Art Fest #2 :: guess what happened...

It rained!!!

So that makes it 2 for 2.  I hope this isn't going to be a consistent trend for me.  At least this art fest was a 3-day show and it didn't rain the entire time--just half the day Saturday.  And Sunday was gorgeous. Here are a couple of booth shots.  This time, my booth looked much more cohesive and put together than the first time.  And you better believe I had lighting!  No browsing in the dark this time.  :)

Unlike my first show, I had plenty of product pics this time, for which I received great feedback.  People thought it was really helpful to be able to see the different ways pieces could be worn.  And rather than being in separate boxes, lying flat on the table, my signature pieces were front and center, hanging from pretty frames, which made a HUGE difference.

At the start of day 2.  You'd think it would be nice and sunny all day, but nope.

I got such great feedback about my jewelry, especially my Wrap and Thread necklaces and these chain and wire wrapped pendant necklaces!  It really made my weekend to hear what people had to say about my work.  I heard the words "unique" and "unusual" frequently.  I've never really thought of my work as "unusual" but I guess it's because I look at it every day.

All in all, it was a successful weekend despite the rain and sparse turn-out.  Thank you to those who stopped by my booth!  The face to face contact with customers is really nice and that's something that is missing when you sell online.  Maybe some day I'll have a real boutique!  Now it's time to restock several pieces and gear up for the next show, happening in less than 2 weeks!  Please keep your fingers crossed that it won't rain for the 3rd time.  If you're in the Lee's Summit area, stop by and say hi!

Where are we?

We packed up the kids and went on our first family road trip (well, excluding for the cross-country move).  Can you guess where we went?  It should be pretty easy.  Here are some more snapshots.

I'm trying to be a little artsy fartsy and mysterious with these pictures.  I really love that this sculpture looks like a giant dew drop in the middle of the city.

It was a fantastic little 4th of July vacation and we all needed it.  The kids had a blast.  Hope everyone had a relaxing break!  Sorry I fell off the earth for a bit.  I'm back now and I hope *fingers crossed* I'll have time to do a shop update soon.  Until then, check out the Christmas in July sale going on in my shops!  ;)

My first art fest :: a complete wash

In case you were wondering why I had fallen off the face of the earth for the past couple weeks, I was prepping for my first show ever.  There were many questions I had to address and many details to attend to (what will my booth look like?  how in the world will I display my jewelry?  what new pieces should I make?  how many?  how do I accept credit cards?...).  Being the obsessive nut I am, I naturally obsessed over every detail.  Thank heavens my family and my husband's family were all in town (for our daughter's first birthday and baptism) so there were plenty of folks to hang out with the kids while I secluded myself in the studio.  And down to the last minute, I was prepping for the show.  It was exhausting!  Fortunately, I had help from  my sister, mom, husband, and in-laws, which made things go so much more smoothly.  So by the morning of the show, I was nervous but excited.  The day looked promising.  But as soon as we were done setting up my booth, the storm hit.

It was a continuous downpour for about 7 hours straight.  And the first couple hours, was torrential!  Despite being beneath a huge covered tent, I was wading in about 2 inches of water for a good part of the day.  And it was windy!!!  Thank heavens the artist next to me was a photographer who had huge walls for her booth.  If she hadn't been there, or if I was at the end of the row, my booth would've been a gonner.  The rain finally subsided by the afternoon and the sun actually came out during the last hour.  My water-logged feet were very thankful.

This was about as crowded as it was the entire day, and it was basically all the artists, visiting each other's booths.  At least I got to meet some really nice people, so that was a big plus.  And I managed to make just enough sales to cover the cost of the show so that was another plus.

Here are some snapshots of my booth.  Apologies for the poor pictures.  The lighting was so awful and weird that day so I couldn't get any good pictures.

The left side.  Those floating branches were individually screwed into the bases of those candle holders.  We also framed some perforated aluminum sheets to hang the earring cards.  Both worked beautifully, thanks to my husband and his father's handiwork.

The right side of the booth.  I had another framed aluminum sheet for my Daily Dose line (other side was my original line).  And can you spot some polymer 'crystals' by the talented Lynn of UnaOdd?  Please excuse the giant cup of coffee.  I had very little sleep the previous night.  :)

And here's the front (right) side of the booth.  The sign was a last minute effort.  I wanted to make my own unique banner, but I couldn't find an idea that I really liked just yet, so black paint on white canvas just had to do for the time being.  I wasn't crazy about it at first, but I ended up really liking how simple and elegant yet strong it looked, just bare bones.

