tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43856718977975573222024-03-13T22:09:02.763-07:00dabble with craftsA daily/weekly/monthly look at crafting, and creating a small home-based craft business.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-50298263958609195732014-12-27T10:45:00.000-08:002014-12-27T10:45:05.634-08:00A Look Back At 2014As December speeds us towards a New Year, I find myself thinking back over the last few months.<br />
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2014 started with CreationsByRobin still on hiatus. I really had not considered making more sea glass jewelry. The ocean had yet to offer up anything substantial and it seemed like my favorite hobby was dying a slow, painful death. Finding thin pieces of Rolling Rock green glass or Budweiser browns, was not going to be worth the effort...these pieces don't even age nicely...even when rounded by the tumbling in the ocean, these pieces of glass are very thin and when frosted, the glass is dull. Without the sea glass, going to the beach lost a little of it's luster...I mean, if I have to endure the bennies (ok, they're not all that bad) the least I can have is the excitement of possibly finding a nice piece of old glass washing up in the surf.<br />
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One one trip, we found something a bit older. Yea, it was brown, but it was thick and well frosted...an older piece of glass that somehow found it's way onto the beach. All of a sudden, the mediocre pieces were looking good (the thin, ugly pieces remained, just that...thin & ugly...lol) and we found ourselves heading to the beach a little more often. I'd like to say, seaglassing started picking up from that point. I would. But it wasn't the case. <br />
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What used to be a bad seaglassing day at the beach, was now a pretty good seaglassing day at the beach. A bad day was getting shutout totally...and that did happen often. But there was one other occurrence....the fires were getting stoked. I started fooling around with my sea glass again. It started when we moved into a new place and I wanted to decorate differently. I went with a beach theme. Driftwood, sea glass, pictures of the ocean and beach, lighthouses, etc. When it cam time to decorate my bedroom, the first thing I did was cut-out an area where my crafting table would go.<br />
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And just like that, I was back.The shop was reopened, I made new creations and some sales. As fall turned into winter and the vacationers and snow-birds headed for home or warmer climates, we found sea glass. The Atlantic still isn't turning out jewelry quality pieces on the beaches that I frequent, though there have been several that I could consider using for decorative creations. But I and my hubby (my hubby mostly) has been finding colors and unique pieces. Just before Christmas, he came home with 3 cobalt blues and two days later found a cornflower blue and part of an old white bottle top.<br />
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Somehow, the glass is finding it way back and knowing that the ocean tosses a few pieces onto the beach before she reclaims them in the next tide, will keep me dreaming of coming across the perfect piece of sea glass. And in the meantime, I will share some of the more special findings with anyone who loves what I create with these vanishing ocean treasures.<br />
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Looking ahead to walking the beaches in 2015. I'm excited to see where it will take me.<br />
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Happy New Year!<br />
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'til next time...<br />
R Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-90017813660779504202014-11-28T11:12:00.000-08:002014-11-28T11:12:20.218-08:00Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving weekend Coupon codesI hope everyone had a safe Thanksgiving Day. Getting my footing back in Etsy has been difficult and getting back into the swing of operating an online business has been challenging. There has been some significant changes since CreationsByRobin was last active, both on Etsy and with my sea glass supplier. I'm very thankful that the ocean is once again sharing it's treasures with me and I am thankful to once again have the opportunity to share my creation thru Etsy. <br />
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Once again, it's been quite awhile since my last blog entry. I have been blogging on my other blog,<br />
Sea Glass CreationsByRobin ( <span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">creations<b>byrobinseaglass</b>.blogspot.com ) and there are several images of new creations listed in my Etsy shop, new creations that will be listed soon and new pieces of sea glass that I found on the beach over the last few months (ok...my hubby found them, it's too darn cold for me...lol)</span><br />
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<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243"><br /></span>
<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243"></span><span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">My Etsy shop has 2 discount codes available...one is a 15% for total purchases under $30 and the other is a 20% off for purchases over $30...all purchases come with free shipping. These codes remain in affect thru Cyber Monday (12:01 am on 12/2)</span><br />
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<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">I also have a special blog discount set up.... "Sea Glass By Robin" this is an additional 15% off your remaining total after you apply the Etsy shop discount. To receive this discount, select your purchases, apply your </span><br />
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Etsy shop discount and then send me a convo on Etsy, with the blog code in the subject. I will adjust your total due by an additional 15% and send you a return convo to let you know your order is adjusted.<br />
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<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">That is what's new with me. Hopefully, my DH can get to the beach tomorrow and see if anything new has been offered up by the ocean.</span><br />
<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">There are several new creations for me to list, a few more that need images and a few pieces waiting for me to make into a handmade piece of jewelry.</span><br />
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<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">If you stop by and don't see a new entry, please add my other blog to your list and check there. I try to add something new there at least once or twice a week. Stay safe and enjoy the holiday weekend!</span><br />
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<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">'til next time...</span><br />
<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243">R </span><br />
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<span class="url" dir="ltr" id="yui_3_10_0_1_1417198446031_243"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-55379840324222869582014-10-08T10:57:00.000-07:002014-10-08T10:57:27.513-07:00Another Wordless Wednesday - Enjoy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vbYTEUVM2hlWUrkADlrZoi5OZqYhuCnCi4AFG-9qEtabLH0S2Sf7taw-aOhyphenhyphenOvu-CTHX4YLNYCgcnFULO5a2DEhtJvLxut0VgSpLwpNMyOHCCmBWzM0MarCi_gfssPF5Pnv0ahNCmTVk/s1600/IMG_0462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vbYTEUVM2hlWUrkADlrZoi5OZqYhuCnCi4AFG-9qEtabLH0S2Sf7taw-aOhyphenhyphenOvu-CTHX4YLNYCgcnFULO5a2DEhtJvLxut0VgSpLwpNMyOHCCmBWzM0MarCi_gfssPF5Pnv0ahNCmTVk/s1600/IMG_0462.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-82077378316594091192014-08-23T13:21:00.000-07:002014-08-23T13:21:02.511-07:00Dreaming of Sea Glass Raining and overcast today on the Jersey shore. Saturday is change-over day and the traffic getting to and on LBI is going to be stop and go, so going to my favorite stretch of beach is probably a crazy idea. Instead I will add a new piece of jewelry or two to my Etsy shop, work on my <a href="http://seaglassbyrobin.siterubix.com/">blogs</a> , pour myself a cup of coffee and dream of finding that elusive piece of orange sea glass. Or a few more like the piece below... : )<br />
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'til next time<br />
R<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-44293204469419097012014-08-05T13:06:00.000-07:002014-08-05T13:06:39.531-07:00What a Great Time For SeaglassWhat better time than a perigee full moon? Check out the post I wrote on <a href="http://seaglassbyrobin.siterubix.com/?p=42">another blog...</a><br />
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I will admit that I prefer a 4th quarter perigee. But when the moon decides to get this close to our planet, it doesn't matter what month it is (i will have to deal with the bennies and the summer wanna-be seaglassers)<br />
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It will be fun to watch hubby mess with the bennies, I'm sure he bring a red or two with him and say he found them in an area that has nothing. Or maybe he'll just bend down right next to one of them and pretend that he just picked one up right next to where they are or where they just looked. He's sooo bad, lol<br />
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Good luck to all that go hunting this weekend!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-14170251594760836882014-08-01T08:33:00.000-07:002014-08-01T08:33:35.823-07:00My Trip to the BeachFor those who have never had the chance to follow my sea glass blog, just a little background info...<br />
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This blog was originally started as a way to introduce sea glass collecting and my sea glass jewelry creations. My blog entries were a sea glass diary of sorts and a way to promote my sea glass jewelry that I sold on Etsy.com and at various craft fairs, shows and local retail stores.<br />
