Packed & Ready for THE GEM EXPO

http://www.thegemexpo.com/

Friday November 22 11:30am - 9:00pm

Saturday November 23 10:00am - 6:00pm

Sunday November 24 10:00am - 5:00pm

Hyatt Regency on King

370 King St West, Toronto, On M5V 1J9

 

Entrance Fee: $4 / day or $8 for all 3 days

Yep. It's 8:30 on Wednesday night, truck's gassed up and loaded already with non-freezable items, all the beads are still down here, but everything I need is packed and ready to go first thing tomorrow morning.

I really do have to work on a better system of packing, like maybe put everything into the same size bins so they can stack... duh. Acquire a trolley-dolly of some description. And just maybe stop bringing so much stuff with me.

The good news is I got my storage area cleaned up. The work tables are another story. Total disaster.

Here is the item I am donating to The Gem Expo Silent Auction with all proceeds going to Philippines disaster relief. You can get information how to place bids online on this item as well as the other vendors' donations on the Gem Expo website, or you can place your bid when you come to the show.

20 Sleeping Beauty turquoise nuggets

And........ just because "it" is on its way (possibly even this weekend), not to mention I find this hysterically funny.......

There are all kinds of draws for fabulous prizes, so come early, come often -- price break if you buy a three-day pass. I was surprised at the July show to meet so many people who came at least two days, if not the three. There is a lot to see and do -- many different classes at all levels of expertise, not to mention many great gifts for Christmas.

Mailiing list entry for personal $2 off coupons

http://www.thegemexpo.com/index.php/2coupon

See you at the show!

The Gem Expo Countdown...

EIGHT days to go until next Thursday evening when I'll be in Toronto at the Hyatt Regency setting up my tables for The Gem Expo. Friday, November 22nd, the doors open at 11:30 a.m. I'm already packing up turquoise, lapis lazuli and glass beads, pewter pendants and other goodies including skulls -- this time, I have a few drop-dead gorgeous resin crow and raven skulls in various sizes and finishes -- and finished jewellery, with many items -- and beads -- particularly appealing to guys, a somewhat under-served market.

Here are pictures of a few of the many beads I will be bringing:

Beads will be available in full and partial strings, as well as individually.

Turquoise:
Campo Frio, Nacozari, Kingman, Castle Dome, Sleeping Beauty, Hubei, Ma'an Shan, Tibet, Afghanistan

Glass, Stone, Shell, Bone:
Fair Trade African, Indonesian reproductions, blue Hebron, shell heishi, chevrons, etc.

Metals:
Brass, copper, pewter, coin silver, sterling silver, PMC silver

Skulls & Fetish Beads:
Turquoise, bone, pewter, copper, base/plated metals, sterling silver, resin, ceramic

Friday, November 22nd: 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 23rd: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 24th: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.



http://www.thegemexpo.com/index.php/2coupon

See you at the show!

Goddess Necklace & A Long Skull & Crystal Rosary Chain...

I wrote that last Sunday Lynn was over for a jewellery-making session and came up with a goddess necklace using a resin pendant she'd been keeping for some time. She roamed through my bins picking out earthtone bone and horn beads. The thin white and black spacers are African ostrich egg heishi. Yesterday, she brought the necklace to the market where I crimped and added a copper clasp and wire-wrapped the earrings. Here is the final result:

Lynn's goddess necklace

Hi Barbara,

I'm famous again ! . . . thanks to you!!!

I enjoyed wearing my necklace all weekend.

Thanks, Barbara, for your help --

I like coming to your 'Jewellery-making boutique on the Grand'. 

While at the market, I had time to rosary-wire-wrap black skulls and Chinese crystals. I debated about making this into a choker as is, but I decided to add a long adjustable Greek leather cord. This way, the necklace will extend to about 40", or it could be wrapped multiple times around your wrist and still be perfectly adjustable to fit anyone. I used jump rings to join each section, so it's possible to piece in more segments or to add your own dangles.

Tiny dyed black howlite skulls, Chinese rondelle & bicone crystals,
tinned copper wire & black Greek leather, adjustable to 40"
SOLD

Nice drape

I can't believe how chewed up my fingers get wire-wrapping

Because Lynn had brought her own pendant and sterling earwires and did her own designing and stringing, the final bill for everything was about $20 in new beads and wire-wrapping/crimping on my part. This is a very cost-effective and easy way to make your own jewellery that will look exactly the way you want in the colours you like and fit perfectly while spending productive time hanging out, sharing a potluck lunch and laughing a whole lot. You can learn techniques and how to use tools, or just pick beads and I'll do the rest for you. Email me to chat about what you'd like to do and I'll give you a quote for a morning, afternoon or all-day jewellery-making session (except Saturdays). For now I can only accommodate two people maximum.

