Giveaway

Ok... Here's my first giveaway everyone!
I am giving away this beautiful Apple Delight Bracelet.
Your first entry is to simply fan my facebook page.... its as simple as that.... for more ways to enter.... head over to my fan page... become a fan and details are there...
Here's the link
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Its4UJewelry/103988430895
Good luck!!!

Photo cotest

I have entered the Handmadeology photo contest... could use some votes.
here's the link http://timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com/
My piece is the Chocolate Mocha necklace... vote for me please!

Blog revamp and under construction

So I know that I have totally neglected my blog... and that is seriously unfortunate. But I am here to say... I am going to spend some quality time this week making it beautiful and really start spending time here. I am on a mission to blog success...

and for anyone who does not know yet... I opened a second etsy shop... its4ujewelry.etsy.com.

So some of my fellow Etsy Trolls met up this past weekend to check out the Ann Arbor Artisan market and to have lunch. It was fun and it was great to beable to put a face with some of the names... and the market looks promising... it was cold that day and it was opening day so things seemed a bit slow but I have heard from alot of locals that I know in Ann Arbor that it is a good sell venue and is worth trying out... so I may be giving it a shot as soon as get my license taken care of and get the market application taken care of and submitted. So hopefully I will have everything settled up and ready to go by the beginning of May.
On a another note I have been trying to find some craft shows around this area so that I can start getting my work out there... I have been enjoying the new line that I have been busy making (jewelry pendants... and have started to create magnets too) and between that and painting I have been staying very busy.
I wish I could spend a full 24 hours a day uninterrupted just creating... but I doubt my family would approve.
Well I am watching the Detroit Tigers home opener so .... GO TIGERS!!!!
More to come!

License and glazing issues!

Ok... just a quick post and update since it is just after 1am and I am so tired!
So my daughters license came in the mail today... I think she stared at it with a smile on her face for like 5 minutes... yikes.
I let her take my car for the first time a couple of days ago to run across town to apply for her first job... as she drove away... I cried like a baby... as a matter of fact so did her dad. I cannot believe my babies are growing up... its so scary thats for sure.
So one other quick note then I am off to my little dream world...
I have been experimenting with creating tile pendants.... to sell and to create with and for my two teenage daughters (they love the look of them so far)
I used both scrabble tiles and glass tiles (4 of each) to see if I had a preference and to see how they each look. I chose my base, chose my art, mod podged my art to seal, then mod podged my art to the tile... set and then used diamond glaze to create my glass like domed finish... only when the diamond glaze sets... I end up with this center concave on my tile... so irritated!
So I asked around, google searched and posted in forums... no one with an answer and google turned up no real results for my issue. I tried different techniques on these tiles, different thickness of the lay of glaze... still each concaves. So I added another coat... still the same issue happened... so another coat... still the same results... ugh... one last coat focusing on the concaved area and spreading so lightly with a paint brush to the edges.... this should do it for sure is what I thought... 5 hours later... blah... same thing... CONCAVED!!!
So my bf is trying one... so far... no concave issues... been about an hour and a half... what the heck...what did I do so wrong with this... but I am going to wait until morning to see for sure if his will do it or not (concave)
We may have to move on to a different glaze... if that doesn't work.... RESIN... Yuck!

Well any suggestions are greatly appreciated...
so much for short and sweet!

Good night!

Oh my GOODNESS....

So my eldest daughter went yesterday and took her final driving test to get her license... talk about scary... I had to sit in the back seat of my own car while she drove and some stranger (the tester/instructor) sat in the passenger seat directing my child... she did ok... LOL... a few minor things but in the end... she received her certificate to get her license... so today.... after school I took her to the Secretary of States and she got her license... my baby is legal to drive... ugh... this is terrifying... and I am so not ready.
So to relieve my brain and my stress level afterwards I hit the art store... stoked that I may be participating in my first artisan market this spring and my first consignment store... so I went a bit nuts and bought a bunch of supplies so I can paint my butt off... I figure I need to paint just about every waking second for the next month and a half to feel fully prepared with my inventory levels for both the market and shop... but I am super excited since it is a totally new experience for me.
I filled my cart with box canvases and paints and new brushes so that I do not have to leave my studio at all this weekend..LOL... I just have to get my imagination working overtime and get those creative juices flowing... I try so hard to stay away from the typical paintings... not that they are not beautiful but I love and enjoy being bold and unique along with being extreme with color... but I keep wondering if I should paint that old farm house and barn, or that bowl of fruit.... maybe... NAH... my work might not be typical... but neither am I~!~ woohoo!!
Well... I guess I better get to Etsy and see what is going on there...
I really need to spruce up my blog here with new pics and jazz up my layout... *adding to the to do list* but since I am on the laptop it will have to wait a little longer until I get back to the PC.

So much to do... so little time!:~)

Excited... create create create!

So I am excited that it is getting so close to spring and I can finally look into doing my first year at artisan markets... I am nervous and pumped up at the same time.
There's so much to do to get ready and to start checking so of the markets out... goodness I am clueless to what I am doing but ready and eager to give it a go thats for sure.
So its been a long couple of weeks... I keep promising myself that I am going to be more diligent about blogging... but of course something happens... this time... sick with the flu... yuck!
Not to mention kids have been sick... the man has been sick... I should buy stock in lysol because I have been buying the heck out of the stuff!LOL.
Getting to the studio when your sick... nearly impossible.
So I have been painting like mad before I got sickly and after I started feeling better... just love losing myself in my paints... and since I discovered my new addiction --- ACEO--- I cannot seem to get enough of creating this little pieces... they are a total blast... and I cannot wait to start selling some of them... sold 1 so far... but its a start.
I have been doing my best to keep my head up about not having sold but 3 pieces so far... I think I just entered into the market at a bad point and time for the economy... and I am still learning so much as far as marketing/ promo and getting myself KNOWN... Hi... I am Teri... here's my card (hehehe... started passing out business cards two weeks ago... gave a stack to each of my parents to hand out... gotta love the help they can be)
I also did a piece for a silent auction for a benefit last weekend... that was so exciting also... I created a piece that was 15X30 on a box canvas... it was a tree piece... I was so nervous... and I did not attend the benefit unfortunately... but... I was told that it was one of a couple of dozen paintings that were donated and that mine went for the highest price, was presented the best and was also the piece with the most interest and bids... yahooooooooo... and my cards went like hotcakes there... I was totally stoked! (80's lingo!)
Ok... so I guess I should calm down and get to doing something... create or sleep... hmmmm... its only 11:15pm... create is by far alot more fun than sleep... who needs sleep?LOL

I have so much I could write about now... but I will save some for tomorrow so that I WILL write more frequently... not spilling all my beans at once!!!