Re-Naming and Re-Launching Business in 2016

For the last several years, my main focus was caring for my Mother. I took her on a 31 day cross country trip in July 2013, visiting her family and friends in many states. In 2014, she moved in with us and we only did trips up to the Central California coast. Her last conversation with me was about our March 2015 trip. When we were home, much of Mom's day was spent in our Southern California backyard watching the changing weather and birdwatching. I also drove her around looking at Jacaranda trees in the Spring and Christmas lights this time of year. There was oftentimes a Weinerschnitzel hot fudge sundae in her hands. 

Jewelry creating got shoved to the side... Although in 2015, Ray and I took a 40th anniversary trip to Greece and Turkey, which gave me design ideas. Plus I did take some very enriching workshops that expanded my knowledge and techniques.. As well as adding some special folks into my life. Interestingly, two of them live in Portland, Maine, Jayne Redman and Kate Wolf. They both willingly share decades of knowledge with those of us wanting to learn things such as creating pancake dies or wax carving for casting jewelry... 

My Mom passed away in December, 2015. I am just starting into grieving my loss. I know it will be a roller coaster ride of good and bad days. Thankfully I have many good memories to think of as well as an amazing support group of family and friends. Particularly using Face Book, my friends posted incredibly supportive posts to me the four days I spent beside my Mom's bedside saying goodbye. 

Now my focus for 2016 will be re-naming and relaunching my jewelry business. I had tried to think of a new business name for years without success. Not one idea ever came to mind... So it seems pretty amazing to me that within 10 minutes of trying to think of a new name that had a connection to my Mom one popped into my head as I wandered around my backyard enjoying nature. As I set in place the business steps for that new name it is currently a secret but will soon be revealed.

It's only fitting the new name should have a connection to Mom. She was my biggest fan. She got such a big smile on her face when I shared I had gotten a new sale on my website. The best part for me will be each time I say the name inside my head or read it on my business forms I will think of my Mom. While I am making my jewelry I will remember her telling me she took a jewelry class in college and the techniques she learned... Oh what a special treat it would be to have a piece of the jewelry she made. 

Year long Sabbatical Nears Finish

Well, I took the year off from making jewelry. That wasn't the plan but since i last made several pairs of earring in June I have not created a thing.
What did i do with my time?
The end of January, I started a weight loss plan and did fabulously (more on this later)
I picked blackberries daily for quite a few weeks. Managed to freeze 3 gallons of organic blackberries.
I did take my Mom on a wonderful cross country trip for 31 days, 6700 plus miles of driving to see family, her highschool classmates and friends. We just had so much fun!!!!!!!! Thankful that my sweet husband and son were at home caring for our animals, watering the yard and plants. Without their support, I could not have done this.
Prior to our big trip departure the end of June, i took Mom on several mini-trips to Cayucos and Solvang just to test her traveling ability. Very thankful we avoided being hit by a pickup truck as we were pulling out of the Chumash casino!!!!!!!!! That was priceless....
I walked so many miles while visiting our boat in San Diego during the first half of the year, that i got a stress fracture of my right heel... This was the low point of my year's Sabbatical... My fabulous Ortho foot DR okayed my driving trip for which I am thankful.... But the foot didn't heal, I just did too much driving and walking.... So I returned home and still did too much...
Which let to a brain numbing cabin fever inducing 6 wks spent on the living room couch. I only left my house about 6 times....
I allowed several stressful situations to de-rail my weight loss plan and actually regained way to many lbs I had lost prior to the trip....
But, so very happy to report that the foot seems healed!!!!!!! What a long 5 months!!!!! So now I am hopeful that riding my recumbent bike will act as a better de-stressor vs eating massive amounts of KLONDIKE bars....I became addicted to them this summer...

As a counter attack to the cabin fever infection, I signed up for some jewelry classes with Connie Fox  and Jay Whaley. Both are located in San Diegp.  I postponed the Whaley Studio 9 wk course til January due to the foot still not being healed in time.
I had a "refresher" course on beginning fabrication and soldering with Connie recently. Meet some great fellow students... I return to San Diego this weekend for 2 classes with her next week and to add extra fun, there is a Molly the Barn Owl meet-up of MODS for dinner Saturday night...

well it's official... i'm signup as a vendor at the Temple Nertamid Fall boutique. November 18th
9 a.m.-3 pm.
last saturday's craft fair at St Mark's presbyterian church went so well that i jumped right in with this additional Fall venue...
boy was it a mad scramble to get ready for St Marks. as some of you know i decided to get some part time sales jobs this fall and i got them both in the same week. my brain was SCRAMBLED learning both of the jobs.... i worked 7 days in a row and then had the Fri off before the Sat craft fair. almost called the church secretary to bow out of selling but i managed to pull together product and a display.
so now i have 3 wks time to get more organized, make some new items for the nov 18th boutique.
tomorrow i start a 10 day work schedule, gulp. thankfully these jobs are 6 hrs or two 4 hr shifts a day. wouldn't be possible if they were full 8hr days w/ a lunch break and travel time.

