5 months!

This month was super exciting for me - I launched the new collection that brings tons of joy every time I see it in my shop and every time I log off to make some new items for it! Chained Rose is my baby:) No really, I am so dissolved in it! I just love making those bohemian, romantic, vintage inspired, glamorous pieces. I don't have to restrain myself from being too feminine, from loving flowers... because not everyone loves wearing them but I so do! My new collection is for everyone who is passionate about blooms and color, for everyone who loves life and sees the beauty in it.

I also started the line of hair accessories, something I never made before. The headbands became one of my favorite designs to work on. I love hand stitching and embroidery, so every night, after putting the kids to sleep, I can't wait to bundle up next to my hubby with a strip of chiffon, some beads and a needle and just relax, keeping one eye on the next episode of House:)
In addition to new collection I came out with new photo set as well. Shabby chic boards and jewelry boxes worked out beautifully with fabric rosettes. Taking all the above in the consideration I am very satisfied with the results of my fifth month on Etsy. At the same time I made a hard but necessary decision to close my shop for 3 months while I am on vacation in Riga. I haven't been home for 6 years, my family, my friends missed me so much - they deserve the whole me and decided to dedicate my summer to them! I am already looking forward to reopening my shop in August tough:) Meanwhile, I will still post in my blog, to keep everyone updated on how much I miss my work!!!

Glass Fusing class

Last week was a last day of my glass fusing class. I took it out of curiosity and because it matched my kids class schedule. They were in class learning about arctic animals and tsunamis and I was in class cutting glass two doors down - it was perfect!

Over the course of 8 classes I made over 30 pieces of full fused and tack fused glass, most of which I must define as unsuccessful. There are a lot of things to consider when you fuse glass and it is not as easy as one might think. There is the design - cutting is hard!!!:), there is color of the glass which might change in a kiln, there is the thickness of your glass. In full fusing your piece will always end up quoter inch thick, so when you lay 2 or 3 pieces on the top of each other consider the expansion because if the stack is thicker then quoter inch you might end up with a coaster instead of a pendant. There is a temperature control in a kiln which was in the instructor hands. She did a great job, but some pieces still had bubbles or scummed surface. Also I made a mistake of not buying my own glass and I didn't have many choices using the instructor bought glass. She invested in a lot of beautiful dichroic pieces but left out the solid colored ones.

Here are posted the pieces I am happy with, some of them will make pendants. Full fuse. Tack fuse. My first wire wrapping work. I have never done it before and did it in class on the piece that I don't like. This pendant is an experiment and is not considered wearable. I just want to post a picture for a record:)

Summer wreath

This week I finally got to making a summer wreath for our friends. I never made such a big one before, but promise is a promise! Neat picker that I am I spent 5 hours putting it together with wire and hot glue after 3 trips to the craft store, because the flowers just didn't quite work together first 2 times:) I am thrilled with the way it turned out and I really hope that the person whose front door this wreath is to decorate will share my excitement!

4 months!!!

My Etsy shop StudioElenus crossed 4 month mark 3 days ago! Amazing thing is the realization that every month the amount of things to learn doesn't get smaller, it grows. I face the necessity to reinvent my product and that is what I am working on right now! I am getting ready to launch a super exciting new vintage inspired collection at the end of March!!! Over 30 original, trendy items are coming into my shop! I even excited myself about it and making at least 4 items to treat my jewelry box:)

As I am getting ready for this big event, I moved nearly half of my items into the SALE section! Beautiful jewelry, great prices!!! Here are some of the discounted designs.



I am really looking forward to this fifth month on Etsy, I have a feeling it is going to be fantastic!

Picture taking

Most of the work on my shop I do in the evening after my kids go to sleep. I design jewelry, pack sold orders, communicate on and of Etsy and plan out tomorrows after the sunset and only one thing I have to do during the daytime - take pictures. I need natural light for that and so my kids are forced to share their mommy with her passion:) Since they like to do everything that I do very often they want to take pictures too. They bring their v-tech cameras and we start shooting together:) Moments like this make working from home all worth it!

White snowman? Never!

It was snowing in Dallas again last week. This time the snow poured. It was amazing! The kids and I went outside and played. Actually, the kids played, I brought a stool, knitting needles, yarn and knit a scarf that sold over night and was made to order. Knitting in full winter ammunition is quite a challenge:)

When I finished we built a snowman and then... painted it with kids watercolors! I remember doing it when I was a kid, back then kids paints weren't washable and I recall ruining my jacket. Our snowman came out fully decorated and quite sturdy as we thought but the skies kept bombarding with snow and it fell apart in a matter of hours. Now we are well in 50's and snow is long gone probably until next winter.

Lizard

It's sad for me to realize that there are much more things that I can make for my daughter then I can make for my son. I can't make a necklace or a bow for him and I see Marco's disappointment every time I pull out a handmade hair clip for his sister. Yesterday, after making all these bows for Bella I was determined to come up with something for my son and I did. I found his latest drawing of a lizard and sewed my version of it out of green felt. As soon as I took a needle in my hands I understood how much I missed stitching, I had a blast making this insanely cute creepy crawler! Marco played with his lizard all morning and I think today Bella felt jealous, because she asked me to stitch a doll that looks like one of her doodled princesses. One more project is lined up:)

Oops, I did it too!

I made hair bows!!! Oh no, I am not going to sell them, they are meant for my sweet little Bella. Last night I made a first batch of them and I thing I got hooked. If my daughter will not have a bow for every outfit by the end of upcoming week I will be greatly surprised:) I still have to buy more ribbon though, since I used most of the fancy 4 feet spools up - I did not realize that this amount is only enough for 2 minuscule bows. I can't wait to dance with that glue gun again...

3 months

I am a week late for my monthly report. Hey, could be much worse:) As the business speeds up all the other areas of life also seem to be on the run. Some people say that busy is good, but for me busy always means trouble. I seem to have a tendency of loosing control over the amount of projects and responsibilities I take on and eventually can't tell Monday from Saturday, weeks and months blend together in the attempt to complete everything I have scheduled for myself. Maybe this month I will try to take one day at the time and breath...

This month was very creative. I am still to write about all the craft and art projects I had completed this month apart from coming up with new interesting trendy designs for my shop. I discovered golden toned metal for myself; after taking on a custom order bracelet, I fully fell in love with this exciting thing. I made several adorable tiny cluster necklaces that seem to be a hit. They are also very affordable, only $15, combine that with free shipping!

Ideas are overwhelming me now that I know that I have only two months to get my shop full and organized before I go on vacation to Riga. I am not sure yet how it is going to work, but looks like my hubby will have to complete training in packing and shipping since that would be the only thing that I can't do being on another continent. I am leaving for 3 months at the end of April... challenging time for my shop, but I am sure that it will work out.

2 months and counting...

My Etsy shop Studio Elenus http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioElenus turned 2 months yesterday! Last weeks were busy, more time and effort had to be put in to keep it rolling, but lots of good things came out of all the working and spinning.

I featured a lot of new items, including a Valentine's day collection. I was very happy with the way it turned out, especially red being my favorite color - I really had fun creating these bright jewelry pieces.

I am starting a new month with new plans and great ideas. I met wonderful artists this month who made me see things differently. I want to keep learning, developing, growing to be able to create things that I never thought of before. I signed up for a couple of classes already... Maybe my next monthly update will show off my new skills;)

Anyways, I am so glad that I took a turn and ended up on Etsy. This is one of best things that happened to me so far!