A Little Dresser Love!!

I have been slowly changing out all the crappy Ikea dressers that have fallen apart in our house over the last few years. I am finding that if I buy something old, it tends to be longer lasting and better made. So off I have gone scrounging the thrift shops and flea markets. Well a couple months ago I found...

Nothing too special other than the fact that it's funky vintage. I especially live that I paid about $10 for it! I wanted to do a plain white "chalk paint" look since it was going in my little girl's room. I am not 100% sure that I won't distress it a little bit, but for now I am happy with the way it looks. It is very shabby chic and Evie is thrilled!!

I am thinking for now that I will leave it this way and wait until inspiration strikes again. I think I may have to do her little night stand to match... It's the only brown thing in the room!

Here is a close up of the top drawer detail.

Kind of a sweet vintage touch. I like that this dresser does not need handles. Although hardware is never a problem for me to change out, I love the smooth fronts on the drawers.

So this project required a touch of sanding, a little scuffing to allow the paint to have a better grip. Once I cleaned off all traces of dust from sanding, I started layering thin coats of flat white spray paint. I must have done about 6 coats. Flat white paint had a tendency to have shadows, so you will need more coats. Do them thin and do more of them, this will help you avoid runs and will give you a nicer finish. Once everything was dry I did wax the runners do the drawers would move more smoothly.

That's it! Took a few hours and we are done!

Hope you share your projects with me 

Marie

M.I.A but not really

Too much going on as always. Sometimes I long for a quiet peaceful life and sometimes I crave the hectic one I already have. I like being busy, just not to the point where there is no room to fit in creating and the things I enjoy become a burden or a stress.

Having said that, I announced on Facebook last night that I need a little time off and a little time to regroup and reevaluate. So, the first thing to go is Etsy for the time being. That has been my biggest stress. No time to create, photograph or list and if by some miracle I managed to sell something then when the heck do I ship it!! Too much!

So, I'm not sure where all this is going. I know I will sell off some of my stuff and at least keep my favourite stuff to create for my wholesale accounts. I don't want to quit altogether, I just need to see what I need to keep and what I need to let go.

I have been doing some creative stuff. Working on fixing up some older furniture and reselling it.

This is the piece I started with. Bought it secondhand, made it a little more sturdy, sanded the top and stained it dark. I love dark stain! I wanted to do something different with the legs, so I covered the top and spray painted them ivory. It took about three coats to get it just right. Once the last coat had dried for about an hour, I added a coat of stain and wiped it off. The stain mixed a little with the paint because it was not 100% dry. It gave the legs a really antiqued look. I spattered a little stain on the legs to make it look even more rustic. I just love how it looks finished!

I added three coats of poly to the top so far and two to the base. It needs just one more on the top. Love it!! This one is pre sold already so I may have to make myself another ;)

Right now I have about a half dozen pieces waiting in the garage for just the same treatment so hopefully the weather holds so I can do a bit more.

Keep stopping in, I'm not completely gone, just taking a short break. I will hopefully be able to share a few more fun projects or experiences soon...

Marie

A little Znet Shows Style!!

Sometimes I just feel so darn lucky!! This is one of those times. I was contacted by Znet Shows about making some samples! How fun! I have been buying from these guys for at least two years and just love their products and prices! I never have trouble finding enough stuff to reach the wholesale minimum! lol

 I received a lovely little box full of treasures the day before I left to visit Heather Powers in MI. So, I packed up the treasures and took them with me!! lol

 So while I was at Heather's I created this necklace and thus discovered my love for Annealed steel wire!! Where have you been all my life!!! I used the starfish and clear crystals from Znet and transformed them into this!

 I then decided to gift this to my sweet surrogate niece Hannah <3 Love those two girls!!

 I also fell in love with making clasps out of the steel wire. OMGosh!! New love!! Made a bunch more after getting home. Did not know where I could find this wire before I left MI so I stocked up from at least 3 shops while down there! What a trip right Heather? I plumb tuckered her out, thanks Roseanne for driving us around! lol

 Everything else I made when I got back. The peanut beads were a gift from Heather, she had a ton and did not care for the colour. <3 What a great friend!! Our theme might be said to be "One man's trash is another man's treasure" ;)

 I made a series of these bracelets. I used buttons for the clasps, got those in MI too. All the crystals in these are from Znet Shows whether they came in the sample box or not.

