Holiday Gift Giving Season

I did a little Christmas shopping this weekend and was mostly disappointed with the items I came across. The same old cheap junk we see every year, but more of it! I guess the recession has caused retailers to cut back on offering good quality, beautiful things. That is where Etsy can fill the void. I think this year, we should declare a Handmade Holiday! There are a ton of talented Etsy Artisans offering beautiful handmade things. If you have a shop you would like to promote, post it here. I will do my best to promote your items through Twitter and Facebook. Hopefully, we can work together to encourage more handmade gift giving that offers so much more thought and meaning.

I will start:

http://joyfulgrrljewelry.etsy.com

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and fans of Joyfulgrrl Jewelry. I am so thankful to all the creative people I have met over the last year or so and have recently been reflective. There is no better time than now to express my gratitude to those who have supported my jewelry endeavors and inspired me to try new things. I just hope to continue to learn and grow and have more opportunities to be inspired by you. Thank You!

Holiday Extravaganza - Dec. 5th!

Check out all the details on Facebook!

Holiday Open House with Elegant Jewelry Designs

Holiday Open House

Featuring

Elegant Jewelry Designs &

Joyfulgrrl Jewelry

At the home of Louise May

3389 S. Commerce Rd

Commerce Twp., MI

Sunday, November 15^th

1:00pm – 5:00pm

Start your Holiday shopping early with unique, handmade jewelry!

Joyfulgrrl Jewelry Going Retail

All my hard work this summer has provided me a couple new opportunities. One is being represented to retail stores. My rings are now being carried in a couple shops in the area and I hope to add more in the coming weeks. As more shops come aboard, I will list them on the right hand side of my blog site. Right now, I would like to offer a shout out to Absolute Gallery in Lansing and McDevitt's Hallmark in the Laurel Park Mall. Both will be carrying my rings this Holiday season. I hope you will check out either of these shops, if you are in the area. This is a great opportunity and I feel so blessed. Thank you to both for all your support!

Walled Lake Art Festival

Joyfulgrrl Jewelry and Elegant Designs Jewelry will be participating in the Walled Lake Art Festival this weekend. Come on down to the corner of Maple and Pontiac Trail to see us. This is a good time to get a jump on your holiday shopping!

Littlest Fan of Joyfulgrrl Jewelry

My Sunsational Summer Rings have been very popular with kids this summer. In both Plymouth Art in the Park and Milford Memories, I made lots of custom rings for kids! They loved watching me in action!!! :-)

Don't forget, I teach this technique at Michigan Bead Supply in Walled Lake. If you would like to learn, I would love to teach you, too!

Success in Ann Arbor

My rings were a big success at the Ann Arbor Art Fair back in July. Since then, I have made tons more to sell in Rochester! My new rings are cute and fun for fall!

Art Fair Set Up

This is a picture of the new set up I tried for Milford Memories. I am not sure if it was successful or not because it was a crazy weekend, weatherwise. I ended up having to move my set up around because it poured on Saturday and was so hot and humid on Sunday that nothing was working. I am debating whether to keep this set up in Rochester or go back to my old way of doing things. I guess I will know tomorrow...

Rochester Art & Apples Festival

I have been busy preparing for my final art fair for the summer. The Rochester Art & Apples Festival takes place this coming weekend, September 11, 12 & 13. I have decided to bring out a few of my holiday items for the early Christmas shoppers and have also made a few new wire-wrapped rings. I hope to see you out and about!

All in all, the 2009 Summer Art Fair season has been successful for me. My goal was to participate in one show per summer month. I participated in 5 shows total. I was able to meet lots of new people, great artists and introduce my jewelry to new customers. I think I made a lot of people happy and in the meantime had lots of fun! I have to admit that these art fairs are a lot of work. They are more work than I ever imagined! I have a lot of respect for those who do these shows every week and are very successful. I can tell you that most artists do not get the respect and appreciation they deserve. There is a lot of talent out there and I am grateful to art fair attendees who come out to appreciate the wonderful art and talent that is offered.

Thank you for a wonderful summer!

A Day in the Life of a Busy Beader!

