It's Spring!

      Spring is the most interesting time of the year IMHO. Fall is my favorite season because I love the colors and the start of the best weather here in the desert southwest.  But Fall doesn't compare well with Spring in terms of the energy and the new life that comes with this season.  

      I've made a couple of different kinds of Spring earrings to celebrate the Season.  Featured above are my Shell Bird and Lapis earrings.  I make the "nest" out of wire and put 3 Lapis Lazuli beads inside it.

       If you like a sturdier bird, check out these Tan Clay Birds with Red Jasper:

They also come with Blue Sodalite:  

You'll also find Bee earrings and other nature inspired items in my Etsy shop.  

I  hope you'll stop by soon.

Christmas 2024 Grand Boutique

      On December 7 Grand will have its December 2024 Boutique.  Along with 5 of my fellow Grand Stitchers I will be participating.  We'll be joining a fun and growing part of the U.S. craft economy as we show and sell our handmade items this Saturday.

      There's been a growing interest in handmade.  Etsy, the top U.S. marketplace for handmade, has been showing ads and gaining momentum all year.  Their ads are a perfect match during the Christmas season, but this year they even took out an ad during the Super Bowl!  And no wonder--over 75% of Americans said they participated in a craft activity this past year.  It's only natural that they would be interested in artisan made goods.  (That's what me and my friends are hoping will happen this Saturday!)

      Our Boutique will take place outside in the plaza area of The Grand on Remington Boulevard.  In addition to jewelry, embroidered items, and a few felted goodies, there will be glass, clay and paper arts for sale.  It's a great place to shop for something unique and different. The hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

       I know our market can't compete with some of the larger U.S. Christmas fairs.  The Bryant Park Winter Village in New York City has vendors, but also an ice skating rink and views of the Empire State Building. The Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has over 100 vendors selling handmade toys, hand-knit wool sweaters, and traditional German Christmas classics.  

      Shoppers at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in San Francisco can buy their handmade glass ornaments and more at a Victorian London streetscape created inside the Cow Palace.  And nearly half a million visitors will shop in Carmel, Indiana at their Christkindlmarkt. We're hoping for a nice crowd in Grand, but have no expectation of getting half a mil to come out.    

      We won't be in a Victorian storybook setting, or even a snowy Christmas village, but come and see us anyway.  We'll have lots of handmade items and plenty of Christmas spirit. 

    If you can't come in person, come to my Etsy shop.  I'm a Star Seller this month!

Here's a link to bring you directly into the shop.  https://desertdabbler.etsy.com

Father's Day - Then and Now

 It took over 60 years for Father’s Day to be officially and nationally set aside as Dad's special day. From tragic beginnings in 1908 the idea of honoring our fathers grew until it was recognized as a nation wide day of celebration in 1972.  

A mine explosion in West Virginia was the tragedy that initially started Father's Day. On July 5, 1908 the deaths of 362 men were honored by this local event.   Over the years other events to honor fathers occurred in various cities and states.  Washington state is recognized as the first state to celebrate the day state-wide in 1910. 

President Woodrow Wilson was the first president to celebrate the day in 1924. The idea continued to grow and become popular until it became a national day of tribute in 1972 during the Nixon administration. The date was set as the third Sunday in June. 

A traditional Father's Day celebration includes his favorite food, a decorated cake, and maybe a gift or two. 

If you're looking for a unique Father's Day gift, check out my Obsidian and turquoise bracelet. It's on sale now until Father' Day, June 16.

However you choose to celebrate, have a great day with your dad.

You can see all Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry here: www.Desertdabbler.etsy.com

Wire Jewelry

         I've been fascinated by wire jewelry for a long time.  A few years ago I started working with wire and made a number of Tree of Life necklaces.  Next I moved to wire wrapping stone cabochons.  A few months ago I began making pendants, hearts, and other shapes out of the wire itself. 

         There are lots of great resources to teach you how to work with wire.  There's YouTube videos, pdf patterns, e-books and traditional books. The problem isn't finding resources, it's finding the time to make all the beautiful items.  

          Two of my current favorite designers are Nadja, whose shop on Etsy is ImbaliCrafts, and Valeriy Vorobev, who can be found on YouTube and through e-books. I hope to complete a pendant based on one of  Mr. Vorobev's designs soon.  If you're a beginner, it would be easier to start with a tutorial from Nadja or Yvonne Kennedy from Back to Earth Creations.  

