Happy Days: Full and Exciting

There are some very exciting things going on around here.

First of all, I have enough people signed up for my class at Beadfest Philly in August, so it will not get canceled.  WE ARE ON!

There is still plenty of room too!  So if you want to sign up, or need details, you can find them here.

https://www.etouches.com/ehome/79000/StaciSmith

I have begun production for Beadfest, and I am just at the beginning stages of bead making.  I really wanted to try something new this year, so I added some cabs to my inventory.  I must say, I really love making them, and went for a very 3-d effect.  They have a lot of dimension to them.  My daughter said they looked like Mountains.  So I started calling them Mountain Cabs.  I also happened to be watching a documentary on the Incan People, and got to see some of their large mountain drawings- do it seemed fitting.

I sent one to Nikki Z of Love Root in hopes she would play around with it.

Well, she did just that, and I love what she did with it.

She calls it a whelk shell, and I agree, it definitely has that sea shell feel. I love the beach, so those shapes and forms definitely sneak into my work!

You can see what Nikki is up to on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/LoveRootArtisanJewelry

Or shop her wonderful designs on etsy

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveRoot

On Polymer Clay Daily, Margrit Bohmer was feature for her beads (her beads are soooo fun).  I didn't even realize she was using the technique from my tutorial that she bought.  I love how she married the new technique with her classic style.  Makes me happy to see so many people having fun with crackle glaze technique. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/195139904/artisantribal-statement-earrings?ref=shop_home_active_19

https://www.etsy.com/listing/175876241/painting-polymer-tutorial-the-crackle

You know, other then that, I am just making beads, trying to have a summer social life with family, friends and the kids, and working on tutorials, submissions, blogs and paperwork.  That is all!  lol!

Thanks for popping in and seeing what's new in my world.  I will hopefully be putting new beads and jewelry in the shop next week!  so stay tuned..............



It's Time! Collaborative Sets are Available!

I am so happy that finally, the sets Genea and I have been working together on, are available in our shops!  Please stop by and take a look.  These are limited edition sets and will not be made again.  Each one is completely unique too, so there is really only ONE of each set!

 Artisan Accents by Staci Louise

 

Genea Beads

Update!!!!  I am sold out of the Harvest / Rainbow sets.  If you want one, you better head to Genea's shop before they are all gone!
 

 

Don't forget to check BOTH shops- Genea has 12 sets and I only have 10!  So check them all before you decide- each is totally unique!

Artisan Accents by Staci Louise

Genea Beads

'Tis the Season

No, not THAT season silly, not just yet anyway.  Germ season, art show season, busy busy busy season!

 

I have been pretty absent from my blog, just no spare time. I am going to try to catch up on what I have been doing, and will be doing in one big post.....so please bear with me.

 

So, with three kids and the start of school, in the last week, Julia had a tummy bug one night and a fever the next day, Collin (littlest) had a good boogery cold all last week.  My big show, the Doylestown Arts Festival was last weekend, and friday night, the night before, collin woke up with a 102 fever and a REALLY croupy cough.  Saturday night my eldest who has asthma woke on and off all night with a croupy cough needing his neb treatments.  So needless to say, it has been NOT enough sleep for me, with lots going on.

 

Thankfully, although it has been crazy, no one is seriously ill.  Lots of on and off fevers, and boogers and coughs, but everyone is well enough to play and eat, so in my book, thats good.  Julia did end up going to the ER last night, her turn with croup, but it was REALLY bad.  I have kids with asthma, and I know croup all too well, and she could barely breathe.  They fixed her up and she is good as new!  She even thanked me for taking her there so they could help her breathe better.  Isn't she a doll? 

 

I got to do my show, which was up in the air for awhile, not knowing what illnesses in the home would bring.  That was a HUGE relief, and I couldn't have done it with out my dad and hubby helping me at my show and with the kids (they took turns, one came with while the other watched the kids, and then swapped). 

 

I did manage to make some new stuff for the show, but I sold alot.  I still need to make more for my show next weekend, and for my shop I have jewelry in.  Here are some pics from Doylestown.  I didn't even get one of my whole booth. I was so tired and out of it all weekend.

 

This is the front corner of my booth, I am usually behind here working on more jewelry and keeping busy.

This is the part of the "counter" where I can talk to customers and bag up their goodies.  I leave room for them to set down their things in front of the display and room behind for me to work.

 

 

Here is the other side of the pic above, moving toward the back of the tent.

 

Then in the back I have two more sets of shelves set up, and trays with jewelry in them setting on the table below the shelves.  I didn't have near as many as I normally do, and kept having to take away displays through the show. It was kinda a relief to not take as much inventory, and still have a good show.  Less pressure on me for next time.  (do you see that blue sky????  we had a wonderful weekend weather wise!)

 

The best part of the weekend, is that everyone loved my new Artfully Adjustable Necklaces.  I love making them, so I am happy they went over well.  I sold every one of them I made for the show, and kept making more while I was there, and selling them too.  Here are some on the display at the show.

Here are some pics of the stuff I made for the show.  I posed them on facebook, but never got a blog up on here like I wanted to.

 

These are the adjustable necklaces up close...................................

 

I absolutely loved the one below.  It's a Marsha Neal donut, a drilled crystal, and a fossil stone with sea glass on top and on the dangle.  You can either wear them shorter with a long chain dangle, or attach the chain at the bottom and wear them like a big chunky long pendant.

And keeping with the greys and earth tones, this was my next love......................................

 I had that Lisa Peters Art Heart forever, waiting for the perfect fit.  Paired it with an Artisan Clay smoke fired donut, some pearls, voila!

 

Here are some more I made. 

And last but not least, my long, necklace, "The Traveler"  I worked really hard on this piece after challenging myself to make some longer necklaces this season.  I was thrilled with how it turned out and it sold almost right away to the perfect person!!!!!!

I really enjoyed the show, seeing lots of my regular customers again, talking with my vendor friends and getting some fresh (non-germy) air!  Doylestown Arts Festival is a great show with many really wonderful artists.  They pick high quality stuff, and I love that I get to be a part of it each year!

 

On to future news- I will be listing some misc. beads and components in my shop in the next couple days, and by the end of the week Genea and I will be launching our limited edition collab sets!    Here is a sample, though each set is completely different.  (5 sets in each color scheme, each unique beads)

 

Here is one of the sets that will be for sale in my shop by weeks end, and a couple sample pics of what you can do with these sets.  Use them all together, or break them up and use bits and pieces.

I will do an official blog post with links as soon as they are available in our shops!  Hope you are well, and germ free my friends! 

A New Adventure

So, I have touched on and off about this collaboration that Genea and I have been working on, well, its almost time for the big reveal.

teaser picture- not a full set

 

It's been a lot of work, alot of details, and alot of fun- all at the same time.  We are excited and hope you like these one of a kind sets we created.  They are limited edition, and on Monday, we will be giving one away, before they are available anywhere else! 

 

The giveaway on Monday will be here on our new collaborative blog.  Inspiration and Collaboration; The Social Artist

 

The blog was created, not just for the giveaway and launch of our new bead sets, but to talk about what inspires us as artists, and how we can take that further, to collaborate with other artists.  We will talk about the challenges, and rewards of working together, and feature other artist collaborations as well.  We hope you enjoy it and will follow us on our new adventure.  (this will not take the place of our regular blogs though). 

 

Hope to see you over there, and start a fire for artists to work together, share ideas and create beauty that can only be created when two minds work together!!!!!