Hand-etched glass Vegan Festival pendants

In February, my friend Christopher hosted another Long Island Vegan Extravaganza (LIVE) in Huntington, NY. It was another super successful event for him and for me.

About 600 people came to the first one in February, but this time, the event got a mention in Newsday, Long Island's largest daily newspaper. 1500 folks showed up at this thing, making it so crowded that you literally couldn't walk down the aisles. I got up to get some food during my shift and had to shove my way through throngs of participants. It was annoying, but I'm so proud of Christopher!

He's always been great at organizing (his Great Gatsby-themed wedding was a work of art), but it turns out, he has a true talent for event planning. LIVE is not only hosting these vegan festivals, but is also doing other activities, like trips to Broome Animal Sanctuary. I've known Christopher for about eight years now, so I love seeing him find his calling -- both as a vegan and organizer.

As for me, "nepotism" once again got me a vendor's table, but I did well! I didn't make quite as much as I had in the first festival, but I made my second-highest payout. Not bad! I donated 50 percent of my proceeds back to LIVE; Chris then gave the money to Broome Animal Sanctuary, Lewis Oliver Farm Sanctuary and Long Island Orchestrating for Nature (LION).

My friend Nancy helped me at my table and of course, we met some interesting folks -- including one woman who has 24 cats. 24! Basically, she created her own cat sanctuary and has most live in a separate home that's on her property. Still, as a cat lover, I can't imagine having two dozen. Imagine the fuss when they all want food!

There was also the lady who very bluntly asked me, "So, what the hell does jewelry have to do with veganism, anyway?" I explained that it doesn't, really, but that I do try to work small-scale and use every part of the glass so I'm not wasting materials. I then joked about nepotism since I'm friends with the host. She ended up buying a pendant from me.

I do always like to have theme-appropriate jewelry for these events, so I hand-etched these vegan-themed pendants:

The idea of my pendants was to capture the important aspects of veganism, aside from diet: love for animals, nature and the Earth. My favorite is the one I did of the tree that also looks like the veins of a heart.

I used a different sort of etching technique to create these glass pieces. Instead of painting on the design with the etching cream, I first drew a design with a permanent marker. I then covered the entire piece with cream, let it sit for a few minutes, and then washed it off. The marker acted as a temporary resist, so the cream didn't cut through the coating -- and the design was left behind, sort of like the negative of a photo.

What's nice about this technique is that I can create finer lines and more intricate designs. The cream is gloppy, so even if I use a thin brush, it's still difficult to draw smaller details. A fine-point marker allows me to do things like fill in vein-like lines in a tree.

Given the success of this event, Christopher and his crew are definitely planning future extravaganzas... but he's definitely going to need a bigger venue. He really does have the gift.

As for me, I'm looking forward to the next LIVE and am constantly updating my inventory. Check out the rest of my handmade glass and wire wrapped jewelry at Naomi's Designs.

Selling handmade jewelry: More weird tales from the craft fair, some interesting opportunities and working with precut glass shapes!

Last week was one of the busiest weeks I've had in a while. I had the art fair on Sunday, rehearsal on Monday and Wednesday, and then a combo vendor sale/concert at the Atria on Thursday. Whew! Happily, all went well and it's on to the next projects.

I didn't really make anything new for the Atria sale, figuring I'd just sell my leftover pieces from the art fair. I'm constantly making new items, so I always have a full inventory on hand. Unfortunately, I quickly learned that the seniors wanted less expensive jewelry. Most of my stuff is priced between $15-35, but many people asked if I had $5 items. Fortunately, I always bring wire with me so I can work on projects, so I churned out a bunch of cute wire pendants, selling 2 for $10. Those were popular and I made some sales! I also sold a few glass pieces, as well, but I know to have very inexpensive options for the next event.

I've mentioned my friend Judith on this blog before. She's my music partner, one of the biggest supporters of my jewelry venture and has also decided that she's my "agent." I'm very lucky to have met her and am so glad I called the Atria to see if they needed a flutist. Anyway, Judith hooked me up with two interesting jewelry gigs: I'm going to be doing another vendor sale at the senior home where she used to work and in April, I'm going to be selling my pieces at a four-day tarot card readers' convention.

