Countdown to Christmas Craft Fairs

Sunday 6th and 13th December. Skipton Town Hall. 10am till 4pm. Front stall (the one with the purple tinsel!).
Managed to make several pairs of dangly earrings and a nice necklace today. Hope to photograph them tomorrow. Found a nice chap in Skipton market who's going to make me some earring display boards and deliver them.

New items listed on Etsy

I finally managed to take some reasonable photos and list them this weekend. It's such a problem with so little daylight: I can't get the same photos with a light box!




http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35042811
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34991899
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34990947
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34989878

New design

I've made quite a few of these in various colour combinations.

Tempus Fugit

Basically the same title and problem as last time! November's craft fair at Skipton was washed out and almost unprofitable. A bead and jewellery fair I tried in Ripley with a new organiser was freezing cold and badly attended - but at least I managed to make some items whilst I was sitting there!
The last month has been spent trying to create items for the two fairs in Skipton in December - the first two Sundays. Last year was manic - so I'm (optimistically) planning for the same amount of sales.
I have several commissions on the go - a charm bracelet, a tiara and various necklaces and earrings for friends and colleagues. I have also had a few on Etsy to America and most recently Australia! A curious feeling knowing that someone 12,000 miles away will be receiving and wearing one of my creations!
Sales are great for the morale - but it means I have to find MORE time to photograph new items and list them on Etsy. Difficult now that I leave for, and return home from work in the dark! I have not yet had a great deal of success with using the light box I bought. I need stronger lights!
Ah Me. The Trials and Tribulations of a Would-be Artisan indeed...

Photos

Thought it might be an idea to actually show you the items!

Time flies

I seem to have been working my socks off this week , with nothing to show for it. I finished a commission necklace and sent it off to America, started another commission tiara that is still in the producation stages and tried to take photos in the early evenings, which failed miserably.
I finally managed to list some items on Etsy last night.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31159670
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31158663
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31158015
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=31157416

Have a look!

Craft Fair

A fairly successful, but tiring day! Many admiring comments, several regular customers came and made purchases, bringing their friends and family to make purchases too, which is fantastic. Also nice to meet up with other crafters who have tables at the Fair - swapping ideas, sources of supplies and news on other craft events. There's a great deal of talk already about Christmas preparation, which is a little scary!

Pre-Craft Fair prep

It's the Craft Fair at Skipton Town Hall tomorrow (Sunday). They hold them on the first Sunday of every month and I have a stall there, right at the front. Easy to recognise - my tables are covered in gorgeous purple tinsel fabric. I stand out a mile!
It doesn't seem to matter how much preparation I do in the week leading up to it, there is always so much to do the night before!
Let's just hope that the sun shines and folk come in their hoardes.

I won a prize!

I'm really chuffed! I was awarded runner-up in a beading competition at Bedazzle beads! My entry for their 'Summertime Blues' competition was this one:
You can see more photos here:
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29263398

Experimenting with this Technology thing

I'm trying to 'import' an Etsy Mini showcase from my shop.
Bear with me. Not..used...to...this ...kind...of...thing...


Well? Does it work? Nope.
You'll have to make do with this - the Cellini spiral I finished last night

Snippet

If an old swan sings a swan song, does a young swan sing a 'cygneture' tune?

Finished the blue and white Cellini spiral this evening. Now all I have to do is transform it into a work of art!

Getting started...

Five minutes it said. Five minutes and your blog will be up and running.
Two and half hours, actually. Mind you, I've had a few disruptions. Feeding the husband. Feeding the dog. Printing something for said husband 'Just show me how and I'LL do it.' Yea, right. Finding password for Google account I opened ages ago and forgot about. Re-setting password for said account. SO the creative project set for this evening has yet to be started (first attempt at a tiara) and it's gone 9.30pm. I KNEW this was a bad idea!

Here's some I made earlier...

This is what I like doing.
Making jewellery.
It would be nice if I could sell it as well, then I could buy more supplies to make more jewellery with. That's why I opened a shop on Etsy.
www.lillizajane.etsy.com
Everything on Etsy is handmade. Everything in my shop is handmade by me.
I'm very proud of what I make. Can't help it. I often have to make a second one of things, so I can keep one. I want other people to like it too. Have a look.

When we were very young

Knights and Ladies - A A Milne

There is in my old picture book a page at which I like to look,
Where knights and squires come riding down the cobbles of some steep old town,
And ladies from beneath the eaves flutter their bravest handkerchieves,
Or, smiling proudly, toss down gages ...
But that was in the Middle Ages.
It wouldn't happen now, but still, whenever I look up the hill
Where, dark against the green and blue, the firs come marching, two by two,
I wonder if perhaps I might see suddenly a shining knight
Winding his way from blue to green - exactly as it would have been
Those many, many years ago ...

Perhaps I might. You never know.