I know, I have been bad! I have not posted to my blog in several weeks. As you know, I had a couple big art fairs in July and have Milford Memories coming up in August. Believe it or not, that is next week! NUTS! I have been working to restock some of my inventory, but still have a ways to go. If you would like a flower ring, but have not gotten around to purchasing one, you might want to get on it cuz they are going quick! They ARE a Summer Sunsation and may need to be retired at the end of this summer. You can still get yours on Etsy!

In between art fairs, I have been teaching classes at Michigan Bead Supply in Walled Lake. Pictured above is Denise, one of my great students! Denise has taken a couple classes from me, but her first was the Open Heart Pendant. I am writing to brag about her a little bit because since she took the class, she has made FIVE hearts! I cannot believe it! She has made different colors and sizes and is really putting me to shame. That's ok because I am so proud of her, she is doing a great job. She wants to make these pendants for Christmas presents so she has several more to make. I told her that before she knows it, she will be selling her wares on the side of the road like me. WARNING: Beading is addictive!

Inspiration

Crystal Ring

Inspiration can come from many different places for an artist. From our surroundings, from people watching and of course, other artists. I have to give thanks to all the artists I have met over the last several months who have opened themselves and their creative processes up to me. I am relatively new to the artist scene and I have definitely benefitted from the kind words and advice of others. I feel blessed to know you!

Maurice, from Michigan Bead Supply, is the artist who inspired me to design the ring above. Artists from all over town come by the shop to garner inspiration from Maurice. While there one afternoon, I asked him if they carry any beads with a center hole to make more rings. Maurice showed me several pieces, including these square crystals. I was not sure how the square would look at first, but I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did, because it looks amazing! I am thrilled with the result! I cannot wait to show it off this weekend at the Plymouth Art Fair, I think they will go fast!

Inspiration is an amazing state of being!!!

July Class Schedule at Michigan Bead

Photo by Scottie Magro Photography

July Class Schedule at Michigan Bead Supply

Whimsical Wire-Wrapping Class

Tuesday, July 7 @ 6pm

Learn how to use wire to sculpt out and create a beautiful bracelet! A variety of beads are wrapped with wire to form a unique piece of art.

Beadwoven Crystal Heart Pendant Class

Saturday, July 25 @ 1pm

If you like the “Puffy Heart”, you will love learning how to make this Beadwoven Crystal Heart Pendant! This fun project uses two different size crystals to weave a crystal heart pendant.

Join artist and designer Kelly Hoffman of Joyfulgrrl Jewelry to learn both techniques!

Call Michigan Bead Supply to reserve your spot today!

(248) 960-2216

Sign Up for My Beadwoven Crystal Heart Pendant Class

Beadwoven Crystal Heart Pendant Class

Saturday, June 25th 1pm - 3pm

$10 + the cost of materials

If you love this heart and want to learn how to make it for yourself, I will be teaching a class this Saturday, June 27th from 1pm - 3pm at Michigan Bead Supply in Walled Lake. Michigan Bead Supply is a great bead store in the heart of Walled Lake, Michigan. The people are great and so are the customers. You gotta stop on by! If you cannot make this date, no worries, I will be teaching another class Saturday, July 25th from 1pm - 3pm. Give Michigan Bead Supply a call and sign up today!

Michigan Bead Supply Co.

1123 E. West Maple

Walled Lake, MI

(248) 960-2216

Joyfulgrrl Jewelry Now at Deja Vu!!

I am so excited to announce that Joyfulgrrl Jewelry can now be found at Deja Vu in Franklin, Michigan. This is a really cute shop! They carry high end designer clothing and accessories at the fraction of the cost of department stores. I met Lisa Dunn, the owner, who was beyond cool! This shop is a gem in downtown Franklin Village and worth the trip.

32750 Franklin Road
Franklin Village, MI 48025
248-855-4567
Tue-Fri 11am - 5pm
Sat 12am - 5pm

http://dejavuresale.com/

Leon & Lulu

Last week, I dropped off a bunch of Sunsational Summer Rings at Leon & Lulu in Clawson, MI.  Leon & Lulu is an old school roller rink transformed into super cute gift boutique.  It is truly a fun place to be!  The gifts, furniture and accessories are all unique.  Even the bathrooms are cool!  Seriously, just seeing the bathrooms are worth the trip!

