June Sale at Etsy Shop

      I've been spending family time this weekend, but today I'm headed to the studio for some creativity time. This is a new piece, in resin and handcast pewter, I finally got it listed in the Etsy shop.
     To keep things interesting in the LLYYNN Etsy shop, I've got a sale coupon for 10% any purchase for the entire month of June! Use the coupon code JUNESAVE to take advantage of the savings at the time you purchase.
     And to spice it up a bit, some more pieces have been put on sale - so if you've had your eye on something you liked, check it out! It might be on sale in June! Add the 10% coupon code, and save a bunch!

La Belle Epoch Paris

     I found some old postcards, with images of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, and I just had to use them to make reproduction travel souvenir vocals. The sepia tones, the old-fashioned writing - I just love the ideas they bring to mind. I put all three of these in the Etsy shop - even though I was sorely tempted to make up necklaces with them for myself!
     Today I'm headed back over to the studio to finish up some orders. I have some ideas buzzing in my head, to create with cut glass and soldered reliquaries, and I have finally assembled all the components I needed to get started - so if I have time after the orders are completed, I plan to play with those ideas, bringing them to life.
     I hope you have a lovely, quiet Sunday afternoon, with family, food and fun!

     I'm back from my travels, I had a great time visiting. It was a long time in the car for the kids. But they were real troopers! I took a few days off this week from the day job to get caught up at the studio. It's such a luxury to spend all day at the studio, getting covered in dust, paint and glue!

     I found a small medallion in the shape of a crown, and took a mold from it so I could make some earring charms. The original didn't have any holes in it, but I put a hole top and bottom. So I can hang a pretty pearl, and put in earwires.

      I also made this replica cameo, with an image that originally graced the front of an antique metal button. I put it into the reproduced optical lens bezel, to give it a very vintage look. I think it looks like a french court lady-in-waiting or something romantic like that.
     I'm headed back over to the studio to finish some more bezels. No, I didn't forget the giveaway - I promise to pay attention to that soon!

Free Shipping for Mother's Day

     Want to order from the shop, and get free shipping? Until Sunday, May 13, use the CouponCode in the Etsy shop "MOMSHIPSFREE" when you order and get free shipping!
     And I still have some great discounts going on, if you've been wanting to give - or receive - a special jewelry medallion or tintype portrait.

Big Sale at LLYYNN Etsy Shop

     If you haven't been over to the Etsy shop lately, you might want to pop over and check out the SALE ITEMS section. I've added quite a few bargains in there, and the APRILSPECIAL coupon code is still available, giving an extra 10% off even on sale items. If there's something you've had your eye on, you may want to see if your favorite has a new, special price!Don't wait, or they may be gone...

Looking Back, Working Forward

     This is a heart that I created before I moved to Louisiana. Do you ever make things, then sort of move on to other things, and kind of "forget" about something you once made? I seem to do that sometimes.
     Because it made me think of a pebble, with words in it from a poem, I called it a "sonnet pebble."

     Sometimes, I go back through my own "sold" section in the Etsy shop, to remind myself of things I've made in the past, and I ran across the "sonnet pebble" piece. I decided to make a new one. Of course, every piece is unique, and it's almost impossible to reproduce something exactly. This is the one I recently made, the words inside are a little bit different. 
     Do you ever go back through your old photos and see something you made and realize, I had forgotten all about that one!? 

Giveaway Winners!

      It has been a crazy week! I intended to do the announcement of the giveaway winners last Friday, but then life happened! Sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm back on board again, and ready to end the suspense.
     The local Mall had a "Mad Hatter Tea Party" event on Saturday, and the granddaughter and I went to enjoy. It had lots of pink flamingos, characters dressed as Alice and the Mad Hatter, and white roses for little hands to paint red. We'll have to see if the images affect my output in jewelry charms over the next week or so, I'm so susceptible to what I see and hear.
     I'm sharing this image of a "Bee Joyful" Heart pendant charm I made last weekend, although it has already found a home out of the Etsy shop. I do intend to make more of them, as I like the message and the way the pendant turned out.

      Without further waiting, the winner of the rectangular ivy pendant is Heidi Post, for being so decisive about the one she liked. 