 Love these dark blue ones! They went perfectly with these funky lampwork I got ages ago. {Trying to use some of my older stash before it really gets out of hand! Oh wait! Too late!}

 More of the Annealed Steel wire mixed with Znet's amazing dark blue round crystals and one of the faux seaglass beads I have come to depend on! This has been sealed with Ren Wax to keep the patina of the wire.

 I am certainly putting these peanut beads to good use! lol! This bracelet is very delicate and feminine. These are a great seller for me at my shows. Looking forward to seeing these fly off my table at the next market!

I did make a few simple earrings with these frosted dangles, I have some more complex ones I am thinking up for later.

I love that they sent me a few pairs. I still have so much to work with! So much fun!!

This one has a whole series of Znet starfish! I just had to put them together and they stand out so well! I used one of the starfish as a clasp, they are almost like a shank button at the back, making them easy to use this way.

These are my favourite of the earrings I made. I used the discs and added some simple seashell charms over them. They are delicate and sweet!

This is one of two strung necklaces I created. I really love these!! I used the seaglass and a Conch shell and used one of the funky lampwork beads in the center to bring the green and blue together. More annealed steel for the side clasp and a nice secure end for the peanut seed beads to attach to.

If you have stayed with me to the end, Thank you! I know it is a long post, but I hope you have gotten some inspiration from it all.
This last necklace I used another shell for the pendant and wire wrapped a mix of crystals and seaglass with another focal lampwork. The little chain of pearls is also from Znet Shows. Loved this one so much I gave it to my wonderful mother in law to thank her for being there for me and my family throughout this last difficult year. She has really pretty blue eyes and this necklace just looked wonderful on her!!

So last but not least, I created a simple blue linked bracelet with these frosted oval rings and wore some chain through it. I added a dangle from a short length of chain for fun.

So make sure you check out Znet Shows for a wonderful selection and pricing! You won't be sorry! I have tons of their beads and I use them in so many things! You won't be sorry!

Marie
 

Skye Jewels at "Dang Blessed"

My first serious wholesale order! I am so excited!! This is why I create!! I am just finishing all the packing up and I am almost ready to ship it off! This happened very fast, but I seem to be more creative under pressure.

 I am showing you images of some of the pieces that will be on their way to the sweetest little shop in Driggs Idaho!! It is called "Dang Blessed" and you can find them on Facebook! I hope you will take a moment to go give them a like!

 I am very pleased with the selection I am sending down. I think some may even be my best work yet! I adore this top necklace with one of my new Butterfly pendants, it is a really unique piece.

 I have some wonderful new lentil lampwork beads that I made that I am including in some of my new designs. Above is a mix of a few of my favourite artisan beads ;)

 Jerri, one of the owners of the shop, really liked the idea of my handmade pendants, so most of the necklaces I am sending have those as the feature. I hope the folks in Idaho love my wood pendant jewelry as much as the locals here!

 These new bracelets I have up so far all have my new lentil beads. I have a few I can list but I am thinking I will just use them. I really love the way they turned out :)

 I added some favourites to the mix too. Birds and trees and such. I think these will sell quickly! (fingers crossed)

 Jerri Loved my Sunrise bracelet, so I made a similar one for the shop. It's one of my favourites too, so you may see another one pop up in my shop or on my newly redesigned website.

I need to make inventory for my own website after this, but for now you get to enjoy seeing what will be available at "Dang Blessed" So if you live in the area, stop by and say hello, pick up a piece or two and share this new shop with your friends!

 Last one for today, there are many other pieces including a boat load of earrings making their way down, so don't miss out!! Nothing better than owning a handmade piece of art!

I hope to see it for myself some day, Idaho is not that far away...

Thanks for stopping by!

Marie
 

CLEARANCE SALE!! Both Etsy shops!!

 Just a quick note to let you all know that I am having a HUGE CLEARANCE sale right now!!! Both of my Etsy shops have items added for the sale. I have pendant bundles and jewelry on clearance and the deals are amazing!!

I have listed my older inventory that has been sitting around and I am practically giving it away! Most pieces are below cost!!

