More Market Goodies...

Yesterday was a strange day at the market, it was very quiet, didn't seem to be as many customers as usual, but it's the summer and people go away. Our loss is other farmers markets' gain.

Slow markets give me a chance to catch up on making new items and also chat at greater length with passersby.

NEW ITEMS!!!

Stretch 4mm orange calcite 

& faceted rainbow moonstone bracelet 

This bracelet is particularly beautiful on and while orange is often a difficult colour to wear for a lot of people, it's such a purely luscious orange that just works. You have to try it on to believe it. In this case, I made the bracelet first, then looked up the meaning. This combination turned out to be a totally accidental, cosmic one-two punch with orange calcite radiating positive energy powered by the sun while the rainbow moonstone deflects negative energy.

Tumbled chevron/dogtooth amethyst adjustable chokers 

Various prices. I also have some simple pendant chokers with no decorative brass for $5 each available at the market.

For those who make their own jewellery I have lots of these pendants as well as other drilled  beads and pendants and undrilled stones and crystals available. If you're looking for anything in particular, please let me know as I have bins of beads at home, plus I'll be in Toronto at the end of July buying more crystals, beads, silver and gold.

Stretch blue Hubei turquoise, orange calcite & 90-year-old Kuchi .900 silver bracelet

Stretch larimar nugget, black labradorite (with blue flash) 

& Bali silver bracelet 

Adjustable rectangular agate & quartz druzy 

leather chokers 

These three have been sold, however I have lots more agate pendants at the market, all different.

Chinese brass incense burner

(NFS)

Bought myself a present to use as a display piece at the upcoming GEM EXPO/META EXPO at the Hyatt Regency on King Street in Toronto July27th-29th. Brass incense burner with lid, nicely patinaeing (if that's a word) in this humid weather. No idea how old this is, but it's got dragons on it. That's all that matters to me. 

See you at the market this coming Saturday, July21st, then I'll be off to Toronto for a week for the GEM EXPO/META EXPO and lots of fun, back again at the market Saturday, August 4th.

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. I will be teaching at the Gem Expo Friday night, Saturday & Sunday mornings. Sign up and get free admission to both shows!!!

Get The Look For Less -- Chakraluscious Crystal & Lava Stretch Bracelets...

These are the first in my new line of inexpensive Chakraluscious bracelets using mostly lava beads to keep the prices down around $30 to (occasionally) $50.

Fitting a loose medium, they're great for stacking. Contact me to order your bracelet here or to order a custom size or with particular crystal beads. Note that in the 6mm beads I have almost 200 different crystals to choose from.

The following are just some crystal properties. Meanings change, amplify and alter depending on other stones they're with.

Garnet & Lava:

8mm beads, $30.

Aids in turning visions into reality; regeneration, energising, balancing, protection, strengthening; removes and transforms negative energies.

Orange Calcite & Lava:

8mm beads, $30.

Integrates the spiritual realm with the physical body; enhances creativity; helpful with emotional issues; directs positive energy into will and sexuality. 

Golden Tiger Eye & Lava:

8mm beads, $30.

Releases fear and anxiety; aids in harmony and balance; make decisions with discernment and understanding unclouded by emotions. 

Malachite & Lava:

6mm, $50.

Warrior stone; manifestation, transformation; guardian of the heart; absorbs negative energy, pollutants; brings balance, abundance. 

Lava: 

 grounding; providing strength, courage and stability through times of change; 

reducing anxiety. 

All of my bracelets are strung with Stretch Magic, a silicon stretch cord. Customers have come back a year later to show me that even with continual wear their bracelets have still not stretched out. Need repairs or resizing? Has your favourite choker gotten all gungy? I sell replacement leather cord, and I do different types of repairs from replacing earwires and broken clasps to resizing and restringing necklaces. I charge $5 to restring bracelets.

Shipping depends on your location. You can pay via Visa, MasterCard, Interac eTransfer (in Canada), and PayPal. Cash works, too! Don't forget, I'll be at The Gem Expo / MetaExpo in Toronto at the end of July.

Come and see my new bracelets, sterling silver, skulls, crystals and tree of life pendants and more at the Woodstock Farmers Market every Saturday morning from 7:00 until 12:00 noon on Nellis Street at the Fairgrounds. For you early birds, I'm almost always there by 5:00 a.m. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Adjustable choker production from the Saturday market...