Full disclosure: I know NOTHING about tarot. I've never seen a psychic or had a reading, or anything like that. I'm open-minded to learning, though, and the Readers Studio is a very popular event that has an artists' market and attracts hundreds of tarot practitioners from around the world. I can't guarantee that my jewelry will sell -- I never can be sure -- but I am certain I'll meet some interesting people!

To prepare for these craft fairs and now this tarot show, I've been trying to make some more commercial designs. When working with enamel, I sometimes use "blanks," which are pre-cut copper shapes. I like to draw and cut my own pieces when I can, but this saves time.

You can also get pre-cut glass shapes. Glass is a lot harder to cut into exact shapes like thin sheet metal, so I've ordered pre-cut hearts, butterflies, Stars Of David, Christmas Trees, etc. I'm still learning how to design my own glass cut-outs, but in the meantime, I can play with some ready-made objects. I've been using them as a base for these cool mosaic designs:

I have over six months to prepare for the tarot event, but I do want to make jewelry that fits the theme. I'm planning to get some more stars and other celestial shapes. I'm also playing around with decals, which you can fire right onto the glass. Eventually, I'd like to learn how to etch my own designs using etching cream. I haven't even been making glass for a year, so I have a lot to learn!

Another opportunity coming up is I'm going to be teaching a workshop at a historical cemetery near me called Maple Grove. They have a cultural center, where they have performances and offer workshops such as Victorian hat making. The woman in charge came to the Atria for a lecture and noticed Judith's glass necklace, which was one of my creations. She and I got in touch and I'm going to be giving a glass workshop sometime early next year. I want to make it fit into Victorian times, so I'm going to explain how decorative glass became popular during that era.

My jewelry is taking me on some unusual, but exciting paths. I'm eager to see where I go next! You can check out my collections at Naomi's Designs, MayaGirl Creations and Glass By Naomi.

Selling handmade jewelry: weird tales from the craft fair

It's September, start of Fall Craft Fair Season... which means it's time for another edition of "Weird Tales From The Craft Fair."

My latest event took place on Sunday. It was my neighborhood's local Community Arts Day and I was happy to participate. Vendors are juried for this event and though this was my third time selling at it, I was rejected for its second year. I no longer just assume I'm going go get in and was thrilled to be chosen. Here are some shots of my table. No, I do not know who Jeff is...

I was worried about being put on a side street rather than on the main road. Even worse, my table was put right under a shop awning and birds pooped on the table (thankfully NOT on the jewelry!!!). My friend Lani was with me, though, and she stayed calm -- and insisted that a bird pooping means good luck.

I'm not sure if it really does bring luck, but we actually got a lot of traffic and Lani was the best sales partner I could've asked for. She has retail experience and is a natural "people person." I always chat with people who approach the booth, but she managed to close a few of the trickier sales. For instance, one woman liked a pair of silver wire wrapped spiral earrings, but thought they were too long. Without missing a beat, Lani said, "Oh, she'll shorten them right now. Give her five minutes." I did... and the woman ended up buying the earrings and a matching bracelet.

There was also a woman who couldn't decide between two pendants. I thought she was just going to give up, but Lani talked her into settling on one ... and she purchased that and matching earrings. Thanks to Lani, I made more at this fair than I ever had.

I have to give myself some credit, though, because I worked my butt off preparing for this event. I spent many late nights finishing glass pieces and came up with new ideas for designs. A few people purchased my wire work, but most of my sales were the dichroic glass.

As always, I met some interesting people throughout the day. The first person to purchase something from my table was a politician, our neighborhood's councilwoman! She was really nice and bought a glass Star Of David pendant. Soon after, I was approached by a woman who was wearing a beautiful wooden necklace. When I asked her about it, she explained that it wasn't made of wood, but was constructed of polymer clay designed to look like wood. She took my card and later e-mailed me to send me some links about working with clay. This might be something my senior students enjoy doing, so I'd like to look into it.