Currently, my shop on Etsy is closed and my jewelry-making days are just a hobby that I struggle to find time for. Sea glass collecting is something that has fallen by the wayside also, as trips to the beach have been rare since Super Storm Sandy. Since Sandy, sea glass on LBI has been rarer than my trips to the beach.<br />
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Until yesterday. For those that have followed this blog in the past, you may recall me blogging about an area my DH refers to as "cobalt beach". Cobalt beach is actually a stretch of beach, maybe 3-4 blocks long that has turned up an unusual amount of cobalt blue sea glass, along with several other uncommon colors.<br />
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So anyway, after a few disappointing trips to LBI, trips that left me and my family sad about the aftermath of Sandy, yesterday we headed back to stretch of beach that had once been our sea glass goldmine. The one time we visited this stretch of beach since Sandy, we only found a couple browns-not jewelry quality and not the type of browns that I hope to find, but brown sea glass nonetheless.<br />
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This trip to the beach started out no different... a large piece of brown that was finished on the outside, but the shard appeared to have been broken recently, so the inside needed more time for the ocean to finish the job. My DH referred to this piece as undercooked, so we found a safe area to return it to the sea. What I did find encouraging was this piece had some thickness to it and that could mean it was an older piece of glass.<br />
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For most of the day, I almost regretted returning that undercooked brown because there was nothing else to be found anywhere. Even the stretch formerly known as "cobalt beach" came up empty (again). As the crowds began leaving and the tide started pulling out, we gave it one more walk thru before we called it a day.<br />
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Despite several decent sized shell beds, cobalt beach was a disappointing bust... there was nothing to be found other than a few recently shards from recently broken Budweiser bottles (that were picked up and thrown into the trash bin). So we turned and headed back to our chairs and my son wanted one last dip n the ocean. While I kept watch, my DH continued on (in the opposite direction of what was once cobalt beach) & after a few minutes, my son and I went off in his directions where we found several large shell beds containing a lot of small shells, broken shell pieces and lots of stones and zero pieces of glass of any kind.<br />
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Shell bed after shell bed yielded nothing. Then my DH doubled back to showed me two pieces. The first was a clear white piece and it was nearly perfect. Well-weathered and frosted, only a recent chip in the edge kept it from being perfect. The 2nd piece was better. Another white, this one perfect and it's jewelry quality (rare for NJ). As a white piece of sea glass, it wouldn't fetch much as a piece of jewelry...but this piece has a tinge of amethyst coloring in it (I'm hoping now that it's been rescued from the sea, it will continue to turn color) Both of these pieces were found within 2 feet of each other, so we went back to the area and I found 2 pieces...one a frosty white- nothing to get real excited and the second a pale blue tear-drop shaped piece...weathered, slightly frosty and without a doubt, jewelry quality. One of the nicest jewelry quality pieces I have ever found on LBI. This one will become a charm for a necklace.<br />
The craziest thing about both of these pieces, is they were found within 10 feet of those that my DH found and before we left the area, a thick chunky amber piece washed up!<br />
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30 minutes before we leave, the ocean presents us with a couple of the nicest pieces of sea glass that we ever found on LBI...and all 5 pieces were found with 10-12 feet of each other and there was nothing to be found anywhere else on the beach...go figure!<br />
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Hopefully, I can get images uploaded to the blog and show off my finds!<br />
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'til next timeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-25816606029628883292014-07-31T09:47:00.002-07:002014-07-31T09:49:21.312-07:00Been A Long Time....Wow! Nearly 11 months have passed since my last entry.<br />
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I recently received a couple of emails about my sea glass jewelry and both of my sea glass themed blogs. I haven't done much creating recently, but I received an invite to be interviewed on another crafter's blog...lol.<br />
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I doubt my responses would make for an interesting interview, so I declined. But I am hoping my trip to the beach today yields a piece (or three) of sea glass treasure worthy of a jewelry creation!<br />
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I miss my blog and would like to thank the hundreds of visitors since my last entry. Here's hoping today's trip to the ocean leads to a blog entry tomorrow!<br />
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'til next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-49285949445714186922013-09-06T21:16:00.000-07:002013-09-06T21:16:10.605-07:00A Post-Labor Day Trip to the Beach"nobody on the road, nobody on the beach, I feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach...." I always loved that song by Don Henley and it never fails to pop into my head every fall during my trips to the beach after everyone goes home for the year.<br />
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The day before my sons returned to school, we took a post-Labor Day weekend trip to the beach to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day. Out of habit, we always try to plan a beach trip around low tide and we arrived about an hour prior on this day and already found shell beds that had been left behind by the previous high tide. Shell beds are something that have been missing since Sandy tore apart the Jersey shore last fall, but there they were, several patches of shells spread out over a 4 or 5 block stroll on the empty beach.<br />
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While the boys tossed a ball around in the water, the DH and I headed off towards the closest of the shell beds...hoping. What we found was not what we were used to finding. In these shell beds we found quite a bit of what looks like washed gravel- perhaps gravel that once sat in the yards, driveways and walkways of many of the residences on LBI. These were rocks that are not normally found in the ocean. The shells that we found also seemed different, smaller somehow, almost like those that are found in the bay.<br />
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In the 2nd bed we came across, the DH found a smallish piece of Budweiser brown sea glass. Unlike most of the glass we found this year, this piece was actually sea glass. While it was a newer piece of glass, it was frosted and had spent a decent amount of time in the ocean. I was kinda excited because I began to think that maybe there would be a few "finds" among the shells and stones, but the only find for me on this day, would be my first sand dollar (believe it or not, I had never found one that wasn't damaged before) and I would go on to find several more on this day...but no beach glass.<br />
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My DH walked down to the area he refers to as "Cobalt Beach". In the past, this area had been the place for us to find rare colors of sea glass and some the most "choice" pieces we have ever found in NJ. If there was to be beach glass on the beach, it would be in this area<br />
As my hubby got closer to the area, he found very large shell beds mixed with the same type of stones found in driveways & walkways. There were several larger sand dollars, but only one piece of sea glass- another Budweiser brown small piece.<br />
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It could be possible that these beds had contained sea glass and DH was too late. My DH did see footprints around the shells beds, but he also added that there weren't footprints in the middle of the beds, only around the exterior. So perhaps those that passed by earlier, didn't see anything worth stopping for or maybe they were just out for a walk. But these shell beds didn't contain the treasures we were looking for.<br />
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In the end, I did find my first ever sand dollar and the family spent the day together, relaxing on a quiet, beautiful day. It does seem like I may need to find a new beach hobby, because I fear that my days spent sea glass hunting on the beach could be over. It's a thought that saddens me, as every time I take a leisurely walk along the surf, I remember as a young girl, walking with my Dad, finding beautiful pieces of sea glass.<br />
I will still walk along the beach with my sons, I will still keep looking for those shell beds and I'm sure I will continue to drift closer to them, keeping an eye alert for a shiny glimmer of green or yellow or blue, and I hope my boys have the chance to pass along this little hobby when they have children. I never thought that my hobby could end so abruptly and still have hopes that the lack of sea glass is temporary. But my gut feeling is that even white and brown pieces of sea glass will be a rare find <br />
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I am still on the hunt for that elusive piece of red sea glass, it's sad that if and when I find it, it probably will not be on a NJ beach : (<br />
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'til next time...<br />
R<br />
