Fall Online Retreat and Scholarship

I'm super excited about offering my first online retreat next month! My annual Inspired by Nature Fall Retreat is my favorite event, hands-down. It's such a fun, creative time with a wonderful group of women and in the most beautiful autumn location. It has become so popular that it sold out this year in two days.

That led me to offer this year's course online after the live event. And I've made it my goal to capture the magic of my favorite event for this year's online course. Space is limited.

The Online Retreat includes:

Three classes that are debuting at my live fall retreat! These exclusive classes will be presented in recorded videos and step-by-step instructions with photos to follow along. 

All class materials will go live October 19th. You'll have lifetime access to the class and can go at your own pace. 

Three one-hour live video chats using Facebook's Live Chat. You'll be able to access the videos anytime after the events if you can't make it for the live events. You'll be able to interact with me while I'm live on video! I'll be sharing fun tips, ideas and inspirations.

Printable Retreat Workbook - print off the workbook to fill out and use as your guide for your at-home retreat. 

Private Facebook Group - connect with your fellow retreat participants and share your progress in the group just for our retreat. 

For complete details and to register for the retreat click here.  

Online Retreat Scholarship

I'm giving away one registration for the retreat to someone who is in financial need. 

To Enter: 

1. You must have a financial need and not be able to afford the class. I'll leave what qualifies as need up to you, you know your circumstance better than anyone. This is on the honor system, you don't need to share any details or show anything to qualify to enter. 

2. You have until September 30th to leave a comment below to enter. I will draw one random comment using Random.org to pick the winner on October 1st. 

3. Make sure I can easily contact you via email to notify you if you win. 

Please share this post if you know anyone who would like to sign up for the retreat or if you know someone who would like to enter for the scholarship. 

Wire Oval Earrings Project & Giveaway Winner

Need another earring inspiration? This one uses steel wire and a tiny spacer bead to create earrings that pack a punch!

Supplies:
8-10mm polymer clay spacer beads
50" annealed steel wire
2 gunmetal earwires
Steel wool and Renaissance Wax

Tools: 1" wooden dowel, wire cutters, round and chain nose pliers.

Prep your wire:
Run the steel wool down the length of the wire, varying the amount of polishing as your go up and down the wire with the steel wool and seal with light coat of wax. 

Directions:
1. Cut 25" of wire. Leave a 4" tail on one side of the wire and start wrapping the wire around the wooden dowel, wrap 5 times. Position the wire so the ends are on the top, and squeeze the sides of the wire to form an oval.
2. At the center of the top of the oval, wrap the smaller wire around the ovals three times to secure them. Pull the small end of the wire straight up.
3. Wrap the longer end of the wire around the small end of the wire and create two tight wraps. String on the spacer bead, trim excess wire and create a simple loop at the top of the spacer bead. Continue wrapping the long end of the wire several times under the spacer bead to fill in any gaps.
4. Open the loop at the top of the earring and slip on the earwire, close loop. 

 

Resources: Humblebeads: Tiny Peacock Spacers

 Steel wire: Ace Hardware stores. 

Earwires: Rings & Things.

Thank you to everyone who played along last week and pinned their favorite earring designs. By the power of the random.org generator the winner is Catherine Vrchota. Catherine, please email for your $30 gift certificate.

And because I so appreciate everyone else playing along last week, if you pinned 3 or more pairs of earrings email me for a special $5 gift certificate to use on your next order. 

Ombre Necklace

This was an experiment I whipped up this weekend.  I wanted to try something that was a little modern and was definitely influenced by the ombre and color spectrums I've been seeing on Pinterest lately.

I created a set of disk beads in a green, teal and purple colorway using my willow, birch and floral designs for each bead.

I then fashioned a chain out of steel wire.  I love that every part of this necklace was created by me, from the beads, to the chain - even the jump rings and clasp.  (There are some tiny nickel seed beads tucked in between the disks.) It's amazing what you can do with wire.   

I'm working on designs for fall and holiday shows.  I would like to have a line of jewelry that I offer on a more regular basis. 

Sometimes I miss making jewelry and selling at shows, that is where I started when I was in art school.  Jess and I would do shows together on the weekends.  I miss those summer Art in the Park events, meeting customers, visiting with other artists, spending the day outside - hopefully under a canopy of trees and with a fresh cool breeze.  Yep, miss those days! 

In between the weekends of the big shows we'd set up for a few hours at the farmer's market - mixed in among fresh flowers and an abundance of zucchinis, crisp green beans and juicy tomatoes.  And then as September came we would enjoy our weekends in churches and high schools, selling at holiday shows until December.  Those were fun and simpler times.  Doing those smaller shows definitely have their place when paying your dues and building up your client base.  We sort of out grew the 'crafts-on-a-stick' shows while living here in Texas.  I know now to focus on shows that feature art work and higher end crafts. 

How about you - do you do shows?  What are your favorite types?  I still like shopping at all of them!