I did see some familiar faces, too. My husband, Jon, stopped by to help me set up and take down the table. I was also visited by good friends Judith, David and Leah. Our favorite "visitor," though was the black and white cat who appeared in a window of the apartment across the street. He sat for almost an hour watching us from his perch. Lani named him "Belvedere." Obviously, we don't know his real name or even his gender, but we enjoyed his company!

I didn't take too many breaks, but during lunch, I took a quick look around at the other booths. A few vendors returned from previous years, including a young woman who paints striking abstract portraits. Last year, she only sold large paintings and a few other vendors suggested she sell smaller, less expensive pieces. She followed the advice and ended up doing well this year.

One of the first-time vendors, who had a booth near me, makes tinfoil sculptures. His stuff is amazing! His most popular item was his foil roses. Leah and David purchased a tinfoil dinosaur for their 4-year-old son.

Overall, it was a great day, but there's no time to relax. Tomorrow, I have another fair AND a gig at the Atria. In the morning, I'm selling more of my glass pieces and in the afternoon, Judith and I are performing a bossa nova program. We're playing pieces such as "Girl From Ipanema" and "Agua de Beber." As a flutist, I love Brazilian jazz, so I'm looking forward to this.

Meantime, the holiday season is quickly approaching, which means much more jewelry-making for me! Check out the rest of my collections at Naomi's Designs, MayaGirl Creations and Glass By Naomi.

New handmade wire wrapped necklaces and earrings -- and an exciting update!

I have several new items to share, but first some very exciting news: my jewelry is now being sold in Threading-N-More salon!

I've been getting my eyebrows done here for years and have always admired the colorful jewelry on display. Finally, I got up the nerve to ask the owner if she'd consider buying some of my pieces. She agreed to take a look -- and ended up purchasing 36. Woot!

Now I just have to hope that my jewelry actually sells for her. If all goes well, this will be an ongoing gig. She has three salons so my work would be featured at all. If customers don't like my work, well, she gave me a chance, which is so, so appreciated. I've been trying to get my stuff into stores for a long time and haven't had success. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity.

One person who DOES like my work is the owner's young daughter. As I took out my necklaces, the little girl promptly put each on, so she was wearing all of them at once. She then stacked all of my bracelets onto her arm. Later, a few of the necklaces got tangled, so she helped me pull them apart. As she did so, she said, "I feel like I'm fishing." Then each time she successfully untangled a necklace, she'd announce, "I caught another fish!" It was very cute.

The owner purchased several of my fused glass pieces, as well as a couple of my enamel necklaces. But she and her daughter really liked the wire wrapped jewelry I made with briolettes. I designed these pieces specifically for our meeting:

These briolettes were a gift from a frequent customer of mine who's also requested a bulk order. I've been working with this woman for months and she's become a friend. When she heard I might be getting this salon gig, she sent me several bags of briolettes as a "Good luck" gift -- and they worked! So my work on one large order led to another. This customer prefers I don't mention her by name, but I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to her. Every artist hopes they'll meet someone who believes in them and gives them their "big break." She's that person for me.

OK, enough mushiness! Let's talk jewelry. I wanted to make pieces that highlight the briolettes so I chose colors and accents that matched. I've always liked the combination of pink, silver and black so when I saw the large black briolette, I went right for the silver wire and fuchsia crystals. Meanwhile, I wanted to do something to show off the colors of those rainbow briolettes, so chandelier earrings seemed like the best bet. This was the most convenient way to feature all of them.

I have large red briolettes and originally designed earrings where they hung from a big spiral. However, these earrings are too heavy for the average person, so I made a modified version using smaller stones and a thinner gauge wire. These are perfect! I also made a version with silver wire and purple briolettes, which I forgot to photograph. The salon owner loved these, so if they sell, I can make them in a variety of colors and wires.