A view from the far right side.

And here's the entire booth.  I hate how bare naked the back is.  I was originally going to put a 3 panel screen there, but the winds were so strong and beating so furiously on that tent wall, it would've fallen over, so I didn't bother.  I also wanted to have large product pictures displayed somehow, like along the backdrop, but hadn't quite settled on an idea that I liked and just ran out of time.  It was just another one of those things on my to-do list that I never got to do.  Oh well, next time will be better.

Oh and here's me and my highwaters, during the beginning of the flood (man I need a haircut. I hate how ponytails look on me).  Wow, you can see the water creeping up my tablecloth.  By the end of the day, it was soaked more than half way up.

My trusty model and I.  She's wearing a hand-painted original dress by Aidah Collection.

The kids and the rest of the family stopped by for the remaining hour of the show and they completely cheered me up.  I was trying to get a picture of both kids in front of my sign because they are my eNVe Designs originals.  But these shots were as good as I could get.  One and two-year-olds are tough to take pictures of!

And here is Kaili giving her daddy a spelling lesson...

"That's an "S" and don't forget the squiggly loop.. or squiggle-oop"

So all in all, I'm glad I ventured out of my comfort zone and finally did a show.  It didn't turn out well, but at least I'll be much more prepared the next time around.  

And now, I have about 300 new items to list!  It's daunting just thinking about it.  I better get started on those photos.  I'll be back again shortly to post about my warm hearts necklace whereabouts.  Stay tuned!

In the Studio :: it is safe to say, I am obsessed

It's no secret, I'm addicted to gemstones.  And my latest gemstone obsession is anything and everything mossy, rutilated, and tourmalinated.  So when I came across these one of a kind beauties, I absolutely had to have them.  Absolutely.  It's not every day that you come across brilliant-cut gems (with pavilion facets and a table front surface, usually cut for settings) that are drilled like briolettes...AND they're an assortment of tourmalinated and rutilated quartz in various glorious colors!  I couldn't resist.  It didn't matter that I really couldn't afford them or that I had no idea what I would do with them.  I just knew that if I didn't buy them, I would lose sleep (yep, that's my purchase meter).  So after receiving them a few weeks ago, they just sat on my work table, gleaming at me.  And finally...I had some time this past weekend to play with them.. and this is what I made.

I wire-wrapped each gem individually onto hand forged and hammered sterling silver wire, then wrapped the entire piece in a delicate oxidized sterling chain.  Each stone is so gorgeous on its own, but I thought they were even more brilliant together in one piece.  I also made a couple smaller pieces as well.

 

 

The thing I love about all of these pieces is that you can wear them with the flat surface forward, or with the pavilion side forward.. both ways are equally stunning.  Now they're just waiting to be finished with some sterling silver chain.  I can't decide if I should oxidize the chain or not.  What's your recommendation?  Once I finish these pieces, they'll be available in my shop.  Maybe... only if I can bear to part with them.  ;)

I also have a few other pieces that I finished in gold that I'll share with you shortly.

As always, thank you for stopping by!

Tribute to my Tomboy Days

When I was a kid, I was a little tomboy. And one of my favorite things to do (ever!) was play marbles. I was quite proud of my marble collection that grew with each victory in a marble game. I don't really know what happened to that marble collection... they've slipped out of sight and have gotten lost somewhere along my transition out of tomboyhood. Wish I still had them. So as a tribute to those days, I had been scouring the "interweb" (thanks, Tracy Jordan) for glass marble beads and to my surprise, they don't really exist!!! Can you believe it? That hasn't stopped me from looking regularly though.. (and still no luck). So knowing that, you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I found some at a recent trade show! There was only one strand available for purchase and I just didn't have the funds to splurge on it. Also to my surprise, they're rather pricey! BUT, the vendor also had an extremely rare strand of glass marble beads that she was selling per bead. And each glass marble bead had its own beautiful and distinct detail... and the rarity was that they were about 200 years old! No wonder it was sold per bead. It would've cost a small fortune to get them all, but I couldn't resist buying one. And there she is (above). Isn't she a beauty? And here she is as a necklace focal.. an early birthday present to myself. :)



I'd love to make more of these to share with all you other tomboys at heart! So my search for the perfect glass marble beads will continue... either that or figure out how to drill through regular glass marbles. Anyone have any leads?