     And the oval ivy pendant is Emanda, for sharing her preference for the oval shape.
     If you will both email me your mailing addresses, I will send them out to you, and thanks for participating.
     But Wait! There's More! For all of you who posted your thoughts on the Ivy Giveaway, there's a Coupon Code in the Etsy shop for 20% off anything you'd like, even the pieces that are already on sale! When you purchase, just use Coupon Code IVYGIVEAWAY to get your immediate discount. And thanks again for participating in the giveaway, it's fun for me to hear your thoughts about what I'm working on. 
     Keep an eye on the shop, I have some totally new pieces I'm going to add - I'm excited about them, and hope you'll like them. It's a new bezel shape and size, with some special focal pieces in them.
     I'm headed over to the studio today to finish up some orders in pewter, and get some more resin ready to pour. The weather is just right, warm enough and not humid. I have to pour when the weather permits!
     

Palm Sunday

     Today is Palm Sunday. No fooling - on April 1st, April Fool's Day, it's Palm Sunday. Kind of an odd combination, I think. Yesterday, on the last Saturday in March, my daughter and I went to the local Zoo with both of the kids. It was a lovely day, and we had a great time. The little man was in the stroller, and the granddaughter ran the trails and rode the train.
     In the afternoon, I worked in my square foot garden beds, to get things ready for planting. I didn't make it over to the studio yet this weekend, but I'll be going later today to ship some orders. Thank you to those who took advantage of the Giveaway post coupon.
     To start April off in the right way, I've put a 10% coupon code in the Etsy shop. When you purchase in April, use the coupon code APRILSPECIAL to save 10%.
     No fooling!

SALE AT ETSY SITE

     Have you had your eye on something in the Etsy shop? I just put some things on sale for the end of March.

     And some of you who posted on the Giveaway Post haven't used your discounts yet - they end in March. So, go take a peek, see if there's something you've been wanting, and nab it before it's gone!

     For those of you who posted on the Giveaway Post, I set up an ETSY COUPON CODE for you to use - if you're not sure about how to do that, be sure to put the information into the NOTE for the purchase, and I'll know to take it from there.

Pansy Blossoms

     The pollen count here is off the scale! I parked under a tree on Saturday and my car was covered with green. It's amazing how much spring pollen is around here.

     I didn't get a lot done on Sunday afternoon in the studio, but I did get this resin piece made, with the pansy blossom and bud on it. The image came from the antique french floral designs booklet that my friend gave me at the end of last year, after the holidays. With Easter coming, it seemed like the time to make up a pansy pendant. I thought about making a necklace with it, but I went ahead and listed it in the Etsy shop. I have a whole bunch of resin curing, I can't wait until I can get those out of the molds and see how they turned out!

Happy Giveaway Productivity

      I'm happy some of you are participating in the giveaway.I was worried that no one would, and then I would not be smiling as big! This weekend was pretty productive at the studio. I was experimenting with some colors and textures, and one of the designs I ended up with was this richly patterned heart. It reminds me of oriental rugs, or kilim patterned fabrics. Very asian, I think.

     Here is another photo, a group shot of some of the other hearts I got finished today. I like seeing them together with all their colors lined up, they remind me of easter eggs.

     If you haven't posted to participate in the giveaway yet, it's still open. I added all these hearts to the Etsy shop Sunday evening, if you want to see more pictures of them.

March Sale Surprise

Feels like time for a SPRING SALE in the Etsy shop.

I've marked some neat things down.

If you've had your eye on something, or if you just can't resist a sale, pop over and see the special prices.

Happy Spring!

Time Bottle

Remember the post around the holidays, when I showed my polymer clay snowmen bottles?

I have a box of bottles like that, and I was thinking about how they could be hung like a pendant.

On Saturday I took some time in the studio and started to play with one of them.

I made a collar out of wire around the empty glass bottle, and used my solder to solidify it around the neck of the bottle.

Then I made some loops, trying to make it look very old like an antique tonic bottle from long ago, so that chain or a wire wrap can be added to the loops to make it wearable.

With the extra wire, I made two very small loops and joined them to each other on the back side, like a linked chain.

It reminds me of a patent medicine bottle, or something from an herbalists shop or apothecary.

I don't know what might go inside. A snippet of a map, a love letter? Some dyed costume pearls, or gold flakes in resin? Sand from a special beach, with a seashell?

