New Stuff

If Leather I should leave you ...

It wouldn't be in summer,
Leather in the summer - it's so light and versatile

Not only is leather light and versatile, but it is durable enough to wear while falling off an examining table in the hospital and smashing into a wall and damaging the ligaments in your arm. The lengths we go to to test our products for you - knows no boundaries.

So, for obvious and painful reasons - I'm keeping this description rather on the short side. 

We have a simply scrumptious line-up of new leather cords, ranging from earthy, densely-coloured to metallic and glossy. 

But the real star of today's show is the Regaliz - Licorice Leather. Regaliz - pronounced reg (rhymes with Peg) AH leez - is Spanish for licorice - those old-fashioned, real licorice ropes that have so much flavour they make your mouth pucker up. 

This heavy, glossy leather, combined with custom-findings, expressly designed to fit on this cord - creates a handsome and urbane look. Very masculine too - with Father's day coming up, assuming your dude is cool enough to jewel. 

In fact, my main problem with this Licorice leather was stopping making stuff! So check out our inspirations and then get busy! 

Oh, and we've done a bit of sorting and reorganizing in the tool department, splitting up the tools into Beading and Metal Working, and Wire Working, and pulling the glue and the resin out onto their own pages.

• Beading Tools
• Embossing
• Glue
• Metal working Tools
• Ott-Lite
• Packaging and Display
• Patina - Gilders Paste, Ren Wax, Liver of Sulfur
• Resins
• Wireworking Tools

I'll leave you to explore, so go ahead, click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you are feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out t he categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Lampworking Studio is Now Open - Please call ahead to check availability and reserve a spot.

WE MOVED!

Don't forget - we are at our new location - so don't automatically drive to the old place by mistake - details on our About Us page.

Down Memory Lane

Did you know that we've been making at least one new inspiration a week - every week, for at least the last few years? I'm not sure exactly when we started, but I'm thinking that we've been posting new designs regularly for at least the last 5 years. Dwyn can chime in here - maybe she remembers!

I thought I'd highlight some of our favourites from the past. Some you may need to get a little creative with the components, as they may be out of stock - clasps, and beads can be easily switched out for something similar!  Be sure to check out these, and many more on our Inspiration Pages

Ruby Butterfly - Dwyn

This intense ruby butterfly is inspired by vintage Czech-made jewelry from the 50's. It features a wonderful Vintage Swarovski Rhinestone and Vintaj components and findings.


 Tucson Sun - Dwyn

Artemis - Jen

Persian Queen - Rosemary

Vintage Garden - Jen

Classes

We're starting June off with one of our most popular classes! On Saturday, June 2nd join Lyndsey as she shows you how to make this fabulous wrap bracelet.

Course Outline
In this class you will learn how to make a single wrap leather ladder bracelet with a button closure. You will be using 6mm stone beads or Czech firepolish. You may also choose to use 4mm Miyuki cubes. By learning this technique, you will be able to make multiple wrap bracelets of any length using several types and sizes of beads.
Skill Level: Beginner
Focus Technique: Ladder stitch

June is chock full of awesome classes. Be sure to check out the full class schedule to see the months offerings. With the humidity  of the last few days - I can think of nothing better to do then spend a few hours in beady, air-conditioned bliss!

Monday June 4th - Start off a three week course in wire wrapping with Robert Burton.

Course Outline
In this class you will learn how to make a Bracelet, Ring, two Pendants and Earrings (time permitting). You will learn basic wire techniques, wire wrapping and forming (sculpting). You will also learn the properties of the wire and the proper wire to use for different projects.


Tuesday June 5th - Discover Lampworking with Becky Greenall

Course Outline
Have you thought about taking a lampworking class but you're not sure if fire and glass is your thing? Come give it a try for 2 hours and see if it sparks your interest!. This class is perfect for those who love lampwork beads and would like to experience first hand what goes into making lampwork beads. This class is also great for those trying to determine if a formal introductory lampworking class is something you would enjoy.