           If you're interested in some pendants that are already made, I have five that are on sale (15% off) thru July 16.  Two of them are pictured below. They can be found at Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry on Etsy.  Click the button to the right to be zipped there immediately.   The wire necklaces are in the Sale section.  

           Hope to see you there!

  

STRINGING BLUES

   

    I belong to a beading group that meets once a week here at Sun City Grand.  Recently two of the women were making multi-strand necklaces.  They were very pretty and very different from one another.  When the other beaders saw them, interest in making these long time favorites grew.  Most of us had made multi-strand jewelry before, but not recently.  They're fun and fairly easy.  The only tricky part is getting the cones attached properly.

     Soon the interest grew into a challenge.  Make one (or more) necklaces and bring them to the club in August.  The only requirement is that they have to have more than one strand.   

      I mixed up a blue bead "soup" and got to work.   Here are the two that I came up with. 

       I'm not sure if I'll make more since we're going away for a few weeks.  If I do, I'll make them in different colors.  But who knows???   Maybe being on vacation will be the perfect time to string a few beads.  

 

                                                  ***v****************************

COUPON CODE FOR JULY & AUGUST.  

      As a Thank You for visiting my blog, here's a coupon code for 20% off in my Etsy shop:  SUMMER2022 

Use the coupon when you check out at Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry through August, 2022.  

 My shop will be taking a vacation from July 16 through August 12, 2022.  The coupon code can be used before or after this time, until the end of August.  

Howling Wolf Pendant

       When we were in Durango last year I bought this great ceramic howling wolf oval.  I love wolves!  

       I wire wrapped it with copper wire and added a leather cord for the necklace.  It's for sale in my Etsy shop now.  You can find it here.   

        You can use coupon code FEBRUARYBLOG to save some $$$ on this or anything else you see in the shop.  Simply type in the code when you check out.  But hurry - there's only a few more days left to use the February coupon. 

      Thanks for reading and looking at my shop.   Oh---if you go to my shop, please consider favoring it by clicking on the little heart.  Doesn't cost anything or obligate you in anyway, but it helps small shops like mine.   Thanks! 

Beaded Bracelet Sale!!!

      I rarely have a sale on Etsy, but I decided to try Etsy's sale feature to give us all a holiday gift.  I dislike stores and shops that always have a sale going on.  But it's the holidays so who doesn't like to look for items on sale?????

      Starting Nov 10 through Nov 30, I have placed 12 beaded bracelets on sale - 20% off.  All of them can be seen here: Beaded Bracelet Section    Or click on the I Sell on Etsy button (on the right) to see my entire shop.

Here's one of the bracelets in the sale:  

Hope you'll stop by and take a look.  While you're there, do me a favor and Favorite my shop.  You'll get updates from Etsy whenever I post a new item.  Hope to see you at Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry.

Fairy Door Bracelet

     A few weeks ago I wrote a post about fairy houses. I mentioned that I was working on a bracelet that featured a fairy door. It’s finished now!

Here’s a long view

     The project was very different from the jewelry I usually make. They usually involve animals or gemstones. This features fairies and glass beads and pearls.  Plus it was based on a design by Kate McKinnon in her book “Jewelry Architect”.
      The clasp started out as a pendant that I bought from an Etsy shop in England.  The bail was cut off, and it was glued to bead embroidery backing.  The clasp was a project that involved a village - my husband and his saw and my beading friends who gave me great advice.
       The door opens!  I glued fairy scrapbook paper inside, but it could have held a little picture.
        It’s one of a kind!  Fun to make and fun to wear.

