monday

I rode my bike the 30km or so return trip to work today. Stopped to take this picture from the Burrard Bridge on the way home. It was finally summer here (at least for today) and tonight I got caught up on online orders. Camp + Quarry packages are headed off to places like Poland, Finland, and New York, New York. I always love tallying up the destinations. Tomorrow I have metalsmithing class and plan to buy a nice ball-peen hammer. That's my life right now: jewelry. What's new with you?

P.S. Jeff invented a union for the dog tonight, it's called C.A.T.S. (Canine Association of Trades and Services) Local 604. Your dogs can join, too. Power in numbers, my friends.

Got Craft? Spring 2012

I unveiled a lot of new pieces at Got Craft? today and sold out of many of my favourites. Dipped crystals, rutilated quartz, and fluorite pieces were among the most popular, but scarves, cave explorers, and more are off to good homes, too. Thanks to all who came out and supported local makers! I had a great day and was happy to meet so many new people and see some familiar faces, too. If you were there, I hope you had fun day, too. Now to watch many episodes of Downton Abbey (so good!!!) and eat ice cream.

Hey, it's after 8PM and it's still light out. Best day ever! Thanks to Laura and Jeff for all their help today. And to Andrea and Rob for another great show!

thank you

Thank you for keeping me busy these days! I am so overwhelmed by all of the encouragement you guys offer and your interest in my work. It really means a lot, thank you! I'm learning new things these days and am excited to show you some sterling silver and stone pieces in progress. Moss agate and chalcedony all the way, people! Prep for Got Craft? on May 6th continues. Check out this fun little feature from Delish Mag about C+Q and other great Got Craft? vendors if you have a chance.

five friday favourites

A few awesome things to share with you today: some new Etsy favourites (and beyond) and an M.I.A. video that my friends Jacqui and Blair introduced me to. It's a good Friday kinda song.

Translucent porcelain cups by stepanka on Etsy seem like the perfect tea cup to me. These blue quartz Astrid earrings from Katie Diamond Jewelry are blowing my mind (I love the studs, too). The new Yokoo-related Etsy store "Mother" is rad. The Travail Apron is perfect, as are many of the other creations. Check Mother out if you haven't already (discovered via For Me, For You). And finally, I've been working on a knitting project using Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter yarn. It's my first lace piece and I'm down to just needing to graft and block...both of which I have little to no experience with and so I've been putting it off. I love checking out the Brooklyn Tweed blog for knitting inspiration. And their made in the USA yarn is beautiful in person.

märta mattsson: jewellery artist

Märta Mattsson calls her jewelry "objects of astonishment", and when I started to take a closer look at them I began to understand how that was the perfect description. I was first drawn to the work's texture and intricate details. These are the kind of pieces that I wish I could see in real life, to take a closer look at how they've been made and put together and to be able to really appreciate the materials that the artist is using. These lace-like pieces, for example, are actually made of calf skin. Though I've been vegetarian for about eighteen years, I still love materials like leather and even (gasp) fur...not saying that I'm about to go walking around in a mink coat any time soon, but I would like to pet one. And while I'm petting that fur I would think about how it is simultaneously beautiful and disgusting. I think that's what Märta Mattsson is going for with these pieces, but I do think she's (smartly) erring on side of beauty. Which one is your favourite? Have you discovered any new jewelry artists lately?

my etsy tips

This kind of post is totally out of the ordinary for me, so let me start by saying that I am by no means an expert Etsy seller, nor have I quit my day job, been featured very often on the ever-coveted front page, or been able to break out into the design blog world in a big way. What I do have is a successful small (tiny?) business that allows me to do something that I really love (make things) and share them with other people. I have customers that have become friends and important contacts and I am still passionate about what I do two years later.

I’m pretty happy with where I’m at, though I’m not confident (ever) that things will stay this way, and I’d like to share a few of the things I’ve learned from my experience as an Etsy seller with you as the busiest time on Etsy approaches. If you’re also an Etsy seller please feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree or have some tips of your own to add!

Don’t give up, but do change.

This is the single most important thing that I’ve learned in my nearly two years of being an Etsy seller. The first six months were especially depressing. Like a lot of sellers, I was totally obsessed with checking out my shop and dismayed at the small number of sales I was seeing, despite the effort I was putting in to making the pieces I was listing. I began learning more, branching out, and making new things. And some of those new things caught on and some even became popular. Had I just stuck with the original materials and methods I was using, my shop would likely still be stagnant. Diversifying, improving, and changing brought me both customers and creative satisfaction. Build on what is working best for you and your customers and you won’t be disappointed in the results.