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A thank you to Don Henley for a perfect post Labor day beach song...and for the towns that did everything they could to preserve the beachesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-44432805365434427152013-08-26T11:45:00.002-07:002013-08-26T11:45:47.447-07:00Trip to the BeachSo, I finally broke down and decided to head over to LBI. Usually, I stay away until after Labor Day weekend. But the day was so nice, the ocean was calling and so was the urge to see if I could hunt down a piece of beach glass.<br />
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I went to a familiar area, found that most of the public parking that had been used for beach goers in previous years, now had a two hour time limit. Instead of having 75% of the spaces full of cars, there were a grand total of 5 cars using the 30-50 parking spaces... brilliant! Of course the side streets were loaded with cars and luckily, I squeezed into a small spot.<br />
Now because of this brilliant decision to limit the parking places to 2 hours, the beach was quite empty. And the badge checkers were probably struggling to reach their quotas, so they were all over us as we hit the beach. "Do you need badges today?", "Do you have badges?" The bizarreness of it all fell somewhere between, I was the ice cream person ringing the bell and all the kids (badgecheckers) came running and I was going to a show and these teenagers in the yellow shorts were escorting me to my reserved seats.<br />
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So an enforced $15 donation to use a beach in the county I live in and spending several minutes driving up and down streets looking for a parking space because of some brilliantly stupid decision to put a 2 hour limit on parking places, the day didn't start well.<br />
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And it didn't get any better... I thought I/we might have a shot at maybe finding something in the surf. The beach was loaded with shells, mostly broken and quite a joy to step on in bare feet. With the tide moving out and a promising shell bed slightly visible, I had hopes. Heck, for the first time ever, I was encouraged when I saw the net-lady nearby...and she had her net with her!<br />
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But it wasn't to be. I gave up after 45 minutes. I spotted nothing at all. My DH spent at least another 30 minutes in mid-shin deep water, walking through what I believed was a shell bed and he saw one piece of "heineken green" green glass that needed about a decade more of cooking before it was ready.. Most of the shell bed appeared to be broken shells (no large, whole shells were found) and what looked like washed gravel rocks.<br />
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I have plans to go to LBI next weekend for a family get-together and thankfully, it's in another town on the island, because it is highly doubtful that I will ever frequent the town that we went to today. I'm not sure what official had the brainstorm (or was it a brain-fart?) to implement a time limit on parking places, but I guess this person forgot that the reason why people go to LBI is to enjoy the beach and not to go shopping or dining out during the day- besides a large percentage of the stores look like they still have not opened their doors this season.<br />
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Sandy really impacted everything I came across on this trip to LBI. The crowds were sparse as they have seemed to be for a lot of the summer. So many stores never opened their doors and many places still look like they need renovations. The things that appeared to have changed, have changed for the worst and one of the most important draws for me, the sea glass, looks like it may be years away from coming back on the beaches that I have visited.<br />
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My next trip will be to the northern end of the island and hopefully, very soon, I can head over to the area my DH called "cobalt beach". At least it was a beautiful day....<br />
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'til next time...<br />
RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-61931083528476253982013-07-31T12:23:00.005-07:002013-07-31T12:25:45.587-07:00It's Been A Long TimeI have been away from this blog for quite a long time. Sadly, Superstorm Sandy has changed the face of seaglass hunting on the beaches I often frequent. Long Beach Island beaches were torn apart by Sandy. Even though the island has been successfully pieced back together, it appears that it may be a long time before my favorite sea glass hunting grounds begin to yield great pieces (and those great pieces were few and far between in recent years)
Though we don't frequent the beach as often as we once did, we hope to get to the beach more often towards the end of the summer as the tourist season begins to grind to a close. Speaking of grinding to a close... my shop at Etsy.com has been closed for the time being.
The joy of finding sea glass on the beach, spurred the idea of creating handmade jewelry with those finds. Sandy essentially closed the my favorite sea glass store and while, the store has reopened (the beach, the towns)the shelves remain barren.
Maybe one day things will change...I'll keep looking and hopefully, I will have some new finds to post soon.
'til next time,
RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-21847417963677212192012-10-13T22:43:00.000-07:002012-10-15T05:33:42.692-07:00Listening to My CustomersListening to your customers can often breathe life into a shop's bottom line.
My Etsy shop sales were rather disappointing. My inventory had stagnated, views were low and there was really nothing happening with my jewelry.
Rather than just continuing on with my current inventory lines and hoping for a positive holiday sales season, I chose to try to figure out how to turn my sea glass inventory into new product line.
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Several customers requested sea glass anklets and these creations proved quite challenging. Trying to avoid making something similar to my bracelets, I eventually decided to take a few pieces of sea glass that were marble and egg-shaped and drill through them length-wise. We had a few casualties along the way, losing a few gorgeous pieces of sea glass that suffered blowouts, but some pieces (like the image above) came through the drilling process perfectly. In hindsight, I'm not sure if I will create many more anklets with this type of drilling, but I will still make them like this...
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I also had a few requests for necklaces that were a bit more subtle. I have made custom pieces for customers using smaller pieces of sea glass and people who visited my table displays last season showed quite a bit of interest.
So I delved into my sea glass collection and pulled out several tiny pieces- all measuring 1/2" to just short of 5/8" in length and wrapped several. The "Petites" have really turned the momentum around in my shop... my views have increased and my bottom line has improved.
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Both of these items came to fruition after listening to customer suggestions. They have allowed me to expand a stagnate inventory and give customers that visit my shop, a few additional options.
When it comes to sea glass, you can't always give the customers what they want, if the ocean isn't providing the needed "gems". But in these cases, I'm glad my collection contained what was needed to make my customers happy!
'til next time...
R
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-75366121549371727842012-10-02T08:44:00.001-07:002012-10-02T08:44:07.287-07:00Sea Glass Anklets & New CreationsFor quite some time, I have received many requests for sea glass anklets.
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Creating them didn't seem like a big deal, but my first pieces, like the image above, resembled some of the sea glass bracelets that I made in the past and I wanted something different for the anklets. I wanted to "introduce" a new line, with a new look.
I wanted a bigger piece of glass, something bold. Most of the sea glass I find in the US is flat and rather than drill two holes and connect the sea glass on two sides to the sterling silver, I wanted something different.
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I have several gorgeous pieces of English sea glass that are just too big for me to consider using them as the focal bead of a necklace. These pieces resemble marbles or are egg-shaped and would be very tough for me to wrap. I decided to drill these thicker, bulkier pieces right down the middle, from top to bottom and use them for
my anklets.
English sea glass, for those of you that aren't familiar, is also referred to as end-of-day glass. Before plastics replaced glass in many commercial uses, there were many glass factories in the UK and several were located near the ocean. At the end of the day, all the excess was dumped into the ocean. Several different jobs might get mixed into the same barrel and into the sea it went, where it would spend the next several decades, tumbling about and turning into some of the most beautiful examples of sea glass. It is truly amazing how mother nature can take man-made garbage and turn it into something so very beautiful.
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Some of my customers are loving my new anklet creations. And some of them want to wear them as a bracelet, while others say they will wear it both ways. I think they look great as an anklet, and that is how I wear my piece. And I'm now on the hunt for an knock-out piece of English sea glass to create another one-of-a-kind treasure for myself.
While I'm posting images, check out this bold and brilliant piece of dark red sea glass....
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'til next time...
RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-39842790486717505802012-09-22T07:30:00.000-07:002012-09-28T04:32:12.946-07:00Craft Show- Tips and TrendsAt my most recent show, my hubby pointed out several things he observed during the show. Some of these observations were trends he noticed before and in the next few events they seemed to prove themselves as situations I wanted to create or avoid.
