Pick of the Day

My pick of the day is in honor of my son the rugby player who is dealing with some health issues and will miss the upcoming season. This card is from FranticMeerkat's shop. Click on the link above or go to www.franticmeerkat.etsy.com. I love this!

B&B Jewelry presents The Killer Bs

Hello all, I haven't posted in awhile. I've been busy with family, work, the home, the dogs and of course crafting.

I realized my jewelry has gone in two very distinct directions and I found my original Etsy shop seemed a bit cluttered. My solution to this was to create a new Etsy shop.

Some items you will find in both my shops:

Sunday August 9 was Marda Loops Marda Gras street festival. I had a table set up but it turned out to be a rather disapointing day for sales. On the plus side I got a lot of great feedback on my jewelry and ran out of business cards so hopefully people will remember me at Christmas time! We couldn't have asked for better weather and it was an enjoyable atmosphere.

CN

Sneak Preview

I have some new items going to White Raven Emporium in August but I thought I would give a sneak peek as I'm so excited about them. Both the necklace and the bracelet use Swarovski crystals and the necklace has a sterling silver chain and pretty heart toggle closure.









The necklace is double-sided with a different colour of the Warhol print on the other side. I am working on a number of pieces and should have them ready to go in a couple of weeks!

CN

Pick of the Week

Once again I have two picks.

The first is not just one item but a shop. Check out http://www.porkchopshow.etsy.com/.

A sample of his work:

My second pick is from an Alberta Team Member. This beautiful necklace is from http://www.themegshop.etsy.com/

Getting my Stuff Out There!

It's been a very busy few weeks for me and I'm very excited about things!

I met a wonderful lady at the Lake Chaparral Stampede Breakfast and craft sale who runs a shop out of Irricana called Mink and Manure. Jennifer was very interested in my jewelry and you can now find my western pinup pendants exclusively at her shop and through the trunk shows she brings to people's homes. Thanks Jennifer! Click on the link above to go to the Mink and Manure website.

I also found some jewelry and handmade friends in Sarah and Cheryl.

Cheryl is the proprietor of White Raven Emporium in Didsbury. She has added a number of my pieces to her wonderful store and she and Sarah gave me some great advice about my work. Thanks for the boost of confidence Cheryl! I think I did most of my Christmas shopping while I was in White Raven, love those birdhouses! Come to Didsbury and check it out, 2019 - 19th Avenue.

One of the things that both Cheryl and Sarah spoke to me about was how to price my jewelry. I knew that I was underpricing my items considering the time, effort and materials that go into every piece but I was afraid of pushing business away. They both made me realize that if someone wants a one of a kind (yes, one of a kind, I don't mass produce anything, I make one and then break the mold!), handmade pendant or charm bracelet then they will appreciate the work and uniqueness of the item and will pay for it. If someone wants a bargain there are many places they can go to purchase mass produced jewelry.

Sarah Moore also has some of her work at White Raven Emporium and her work will be seen at Alberta Fashion Week October 4 - 10.

Go to www.albertafashionweek.com and look for Datona Designs.

Way to go Sarah and good luck!

I'm still working my Etsy shop but have taken most of my items off the active list and am working on better pricing and new pieces. I am working on some really fun pieces and they should be starting to appear over the next 1 - 3 weeks.

CN

Pick of the Day

I have a couple of picks of the day. I thought since I talked about animal cruelty in my last post I would pick some items from Etsy for Animals team members.
















This cute little puppy photo is from http://www.candyandpuppies.etsy.com/
























These beautiful prints are from http://www.pawprintsproject.etsy.com/

Yeehaw! It's Stampede Time!

I have a love/hate relationship with the Stampede.

I'm a native Calgarian and have never missed the Stampede. I go every year, I go on the rides, I play some games, I eat the corndogs and the mini-donuts. I love it! I love the atmosphere in the city for these 10 days. I love the free breakfasts all over the city and the party feel.

However...

I don't like the rodeo, I think it's a horrible display of animal abuse, same with the chuckwagon races. I'm tired of the cowboy mentality. Calgary is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city but all we are known for is being a bunch of rednecks. I think the way our newcasters play dressup and report about Afghanistan is silly.

I would like to see the Stampede be just a part of our city and one of MANY reasons to visit. I would like visitors from around the world to know there is so much more to my hometown than corndogs and animal cruelty.

CN

Summer Movies!

I love summer movies! At the beginning of the year you get all the bad movies that were not worthy of Oscar mention. In the spring you get a few good ones and some indie films but no big blockbusters as they are waiting for the summer and starting in September you get all the Oscar contenders which can be a bit too serious sometimes. But summer! You get big budget blow 'em up movies, silly comedies, action and more action, fun kids releases and check your brain at the door nothing but a good time movie. Ahh summer...

We saw Star Trek (I think I've mentioned that already) and that started the summer movies off with a bang! Can't wait for Transformers and Public Enemies (Johnny Depp anyone?).

The last one we saw was The Hangover. Another great adult comedy. I'm so happy that film makers have started to realize that people over the age of 25 want to see a good comedy. Thanks to Judd Apatow for starting this trend! The Hangover was a great laugh.