In other news, I was again accepted into the local art fair, which is September 25. I'm especially excited about this year's event because I plan to exhibit my fused glass pieces. I sold them at the little fair I did at the home a few months ago, but this will be my official "debut." I'm already working on some new jewelry sets and will continue to make new pieces up until the day of the fair. I'm also excited because my friend Lani will be visiting that weekend and will help me work the booth. Lani is an absolutely fantastic saleswoman, with a background in retail and telemarketing, so I'm putting her to work! I'm hoping my glass will set itself, but if anyone can close a deal, it's her.

Sorry for the lack of posts, but as you can see, I've been busy! I'll have more pieces to share and will keep you updated on my latest goings-on. You can check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped, glass and enamel jewelry at Naomi's Designs, MayaGirl Creations and Glass By Naomi.

Fused glass and wire wrapped party pendants!

The other day I received my favorite kind of package: a new shipment of glass. Woohoo! I love the "scrap" glass from iDichroic because it's inexpensive and you never know what you're going to get in an order. They usually send beautiful materials, though, and it's always fun to open the pack. I like to take a moment and look at the unused glass and imagine the possibilities.

This time, they sent some very colorful dichroics -- bright pinks and oranges, patterned glass, etc. I ended up making several pieces, which I call my "Party Pendants."

The black pendant with the confetti pattern is "Party Favor." The tri-colored one with the boxy pattern is "Off The Grid." The pink is "Strawberry Shortcake" and the striped is "Over The Rainbow." The last two are among my favorite pieces, though Strawberry Shortcake initially didn't turn out well. The glass ripped a bit while it was firing and a black gash appeared in the center. I solved the problem, though, by strategically wrapping it with 18 gauge silver wire. That wrap looks a bit like a belt, right? If this had to happen, I'm glad it did to a solid piece. It would've been harder to camouflage a pendant with multiple designs.

Last night I wore Strawberry Shortcake to a dinner at the Homestead, which is one of the senior residents where I play flute. I paired it with a neon pink shirt. The home's art teacher was impressed and asked me to give her some jewelry-making lessons. Perhaps we can do an exchange where she teaches me some painting techniques. Given my track record with painting, I can use the help!

My next plan is to finish a mosaic pendant: colorful glass on a black base. I actually made a beautiful heart-shaped mosaic... but it broke apart in the kiln. You could say I'm... brokenhearted (groan). I just need to figure out what I did wrong and try again. That's what jewelry-making mainly involves; a lot of trial and error.

It's exactly a week until my vendor sale and I think I'm in good shape! I have a performance at the Atria on Sunday, so my fellow bandmate, Judy, suggested I bring some jewelry to advertise. I need to give a shoutout to her. She and I have only known each other for a year, but she's been a huge advocate of my music and art. It's through her help that this sale is happening. I'm honored to have a friend like her.

You can see the rest of my jewellery collection at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

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Fused dichroic glass necklaces: "Sunrise, Sunset" and "Summer Storm"

I recently wrote about how I've been invited to sell my jewelry at one of the senior homes where I play flute. Well, we finally have a date scheduled and I'll be there on June 3!

I'm especially excited about selling at the Atria because a) I know almost everyone there and b) this will be the first vendor event where I'm selling my dichroic glass jewellery. I've sold a few pieces online, but this will be their "live" debut. I can't wait to see how my table looks with all of the colorful glass pendants spread across. My booth will certainly appear festive!

Now that I have a date settled upon, I've been working on some new dichroic pendants. As always, not all have turned out so well, but I'm pleased with the good ones. Two of my favorites I've named "Summer Storm" and "Sunrise, Sunset."

For Summer Storm, my original plan was to combine shades of blue, but I really like that pink swirly glass, so I added one stripe. I like the way the hint of pink sets off the different blues. Sunrise, Sunset was my attempt to recreate my "Fire And Ice" pendant for a friend. However, dichroic glass sometimes takes on a life of its own -- especially when it's fused in a microwave kiln -- and I ended up with gold and orange stripes instead of two yellow pieces. I love this combo, though. I'm still getting the hang of working with glass, so I never quite know what to expect!

I've been making the necklace bails for most of my pieces, but I "cheated" and used some ready-made bails for a handful of pendants. Honestly, they're just easier to attach and it saved me some time. I prefer to make as many elements as possible, but I'm not against taking a shortcut every so often. Ultimately, I just want my pieces to look attractive.

