Oh where, Oh where can you be? A shipping story.

When I first opened my Etsy store 3 1/2 years ago, I offered free shipping for my first 2 years.  Last year I finally had to include a shipping charge, however I felt that I did better than most by upgrading the US only shipping to "Priority" for the price you pay, therefore you will get it faster for your buck - and I have no intentions of changing that policy now.   

Now, I know that losing pieces is the cost of doing business - but lets face it - I'm not a big "Box" store that can absorb losses readily.  And that brings us to the new shipping policy. In comes The United States Postal Service.  After doing some lengthy research and pricing I have decided to  use their International shipping and insurance, with my European Union and Canadian customers only.  This increased cost for shipping will include  full insurance value on your items and give you the ability to track its location.   In the event you want to purchase more than one piece in the shipment the additional cost will be $1.00 (a break if you are purchasing higher end pieces as the cost of insurance through USPS is steep).

Having lost 4 shipments in the last year (one of them was almost $200.00) is not a good number.  Also, I have been getting complaints that I don't put "gift" on the customs tags.  Well, that's not legal.  I use the same Post Office every time I ship and the people know me.  In fact, the fine, if they catch you is quite large - so as the old saying goes:  Honesty is the best policy.  So, please don't ask me to put "gift" on your purchase.  I'll just have to give you a big sob story about how I don't want to break US Federal Laws:)

Anyway, I don't want this to sound like a big complaint against my Canadian and European friends - I really do value your business, really!  I just can't afford to ship to you without full insurance and tracking ability.  Thank you so much for your understanding.  If you have any questions about or requests about alternate shipping options if you live in Canada or Europe (like self-insuring to save money) let me know - I'm happy to ship that way to you so long as you are the one taking the risk.

- Pink

2010 - A TQB Plan So Cunning You Can Brush Your Teeth With It...

...okay so it isn't exactly my words (Have any of you ever watched Rowan Atkinson in Black Adder)... Anyway, I do have some exciting plans for 2010.  I am developing new designs - actually started them this winter when I was in the midst of mania creating work for all my galleries.  I have "Stones & Bones" and "Hands & Hearts",  I have "Skulls" and "Flowers".  Seems to be a yin-yang thing going on with me right now.  Anyway, did I say I was excited already?

I will also reveal some new colors - these are some of the hot colors for the Spring:  oyster, delphinium, windward, nautical, and avocado.  I'm also bringing back some of my older colors making them new again:  cherub, hot pink, dill flower, and flame.   Of course I will have new color stories titled:  "As You Like It", "Hadrian's Wall" and "Cafe de Nuit".  All these inspired combinations are a direct result of my experiences and imagination: of the past - history if you will - and what I believe these stories, people, and places would convey if told with color. 

I would also like to let you all now that I am planning on doing more shows this summer (if the juries allow of course) in the Mid-West.  I so enjoyed doing the 2009 Mid-Summer Festival of the Arts in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.  I will be back there again this year and hope to get accepted into some shows in Michigan, others in Wisconsin and Minnesota before the summer is over.  I'll keep you posted on those developments.

On the flip side, because the bulk of my show time will be in the Summer, for those of you that live here/near Portland, OR, so far I don't have any plans to do shows until the Fall, so look for my work with my Retailers.  My first show for 2010 will be Art in the Burbs in Tigard - late October.  I will do one more show in December, but haven't decided which it will be.  I am trying to focus on my fantastic retailers more this year in order to get them fresh work more often.  They are tremendous and extremely loyal and I want to treat them right!  I have retailers in Charlotte, NC, Chicago, Il, Seattle & Olympia, WA and 2 in Portland, OR.

I also want to treat my Etsy customers better.  This last year was crazy-good for me on Etsy.  At one point I had 22 special orders between September and December and I wasn't able to list any new work.  I know that many of you were counting on me to list some new things in order to shop for the Holidays.  Without doing shows in the Spring, I will be able to make/stockpile more beaded rounds and therefore make more work to list in my Etsy store for your shopping pleasure.  Thank you so much to all of you that were sooo patience with me last year.  Your support continues to make my jewelry a success!

All that said, I hope that everyone had a fantastic 2009 and are looking forward to a fresh start with 2010.  I know I am.  And remember, as Coco Chanel said:  "The best color in the whole world in the one that looks good on you."  I hope I create that color for you...