I did however have a complaint and this was not the first movie (I doubt it will be the last) where this has come up.

This idea that men should fear marriage, that life will be over when they marry and the whole bachelor party weekend is the last time they will ever have any fun is ridiculous and I wish writers would stop this. First of all marriage ain't a walk in the park for the woman. In the real world if you don't want to get married then don't. Despite what movies would have us believe women do not spend day after day hoping for a marriage proposal (not the sane ones anyhow) and when we do get married we don't turn into screeching witches who won't let her husband out of the house.

That's my complaint but it certainly didn't make the movie any less enjoyable. It did bring up some discussions and I even made my point to my son so he doesn't think this is how it really is.

Enjoy the sunshine and popcorn!

CN

Pick of the Day

I love this vintage Snidely Whiplash figure from the Vintage Connection. This shop is a lot of fun to look through.

We Have Some Crazy Weather...

Woke up to snow yesterday. Walked the B's today and put on and took off my coat so many times it was funny. I think I got a sunburn and got hit in the head with hail at the same time! Gotta love Calgary.

At least the weather this weekend has kept me inside and I've had a chance to list some Etsy items. I have been working on these for awhile now and seeing Star Trek again made me want to get them out there.

I had some fun with this one. I've had clown issues since I saw the movie Poltergeist. You remember. The clown doll tried to kill the little boy.

Anyhow, Spock Days in Vulcan next week and then I am in a Stampede kick-off craft show in Lake Chaparral so I'm getting ready. Should be lots of

fun!

CN

Pick of the Day

This is from the shop of ArtbyTrudy:

I don't know how but I think Trudy has seen my house!

Click on pick of the day to see more of her artwork.

Bragging About my Kids

I've been focusing on the family...

My son Chris has had a successful rugby season at school. Not successful for the amount of wins but for the overall effort he made and the teamwork he learned. They finished off the season with two wins and now we are off to the playoffs.

Chris is the big one on the right!

We also celebrated my daughter Liz' 18th birthday on the weekend!

Happy birthday Liz!!!!!!

My Mum came up from Lethbridge to visit and for a late Mother's Day celebration.

We took her to the Shooting Edge for some target practice. She did amazing! Me, not so good and now I'm off to the optometrist to find out why I couldn't focus on the target.

I have a great fear and respect for guns and would never consider owning one but I have to say it is quite the experience firing one. This was my second time at a gun range. The first time was in Las Vegas firing machine guns that are not even allowed in Canada and this past weekend was my first experience with hand guns. I have a feeling though that as far as Mum is concerned I may have created a monster!

CN

Pick of the Day

This item is a mix of two of my favourite subjects, Zombies and Robots. You can find it in Bolts and Bots Etsy shop...

Enough is Enough, No More Snow!

Seriously, it's May 20, it's time for some sunshine and warmth. I've had the fireplace on most of the day and I put a winter coat on to walk the dogs. This is so depressing...

Ok, enough weather talk.

We went to Chinatown on the weekend and along with the bubble tea I picked up a bunch of little Kawaii items that I am working with. Posted my first item a couple of days ago...

The Lucky Cat is a little jingle bell and is surrounded by Chinese coins. This bracelet turned out really well and I'm very pleased with it.

My daughter Liz and I are going back to San Francisco this summer. I love wandering around Chinatown in that city. It's certainly a lot bigger than our version. Last time I was there I picked up a bunch of Lucky Fish and made this bracelet:

I can't wait for our next trip to see what other goodies I can find.

Here's hoping for some sunshine tomorrow!

CN

Pick of the Day

Western themed items don't usually catch my eye (maybe because I'm born and raised in Calgary and see it all the time), they have to really stand out for me to take notice and this item from BouncingOffTheWalls shop sure did...





Very cute and colourful, I love these drawer knobs!










A quick thank you to MyGrandpasPen for the custom card. Thanks so much!

CN

What's Happening in my Town...

The Calgary Roughnecks won the 2009 NLL Champions Cup. They beat the New York Titans by a score of 12-10. This is the second time in franchise history that the 'Necks have won the Champions Cup and I can proudly say I was there both times. If you've never checked out an NLL game I would strongly suggest getting tickets for next season. The games are fast, rough and loud! Lots of fun and it's still affordable!

Yesterday we walked the B's at Princes Island Park in 24c temperatures and sunshine. Today is cold and wet. Oh how I love Calgary and it's weather!

My garden looks lovely though and yes I have a garden gnome....

We've been enjoying many of the theatre that Calgary has to offer. We recently saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Theatre Calgary, we will be seeing Evil Dead the Musical soon and I just got my tickets for the Lion King in August. We also took in Alberta Ballet's production of Alice in Wonderland. I feel very lucky to live in a city that offers so much. I was disappointed that I missed Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra doing the music of Led Zeppelin. That would have been awesome!

Just a couple more weeks until Spock Days in Vulcan! I will be introducing some new items shortly to go along with it. Stay tuned for the unveiling!