I hope to have 30-40 glass pieces for the fair. That's a lot, but I already have many on hand, and if I make a couple per day, I can get it done. Then I'll have an excuse to buy some new glass -- and to get even more creative.

Check out the rest of my handmade wire wrapped, enamel and glass jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Weird tales from the craft fair: Wainwright House in Rye, NY

Happy Hanukkah to my readers who celebrate! This weekend, I got into the holiday spirit by participating in the Dickens Festival in Rye, NY -- a town in Westchester, about an hour out of NYC. The event was held in the historic Wainwright House:

How amazing is THAT? My mouth fell open when the cab pulled up to the front door. I love old homes and couldn't believe I'd be selling my jewelry in such a gorgeous place. The home was once owned by a wealthy family, who was very influential in local politics and real estate. In 1951, the house was turned into a holistic learning center.

The inside was just as beautiful:

My table was right below the fireplace. My husband was intrigued by the lady in that painting. No one could tell us who she is, or was. But I enjoyed having a set up in such a cool location. Here's a closer look at my Naomi's Designs booth:

There were 30 vendors set up around the mansion. There were also carolers, crafts for kids, a hand bell choir and a live "elf on the shelf" who'd pose for photos. Oh, and there was a large table set up with free coffee and cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. I had a few too many!

This was a beautiful, well-organized event, but the vendors were disappointed in the number of people who came by. Maybe 50 people stopped by my table all day. I was certainly hoping for more. It was also billed as a "Dickens Festival," but there weren't many Victorian touches. There was one older man who wore a old-fashioned top hat, but other than that, no one was in costume. I'm not sure why they didn't just call it a holiday fair.

Still, I did sell a few items and consider any sale a victory. I was especially pleased because two enamel pieces were purchased. A pair of little boys bought one of my enamel pendants for their mom. The price was right in their budget, so they split the cost and each handed me a bill. They were so cute! I wrapped their present in a bright, red box with a matching bow. They were very excited about that bow. Ah, to be young again... Anyway, I hope Mom likes her necklace.

Another customer bought one of my sugar skull necklaces:

I could tell this woman has interesting tastes, because she was already wearing funky, unique jewelry. Her necklace contained a giant lipstick pendant. How fun! After she bought my skull, we had a long discussion about the significance of decorative skulls in Mexican culture. I'm very attached to certain pieces and this was one of them, so I'm glad my skull has found a good home.

Another customer who made an impression on me was the girl who wore a T-shirt with an elephant on it. I'm guessing that she was maybe 13. I told her that my niece, who is a few years younger, loves African elephant and wants to work with them when she's grown up. This girl shared that she also loves elephants and "adopted" one through her school's environmental club. She explained that they sent funds to a sanctuary that rescues orphaned elephant babies. "Maybe your niece can work there," she said. The girl then tried on a bunch of my items and I helped her choose blue wire wrapped daisy earrings. "All of your stuff is sooooo cuuuuute!" she exclaimed. I think that's the ultimate compliment coming from a young teen, right?

Overall, it was a nice day, even if business was slow. We did get to look out at this view:

Jon watched my booth for a while so I could take a walk around the neighborhood. I'd never been to Rye before, and it's gorgeous! The mansion is right by the water and all of the other old homes in the area are stately. People in Rye ain't poor, that's for sure.

That evening's weather was pleasant, so Jon and I walked the 3 1/2 miles into neighboring Harrison so we could have dinner at a little Peruvian restaurant called Quenas. Jon had beef heart kabobs and I ordered the aji de gallina, which is a chicken stew made with a creamy sauce. The food was delicious and capped off a long, but good day. Jon says that it would've been worth going to Rye even without the sale, but I appreciate him tagging along to help me.

I don't think I'll do this event again, unless it's better advertised and they can get more people. However, I'm glad I got to discover a different neighborhood and will certainly visit Rye again. It'll be even more enjoyable if we can walk around without my bags!

