Santa Rosa Beads is coming!!!!

We're so happy to announce that our new etsy shop, Santa Rosa Beads, is slated to open in the next two weeks!

We've had so much wonderful feedback from our customers about our pendants and pottery, that we wanted to offer some supplies and handmade beads with our Fireluster Pottery style.

We're busy creating loads of handmade beads and components. I'm going to start listing on Etsy sometime in the next week. I have a lot of work to do; make a banner, write listings, pricing, etc. We did secure our url, though, so hopefully, we'll have a website developed soon, too.

At Santa Rosa Beads, we'll have handmade sterling silver findings, too. Handforged earwires, eyepins and clasps are some of the cool things you'll find for your jewelry making. I love making silver clasps and components and you'll be sure that you're getting only the highest quality handmade findings available.

Keep your eyes open for the debut of Santa Rosa Beads. I think we'll be running a fun little contest for our grand opening. I'm still thinking of what to have as the prize.

Thanks to everyone who purchased from us. We have the nicest customers! We'll continue to have Fireluster Pottery as our shop to sell finished handpainted ceramic jewelry and one of a kind pottery and ceramic work. Santa Rosa Beads will be your place to buy handmade porcelain and ceramic beads and sterling silver jewelry findings for your original designs!

Etsy Find - Turquoise Soaps

I found this seller on etsy the other day; Amethyst Soaps. I couldn't believe how realistic this soap is! It looks just like real, tumbled turquoise nuggets with the 'matrix' and everything!

Amethyst Soaps also sells soap shaped like, what else, amethyst crystals. Very pretty. Almost too pretty to use. I just love these. They'd be beautiful in a guest bathroom, or as a housewarming gift. I know what to get my mother for Christmas. She has a southwest decorated bathroom, and the turquoise soap would be perfect for it.

You Cant Go Home Again

Here's a picture of one of the houses I grew up in. It's in Wellfleet, Massachusettes (Cape Cod), right in the town center (kitty corner from the post office, if you know where that is). Anyway, we called the tiny road the house was on "Wicked Road" because of the windy, potholed, dark and shady nature of that lane. One day I want to have a shop or write a book called, The House on Old Wicked Road.

It looks pretty beat up in this photo, but it was a big, fun old victorian house to knock around in. We lived there in the 70's. Mom took this picture a year or so ago when she went back to Cape Cod for a vacation.

This is a picture of my sister Audrey posed by the famous dingy that greets visitors to downtown Wellfleet. "Downtown" is a bit of a misnomer, because it's mostly Main Street and a couple of side streets and that's it. It was an idyllic place to grow up, though. I remember on this corner Audrey and I encountered three baby raccoons, just hanging around the sidewalk. Yes, it was weird, and we played with them for about a half an hour.

Wellfleet is a very cute town; very historic and quaint. I lived there in the 1970's and 1980's, until I left home. I'd love to go back for a visit, but I think I might be disappointed in the changes. I remember little things like walking to the Newsrack and buying penny candy, and sitting on the bench on the lawn in front of town hall. It was a really charming place to grow up.

This is another house we lived in. This is right on Main Street in Wellfleet. When I lived here, there was a covered porch, but it's since been restored back to the original. My room was in the upper left window. This was a really nice location and an awesome house. The sign to the left that says 'Dead End' is for a road that goes along the house, down a hill to a pond we used to ice skate on. Very fun!!

Craft Show Tips

It's time to start signing up for all those Christmas craft shows. I've gotten my check in for the Holly Fair, held in the Methodist Church in Shalimar, Florida. That's a pretty nice show. They are only a one day show, but the last time I was there (a couple of years ago) it was very heavily attended and sold lots and lots!

I still need to get organized and get my application to a couple more I want to do - bearing in mind how draining it can be doing shows on following weekends. I get tired just thinking about it.
After doing a few shows, I've come up with my list of things I need, like to have, and should bring because I "might" need it. Here it is. You may have more to add. If you do, please leave them in the comments for me.

*bags
*bubble wrap
*tape (masking and scotch)
*twine/string/fishing line (great for tying up displays)
*scissors
*paper towels
*sharpie
*ink pen
*business cards
*index cards (make quickie signs with the sharpie)
*alligator clips
*small notebook (for taking names, mailing list, etc)
*table covers
*bed risers or equivalent (these raise up your table which can increase your sales)
*water bottles and snacks/mints
*cash box or fanny pack ( I like to keep my money close)
*receipt book
*extra spending cash (just a couple of $ )
*for jewelry makers- extra findings/tools

I'm sure someone can think of lots more. These are the basics for me, and I like to keep them in a plastic storage container with the kind of lid that flips open and can snap shut. It makes it so much easier to keep all the small odds and ends in one of these that can be shoved under the table. I also swear by the technique of raising the table by 4 - 6 inches. It makes your product look good and gets it right under the buyers nose!

Now that it's July, I'm about to get into high gear for making inventory for what I hope to be big sales this fall and winter. When you have a full time job and have children, being creative can really be a challenge, but it's one I love!

Featured on Etsy Front Page!

My little Blue bird was featured on the front page of etsy today! I wanted to get a screenshot, but I never have gotten the hang of doing it properly. In any case, the front page changed a couple of minutes after I happened to see it. I usually forget to check it, but for some reason, I decided to look at it. Maybe it's because of that long, long, etsy forum thread about the same people being shown on the front page.

Well, I'm thankful I was there and got a couple hundred views out of it. Hooray!!

July Blog Giveaway!!

Well folks, it's that time again!
It's the start of the new blog giveaway from Fireluster!! Woo-hoo!!

To qualify, just check out the blog and post a comment to this post. I'll need to contact you to let you know if you're a winner, so make sure I have a valid email. The prize is a pendant from our etsy shop , Fireluster Pottery ($15 or under only). The winner is chosen by a random drawing. Last month, Kat picked out an awesome carved porcelain pendant as her prize.

In addition, if you leave me an address to your blog, I'll link to it here, too. I'll be looking for artists, etsy shops, and websites to feature on the blog, so if you'd like to be considered, feel free to let me know that, too! If you want to be on our email list, let me know and I'll email you reminders of our contests and new stuff!

Good luck!!