I am very excited for the opportunity to have Joyfulgrrl Jewelry carried at Leon & Lulu.  I think the fun and friendly atmosphere provides a perfect fit for my cute designs.  Be sure to check 'em out!

Leon & Lulu

96 West 14 Mile Rd.

Clawson, MI 48017

248-288-3600

Cool Customer!

Sunsational Summer Ring with Crystal Accents

All of my customers are awesome, but I have to share this great story!  I stopped off at Babies R Us this past Wednesday afternoon to pick up a gift card for our friends who just had a baby.  While I was in the checkout line, the cashier noticed the ring I was wearing and asked me about it.  Well, of course it was a Joyfulgrrl Jewelry original!  I told her I made this ring and that I sold them on Etsy.  Well, she declared right there that she had to have one!  Of course, I gave her my card so she could find the ring online and sure enough, she bought two!  One of both designs!  I thought that was so great!  Thanks Tammy!

Maple Days was a HUGE Success!

Photo by Scottie Magro of SEEDS Studio

Maple Days was a great success!  Thank you to everyone who came out for the festivities.  I met a lot of great new people, including lots of talented artists.  I would like to thank Scottie Magro of SEEDS Studio and Kim Szalay of Michigan Bead Supply Company for doing a great job organizing the event.  Both should be very proud!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Julie King and Gertie of Gertie Gear. Gertie is a sweet beagle and spokesdog for Gertie Gear, fantastic pet beds! These are handmade air beds with cute covers.  You gotta check 'em out!

Finally, I met Jill Hamilton-Krawczyk of Barrel of Monkeys.  Jill makes super cute buttons and button jewelry.  She is a graphic designer by trade and is incredibly talented.  

There are so many talented Michigan Artists and only a few were featured at Maple Days this past Monday.  You can find even more by visiting the Michigan Indie Crafters of Etsy (MICE) Blogspot.  This is the perfect summer to check out local art fairs and see for yourself all the talent Michigan artists have to offer.  Michigan summer art fairs are great places to see this talent on display.  I hope to see you out and about this summer!

So Excited!!

I am so excited for upcoming Maple Days.  I have been working hard to spread the word and have gotten some really great feedback from folks.  I hope to see lots of people out in Walled Lake to help support Michigan artists. It is gonna be a great time!

In the meantime, I have been working on some new items to debut at Maple Days for summer.  I am really excited about this!  Let me tell you, this one new item I have for you is perfect for women and girls alike.  I cannot share many details with you because I have not taken my pics yet.  But, once I do, I will definitely share.

Maple Days is a Week Away!!

Maple Days is only one week away!  That means the unofficial start to summer is near.  I have been working hard preparing new summer items to debut at Maple Days.  So, mark your calendar and come on out for the awesome event! Tents open at 9am and the Walled Lake Parade starts at 11am.  It's the perfect way to kick off summer with the entire family!

Demo Day at Michigan Bead Supply

I am excited to announce that this Saturday, April 25th @ 1pm, I will be at Michigan Bead Supply demoing how to make this whimsical wire-wrapped bracelet and crystal heart pendant.  I will start teaching classes for both pieces in May.  If you love jewelry and have always wanted to learn how to make cool pieces, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Come out to meet me and the friendly folks at Michigan Bead Supply.  While you are there, be sure to sign up for these classes!  I cannot wait to meet you!

Michigan Bead Supply

Address 1123 E. West Maple Suite #4 

Walled Lake, MI 48390 

Phone# 248-960-2216

Maple Days

I just returned home from a great meeting at Michigan Bead Supply with Scottie Magro and Kim Szalay.  Both women were super nice and super talented!  We spoke about many things including Joyfulgrrl Jewelry's participation in Maple Days in Walled Lake.  This is the first year Walled Lake will host an art fair during their Memorial Day parade.  It sounds like it will be a lot of fun and I look forward to participating!  Mark your calendars for May 25th and I will see you in downtown Walled Lake!

In the meantime, I look forward to getting to know the folks at Michigan Bead Supply over the next several weeks.  It is a really cute bead shop!  I noticed lots of unique items and am excited for the opportunity to check it out even more.  If you are a beader or just love unique jewelry, I encourage you to stop in.  If you ever thought about learning how to bead, Michigan Bead Supply offers a lot of really cool classes, so this is a perfect opportunity to start!

