Here is the information on my IndieGoGo Campaign! We're going to have lots of updates for people over the next few days and weeks. Please share where you can. Thanks so much!
8.01.2012
Launching & Crowdsourcing into Outer Space
Tonite, I will begin my crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo.com to fund more growth for Gold & Apel. I've got my little script, my budget, my rewards list and my video stills ready. Just have to film the me-parts and edit it all down to a sweet little clip.
I am so very excited about this huge new step for my company. I've been following Tara Gentile over at ScoutieGirl.com and Andreaa Ayers at Joy, Launch, Grow for a while and, earlier this week, I subscribed to Tara Mohr's newsletter. Been getting really inspired by the over-reaching "THE RIGHT TIME IS NOW!" message in their recent writings. I had been toying with starting a campaign a few years ago and I finally decided that Now is The Time. If I don't take this step this week, I might never do it.
As my desire to make Gold & Apel a first-rate company offering amazing Art & Curios for Home + Body has increased, my motivation has been ramping up, especially when fueled by the wonderful newsletters, e-books and e-courses being offered by the ladies mentioned above. And my motivation shooting towards the stars makes me want to reach my goals even more. Its the reverse of a vicious cycle; its a Virtuous Circle. I'm just spiraling up and up and up and up!
Thank you for joining me on this journey and keep your eyes out for our campaign link!
I am so very excited about this huge new step for my company. I've been following Tara Gentile over at ScoutieGirl.com and Andreaa Ayers at Joy, Launch, Grow for a while and, earlier this week, I subscribed to Tara Mohr's newsletter. Been getting really inspired by the over-reaching "THE RIGHT TIME IS NOW!" message in their recent writings. I had been toying with starting a campaign a few years ago and I finally decided that Now is The Time. If I don't take this step this week, I might never do it.
As my desire to make Gold & Apel a first-rate company offering amazing Art & Curios for Home + Body has increased, my motivation has been ramping up, especially when fueled by the wonderful newsletters, e-books and e-courses being offered by the ladies mentioned above. And my motivation shooting towards the stars makes me want to reach my goals even more. Its the reverse of a vicious cycle; its a Virtuous Circle. I'm just spiraling up and up and up and up!
Thank you for joining me on this journey and keep your eyes out for our campaign link!
7.29.2012
Beads, beads, beads & a dog
So I'm back again. I've been slowly (and sometimes rapidly) expanding my bead collection and beading supplies. I've found a couple of great shops on Ebay and I order a few things every couple weeks. I think I've tripled the amount of beads I started the year with. I've mostly ordered natural stone, Czech glass (new and vintage), vintage crystal and artisan lampworked beads. I've found lampworking so fascinating that I picked up a starter kit but I need special safety glasses to work with a torch before I can take my kit for a test run. Very exciting!
I'm seriously considering starting an IndieGoGo campaign to fund all the growth that Gold & Apel needs to do. I need better tools, more materials, a solid web presence, marketing materials AND a stuff to go to market with! It's my dream to vend at the Bayou City Art Festival which is one of the top 10 fine art festivals in the US and the costs associated with applying ($500 booth fee) and purchasing a tent and all my display items is really prohibitive to me right now.
Jewelry-making is really exciting to me right now and I adore the pieces I've been turning out lately. I've got a small stash together so far. I've also been practicing my black & white and color drawing. And I had a gallery exhibit for some of my encaustic paintings. So things haven't been hum or drum around here. Just working out of my house, working in my studio...oh, and my husband and I adopted a pit bull from a rescue group and babying her also takes up a lot of my time. Her name is Frieda and she is a pit bull/black Labrador mix. She's as cute as a button and about as smart as one, too! I adore her!
I'm seriously considering starting an IndieGoGo campaign to fund all the growth that Gold & Apel needs to do. I need better tools, more materials, a solid web presence, marketing materials AND a stuff to go to market with! It's my dream to vend at the Bayou City Art Festival which is one of the top 10 fine art festivals in the US and the costs associated with applying ($500 booth fee) and purchasing a tent and all my display items is really prohibitive to me right now.