Hubby is a people watcher and he'll often at shows, whisper to me that a certain person is going to buy something. The most bizarre thing is, he does it as the person is leaving my display and more often than not, he's correct because they come back and make a purchase!
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The observation that he finds that often leads to a sale is- a crowd at the display and the bigger, the better!
When I have several people standing in front of my display tables, it seems that more people see the crowd and get drawn in, like moths to a porch light. Others become curious and just have to see why there is a crowd at my display tables.
Because two pieces of sea glass are rarely alike, my jewelry creations are essentially one-of-a-kind creations. And large crowds at my display make those right in front a little antsy, especially if they "love" one of my items.
I have watched people have conversations with each other, almost justifying a reason why they are going to make a purchase... upcoming birthday, Put it away for a Christmas present, this is her color, etc. Sometimes it seems like the person feels that this could be there last chance to make the purchase and if they walk away and come back, "their" piece of jewelry will be bought by someone else.
So crowds, especially a large and getting bigger crowd, will often facilitate a purchase and there is nothing better than a large group of people seeing someone make a purchase.
I rarely make jewelry at a show. It's often just too hectic and I never liked the pressure of doing it in front of people. At my most recent show, I pulled out some jewelry-quality pieces of sea glass and decided I would try to wrap a couple. The foot traffic at the show was good, but sales were slow and hubby has always encouraged me to make jewelry at the show, "on-the-fly".
With my hubby and two boys at the tables to talk with anyone who came to my display, I was able to start wrapping without interruption and just got lost wrapping jewelry. I had a nice flow going and after turning several pieces of sea glass into pendants, I looked up to find I had a large audience off to the side of my table, all watching me do my thing.
Several inquired if I would consider making jewelry with a piece of sea glass they personally found on the beach, took business cards, and a couple of them made purchases. One person claimed that after they observed the process of how I chose to wrap a piece, it became more personable watching "the artist" create it right in front of them (wow, I'm an artist in somebody's mind!) Crafters, if you can preform your craft live at a show, seriously consider it- it goes back to my first tip- it draws a crowd to your display and that often results in something positive for you.
Business cards are a must and if you feel comfortable, jot your phone number down on a few to hand out to those you feel may be a future customer. I went through a lot of cards in my last show and if only 10% of those people contact me in the coming months, that show will go from "above expectations" to "HUGE!!!"
Credit Cards- I always accept credit card purchases and have only been burned twice in several years (both for small amounts, but it still gets me angry because sea glass is one-of-a-kind and I'll never find another piece like the one I just "gave away")
This last show, I noticed that about 60% of the sales were credit cards, and that most of the mid-range price-point items were purchased via a cc. The lower end price points were cash purchases and the high-end items didn't sell.
If you can, bring all of your inventory to the show. I sold a piece that I have had in my inventory for a couple of years. I know that there have been shows when this piece wasn't included in the inventory, but you can't sell what you didn't bring and luckily, this piece has found a new home...and the new owner was thrilled because it's her favorite color!
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I'm happy that some people seemed to be in a purchasing mood at the show and I have made a couple of recent sales in my shop. But I am still pessimistic about the economy. I hope things are taking a turn for the better and that sales and future shows (for you and I) prove to be successful.
Perhaps these tips will help you make a few sales and maybe attract a couple repeat customers for your products and business. Looking forward to see you on the show circuit!
'til next time,
R
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-35471358164398412322012-09-20T19:19:00.001-07:002012-09-20T19:19:58.209-07:00Review- The 2012 Beach Plum FestivalIf you haven't been following my recent blog entries- a quick catch-up...
The economy has really affected my small handmade jewelry crafting business and with
one of my favorite shows approaching, I decided to make a personal investment. Best case scenario, it would be a good show and I'd make my money back (and hopefully a
decent profit) or worse case, I would have replenished my inventory and would put
everything into my Etsy shop and gear up for holiday sales.
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The Festival- for those that live in the NJ area, the Beach Plum Festival is held every September on Island Beach State Park (near Seaside) The park is gorgeous, the beaches very clean and one of the few beaches in NJ staffed with lifeguards after Labor Day.
The Festival attracts several handmade crafters, displays featuring local non-profits and food vendors, along with many displays featuring the topic of the day...Beach Plums (the ice cream and jellies are outstanding, BTW) The show is very well run and receives quite a bit of local media attention. For crafters considering this event, the show always attracts a great deal of foot-traffic- many who plan to hit the beach and stroll in find a great festival in progress. If you have a beach-theme craft or business, this should be a must-do show.
An overview of how the festival went for me personally would be- better than expected.
I really didn't know what to expect because I was not selling much out of my Etsy shop and other crafters had reported below average sales over the summer. With many fellow crafters cutting back on shows, I didn't really know what to expect.
The show started out slowly sales-wise. There was a large crowd right at the start of the festival (perhaps beach-goers) and I had a lot of foot traffic, but very few people looked to be making purchases anywhere.
The traffic continued to pour in and I decided to find a few pieces in my collection to make into pendants for necklaces. I began wire-wrapping several pieces and that seemed to draw a small crowd and that seemed to change the "luck" for me, as I starting selling a few pieces. By noon, it was clear I would cover my expenses and make a little money.
I'd love to say this was my best year at this venue, but it wasn't. But with the expectations I had coming into the show, I have to admit that I am so happy to have made the investment in myself because it seems that people are beginning to feel good about the economy. And they appear to be looking to buy something different and unique.
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I'd love to find another show to do before the holidays, but realistically, I'm probably not going to find a better match for my product than this show. Island Beach State Park's Beach Plum Festival and my handmade sea glass jewelry just seem to be a perfect match for me. But I'll keep looking for the right spot.
After the show, I sat with my hubby and discussed how the show went and realized there were a few trends on my sales and a things that helped me make sales that I hope to blog about soon. A few of these are ideas that I will continue to do at future shows and these thoughts might help fellow crafters make a few extra sales at their shows in the future.
'til next time,
R
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-24696238356231950252012-09-16T09:01:00.000-07:002012-09-16T09:03:19.084-07:00The Economy and Crafting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"May you live in interesting times" is an old proverb that comes to mind when I think of the current economic unrest in the world today. I try not to dwell on it much, but there are many times that the economy has forced me to re-evaluate what is happening with my crafting business.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsFCZ7npyuO_oik3V71KkweVfrkUHvBJLyIyMJ_d6AJdOxJ4AFcEv1GpbjSTCVOuqEohN-igTZkSheLIB4bLQkXV32QR2QV6zglYiUWhJJjmSoEXeCafHr78DOn7R7axywcH0EQYxCbBu/s1600/0912_1612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="208" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXsFCZ7npyuO_oik3V71KkweVfrkUHvBJLyIyMJ_d6AJdOxJ4AFcEv1GpbjSTCVOuqEohN-igTZkSheLIB4bLQkXV32QR2QV6zglYiUWhJJjmSoEXeCafHr78DOn7R7axywcH0EQYxCbBu/s320/0912_1612.jpg" /></a></div>
Rising costs in gas and silver directly impacted my business. People just didn't have money to spend on the pretty necklace they found on my Etsy website or show display. The "I want that" draw that often led to spur of the moment purchases, had turned into "I'd like to have that" and eventually to "I wish I could afford that".
My business is not one of necessity. Seaglass jewelry is not an everyday, must-have item. But for someone that lives the lifestyle of using handmade items in their ever day life, they will find a way to purchase an item such as handmade soap- if only because it is better for their skin, or it's because it's eco friendly (or higher quality than many of the massed produced, chemical laden "stuff") So not every crafting business is affected the same way. Some will continue to flourish, while others face stagnating sales because of diminished purchasing power.