Please note: This class is not intended as a training course. In order to rent studio time, a full introductory course is nessesary.

Skill Level: Total beginner with a curiosity about lampworking.

Wednesday June 6th - Fun with Wire - Rae Huggins

Course Outline:Let's play with wire and have fun!!! In this class you"ll learn:

• How to make wire beads
• Horizontal Wire Wrapping
• Coiling around a bead
• A Caged Bead

There will be opportunities to make wrapped loops too (one of the fundamentals of wire work) and a spiral headpin. There is no kit fee - you can just go into your stash. There is a $5.00 instruction fee.
Skill Level: Beginner to all levels

Friday June 8th - From Russia with Love - Pamela Kearns

Course Outline:
Learn all about the St. Petersburg Chain! Great for creating earrings, bracelets and necklaces, this deceptively easy stitch but one that can be embellished in oh so many ways. Participants will learn how to make earrings and a bracelet using the stitch.
Technique: St. Petersburg Chain
Level: Beginner

Saturday June 9th - Hot Connections with Iris Melamed

Course Outline:

In this class you will learn how to solder circles of heavy gauge silver wire and transform them into earrings and stacking rings. 

We will begin with an overview of soldering tools, materials and techniques. Then we will fuel and fire up our butane torches and learn how to solder jump rings. Next we will discover how to create earrings and stacking rings by forming and soldering larger circles. Some metalwork finishing techniques will be discussed. Time permitting, one set of earrings and three rings will be completed.
Technique Focus: Soldering silver wire
Skill Level: Beginner

Sunday June 10th - Snake & Phoenix Knot Cords - Angela Peace

Course Outline
This course will introduce you to the traditional art of Chinese cord making.
Learn to tie a snake knot, a phoenix knot, and a double connection knot. These knots can be tied to create unique colour coordinated cords for pendants, focals or beads.
How to incorporate these techniques into your jewelry designs, and accessories, will also be discussed.


Have a look at our full class schedule on our classes page!   To sign up, please call 416.701.1373, or toll free 1.877.473.2323

Results of Fusing Experiment

Last Monday - lovely sunny holiday Monday - I posted about experimenting with melting some of my broken beads down into cabochons.

I have to admit, the results are quite lovely!

Would these not make awesome rings? Hmm - bezel, shank. I might have to dig out the silver smithing stuff!

The Joy of Metal Clay: Crochet Coral Reef

I can't help but digress from metal clay today and share with you aTED talk that I watched Friday night that really got me thinking. It is from 2009 and is called the Beautiful Math of Coral  with Margaret Wertheim.

Margaret Wertheim: The Beautiful Math of Coral (17 minutes)

It is quite a technological discussion but also  about how craft can help explain or understand concepts in science, physics, biology or math.  Ms. Wertheim discusses how hyperbolic geometry was something scientist could not model until Dr. Daina Taimina crocheted a model in 1997.  Bottom line I can't condense or even try to explain the techonlogy piece of this talk but you have to check out the images of the crocheted coral.  They are fabulous.The images are beautiful and can be found on the hyperbolic coral reef website.

My take home from this video is a reminder that crafting is essential to our creativity and understanding of the world.  I personally find that working problems out with my hands much more satisfying and successful than any other option. 

The other piece of the story is about the crocheted coral Ms. Wertheim and her sister started to create shich suddenly it went viral and they had people all over the world contributing to their crocheted coral reef project.  The whole project lead to the creation of the Institute of Figuring.

The Institute of Figuring is described as:

 "Located in the Chinatown district of Los Angeles, the IFF’s venue functions both as an                    exhibition   space and as a “play tank” for developing new methods of creative engagement with topics ranging from geometry and topology, to physics, computation, and biological forms"

Whether you want to be scientific or not, don't forget to take some time and be creative.