Jewelry-making is really exciting to me right now and I adore the pieces I've been turning out lately. I've got a small stash together so far. I've also been practicing my black & white and color drawing. And I had a gallery exhibit for some of my encaustic paintings. So things haven't been hum or drum around here. Just working out of my house, working in my studio...oh, and my husband and I adopted a pit bull from a rescue group and babying her also takes up a lot of my time. Her name is Frieda and she is a pit bull/black Labrador mix. She's as cute as a button and about as smart as one, too! I adore her!
Here's my Fritter!
3.18.2012
My, does time fly!
well, i searched and searched and scoured and scoured and i finally settled on an e-commerce site to host Gold & Apel instead of etsy. i chose bigcartel.com because some friends and acquaintances have had good things to say about the site. http://goldandapel.bigcartel.com
i've got over 20 items from my etsy shop up right now with more to come. when my last computer gave up the ghost, i lost a lot of my product photos and the only ones that exist are on etsy and etsy is unfriendly when trying to download photos of expired and inactive items. i'll keep working on it, but i'll probably just have to photography everything all over again.
head on over and take a look. tell me what you think!
i've got over 20 items from my etsy shop up right now with more to come. when my last computer gave up the ghost, i lost a lot of my product photos and the only ones that exist are on etsy and etsy is unfriendly when trying to download photos of expired and inactive items. i'll keep working on it, but i'll probably just have to photography everything all over again.
head on over and take a look. tell me what you think!
1.17.2012
Happy 2012!
My 2012 has been off to a rockin start! I snagged a new job just before Xmas and have been working that 40 hours a week. It takes away a lot of the free time that I had before where I could sit in my studio and create, but now I can afford to invest in new materials and beautiful packaging.
I've been working on listing the items I made for last year's holiday markets. I lost the charger for my camera battery so that's part of the delay. I got some great pix last week and they are edited and ready to roll out but I'm trying to space out the listings so keep people popping back to my Etsy shop.
Good news: I'm working on a new line of jewelry that will start showing up in the next few weeks. It's sumptuous, elegant and very affordable! I sold a ton of it at my last market and my husband, business brain that he is, said to develop that look into a line and so here I am.
2012 is going to be My Year!
I've been working on listing the items I made for last year's holiday markets. I lost the charger for my camera battery so that's part of the delay. I got some great pix last week and they are edited and ready to roll out but I'm trying to space out the listings so keep people popping back to my Etsy shop.
Good news: I'm working on a new line of jewelry that will start showing up in the next few weeks. It's sumptuous, elegant and very affordable! I sold a ton of it at my last market and my husband, business brain that he is, said to develop that look into a line and so here I am.
2012 is going to be My Year!
12.04.2011
Back from the Market!
Well, the weather here in Houston put a damper on our Holiday Bazaar. It was cold and rainy and gloomy. But we all had a great time with coffees, cookies and crafts! I made some sales and met some very nice craftisans.
Now to relax and tomorrow, I'll get back to the studio and create more lovely things!
Now to relax and tomorrow, I'll get back to the studio and create more lovely things!
12.01.2011
School's out for Christmas!
Submitted my last final project today. Just one more final on the 13th and fall semester is a wrap! So overjoyed!
Also super excited about spring semester. I'm taking a book arts class! Oh, little books, you will be mine!
Finally got in my order of Czech glass buttons for my button rings for this weekend. I have tomorrow, Saturday at work and Sunday early to get everything ready for the Houston Handmade Holiday Bazaar & Crafting Bash Sunday evening. Woo woo. It's crunch time!
Also super excited about spring semester. I'm taking a book arts class! Oh, little books, you will be mine!
Finally got in my order of Czech glass buttons for my button rings for this weekend. I have tomorrow, Saturday at work and Sunday early to get everything ready for the Houston Handmade Holiday Bazaar & Crafting Bash Sunday evening. Woo woo. It's crunch time!
11.24.2011
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Just taking a quick minute before all the gobble-gobble madness starts to wish my readers a Happy Thanksgiving and a beautiful start to the Xmas season. Who's putting up their Xmas trees tonite? :)
Today, I'm thankful for my awesome and hilarious husband, my pain-in-the-butt cat, my mom and brother and those friends who stand beside me every day. I couldn't wish for a better gang of people to surround myself with.
