School Trip to Greengable Gardens

One of the best things about being self employed is that I can usually make the time to go on school trips with the kids. I almost forgot that it was under my control and thought I should work instead today but then I realized I was being an idiot. I’m glad I came to my senses and went with Henry’s second grade class to Greengables Farm which is just down the road from us to learn about tulips. (That’s Mary’s Peak in the background.)

The peony tulip.

The best 2nd grade teacher EVER Mrs. Elaine Hall in the yellow jacket!

Tulips galore!

Henry and his friends goofing around.

Demitri from Greengables with Mrs. Hall.

The kids got to pick a bunch of tulips to bring home.

And of course how could I not put in a plug for our jewelry? This is our

Tiny Tulip with Amethyst Sterling Silver Stamped Pendant

Spring Pins (and learning from failures)

I added these two new pin designs to our shop. I put this pretty Aluminum Bow Shawl Pin or Brooch into the shop yesterday and sold 3 already! I love that! Such a simple idea that I’ve seen lots of people do as jewelry but then it dawned on me that it would make a perfect pin design. I chose a simpler stick design instead of the spiral one I usually do on the end of the pins because I didn’t want to distract from the simplicity of the bow tie and it kind of reminds me of a needle sewing through it.

This is the new revamped Butterfly Aluminum Shawl Pin or Brooch.

The old design looked like this":

It was OK but I have to admit, the wings weren’t really all that convincing. And over time , making it over and over again I kind of lost the idea of what a butterfly actually looks like (if that makes any sense?)Then a few days ago I got an email from an unhappy customer who had ordered the butterfly pin. I had made the bottom wings larger than the top ones.  Part of our business philosophy is to give over the top great customer service.  The kind of service we would like to get when we buy something. So I apologized and sent her a refund. Then I made her a new one that looked more like the photos and then decided to take some time and figure out a new improved design with bigger top wings. I like this design a lot better. I sent her this design too. I haven’t heard back from her yet. This was the first time in a very long time that we had an unhappy customer. It’s a terrible feeling. But it spurred me on to make a better product and hopefully gain a happy returning customer.

Super nice blog feature

Thanks Robin!

Check out her blog to read a lovely wrap up of our shop and work:

http://mypinkyfinger.blogspot.com/2011/03/awesome-team-artisans.html

Spring break

 

It’s spring break here in Philomath Oregon.In between the rain we get some lovely sun  or “not rain” breaks.

We have a bunny visitor for the week. We are bunny sitting “Phoenix”. I consented in order to alleviate my clearly irrational guilt that I was not giving my kids a super awesome and special spring break. While very cute, she is not really the kind of pet you pick up and cuddle with, unless you enjoy scratch marks and bites. As Henry said, “She is cute on the outside and evil on the inside.”

The snowbells are in full bloom.

The daffodils are on.

The first tulip has bloomed.

And those lovely purple things are up and out. I love my early spring perennials that require ZERO maintenance.

Coppery goodness with a little brass thrown in

I’ve been starting to add more copper and brass into our Etsy shop and will hopefully have a bunch on display when the Saturday Market starts again in April. I even made a whole new Copper and Brass Jewelry section to our shop. Because we frustratingly only get to have 10 sections in our Etsy shop I had to combine the Ornaments and Hanging Vases into one section to make room for this new one.Etsy has been adding lots of new features to make selling easier lately. I really hope expanding the sections ability is high on their “to do” list.

This is a new design-Celtic Infinity Spirals Copper Earrings

 

The copper version of the Celtic Loops design. 

 

Big Copper Simple Hoop Earrings

I’ll be adding more brass versions of my designs. This is the

Celtic Budding Spiral Brass Earrings

Yin Yang Harmony Copper Shawl Pin / Hair Pin

I also finally got around to making this popular pin design in copper and brass too.

Yin Yang Harmony Brass Shawl Pin / Hair Pin

So much to do,so many ideas. It’s spring break this week so I’m planning lots of playdates and trying to keep things fun for the kids while trying to get stuff done too.We are in the midst of a typical Oregon spring rainy spell. The grass keeps growing but it’s too wet to get much mowing in. Happy Spring!

