SATeam Wrist Candy Holiday Giveaway!

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See this charm bracelet…

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Want to win it?

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This bracelet is the collaborative effort of members of the SATeam – Starving (Jewelry) Artists Team on Etsy. You can see my own pewter/sterling  silver and Swarovski angel charm poking out at the bottom left in the top photo.

Basically, for every item purchased at participating shops, you get an entry to win this beauty. We can’t even start to guess what kind of price tag to put on this. We’re talking high quality handmade charms from fellow artists.

You can check out each shop to see more savings and deals. The list of participating Etsy Shops can be found here:

http://starvingartiststeam.blogspot.com/2009/10/sateam-wrist-candy-holiday-giveway.html

Take note as per the above post you can enter this contest without purchasing. Simply follow the directions indicated on the starving artists blog. đŸ™‚

You can also do a search on Etsy for “SATEAMWRIST”. This will bring up the available items for sale in all participating shops.

The sale is running starting today, October 26, 2009 to December 6th, 2009.

Good luck!! I can’t wait to see who wins!!

Update on this Weekend’s Sale

So the Starving (Jewelry) Artists sale on Etsy starts this Friday (April 24th) at 4pm EST. The promo is free shipping from the participating shops. I am looking into giving away a free gift or additional discount for my customers as well since my shop always offers free shipping worldwide. Remember Canadians, I offer at par pricing to the US dollar amount. So if you see something you like for $20 USD I’ll sell it to you in Canada for $20 CAD. Plus free shipping. Good deal! Check out or team blog for participating members: SATEAM on ETSY

SATEAM Mother’s Day Sale on Etsy this weekend…

Okay so, I am typing this half in the dark with a newborn laying on my chest…bare with me…but I am excuted to announce that SATEAM on Etsy is having our first ever sale! Details to follow…all participating shops will be offering free shipping. I’ll post updates as I have them or go to SATEAM on Etsy for more info…start time is looking like 4pm PST on Friday the 24th of April.

Donations Kick Start the 2009 Year…Could I help you with your fundraiser?

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So far this year, I am pleased to have donated to two causes by donating jewelry for silent auctions. I always love to donate my talents to worthy causes that help people at the personal, or at the grass roots/community level. Both donations were for fellow jewelry makers from the Starving Artists Team on Etsy.

I made three pairs of earrings for a silent auction in North Carolina. Proceeds go to an elementary school which has a high percentage of children with special needs and non-English speaking children attending. Since their funds have been drastically cut, the school has no money to purchase much needed equipment, ESL materials, etc. Upon talking to Jenni I decided to make three pairs of earrings as they are lower end items and (hopefully) easy sales. They already had lots of higher end items donated.

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The second fundraiser is for a man fighting brain cancer. I decided to make a brain cancer awareness bracelet. As the silent auction was in conjunction with a golf tournament, something a little higher priced seemed fitting. Plus since this was a fundraiser for an individual, I wanted the piece to be more personal & inspirational. You can read about Chris here at Caly’s Day at the Beach Blog.

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If you think my talents could help you with your community level fundraiser, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to hear about your cause & see if it is something that I can help you with.

100 Days of Creativity…

Driving back to MontrĂ©al from Holidays in Nova Scotia, I had a lot of time to think about what I want for 2009. Besides the usual growing family happiness & prosperity bit, I realized that my creativity suffered in 2008. I had most of my attention on my daughter, and convinced myself I just didn’t have the time or the inclination to be creative. I would be creative on the computer: editing photos, working on my website, etc…

The only problem with this plan was, this was not tactile creativity. Although photo editing can be fun; staring at a computer screen did more soul killing than building for me. I realized, that if I were to keep on top of my creativity – which is my unwind, my meditation, my zen – I would have to make jewelry design more of a priority in 2009, even if the logic in the back of my mind is telling me I should be cleaning the house or finishing my website so to market all the things I make.

So, after being very inspired by the Starving Artists Jewelry Team I joined on Etsy, I decided to embark on 100 days of creativity: a piece a day, made & listed on Etsy until I reach 100 listings. Ok, so I cheat a bit here. I had about 30 pieces to begin with in my Etsy shop, and there are days when I get inspired to make 2 or 3 pieces in one sitting, and some days I don’t get to make any because my motherly duties come first. But the general idea is, 100 pieces of jewelry to signify 100 days of putting this side of me to the fore front. I am creative through & through, and without it I feel very out of sorts; it even led to depression in my early 20’s. Hell, I’m even left-handed! The touch, the colours & textures…this is so a part of me as breathing, it needs to be nurtured like a new born baby.

At first, I got off to a slow start. I had not been making jewelry regularly for so long I had a bad case of performance anxiety. So it meant unlisting and rearranging a few things I already had on Etsy. Finally, I was forcing myself at 10pm to make one piece. Even though my body was screaming go to bed – you have to get up early tomorrow. Even if it was a simple pair of earrings; just something. And you know what? It was the best thing I have ever forced myself to do. All of a sudden, the business ideas starting coming to me…the next step for marketing, where I want to take it, where I want to be in March (when I have to take another hiatus to play new mom all over again). I feel totally clear-headed, and directed. It was all because, I needed to reincorporate into the mix the one thing that inspires me, motivates me, gets me excited: making jewelry!

Now this probably sounds completely hokey to some (most?) of you. For goodness sake, you are making jewelry, you say…body adornment to pretty up one’s vanity…but no, I don’t see it that way. We all have talents; this happens to be mine. I believe in wearable expression: not wearing jewelry to hide our self-hatred or self-believed ugliness. It is to express, to inspire and heighten one’s self. I, as the artist, express myself with each piece. The wearer interprets the piece in the way that it makes them feel when wearing it. Maybe it reminds them of someone, something…this is my goal, that you enjoy wearing the piece because it goes with such-and-such outfit…and then go farther to wear something that is infused with the good intentions & energy of the person who made it. You know who made it. It is a one-of-a-kind, not just something off a conveyor belt. In our throw away society, materialism means so much, yet so little, as we will discard what we buy just as fast as we swiped the plastic to purchase it. I am hoping, especially in this economy, that the sentiment of cherishing the goods we buy because of the hard work that went into it – you for making your dollars – me for making the jewelry by hand – is brought back. This is not just for myself, but for all those who work away in the Cottage Industry. We are not driven by money, but by enjoyment, & a deeper need that so needs to be fulfilled again in this day & age.

My jewelry making philosophy is outlined on the front page of my (incomplete!) website heavenlyflower.com

Please check out the goodies in my Etsy Shop. I am almost half way to my goal! Even if you don’t buy you can look & appreciate. I hope it inspires you to evoke your own creativity, however you choose to express it.

Oh, and on the business side of it: once I get the 100 pieces complete I will then use this as an online portfolio to promote myself while I work on finishing the website. Don’t worry, I’m always thinking… đŸ˜‰