A Fine Fall Day

I guess a heat loving person would cringe to think that I have deemed the remaining days of summer as autumn days. After waking up this morning to a dry, crispy 52 degrees, how can I not think of my most cherished season? With the stove ablaze to warm up the chilly floorboards, my kitchen duties focused on cooler temperature activities. Today: chocolate biscotti. Tonight: chicken stew. Tomorrow: homemade mac and cheese. The kitchen is a soulful place when the oven is on and good aromas abound. I do hope the sweet, days of summer gracefully take their leave and are replaced with fruitful fall.

Inspired by this good weather, I devoted much of this morning to my Etsy shop. I listed a few more items, cleaned up some older listings, and planned a course of action for the upcoming holiday shopping season. I'll be stocking the shop with affordable earrings and pendants

for certain.

coral stack pendant

oval filigree hoops

coral stack earrings

Other fall and holiday events in the works, my first ever GIVEAWAYS! We all love giveaways, and this is the very best way to say 'thank you' for staying with me, reading my many, wordy postings, and commenting, too. Look for the first giveaway next week!

New Listings!

Sterling bangle with vintage button charm

Sterling dainty circlet pendant

Sterling ring with vintage button... oh glorious pink!

A revamped website, new work, and cooler days...

Gosh, when the weather is hot and sticky, my motivation comes to a slow crawl. I managed to get a few custom orders finished and in the mail, but that was all I could muster in the past few weeks. Thankfully, the days are drier and motivation has returned from her sultry Caribbean vacation.

First on the list was the Quench website. Launched a year ago this week, I enlisted my dear friend to design the site. He endured endless phone calls from yours truly who badgered him and insisted on minute changes. What a horrid client! In the end and many glasses of white wine later, the website was finished and I was pleased. However, over the year I found it difficult to make changes to a site that I did not design (understanding the program he worked with was near impossible). With my new Macbook and 2 sessions at the Apple Store, I revamped, recreated, and relaunched my website!

Feeling rather geeky and techie, I designed and created a wholesale catalog for the Vintage Collection. I sent it to a customer today only to realize later that I forgot to price a row of earrings. My new mantra: proofread, proofread, proofread.

Above are some new items (new within the past 2 months). All vintage/antique buttons, sterling silver, and a smattering of 18k gold!

This Week's Doings

Ah, chipping away at the to-do list! Finally, I shipped this consignment order to OOP! in Rhode Island. Now, I am working on 2 custom orders, more inventory for my next show, and squeezing in a bit of yardwork here and there. Be gone, cursed crabgrass!

A impromptu trip to Peaks Island on Tuesday proved to be a much needed mini adventure for our family. We enjoyed a pleasant ferry ride, a hearty lunch, cold beers, and scenic views of Casco Bay on the veranda at the Inn on Peaks Island.

We hope to explore our Maine some more this month before school starts!

Things I Want

Enameling supplies...gotta learn the technique first.

Drawing bench...to effortlessly draw down wire to smaller gauges.

Hoop mandrel. I don't really need this , but I lurve mandrels!

A collection of stamps...for frippery.

These cooler than Zeus binocular magnifiers. My eyes are just not what they once were.

New Work

A few new items that will make their way to my Etsy shop in the next week.

Reclaimed vintage boot buttons and sterling earrings

Upcycled vintage mother of pearl button pendant in sterling silver and 18k

My signature earrings in sterling silver

Upcycled carved antique mother of pearl button pendant in sterling and 18k

Trio of vintage mother of pearl buttons brooch in sterling silver and palladium

My first outside, 2 day show...all over! Honestly, I am exhausted. For that reason, I will be short with words today.

Friday: set up... slanted venue, horrendous parking, lack of direction, forgotten tools. However, the tent was up, the heavy things hauled to the site by my husband, and we were finished ahead of schedule.

Saturday, Day 1: Rain, leaks, fog, wet feet, port-a-potties, sales (!!!), schooners, new friends, dogs, wool socks, excellent help (thanks Mom!), and a few odd people here and there.

Day 2, Sunday: Sunshine, warmth, dry feet, wind gusts, broken glass display, reorganization, sales (!!!!), more new friends, open tent, warm breezes, and gorgeous views.

All in all, it was a successful show. I had no expectations, made my booth fee and then some, received many compliments, and learned a thing or two about set-up, break down, and that force called wind!