I think I'll list this one in the Etsy shop. Maybe one of you would like to play with it., and make it part of a special story you're telling in jewelry.

Indian Treasury

This is a quaint little Etsy Treasury, inspired by Pocahontas.

See my pewter-topped ring there on the second row at the right?

It fits right in with the pinecones.

Treasuries always interest me, how things that don't seem to belong together look so right!

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Hey, nobody told me, but guess what? I was featured at Craftgossip a few weeks back. Very cool! Always happy to provide the back story, only question is whether anyone wants to hear! I've never thought of myself as fodder for a columnist's story, but who knew?

Terra Cotta Treasury

This lovely Etsy Treasury, called Terra Cotta Collection, has one of my pewter and polymer combinations in it. See it, there on the next to the last row?

I love the colors, and the fiber that's included in this Treasury. Very pretty.

Cinnamon

Persimmon

Chili Pepper

Terra Cotta 

Sounds like a recipe for something warm and good, doesn't it?

It's A Winner Today Giveaway

Of course, I knew you all would have lots of fresh, exciting ideas about how to use the 3-hole center drilled keys. You're so creative and brilliant!

Someone asked me how I keep the drill going through the pewter key charm - I don't use a handheld drill, I have a flex shaft. It's almost like holding a pencil except a lot louder!

But you all want to know who was the winner, right?

Out of all the great answers I got, and there are some real special keepers in there, the winners are LOIS MOON and DEBORAH. 

So click on the Ringleader of LLYYNN on the left sidebar, send me an email with your contact information, and I'll send the 3-hole key out to each of you.

And - AS A BONUS - everyone who answered on the original giveaway post gets FREE SHIPPING for the rest of the month of November on any Etsy shop purchase. Just put 'KEYSTROKES' in the notes at checkout to let me know you're taking advantage of the free shipping, and to remind me.

Thank you all very much. Great ideas! I can't wait to try some of them myself.

New Pieces

I finally got a chance last weekend to work in polymer clay for a while.

I've been working in pewter for a few weeks now. It was good to change gears.

Since I moved, I haven't even cracked open the resin yet. 

So much to do, so little time.

But I did enjoy the polymer play, and how this one turned out. 

Reminds me of crewel embroidery.

I put it in the Etsy shop, but if you want it, it'll ship after I get back from traveling.

Rolling the Odometer

On Sunday, the sales count on the Etsy shop rolled over from 1199 - where it had been maddeningly hovering for several days - to 1200.

Feels like a milestone! Is it cheating to add the 826 sales from the expeditionD shop, to top out over 2026? 

I have new items to photograph and add to the shop. I worked mainly in polymer clay this past weekend, and it takes me a while to get new things finished, photographed and uploaded. They were inspired by the book I've been reading, very atmospheric. I'll carve out some time to get those photos taken one evening.

At the moment, I'm relishing the new number in the Etsy shop, it's very special to me.

That represents a lot of individual items and bouts of creativity since November, 2007, when I opened the Etsy shop. So I'm easing up on an anniversary, too.

Thanks go to all of you who have supported, encouraged and heartened me.

I couldn't do it without you!

Studio Saturday at ABS

Today is my turn as editor for the Art Bead Scene blog. If you want to check it out, post a reply and have a chance a winning something fun, pop over and enjoy!

It's a lovely fall morning here in central Louisiana. I'm headed over to the studio soon.

I have orders to fill, and promises to keep. It's been a crazy week at the in-town 9-5 day job.

But yesterday we had an open house at the new office, so the work day ended early and the fun started. 

Enjoy the Art Bead Scene, answer the question with a comment to the post - I'm always curious about what's going on with you. Share?

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Don't forget about the SPECIAL SALE going on in the ETSY shop. It's time to take out some of the summer items to make room for the change of seasons. There are some goodies there you might want to see!

Behind Bars

This clever Etsy Treasury features one of Erin's special keys that I just cast.

It's called "In the Jailhouse Now" and is very colorful and clever.

Don't you love the graphic designs and bright colors.

Neat-O!

Click on the link to the Treasury if you want to see any of the items up close. 

People are so ingenious with those Treasury spots, I like seeing them.