Redoing a Purse Fix

 When I added that pretty shoulder length chain to my purse a few days ago I had 2 concerns:

1. Would it be comfortable on my shoulder?
2. Was it strong enough?

Well we have the answers:

1. If my clothing was a heavier weight then sure it was fine. If it was thinner then no, not really.
2. No it was not strong enough.

I did not think those little loops would be the ones to fail. They are super strong and can’t be yanked apart by hand! Back to the drawing board.

 

I searched around and found a byzantine style chain that I had picked up at an antique store of all places. I just removed the two ends of the clasp and it was good to go.

The chain was originally a very long necklace that would be looped twice around the neck. It made the perfect length for a shoulder strap.

 

I’ve been out on several trips already and am very happy with this new attempt. The bag continues to stay nicely closed and looks great. The feel on my shoulder is much more comfortable than my first attempt.

 Hopefully this is the end of the purse shoulder strap saga. A better solution for an annoying problem. (Oh, I will repair the original chain and put it to use for its’ intended purpose.)

 Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

 

Fixing a Purse

 I have a favourite purse, a cheerful red purse with a small strap, made by Love & Lore. Apparently their bags are all vegan leather and this one is holding up remarkably well. Any vegan leather I’ve had previously would break down within a couple of years. This purse is much older.

 

Over time the handle has been pulling on the horizontal strap that it’s attached to which causes the bag’s closure magnets to release and the bag to gape open. Not exactly secure.

The bag has clips on each end that a strap would be attached to but that disappeared a long time ago, so I decided to make my own strap.

 I used a brass chain that matched the colours of the loops and grommets, making it in a length comfortable for me.

I took it for a test ride today and the chain worked beautifully. The bag stays closed nicely and looks great. I was concerned that the chain might not be comfortable hanging from my shoulder but so far all is good.

A simple solution for an annoying problem.

 Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

 

Sorting Inventory

 My last post mentioned reorganizing and purging inventory. It’s been a busy process, including hunting down all the places I had stashed things away (particularly the products I was not happy with).

 I’m nearing the end of this process and am shocked at everything I found, including some upcycled inventory I had acquired but never sorted properly. These are for taking apart and doing further upcycling in my style.

 I decided to photograph the volume of items and here are the necklaces and pendants I’ve accumulated.

 

Let’s have a closer look:

 

Wow! Just a little right? (Some of the necklaces are stored in plastic bags to prevent tangling and stop tarnishing of the silver.)

 I have my work cut out for me to get these to folks who will love and appreciate them. I have my online shop and also continue to display and sell my products at Makers Market Store in Toronto, at 3069 Dundas St West in The Junction.

 I think it’s time to look at additional options, especially considering there are 2 trays of bracelets and as many if not more trays of earrings. I have my work cut out for me!

 Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

Redesigning Necklaces

 I’ve been doing some reorganization and purging of old pieces lately, items that never sold or where I was not pleased with the final outcome. Some were never even made available for purchase, I was just that unhappy with them. Several have been taken apart with a plan to repurpose as many components as possible. Others were given an update.

 As is my bad habit and impatience I did not take before photos so I’m going to attempt to simulate the look before modifications. 

There were 2 of the necklace below. The original drop (sitting on the fuzzy cloth) was removed from both but they were otherwise unchanged.

 

Each necklace was given a different focal drop to make them unique. Here is the first necklace.

 

Desert Rose 1

That lovely flower is a hand painted metal rose with a sealant applied to protect the surface.

 And here is the second necklace.

Desert Rose 2

This focal drop is 2 sided, with parts of flowers on one side and a sweet bumblebee on the other.

 

As for those original focal drops? They were incorporated into these new pendants, to which handmade lampwork glass discs were added.

 

Desert Ride

For this next necklace, you’ll have to use your imagination a little. It has been  completely reconfigured.

 

Midnight Magic

The photo below details what was done to the original necklace.

The beads and focal pendant, circled in blue, were added. The threaded chain, circled in red, was split into 4 and repositioned. The metal and agate beads (and the clasp), with green arrows, were reused and positioned throughout the necklace, where originally they were all clustered together. The overall balance feels much better. It makes a long statement necklace now.