My sales are way down. (as in WAAAAYYY down) I did a show recently and had to invest some of my own money into my business (a QE of sorts)to be able to afford the show. You'll have to checkout my next blog installment to see if it was a wise investment... but I'll leave you with a "it was encouraging".
'til next time,
RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-33936542400984711222012-09-14T05:03:00.000-07:002012-09-14T05:08:08.294-07:00Back AgainWell, it's been a long while. Since my last post, my blog was removed for suspicious activity (guess no activity is suspicious...lol)and I really had not been doing much with my jewelry-making.
Last winter's storms wreaked havoc at the beach and the coastal towns were forced to rebuild the beaches and dunes. Great for the home owners and summer beach-goers, not very good for seaglass collectors. Not good at all
The economy has also wreaked havoc on the crafting industry- at least in my area of crafting. For a while it seemed like people just didn't have disposable income for sea glass jewelry. When it comes to items that people "need" for everyday life, the money is there, but when it comes to a "want" item, I still think there are many people who can't afford small luxury items.
I have several ideas for new posts. Some will touch on seaglass, some on my crafting, and on crafting in a shaky economy. My next blog entry will be about the show I did recently and how it's re-energized me to continue to do what I love - looking for, talking about and making jewelry with sea glass.
'til next time,
R<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-37949525484417502902012-03-13T17:22:00.006-07:002012-03-14T03:43:29.337-07:00Wordless Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa7FHi8dQ1XFtfSxYpILHTBT5YrRsyiVsUXWZSNTb5CVkNRlz8Phje33YJqW5AeiJGch0Df6CM0PyNjMvZzGxSASi2Tg9Ijl13JIBih6X5WQHdd-qqmVa4Z1kCUyD26gdnuO0sbSigUfb/s1600/0308_1112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa7FHi8dQ1XFtfSxYpILHTBT5YrRsyiVsUXWZSNTb5CVkNRlz8Phje33YJqW5AeiJGch0Df6CM0PyNjMvZzGxSASi2Tg9Ijl13JIBih6X5WQHdd-qqmVa4Z1kCUyD26gdnuO0sbSigUfb/s320/0308_1112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719543576271014178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5oxDmseDpSF3FCKspp2HlH18TWAClmuQ5IOJG63g0jhVhbLMMx1A4Dk77v9625mDM6qEQ1SB287CojHz5gMimLo1PQ7jIRfGRcbOu3hLkiImKvbgcJtFu4ZnLhoYoRxvW8g5deMGhEg7/s1600/0308_9112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5oxDmseDpSF3FCKspp2HlH18TWAClmuQ5IOJG63g0jhVhbLMMx1A4Dk77v9625mDM6qEQ1SB287CojHz5gMimLo1PQ7jIRfGRcbOu3hLkiImKvbgcJtFu4ZnLhoYoRxvW8g5deMGhEg7/s320/0308_9112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719543356833590194" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiQ1FCzU3pReV5OSDmZNF9y_aFZN8dozhK7c7dtGgfYU8SlA6v9zZ5ra3Jg997ExkAYOYY7r70cxoIXzfeeQEC3WCwLIkdKpJc37DCHkc-rlGXC487R6Wqe_e2afZNHSqDLuO-q91edqJ/s1600/0311_3113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiQ1FCzU3pReV5OSDmZNF9y_aFZN8dozhK7c7dtGgfYU8SlA6v9zZ5ra3Jg997ExkAYOYY7r70cxoIXzfeeQEC3WCwLIkdKpJc37DCHkc-rlGXC487R6Wqe_e2afZNHSqDLuO-q91edqJ/s320/0311_3113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719542925529558434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILAgydUPfUzul2up7zP-QtvwPkhFXd2X660-GJCUvGoZWZDKvOLebg3VLy4uqXsQg8dmdk4zqUQgsZ6MAFSjtM1xTdrPsNnFxnWz65VWnNWJsdGs0Gf_PcZFG45cuoWAlYZp2DG5p_74z/s1600/0309_1612.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILAgydUPfUzul2up7zP-QtvwPkhFXd2X660-GJCUvGoZWZDKvOLebg3VLy4uqXsQg8dmdk4zqUQgsZ6MAFSjtM1xTdrPsNnFxnWz65VWnNWJsdGs0Gf_PcZFG45cuoWAlYZp2DG5p_74z/s320/0309_1612.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719542612479675266" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-28089617656470023542012-03-11T19:15:00.008-07:002012-03-12T06:37:58.164-07:00New Sea Glass, New Creations<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxe88v8NUSATRBVt38pY8gdex3Ztvq7NfACw6gr67BoWTqwzgaQS0fcVoi6j6YNsWLEIk4P9TxhwuL-xjrnw2tD8JkQ5UyuyslMKahPImY4VQflhuM8SV8XunEk4ddhYkMp-XyKyx428Z/s1600/0309_1211.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxe88v8NUSATRBVt38pY8gdex3Ztvq7NfACw6gr67BoWTqwzgaQS0fcVoi6j6YNsWLEIk4P9TxhwuL-xjrnw2tD8JkQ5UyuyslMKahPImY4VQflhuM8SV8XunEk4ddhYkMp-XyKyx428Z/s320/0309_1211.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718834808759471570" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlntdQnkRGDEv6gSBMMgIxXhMCot3qUz2ZFk7ES4JPDItxvIsw2z9SAU9Uq6zQuWcmNTXXJBjmv3qjuo8qK_wn3btGuwRQfrrdpWmg6OsQU0fxuSyAkOZ80sIGE-5gBmvNfnaZbONrHJa/s1600/0308_1115.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlntdQnkRGDEv6gSBMMgIxXhMCot3qUz2ZFk7ES4JPDItxvIsw2z9SAU9Uq6zQuWcmNTXXJBjmv3qjuo8qK_wn3btGuwRQfrrdpWmg6OsQU0fxuSyAkOZ80sIGE-5gBmvNfnaZbONrHJa/s320/0308_1115.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718834461797915138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HXWlwt1jvhZzdd2kol2eGlnTLFf6FkS_O7LWTbbPs1FvFtbCzFxWsyncCnA2GVDxbUJWW9XW6EGg78pzIY-SKTod1nyJbI7GYKo47bLXC-TW6esO0RZIFcSeBiGTC4jaNT3psKzkHjCK/s1600/0309_1111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HXWlwt1jvhZzdd2kol2eGlnTLFf6FkS_O7LWTbbPs1FvFtbCzFxWsyncCnA2GVDxbUJWW9XW6EGg78pzIY-SKTod1nyJbI7GYKo47bLXC-TW6esO0RZIFcSeBiGTC4jaNT3psKzkHjCK/s320/0309_1111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718834022139960034" /></a><br />It's taken a while for my first post of the New Year.<br /><br />After a tough finish to 2011, I had decided to take it slowly going forward<br />in 2012. But several of my sea glass friends motivated me to jump in and<br />get started.<br /><br />With some new sea glass- including a few gorgeous English blues from fellow Etsy member Penny Parker, my creative juices were invigorated and I found myself sitting <br />at my crafting table and things just started flowing.<br /><br />After about 30 minutes, I had a few hundred pieces of sea glass spread out on <br />one table and I picked out a few jewelry quality pieces for wrapping. The next <br />thing I knew, I had finished 8 or 9 sea glass pendants, the sun was peaking out <br />from behind the clouds and there I was with my trusty camera, capturing images <br />my new creations.<br /><br />One or two of my new creations will go into my Etsy shop. As for the rest, who <br />knows...but I think one is just to gorgeous to part with and it'll look great <br />on me this spring and summer.<br /><br />There is nothing like some beautiful new sea glass to rid the winter blues and I<br />can't wait for my next trip to the beach- in search of some new sea glass for my<br />collection.<br /><br />'til next time,<br />RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-9607151916877998992011-12-11T12:20:00.000-08:002011-12-11T12:41:51.122-08:00ReCap of the TRIS Craft ShowLast week's show was not a great one for me. I did make a little money, but overall, it wasn't a sea glass crowd. (I was not able to attend because of a change in hours at my job, but this is my hubby's description of the show.)