Kill them with kindness.

We all have customers that can’t be satisfied or that ask for unreasonable things. I try to remind myself that while it is hard to deal with tough customers, it is much harder to be someone who is often dissatisfied and ready to do battle. When a customer contacts you with a legitimate concern or otherwise, they are likely on the defensive. If you are kind, no matter what the situation or whether you’re saying yes or no to their request, they will understand that you are not against them. This is so important that I might someday do a whole post about online business customer service. Bad customer service is the worst! I am not talking about giving the customer whatever they want or that “customer is always right” nonsense. I am talking about giving the customer respect and not getting defensive or taking customer comments personally. It really works! I promise!

Use your time to move your business forward.

This means thinking about whether you’re spending a lot of time looking at your Stats or Google Analytics or engaging in other time sucking activities and choosing to use that time in a more productive way. Browsing Etsy listings can turn into treasury making time (a small way to promote your own shop and show appreciation for others), checking e-mail can turn into taking the time to e-mail a blogger or Etsy seller that you admire and tell them that you appreciate their work. Finally, stalking your shop stats is time better spent making things, organizing your supplies, filling orders, blogging, researching upcoming craft fairs, and so on. When you find yourself (as I think we all might) going into that black hole of internet paralysis force yourself to walk away and do something relaxing or productive.

Take time off.

This is a big one for me. Twice in the last year I have put my shop into Vacation Mode to take time off to finish my graduate thesis and to get married. Time off felt really good! It gave me a chance to truly focus on the important things happening in my life and also to get some perspective on my business and make some things that I might otherwise have not had time for had I been filling orders or answering convos.

Make things for the sake of making things.

Maybe this isn’t the most succinct way to put this one, but not everything I make ends up in my Etsy shop. Making gifts for friends, one super special item for myself, or something made with a new material or using a new technique does not always turn into a new business venture. In fact, it rarely does. I find that making things for the sake of making thing is hugely fulfilling to me and reminds me of why I started this all in the first place: I like making things. I don’t just make things to sell things and that is important. To put it another way: keep some things just for yourself and you’ll enjoy making them a lot more! Give something special to a friend and they’ll appreciate its uniqueness and the thought you put into making something just for them

As I said earlier, I’m by no means an Etsy expert, I was just interested in sharing some of the things that have made a difference for me as we approach this busy holiday season. Let me know if you agree or disagree or what your best tips are! How does this all sound from a buyer’s perspective? Thanks for reading!

we have a winner!

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who participated in the Sadie Designs giveaway for a one of a kind rutilated quartz necklace. I seriously had so much fun getting to know you though the fun comments that you left. You all made my week with the stuff you thought to share and write about. I loved reading each and every one of your comments. And now, the winner!

The prize is going to someone who doesn't like pickles or olives: Oh, My Darling, comment number 90, (chosen at random). It going to be hard to think of a better theme for a giveaway I have planned in the future. I kinda want to call it "Getting to Know You Even Better" so I can hear more about all of you. Have a great Sunday!

focus

Sometimes I can't focus because I know that this (blue skies, ocean, mountains) is on the other side of the door. Luckily today it's snowing and probably pretty cold out there, so I can stay home and get some work done. At least, that's the idea. In prime procrastinator style I've put together this playlist. The selections reflect my scattered tastes and thought processes. Oh yeah, and a recent reminder that Elliot Smith was amazing and I should go back to being obsessed with him. I feel like this is all '90s music, even though I don't think any of it was really from the '90s.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

meet the new cave explorers

Three new hard-working cave explorers will be up in the Sadie shop tomorrow. All are diligently working away in beautiful one-of-a-kind agate geodes. There are some new favourites for me in this batch, for sure. I hope that you like them, too. These figures are just 10mm tall! Incidentally, the amethyst core samples will be in the shop later today, just in time to catch the 20% off coupon code BEMINE. I know I've been showing a lot of jewelry on the blog lately, but I'm in major catch-up mode right now! I've been wanting to update the shop for quite a while and school has been keeping me ultra busy. I hope you are having a great weekend!

UPDATE: Amethyst core samples are up in the shop now! Take a look!

a few new things...

mook jasper

The great reading break Sadie shop update begins! I was able to add these three pieces to the shop this morning and photograph a bunch more, so more is on the way! Tomorrow I'll be introducing the three newest cave explorers here on the blog. In the meantime, I'm really excited to be able to offer these amazing pink and green rutilated quartz point pieces again. They are my favourites! Whether you call them magical pan flute necklaces (like my friend Carrah) or dirty crystal necklaces (like my friend Sarah), there is no denying that these stones are the best! I've also added a one of a kind mook jasper piece. I just couldn't resist those colours! Have a great Saturday, I'm off to get more supplies. 