The Institute of Figuring has a descriptive book on hyperbolic space making crochet corals which you can purchase called  A Field Guide to Hyperbolic Space: An Exploration of the Intersection of Higher Geometry and Feminine Handicraft. I found this link  How to crochet hyperbolic corals.

The Business Chat - Monthly goals

Before I begin anything in my business I make sure that I have a goal and that I know what I want to achieve from my efforts. I need to define my idea of success so that I know when I’ve achieved it. Everyone has different goals and different metrics for success, you need to set your own.

In running my little crafty venture, I try to keep it as professional and business-like as possible. This means I set daily, weekly and monthly goals. Having a set list of what I need to get done keeps me on track as we all know how easy it is to get distracted when you work in a room full of shiny objects!

My June list always takes on more importance as I’m beginning my sales season and I need to get serious. My goals for the next 3 months tend to be very sales oriented, much as this is about fun, the bills do have to be paid. Then I can buy more shiny objects to get distracted by!

At the beginning of every month I have an official staff meeting. Yup, me, a latte, some cookies and my trusty notebook. These are the questions I ask myself and answer so that I can stay focused. Go ahead, grab your notebook and do this exercise.

How much money do you want to make this month?

Say a number out loud. Write it down. Make it a reasonable number. Declare that this is the amount of money your business will make this month. Picture this number in your mind. If you want to you can post this number on your bulletin board so that you see it every day. Stick it on your fridge.

What will you do to get to this number?

Are you selling at any shows this month? What about online? Can you teach a class? Sell a tutorial? Set up a home party at your friends house, what about an office party at your day job?Write down everything you can do this month and how much each thing will bring in. If it’s not enough to meet your magic number then start brainstorming about other ways to make your goal.

What actions do you need to take to make those numbers happen?

If you want to increase your online sales this month by 20% how are you going to do that? Actions can include adding more listings to your online store. Doing a giveaway on a well-publicized blog to increase traffic. Holding a special sale for your facebook fans. Sending out a newsletter to your mailing list to advertise your upcoming craft show.Imagine that you only have this one month to make that number, what do you have to do to get there?

 Other than your magic number from the first question, what other goals do you want to achieve this month?

This is the stuff that’s not directly tied to making money but will lead to making money in the future. Some examples are: Increase by blog followers by 25  Increase your facebook fans by 50Write a blog post every day.Start pinning on Pinterest

 What do you need help with? Where is this help coming from?

Most of us try to do everything all by ourselves, they don’t call this the DIY movement without a reason! However sometimes we just need to get help or these tasks will overwhelm us. Help doesn’t need to cost money, there are so many resources available it’s silly not to ask for it. If you want to post daily on your blog but don’t have the time ask a fellow crafter is they’d like to guest blog for you. If you want to start pinning but don’t know where to start pull up google and do some reading. If you need to outsource some technical work see if you can find someone who will do it on trade, or find someone on a place like elance.com.Be realistic on what you can do with your task list, your skill set and the amount of time you have in your life.

What will you do to celebrate when you reach these goals at the end of the month?

As a boss, when your employee pulls off a really great job you reward them with a treat. Go ahead, be a good boss and treat yourself to something. It’s easier to stay focused when you know there’s something special at the end of the road.

 

You should sit down at the beginning of every month and do this exercise. You wouldn’t set off on a trip without a map would you, so why start a month without a plan of where it’s going?

Bead shows!

It's bead show season, and what could possibly be a better way to get inspired than attending a bead show? Tons of vendors, demos, and of course checking out the awesome creations being worn by the attendees!

We'll take a bit of a break from our monthly Inspiration Friday post - as it seems everyone has been far too busy to take shots of their creations ;-)

I just got the Toronto Bead Society newsletter this morning, and there looks to be an amazing lineup of demonstrations throughout the weekend.