Yikes, in a week and a half I'll be at The Gem Expo at the Hyatt Regency on King Street in downtown Toronto where I'll have turquoise, matte lapis, jade and carnelian, lots of handmade reproduction Javanese glass beads all in full or partial strings or loose, as well as interesting and unusual pewter and fetish beads and pendants. And skulls. Lots and lots of skulls. I will also have finished necklaces, bracelets and earrings made with my turquoise and lapis ready and waiting. Do all your Christmas shopping in one fabulous 3-day weekend, November 22nd, 23rd & 24th, with me and all the other great vendors at the show.

Thanks for looking -- if you're local, come and see me on Saturday mornings at the Woodstock Farmer's Market or check out my new showcase seven days a week at the One-of-a-Kind Antique Mall, and definitely see you at The Gem Expo!



Mailiing list entry for personal $2 off coupons
http://www.thegemexpo.com/index.php/2coupon

Raw Lapis & Javanese Glass Choker...

Strangely unproductive afternoon. I had all these plans for making things but time slipped away. Fridays are like that for me. I have to be pretty much finished up by 5:30, packed up by 6:00 and then winding down so I can be horizontal by 7:00, 8:00 at the latest, and asleep not much later than that depending on how much I read. I did get a half-dozen guy-style chokers with pewter pendants put together, as well as this raw lapis and Javanese glass bead leather choker. What usually happens is it looks okay for real, but then I can see all the holes and/or weaknesses in the colours and shapes when I see the photos.

I'm trying to decide if those beigy-coloured stone beads should get replaced by lapis beads of the same shape. Probably... d'ya think?

I'm also curious if there will be any response to this tinned copper seed bead rosary chain necklace with the very subtle addition of a dangling clear glass skull and Chinese crystal pendant.

I have lots of rosary chains in different colours all made to about 19" in length. I plan to spend tomorrow adding clasps. But now I'm wondering about an all-crystal rosary chain... Having finally finished watching the currently available Bones seasons on Netflix, I will queue up the last few episodes of Human Target and start making a crystal chain. I have been immensely productive here in terms of chain-making. I need to set up a small table at 90 degrees to my computer setup here for my beads and bead mat and I'll be able to string, as well.

It took me a while, but by the second season of Human Target I figured out it was filmed in Vancouver. (Bummer that it's been cancelled. It's a pretty good show. I'm not sure if that's because so many other movies in particular that I've tried to watch are so abysmally awful that this is good in comparison or not. Certainly the fight choreography is pretty good.) My first sight of Vancouver was in September of 1978, arriving at the train station after three days crossing Canada. Absolutely magnificent scenery and, certainly in those days, fabulous food and service on VIA Rail. It was almost shocking to see that it looked exactly like in my memory of the place, minus the TV show carnage, of course.

Thanks for looking!

Showcase...

Here are the pictures of the showcase filled with my jewellery and Nancy's collectible bowls at the One-of-a-Kind Antique Mall in Woodstock. I think Nancy did a beautiful job laying everything out on Sunday. Yesterday, Wednesday, was my first view of it -- I got my truck brakes fixed on Tuesday after being permaparked for a week. Thankfully, it wasn't too-too big of a hit to the ol' piggy bank. However, the mechanic did say that it really wasn't worth spending the money to fix the oil drips... meaning it's long past time to start saving for a new vehicle. One more winter is all I ask and anything past this is a bonus. On the other hand, that's what I've been saying for four years now.

Looking the length of the showcase from the right end, as you walk in the front door.

Looking down the length from the left end of the showcase

View from the top.

It's surprisingly bright in here and I think the slightly coppery colour of the tablecloth I picked shows off the jewellery very well, particularly the turquoise. Initially, I was a bit leery that the stripes might make it too busy. Now to hunt down more of these tablecloths from Dollarama for my Gem Expo tables in Toronto.  

Closer view of some of the jewellery

Thanks for looking!

My New Sales Venue...

I gotta say, I've had really bad luck with putting my jewellery in stores. Every time in the past five years that I've gotten into another store, they up and close on me. I've done okay to great for sales, but for many different reasons from the economy to health the store owners haven't been able to make it. It's been really sad.

I heard a couple of weeks ago that the One of a Kind Antique Mall in Woodstock was opening up to craft vendors, and more importantly that it was possible to rent a locking display cabinet so, today, after a great lunch at Chiba Sushi my pal Nancy and I took a look around. Good thing we did.

Long dithery story short, I am now the proud renter of an ancient -- well, fairly old, older 'n me, anyway -- wood and glass showcase in a primo location on your right just as you come through the front door on the main floor. The table presently in front there will be removed and I hope that Santa won't mind sliding along a titch.