P.S. I just listed a few new pieces today! More to come. Hope you can stop by to take a peek.

Brilliance :: birds on wires

Just saw this video and had to pass it along. Sidenote: Hope you're all doing wonderfully! I'm officially going through internet withdrawal and am looking forward to getting back into creative mode. Still waiting to get settled in after the big move. So many jewelry ideas in my head and I can't wait to get it all out!

Enjoy this video and I'll see you soon!

"Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating." -- Jarbas Agnelli

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Dear Boston :: We'll miss you...

[our little Jax, walking along the river, running his hands across the bars]

I'm feeling a little bittersweet lately because we definitely are leaving Boston and it's finally sinking in. Only one month left to enjoy this amazing city and now I feel rushed because that is asking the impossible! We'll certainly try though... and then we'll try to squeeze in some packing (oh how I dread packing!).

[admiring the skyline. he looks so pensive here]

I wonder if I'll cry on moving day. Even though my husband and I have only been here for 3 years, Boston has etched an indelible place in each of our lives. I came here in 2006 to do a year of internship for my doctorate, my husband (then "boyfriend") came with so we could finally close the gap in our long distance relationship. It was an adventure in the making (at least for me since I had lived most of my life in Kansas up to that point). And during our stint here, we explored the city, made some wonderful friends, discovered what it was like to be within arm's reach of each other 90% of the time, took some amazing trips, explored the east coast, got married, and had 2 children. How we managed to do all that within 3 years, I'll never know. I feel like I blinked and now we have 2 kids. Funny how time works. I feel like the next several years will happen in a couple more blinks and before I know it, our kids will be in college and Alex and I will be staring at each other not knowing what to do with ourselves (but then we'll pop open some wine, pack our bags, and hop on the next plane to go explore the world).

But for now, we shall enjoy Boston. I'm well on my way to snapping a kajillion pictures so I'll share some of my favorite moments with you here. So stop back in to take a peek. ;)

I'll post up my moving sale special tomorrow morning so see you soon!

Another Quickie!

Hi everyone!

In case you're following the baby news, little Kaili is finally here, turning our family of 3 into 4!!! She was born last Tuesday and we're all happy and healthy. I'll be back soon with pictures to share.

Thanks to those of you who offered best wishes, wonderful thoughts, and speedy labor vibes! :)

Also, I am supposed to draw a winner for my 1 year anniversary giveaway today, but am postponing it until sometime later this week. So for you late-comers, you can still sneak in your entries. I don't know when the drawing will happen, but I'll accept all entries up to the point I do the drawing. Click on the cupcake to your left. Good luck!

Hope you had a great weekend! Happy Monday!

A couple of reminders...

Just a couple of quick reminders:

Today is the last day to take advantage of my Mother's Day special!

One week left to enter my charity giveaway for the American Liver Foundation. There will be 3 winners of $30 gift certificates each. Deadline is the 15th!

On the horizon, 2 giveaways:

My customer appreciation giveaway, for those who have supported eNVe Designs and supported my charities via my Blue to Beautiful campaign this past year. All who have purchased or donated through the end of this month are entered to win $50 to spend in my etsy shop or on envedesigns.com (plus an extra surprise...because I love surprises)!

My 1 year anniversary giveaway!!! Celebrating the first year of eNVe Designs. You won't want to miss it.

Events are slightly delayed on account of my baby being due next week. So if you don't hear from me again for a few weeks, you'll know why. But I'll be back with baby pics to share and jewels to give away! :) In the meantime, please check out my brand new pieces and new Signature Design styles on www.envedesigns.com. I'd love to hear any feedback you might have.

And HAPPY (early) MOTHER'S DAY to all you fabulous moms out there!

Just in time!

Swinging Amethyst ($25)

It's official, www.envedesigns.com is now finally stocked with fresh new items for spring and summer! And just in time for Mother's Day (quickly approaching). And being so occupied and on a mission with updating my site, I almost forgot that tomorrow is my 1 year Etsy-versary and May marks my 1 year anniversary of launching envedesigns.com! The intersection of all these happenings is certainly cause for celebration... all week long... and perhaps through next week!

First up is my Mother's Day Deal:

10% off your purchase
and
FREE Priority Shipping on all orders (within U.S.)

