Month: October 2012

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Hey Ho – Hey Ho….

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It’s off to the bead fair we go! The Toronto Bead Society Show that is! There are no classes this week, as we’re in our usual mad scramble to get all (or some) of our goodies packed up for the show. And we have some wonderful surprises in store for you at the fair. Be sure to print out the coupon on the Bead Society site for a $2.00 off admission coupon. Directions-hours-location can all be found at the above link. We hope to see you there! Holy Seedbeads Batman! Yup, these were brought in especially for the show. Over …

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Bye Bye CZs

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Sigh. It’s so sad when we have to discontinue something. I’m always hearing from Rosemary that we should “discontinue such and such to make room for something else.” Or “that was a trend, and we should move on.” But I don’t want to move on – I have room in my heart for every single bead. If it were up to me – we’d stock every single bead, forever. Like a “bead sanctuary.” Or maybe a “bead rescue.” You can come and adopt some beads, but if not, they have a home with us. But in this case, it has …

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The Joy of Metal Clay: The basic tools

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Carol a student  from a recent class emailed me a question regarding my recommendations on the basic tools.  For the frugal minded metal clay beginner I am a believer of starting simple. It is easy to get swept up but the excitement of starting something new but remember you need some money to pay for your clay. What do you really need?  This is a matter of opinion so here is mine: What you definitely need: Clay (obvious) Somewhere or somehow to fire your clay (This need can be complicated as different metal clays require different firing methods. To keep it …

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The Business Chat – Shout it Out Loud!!!

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Yes, I admit it, this is a repeat from last year. Because I’m busy packing up to go to a show and you know what? You can never shout it out loud enough or enough times. Most of us are businesses of one person. If you don’t shout out your message who will?  In our holiday preparations so far we have worked out our inventory list, spiffied up our booth display, gone over our online shop and ordered our holiday packaging. Now it’s time to let the world know that the holiday shopping season is here and that you are …

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As promised – New Swarovski colours!

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Last week was all about the shapes – new Swarovski shapes. This week – we’re all about the new colours! The two new colours are, well – actually one is a colour and one is an “effect.” “Effects” are coatings, like the “Aurora Borealis” or AB coating that is so near and dear to the hearts of many of us. Swarovski is a huge innovator in creating new colour effects – and this season’s effect is Crystal Blue Shade. This a subtle smokey blue with a hint of bronze in the highlights. . 3 mm Faceted Round (5000) 4 mm …

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Weekly Class Update

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Have we ever got a full lineup this week! Certainly something for just about everyone – and of course when you take a class, you also get  a discount on store items on the day of the class! Discover Lampworking – 2 hours of molten fun with Becky Greenall – Wednesday, October 24th – 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Have you thought about taking a lampworking class but you’re not sure if fire and glass is your thing? Come give it a try for 2 hours and see if it sparks your interest!. This class is perfect for those who love …

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In the Crystal Pipeline

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A couple of weeks ago – I went to the Swarovski Fall product launch at one of our major suppliers. As usual, we got a lovely little box with a few samples of the fall line-up. Most of this is now sitting on my desk, with me scrambling to process it, shoot it, and get it into the database(s) – so you can take it home and fondle it. I thought I’d just take a few minutes to give you a sneak preview of what will be coming at you in the next few weeks! This is the new crystal …

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The Joy of Metal Clay: Hadar has a new book!

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OK, I haven’t got my hands on this yet but let me spread the word.  Hadar Jacobson, a fabulous instructor, creator, and inventor in metal clay, has a new book out.  I think she can be called a true metal clay guru with all she that has done. The new book is called “Metal Clay Practice“. You can see a few more pictures from the book on Ms. Jacobson’s blog. As I mentioned I haven’t gotten my hands on this book but here is a link to the table of contents. What intrigues me the most are the ring projects and  the  Ring …

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The Business Chat – 11 ways to holiday up your online shop

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You know what’s really nice first thing in the morning? A nice cup of tea while checking email, and seeing money rolling in! Now that makes a day start off on the right foot. Craft shows are great but if you aren’t standing there working, then you aren’t making money. This is where your online store comes in. Your store, be it your own website, or a marketplace like Etsy.com, works for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Now is the time to spiffy up your online site before the crazy shopping begins. People are looking, and …

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The Key to it ALL!

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We have the key – the key to it all! All What? But what is “all” – all that you desire? All that you wish for? Wealth? Knowledge? Happiness? Health?  The Key is a powerful symbol, but unlike most symbols – it’s meaning is personal. A horseshoe is a horseshoe, it stands for luck, so does a 4-leaf clover. A heart is a heart – it means love, of some sort: family, lover, friend, dessert. (I heart chocolate.) With Halloween around the corner – there are symbols everywhere – cats and witches and monsters, oh my.  But a key is …