CN

Pick of the Day

My pick of the day from Salonskacollection's Shop:

I love the rich colour of this necklace. So elegant!

CN

Read Any Good Books Lately?

Anything exciting, sad, cheesy, adventurous? I know there are winter readers and summer readers. Some people like to read all year long. I'm a bathtub reader, any time of the year. I have a stack of books that is taller than me of titles I've yet to read and I keep buying more books.

I've recently finished The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill and The Birth House by Ami McKay. They share a couple of things in common. One is a strong female narrator and the other is a location of Nova Scotia. The Birth House takes place entirely in Nova Scotia while The Book of Negroes has Nova Scotia as one of a number of settings. I would recommend both of these books, I was sorry to see them end. I am now reading Born Standing Up by Steve Martin which will be a mood change from the previous two.

If anyone has a favourite book they would like to recommend let me know. I'm always looking to add to the growing stack. My reading had stalled for a while last year. I got distracted with crafts, television and tabloid magazines (I know, I know). I made a promise to myself to put other distractions aside and take some time to read one chapter each night and I realized how much I missed reading. Nothing compares to hearing the words in your head and seeing the setting in your imagination, the faces of the characters. I have read some books where I feel as though I can smell the air around me.

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! Did anyone get any books?

CN

Pick of the Day

I love the colours MyGrandpasPen uses. Beautiful!

Click on Pick of the Day to see more.

CN

Bitch and Moan

I spend a lot of time on the Etsy forums. I read a lot but don't add too much unless I have something of interest to say. One thing I've noticed is that people like to complain...a lot. There are pages devoted to discussions about what is the point of people heart-ing you and spam and is it ok to convo someone to tell them you like their shop and is that spam and someone uses the wrong tags and should I tell on them and on and on and on. I've come to the conclusion that there are a lot of grumpy people out there. Go see the new Star Trek movie, that will cheer you up.

Ok, that's my rant for today, sorry about that.


Oh, one other thing I read. Should people be promoting their Etsy items on their own blog? Well it's my blog and I'll promote if I want to:

My new purple bead bangle. Thank you, thank you very much.

CN

Pick of the Day

I couldn't limit myself to one item from this shop so the whole shop is my pick. I love the vintage images.

Click on Pick of the Day to go to Myfathershouse4.etsy.com

CN

Summer is on it's way!

The sun is shining, it's getting warmer outside and summer is on it's way!


Some things I'm looking forward to:


Working in my garden
Mowing the lawn
Taking the B's to Sandy Beach


Some things I'm not looking forward to:


My sore back after working in the garden
Green feet after mowing the lawn
The small of wet dogs



The Bruiser B:

CN

Pick of the Day

I've recently joined the Alberta Street Team on Etsy. You can find us by searching Alberta Team.


I love this item from Short Bus Stuffies:

Click on Pick of the Day to see more from Short Bus Stuffies shop.

CN

Working Hard

I've been working on a bunch of new pieces and will be getting them on my Etsy site shortly. For now here is a sneak peek:



I've been using some very pretty porcelain beads, glass beads and some resin pendants that I've found. I have a one more 'geek' item coming up and I'm anxiously waiting for some deliveries of charms and other items that will make for some very interesting pieces.

The new Star Trek movie opens this week and we are so excited to go see it. I made an awesome Star Trek necklace using Minimates toys. I gave it to my Trekker neighbor who is going to show it off and also test out the wearability. If it works out for her I will be making more to show off at Spock Days in Vulcan Alberta which is held the second weekend of June.

One more item for today:

Go Roughnecks Go!

CN

Pick of the Day

Who doesn't love a sock ninja? From uppitywomandesigns.etsy.com.

Zombies!

So I said I was inspired at the Calgary ComicCon and here it is:

Liz (my daughter) likes my blog but says it's a bit amateurish so watch for changes to happen as I learn the ropes. I did warn you that I was new at this!

Did anyone hear that the Flames are out of the playoffs? Nuff said.

CN

Pick of the Day

Keeping with the geek theme. I love this little robot.

Click on pick of the day to go to sage12888's shop on Etsy for more info.

CN

Evil Dead The Musical

We went to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Theatre Calgary today. It was a lot of fun. Next we get to go see Evil Dead the Musical. I got the kids tickets to the splatter zone! They are all going to wear new white t-shirts. We'll see how bloody they are after the show. Should be a good time.

I've been working on some geek-jewelry. Should be up on my Etsy page sometime this week.

In the meantime some other geek-wear:

My Robot Love necklace.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23914726

CN

Pick of the Day

The Big Lebowski is awesome!

From Alt Cross Stitch by Spamberly. Click on pick of the day to see the Etsy shop.

Go easy on me I'm new at this

Welcome to my first post on my blog. I wish my daughter was here to help as she is the expert! We went to the Comic Book Convention today and she is still there. I found new inspiration for some jewelry.

So my main point for starting a blog is to showcase my Etsy shop and also to show some items that have caught my eye and given me inspiration on Etsy. I hope you enjoy and I would love to hear some comments.

CN