My Heidi Necklace

     Last July I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado and take a private workshop with my favorite bead artist, Heidi Kummli.  She's the author of "The Spirit of Bead Embroidery", my favorite beading book.  I practically sleep with it under my pillow. 
      I brought the white bone carving that I had bought at the Tucson bead show earlier in the year.  I told Heidi I wanted to make a beaded collar. I had never attempted such a big project, although I have been wanting to make one for a long time. 
      Heidi showed me how to make the collar pattern and helped with the initial design.  On a large piece of grey ultra suede Heidi drew the outline of what would morph into the pattern you see in the picture.  She attached the middle row using my bone carving and the green and violet beads that came from her stash.  While she worked on her own jewelry project, I began stitched her iris gold seed beads around the first three beads. 
       Surrounded by Heidi's art pieces and supplies, I had a relaxing and inspiring afternoon of beading.  Heidi was generous with her advice and encouragement and is an excellent teacher. 
       The basic design stayed the same, although I decided to add more natural stones to the project.  From an online store I bought more "Heidi beads", the iris gold 10/0 seed beads that she uses in many of her projects.   Whenever I worked on the collar I remembered the great time I had that day.
        If you want to see more of her work, here is the link to her website.  She also sells on Etsy in her shop.  Her designs are one of a kind, wearable art. Beautiful and inspiring.
        If you have a favorite bead artist who offers workshops or classes, I highly recommend you try to go.  I hope you'll have as much fun and get as inspired as I did.
        I've worn my "Heidi necklace" once and can't wait to wear it again. 

   
   

Happy Birthday, Etsy!!!

      Etsy is celebrating its 13th birthday by featuring a site-wide sale event!  The celebration will be held June 18 to 22, 2018. Many shops, including mine, will feature deals and discounts that you won't want to miss.

      Etsy is the premier site to find unique handcrafted and vintage items. For the DIY'ers, there are shops selling supplies, too. Currently there are nearly 2 MILLION sellers from around the world on Etsy.  You can find one-of-a-kind jewelry like I make, as well as paintings, posters, clothing, knits and much, much more. If there’s something you want, you can probably find an Etsy shop that sells it.

      Many sellers, like myself, are joining in the birthday fun by placing items on sale.  I rarely have sales in my shop, so this is a unique opportunity for buyers to get a handcrafted bracelet or necklace at a special low price.  I will be giving a 15% discount on all items over $20.00. Plus free shipping within the U.S.

       Click on the Etsy logo on the side or here to go to my shop, Desert Dabbler.  Or go to www.Etsy.com  to reach their main page. 

       Mark your calendar - the sale starts June 18.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE!

      It's officially Christmas in July and time for the huge CIJ Etsy team sale.  I'm participating this year with my Desert Dabbler shop.  All of the handcrafted jewelry is on sale at 10% off.  
     In shops all over Etsy there will be sales on everything from accessories to zippers over 850,000 items on sale.  That number will probably grow as more shops get involved.
      To locate items easily you can search using CIJ or ChristmasinJuly in Etsy search, found at www.Etsy.com.    I'm using the CIJ tag on my items, but some shops are using the longer tag.
     Another easy way to find sale items is the Etsy On Sale site, which is at    
https://www.etsyonsale.com/browse

       In addition to the sale, the CIJ Team is planning 10 days of activities on their Blog.

July 1st – Welcome To Etsy Christmas In July 2017 – #EtsyCIJ 2017
July 2nd – CIJ Team & Wandarrah Team Cross Promotion
July 3rd – CIJ Team Leaders: Feature
July 4th – #CIJPopUpMarket #1: International Shops
July 5th – #CIJParty
July 6th – #CIJPopUpMarket #2: USA Shops
July 7th – #CIJPopUpMarket #3
July 8th – #CIJPopUpMarket #4
July 9th – CIJ Team Members: Best Photos From the #CIJLovesJuly Photo Challenge
July 10th – Happy Etsy Christmas In July 2017 To All, And To All A Good Night! – #EtsyCIJ 2017

      Desert Dabbler is one of the shops in the July 6 Pop Up Market.  Very exciting!  I'm not sure what to expect, but it will be an adventure.   I hope you'll stop by.

     The sale runs until July 10.   Happy shopping!
.   
     

Christmas is Coming...in July

      Christmas in July is a big Etsy event that will run from July 1 through July 10 this year.  It's shaping up to be a fun event. Shop sales, promo’s, give-aways, and free tutorials are all planned.  The Christmas in July (CIJ) blog can be found at https://etsychristmasinjuly.wordpress.com.

      In addition to the 10 day sale, there’s going to be a “Pop-up Market” on July 6.  I’m really thrilled because my shop, DesertDabbler, will be one of the seven shops participating in the Market!  I'll have more info on this event later.