Michigan Bead Supply 

1123 E. West 

Maple Walled Lake, MI

You can also find Michigan Bead Supply on Etsy.

Prepping for the Summer Art Fair Season

I cannot believe it has been nearly 2 weeks since my last post.  I have to say, I definitely have to consciously make time for online networking and blogging.  Of course, sometimes I do have the time, but do not have anything clever to post.  I guess I will have to work on that!

In the meantime, I am happy to announce that I have been accepted to another summer art fair.  I will be participating in the 44th Annual Art & Apples Festival in Rochester, MI.  This festival takes place September 11-13, 2009.  I am excited to participate in this event, because it will be my first time.  I hear it is a beautiful show and September is a great time of year to be outside selling jewelry!  

Last summer, I got my feet wet with the Berkley Art Bash and Milford Memories.  This year, I hope to participate in even more shows.  Right now, I am still working on finalizing my Summer Art Fair Schedule, but until then, I will continue to post as news comes in.  For now, it is an honor and privilege that Joyfulgrrl Jewelry has been accepted to both Plymouth Art in the Park and Rochester Art & Apples Festivals.

Small Wins Equal Good Progress!

This week, Joyfulgrrl Jewelry has had a good share of great progress!  Last weekend, I participated in the 16th Annual Huron Valley Taste & Expo.  It was a great experience and I met a lot other cool artists!  These events are great opportunities for networking and meeting new people.  

One awesome person I met was Joelyn from Ardent Designs.  Joelyn and her family live in Ypsilant, MI.  She makes jewelry using fused glass.  Joelyn was telling me and her customers how she just got a kiln and started working with glass and how much she enjoys it!  She just added tie tacks to her inventory, which I thought were really cool.

Another cool artist I met was Ajay from Ajay's Lunch Box.  Ajay and her husband are from Milford, MI.  Her funky wire-wrapped jewelry designs are one of a kind.  You definitely have to check her jewelry out!

On Monday, Joyfulgrrl Jewelry was stalked on Etsy by EtsyStalker.com.  This cute site features very talented Etsy artists.  If you love Etsy, this is a website you have to check out.  You can also follow EtsyStalker on Twitter.

Speaking of Etsy, Joyfulgrrl Jewelry saw its first 3 Etsy sales this year.  Of course, I was doing the Happy Dance!  It is such a great feeling when something you create finds an awesome home and brings happiness to others.  I love it!

Finally, the best news of the week came today!  Joyfulgrrl Jewelry was accepted to Plymouth, Art in the Park.  Otherwise known as the Plymouth Art Fair, this is one of the big ones!  This year is the 30th Anniversary and it takes place July 10, 11 & 12.  This will be my first year participating in Art in the Park so I am super excited!  

$1 Off Admission for the Huron Valley Taste & Expo

This weekend, I will be participating in my first show this year.  The show takes place at Milford High School on March 29th from 11am - 4pm.  Below is a $1 off admission coupon you can print off and bring with you.  I hope to see you there!

Networking, Networking and More Networking!

Today, I signed up for the 16th Annual Huron Valley Taste & Expo which takes place the weekend of March 29th.  I hemmed and hawed about it a bit because I did not do so well at the few indoor craft shows I participated in during the Holiday season.  This one however, will give me some exposure to the Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce and a little bit of opportunity to network.  I have heard other artists mention the HVCC, but have not been to any of their events before.  I am looking forward to it!

My New Year's resolution for 2009 is to expand on my networking capabilities.  Networking with strangers is not a natural thing for me, so I am proud to say that I think I have done rather well with this resolution. Most people might be thinking, resolution?  I gave that up months ago! Normally, I would have, too.  However, being in the current situation of unemployed it is more of a necessity.  Right now, I am walking dual paths - find a new position in my chosen field and indulging my entrepreneurial spirit.  I have to say, this journey of transition has given me lots of opportunity to pursue both, but still no clear answers.  I like the structure of a 9-5 job but the creativity of making jewelry.  In other words, I like doing both!

My chosen career of Telecommunications is definitely a passion and something that I am good at doing.  I chose this field over 10 years ago because of the advent of the Internet.  Back then, the Internet was all about pipes and bandwidth, now, we are in the era of web 2.0.  Web 2.0 is less about bandwidth and more about content.  Since being laid off, I have had the time to learn so much about social media, which seems to be the main content driving the concept of web 2.0.  