Check out my handmade enamel and wire wrapped jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Back To Blogging: Exciting Handmade Wire Wrapped Jewelry News!

Wow, OK... so I've been realllllly bad about blogging this year. Last time I wrote something was in March. Yikes! Time to change that and get back into the swing of things. I apologize for keeping you out of the loop. Well, I apologize to all two of you who read me regularly...

The good news is, that while I haven't been writing, I have been busy actually making jewelry -- and have been involved in some exciting projects.

My work was once again selected to be in the Kew Gardens Art Fair. I was rejected last year so gaining admittance was a big deal to me. This year, the event was set up as a street fair with the vendor booths lining the main road in town. I did pretty well, but I preferred the set-up where we were all contained in the local park. I felt as if we were too spread out and a few of my customers agreed.

As always, I had many interesting encounters throughout the day. One woman tried on several pieces, almost broke a bracelet... and then didn't buy anything. Sigh. On the other hand, I got to meet a "fan"! A few weeks ago, a woman messaged me on Etsy and said she'd purchased earrings from me at the first fair held two years ago. She asked if I'd be selling locally anytime soon and I said I didn't know because I'd been rejected from the fair last year. Well, she found me at the event and said she'd complained about my booth being absent the year before. She then bought some more earrings from me. I wanted to give her a bonus pendant as a thank you for seeking me out, but she refused, saying, "I don't want to exploit you." She was very sweet and I was so happy to meet up with her.

What's really exciting, though, is that as part of the fair, I now have two of my jewelry pieces hanging in the restaurant, Austin's Ale House!"

Austin's has been a local institution for over 20 years and regularly exhibits the work of Queens artists. We go there all the time -- I even had my 40th birthday party there -- and have always admired the paintings and photos, etc. that hang on the restaurant's walls. So it's very cool to have my own stuff there, where it will stay for the next six weeks. Hopefully someone will purchase my pieces, but if not, at least people are getting to see my work.

Last week, Austin's threw a little party for the artists. My parents and husband came, which was nice; I don't think I've had any "art" exhibited since elementary school! I'm very impressed with the work of my fellow artists. I'm the only jewelry designer in the bunch, but there are some beautiful paintings and multimedia pieces. If you're in the NYC area, definitely check it out. Side note: Austin's has great food and an extensive, extensive drink menu!

I still haven't gotten my pieces into any stores, but this is a start in getting my name out there. I'm hoping it will lead to even bigger things. Meantime, check out my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Update On My Handmade Wire Wrapped Jewelry And Some Exciting Non-Jewellery News!

Sorry I've been MIA for a couple of weeks, but things have been crazy since the Y's craft fair. Now that Christmas and Hanukkah are right around the corner, orders are picking up -- and I've been making jewelry for Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations around the clock.

The fair itself went pretty well. I sold two more of my enamel cat Christmas ornaments and made a little bit of money for the Y. Actually, all seven booths on the third floor sold items, so our tiny "club" had a 100 percent sales rate! I'm proud of our group, especially since we were stuck in the nosebleed section. As I said earlier, next year I'll know to sign up for the fair IMMEDIATELY and not wait.

Meantime, I've designed a whole bunch of new wire wrapped and enamel pieces, some of which I will blog about later on. But here is a little preview of my work:

Oh, and here is a photo of my booth from the fair. It's not the best picture or the fanciest arrangement, but you get the idea!

And now for my exciting non-jewelry rated news: As some of you may know, I was a writer before I fell in love with making jewelry. I spent 14 years working as an editor for an entertainment magazine and even published a novel, REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD. It's gotten great reviews and has done, well, okay, in terms of sales, but I figured that was it: It's out and whomever reads it, reads it.

Well, BAND GEEK is now getting a second life! I was recently contacted by an author named Kira Adams, who also wrote a music-themed novel called PIECES OF ME. Kira invited me, as well as authors Shane Morgan (THE RIGHT SONG) and Breigh Forstner (STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART) to combine our work, all of which is tied to music, into an anthology. Our collaboration is appropriately called LOVE NOTES and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon for 99 cents! It's set to debut on February 2, 2015 -- the day before my birthday.