SATURDAY

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Maureen Warland - BEAD EMBROIDERY

11:30 AM – 12:30 AM
Dianne Henry Barata - WIRE CROCHET

12:30AM – 1:30PM
Flo Flory - KNITTING WITH BEADS

1:30PM – 2:30 PM
Adela Kodonova - TWIN SEED BEADS

2:30PM – 3:30PM
Jo-Ann Woolverton - CIRCULAR PEYOTE, USED IN JULIA PRETL'SLITTLE BOXES AND DIANE FITZGERALD'S SHAPED BEADWORK


SUNDAY
11:30AM – 12:30PM
Sue Henry - CHAIN MAILLE

12:30PM – 1:30PM
Adela Kodonova - TWIN SEED BEADS

1:30PM – 2:30PM
Roxann Blazetich-Ozols - BEADING ON A LOOM

2:30PM – 3:30PM
Jo-Ann Woolverton-CIRCULAR PEYOTE, USED IN JUILA PRETL'S LITTLE BOXES AND DIANNE FITZGERALDS SHAPED BEADWORK

3:30PM – 4:30PM
Bennett McCardle - SPARKLY WHEELS

There will be 58 vendors, with over 100 tables of awesome beads/components/supplies!  Of course we'll be there, but if you can't make it down to the show - the store is still open throughout the weekend. Stock may be limited as quite a bit of our merchandise will be taken to the show.

For those of you not in the Toronto Area, quite a few bead societies also coordinate their own bead fairs.  Have a look around to see if there is a local bead society near you.

New Stuff

Zapper on Steroids and Moose Tail

It's a thread zapper on steroids! This bad baby is destined for bigger things! Or, at the very least - melting bigger cords. Our regular Thread Zapper II is designed to cut and fuse regular synthetic threads, leaving no ends frayed - but the Zapper Plus heats to a sizzling 2400 degrees and melts the ends of the cords so that they stay nice and tidy. Excellent for Kumihimo! 

A string walks into a bar ... the bartender tells him that they don't serve his kind there, and throws him out. The next night, the string comes back, this time, tied up. The bartender looks at him and says, "Hey - didn't I tell you not to come back? Aren't you a string?" And the string looks him in the eye and says, "No, I'm a frayed knot." The bartender is still suspicious, so he pulls out his Thread Zapper and says - "I'll re-fuse you anyway." 

And speaking of Kumihimo - we're collecting the Kumihimo-related stuff from around the site and putting it on one page for easy finding. That includes these very nice end cap and toggle clasp sets, bundled in nice little kits, including jumprings, to make it easy for you to cap off your braided beauties. We'll be adding more to this page - I have another stack of Kumihimo-ish stuff waiting to be added. 

But, you know, if you wanted to use these caps and clasp for Viking Knit or Dutch Spiral or Peyote Tubes, it's not like the bead police will come and get you. ;-) 

They just keep coming out with new sizes of Rattail, btw. In addition to the smaller Mousetail and even tinier Bugtail, we are starting to get the larger sized 3 mm Moosetail. I called it Moosetail, because, quite frankly, I didn't think you would get all excited about something called "Possum Tail."

A little bit of this and a little bit of that new around the site tonight - I really like these Sterling Twisted Wire Connectors. I hung one each off a pair of ear wires for instant earrings - but I think they have lots of uses!

The new Swarovski Columns and Waves are starting to come in. Not too many this week, but expect a "wave" of them soon! 

And new in beading tools - the Bead Nabber - a thimbley sort of sticky pad for picking up a single bead, or capturing an escapee bead. Please note - the Bead Nabber is fundamentally different from a Bead Napper - which is a cat that sleeps on your half-finished projects. (Tell me - how can a cat snooze on a tray full of needles and not wind up looking like a hedgehog? Hmm?) 

I'll leave you to explore, so go ahead, click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you are feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out t he categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Lampworking Studio is Now Open - Please call ahead to check availability and reserve a spot.

WE MOVED!

Don't forget - we are at our new location - so don't automatically drive to the old place by mistake - details on our About Us page.