<br /><br />That's not to say the show was not a good one overall. Foot traffic during the show was steady, though not overwhelming. There seemed to be very few periods where the traffic appeared to be sparse...and that is a great sign for a first year show!<br /><br />Several vendors looked to be quite busy and the crowd seemed to appreciate the opportunity to purchase quality handmade goods. Despite being a bit slow at my table, I did have the opportunity to talk about sea glass with a few people who never experienced it before. These people never noticed sea glass on the beach before, and are excited about keeping an eye open for it on their next trip to the ocean.<br /><br />Several people went through the "Pure Sea Glass" book that I always have with me at shows, a few had questions about rarity and I did hand out several dozen business cards. The show gave me the opportunity to say hi to a couple customers that have purchased from me in the past, one of which was actually wearing the necklace she bought 2 or 3 years earlier!<br /><br />My hubby also had the chance to speak with several members of the EtsyNJ team, many of which he had never met before. Several of the Etsy team seemed to have a very good show.<br /><br />Overall, it was not a bad show, in fact, it is one that I will hope to do again next year. The show's promoters did a great job getting the word out, and the community responded with a nice turnout! There was a great deal of help available to vendors during the set-up and breakdown. And most importantly, the selection of handmade items was very diverse and of good quality.<br /><br />Congrats to the promoters of the TRIS show...a job well done!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-49890384316973427152011-12-02T12:50:00.000-08:002011-12-02T13:10:16.997-08:00Final Craft Show of the Season<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hAXVuyzSrWRjXdxyy4iB-RSu4RK3wp3QsLBSC_W0401mhmXFfwnZ6xjXwL2kuINIy9Gr6Thiyo_Zxn4T7z544nDGv9xjYb4hFUUxYItTInIkATVN6dEdQ2ObtSdimCWxTw57kHHhd1tl/s1600/BeachPlumDispl_0001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hAXVuyzSrWRjXdxyy4iB-RSu4RK3wp3QsLBSC_W0401mhmXFfwnZ6xjXwL2kuINIy9Gr6Thiyo_Zxn4T7z544nDGv9xjYb4hFUUxYItTInIkATVN6dEdQ2ObtSdimCWxTw57kHHhd1tl/s320/BeachPlumDispl_0001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681641166185684834" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMuRbGfVra0adF__M5yPTK3jEWLNCJ9hDWVRaZZTY7-hjJWXe0CVQxmIwnHqvXtZVIRFwcUFYJQfRCg_q53t13SzUOVmw6x9TNPPLRiWHhSPDQm6R33TiWtFF_rlEWQJCI9_6fQ-okgzV/s1600/setup_ombaby3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMuRbGfVra0adF__M5yPTK3jEWLNCJ9hDWVRaZZTY7-hjJWXe0CVQxmIwnHqvXtZVIRFwcUFYJQfRCg_q53t13SzUOVmw6x9TNPPLRiWHhSPDQm6R33TiWtFF_rlEWQJCI9_6fQ-okgzV/s320/setup_ombaby3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681640739269448866" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlim_uQi91TN3sbZhII4zAGUMvLcObY_wX0RV2JL5y6GFH6Buz7eRLZWLfyWS1VeJ7iiFTtKOS1fZJm6WMWntFGIBBWV3cUKluaMUHpQMphDPQGIc_dJtv_FpoIy5hi5jHowVRvhXNiOC/s1600/1125_1111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlim_uQi91TN3sbZhII4zAGUMvLcObY_wX0RV2JL5y6GFH6Buz7eRLZWLfyWS1VeJ7iiFTtKOS1fZJm6WMWntFGIBBWV3cUKluaMUHpQMphDPQGIc_dJtv_FpoIy5hi5jHowVRvhXNiOC/s320/1125_1111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681640596559123826" /></a><br />Tomorrow, I will be attending the 1st Toms River Intermediate South Handmade Craft Show. Wow, that's a mouthful.<br /><br />I think this show should be a very fun show to do because they are limiting the show to handmade vendors only. And there looks to be a lot of media support for the show. There has been radio coverage promoting the show, it's been all over Facebook and there will be several members of the EtsyNJ team in attendance.<br /><br />I'm really hoping that the show promoters are able to keep this show re-seller free, us crafters can always use another quality handmade show in Ocean County for the month of December.<br /><br />The Intermediate School is located at 1675 Pinewald Rd in Beachwood, NJ and the show will run from 10am - 4pm. I personally may not be able to attend because of prior work commitments, but my sons and hubby will be there to sell sea glass jewelry creations (hopefully, I can sneak away and attend the last few hours...lol).<br /><br />So if you are in the area, and have some free time, stop in and say Hi to the EtsyNJ team members...and check up on my table and see what is going on. I'll be checking my blog during the day, so feel free to leave a comment, reporting on how my display looks...lol<br /><br />Have a great weekend! 'til nest time...<br /><br />RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-54762622394961385832011-11-25T09:52:00.000-08:002011-11-25T10:09:42.082-08:00Black Friday- Cyber Monday Blog Special<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi2iHu_j7Jpsi9a29lH7ojQXUWe79qbHSMRKdx7E2nK-GSL4cg3T3OoRfmZ0bKOH3f0v9eelJiNeO9u5XPmZ0363Ke_7oqxqdQNBxwD9ol-83Wj-dEgkGJjIhg4hj7G6UV4oArTBev_PP/s1600/1124_1212.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi2iHu_j7Jpsi9a29lH7ojQXUWe79qbHSMRKdx7E2nK-GSL4cg3T3OoRfmZ0bKOH3f0v9eelJiNeO9u5XPmZ0363Ke_7oqxqdQNBxwD9ol-83Wj-dEgkGJjIhg4hj7G6UV4oArTBev_PP/s320/1124_1212.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678996591541213442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fIqqxhsWJ0sBrUsreAVlFbyC-Rhd3knlVOm8vLg7g4thxkXlZRsaidJThSsftbmsWKIpL8eAhAk0jPTFnR7hfJ3hFeyAKDriFnr6K3ofC8_3EHI4PuiDO4wOR9Hup4J3ZJa4HQUbSFM_/s1600/1124_3334.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6fIqqxhsWJ0sBrUsreAVlFbyC-Rhd3knlVOm8vLg7g4thxkXlZRsaidJThSsftbmsWKIpL8eAhAk0jPTFnR7hfJ3hFeyAKDriFnr6K3ofC8_3EHI4PuiDO4wOR9Hup4J3ZJa4HQUbSFM_/s320/1124_3334.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678995727981203074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW0qR9wlvuwUqp2Z66IKzp0jJBPvgqMLZ4Wt2NX7hiEjkUJ34w675qygSh0T5MDvB4I7hdl5BrURGLdIwRZeVd4VFRn7HTKHP2EcBmwajkePSksltD_oNGdCWNb4sBV_1yNryo_Mjicdb/s1600/1124_3431.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwW0qR9wlvuwUqp2Z66IKzp0jJBPvgqMLZ4Wt2NX7hiEjkUJ34w675qygSh0T5MDvB4I7hdl5BrURGLdIwRZeVd4VFRn7HTKHP2EcBmwajkePSksltD_oNGdCWNb4sBV_1yNryo_Mjicdb/s320/1124_3431.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678995391988601170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm24Mte3lJnJId8leUD2Tde5L4cmTvzI1vscuhjWHEj9x-DmKtgB2Wq2TiU48BwTgEd07fM4rInAXBya_JGWWl_jbd_avfsGZT1Suu0h-wmTkje-Dx_TFepS6zNLRXudO-DRcQ47LBhvS/s1600/1124_1111.