Discount coupon offer

Face book friend my facebook business page to receive discount coupons and updates. www.facebook.com/GoldenWaterJCM

For the shop "Grand Opening", face book friend the page and you can use coupon code FF10 to receive $10 off $60 purchase before shipping/tax. One time use.

I'm hard at work today. Finally I'm going to figure out godaddy "Quick Shopping Cart". I will get product up online today or be HAIRLESS...

Okay, i'm off to take pictures, write descriptions. Crossing figures all the uploading goes smoothly...

Tools Tools Tools in my Creative Workspace

 I consider I have two creative "work spaces". My mind and my 3D studio. My mind is pretty much constantly filled with ideas of new things I want to make. 'Course in  my mind, the pieces always go together the first time but in my 3D jewelry studio it's a different story.

I'm part of an awesome group on Etsy: Aspiring Metalsmiths. We've just started a monthly blog topic and this month's choice was to write about and show pictures of our work areas.

It's interesting to read that many of us work better when we pull a bunch of items into view on our desktops. It seems our creativity 'spark' is dimmed, (or we fear it will be) if we work in a neat straightened up environment. At least that's our "story" and we are sticking to it...In fact some of us are more visual processors and need to see the items all strewn about.



My jewelry studio, a small converted bedroom, is trying to give Michaels or Joann Etc a run for their money. Over the years in addition to jewelry making, I've dabbled in various other mediums: paper making, polymer clay, Precious Metal Clay. All of these have their big collection of "necessary" tools and equipment. (Seriously, now that I've started Golden Water Creations, I think I will be weeding out some mediums so I have more room for metalsmithing equipment.) Us Aspiring Metalsmiths are constantly drooling over tool catalogs...We love trips to Home Depot and Harbor Freight...Don't get us started on the price of Sterling Silver right now!!!

There are so many tools involved in the various steps of creating jewelry, that it is easiest if I keep them handy, which mostly means laying on my desktops. I have a handy carrying case from Southern Living for my hammers and my pliers migrate station to station in a stationary sorting container. See them on the right hand corner of this desk in the picture above? You can see my bracelet mandrels behind a vase my son made in high school.



I have several desks that I use for different processes and procedures for assembling my pretties: I have my sawing,forging, hammering, stamping area; my soldering station that is on wheels; my desk that I store my findings at so I can do the final assembly of the pieces.



my portable soldering cart



my bead storage drawers



In between my hammering area and the final assembly area, is a wire shelf system that is filled with plastic containers with 3 drawers each. I keep my bead collection in those drawers. I experimented with various ways of storing beads and for me, having them in plastic drawers works the best. They are arranged by color. At one point I thought I would have examples of the beads on the drawer fronts, but I've memorized where they are now. I've been collecting beads since around 1985!





To the right of my sawing, hammering area is where I store my glass enamels and other glass tools.

my enamel and glass storage

Another size of plastic drawers works pretty well for the enamel bottles.





recent bead purchases waiting to be bagged and placed in drawers

The picture above is the desk where I sit to assemble my beaded jewelry. More plastic storage drawers for all my findings and components. The shelves above have tools for polymer clay and Precious Metal Clay.
So there you have it, a condensed "straightened" version of my studio. I have another room for my fiber arts. I just close myself in these creative hideaways for hours at a time making pretty things. There are many more techniques to learn on my "bucket list"... Here's to a great time learning new things in 2011.
It's a wonder there is room for Ray, Sinbad and Holly!

Here's a list of my Aspiring Metalsmiths blogs. Take a look at their studio setups. We all love to make pretty things.

All Wired Up Jewelry Designs - http://allwiredupjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Brandy, The Frogs Pond - http://thefrogspond.wordpress.com/
Carole Axium - http://www.caroleaxiumdesigns.com/journal/
Clarity, Scrollwork Designs - http://www.thesquarepegnation.blogspot.com/
Esmeralda, SilverBlueberry - http://jewelry-by-silverblueberry.blogspot.com/
Heather, Misty Ridge Designs - http://mistyridgedesigns.blogspot.com/
Jessica Lopour - http://www.abellablue.com/blog
Joy - http://joypeckjoy.blogspot.com/
Nancy Creations - http://nancysjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Stacy (Form and Funktion) - http://formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com/
Steph Stargell Designs - http://stephstargell.com/
Sylvia Anderson - http://www.sylviaanderson.blogspot.com/
Lisa http://sandytoesjewelry.blogspot.com/

Some pics of my 1st Craft Fair Booth displays

I'm getting ready for another craft fair tomorrow but thought I'd pop these pics on quickly... I hope to do a better job with my display tomorrow. It's a learning process....

