More Relei glass

Just got another package from my favorite glass artist, Carolyn Relei. I had to set a couple of them right away, the colors are so deep and rich.

I spent most of the day yesterday working on customer's orders, Josh was here working on some chains for me, so together we kicked the hog in the ass. Feels good to get some more orders done, the shows will keep me pretty busy after July so I'm trying to get caught up while I can. This weekend I'm going to Constable Hall for their annual craft show on Sunday, it's a good show that I look forward to each year. I've been attending it as a vendor off and on for 30 years. The first time that I was there I was pregnant with Josh and he was born a few days later. I was making jewelry then and later attended with my grapevine and tree root baskets, then my reed baskets and now back to jewelry again for the past several years.

Meet the Artist event in Massena

I'm excited about attending the 'Meet the Artist' event at Seasons Gift shop located at 27 West Orvis St. in Massena NY this Saturday, June 13th from 10-2.

Seasons Specialty Gifts http://www.seasons-gifts.com has been a wholesale customer of mine for several years and I'm looking forward to visiting their store and meeting the other artists that will be there too.

Yesterday I was photographing several of my new pieces to add to my website. My webguy Terry has started making some much needed changes to my site and I'm gathering new material for him to add. Several of my new pieces are selling before I can get a photo of them though, not a bad problem, I'm just sorry to lose some of them so soon.

Most of my work is one of a kind and I've always been hesitant to put their images up on my site as I cannot usually reproduce them but have recently decided to put them up anyway. I think that most of my customers know me well enough to understand that and they can get ideas from the images and I can create something similar for them.

joepetersglass

While at the LARAC show in Saratoga a few years ago, I met a glass artist Joe Peters from MA, his work was mostly sculptural but he did have some pendants available. When you see his work you think that you are looking at something from under the sea, it's very intricate and evokes a feeling of otherworldliness. We struck up a business deal, I set some of his cabochons in silver and he paid me with cabochons.
This photo is of a batch that I sent last month and I just sent another batch this week. He has a local show this weekend, please check out his website http://www.joepetersglass.com to see some of his fascinating work.
Today I'm concentrating on getting ready for the AAG Artisan Exhibition tomorrow at Gallery 812 in Lowville. I have a new set of daisy jewelry to showcase and started a crazy S hook set yesterday, that never lasts long on my table. If time allows, I'll set some more stones today too! We have guests coming to our rental cabin today and then a couple of campers to set up in our campground later, so I'm 'on call' all day today.

Daisy Cuff

Here is my rendition of an idea that came across my workbench recently. A customer had cut a picture out of a catalog of a similar bracelet and left it on her husband's dresser, no doubt hoping he would get the hint, HINT. I make a daisy pendant and earrings but had not tried the cuff, I wasn't sure how to make it sturdy enough to hold up to use. So yesterday when the husband brought the picture to me, I worked on the idea and came up with a couple of bracelets that I'm confident will hold up. The other cuff has a copper center which I prefer and think that my customer will also. Can't wait to see their reaction.

Finished Product

The finished product...I had to make one of these miniature packs to fulfill an order and I didn't have any others so I made 4 altogether. I need to add one to the Gallery 812 display, I sold one to a great shop in Saranac Lake called Eco Living and I have one left for my display. Guess I'll be making more soon.

Weaving is one of my great pleasures, somehow it just feels right to weave, it's an obsession. One of the most fun things that I do is weave a design into a cuff bracelet, I don't want to stop once I get started on a pattern. Last spring I made a batch of 4 or 5 cuffs and wove up all but one, I started the design on the last one and intended to take it with me to craft shows so that customers could see the process. However I could not stop myself from weaving it to the end, definitely OCD.

Adirondack Pack Baskets

Last week I wove a few pack basket pendants and took a picture of my bench to show you some of my supplies and tools. I have the base for a pack all laid out in the center and the weavers are coiled to the left. I use pure silver wire for most of the basket as it is more malleable than sterling.

In front is a pack basket partially woven and the two in the back are woven to the top and awaiting the rim row and finishing. It doesn't take too long to weave but the setting up and finishing up are very time consuming and I have to use my magnifying light for most everything.

Gearing up for a trip to Lake Placid and Saranac Thursday to try and sell to a couple of galleries there. Moon Tree Design on Main St. in Lake Placid is the absolute best gallery/shop in town, I'm honored that the owner is willing to look at my jewelry. If you get to Placid, Moon Tree Design carries the most interesting and unique products, stop by and give yourself a treat.

Mike and I are going to Lake Placid for the weekend with some friends, our first vacation since 2007. I love Lake Placid and am usually working when I pass through there so I don't get to look around for more than an hour or two. Can't wait to breathe the air and walk around Mirror Lake, it feels like home when I get there.

Crazy S Hooks and Aventurine

Several years ago, while making some S hook earrings, I cut the pieces too long and ended up make the crazy S hook instead. It's one of my little designs. Whenever I make a piece with the crazy S hooks it's sold almost immediately. I like to use it with bead wraps, it's a nice spacer and is a good length. In this photo I've wrapped aventurine beads with sterling wire and linked them together with a few double cable rings and the crazy S hooks. I have one S hook as the pendant and finished off the back of the necklace with twisted link chain. One of my favorite customers bought this in Canton at the Middle School show last month, I love it when my babies go to a good home and I might be able to see them again.