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm24Mte3lJnJId8leUD2Tde5L4cmTvzI1vscuhjWHEj9x-DmKtgB2Wq2TiU48BwTgEd07fM4rInAXBya_JGWWl_jbd_avfsGZT1Suu0h-wmTkje-Dx_TFepS6zNLRXudO-DRcQ47LBhvS/s320/1124_1111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678994863895517170" /></a><br />The holiday shopping season is officially upon us and to celebrate the season with my blog followers, I've created a special discount for you to use if you make a purchase from my shop between today and the end of the holiday season.<br /><br />I've created several new items that will work their way into my shop over this weekend. Some of them are already in my Etsy shop. But a couple are being introduced here for the first time. If you see one you like, email or convo and I'll set up a reserved order for you.<br />And don't forget to use the special code BLG11 to receive a 10% discount and free shipping!<br /><br />'til next time...<br /><br />RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-78785935370535976062011-11-19T18:03:00.000-08:002011-11-19T18:30:24.511-08:00Creating One Product and Selling Another<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JYtrQeLQ-rSf7lHm-ihyphenhyphenfirx0yB8zVK0bm79LrR-MNoLxZAf_hTCdUTppHiH-pIi1n7Jbs18c718l9f9WR8ujlP5XjL1y1o24B_XCq71uMsgep2HUutS-7_0G0sY8CJjJ0Y6siOlZg7u/s1600/0912_1115.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JYtrQeLQ-rSf7lHm-ihyphenhyphenfirx0yB8zVK0bm79LrR-MNoLxZAf_hTCdUTppHiH-pIi1n7Jbs18c718l9f9WR8ujlP5XjL1y1o24B_XCq71uMsgep2HUutS-7_0G0sY8CJjJ0Y6siOlZg7u/s320/0912_1115.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676899684552668274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1UeP4PKRIg78ACBw9pJhyphenhyphenJn1SDmAUFAxMubqq0LCf2zmjA09n6Sqp2XP3Qjr1Oj9E0TP8LT1WR1c8Tl_aJ-YPze5A0dSQehwWIl86aQxF_XnlFjz-ffb1YNTiAYE4DRt3-hhuTjtJXlb/s1600/1114_1113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1UeP4PKRIg78ACBw9pJhyphenhyphenJn1SDmAUFAxMubqq0LCf2zmjA09n6Sqp2XP3Qjr1Oj9E0TP8LT1WR1c8Tl_aJ-YPze5A0dSQehwWIl86aQxF_XnlFjz-ffb1YNTiAYE4DRt3-hhuTjtJXlb/s320/1114_1113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676899345428281874" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA80ayVieW6USCdxZvjC7woFMYMKETSrWXS5hkWq9SB5UcH5HbQVD6kPPKigOinTNHCVAA4VYl9EOLa4MhTdkpXVGXnXoAeWS4XwUULm3T04c2Su_4M3rUoowbQTp0agdhIuwsQq9LmuT/s1600/1114_1213.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA80ayVieW6USCdxZvjC7woFMYMKETSrWXS5hkWq9SB5UcH5HbQVD6kPPKigOinTNHCVAA4VYl9EOLa4MhTdkpXVGXnXoAeWS4XwUULm3T04c2Su_4M3rUoowbQTp0agdhIuwsQq9LmuT/s320/1114_1213.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676898912154517986" /></a><br />It's funny. No matter how you figure what you area of your business you believe you need to focus on, your customers always know best.<br /><br />I've been working on building up my necklace inventory for my upcoming craft show on December 3rd (Toms River Intermediate South, in Beachwood, NJ) because that is my best selling item at shows and also in my Etsy shop. And as I'm looking through my sea glass collection for pendant quality pieces, my shop gets wiped out of earrings- not that I'm complaining. (actually, Yay I made an online sale!)<br /><br />Just when I thought I knew best, my customers strongly have me focusing on another project because they have made it a glaring weakness in my shop inventory. So it's back to the drawing board, going through smaller pieces of sea glass and marking off the area I'd like hubby to drill holes while I check the inventory of earring components.<br /><br />While I search I lay out a plan to replenish my earring inventory, I hope you enjoy the images of a couple of my latest sea glass necklaces and one of my favorite pairs of earrings that are departing for the desert of Tucson, Az.<br /><br />'til next time,<br />RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-33946391742791349642011-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:002011-11-11T10:09:20.099-08:00Yesterday's Trip to the BeachHi everyone, it's "the hubby" (as I'm often referred to) reporting on yesterday's sea glass hunting trip to LBI.<br /><br />I arrived at the beach about 25 minutes prior to the height of the low tide. It was a sunny afternoon with little wind and the temps were in the high 50s- low 60s. Walking around with a light sweatshirt was quite comfortable.<br /><br />I went to my favorite stretch of beach on LBI, an area that includes a block long stretch I call cobalt beach (because I have found 10x more cobalt sea glass in this area than any other beach I've set foot on)<br /><br />As soon as I hit the beach, I noticed the tides were cooperating perfectly. The ocean was pulled well back from where it normally is at low tide, and I thought that I should have brought my waders with me (note to self, bring my water boots or hip waders next time)<br /><br />As I walked towards the water, I looked to the north and got very excited. There were huge stretches of shell beds that were laying just above the tide line and by huge, I mean some were 30-40 feet long and over 10 feet wide. It was a sea glass hunter's dream. <br /><br />So I made my way down to the water and preceded north towards the first of several shell beds. The adrenaline rush began when I was about 10 feet away because I knew that I would be spending most of my time on the beach in this small area because the beds were deep. It was about this time, I considered running back to my truck to get one of my sand pails because there was no way I was going to be able to carry the treasures that were waiting for me.<br /><br />So everything was perfect- sun shining brightly, HUGE stretches of shell beds, with the ocean gently lapping at the bottom of the beds (acting more like a lake than the ocean) and I was the only one on the beach. The only problem was someone forgot to invite the sea glass!<br /><br />The conditions were absolutely perfect and there was nothing. I went from bed to bed going north, turned south revisited the beds and headed further south to "cobalt beach"- surely there would be a bounty waiting for me there. As always there tide at CB was perfect, the shell beds laying exposed in the sand and every few minutes the water would get into the bed , shifting the shells and pebbles around. But there was no sparkling pieces of glass to be had.<br /><br />In all, I did find about a dozen pieces of glass that were in various stages of what I call "under-cooked" (meaning they needed more time for the ocean to finish her job on the glass) I did find a nice piece of Coke-bottle glass, very thick and probably quite old. However, it had recently broke in the ocean and had a jagged edge. It will go back into the ocean (in an area where swimmers do not frequent) I also found a couple of sand dollars, and a few small shells for a project that I'm working on for Robin's shop.<br /><br />This year has been a huge disappointment- between the dune build-up and local townships moving sand around to protect the beach (and burying the glass), the hurricane that arrive at high tide and pulled much of the dunes into the sea, further burying the glass and a very disappointing fall season, where there were no shells or glass to be found anywhere on the beach.