Sterling Silver Fancy Schmancy

I’ve been slowly adding sterling silver versions of my pin designs to the shop.This is the newest addition:

 

Celtic Double Swirls and Curls Sterling Silver Shawl Pin or Brooch

I started out making them in 12 gauge sterling silver wire but they were a little heavy and the wire is not as soft and easy to manipulate as my lovely aluminum. And now the price of silver has skyrocketed. So for many of the designs I’ve gone up a gauge to 14 gauge which keeps the price reasonable and the pin lighter and easier to make.

Stamping Helper Update

My son Henry the delegator figured out he could get his little brother to close the boxes after he stamps them.

 

And I have agreed to take him on as a minion worker

New Stamp and a New Worker

We finally ordered a custom stamp to stamp the top of the little jewelry boxes we send out jewelry in . It takes a little practice to get it right so I was hesitant when our 8 year old son Henry said he wanted to stamp boxes for me.

But he actually did a great job!

Last night he said he didn’t want to get paid for it. Today  he changed his tune when we were at the video game store and he remembered all the things he wanted. We’re working out a deal.

Our Family Vacation to Albuquerque

 

We took our first big family vacation this past week to visit my parents who live in Albuquerque New Mexico. My brother and his family met us there too.

It was Max’s first time on a an airplane.Unfortunately the turbulence was extreme the entire flight. It got even worse as we landed in Albuquerque during hurricane force winds.The kids started goofing around yelling “We’re going down! The wing is falling off!” Funny yet not so funny.The plane was rocking from the wind even after we landed and were disembarking.

 

This is Nick in full on flying anxiety mode. He is chomping on gum while trying not to whimper like a baby in front of his new friend Fred from Southie who was entertained by Nick’s constant chatting.

Albuquerque has an excellent aquarium.

  

Mom and Dad aka Fran and Joe at the zoo.

 

My family watching the chimpanzees. The chimps came right up to the window and plopped themselves down right next to us. We were maybe a foot away from them on just the other side of the plexi glass.

She then began to work on popping her man’s zit while their baby played. Then they gave each other a big hug.

 

We took the train through the Bio Park from the Aquarium to the Zoo.

The next day my Mom and I took the 4 kids on the Sandia Tram. The weather was perfect, calm and clear.

 

Henry and Max enjoying the view on the tram.

 

The next day we went to the Petroglyphs National Monument.

It was hard to tell which were the real petroglyphs and which were the graffiti made by the stupid morons who thought they should deface them for all posterity.

Cousins

The guys

Nick took this picture of all of us in Old Town.

Now we are home and catching up on work. Both of us have colds and are exhausted while the kids continue to run around like maniacs.

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

My sweet little Max wanted to get dressed up for his kindergarten class Valentine’s day Party.We got this perfect little suit at Goodwill for $8 a couple of weeks ago that he really liked.

Nick is on the way out to do errands. He has our packages to bring to the post office, checks in his front pocket to deposit at the bank AND our change chicken. What’s that you may ask? Doesn’t everyone have a change chicken? My lovely mother–in-law gave us the chicken that is actually supposed to be a cookie jar. It says “cock a doodle doo” randomly when you lift it’s head to open it. We use it as a change jar. Well it was filled to the brim so it was time to cash that sucker in. Hilarity always ensues when we bring it in to the bank. Our small town bank still uses a change counting machine.Sometimes you can hear the chicken singing “cock a doodle doo” in the back room as the change is being poured into the machine. Good times.

Three Lilac Light Purple Flowers

Recently my glass bead supplier stopped carrying the dark purple version of these lovely Czech glass flower beads that I use. So I bought a bunch in the lighter color that they had. This meant I had to take all new pictures. So that’s what I did. 

 

Little Lilac Purple Czech Glass Flower and Leaves Earrings

Single Stem Lilac Purple Glass Flower with Peridot Glass Leaves and Swirls Earrings

Vining Light Lilac Purple Flowers and Tendrils Sterling Silver Earrings

Feeling Spring yet?