- Pink

For me it's about the color - Bead Lesson No.2

I don't know if you can say that the beads I make are original, since many people out there can make beaded beads. I can say through years of trial and error, discipline, and perseverance, I have managed to create a practically perfect beaded sphere (or oval, square, barrel, disc) that is, in my opinion, my best vehicle for story-telling; for me the beads are all about the color, bringing them together in an original combination of shades. I imagine in color and associate memories with color, smells with color, ideas with color, feelings with color... you get the idea. In order to get this out of my system I work directly with color everyday, creating my jewelry designs. The beaded rounds I make are a means to an end and the metal work I do is the final touch to a color story about: unrequited love, Frida Kahlo, or the French Rivera. Each of my bead colors are chosen deliberatly as a symbol of something I know to be certain in my life or the world.

The unique and personal memories of me are what I try to convey in the work I make. Each color symbolizes a reaction, a longing, or a comfort. We all have these and convey them in different ways... mine just happens to be with color.

My newest and most popular color story right now titled Oaxaca is featured in my Etsy store: dijon, bronze age, chartreuse, mint, tahiti, tide pool, and charcoal. What story do you know that can be told with color?

- Pink

Confessions of a circles, dots, rounds, spheres - aholic

I am having the BEST time with this. I have always wanted to learn how to make my own beads and viola! - Thanks to Robin Epstein of Bunny Huggins - I am making all my dreams come true. Really, if you live in Portland you can contact Robin and she will give you some lessons on highly detailed metal-smithing and time saving techniques.

You will see that I have produced a beautiful bead made from my bead caps - and I have created a new simply beautiful earring that I think I'll call "smashed dot". I love making little dots and adding them to links, etc... this is could get way out of hand! Look forward to more of these - hopefully - this holiday season, but I'm not promising anything. My standards are very high and I have to make them to a certain level of quality before I will sell anything in my store. What can I say I'm a perfectionist:)

- Pink

Leveled to the ground - one of my Favorite Portland Landmarks

The Union Pacific Building always reminded me of home. Yes, on the way to the Peninsula of North Portland. Well - now it's completely leveled and the only landmark left is the big smoke stack. I'm so happy I chose this landmark as one of my photo projects in a photography workshop I took last year... so glad:)

I wonder what "they" did with that big Union Pacific sign and the letters... there was just something about that building - the industrial-ness of it all. It looks so empty there now... what are the plans I wonder, as I watched them disassemble it brick by brick and as one metal sheet after the other came down. Bye-bye.

- Pink

Thank you JMKAC Midsummer Festival of the Arts

I did find some time to make a few new things for the last show I did. I really wanted to do something unusual with my beads and found a secret stash of disk cores ( I had made these in the past many years ago). I was only able to make one pair of earrings and one pendant - and they were some of the first pieces to go, as was the new pendulum necklace.

So, this was a very successful show for me and as some of you may have heard already, I came away from this show with an Award: based on professionalism, originality, display, and quality of work (see, here I am in my booth) - and my husband did a beautiful job getting it exactly how I envisioned it I think:). Anyway, I have to say I was STUNNED! I wasn't at all expecting to be given an award - which allows me to come back to the show next year without being juried in or paying the fee. I'm excited already for next year... and I hope to get into a few other shows in the Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan area next summer - what a great part of the country! I had a spectacular time, the people were fantastic and I especially loved Milwaukee - it looks like it is in the midst of a resurgence and what an exciting time it must be to live there...

Thank you so much to the Judges at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center - I'm so glad you were able to see my vision of story telling through color and metal - it means so much to me. And thanks to all my loyal supporters out there - your words of encouragement and support are always appreciated and welcomed... really. xo

- Pink

Remembering what used to be...

Sometimes customers force me out of my comfort zone. I have a fantastic customer that lives in Asia and she really wanted a multi-colored bead woven pair of earrings. Well.... I had been there and done that many, many, many years ago - and just really love making solid color beads. However, because this customer is so super nice and always asks for special requests with much enthusiasm and joy (I can just tell over email that she is smiling while she types) - I relented. And I am so glad I did. I have to say I remembered how much I love making my "dappled" beads, as I used to call them, almost 10 years ago. Just tinges of each color coming together to make a story all their own on one bead.

Thank you so much Cindy - you keep me honest and continue the inspiration in my work. Look for more of these "dappled" beads in the months to come. They will be limited edition - so get them while they are posted:)