<br /><br />Yesterday, the conditions were perfect and everything a sea glass hunter wants to see was present- except for the glass. Officially, the full moon occurred last night, so maybe the glass was a bit late to arrive.<br /><br />Maybe<br /><br />til next timeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-36632609651840597042011-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:002011-11-09T16:57:37.413-08:00Upcoming Craft Show, Full Moon, New Creations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWZ4wCCgpJ3ImuPD0N0YmhWXyUG6khn_oHZV-D5ta_n8ZfZdIYb06xnIyju7ohLOHAT4MTBwcT1Jz805Yl3Zc_iJBlAVI-wecnw0oKNpfTMPDfDXIh2dU1E25d22meRKVW7BDZpdTvEFL/s1600/1018_1214.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWZ4wCCgpJ3ImuPD0N0YmhWXyUG6khn_oHZV-D5ta_n8ZfZdIYb06xnIyju7ohLOHAT4MTBwcT1Jz805Yl3Zc_iJBlAVI-wecnw0oKNpfTMPDfDXIh2dU1E25d22meRKVW7BDZpdTvEFL/s320/1018_1214.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673164963498869682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTFonduRXhnDjpFXg63fXmthhAJ74Zq0fdwM4HCqLGZ94rte-W93a3fpRf3ot0kzI0KQojbfEm-k62t6xDWSmrIMg-T4rdByIYX-hJ5JIsmnfiKJzB9A15eUcJ1F9X91CByiEUpubid9O/s1600/1018_1112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTFonduRXhnDjpFXg63fXmthhAJ74Zq0fdwM4HCqLGZ94rte-W93a3fpRf3ot0kzI0KQojbfEm-k62t6xDWSmrIMg-T4rdByIYX-hJ5JIsmnfiKJzB9A15eUcJ1F9X91CByiEUpubid9O/s320/1018_1112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673164110501473586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjot6QSBEjpHMh_NRBO74fjYw_XyeHneMKnPiYD6wV0H-ANKbIVgUk1U03QRukZF8N0hXYvA6pZ6kw_BsK-0y-UYLU-JLxXwiPJbM_AAGNotSK8i_XPlOClf9Gk6EP9XbkMiOsXJBDBXU_Z/s1600/0916_1113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjot6QSBEjpHMh_NRBO74fjYw_XyeHneMKnPiYD6wV0H-ANKbIVgUk1U03QRukZF8N0hXYvA6pZ6kw_BsK-0y-UYLU-JLxXwiPJbM_AAGNotSK8i_XPlOClf9Gk6EP9XbkMiOsXJBDBXU_Z/s320/0916_1113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673163712285653330" /></a><br />Wow, the end of another year is creeping up slowly.<br /><br />I'm attending a first time craft show on December 3rd. The show is being held at the Toms River Intermediate School in Beachwood. I'll have several new items with me for those that have beach-loving family/friends on their holiday gift lists, along with my Etsy inventory and several pairs of earrings, bracelets and necklaces that have been recently created.<br />I'll be adding images of new creations that may not make it into my Etsy shop before the final craft show of my 2011 season, so if you are looking for a piece of holiday jewelry created with sea glass, check back often to see what is hot off my crafting table!<br /><br />Tomorrow, November 10th is the the full moon. On the east coast, we've had some very rough seas that have been hammering the coast line (the already battered coast line) and with the arrival of tomorrow's full moon, the tides will continue to wreak havoc on the beaches. For a hardcore sea glass hunter like my hubby, it should offer the potential to find some nice pieces of sea glass and who knows what else...?<br /><br />Hubby is excited that the temperature is not yet frigid, and he'll be getting to the beach a few times over the next 3-4 days to see what the tides are leaving behind. Here's hoping the sea glass is plentiful on every one's favorite stretches of beach.<br /><br />Posted above, are is my latest necklace creations, along with with a Patriotic sea glass bracelet. Enjoy!!<br /><br />'til next time, <br />RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4385671897797557322.post-23433228395919253712011-09-28T20:12:00.000-07:002011-09-29T05:24:04.659-07:00Craft Show Results- Upcoming Sea Glass Festival<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33ftvDphUVYJG3HZCNSRL1sAfFNV6dJXcT8bGBVV1uZVOkV6DpZY_C7FnH917UKuYMjvwskvKQyTKx4MZDDSEIgCK_2W3UwXYXo_jGNBpjOgWV3fWJWb6__oUhyphenhyphenFpLJjv-KvN4dpKYl7V/s1600/0922_1113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33ftvDphUVYJG3HZCNSRL1sAfFNV6dJXcT8bGBVV1uZVOkV6DpZY_C7FnH917UKuYMjvwskvKQyTKx4MZDDSEIgCK_2W3UwXYXo_jGNBpjOgWV3fWJWb6__oUhyphenhyphenFpLJjv-KvN4dpKYl7V/s320/0922_1113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657625492627513586" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNgCDwump8ONxrbxmi-hqJ1SdBvW8qCgAXfMdvhJcdJAJ_h-oa0YqtBpwle0n52XvQXvLahJyUhzSG8CsVZQd-bHdqK74QApE5E8uKUCpGjAuhTtBg_dKNdSXJ427GVazYBXxm8kEoc2y/s1600/0926_1115.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 312px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNgCDwump8ONxrbxmi-hqJ1SdBvW8qCgAXfMdvhJcdJAJ_h-oa0YqtBpwle0n52XvQXvLahJyUhzSG8CsVZQd-bHdqK74QApE5E8uKUCpGjAuhTtBg_dKNdSXJ427GVazYBXxm8kEoc2y/s320/0926_1115.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657625187435523682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGRgdaRbq7DqH7LhJ4lvoSSvefg1OFJh0BzxBQKh7p7ncTO007YNS5ByIbE5mt3DmqDheHXrJHG0IUboKyypt1711uNLqvHAYe7kztNJDV9qkhdC0ZaM0XJRai6F73KYZOzLkdz15bvge/s1600/0917_2113.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGRgdaRbq7DqH7LhJ4lvoSSvefg1OFJh0BzxBQKh7p7ncTO007YNS5ByIbE5mt3DmqDheHXrJHG0IUboKyypt1711uNLqvHAYe7kztNJDV9qkhdC0ZaM0XJRai6F73KYZOzLkdz15bvge/s320/0917_2113.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657624665264576834" /></a><br />Earlier this month I did my first craft show of the year, the Beach Plum Festival. This show has been on my "A" list of shows after a few good outings. <br /><br />Considering the economy, this year's version was pretty good. The weather cooperated, and there was a great deal of foot traffic wandering about. My booth was packed most of the day, as the locals had plenty of sea glass stories to share with me.<br /><br />Sales wise, it was by far the lowest number of sales at this show since I began vending here. It seemed like people just were out enjoying the nice day. They spent a few bucks to sample the beach plum ice cream or beach plum muffins...but clearly, the economy has forced people to cut way back on their spending habits and I saw many people leaving the show empty-handed.<br /><br />In previous years, the customers at this show began buying gifts for the holidays and it seemed like that wasn't happening this year. Those that visited my booth also didn't seem to have or want to spend the money they had. In fact, if I didn't offer customers the option of paying via credit card, I probably would have lost 5 or 6 sales. <br /><br />In all, it was a pretty okay show...certainly not a waste of time. Plus, I had the chance to enjoy the beautiful day, while speaking and sharing sea glass stories with with very nice people.<br /><br />Not a bad way to spend a September Sunday afternoon.<br /><br />'til next time...<br /><br />RUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0