Here's the front door and Nancy, out of focus. Nice wide aisles, too. To my right is the cash desk. Nancy and another pal of mine, Winter -- I hope! Please say yes -- will be adding items to use as props: Nancy will supply collectible glassware and oddities; Winter, exquisitely crafted and weirdly wonderful paper items and cards. These, plus my turquoise, skull and tribal-inspired jewellery? Christmas shopping, done and done.

This place is positively CAVERNOUS. They've recently opened up the third floor, making it now the largest antique mall in Canada, and it's stuffed literally to the rafters full of furniture, some kinda rickety-to-junky, yeah, but a ton of cool stuff. There were a couple of pieces I'd buy in a heartbeat if my stooopid truck brake line hadn't decided today would be the perfect day to spring a leak. Getting that sorted out on Tuesday.

This is just one aisle on the third floor in this photo; there are three aisles running the length of the building. There's gotta be 40, 50 or more feet behind me to the front of the building also filled with furniture. See how high the ceilings are? There are two ginormous black wooden bookcases behind me that almost reach the ceiling. Five grand each, but man, oh, man, are they beautiful. I'll try to get a picture posted in a few days.

I'm really lusting after this Parsons-style chaise/daybed -- and comfortable? Yummers. Think of all the bead bins I could store underneath.

Meanwhile, Nancy and I will be sorting and pricing items here on Friday. If she gets away soon enough on Friday, she will put some in the display case, but I will do most of it on Saturday afternoon. I'll post more pix.

The plan is to spend a couple of weekdays a month here, but for sure I'll be dropping in after the market on Saturdays to check on stock and chat with customers. Note that I'm still doing the Woodstock Farmers' Market Saturday mornings until noon.

Thanks for looking and please come and visit!

Halloweenies for Let's Eat Cake...

Creepy skull cupcake picks for Let's Eat Cake in Woodstock.

Contact Rene at the store -- (519) 320-9268 -- to order your custom cake picks, cake jewellery and wedding jewellery -- and yummy cakes, cookies and scones, too! Or see me at the Woodstock Farmer's Market on Nellis Street at the Fairgrounds (beside the casino) every Saturday morning from 7:00 a.m. to noon.

Thanks for looking, and if I don't get back here, Happy Hallowe'en to you all!

Triple-Wrap Kingman Turquoise & Leather Bracelet

This is a bracelet I'd made for Rene at Let's Eat Cake a couple of years ago, but that a kitten recently decided made a great chew toy. The button loop became history. Bad kitty. I restrung it this morning at the market. Yes, alas, it was that slow.

Chan Luu-style triple-wrap bracelet using 4mm Kingman boulder & 6mm Kingman blue turquoise beads
& natural 2mm Greek leather with a copper button closure

If you'd like to order one like this or using other beads or other leather, please email me for a quote.

Thanks for looking!

It's begun.............

Woke up to the first dusting of snow this morning...

Chains, Bones & phones...

I have been having problems with my idiotPhone. All of a sudden -- well, as of last week after having the charging interrupted twice by the power going off with no notice -- it wouldn't hold a charge. The place I bought my idiotPhone from said that the battery has a memory, to not stop/interrupt charging before the battery is fully charged, other people have said, no, phone batteries now do NOT have a memory, some people/sites say wait 'til it's low to recharge, other's say wait 'til it's at 50%, don't fully charge/do fully charge -- but no one says what percentage it should be at before disconnecting the charger: 95%, 97%, 99%??? -- and I have read copious and contradictory nonsense online about what else the problem(s) might be, AND I've had the advice to leave it plugged into the charger for 24-plus hours. Last night, after leaving it charging for 30 hours I was texting someone and watched the charge drop 3% in ten minutes. From texting. So the 24-plus-hours charge obviously wasn't working. Then I decided to see what would happen if I turned the phone off completely overnight and how much battery loss would occur.

Isn't this interesting: this morning I found that not only did I not incur any battery loss past the 97% point it was at when I turned it off last night, it somehow magically reset/recharged!?!?!?! itself to 100%. Is this possible? This morning, I sent three or four texts, I've taken five or six photos of the bead chains I've been making obsessively while obsessively watching Bones for the past three or four days -- I'm thinking the characters must have whole jewellery rooms in their screen lives -- and just now talked on the phone for a total of 30 minutes whereupon the phone is down to 84% -- all after 2 hours of on/off usage, no downloading of email at all. Is this normal?

I'm now second-guessing myself about the wisdom of having an idiotPhone, which I chose solely for its ability to use Square so I can accept credit cards at beads shows and markets (and it works great for that -- IF the phone will continue to hold a charge longer than 8 hours!) and to be reachable in an emergency.

Seed bead & mystery stone copper chains:

Another beautiful fall morning:

Now to figure out what to do with them all...

Thanks for looking!