A Bounty of Textures - Courtesy of Mother Nature - Part 1

I may be beating a dead horse for the more seasoned polymer clay/metal clay/ceramic clay artists, but for the newbies who are tired of using the same old textures that everyone else has - look no further than your front yard!

This is the first in a multi-part series of using found objects in your jewelry designs. Next week, I'll show examples of how you can incorporate these awesome textures into your work. Your homework for this week is to really look at your surroundings. Look for texture in everything!

                                                          Weeds from my back garden

Wrapping up May

I'm slowing getting back into work mode - It was a fabulous weekend playing with metal clay, and two glorious days in the garden! A couple more days next weekend of planting and cleaning up, and then I can finally truly enjoy the garden.

The ladies at the shop are busily preparing to pack up for the Toronto Bead Society Show this weekend. We'll be down there Saturday and Sunday - Hope to see you there!


Join us on Wednesday evening (May 23rd) for Rae's A Little Bit of Everything Too class.  Wednesday evening 6pm to 9pm.

Rae's Beady Arts presents A Little Bit Of Everything Too. This is the ultimate opportunity to learn wire wrapping, coiling, linking and how to make wrapped loops. The best part is that it's all in one class and at the end of it, you"ll leave with a finished bracelet that can be worn immediately.

Focus Technique:Wire Work
Skill Level: Beginner to all levels
Price: $35 (+HST), payment in advance required.
Kit Fee: $25 (+HST). The kit includes all the materials needed to make "A Little Bit Of Everything Too Bracelet".

Thursday night is always hopping - Join us for Open Beading Night, or Happy Hour Torching.

We also have a brand spanking new class coming up next week! Discover Lampworking - 2 hours of molten fun with Becky Greenall. Tuesday May 29th, 6:30 to 8:30pm

Have you thought about taking a lampworking class but you're not sure if fire and glass is your thing? Come give it a try for 2 hours and see if it sparks your interest!. This class is perfect for those who love lampwork beads and would like to experience first hand what goes into making lampwork beads. This class is also great for those trying to determine if a formal introductory lampworking class is something you would enjoy.

Please note: This class is not intended as a training course. In order to rent studio time, a full introductory course is nessesary. 

Skill Level: Total beginner with a curiosity about lampworking.
Materials, didymium safety glasses and tools will be provided.

Please wear clothing made of natural fabrics (no spandex, polyester or rayon) for your own safety.Close fitted necklines and tight sleeves are recommended. Please wear closed toe shoes and an old pair of jeans. Please avoid coffee before class if it makes you jittery. Long hair needs to be tied back.

Class Fee : $80 (+HST), payment in advance required
This class is restricted to those age 18 and up. A waiver must be signed at the beginning of the class.

Wednesday May 30th Rae is back in the shop to teach her Fun with Wire - Batimamselle class.

In Trinidad and Tobago we call the dragonfly Batimamselle. Either way dragon flies are loved by many. My fun with wire series is constantly growing and in this class you'll learn how to make a dragonfly using basic wire bending, wrapping and weaving. The finished piece can be used as a brooch or pendant.

Skill Level: Beginner to all levels
Focus Technique: Wire Work
Price: $35 (+HST), payment in advance required.
Kit Fee: $25.00 (+HST) Kits include all the material to make the dragonfly, plus chain and a pinback and instructions. Kits come in either Copper or Silver. Please indicate your preference when signing up for this class.
Need to Bring: Enthusiasm!

 Have a look at our full class schedule on our classes page!   To sign up, please call 416.701.1373, or toll free 1.877.473.2323

Fusing Experiment

Holy Snake Snot - it's a holiday weekend and the weather is amazing. Making it - oops, sorry - hard to remember to come inside and do computer stuff like writing a blog!

However, here is a little peek at a project I'm doing today.

As a lampworker, sometimes you have beads crack because they get too cold (while you are admiring them) before they go in the kiln. Perfectly nice beads, cracked in half.