        Lots of Etsy shops will be participating in the ten day Christmas in July event.  Each shop can choose whatever they want to offer for the sale.  Discounts, free shipping, or other offers are some of the ideas being discussed. I plan to offer 10% off of all items in my shop. All you have to do is use the coupon code EtsyCIJ17 when you make your purchase. 

         So mark your calendar now! The sale will run July 1- 10 and the big Pop-up Market will be July 6.  I'll post the link to the market later.

          In the meantime, if you see something you like in my shop and don't want to wait until July....contact me.  I'll let you know how you can take advantage of the 10% off.   

K2 --The Awesome Stone from the Mountain

                                                     Image©iStockphoto and PatrickPoendl

       Many people know that K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest.  Standing 28,251 feet above sea level, on the China-Pakistan border, it's an impressive and awesome mountain.


     What is less known, but word is spreading quickly, is that an impressive and beautiful stone is being mined from the base of K2. Coming from the Skardu area of northern Pakistan, K2 is a grayish-white granite rock with bright blue splashes of color. One writer called it an "eye magnet" for anyone seeing it for the first time. It certainly was for me.

    

      The first K-2 cab I saw, I bought.  I was at the Tucson Gem Show earlier this year and found it at one of the open air rock hound booths.  The couple only had a few pieces of it on display, and I bought the biggest one I could afford.  They had a pair of smaller matched cabs that would have made great earrings, but the combo was too pricey for me.  Besides, at that time I had never heard of K2.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on stones I didn't know anything about. So I limited myself to this oval beauty until I could discover more.  

      What I found wasn't a lot.  It looks like the first cabs started showing up around 3 or 4 years ago, but not on any of the major beading sites that I buy from. It was chosen as the Rock of the Month in May, 2014 by Body Mind Spirit Guide.  It is currently featured at Dakota Stones. but this is the only major site that I can find carrying it.  

      The experts aren't in total agreement on what comprises the stone.  Most, if not all of them, agree it is granite. There are a few places that call it "jasper", but that appears to be incorrect.  The blue spots are probably azurite or malachite when they are green, which I haven't seen.  Most authorities call the spots "stains" rather than "inclusions" because you can see through the blue spots to the granite. But regardless of its scientific properties, all of the sites agree that K2 is unique and exciting.

      I was able to find more K2 cabs in some shops on Etsy.  I bought my second cab there at SlabsCabsRough, a shop from Pennsylvania.  I've already started turning it into a pendent:  

      In addition to its beauty, many people believe that the stone has metaphysical properties.  Pat Krajovic wrote in Body Mind Spirit Guide, "It has many healing properties. If you want to promote harmony and connection within your work and family groups, communicate your deepest thoughts and feelings, and have more control over your emotions, this stone is a must! K2 helps the user become more grounded, balanced and live in harmony."

       If you're into make jewelry, check out Etsy for some great buys on K2. If you like to leave the making to someone else, check back soon. I'll announce when I've completed the K2 necklace and listed it at Desert Dabbler on Etsy.  

Wednesday Surprise

    My 2017 is starting off nicely. I was one of the 4 Etsy shops featured in today's  "Wednesday Surprise" from The Vintage Addiction Lifestyle Team.  The featured items were all copper, one of my favorite things. You can see the post and items at TVAT Wednesday Surprise.

     One of the fun things about Etsy is its sense of community.  Teams are a way to connect with people who share your same interests or who are simply great people.  Over 350 people belong to TVAT. Their shops are located all over the U.S., and Canada.  Plus they have some active members in England, France, and a few other countries.

     Although I don't sell vintage items, I like them. A few of my jewelry pieces have a vintage look, and of course, I'm vintage myself.  So its no surprise that TVAT is one of my favorite teams.    

       What a great start to the new year!

Tangerine Treats

Tangerine Treats

      If you like tangerine, you're in for a treat.  Pantone, the color people, has named it one of springs best colors.
     
      The Christmas in July team on Etsy frequently writes about Pantone color outlooks on its blog.   Today Michelle, who owns Evie's Tool Emporium and is a leader in the team, featured Etsy items made with this great color.    There's tangerine dresses, purses, jewelry, scarves, quilts, and more.   And they included my Aventurine beaded bracelet, too!
  

   
       What a neat surprise!   A tangerine treat!

