Rebel Rebel's Noel Bazaar 2008

Well Folks, my time here in Victoria is coming to an end.
I burned through 2 seperate multi day craft fairs and am still on my feet.
Not too shabby.
I will be honest and say that the Noel Bazaar wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, the trend of not buying jewellery is still going strong. But I have learned a lot and am a part of something exciting, so I am not giving up hope.

In the new year Janamade will be making a serious push out into the world, new stores, new designs, new directions.
I am very excited about it, and am getting ready for the really hard work that is to come.
Janamade is also joining forces with Floating Gold Iceberg, 5 amazing women who have welcomed me into the fold with open and encouraging arms.
I am more grateful than I can say.

On that note, (a high one, very much so) I will leave you all with these pictures from our booth at the Noel Bazaar. While I didn't sell a lot, I did have a lot of fun.





xox

Rebel Rebel's Noel Bazaar!

Tomorrow (Friday)is the last night of the Noel Bazaar! A whole room full of amazing fashion, accessories and crafts!
I have taken some pictures already, but they are all the way over in my bag and I am already in my bed.
So I will post pictures tomorrow!

Right in front of us is the most amazing 11 year old I have ever met. He makes all sorts of amazing things, including handmade wrestling masks.
Yeah. I know.

He's already sold out!
Coolest kid.

There is also...
Amazing clothes, like rain coats that turn into totebags. Seriously. I traded an Anter Ring for one. Very excited!
Feather hair combs (I got one for my wedding!)
Vampire Bunnies and teeny kittens you can hang on your holiday tree
Wristwarmers and incredible skirts at the Floating Gold Iceberg booth
Amazing leather bags and wallets
Earrings made out of Elk Hide. SO AMAZING! I will buy them as soon as I sell something tomorrow!

Oh and they serve the booze.

Get your butts down there!

Out of Hand!

I realized last night that I posted pictures from Out of Hand on the FGI blog and not mine!

So let me remedy this situation by giving you something to look at!
Out of Hand was much quieter this year than ever before. I understand that the economy is keeping people from shopping, and the One of a Kind show was in Vancouver the exact same dates this year, so a lot of the vendors were over there instead.
So add those two together and you get a slow craft fair!
But it was not with out it's ups. I had a HILARIOUS good time! Angie and I were fighting mad head colds the entire time so we were hopped up on so much vitamin C and echinacea that we just blurrily coasted through NOT GETTING SICK.
Amazing!
And we had some great neighbors this year as well. I will be putting a post together of all of their booths and links to their websites in the next few days.
Today will be about US!

New Etsy shop to check out

My friend Gabe has just opened up his very own etsy shop.
It's pretty amazing.
He's got hilarious laser etched cutting boards and I kid you not, laser etched toast!
Like this bad boy...


And these...


Amazing.
And hilarious.

Good combo.

Check it out here

new website up and running!

My dear friend Kathryn has been an amazing trooper and learned how to code websites so I could have one.
Incredible!

Here it is!

I am losing my mind with this in the BEST possible way!

I looooove the frames!

update

This is going to be very brief, as it is after midnight and I have to get up early and go back to the craft fair.
We're plugging away.

Jewellery sales are not as up as I expected, I think that the economy is affecting peoples luxury shopping. Which is FAIR.
I am in the same boat, so I get it.
FGI is doing great though and I am having fun chatting with everyone and getting feedback.
It's all been positive, people just aren't buying jewellery right now I guess.

And it's only the end of Day Two. We've still got all day tomorrow and Sunday for Out of Hand.
And then Rebel Rebel next week.

So I am not flipping out just yet.
I am going to have fun tomorrow and Sunday and learn from this experience.

Just like a grown up.

new work for Out of Hand and Rebel Rebel

These are some examples of what is coming with me to Out of Hand this year.
I am packing everything up now, got the last few pieces in the tumbler, and I am heading over first thing tomorrow morning.


Pearl Simple Earrings



Stellar Chains (in two chain sizes and various lengths)




Laser cut Lace Earrings in two shapes.

These two pairs are made from Purple Heart. I've also got some Canary yellow ones and some clear lucite ones on their way over this afternoon.
Rad.

It's been an insanely busy weekend, but I am feeling pretty good about things at the moment.
That might change at any point, if for example I realize that I have totally forgotten about something.
But right now, I feel okay.

If you are going to be in Victoria over the next two weeks, please come to either show!
There are so many amazing booths to see, and we're going to be hopped up on chocolate covered almonds the entire time, so even if you're not looking to buy, come by for hilarious sugary girls.


Out of Hand
Thursday November 20, 12-9pm
Friday November 21, 10am-9pm
Saturday November 22, 10am-6pm
Sunday November 23, 10am-5pm
Victoria Conference Centre
VIctoria

Noel Bazaar(Rebel Rebel)
Wednesday November 26, 5-10pm
Thursday November 27, 2-10pm
Friday November 28, 2-10pm
Victoria Event Centre
1415 Broad st
Victoria

Gluten free holiday options

Christmas is right around the corner.
I know that it's another month, but there is so much happening in the next month, that I know that it's going to burn by faster than rocket fuel.
Floating Gold Iceberg and Janamade have 2 markets to be ready for next week.
(FGI actually has 4 if you can believe it, they are at one right now)
But for me, 2 is plenty right now. Maybe next year I can do 4 in one go. We'll see!
And then after that, it's December and I know that I have a HUGE list of things to do before Christmas actually rolls around.

Yesterday I finally got productive and finished all of the smaller necklace components that I was working on, as well as all of the posts for my new pearl earrings.
So I am feeling better about where I am sitting for Out of Hand.
Today I am going into the office, and tonight I am going to work on posts for the Lace earrings and the bigger necklace components.

So it's rolling along.