You can learn all about the project at our release day Facebook party! On Feb 2 from 12-4, we will be chatting with fans and giving away prizes. It should be a lot of fun, so please check out and like our FB page and join in. Also, please help spread the word with our Thunderclap.

Handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewelry: LIVE From The Craft Fair!

Greetings, readers! Sorry I've been absent from the blog for so long, but I've been working round the clock on new pieces. I was accepted to the Y's craft fair after all and needed to get ready for the event.

Because spots sold out within a few hours, I was put on the third floor near the jewelry studios. It's not the best spot -- of course, I'd prefer to be in the main lobby with everyone else -- but it's better than nothing. I'm with a few other artists and have enjoyed their company.

We've been working this fair since Saturday night. Traffic was decent yesterday and we all managed to sell at least one item each -- which is great for us and the Y since we're all donating a portion of our proceeds to the art department. It's been pretty dead today, but it's given me a chance to work on some new items and finish up some Etsy orders.

So far I haven't sold any of my ornaments, which is disappointing. On the other hand, they've received many compliments from other artists so my work is being admired. I did sell a few wire pieces, but none of my enamel items -- which is ironic since I do my enameling at the school. UPDATE -- I *just* sold a calico cat ornament to a fellow feline lover. Woo hoo!

What's really exciting is that I've signed up for a great volunteer opportunity: I'm participating in a program called Beads Of Love, where jewelry artists help kids make handmade holiday gifts for their loved ones. I'm looking forward to working with the children.

For now, I'm going to return to the fair. I'm hoping that more people will show up this afternoon. Wish me luck!

Meantime, check out my handmade wire wrapped and enamel jewellery at Naomi's Designs and MayaGirl Creations.

Craft Fair Rejection: Moving On

Now that I've had a chance to adjust to the news and enjoy my weekend, I'm feeling much better about my rejection from the craft fair. Don't get me wrong; I'm not happy about it, but I'm also not as upset as I was a couple of days ago when I first got the news.

My friends have been very supportive. A couple wrote me with notices for craft fairs in their neighborhoods, which I appreciate, but I'm not going to travel to New Jersey. Also, many had some funny things to say, which I'm not going to repeat on this blog. You can use your imagination! They got me laughing, though, which always helps when you're feeling down.

On Saturday, I shipped out a few orders and the post office happens to be right next to the park where the fair will take place. I know this is a little silly, but I was nervous about going near that park. I didn't want the reminder of being a "loser." But as I approached the location, I was like, "Wait a minute. I'm going here to drop off ORDERS. This is a good thing!" Plus, that park is right near our favorite indie movie theater and is across from the restaurant where I had my 40th birthday party. I have many good memories associated with living in my neighborhood and I can't let one rejection ruin that for me.

Plus, I'm already making plans to be in a different fair. I'm going to sign up for the Baldwin Street Fair, which is just 25 minutes from me by train. I go to Baldwin often because two of my closest friends live there. I figure I can do the fair and then maybe see my friends for dinner afterward. I was actually supposed to do the Baldwin fair last spring, but it was rained out. So now is my chance to check it out and see if it's an event worth doing again.

I've never taken rejection very well, but I'm trying not to take it personally. All I can do is move on, put it in the past and continue to build my business on my own terms.

Check out my jewellery at Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.

Tales From The Craft Fair: UCPN Event

2013 was a disappointing year when it came to craft fair sales, but so far, 2014's fair season began on a great note! Today I sold my jewelry at the United Cerebral Palsy Association Of Nassau County and had a really nice time.

I don't know if you can call this event a true "fair" since there were only two of us selling jewelry. But a portion of my earnings went toward the school's funds; at this point in time, they're raising money for the upcoming prom.

My friend Christopher teaches at the school, which is how I got this gig. He loves his job and the kids, and is constantly talking about work, so I was happy to actually see his school. The complex itself is huge and actually houses more than just a school; there are dozens of medical offices and lifestyle classes for adults. Basically, the association is there to help anyone with CP, regardless of his or her age.

