Shop Local Saturday

I love the way the business community just keeps coming up with these nice little "days" to help us spend our money.  I have been doing "Shop Local Christmas shopping" for years and years and years.  My sister Beth and I, take time to spend a day visiting small communities around where we live and we shop small stores.

Have I told this to you before, reader?  I apologize, if so, but it does bear repeating. Take the frenzy out of the holidays.  Yesterday, I went to our local beadstore, Shipwreck Beads, and bought some beautiful beads. I came home and made 5 gifts for the total cost of 30 dollars of materials (gemstones and silver wire) while hanging out in the family room with my sister and daughter. 

I was watching television and instead of just mindlessly watching Sherlock Holmes solve a case, I solved a gift idea dilemma.

I have also bought some pendants and charms from local artisans to make other pieces. Inexpensive, handcrafted, made in the USA, one of, signature pieces for only about $5.00 a component.

My next big thing to do is to create something for the men in the family. Hmmmmm....One brother will wear a bracelet....the other not so much....brothers' in law are practical men.  Nephews, nah!!!! 

Thank goodness I can cook.  I think I will put together some soup mixes, rub mixes for steaks and roasts, and maybe some herb flavored oils.  Oh....not to forget, packages of my killer peanut brittle.

Yeah....that is what I will do....Don't tell.

http://img1.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.276954773.jpg

This is what I have been working on....memory wire bracelets. I am at that place where in-between fancy, schmancy inspiration I am looking for an easy project, that is fun, wearable and fits the tenet of my shop.....Fun, Funky and Affordable.

Memory wire bracelets fit most wearers and you either slip your hand between the rounds or you can loosen the rounds and wrap it around your wrist. The memory wire does not lose it's shape and if you are using heavy beads it will not slip off if you have more than three rounds.

I made a cute little one for kids and you can see it in my etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BluJeanBeads. It is made from cute little wood beads and larger wood animal beads.  I think a little one would like it.

In early December, I will be doing a bazaar at McLane Elementary School in Olympia (December 2- 4-8 PM) and have been putting together items to sell. I know that at bazaars you get people with a range of budgets and holiday needs.  I put together a little basket of bracelets priced and geared for children's giving to parents and siblings.  I think it is very important that children think of others during "gift getting" time and start to give from a very young age.  My daughter had to start gift choosing and surprises for her grandmother's, her father and her brother, starting at age two.  She is the most thoughtful of gift givers.  The chosen item may not be expensive, it may be handcrafted, it may be an experience but it is always given in good spirit and it is always "right."  I think it is because she has had good practice in selflessness.

At the bazaar I also hope to have varying price points in items for adults and jewelry pieces that can be worn by men and women. I have started using larger lobster clasps not just as a "funky" item and a signature statement for BluJeanBeads but to make my jewelry accessible to folks with different abilities to fasten clasps. I also have pieces with magnetized clasps or no clasps at all (elasctic bracelets). Not every family celebrates Christmas so I try to keep my tags and jewelry boxes neutral.

So onwards to the studio...to creation...to joy!