Goodbye Spring!

 

       You know summer is coming when the snowbirds start leaving and events begin to end.  We haven't had triple digit heat yet, but we all know it's coming.  So this Saturday will be a day to get out and have some final days of fun.

        This Saturday, May 7, will be the last Grand Arts & Crafts Market of the Season.  Since the weather is heating up, the hours are lowering.  It will be from 8 A.M. to 11 A.M.  Find Desert Dabbler and the other Grand Stitchers on the club side of the Sonoran Plaza.   Look for my turquoise tablecloth and wildlife inspired jewelry.  New wolves will be there!

      We're suppose to have a tent and 6 tables.   We never know exactly where our Community Association Management people will put us.  The good news, however, is that the area is beautiful and not all that large.  If you're in the Surprise area, come on out.  We'll be easy to find.

      We'll be at the Sonoran Plaza, at the end of Remington Drive, inside Sun City Grand, Surprise, AZ.

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If you aren't in the Phoenix area, come and visit me on Etsy.  Click the button in the top right.  But before you go, write down the coupon code below.  You can use it on anything in Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry.  

COUPON CODE FOR MAY

  As a Thank You for visiting and reading my blog, here's a coupon code for 20% off:  SPRING2022 

Use the coupon when you check out at my shop on Etsy.  Good on items from Desert Dabbler Handcrafted Jewelry until May 30, 2022.  

A Pop-up Market for Christmas in July

     My Etsy shop is one of 12 shops being featured in today's Christmas in July Pop-up Market!   There are 12 shops, all from the U.S.  They can be reached by going to today's CIJ blog post, located here.

     This is the first time I've been involved in this adventure.  So far I've met some very nice shop owners from other parts of the country.   Also, it's a lot easier than setting up for our Grand Boutiques.  No tables to move.  No items to unpack and arrange on the tables.    LOL  

     Also I have to say that a Virtual Market is a lot more comfy than a real outdoor market on a hot, hot July day in Arizona.

The Boutiques are Coming

       The Boutiques will be located in the Stitchers Room in the Palm Center, Remington Drive, Sun City Grand, Surprise, Arizona.   There will be over 14  participants, including me, selling embroidery and stitched items, handcrafted jewelry, and gift items of all types.
        The dates are:  

 October 31

November 7

December 5

The hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 

If you're in the area, come in!

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.



        

  

 

 



Adventure in Aventurine

      Since I've retired and joined the Grand Stitchers, I've been making a lot of jewelry.   The one pictured above is made from a bead I bought in Cave Creek at Cosmopolitan Beads and oval tubes made of Aventurine that I bought at Fire Mountain Gems.       Aventurine is a type of quartz that comes in shades of both red and green.
       According to the legend, Aventurine is said to bring good things to you.   Love, jobs, adventure.  Whatever you are longing for.   I don't know if this is true, but Aventurine has been a good stone for me.   
        Earlier this month the Stitchers held another boutique, and I participated with my own table this time.   At the last boutique I had worked the "community table".   Although I sold many items, none of them were my creations.    But this time I had more jewelry to offer and a table of my own. 
       One of the items was a necklace made with ovals of red Aventurine that were a lovely shade of orange/yellow.   They reminded me of orange sherbet.   I added a little of the green Aventurine for accents, too.     I finished it a few days before the boutique, but in the rush of completing everything I forgot to photograph it.   
        I can't photograph it now-- because it became my first necklace sale!    The legend of Aventurine held true.    I went on that day to make two more sales of a different necklace and a decorated bookmark.    Great fun!
         I've used up all the green ovals, but I still have some ovals and small square tubes of the red Aventurine.    Here they are on the beading tray, waiting to be made into something:

      The next boutique will be February 16.  I'm planning to participate again.   So we'll see if the good luck continues...
       We also had a great adventure of a different kind at Olive and Ivy, a restaurant in Scottsdale.  We went there last week to celebrate Kent's birthday.    The day was beautiful, and we sat outside on their patio.    The food was excellent.   Kent had one of his favorites, salmon.   I had sweet potato cannelloni--different and very yummy!   Of course I had to support my goat friends so we started our feast with some delicious spinach and goat cheese bruschetta.    They have a nice wine list, too.  I was able to support more wildlife (at least in name) by having a glass of Elk Cove Pinot Gris.  
        We will definitely come back here again.