 These pieces tend to have an autumn influence and will start making appearances in my online shop, booth at Makers Market Store and shows in September. In the meantime, if any catch you eye do let me know. They can be available for you earlier.

 Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

  

Made in Canada

 "Made in Canada" means at least 51% of the costs were incurred in Canada. These costs include raw materials, labour and processing, with the last “substantial transformation” occurring in Canada. "Made in Canada" claims are subject to a 51% threshold of Canadian content but should be accompanied by a qualifying statement indicating that the product contains imported content.

 "Product of Canada" indicates that at least 98% of the product's total direct costs were incurred in Canada (with Canadian ingredients, labour, and processing). As with Made in Canada products, the last “substantial transformation” must occur in Canada.

I have purchased components internationally in prior years, however the last time I did this was 5 years ago. Like pretty much every jewellery maker though, I do have a tendency to hoard the pretty things, and they will still appear in current designs. Letting go is hard sometimes. 😂

 All labour, processing and transformation (I live just north of Toronto ON), and most of the raw materials and components are Canadian.

 Because of the foreign content I am proudly labelling my products as “Made In Canada”. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

In Store Shopping – All Set Up

 Today, I spent the better part of the morning setting up my booth at the Makers Market, in The Junction section of Toronto.

Like I said in my last post, my space in the store is small but it sure is mighty. I have a 2 foot wall space near the door, all set up with my products and display items on shelving.

The top shelf, which is above my head by just a smidge, holds an earring display on a turntable plus a taller mannequin especially for longer necklaces. 

The next 3 shelves hold other necklaces, bracelets and some more earrings.

The lowest shelf holds ring dishes, silver cleaning cloths and packaging for customer purchases. (Remember to pick one up for your treasure.)

 Find everything at: Makers Market, 3069 Dundas St West, Toronto, ON 

 Store Hours:             Daily 11 am – 6 pm

Perhaps I’ll see you there when I’m doing a restock. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

 

 

New! In Store Shopping Available

Starting Monday February 17^th, Family Day here in Ontario, my jewellery will be available at the Makers Market Store, 3069 Dundas St West Toronto, in The Junction.

My space in the store is small but will be mighty. I have a 2 foot wall space near the door (outlined in the photo below), where the hearts are.

 

The store will be providing the shelving unit, shown below with the Lego on it. That's very nice because I won't have to worry about any furniture schlepping. I just need to bring my display items and of course the actual jewellery.

 

I will be loading my jewellery into the space on Monday! I’m so excited and hope you will be able to visit. There are 180 amazing vendors to explore.

Store Hours:             Daily 11 am – 6 pm

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

Changing Up My Light Box

 Light boxes are important for taking product photos worthy of online posting. I made this box 10 years ago, back in 2015.

 

It served me well enough for the longest time until it got crushed during house renovations last year. Nothing like having a fluorescent light land on foam board to cause some damage.

 

 

That one was made with tabs that fit into slots, which caused the bottom sit 2 inches up from the table surface. I used to put thick stone tile samples underneath to keep the bottom from bending. The slots also had a tendency to come apart, making the box collapse at the worst times.

 After trying to use it for several months I finally built a new one.

 

This time I used packing tape to butt the edges together. Where it was needed I added extra tape to hold the edges firmly together and prevent gaps where light could sneak in. I made it much larger to fit larger items better. I have some ideas running through my brain that may (or may not) happen in the next year.

 Here’s hoping this light box lasts at least as long as the last one.

 Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

Trying New Methods – Wire Weaving

 I’ve been spending quite a lot of time trying different metalwork techniques. During this exploration period I tried my hand at wire weaving. This necklace is the result. (I should learn to start with smaller projects right?)

Of Love Necklace

The way this necklace was constructed it could also be called wire twisting.

 The necklace uses glass pearls, clear rhinestones, acrylic flowers with rhinestone centres and a seed bead flower constructed on a brass form. There are some brass and clear rhinestone connectors and even a butterfly included, with brass wire used for the weaving / twisting. 

Pearl and brass chains are added to each end to give the necklace its 16 inch length. A 3 inch extender chain is included.

 Much as it was fun to try, I don’t feel this freeform type of wire weaving is something I will pursue further. The necklace is available in my shop

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day