Christmas in July

    I'm so excited!  Christmas has come early!  One of my bracelets, the aventurine and pearl spiral one, was featured in today's Christmas in July blog.     It's the third one listed.  
    The focus of the article is on the latest Pantone color for fall, which is Koi.   I wasn't familiar with that name for a color, but when I saw the picture of it I recognized it immediately.  It's the same color of the aventurine beads I had used.  
     Until now my bracelet had reminded me of orange sherbet.   Now it will remind me of Koi, Nemo (as in the movie "Finding Nemo"), and all things fun and wonderful.
     Thank You Christmas in July for making my Monday special!
 

Listed on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/listing/161601856/aventurine-pearl-and-crystal-delicas?

 

BUTTERFLIES AND BAUBLES

 

 

         Wild flowers at the Desert Botanical Gardens are beautiful this year.    The butterfly exhibit is open now, too.    We visited there on Wednesday.

 
 

                                                                         Zebra Longwing

Julia

Pipevine Swallowtail

                                       

 Everyone enjoyed the beautiful day.   

      We lunched on the patio at Gertrude's, which was great.  It was the first time we've been to their new restaurant.   As soon as we arrived at the Gardens, we stopped to make reservations.    I'm glad we did, because by noon it was very busy.   
      We were seated near the water feature on the patio, the best seat there I think.   Very pleasant and the food was delicious.     I had the mint pea salad and soup of the day, which was pumpkin.  A perfect choice for a garden restaurant.
       Yesterday was the last Stitcher's Boutique for the season.   There were 12 of us selling everything from art work to purses.   At least four of us make jewelry.  There was only one newcomer in the group.   Some have been doing this since last November.   At least now I'm not the newbie any more.
        The shopping crowd wasn't as large as last month.  The weather was great, but already the winter crowd is thinning.    Still, everyone seemed to have a good time, regardless of how well their items sold.   
       The next Boutique will be sometime in November.   I think all of us are looking forward to a break.  I know I am.   But soon I'll be ready to create some new masterpieces.   
       It took me a couple of hours last night to finish up the paperwork and put everything back in its place.  I had to remove one of my listings from Etsy because it sold at the Boutique.   So that's a good reason to de-list an item.  
         Now my goal is to go through my items and try to build up the Etsy shop for the summer shopping season.   The hardest part about Etsy is taking good pictures.  Next is the challenge of coming up with descriptive words that will lead people to the site.    I have trouble finding my items, and I know what words I used!  I hope to learn the secret to their system soon.
       We'll see how successful my plan works out.



        

  

 

 



 

 

 

Grand Stitchers

 

   

 

 

       The Grand Stitchers (which includes the beading division) is located inside the original sales office for Sun City Grand.    When we were here originally,  picking out tile and cabinets and all of the other hundreds of things that go into a new house, this place produced major anxiety.    So many decisions to make in such little time!    We had never built a house before.   We had no idea how much we had to decide.   We only come for a 3 day weekend-- we had to be back to work on Monday.   Somehow it all got done, but this building was not my favorite place back in 2003.

        Funny how things can change.

        The first group I joined when I retired, and the only one I attend regularly, is Grand Stitchers.    What a great group!   There's something going on there every day through the week.  Plus, for the past few months we've held a boutique on the second Saturday.    

       I didn't take part at first because I didn't have enough skill to make good jewelry.   But I've taken classes and practiced a lot.   Some of the other women have shops on Etsy or their websites.    (I even have a small Etsy shop now.)  A few others place their jewelry in gift shops in their home towns.  

        Since I joined in with the boutique group, I've learned a lot--but there's still so much more to learn.    Currently I'm trying to learn artistic wire wrapping.    I've signed up for a class at the end of this month.  It's an intermediate level class.  Somehow I missed the beginner's class.   Maybe they gave it before I joined.   Or maybe I was gone that week.  

        Anyway, for the past two weeks I've been practicing the basics in order to be able to keep up with the class.   Good thing copper wire isn't too expensive.  I've been turning a lot of it into scrap metal lately.      

        This coming Saturday will also be the last Boutique of the season.    The snowbirds are leaving.   Already there's a noticeable decline in the number of people around.    This is the first summer that I won't be working, and it will seem quiet and empty when the snowbirds are gone. 

       So I'm hoping for a big day on Saturday to end the season in style.