So when you collect enough of them, you can put them in the kiln and fuse them - melt them into cabochons, which will flatten the backs out and take the sharp edges off.

I'm sure there are real fusers out there who can talk about this at great length - I just melt glass in the flame, so I'm not doing anything fancy.

If you have a collection of half beads and want to try this, here's the low-down.


Grab a kiln shelf - one may have come with your kiln, otherwise, get one from your kiln supplier, glass supplier, or a ceramics place. Make sure it fits in your kiln with room to spare. Everything gets bigger when it is hot.

Get some fibre paper, same sources as above. Cut a piece of the paper the same size as the shelf, and put it on the shelf. It probably came in a roll and wants to curl - once you have the beads in place, they will hold it down, so just weight it down for now.

Make sure your bead halves are clean and dry. You can grind off the bead release that might still be on them, or leave it - if the glass is opaque and you aren't going to use them so that the back can be seen, who cares. Otherwise, remove it. Not that I was that ambitious this morning.

If you do leave bead release on them, don't have it be damp. Damp + high temps = steam = bad things in the kiln.

Arrange them on the shelf, with lots of room.

Put them in the kiln. They are really small - so you can just zoom up to full temp. Ramp up at full speed to 1600 F.

Start peeking at about 1350 degree. Open the kiln door and have a quick look.  You probably won't see any movement. Keep checking, every 30 - 50 degrees. You'll notice they are rounding a bit around 1420 +. Keep going until you think you like what you see. These in the picture went up to about 1480.

When they are done, you want to "crash cool" to 1000 degrees. This helps to prevent accidental devitrification.

Crash cooling consists of opening the kiln door and letting the temperature drop.

When the kiln gets down to 1000, then run a regular annealing cycle, i.e. hold at 970 for 15 mins, ramp down 100 degrees per hour to 815, hold 30 mins, ramp down 100 degrees per hour to 500, and shut off, or whatever you prefer.

You may have to open the kiln door and cool again, because as soon as you close it - the temp will climb back up. Some kiln controllers get a little upset if the temp climbs to more than 100 degrees above what they are set for, so you might see an error message. If so, just restart your annealing cycle again.

The above picture was shot at about 800 F - no glow on the glass.

I'll show you the results when they have cooled down. Too bad I didn't remember to shoot them before starting the experiment.

Oh well - next time.

Have a lovely Victoria Day!

The Joy of Metal Clay: Resources for new projects

The Internet can be a great tool for finding ideas and new projects.  One of my favorite resources is the Metal Clay Academy.  I was peeking at it the other day and came across their beginners projects page.


Wow what a selection!  There is a wide variety of awesome projects!  The ideas and creativity are impressive.  Here are just two if the as a sample but be sure to check out the link above.

 One of the many projects includes of them is this woven paper clay project by Margaret Schindel.  It  caught my eye as I have paper clay that I have yet to weave. I love the illustrations provided.  Add another project to the list of fun things to do!

Also there was this lava bead project by Lesley Messam, originally posted on the Metal Clay Guru site, another great resource.  I bought a bunch of Lava beads on sale.  I haven't done much with them but I have prefired a bunch and have plans to attempt adding base metal clay to them...not sure if this will work but if I ever get around to it I will let you know. 

The Business Chat - Playing with numbers

Every Christmas my friend (let’s call her Karen) makes truffles. Really, really, really good truffles. The sort of truffles that we dream of all year round. Truffles so good that the recipients beg her to sell them, “you should go into business making truffles!” they cry as they devour those delicious little morsels.

I’m sure you’ve heard this cry too from your friends and family. You make something that is really good, everyone loves it, and they are sure that you should be in business. And why not go into business doing something you love? Just think, you could make your art/craft all day long!

Fortunately Karen is smart enough to do a little thinking before setting up as a truffle maker. First she calculated how much it costs to make each truffle. As these are gifts she uses the best ingredients to make the best truffles she can. You can taste the difference. It means that the truffles are expensive to make. Each truffle costs her $2.50 to make.

