I Never Travel Empty-Handed.

"Love me... Love my satchel." My friends know that traveling with me includes my satchel full of tools & bead projects. But hey, it's easier than a pet, right? So here's a visual log of my recent, 5some girlfriend trip - an annual event of non-stop gabbing, laughing, & games covering 800+ miles driving around the SW. Each jewelry creation comes with a story & lots of happy memories-- NO EXTRA CHARGE:)

While flying Seattle, WA to Phoenix, AZ:

While driving Phoenix, AZ to Laughlin, NV:

While driving Laughlin, NV to Indio, CA:

While driving Indio, CA to Phoenix, AZ:

While flying Phoenix, AZ to Seattle, Wa:

As an added bonus, I always leave a few extra beads on the floor of planes & rented vans as a tip.

Finding a Unique Niche

If you're a jewelry artist marketing online, welcome to the Online World of Crafty Anonymity. It's tough out there in the OWCA, unless Oprah discovers us. I'm still waiting...

Pierre the Pelican

Until then, what can we do to stand out from the crowd? For me an idea strikes literally in dreams or unpredictably when I'm just living my life. It rarely comes because I want it to. I find ZERO satisfaction in putting a new spin on someone else's unique niche. That's HER creative idea, not mine. For that reason I never graze through websites for design ideas or inspiration. My latest unique niche came, thanks to my friend Sheila from New Orleans (where I lived my first 27 years). She asked me to create 13 pendants depicting one "symbol" of either New Orleans or Louisiana. The medium & design brainstorms were left to me. My birthplace immediately inspired at least 4 unique designs (not counting Crooked Louisiana Politician), but Sheila quickly selected my sketch of a pelican in silver & gold wire outline.

And so Artsy Doodads was born -- a collection of wire-art critters & objects, custom made to depict each customer's "favorite thing." Doodads can be charms, pendants, earrings, bookmarks, knickknacks (on wire stands) for shelves, or Christmas tree ornaments! I've since created many Artsy Doodads-- including playing card symbols, pets, stylized crosses, flowers, birds, fish, trees. My favorites so far are the crab pendant & the surgically-separated lion earrings:) Oprah has many "favorite things." If you know Oprah, please tell her I'm sitting here with wire & pliers waiting for her call.

Le-oh!

The Pincher