all work out.   Of course the best part of the fair is meeting other crafters and several "etsyites" too.  I even reconnected with a jewelry maker from the fair I attended last weekend.

Another fun part was the giveaway contest I had.  I ran a drawing with a simple entry blank and picked one name to receive one of my bracelet kits.  It is a good talking point when people come to your table and just filling out the entry slip gives them a chance to spend some time with you and look at what you have. Not to mention, the contact list you build!

For this fair, I made a few more bracelet kits including one Tropical Pink Bracelet Kit, which I just listed on my Etsy site.  Also I crafted some black beads and combined them with beads made from the pages of my French grammar book from many years ago.  I think this bracelet has a completely different look made this way.  It is listed as Vintage French Language Book Bracelet.

Paper Bead Bracelet Kit-Tropical Pink

Vintage French Language Book Bracelet

These items and every thing on my Etsy site is available with FREE SHIPPING until Mother's Day.  So take advantage of the offer.

Later this week, I will be participating in an Earth Day Fair for the local school.  I will be leading a workshop for middle school students, teaching them how to make paper beads.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it!

Talk to you all soon,
anne

My First Craft Fair

Tori and me at the John Paulding School Fund Raiser

Hi to all,

Yesterday was my first craft fair.  It was so much fun.  What an experience to actually talk to your buyers.  They can give you a lot of new ideas.  But I was exhausted when it was finished.

I have a few pointers for anyone doing their first show.  First remember the duct tape and scissors, there are a million things duct tape can fix!  And be sure to bring plenty of water.  If you have wonderful friends like I do, bring them along too.  Having an extra set of hands is invaluable. Try to walk around the show, I saw some great displays and even met some fellow Etsy shop owners.

Next week, Sunday April 29, I will be at the Croton Spring Market.   Read all about it at this link.

And finally the update on the guest room makeover.  Take a look.

I think we all like it; it was a lot of hard work, but worth it.  There are still a few finishing touches to be done.   It's a real comfy guest room now! 

And finally, remember Mother's Day!

Take a look at my Etsy shop, free shipping until Mother's Day

See you soon,

anne