Don't forget to use coupon code BEMINE in the shop all weekend for 20% off.

rutilated quart two

rutilated quartz one

sadie turns one!

Dear friends, tomorrow is Sadie's first birthday and I'm celebrating a little early! I want to thank you all so so so much for all of your enthusiasm over the last year! You have no idea how much your encouragement and support means. Getting feedback from friends and customers, support from other jewelry designers and bloggers, and being inspired by all of the wonderful things that you do have made this an incredibly fun first year of jewelry design! I am so excited for the next year of Sadie Designs that I can barely contain it. There are so many new things I want to learn, so many things I want to get better at, and plenty of milestones ahead that I look forward to sharing with you. I love discovering new materials, meeting new people, and eating cupcakes. 

Seriously, look at these things! Champagne cupcakes made by my friend, the very talented Camilla Ingr (and photographed by Spencer Krug). Camilla is going to be making a cake for Jeff and I to celebrate a very special occasion later in the year. I'm so excited to finally get to eat one of her lovely creations! 

In the spirit of showing my appreciation to all of you I'm having a birthday sale in the Sadie shop from now until Monday. Use coupon code "ITSMYBIRTHDAY" for 20% off until January 24th. Enjoy!

a few new things...

I have been making some new pieces for the Sadie shop this week using some amazing quartz stones. The first one is a substantial polished quartz point on a beautiful Japanese 14k gold rolled chain from my New York trip. I love this chain so much and sadly I've almost run out of it. Perhaps I'll just have to back to New York someday soon to get more. Just kidding, I'm much more likely to swing a mail order than another cross-continent trip any time soon.

The second photo shows some of the clear, white and black rutilated quartz that I've been lucky enough to get my hands on. I love the variations in these stones and the fact that they are double pointed. They remind me of Herkimer diamonds and are just so unique.

Finally I'm able to post one more pink and green rutilated quartz necklace. I'm hoping to locate more of these teeny tiny amazing crystals soon, but until I track some down, this is it. One of my friends called this the "dirty crystals" necklace while another called it her "magical pan flute" necklace, either way, it's one of my favourite Sadie pieces. Everything will be posted in the Sadie Etsy shop later this afternoon, if it's not already there. There are silver pieces, too, if you're not the gold type. And just seven more sales until the win at one hundred contest happens! If you've purchased something from the Sadie shop you're already entered. Thanks, everyone! Have a great weekend!

copper, Cu, 29

In my undergrad I studied printmaking and fell particularly in love with etching. There is something very Zen about printmaking: inking the plate, soaking the paper, and turning the press over and over to produce your edition. I was lucky to have access to a great studio and a great printmaking mentor. We had a lot of fun in those classes, with themed critiques and a lot of opportunities to share our work with each other. Above is a pretty old etching that I made (2006?) in school, I can't remember what it was called...

My love of copper as a material has led me to do some research on how I might be able to incorporate my old printmaking plates into Sadie jewelry. I think I've discovered some ways I might use my etched plates to create unique pieces, but in the meantime, I'm excited about these freeform raw copper pendant necklaces that are now in the Sadie shop. Each piece is one of a kind and over time they'll develop a natural patina or you can shine them up with a little Brasso now and then. The black gunmetal chain makes them particularly striking and I have to thank Jeff for that suggestion. I really love working with copper and am excited about these new pieces. I hope that you like them, too.

a few new things...

black teardrop crystal necklace

For the past week I've been doing a lot of different things all at the same time, but with the holidays fast approaching, that's about to come to a much anticipated end. Yay for relaxation time, even if I do still feel totally apprehensive about my next and final semester of school. As life is returning to normal I've finally had a chance to update my Etsy shop with some of the new items that I made for the craft sales I did at the beginning of December. Many of the new pieces are one of a kind and incorporate crystal geodes, vintage findings, and maybe a little tiny bit of gold wire. You can take a closer look at them all in the Sadie shop, but I'd also like to share a few pictures here.

moonstone crystal teardrop necklace

These tiny crystal teardrop necklaces are soooo lovely to wear and, yet, so difficult to make! I swear, for every one that I succeed with I've botched at least three previous attempts. The thirty gauge gold-filled wire is really, really thin and everything has to be just right to ensure the crystal stays in place. The crystals themselves are only 4mm x 6mm big. I can't wait to get a good desk lamp with a magnifying glass to make this kind of work a little easier. The light we currently have available just isn't good enough when I'm working on such small, intricate pieces.