I made all these pendants in between customers at the market yesterday -- and one customer bought them all before they even hit the table. These were mostly made from new beads that I bought in Toronto last week from a hole-in-the-wall store I've walked by countless times. Now I need more... more... MORE!!! The eternal question: why oh why didn't I buy several packs while I was there???

SOLD 

SOLD

Learn to make this lava diffuser pendant at my Friday night class at the GEM EXPO in Toronto on March 16. Sign up HERE. Checkitout: there are lots of great classes all three days of the show.

SOLD

Don't forget, you get FREE 3-day admission to TWO SHOWS with any class: 

The Gem Expo, 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 16, 17 & 18

PLUS PLUS PLUS 

the brand new two-day 

METAEXPO

The Toronto Holistic & Metaphysical Show 

at the Hyatt Regency, King Street, Toronto 

in the second ballroom on Saturday and Sunday, March 17 & 18.

Thanks for stopping by -- and see you at THE GEM EXPO and METAEXPO!! Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter and get $2 off your admission.

March 2018 Gem Expo Classes will be posted soon!!!

The March 2018 Gem Expo is being held the last weekend of March Break, March 16th, 17th and 18th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, King Street in downtown Toronto: great timing for those looking for something fun for everyone from kids to grands to wrap up their vacation time away from school and work. Crystals, fossils, beads, finished jewellery, wire-work...

...we gotcha covered! PLUS there is the new Metaphysical Expo happening in the second ballroom. One admission gets you into both shows. Subscribe and get $2 off your admission. 

Here's a sneak peek at my three classes:

Friday Evening (Time TBA):

Aromatherapy Diffuser Bead Pendant and Earrings for Beginners

Just two possibilities to make in class. There will be a wide selection of lava bead sizes and colours, large and small pendants and dangles and bead caps to choose from as part of your kit fee. 

In this class you'll learn how to wrap beads to make your own aromatherapy diffuser pendant and earrings:

- make consistent wire loops and wraps, the proper way to open and close jump rings;

- accent your bead with bead caps to enrich the overall design

- how to attach your beads to earwires or necklace with jump rings

Saturday morning class (Time TBA):

Nifty Tips & Tricks for Wire Working for Experienced Beginners-Intermediate

Please note: this is NOT a suitable class for absolute beginners

In this class you'll learn to make your own wire findings easier, faster and more efficiently

- overview of wire types, temper, gauges, etc.;

- how to make consistent wire loops and wraps and troubleshoot difficulties;

- make your own earwires, plain and decorative headpins, connectors & dangles;

- bring questions!!!

Sunday morning class (Time TBA):

Totally Addicting Stretch Bracelets for Beginners+

Whatever you want to call them -- stretch, stacker, diffuser, healing, chakra or mala bracelets -- this is a great introduction to jewellery-making. Dress 'em up, dress 'em down, once you learn a few little tips and tricks you'll find the design possibilities are endless. Stretch bracelets make up quickly and just about anyone can make and wear them: they're easy to roll on and off with no pesky clasps to fiddle with. The only tools required are (sharp, pointy) scissors and occasionally pliers. 

You'll learn:

- tying and hiding a knot without using glue (& why you don't want to be using glue!);

- adjusting tension & sizing your bracelet to fit;

- easy and inexpensive ways to jazz up a plain bracelet by adding charms and/or spacers

NOTES ON TOOLS for most classes:

You'll notice you're asked to bring your own tools if you have them as instructors only have limited numbers of tools for participants to use. In general, these are the four basic tools anyone making jewellery will need at a bare minimum. Note that hardware store pliers and cutters do not work.  

L to R, bent nose pliers, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, wire cutters. 

It's always advisable to buy the best quality tools you can afford to save your hands from carpal tunnel and/or aggravating arthritis as well as make it way easier to manipulate wire. Those cute sets of tiny pliers you'll see in stores are meant for limited use when travelling or for kids' tiny hands. 

Hint to beginners: Subscribe to Michael's newsletter and whenever you're near a store pop in and use their daily 40% or 50% off coupon to buy something expensive -- tools!!! -- that rarely if ever go on sale. 

Sign up for classes early!!!

By subscribing to either The Gem Expo website or the MetaExpo website, you will receive notifcation when all of the classes are posted. Don't be disappointed! Sign up early as many in-demand classes have limited places and are fully booked a month before the show.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you at the March 2018 GEM EXPO and METAEXPO!!!