It seems social networking is the way towards the future whether being an entrepreneur or part of an existing business.  The idea is using it properly to target customers and find the right people.  This seems to be the tricky part.  Especially if part of your target market is adverse to social media (more on that another time).  I believe Twitter is still in an early adopter phase where Facebook is more mainstream.  I have read that the growing segment of Facebook is the 30+ crowd.  This must be true since me (30+) and my mom and dad (50+) just joined in the last year.  I know this is anecdotal, but seriously it is true.  I am getting more and more requests from friends in the 30+ crowd for help in using FB.  Of course, I will be happy to oblige.  I may post more about that later.

At this point, I am still in the learning phase of social networking.  Like I mentioned before, I only joined Facebook in the last 8 months.  I started to Twitter only 2 or 3 months ago.  I joined LinkedIn when I lost my job.  I have not fully realized all their powers.  In fact, I am using resources from a local networking group called Motor City Connect to learn more.  I guess from a networking perspective, you could say I am covering all my bases.  I hope this is a strategy that pays off in the long run!  Next up...Search Engine Optimization!!!!

Another MIA Week

I am sorry to say but last week was no better than the week before in terms of blogging.  My week started out great because I was asked for a second interview.  I was so excited that I wanted to worked hard to prepare for the interview and I do my best.  My hard work paid off because the interview went really well!  Now I just wait...

Since I hate waiting around to hear about job prospects, I try to preoccupy myself with creativity.  I have a couple new necklaces to share, but still need to photograph and post them to Etsy.  Luckily, the weather has been amazing the last few days!  Hopefully it continues tomorrow so I can get some good shots to share.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

MIA This Week

I know I have been MIA most of this week from both blogging and Twittering.  While being an awesome jewelry artisan, I am also looking for a J-O-B!  I have spent the better part of 7 mos looking for employment. Although, I have had a lot of great time to focus on my jewelry, I do miss the structure of working.

This week, I spent most of my days networking and submitting resumes.  I finally had a phone interview this afternoon.  It went really well and I look forward to scheduling a face to face.  Looking for a job has so many emotional highs and lows, I just want to keep it cool.

Anyway, do not fret, after I go back to work, I will still work on designing the best jewelry ever!  That will not change.  I have sent applications in for several summer art fairs and hope to participate in them all!  I am learning I work better in a more structured environment.  Working online and on my own, I am less focused and less successful.  As someone once said, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person".  Without working full time, I am not busy enough to be disciplined and focused on selling jewelry.  Plus, I am also learning, I would rather make it than have to market it and sell it.  It is so much easier when it sells itself! LOL!

Esty Site Makeover

One thing I am learning through Social Media is how helpful other artists can be.  Yesterday, I reached out to BeadinBabe, another Etsy artist living in Michigan.  She offers beautiful jewelry and great advice!  I am so grateful to her!  As a result of her advice, I am updating my own Etsy shop.  I am hoping to offer more eye catching pics of my jewelry resulting in more traffic to my site.  There are lots of Etisans out there and it can be hard to learn how to stand out from the crowd.

Check out Joyfulgrrl Jewelry Online to see the transition!

Social Media 101

I have been learning about social media over the last few weeks.  There are so many different types of social media that it can feel somewhat overwhelming. The one thing I feel most comfortable with is blogging.  I always have lots to say!  

A few months ago, I signed up on Twitter and am still figuring out micro-blogging.  I am not convinced I am interesting enough to share random thoughts at random times in the day.  The idea is to network and build relationships.  Just like in real life, it can be a lot of work!

I am learning that the secret to being a successful social media-type is to invest a lot of time in it.  For me, this can be difficult and overwhelming.  It is about investing now for future pay off.  That is a difficult concept to remember in this instant gratification world we live in.  I have to keep this in mind when I get frustrated with the process.

Art Show Apps

I am so excited to report I just put my art show apps in the mail this evening.  I learned about a new show added to the Ann Arbor art fairs and decided to apply.  This gave me motivation to finish up all my apps, some several months early.  Feels good!  I hope to have a summer art fair schedule to publish soon!