I've also got some new Cave Explorer necklaces in the shop. The last ones are gone gone gone. The pickaxe wielding man in the bottom piece looks a lot like a friend of mine. I'm tempted to tell him about it, but I think it's best if he just figures it out for himself. A magnifying glass and better light is also gonna help me make these dudes in the future. They are tiny! Just 10mm tall and, as you can see, they fit their geode homes perfectly and that can make them tough to get in there.

pink mitts cave explorer

cave explorer in an agate geode

So, I've revealed some of the struggles that I have when making jewelry, but don't get me wrong! I love it! It's so great to sit down with a pile of supplies and make things happen. It's even more fun to go and get new supplies and I always find inspiration for something new in the local shops I frequent. In fact, I'll be posting even more new work tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Oh yeah, and how did I manage to miss sharing this feature from Lune Vintage on the Sadie blog? Check it out, there's a coupon code for the shop, too!

light at the end of the semester

the new place could use a little paint; Lola seems to like it

We have a lot going on right now, so I know that my posts and shop listings are going to be slowed a little over the next couple of weeks. We're moving, I have two big papers due (one is my thesis), and I have two jobs at the university that are keeping me busy...not to mention jewelry! So, over the next few days I'll be writing, packing, writing, packaging up Christmas orders, wrapping presents, booking a truck, packing...well, you get the idea. Having said that, there are a couple of new listings in the Sadie shop for items I had at Portobello West: raw garnet meteor and polished quartz necklaces. Welcome to everyone who has just discovered the Sadie blog and shop! I'll be back soon with a special Sadie post. Keep checking in!

Here's a little video tour of Vancouver in the meantime. Black Mountain always reminds me of a certain night next to the Elbow River in Alberta, of all things. A bonfire, a blizzard, one of my favourite nights of all time.

let me tell you about my weekend

This post might sound like I'm gushing...because I kind of am right now when I talk about all of the things I'm about to cover. Besides the fact that school is extremely stressful for me right now, I have just had the most amazing weekend that has really helped put things in perspective and has given me motivation to just get 'er done between now and when I hand in my final draft of my thesis paper.

the sadie set up, portobello west

First of all, I did Portobello West this weekend and had a really great time meeting a ton of Vancouverites, talking about the jewelry that I make, and seeing (and tasting!) what other people make. Amazing and so much hard work and fun! Thank you to everyone who cruised our table, stopped to chat, or bought something. Every purchase means a lot and I'm so happy that my work is off to loving homes! And thanks for eating our candy, too...there was no way I wanted to bring all of that home with me tonight!

antique photo from the edmonton antique mall

Last night after the fair ended we went out for dinner with some friends to a restaurant that I'd had recommended to me a long time ago, but I still hadn't made good on my promise to go. Woah! I've been missing out! Check out the size of that dosa. Jeff is pointing at it for scale. And the before and after photos? A little explicit maybe, but I'm pretty proud of how much food we packed away. Saravanaa Bhavan specializes in all vegetarian South Indian cuisine. It's really affordable, central, and delicious. You should really go!

After the craft fair today I swung past my friend Matt's because he finally made good on his end of a trade we made. I gave him a couple of records from my record collection and he made me cookies with pretzels in them. He used pretzel M&Ms, which I think it a brilliant way to make pretzel filled cookies, and I'm definitely enjoying them more than I would enjoy the records I traded! Everybody wins!

AND THEN...I came home and saw this extremely lovely post on Dinosaur Toes. I sent a holy mountain necklace to Danielle as a thank you for all of her support in the first few months of Sadie and certainly had no expectations that she'd share it with her readers! I really love her work, and you should all check out her blog and shop. Her support has meant a lot to me, and if you like what I make, I know you'll like what she makes, too!

One more thing and then, I swear, I'll get back to work (and eating dinner). My very amazing, incredibly awesome babe-of-a-friend Heather just gave birth to her second son! I am so excited to meet him at Christmas and give Heather and Doug and their entire beautiful family a big squeeze (well, not too much squeezing on the baby!). I feel like my family just got a little bigger and the cuteness factor in my life has definitely just been taken up a notch or ten! Congrats a million times over to Heather and Doug and the new big brother. I love you guys!!! I promise you apple doughnuts are in our future!

Thanks to everyone who was part of making my weekend so awesome! I hope that you all had a great weekend, too! Now, back to those CAD drawings for me!