Antique Garden Charms

Well, I guess it helps to network if you have a small jewelry business. I've been making jewelry for about 5 years now and adding new creations as I've gone along. Besides making jewelry I decorate antique bottles, make gypsy windchimes, mixed media pieces, needlework and my newest creation is garden charms.

When I was at antique alley last weekend I started talking to a woman in a booth where I bought an antique chandelier prism. I was telling her I was buying the prism to replace one that had been broken on one of my garden charms. She asked me what a garden charm was. I explained the best I could and she asked to see them. The next day I went back with a bag of my garden charms. She really liked my vintage-looking garden charms and commissioned me to make several of them for her to sell at flea markets. She gave me all the antique chandelier prisms she had and told me to use them to make as many charms as I could. Woo-hoo! I felt like a REAL small business owner! I've FINALLY realized how important networking is and that it's not so hard. I think sometimes us creative people who make things just don't consider ourselves legitimate businesses... at least I don't. I'm trying to change my frame of mind when it comes to my business.... first of all, that I actually do have a business. After this week I will now have my creations in two businesses (maybe more since one of the business owners said he knew more people that might be interested in my stuff.) Now I just need to get out there and show my stuff.

Does anyone else have the problem of marketing your creations? I'm really trying to overcome my fear of ... rejection? It's hard to create something and have someone not interested in it, but really... so what? I need to remember that there are plenty of people who like my stuff and are interested in buying it. I'm going to put myself out there this week and see what happens!

These are the pieces I was given to "create" with.

and...

here are some vintage garden charms I created....

I loved making these! I made nine of them in just a few hours.

Hope everyone has a wonderful, creative week~

Through my back door....

I took this a few days ago. It doesn't look like this today. It's been raining and it's kind of dreary.

I loved the rain... it made it cooler.

So ready for Fall weather!

Hmmm.... now that I'm looking at this picture again. My yard could definitely use a little sprucing up/maintenance. I also REALLY need to paint the railing. It would probably make a better impression on someone interested in buying our house... if we ever get someone interested in our house.

I just love the white blooms on the crepe myrtle and the purple blooms on the texas sage bushes.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend........

Antique Alley LOvE.....

It's that time of year again... time for antique alley.

My friend, Julie, and I usually go.

Our favorite spot is

Whipp Farm

We had a really good time this year. We didn't stay too long so we weren't exhausted and hot.

I saw a lot of purty stuff!

My FAVE of the day was this booth. I spotted it and pretty much ran over to it and started taking pictures. The first thing I said to the vendor was "I want to buy everything in this booth!!"

and ... I bought nothing :O)

Only because I didn't have any money. We talked for awhile about all her cool stuff and about blogging. 

 Here's her blog

Take a look at all her cool stuff that she makes....

I wanted this peace heart SO BAD!!!!

Just look at all the rusty goodness!!!

LOVE!

Tin letters... love those too!!

One day I WILL buy some of her stuff!!

I thought this was cute. I've seen these at Hobby Lobby with the natural wood and they painted it my new favorite shade of blue... aqua!! I'm thinking I might make a trip to HL to get one of these and paint it the same color.

This was also a neat booth. They had rocks and metal work animals.

Cute turtles

An army of ants

This was a very cool dragon made of metal.

People just amaze me with their talents. I would love to go to people's

work spaces and watch them create their art.

I want a fountain like this in my backyard.

She reminds me of a fountain in a little courtyard

of a beautiful shop in Fredericksburg.

I fell in love with the shop and the courtyard fountain!

Aren't these the cutest things ever?

If I'd had money that day I would have definitely bought one of these!

Now I'm wondering why I didn't get peoples business cards!!??? I'm pretty sure this lady

sets up every year so maybe I'll see these little cupcakes again.

And this is what my dear friend, Julie, (who always pays for stuff and won't take no for an answer) bought me. I showed this to her because I really liked it and when I walked to another booth she was

VERY SNEAKY and hung around that booth and bought it for me when I wasn't looking.

Thanks Julie.

Healthy fruit or sugary candy??

  Ummmm.....  I'm thinkn' sugary candy!

Definitely sugary candy!

See! I told ya!

♥*¨)

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(¸.•´ (¸*´¨(♥ Happy Friday Everybody!

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What I Wore Wednesday... my first~

My first

What I Wore Wednesday

I found this through one of my many blogs I read

and it sounds like fun. I actually wore something besides

boxer shorts and t-shirts this week AND

put on makeup since I subbed 3 days this week and wasn't

just doing mom stuff around the house.

I've seen so many cute outfit ideas and I'm hoping it will inspire me

to dress a little better. It would help if I had money to update my wardrobe...

it's been awhile... a LONG while!

 I have two teen girls in the house so their wardrobe is usually updated

and not mine. I'll probably include them in the what i wore wednesday sometimes.

Linked to:

The Pleated Poppy

top: don't have a clue where i got it... i've had it a long time (like most of my wardrobe)

jeans: Old Navy.. i'm sure on sale

flip flops: pink sparkly flops, but don't know where i got them either

necklace: made by me, but didn't get a picture of it

wore to: substitute teach

hair: need a haircut REALLY, REALLY bad!

empty bird cage: free in front of someones house

top: Old Navy clearance

capris: Wal-Mart

flip flops: Wal-Mart $3.00... very squishy and comfy

necklace and bracelet: made by me

wore to: substitute teach

New stuff

Here are a few new things I've made lately... 

I'm pretty sure I'm keeping this bracelet. I'm always wanting a colorful bracelet

so I decided it was time I made myself one.  

I haven't decided if I'll keep this black and white one. I wore it to church last Sunday

with another black and white bracelet. Sometimes I just have to wear something a few

times before I can sell it :O)..... anyone else do that?

I'm such a procrastinator!

I made these garden charms months

ago. I had plans to take them to some local nurseries to sell or consign.

It's now Fall and I still haven't done it. I hope people will buy these

now... it would have been much better to sell in the Spring

when people are starting their Spring gardening.

I made some new price tags for them... the first ones I made were just... what's the word? .....

Not good.

Not cute.

Kinda cheesy.

VERY homemade looking.

Ugly.

These are cute. I think.

After the Rain☂ ☂ ☂ ☂

It flooded here today. So much that school was cancelled. The rain was so nice though.

My plants that were so wilted and dry now have new life.

Here are some pictures I took after the rain.

Wow... that's a lot of pictures, but everything just looked so beautiful and refreshed. I couldn't stop taking pictures!

☂ ☂ ☂ ☂