If I Had A Hammer

It's a good thing I do have a hammer, several actually, because I've been doing a bunch of stamping this week!

      

Baby Gift

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy Necklace

Teacher Gifts

There were also quite a few other stamping projects that I can't list here 'cause the gift givees might see this! My hammer is tired, she's calling it a night!

Pushing forward when you keep getting pushed back

As anyone following a passion or a dream knows, there are always setback and detractors. There are always people who will tell you that what you're doing is not worthwhile. I've had some less than positive experiences lately. My share of self-doubt for sure. Some days it feels like every step forward is followed by 5 steps back. But no one blogs about those things, huh? Read people's blogs or Facebook status and it seems like everybody is just great. Not true. We are all struggling out here together. Ups and downs. Sometimes way more down than up!

One of my necklaces was chosen this week as a finalist for voting in the Bead Star 2011 contest. This is at least the third year I've entered and I was very sure I wasn't going to make it this far. Bead Star works kind of like American Idol. Thousands enter, the judges choose the best 20 in each category, then readers pic the top 4 from each category. There are prizes, but more exciting is the publicity and recognition from Bead Star Magazine. A national publication entirely devoted to the winning designs!

Every once in a while, you'll get a boost like this contest was for me. It can pump you right back up and get you going again. So keep pushing forward with your dream. Whatever it is. Be the one that hangs in there and tries one more time. It could make all the difference.

Vote for Aquamarine Cascade!

Here's the link for my Bead Star entry. If you'd like to vote for me I would really appreciate it! You have to register with Beading Daily in order to vote, but it's quick and easy. Thank you!!

Vote for Aquamarine Cascade! 

Cool links to distract you from what you really should be doing...

Here are some fantastic links that you might enjoy. Come, join me in completely losing your focus and flitting aimlessly from link to link. : ) Just kidding, there's some great content here. Enjoy!

Inspiration is for amateurs  Great advice on getting down to work by the always fabulous and inspirational Jenny Doh.

Jenny Doh

Copyblogger Best of 2010 Copyblogger is a great source for info on blogging, writing, and SEO. Here are their all star posts from 2010. Guarantee you'll learn something!

Paper Source If you're even 1/2 as addicted to beautiful paper and stationary as I am, you'll drool over this website!

Testing the Entrepreneurial Life NY Times interview with the very cool and smart Pam Slim of Escape From Cubicle Nation. If you think you want you own business, read this 1st!

M Jane Designs 2011 Show Schedule

  M Jane Designs

2011 Show Schedule

MARCH

Saturday, March 26                    Highlands Ranch Spring Bazaar

MAY

Sunday, May 1                                Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, May 8                               Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sat & Sun, May 14 & 15              Highlands Ranch Music Festival

Sunday, May 29                             Highlands Ranch Street Market

JUNE

Sunday, June 5                              Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, June 12                             Sundays on the Streets of Southglenn

Sunday, June 26                            Highlands Ranch Street Market

JULY

Sunday, July 3                                 Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, July 10                              Sundays on the Streets Southglenn

AUGUST

Sat & Sun, August 6 & 7           Highlands Ranch Arts Festival

Sunday, August 28                      Highlands Ranch Street Market

SEPTEMBER

Sunday, September 4                Highlands Ranch Street Market

Sunday, September 11               Sundays on the Streets of Southglenn

Sunday, September 25              Highlands Ranch Street Market

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 1                    Friends of Littleton Museum Craft Fair (pending)

Sat & Sun, October 8 & 9         Highlands Ranch Fall Craft Fair

Sunday, October 16                    Highlands Ranch Street Market

This is my show schedule as it stands today. I'm sure they'll be some tweaks as the year goes on. Still waiting to hear from a few shows and, as you can see, November and December are still wide open. I'm always open to a home or trunk show, so let me know if you'd like to set something up. I give a nice jewelry discount to the sponsoring host!

I'm attempting more shows this year than I ever have before. The purchase of my big white canopy tent last fall has opened up a new world or possibilities...and headaches. Being a vendor at a craft fair is a business in itself. The beginning of the process is finding shows you'd like to be a part of. Surprisingly, there is no single source for this inf. There are several good websites that I subscribe to that will give you inf on shows. But no one site lists them all, and some shows don't show up at all on the big event websites. Some shows you'll only find out about through word of mouth. I actually get great tips from customers that come by my booth.

Once you identify shows you're interested in, you need to get deadlines, entry requirements, booth fees and so on. In addition, as I've found out the hard way, unless you have personal experience or trusted reviews, it's hard to know if a show is going to be worth all the hard work, time and money it takes to be a vendor. 

Some really good shows are almost impossible to get your foot in the door to be a part of. There is one local market that I constantly have shoppers tell me "you'd be perfect for", "you'd do so well there". Alas, this particular show was booked solid 7 months in advance this year. Mostly with repeat artists. I'm on the wait list in case they have a last minute hole to fill.

The flip side and happy end note is that I almost always LOVE being a part of craft fairs. The positive feedback from shoppers and other vendors is amazing. It's a nice lift from the sometimes isolating work that goes on in my little basements studio/office. Lots more to share about the whole craft fair process. Maybe this will become a regular feature for a while? Meanwhile, come visit me at a show or on the web!

M Jane Designs

 

               

Great FREE Planning Tools

I'm forever looking for new, better ways to stay motivated and organized. One thing I've found out about myself is that I need to change my methods as my life changes. I wish that I was one of those people who could find a system and stick with it forever! Not going to happen for me. I eventually get bored with the current plan and it falls away. Time to look for new inspiration! So for me, the secret is not just in starting, but in starting again and again. I have also finally accepted, that although an electronic calendar works very well for me, I need my todo list to be on PAPER. I need to write stuff down to make it happen. Even though my iphone is always nearby, it's just too easy to ignore tasks that require me to open an app to view them.

I have a simple little spiral notebook that I use to keep up with whats gotta' be done. Brook Noel's book "The Change Your Life Challenge", was the inspiration for my notebook. I've stuck with the basis of her plan for a couple of years but I like to print out different planner pages to paste into the notebook when I need to "mix it up" to stay interested. I'm a big fan of Charlie Gilkey and his productivity strategies. I recently discovered that he offers his planning calendars FREE on his website. What a great resource!! Here's the link: Productive Flourishing 

According to my newly revamped list, I should go start the orders I took at Saturday's show before I have to leave to pick up kids from school. So happy planning to you! If you have organizing tips you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about them!!

Making fine silver jewelry components

I'm working on building my stock back up and needed some cool components for a batch of bracelets I'm gonna make. Here's a brief picture tutorial on the basic process!

Start with fine silver wire:

 

Use a mandrel to shape the wire into rings. Make sure to file edges so the join is very clean!

Use torch to close join in rings

Shape and texture rings with dapping hammer

 

Add a design with metal stamp

 

Oxidize with liver of sulfur. Don't worry, they'll get pretty again!!

 

Polish with pro polish pads. Here's one 1/2 done so you can see the difference.

Here are the beauties all done!!

 

Look for the finished bracelets using these components soon!

What you should focus on

 

I just found this great visual quote on www.behaviorgap.com . Isn't this perfect? So simple but so true!!

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