My brother rocks!

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I come from a family of makers. Off the top of my head, here's a run down of what we do:

Mom -- Cooking, baking, sewing, cross stitch, polymer clay, painting, making teddy bears.
Dad -- Building, drawing, painting, polymer clay, once he put together a plastic model of a skull and reconstructed a human face over the top of it.
Me -- Beading, polymer clay, dance costuming.

(This is not even counting dance, music, and other arts that don't result in a physical object)

Until recently, all I would have said about my brother is that he was good at welding, in fact, he does it for a living. But then he decided to take up leatherwork, and wow! He's taken right to it. He made that belt I'm wearing! There's some more bottles around the front, and the pouch and absinthe bottle are both removable. It rests perfectly on my hips, or can be worn around the waist if the costume demands it. The leather edges are perfectly smooth, the dye is even, it's totally 100% professional looking. I'm so proud of my little brother!

This is the part where I shamelessly plug his shop, Zolgar's Forge on Etsy. He has a lot of steampunk and Gothic designs, and a little bondage gear among other things. He also does custom work. So, y'know, if you're looking for something made of leather, check him out. He's awesome!

A couple more clearance items

I'm still marking things down! You can get The Hungriest Pixie Ever for only $60 (previously $75), and Moonlit Seductress has been marked down to $100 (regularly $125). Two beautiful, one of a kind fantasy necklaces that are really overdue to go live in a new home.

Expect more destash beads coming soon, too. I'm busy cleaning the bead room (aka the guest room) in anticipation of my mother-in-law visiting next month, and I'm finding lots of things that need to go on Etsy!

On My Beading Tray April 12th Edition

It's been a while since I did an "On My beading Tray" post! Here's my current project... still beading away on my rick-rack bracelet! But I only have a few rows left, and then I decide how to embellish and fasten it. I think I'm going to thread a ribbon through it, and there may be some 2mm crystals involved in the embellishment stage. We'll see.

I'm glad to be almost done with this piece. I want to be able to wear it already! And also to start making something else. I have so many ideas waiting for me to get around to them, so many beads that need to be used up.

More Clearance!

I am running rampant through my Etsy shop, slashing prices left and right. Unfortunately I can't afford to offer huge discounts -- I use high-quality beads in my work and I need to get a little something for my time, too. I've always priced my jewelry about as low as I comfortably could to start with, because I want people to be able to afford what they love. I mean, if I could never buy my own jewelry, how could I expect anyone else to budget for it?

But I have been making discounts of $5 to $25 on the following items:

Snow Angel Lariat Necklace
Luck in the Wind Hamsa Feather Earrings
Fractured Tribe Statement Necklace
Malachitesque Spiral Necklace

There's a lot more that I want to discount before the week is done, so if you've had your eye on something and I haven't marked it down yet, don't hesitate to drop me a line asking about it.

Spring Clearance Sale Going On Now!

 Yes, much like all the big retailers that have been inundating our in-boxes these past two months, I too am having a Spring Clearance Sale! You see, I recently came to a conclusion: I have too much jewelry! I know, I know, it seems like that shouldn't be possible, but when you start to run out of nice safe places to put your jewelry stock, and there's no room for more storage, you come to realize that you need to either have a clearance sale or build an addition to the house. And since I'd really hate to be in the middle of construction when my mother-in-law comes to visit next month, it looks like clearance sale it is.

So let's have a quick look at how you'll be helping me by taking part in my Spring Clearance Sale:
1. Help me clear out some older jewelry.
2. Make room for exciting new jewelry.
3. Save me from needing to build an addition.
4. Help fund my trip to Tribal Fest next month, which means in addition to supporting me you'll be supporting the vendors at TF and the local small businesses in Sebastopol CA where I will be shopping and dining.

How can you resist?

I've kicked it off today with three freshly marked down items. Above, my Autumn Flier Butterfly Necklace with retro color scheme and enameled pendant is marked down to $30 from $35.

Keeper of Mementos Faerie Locket Necklace is now only $40, down from $50 and still includes matching earrings.

And the Ice Crystals Spiral Necklace (which would be perfect for your wedding day) has been marked down from $70 to only $60, a great deal for a beadwoven necklace with vintage crystal accents.

Stay tuned for more markdowns!

First Mondays -- Support Artists!

Cynthia Newcomer Daniel posted a brilliant idea today -- On the first Monday of the month (like today!), treat yourself to something created by an artist. It can be small or large... purchase a single audio track or an original painting, whatever your budget can handle. I think this is a perfect idea because I have a big list of Etsy favorites that I'll purchase "someday." Well, why not make the first Monday that someday?

I'm not sure what I'll buy today. Probably something small because I just supported a couple of artists at the Ren Faire yesterday. Maybe I'll buy some music or an indie book, or a little something for my hair (I always need more hair things).

And of course, if the first Monday doesn't work for you, just honor the spirit. Choose that one day a month where you treat yourself and support the arts. And let me know what you buy so I can oooh and aaah appropriately!