Off to turkey races!
Today, I'm thankful for my awesome and hilarious husband, my pain-in-the-butt cat, my mom and brother and those friends who stand beside me every day. I couldn't wish for a better gang of people to surround myself with.
Off to turkey races!
11.23.2011
Everyday I'm Hustlin...
I didn't have anything on my 2011 Xmas production schedule for today so I was just going to take it easy and watch some tube with the hubby. Then I said to myself, "Oh, you can probably crank out some Xmas cards tonite in a few hours." And that's what I did!
Handmade felt trees with paper, foil, metal brad and button decorations.
Needlefelting is so fun! I came up with this idea a few years ago when I first got into needlefelting and I've used it occasionally to give cards at Xmas. Looking forward to debuting these babies at market!
11.21.2011
Hot off the Creation Station!
Here's one of the drawings I made tonite:
"Macabre"
Marker & Ink on Bristol
3.5"x5.5"
I've got 14 more in that style. Check out my Flickr because I uploaded all of them. Now I have to decide on how I'm going to package them for market. Eep!
not enough time in the day, not enough sleep in the nite
Another nite I'm up and raring to go but I'm being smart and trying to get some rest. I laid in bed for about 2 hours before I got up to submit some paperwork and tweak the Etsy shop. I finished a ton of stuff in the last 24 hours and I have the blisters on my hands to prove it!
Here are some non-excellent photos of what I've been working on:
Here are some non-excellent photos of what I've been working on:
xmas-themed wooden spool dolls fully outfitted
bottle cap earrings
embellished photo frames
nifty, huh? and the mad dash towards holiday market continues!
11.18.2011
time crunches me
I sent off an email late last nite inquiring about a spot at a craft fair on December 3. I hope I can get in, it's a pretty popular event. I also found out about Second Saturday Craftacular. If I can swing all the making I have planned for myself, I should have enough stuff to vend there. If not next month, then maybe January.
So exciting! I went through all my craft stuff last nite and got so excited about the possibilities. I didn't go to bed until almost 2am and then I was just laying there thinking and thinking. I'm so glad I'm a creative person. Life would be so boring without craft adventures.
I'm actually going to try my hand at inspired jewelry as well as my usual prints and paintings and dolls. I raided the Bead Society's Bead & Jewelry Market last week so I have lots of fun stuff to work with. In the meantime, I have fun music on the stereo, delicious incense burning and the house all to myself!
So exciting! I went through all my craft stuff last nite and got so excited about the possibilities. I didn't go to bed until almost 2am and then I was just laying there thinking and thinking. I'm so glad I'm a creative person. Life would be so boring without craft adventures.
I'm actually going to try my hand at inspired jewelry as well as my usual prints and paintings and dolls. I raided the Bead Society's Bead & Jewelry Market last week so I have lots of fun stuff to work with. In the meantime, I have fun music on the stereo, delicious incense burning and the house all to myself!
11.06.2011
i forgot the 5th of november
so yesterday was my main job's big fundraising gala and 30th annniversary celebration. i was so wrapped up in tissue paper, glitter and tablescapes, i forgot to remember, remember, the 5th of november! i'm so sorry, guy fawkes!
i've also been busy preparing for several holiday art shows. i had an opening reception at a local gallery last friday and the closing reception is this coming friday. december has two, possibly three shows for me. i'm looking into acquiring a display system. i have no idea where i'll keep it since my studio is busting beyond busting between art supplies, auction items and clothes. ugh.
i'll be revamping my website in the next few weeks as i get more shows and exposure. i usually go all out on my websites which is why i use this blog as my main site now. i really wear myself out with all the html drama. hoo wee, chere.
i've also been busy preparing for several holiday art shows. i had an opening reception at a local gallery last friday and the closing reception is this coming friday. december has two, possibly three shows for me. i'm looking into acquiring a display system. i have no idea where i'll keep it since my studio is busting beyond busting between art supplies, auction items and clothes. ugh.
i'll be revamping my website in the next few weeks as i get more shows and exposure. i usually go all out on my websites which is why i use this blog as my main site now. i really wear myself out with all the html drama. hoo wee, chere.
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