Exciting News

One of the most exciting things about my glass and enamel journey is collaborating with fellow artists. Meg Mullen, of Bead My Love, is one of those talented artists and dear friend. Meg and her mother Moggie took me under their wings when I started exhibiting at shows, it must have been that deer in headlights expression I had on my face.

In the current February issue of Bead and Button magazine Meg has at least a two page spread on a bead embroidery pendant she designed called Playful Pinwheels. She created this pendant around my enameled pinwheels. I have one of these pendants in teal that I wear at practically every show, it goes with everything and I could have sold it several times off my neck.

If you want a different color pinwheel just go to my ETSY shop I can make you a one in any color you want just send me a message.

Meg has kits ready to go on her website and any seed bead shape and color you can imagine for all your bead embroidery needs. If you get a chance check out Meg's bead retreats, they fill up fast. I attended one a year ago having never touched a bead embroidery needle in my life and walked away with two finished projects. Between Meg and Moggie you will not lack for support whether you are a beginner like me or have advanced skills. That does not even include the good food and the friendships you will experience.

Meg and I will both be in Tucson at the end of the month at the To Bead True Blue show  we will both be in the Grand Ballroom at the Doubletree. We would love to see you.

New Enameled Pairs

I kept my promise and in the next two weeks I will be posting some new items I have introduced this year that have been popular at my shows and I will be adding to my online enamel collection.

These are pairs of a stylized ginkgo leaf, they are 32mm high and 25mm at the widest point. As you can see they are opposites, which I try to do whenever possible, because they look so much better if you choose to make earrings. There is one large loop at the top, and these would look great with some chain dangling from behind these enameled leaves.

They are $10 a pair, all of the pieces in the photos are ready made and you will be receiving the exact pair you see in the photo. I do have another 10 pairs waiting to be enameled so if the color you want has been claimed, or you want more than one pair just let me know in the comments and I will get in touch with you. I would be happy to make what you need and even send photos for approval if desired.

To claim the pairs in the photos and make any other requests just let me know the color name I have indicated in each photo, and it will be yours, on a first come first served basis. I can accept payment via paypal or set up a reserved listing in my ETSY shop.

If you would like to make an additional purchase in my ETSY shop I have free domestic shipping right now, the coupon code is FREESHIPPING. I was going to end it on Thanksgiving but I will continue this coupon for the next couple weeks for your last minute shopping in the shop and/or right here on the  blog.

I will keep you all posted in the comments section if I run out of pairs, but don't worry I will be ordering more. I need to get ready for Tucson.

Thanks, Anne

All SOLD, Thank you

   Gingko in Autumn                                                         

Ginkgo in Teal

Ginkgo in Lime

Ginkgo in Peppermint

Gingko in Aqua

Gingko in Eggplant

What I have been up to the past year and a half

It has been so long since I have blogged, I guess life got in the way.

 Last time I was here I was doing 18 shows in one year, way too much, lesson learned. In the handmade world we have to make our own inventory, so time in the studio to make stuff and think of new stuff is super important. 

 I had a house to purge and sell. When you have a big house you can put off all those decisions to get rid of stuff, this was a technique I mastered. Now I am in the third sequel of the purge and I am actually enjoying it. The key is to just begin somewhere, no matter how overwhelming, and given time you will see progress.

Love the new old house, since it was built over 100 years ago it feels weird calling it a new house. Still unpacking and making more decisions regarding what objects are most meaningful to me, which is another good lesson that has been put off way too long. Clutter is my middle name but when it comes to 100 years of paint on woodwork I have OCD, so I am doing my best to keep my heat gun under lock and key until the house is in order.

I have been fired. Yes I am an empty nester, and after all having an independent child capable of her own  mistakes and successes is the goal. My daughter was finally able to release herself from my clutches, and it's all good.  Thank goodness for my bead business, making stuff has filled that space in my life and opened up a whole new world of friends, creativity, and new places to explore.

