And Another Thing...

I cannot believe I forgot to mention this: I am one of several artists in the Columbus Crafty Cotillion to be featured in the July issue of Crafts Report Magazine! 

You can read the blog post on the Cotillion site here and you can check out the digital version of Crafts Report here. And yes, those are my cake rings on the right-hand page! *Giggle*

In July, I will also be starting a Sweet Stella Designs rewards program. For each purchase $20 and over, I'll sign your specially designed rewards card. When you collect 8 signatures, you'll have the choice of a free 1-inch glass pendant or 10% off your next purchase. Remember that in order to participate, I'll need to give you a special card to start off with, and each signature must be mine! Get excited :) 

Oh, and one last thing: if you have Facebook, you should definitely become a fan of Sweet Stella Designs! 

Summer Preview

Summer is almost here and that means craft shows galore! It also means that I have the summer off from teaching art and am so excited to catch up on my creative pursuits. Here's a preview of what's in store for Summer 2009. 

Sno-cone Hair Pins are the perfect summer treat!

Comfest (June 26-28th in Goodale Park): You'll be able to find Sweet Stella Designs' merchandise at Comfest even though I won't personally have a booth there. Check out the Wholly Craft! booth for my usual goods and Buckeye Bling for my colorful clay Ohio map silhouette necklaces. 

Sweet Collaborations: In July, you'll be able to purchase exclusive items from my Tiny Treats line at Pattycake Bakery! These little gems are hand-sculpted from polymer clay and will resemble the awesome, scrumptious vegan baked goods at Pattycake! 

You'll be able to purchase hairpins, earrings, rings, and necklaces shaped like cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and other sweet treats. Check 'em out at the bakery in Clintonville starting July 3rd. 

North Market Artisan Sundays (first Sundays of the month): Take a trip to the North Market to check out all of the talented craft vendors selling their wares. Support local businesses, artists & crafters and find unique items for yourself or for someone special. As always, I will have exciting new creations for sale! 

Crafty Cotillion Handmade Expo @ The Ohio State Fair (August 8, 2009): Even though I won't be able to vend at this event, I am a Crafty Cotillion member and in addition to helping to organize this event, I urge you to stop by and enjoy the handmade goods & local music from talented folks all over the city and beyond! 

Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival (September 7, 2009 at Northam Park): I was accepted as an emerging artist for this festival and I am so excited to be able to branch out and share my jewelry with a whole new audience! Be on the lookout for fresh new designs incorporating more upscale materials and techniques. 

And if you can't make it to these events, you can always order something online from my shop, or email me about a custom creation! 

I Found A Gem!

While perusing Etsy, I stumbled upon a photo of this vintage pot from seller 13bees that looked amazingly familiar. 

To check out this sunny vintage pot, visit 13bees.etsy.com

Then, I realized that this was the very same enameled cookware that my parents had in their house for the first 15 years of my life. They received a whole set as a wedding present in 1972. I never knew that it had a special designer or a specific pattern name, but it's by Cathrineholm and called Yellow Lotus. 

I had an "a-ha" moment, and after some digging around in my cupboard, pulled out the last remaining piece in the set, which I inherited in college and stashed away when I purchased my new set of pots & pans. I decided not to cook with it anymore because it really is heavy! 

Here is my vintage Cathrineholm Yellow Lotus pot! Should I sell it or keep it for its retro cool?

I was surprised to see how much these pieces sell for on Ebay and Etsy. It's funny to think of them as collectibles now since they were just average pots & pans in my house when I was growing up. 

Read more about Cathrineholm cookware here:

BackGarage

Jenn Ski

H is for Home

Get It Together...

I need a swift kick. The past week and a half has been filled with utter laziness (including a great trip to MD/DC...photo above is from the National Gallery of Art). Now I must get back on track. I have summer craft shows to prepare for and retail locations to re-stock. 

I could use some words of encouragement! And maybe better time-management skills as well. 

On the plus side, I am starting a new line of jewelry that incorporates glitter and resin. I find that the hexagonal glitter looks a bit more sophisticated than the typical square kind. Below is an example of one of my new glittery pieces: "Ruby Slippers" pendant necklace. Look for it in my Etsy shop soon!