What struck me about the place is that it's very well-maintained and very ... warm. That's warm as in "friendly and pleasant," not temperature-wise, though we are having a sunny day here. But almost everyone was smiling and laughing, and the students/patients seemed to be really happy. Those who work there have a very difficult job, but it's clear they all love their work and think of the patients as family.

Anyway, on to the sale! They sat us in the middle of the main atrium so we got a lot of traffic. Both of us sold a lot of pieces, too, which is great because that's money for the prom. I'm, of course, pleased to have sold so much jewelry, especially since a couple of my high-end pieces were purchased, but I also got to meet some great people.

Many of the teachers/nurses/physical therapists stopped by to ask questions about my items and were genuinely interested when I explained how to do enameling or champleve. Not everyone bought something from me (which is fine), but many complimented my work and seemed to really appreciate the fact that I make all of my items. I recently lost a close friend and have been feeling down, so this helped lift my spirits somewhat.

My favorite encounter was with one of the adult patients. She asked a lot of questions about my earrings and ended up buying a pair that has a filigree design and Swarovski crystal hearts. When I packaged them up for her, she exclaimed, "Thank you, you made my day!" It was so sweet! Really, she made MY day. :-)

Christopher teaches the very young kids and he introduced me to a few of his students. They're so cute! He not only teaches them, but often has to do things like feed them or change their diapers. Like I said, this is a very consuming job. I admire him for being so passionate and compassionate.

After the sale was over, the other vendor, who is also a PT at UCPN, drove me to the train station. On the way we chatted and she noted that most of the students and clients have a very positive outlook, even though they're dealing with physical and sometimes mental disabilities. She said she uses her patients as an example -- and that when she's feeling down, she remembers there are those who have it worse... and manage to find reasons to be happy. I think that's a great lesson for all of us!

You guys all know my shops and can find links to them in my other blog entries. But today I'm going to encourage you to donate to the UCPN. Thank you.

Tales From Enameling Class

This semester of enameling is almost over, but it's been a good one! I've gotten better at making champleve pieces and am much more comfortable when it comes to improvising enameling techniques. For instance, I'm currently working on a cloisonne pendant and had run out of cloisonne wire; I ended up using silver bezel wire instead. The wire was twice as thick and I had to cut it down the middle to thin it out, but it worked!

Last Tuesday, the Y held a jewelry fair where members of the various jewelry classes could sell their work. I considered signing up, but decided not to because vendors had to submit an entrance fee AND give back half of their profits to the Y. Still, I purchased an etched metal bracelet from a friend and enjoyed seeing what others had to sell. It was nice to be able to just leisurely wander around a craft fair, for once.

We have some really talented artists at the Y. Most of the pieces being sold were amazing -- and kind of put me to shame. I think that I'm a decent jewelry designer, but most of these people are incredible. I only hope to be that good one day. That said, many of the pieces were extremely expensive. I think that everyone raised their prices so they could actually make a profit, but I thought that many of the pieces were priced too high for what they were. Little beaded bracelets should not be $70. Just sayin'. But the money did go to a good cause as the Y offers many wonderful classes, in jewelry, music and other fields.

Though I'm feeling a little inferior compared to some of these artists, I'm still wondering if I should set up a booth at the next fair. The friend from whom I purchased the bracelet only had about a dozen items on his table... and he managed to sell out. I could bring in only about 10-15 of my high-end pieces and then charge higher prices like everyone else was doing. It seemed like this fair was a success and I didn't see any other wire artists.

Speaking of my enameling class, I'm happy to report that I recently sold two of the items I made at the Y: my enamel cat and my enamel hamsa pendant:

I spent weeks on each piece and am thrilled that they were finally purchased! I hope that the wearers enjoy them. Though the class is fun, I put a lot of work into each item and am glad that it's literally paying off. It's cool to know that there are people out there who are wearing my one-of-a-kind necklaces.

With this session winding down, I'm just working on a couple of simple pieces, but I have some wild ideas for next semester. I'm already eager to get to work! To purchase my jewellery, head to Naomi's Designs or MayaGirl Creations.