Second she looked at what people are charging for truffles. High end truffles sell for $2.50 - $3 each.

Third, she calculated how much profit she could make per truffle.

Income – Expenses = Profit

$3 - $2.50 = .50

Now, she is buying her ingredients at retail cost and if she were making these as a business she could cut the cost by buying in bulk at wholesale prices. She thinks about using cheaper ingredients but decides that they just taste cheap. She investigates wholesale costs and reworks her numbers.

$3 - $1.50 = $1.50

Hm, the $3 truffles at the other truffle store are a lot fancier that the truffles she makes. She realizes that she will sell her truffles for $2.50.

$2.50 - $1.50 = $1

OK, so if she buys her ingredients in bulk, she can make $1 profit per truffle.

Now Karen isn’t an extravagant girl. However she does have a mortgage and does need to pay her bills. To live a decent life (and replace her current regular secure paycheque) Karen needs to make $750 per week. So Karen needs to sell 750 truffles a week.

Oops, see a problem? There are all sorts of other business expenses other than the cost of making the product. Karen will need to rent a commercial kitchen, have packaging, marketing costs, a car to deliver the truffles and buy space at food shows. Adding in all these Karen realizes that she would have to sell 1500 truffles A WEEK to make a living. That is a lot of truffles. Making them would take a lot of time and then there is that little issue of actually selling that many. How, she thinks, is she going to sell 1500 truffles every single week of the year?

When faced with even preliminary numbers Karen decides that much as she like making her truffles it is not a viable business. When her fans holler for her to start a business she asks them if they are willing to buy 1500 truffles a week.

Just because you can make something awesome doesn’t mean that you should turn it into a business. Do your numbers before you quit your job.

Here’s your homework. Somewhere in your brain you have a number, the amount of money you would like to make from your business. I know we’ve talked about how this is your art and your creative soul and you do this for more than money. Reality check is that money is not dirty, it is necessary and if you are to stay afloat you need to make some. I know that not everyone is talking about a living wage from their craft. Some want to cover their costs so they can make more, and some want a lovely 4 months vacation.

Take your number. What is your profit per item that you sell? Average this out. Now divide your number by your average profit and that’s how many things you need to sell.

How does that number feel? Doable? Is this realistic? Does it make you want to run and hide in a corner? 

Inspiration, Colour, and the Annual Blooming of the Tree Peony

(Jenn is having a less-than-inspiring day - or rather, a day that inspires mass mayhem, so I'm filling in today. - Dwyn)
--

Inspiration! What could be more inspiring than the first truly wonderful warm sunny long weekend of the year? It's not quite summer, it's definitely spring, the weather promises to be drop-dead gorgeous, and the garden centre store-owners are rubbing their hands together in glee in anticipation of the flood of customers beating a path through their doors this weekend.

(Shop your local garden-centers, folks. Unless your Big Box store is buying locally. Not only does it help your own economy - the plants have a better chance of surviving. And the drive to the countryside will be lovely!)

Anyhoo - you may remember that I celebrate the annual blooming of my truly delightful tree peony here in this blog every year. This plant is just getting better and better. The first fat pink bud erupted in a frothy bloom on Monday, May 14, like a dancer's crinolines, both huge and delicate. Eleven blossoms - the size of serving platters - now drip from it's stems. This plant is amazing! I may dig up everything else in the garden and grow nothing but tree peonies!

So let's go for a virtual stroll through the garden and look for some beady inspiration! 

Isn't this stunning?  Think Rose Alabaster and Deep Rose Swarovskis with Gold or Brass findings.

This is my second tree peony - it is a few days behind the other  - the location gets less full sun and so the buds aren't quite open yet. A baker's dozen of these beauties are about to spring forth! A tough colour to match - there are reds and purples here - the overall effect is burgundy, but when you look closely - you can see a lot going on here.