I also had a brief three month job in the world of retail, which only reinforced that my place is in the studio and my work needs to be making stuff for you. 

Before I head to Tucson in February I will be making some decisions about a website, polishing up my logo, adding more up to date photos, and SELLING OOAK ENAMELED PIECES AND LAMPWORK GLASS BEADS RIGHT OFF MY BLOG!!! 

Thanks for visiting, Anne

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Check out the information below for a domestic free shipping coupon code !!!!!!!

The coupon code is FREESHIPPING, it is for domestic only, the coupon will be active thru Thanksgiving day!

All of my international customers will get additional freebies to make up for no free shipping, you won't be disappointed.

I did have a few orders yesterday and today, and I will refund your shipping. I hate it when there is a deal right after I make a purchase.

But starting now you MUST use the coupon code to get free domestic shipping, it's mentioned here, in my etsy shop announcement, my business facebook page, and my personal facebook page. 

No need for my international customers to use the coupon code I will know to include extras.

Have fun and thank you for supporting my etsy shop while I was out of town.

Summer 10% Off Sale and Free Domestic Shipping

Believe it or not I am a little ahead of schedule with my listings this week.

As promised my goal this Summer in between shows and getting my home on the market is to fill my shop with all the enameled "Made to Order" choices I have available.

I just added over 200 choices and there will be more to come. 

If there is a specific color that you see in my sold section that is not in the shop yet you can place a custom order. I always send photos of custom orders for your approval before I request payment.

Unlike the past any sale in the shop will also apply to all custom orders.

Changes in the Shop

- As I have mentioned in the past I will only make a "Made to Order" piece if I feel confident that the order you receive will be as close as possible to the photos. Keeping in mind that I apply all of the enamel and make all of my glass beads by hand.

-  As stated in the product description I will need about five business days to make your order. Sometimes it may take longer sometimes it may take less time, depending on my volume of orders and my show schedule. If you need your "Made to Order" items within 5 business days please contact me via my Etsy shop and I will let you know what I can do.

-  When I have a sale in the shop it will also apply to any custom order, glass or enamel. This is a change in my past policy.

- Keep in mind that a glass custom order takes much longer, again I will be in communication with you regarding the specifics.

-  I have added a new Etsy feature to most of my enameled pieces in the shop. On the right side of each item you will now have a choice to order most of my enamel pieces as a single or a matched pair. If you want both singles and matched pairs of an item you will need to place two separate orders, one for the number of singles and one for the number of pairs. 

-  When you order a pair it will always be as close of a match as it can be for handmade.

- In some cases I have offered a reduced price for a matched pair, this only applies to a pair that is the same color not two different colors.

Current Sale

I am starting the sale I promised this Friday tonight since the orders are starting to come in.

The sale is for 10% off everything in the shop and the coupon code is:

SUMMER10

There is also Free Domestic Shipping off everything in the shop, you don't have to do anything for that I have already changed it for each item.

I am sorry I can't off an equivalent shipping discount for my international customers, on average I pay an extra $2 postage for every international order. I cannot bring myself to raise the shipping, but this may have to happen in the future for domestic and international orders. 

However, I will add a little extra surprise for my international customers, hope that helps.

The sale will begin now and end next Thursday, June 26th, at midnight East coast time.

I am on my way to an Innovative Show in Doylestown, PA this weekend, so I will not be able to start any of these orders until early next week. If you place an order I will send you a message via Etsy with specifics.

Since there is a sale in the shop all of my customers in Doylestown this weekend will get 10% off on any order all weekend, no coupon required.

Thanks everyone for your patience the past several months. I totally underestimated the time it would take to prepare my home for market and also how much studio time would be sacrificed preparing for shows. As a result my online Etsy shop has suffered.

I said this would be a test year for shows, and I certainly have been tested.  There is no point in meeting new customers at shows if there is no online opportunity for them to purchase my handmade items.  A better balance between my shows and my online presence is starting to take shape.

Thanks for visiting.