Congregation Ner Tamid

Holiday

Boutique

Sunday, November 18th

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

5721 Crestsridge Rd,

Rancho Palos Verdes

Come Shop &

Stay for Lunch

Jewelry  Shawls   Handcrafted Art  Gifts Toys

 Home Décor   Scarves  Handbags

 


 

ways to organize your necklaces

oh boy, it is nooooo fun to untangle necklaces. especially very fine chain that seems to just tie itself in knots as soon as you turn your back.
there are many ways to store necklaces
so first off you need to make some decisions:
do you want your necklaces stored horizontally or vertically?
do you want your necklaces on display or kept in a closet?
if you choose horizontally, you can store your necklaces in cutlery divided containers
do an internet search for cutlery trays or visit Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store or the home goods dept of Target
here's an example of one
bamboo cutlery tray


if you want to hang your necklace there are many choices
this is soo much fun, there are endless okay maybe not endless but surely ALOT of choices
do you want them displayed on a wall?

several involve picture frames
you can:
 attach heavy duty fiberglass window screening onto a picture frame, insert wire hanger to drape necklaces over
same type of organizer but use hardware cloth stapled to the back of the picture frame
if you have earrings that match a necklace you can hang them beside the necklace
i love my ryobi 18Volt stapler to mount screening to picture frames. can a girl have tooo many tools?!

a wooden board with cupboard knobs screwed into it works to hang necklaces on. you could match the knob style to your decorating style...you could use a wooden shelf and screw the knobs into the board below the shelf. hang a mirror above or set a mirror on the shelf
wooden shelf with peg hooks

a towel rod mounted directly onto a wall or mounted on a board by which it can hang works by using shower curtain hooks looped over the rod. the necklaces hang from the shower curtain hooks. you could sort by color... keep those fine chains hanging away from other necklaces though....

screw cup hooks into a wooden coat hanger along the underside

mount a wire closet organizer and hang shower curtain hooks from it

spray paint pegboard and then attach pegboard hooks, insert in large picture frame or hang on wall

spray paint an old hard sided suitcase or an old briefcase and stand it upright, mount cup hooks inside along the top.

Oh dropped by to edit this and add another idea.... mount a section of molding to the wall and hammer in small nails or screw in cup hooks...fancy crown molding or a simple style which is a better fit for your style?

well i've given you some asssorted ideas, have fun thinking up your own or using one of these ideas to gain control of necklace storage
many of these ideas will work just as well for bracelets and some will work for earrings

i've neglected the studio, le sigh

well i've neglected the jewelry studio. i was reorganizing Memorial Day weekend and i hurt my back lifting too much. sadly a slew of things none jewelry related fell to the floor and i couldn't pick them up. i've been doing PT 3 times a week and am knock on wood pain free and able to pick up things on the floor so i hope to find some time this weekend to trash out the none jewelry items stored in that area.
the first jewelry item i will most likely work on will be a necklace and earrings to wear to our oldest son's wedding the end of July. having design block but i hope when i get out there and physically touch my "pretties" inspiration will strike. More than likely in the trial and error of those pcs i'll come up with some items for the shop.
Of course summer beach theme jewelry is in the forefront of my mind right now... our So Calif weather has been gorgeous, sorry for those suffering through a heat wave now. maybe wearing a beach inspired anklet will transport you to cooler clime... spread on some coconut scented suntan lotion, close your eyes and Hawaii here you come...
oh maybe i'd better get those silver and blue anklets made first LOL

Silverware key chain display at work

hooray, i figured out how to make a simple display of my vintage silverplate fork key chains at the office

the black computer monitor will be used with display fusion to 'run' a folder of my jewelry photos so folks can see examples of my work as they walk by my cubicle. slowly getting all the business pieces put together... isn't it great i work w/ my hubster so i can market my jewelry biz at my part time day job? love you honey...

sadly i picked a bad day after the agents and staff had spent the morning doing a KW cares beach clean up so there weren't many folks in the office. but that's okay this was a trial run to see if the display would work...

i will be doing a brief presentation at a team meeting as these make nice gifts when a home buyer closes escrow on their new home...

i love Container store, they have the greatest organizational items, these shelves are stackable, they have 3 different sizes.

didn't these work out great for my display purpose?

Beautiful Spring Day

wow has spring ever sprung, i've had my head down in the jewelry studio alot lately but just took a good look around my backyard... my garden has been neglected but is blooming with out any attention from me.
my bearded iris in yellow, lavender, purple, black superstion and a 2 tone mauve are gorgeous. they remind me of my michigan childhood... i loved my grandma's irises.

i wanted to share the webpage of an Owl fan friend of mind, looking at her paintings brings to mind many memories of favorite beaches of mine and i enjoyed listening to her background sounds of beach life..

Linda S Young artist

I've been experimenting with making etched brass pieces. i've made some etched butterflies and roses that will most likely turn into earrings... lots of floral themed creations screaming to get out of my brain...

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