This link is for Moms.
Moms at holidays who are amazing and make us gluten free food so we can enjoy our traditional meals with everyone else.
At Thanksgiving, my mom even stuffed the turkey with gluten free stuffing!
The Gluten Free Girl writes incredible posts about food.
You can't feel sorry for yourself when you read her blog because she is SO ENTHUSIASTIC about everything she writes about.
So please click on the link above and take a look at what she's offering for holiday meals.
Or her whole blog too, that's cool.

Out of Hand is less than a week away

and I am blogging instead of working on jewellery!
What is WRONG with me??

Oh right, PROCRASTINATOR.

Today I am working on earring posts and necklace components.
I got word this week that my laser connection has some house problems of his own, so I am going to have fewer laser cut lace pieces than I expected.

I am not going to complain about it though, because that's not nearly so bad as what my poor friend is dealing with at his house.
And he's a trooper and is still going to try to cut more for me.

Because he's awesome.

My new and amazing displays arrived last week, and I don't have any pictures to share at the moment. I am trying to focus on the making of things, and save the photos for the show, once it's all set up and looking gorgeous!

Angie was over this past weekend as well and we went over all sorts of stuff for the show (I should say both shows because we're going to be doing Out of Hand as well and Rebel Rebel's Noel Bazaar the week after!)
We've got some new lighting that is going to be SO CUTE and not to mention effective.

So, instead of pictures of new work (which will come soon, I promise!) I'll leave you with some stuff I'm coveting from the internet.



I am picturing myself riding that bike with that bag in the front basket taking pictures of nature trails while in search of perfect picnic locations.

French toast, late starts and Rings of Engagement.

This morning we slept in hard.
I kid you not it was almost 11 when I looked at the clock.

So we lounged around a little bit and made French Toast.
Very delicious.
I threw a bit of vanilla into the egg mixture and it was lovely.

Today I am going to work on Lace earrings, I want to post a pair into my Etsy shop by tonight, and I've got necklaces to prepare for Out of Hand. And I really need to sit down and think about my artist statement for my updated website. (Kathryn is doing an AMAZING job and I am flipping out a little bit at the cuteness of it all)
And I've started thinking about Christmas gifts for family and friends, got to start working on those soon!
So I've definitely got lots to do.

But I can't stop looking at this.

It struck me last night that I will wear this ring on this finger for the REST OF MY LIFE.

Weird.

And kind of thrilling.

I really love this little ring. I wasn't sure at first, the design came to me REALLY quickly on Thursday while I was working on earring posts. I literally had to stop and make it immediately.
So I did, and once it was totally done, I thought that it was a bit big, and that I should open it up and correct the connection of some of the beads.
So I did.
And I made it too small.
And I flooded 2 of the beads out with the solder.

So I had a bit of a cry on Thursday night about it. (hormones played a role in that as well I am not ashamed to say.)

And yesterday morning I sized it up. And today I am going to drill out some of the extra solder and open up those two beads.

But in all of that silliness and emotional drama -I do it to myself!- I have totally fallen in love with it.

And it's going to look AMAZING with the bling ring that joins it in July.

I have to go stare at my finger some more.
And I will consider getting dressed.

Happy Weekend All!

A new (to me) artist

That I am SOOO in love with right now.
Oh my god her work is just so amazing.
Silvia Ji makes the most beautiful, provocative women I've seen in a while.
It's the Jem painting that wins my heart though.
Man I loved Jem.


I wish I had pink hair.

H is for Home

I found this website months ago, LOVED it, then promptly forgot what it was called and couldn't find it again.
this is why I now bookmark EVERYTHING

H is for Home is AMAZING.
These are just some of my faves...





and these too...







when is it appropriate to register for a wedding?
Is it too soon?

go to this website.

Seriously.

Right now.

Interesting times

Tomorrow America will vote.
I am crossing my fingers SOO tightly that they vote for him.

LAser LAser LAser!!

I think that my life has changed forever.
I have witnessed the element that will change the way I think about design in a HUGE way.

It was so wonderful.

My friend from school, Gabe has a laser in his garage. And yesterday Geoff and I went over for brunch and some laser cutting.

I am losing my mind right now.

My lace pieces, that have sat on the back burner for TOO LONG, are back. And back in a big way.



When I had first designed these pieces, I was piercing them out of silver by hand and then enameling them. Which was AMAZING, don't get me wrong, they were beautiful.
But they are INTENSE. And laborious, and EXPENSIVE.
But these, Oh These! these are so beautiful and sharp and I can do a production of them in an afternoon. I haven't priced them out yet, but I am thinking that a pair of these New Lace Earrings will be less than $50.
That's big folks. The original, enameled silver earrings were $180.

oh my god I am so excited!

And today is Angie's Birthday!
I sent her these in the mail.




My Girl likes mustaches.

Last thing today I promise!
I just ate Butternut Custard for breakfast.
What is this you say?? It's flipping DELICIOUS is what it is.
Here, let me give you the recipe. (it's an version of the recipe that Geoff's Mom gave me for pumpkin pie, with a few tweaks)
(I don't have any pictures, because friends were over last night for the Raptor's game and it was gobbled up.)

Butternut Custard
1 can butternut squash puree
3 egg yolks (or 2 eggs)
1/4 cup agave nectar (I'm still off the sugar and this stuff is AMAZING)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamon
1 cup milk
2 tbspn melted butter

Beat the eggs, then add all the other ingredients and stir together.
I put it into 6 little dishes, but ramekins or jam jars would work too.
(I actually used one jam jar because I didn't have enough small bowls, and it was perfect because I just put the lid on it. So I had it for breakfast! Or you could take it for lunch)
Put ramekins/jars in casserole dish half filled with water.
Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Let cool completely, and enjoy!