The one single bloom on the Rhododendron is lovely - but this plant is soooo not happy.  Not sure it will make it through next winter. Don't those dark spots just make the bloom pop? When in doubt - everything looks better with some black throw in for contrast.

Shades of a true purple in my neighbor's iris - shot this over the fence. Think lilac and tanzanite. Don't forget the calm, soothing grey tones of the concrete. Or the malachite-like dark and light stripes of green. 

 How about one of the Stephanie Sersich-style spiky bracelets, with red and green leaves, and some periwinkle blue flowers - in homage to the now-finished crab apple - against the summer blue sky!

Thinking of some more earthy tones? Be inspired by the Dude. Soft cream and ivory and vanilla colours, some ginger, and a sprinkling of black or grey. And those deep, soul-melting topaz eyes for contrast.

Speaking of contrast - brilliant orange frisbee and green grass - opposite sides of the colour wheel, and the dark dog for drama. How to make orange work with out looking like Halloween. 

And finally - even the lowly Dandelion and the deeply invasive Snow on the Mountain can inspire. Yellow-green with blue green and cream.

Cheers - have a wonderful - colourful - weekend. Remember - the store is CLOSED on Monday, as we have our own gardens to plant, but our website never sleeps!

New Stuff

Blurred on a Wire, or
         Please Re-leaf me

And they're off - it's going to be hard to gauge this race, folks. 

It's Mallard Green off to an early lead. Hot on his heels is Pacific Blue. It's Mallard Green and Pacific Blue. 

And here's Royal Purple, making his move. Behind him comes Cherry Red on the outside. 

Cherry Red is being ridden by ex-police officer Natural Copper - he changed careers when he got tired of dealing with the Brass. He had his Gunmetal Bronze-ed and now he operates in the Black.

But wait - I told you it would be hard to gauge - 12 gauge that is!

 

Halo Gold is coming up fast, followed by Bright Blue and Fuchsia. And they are coming up to the wire - there's a newcomer beating his way through the pack, it's ... yes - it's Rose Gold by a nose (or about 2.5 mm - 10 gauge!) - Stainless Steel-ing the win!

Meh - it might have ended differently if the rider had been Light Copper instead! 

60 new wire products this week - to get your pulse racing. New colours, new sizes, and we've even added some Stainless Steel wire - actual stainless steel - not just the colour. It's a little stiffer than the copper-cored, coloured wire. 

The large gauge wire - 12 gauge - which is 2 mm wire - is aluminum - which makes it wonderfully easy to manipulate too. Yes - it is a little confusing to have Light Copper Aluminum wire - but you'll get used to it! 

If the wire doesn't do if for you - so if you're "like, y r u telling me all this" - sorry I had to do that pun - it's in my contract - well - re-leaf is at hand. (That one wasn't in the contract - I threw that one in for free.) You can have Avocado Vine Leaves. Or Wild Cherry leaves. 

There's no point in Raku-ing me over the coals - because I'm Not Jaded At All. Instead, we could sit out by the Smokey Plum Tree and order some Honey and Lager.

So whether you're from Newfoundland and Labrador, or you prefer the Celtic Mysts, it's almost summertime, and the Beading is Easy.

As usual - lots of other new items to choose from around the site, so go ahead, click on a link or a picture above, or start with the Main Page, if you are feeling intrepid, (there is a LOT of stuff there), or chunk it down into bite-size portions by checking out t he categories: Click on a link and go crazy! Firepolish, Pressed Glass, Swarovski Crystal, Seedbeads, Stone and Pearls, Preciosa Crystal, Metal Beads, Other Cool Beads, Findings, Metal Clay & Supplies or Books, Kits, Tools. Look for the "new" tags!

Or maybe check out all our free, yes, free projects. A new one every week.

Lampworking Studio is Now Open - Please call ahead to check availability and reserve a spot.

WE MOVED!

Don't forget - we are at our new location - so don't automatically drive to the old place by mistake - details on our About Us page.