Hooray, Did my First Craft Fair

Finally the big day arrived: St. Mark's Holiday Bazaar on October 30th. My first ever jewelry craft fair... The first ever publilc viewing of my Golden Water Creations items. My shop was open for business after months of behind the scenes work....
Things went fairly smoothly setting up. Thanks to my huband, Ray and the two Cheryls who gave me a hand as I was running a little late. I enjoyed meeting the other vendors in my area.
I chose St. Mark's for my business launch because Ray and I were members there for many years and I knew I would feel at 'home' there. I had some nervous butterflies in my stomach anticipating the craft fair so I wanted  things to be familiar. It was great to talk to folks I hadn't seen in many years.
Due to a rain forecast, we were set up inside which I really liked. Overall, I was pleased with my set-up. There are things I need to tweak before my next craft fair in regards to my display and the jewelry items I make.
I get a kick out of my creations going to 'live' in a new home. It was fun to learn that some items will be under the Christmas tree for folks in Texas and Tennessee...My lips are sealed though.
This week I really hope to get http://www.goldenwatercreations.com/ filled with jewelry for sale plus I'm trying to get a space in another craft fair I learned of while at St. Mark's. If that works out I will be Torrance on Saturday... more details to follow.

Saturday's the Big Day

Well, October 30th is almost here. The first day I launch my business by setting up at the St Mark's Holiday Bazaar. 24027 Pennsylvania Ave, Lomita from 10-3... Hope you can stop by if you live locally..

I've been busy shopping for display items and finally getting down to the business of making jewelry.

Now it's a wait and see affair to learn if it will be raining that morning...
Makes it hard to figure out my display set-up because I don't know if I will be in a 10x10 area or limited to one six foot table..

Life is never boring...

I made some beautiful earrings using semi-precious stones I bought at the Gem Faire in Costa Mesa on Sunday: peridot, garnet, carnelian, amethyst, iolite. The colors just shine, the shapes of the stones are briolettes and faceted rondelles. They look like delicious candies.

Tonite I've been stamping out words for sterling silver bracelets and necklaces... dream, faith, love, trust, joy, hope are just some of the words..

Tomorrow is my last day to get ready.. I will be making enamel pendants and earrings.. Hopefully I will get necklaces made using some of my sea glass and beach stones..

oh and I will be working on my fabric flowers...

Time will tell what gets accomplished by Saturday but I will jump right back in on Sunday bringing to life the ideas crowding around in my brain...

Busy as a Beaver

Well, that's not a word so relevant in our society today. How many of us have even seen a beaver in the wild busily building a dam? I'm lucky to have seen them several times...They just keep cutting down trees, swimming over to the dam or lodge and shoving in the sticks, amazingly the sticks are the same length. How do they do that without a ruler?

That phrase "busy as a beaver" does describe my days right now as I progress with getting my website ready and open for business.

Plus I'm busy making the items I will have for sale at:
 St. Mark's Presbyterian Church in Lomita on Sat, October 30th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church is located at 24027 Pennsylvania Ave. I hope you can stop by if you are in the area.

These are some of the goodies I'm working on: enamel earrings and pendants in various shades of blue, orange, red, purple, plus copper and sterling silver earrings some with semi-precious stones. I also will have stamped word pendants. What special word has meaning for you: Hope, faith, dream, inspire....?

I hope to get some Thanksgiving table runners made using the nuno felt technique.
Well, this busy beaver better head back into the jewelry studio...my torch awaits..

Plans coming to fruition

Oh boy, after months of business 'stuff', the fun begins NOW with making items for my 'shops'. Too bad I have to take sleep breaks, I could just create 24/7...I hope to have my webshop stocked with goodies approx Oct 16th.

I learned alot of techniques at the Kentucky enamel workshop I attended Sept 25, 26. There were 20 of us from all over the USA. As usual, a pleasure to interact with other creative folks.

As always, my travels and nature inspire my creations. I made a quick trip mid-Sept trip up to Cayucos and Cambria, darling towns located along the Central California coast. If you haven't been to the Central California coast, the fall season is a great time to visit. Check out the Cayucos Chamber of Commerce site for info. http://www.cayucoschamber.com/
I especially love the scenic drive on Santa Rosa Creek Rd. The "interesting" road (at times it is barely 2 cars wide) goes through many different types of terrains and habitats. I saw a flock of wild turkeys this trip.

I took lots of photos during the 14 mile drive and while visiting some beaches. I like to photograph doors and bikes. I found both on this trip: a cute bike outside a Cambria business and a door in the town of Harmony, population 18. (okay, I think that might be a 'generous' count on the number living there)

I collected the 'cutest' naturally polished beach stones in Cambria. Some look like prefect cabochons a lapidarist would do. The stones on the beach were so colorful, they reminded me of Lake Superior, Michigan rocks: blue, green, white, red, black. I might even have found several moonstones. The area is famous for moonstones, although technically the stone isn't a 'true' moonstone.The plan is to use the tiniest blue ones (I believe they are jasper) on some earrings.

I will be drilling holes in sea glass and beach rocks for necklaces and bracelets. (Did you know I LOVE! power tools?! Harbor Freight and Home Depot are my kind of stores...)

We've had some wacky weather the last 2 weeks. 113 degrees and then rain a week later... I hope y'all are enjoying a beautiful Fall day in your area.