Just mention "for mom" in message to seller during checkout. Valid in either my etsy shop or on envedesigns.com. Good now through Friday 5/8/09. If you want the package to arrive in time for mother's day, please place your order before Wednesday the 6th.

I'm also having a customer appreciation giveaway ($50 gift certificate) for everyone who has ever placed an order with eNVe Designs through the end of this May. If you've ordered from me, you're automatically entered so no one needs to do anything. New customers ordering through the end of this month will also be entered. The winner will be drawn at random and announced on my blog the first week of June.

I'm also planning an anniversary giveaway for everyone else so that will be announced here as well so keep your eyes peeled!

In the meantime, you can enter my charity raffle to win one of three $30 gift certificates to my shop. It just requires a one dollar donation. And there are ample opportunities for free bonus entries. Entry in the charity raffle will also get you bonus entries in my next giveaway. For more info, just scroll down to the post below this one. It's for a worthwhile cause and it would mean so much to me and to those affected by liver disease. And thank you all who have already supported our fundraising efforts! We wouldn't have made it so close to our goal without your help!

Happy Monday and don't forget to show your mom some love this week!

a couple of quickies!

Not what you're thinking people.. ;)

Just wanted to mention that though I am behind on the times, I've now officially joined twitter and have started a fan page on facebook. It's still a little overwhelming as I'm fumbling around so it would be so lovely to see some familiar faces or make some new friends over there. Hope to see your shining faces around! :)

Also, I'm going to be adding some new items (mostly some juicy earrings) to my etsy shop today so keep your eyes peeled.

Hope you all had a superb holiday weekend!

FYI: I know my weekend specials have disappeared for a while, but they will be back as soon as I get my shop and website up to date. Thanks for your patience, everyone.

under the weather randomness...

I think that the flu shot I had gotten a few months ago gave me a permanent runny/stuffy nose that is especially annoying when I wake up and just as I'm going to bed. Aren't flu shots supposed to prevent you from feeling like a soggy pile of tissues? On top of that, I've been wondering if this cold that I've had for the past several weeks will ever go away. It's nothing severe, but a definite nuisance. Jax had gotten sick from being around other sick kids and of course, I now have it. Now we're both drippy and congested, and my husband Alex is trying not to contract whatever it is we have because he has to run in the Boston Marathon in 2 weeks. Needless to say, I am super behind on getting my new items into my etsy shop and onto my main website, but I'm progressing slowly.. one piece at a time.

Sidenote: we're still trying to raise money for the American Liver Foundation (the charity that Alex is running the marathon for) and haven't quite hit the half-way mark. The economy's been tough on all of us and that has definitely affected fundraising efforts. My earrings for charity collection is still available so if you're in the market for some new earrings, why not benefit a great cause simultaneously! 100% of your purchase will be donated to Alex's fundraising effort. You can track his progress and also donate directly at www.run-alex-run.com. And thank you again to those who have already been so generous and helpful with the fundraiser. Your contributions are a tremendous help! (end sidenote)

It's crazy that I've somehow morphed into a morning person since Jax was born. Before him, I was a champ at staying up late and that was when I was most focused and did my best work. Now, I'm setting my alarm for 6 AM just so that I can squeeze in some time to work. Granted, the type of work has changed dramatically from finishing up my dissertation to making jewelry (I still don't think I could do academic work at 6 in the morning), but point is I'm up at 6 and it's not because I stayed up and hadn't slept until 6! That was virtually unheard of before this year! I think once the new baby arrives next month, I won't be sleeping at all.

Speaking of the new baby. Things fly by so fast that I just realized that I only have 5 more pregnant weeks to go! No wonder I feel like I've expanded exponentially. The only comfy things I can get into are my husband's pjs and his sweatshirts. But that means I have about 5 weeks to pull it together and get my jewelry sites updated! *yikes*

I better end it here and get crack-a-lackin! I'll be back this week with another sneak peek. There's also another fabulous artist feature lined up so come back soon! Hope everyone is well. :)

Blog Makeover!

It's about time that my blog got a new look. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I stayed up late last night to work on this new layout and it's still in the works, but here it is. What do you guys think??? Better? Worse? Doesn't matter?

I've also been trying to get some jewelry pieces finished (still not quite there). I'd show you what I've done if I had a working camera, but alas, it's still broken. If you have thoughts or suggestions please visit this post. I'm still trying to decide which camera to buy, but I think I've decided on the front-runner.

I'll be back later this week with a weekend special so be sure to check back!