I hope you will take advantage of this and clear out my shops so I can bring you the newest and latest pieces!!

 You can find the charm, pendant and beads in my Supply Shop.

You can find all the deals on jewelry in my Jewelry Shop.

I hope you find something you like and at the same time help me make space in my studio for new creations to come out!! 

We are in a state of emergency here in Calgary and outlying areas. Flooding is extreme and a lot of places are being evacuated. This should not affect us, but if it does I will do my best to let you all know if shipping will be delayed.

Thank you so much!!

Marie

Busy week and a good Saturday Market!

So I have been keeping busy as always. I had a show in the beautiful town of Turner Valley on the weekend. It was sunny and wonderful and I met some amazing people! This was my booth and I got a lot of compliments on it. Very pleased with that. I wish there had been a few more people, but we worked with what we had and considering, we had decent sales!

I sold this bracelet to one of the lovely ladies that set up the Market. I wish I had more pictures of the pieces I sold, but most were so new I never had time to capture them. At least they are going to good homes with some very happy women :)

 I did sell these online before the show. I am really needing to work on my online sales, I just can't seem to get out of the stump! A couple sales a month are just not going to pay for the Mortgage! I just have to keep working at it and find a way...

 These are some of the new pieces I have made. I did sell the pretty bright summer necklace on the left, and the far right is available at "Home Sweet Home" in Inglewood. The rest I still have available.

 I also made a lot of new earrings, since I dropped so many off in Inglewood. I made lots of Gypsy style earrings and some patina ones with black brass on the following picture.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my new treasures, I am hoping to list a few of them in my Etsy shop, just need to find time! We are down to the last couple weeks of school and it's always a busy time.

Stop by again soon!

Marie

 

Did you Know...

Did you know that Skye Jewels uses only Recycled packaging? All packing materials are either made completely of recycled materials or I reuse envelopes that were originally shipped to me! The tissue paper that I wrap your jewelry pieces in is made from recycled paper. The little bags I put my handmade pendants and tiles in are from items I ordered.

What does this mean for you? You save on the costs of packaging that are normally integrated into the price of items. You feel good about knowing that I am doing my best to help the environment and that by ordering from me you are also helping! This also means that you will not have super fancy packaging from me. But do you really need it? I want you to feel special when you open an envelope that you have ordered from me, but to me the environment is much more important.

Another important note is that from Canada, the thinner and smaller the packaging the less it will cost you to have it shipped. This is why I won't ship in gift boxes. The cost of shipping doubles! I do my best to make it pretty in a little organza bag (Jewelry only) with my business card that I include a short note on the back of. 

I feel so blessed to be able to have this creative business, I hope that my efforts and my respect for the environment will inspire you to shop with me again and again!!

Marie

 

Heading to South Haven Michigan!!

I have added a few fun things in my shop the last couple of days and will be adding a few more things today if time allows. I made 8 new necklaces last night that I am getting ready to photograph. The pictures I am including today are some I just listed.

 I finally have more than just earrings in my shop. Earrings are just so easy to make that when I start making them I tend to make 10-20 pairs at a time. 

 I had fun making a series of new rustic bracelets a month or so ago. I have some at the Inglewood shop and now some in my Etsy shop. I plan on finding the time to make some necklaces like these when I return from my trip!

 This necklace on the other hand, sell almost faster than I can make them! As long as I have a show, they sell. I don't seem to have much of an online presence but I am working to change that. I am having my website redesigned by professionals and it should be ready soon. I look forward to listing new things on a much better website than I was ever able to make for myself.

 I posted these earrings on a blog post for Earrings Everyday, I hope you stop by and check it out...

If you have made it this far, here is the fun part of my week. I am flying to Chicago on Thursday morning and then taking the Amtrak to meet Heather Powers and take a class at her lovely Country home in South Haven Michigan! How fun is that going to be!! I am so excited I can barely sleep!

So in honour of my trip please use the code VACATION in my Jewelry Shop to get 15%off on a min $25 purchase! This coupon code is valid until Sat May 18th. It is also a fantastic value since I have new Wholesale codes in my Etsy shop and to get 15% you need to spend $300! So take advantage and have fun!!

I will try to post again before I go, but I have my hands full getting ready! So no promises!

Marie