It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Yes, there's snow on the ground in White Bear Lake, Minnesota!  Not more than a couple of inches, so it's just enough to give a hint that Christmas is but THREE WEEKS AWAY!

Do you have your shopping done?  Or are you like me--waiting for inspiration to strike so you'll magically know what to get (and where to buy it) for each person on your list?  Not that it ever does.  I read something once about a woman who buys all kinds of things for gifts, and then she has to figure out to whom she can give them.  Unfortunately, I saw myself in that picture. 

There are some people for whom it's easy to buy.  Those people are not on my list.  Sometimes I think I should add them to my list just so I can buy the gift and cross it off my list.  Then at least there would be some progress being made!

In addition to NOT shopping for gifts, I have made NO Christmas cards yet.  Not that I'm in a panic.  Yet.

I HAVE been making more jewelry which I'll show off here in case you still need some gifts for the friends and family on YOUR list!  You can buy my wares on Etsy.  See the cool little interactive icon on the top right of my blog?  Click on my store name, StoneWingDesigns, and you can see my listings.  Or click on an item and you'll go to the Etsy page for that item. 

I'm offering Free Shipping for the month of December on Etsy. 

And for those who read my blog, I'm offering 20% off everything!  Just use coupon code 20PERCENT when you check out.

Happy Shopping!!

Laurel

What's New?

Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!  

Seems like the planning, cleaning, preparing, and cooking go on forever, and then in just a few short hours, the food is gone, the holiday is over and family is on their way out the door on to their next adventures (hope the Black Friday shopping excursion was successful!!). 

November is nearly over, and here I am again wondering where the time went.  Seems like I rush and hurry all day long and only have time to sit down at the end of the day to watch one of my favorite TV shows.  Since that's the time when I work on my jewelry, there can never be too many of those hours in a day.  And sometimes when I'm on a creative hot streak, I have a hard time putting it away for the night.  Those are the days when bedtime is pushed past midnight.  I try not to do that very often since DH is trying to sleep, but it does happen, just ask the neighbors who often see my light still burning.

I do want to send a huge thank you to all my customers and friends who came out to the Arts and Crafts shows at Southtown Mall in Bloomington, MN, in mid-October and again in mid-November.  I had one of my better shows there this month;  I truly couldn't have done it without your support.  Many of my favorite pieces found wonderful new homes with some of my favorite people. 

My next venue will be a boutique at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 7227 Penn Ave S. in Richfield, MN.  Thank you, Barb, for stopping by and asking for my participation.  Barb does a fantastic job of putting the boutique together and staging all the craft items.  She's also my step-daughter's mother-in-law and a very sweet woman.  I don't know the boutique hours yet, but it will be Saturday and Sunday, the 10th and 11th of December. 

I'll be making some new items for the boutique so stop by if you're in the area.

Now it's time to rush off and make supper.  Then it's time to sit in front of the tube and CREATE! 

Have a good one!

Laurel




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Fall Arts and Craft Show in Bloomington, MN, October 14, 15 & 16!!

October 14th, 15th and 16th is the weekend for the second fall Arts and Crafts Show at Southtown Mall in Bloomington MN.

I've been busily making new double-strand bracelets and matching earrings for this show.  Here's a sneak preview:

 Black Onyx & Swarovski $28



Black Onyx, Freshwater Pearl & Swarovski $28

Black Onyx, Freshwater Pearls & Swarovski $28 

From left to right:

• Bracelet 1:  Sodalite, Kyanite & Swarovski  $36
• Bracelet 2:  Kyanite, Swarovski & Enamel $34
• Bracelet 3:  Sodalite & Swarovski $26

Freshwater Pearls & Swarovski $30

Amethyst, Freshwater Pearl & Purple Quartz $38 

 Smokey Quartz & Freshwater Pearls $34

Tiger's Eye & Freshwater Pearls $30



Location:  I-494 and Penn Ave. S., Bloomington, Minnesota

Hours: 

• Friday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Mention that you saw my blog for 20% off your entire purchase!

Hope you can make it to the show!

All my best,

Laurel

Thank you!

Thank you to all my great customers who stopped and shopped and talked and bought!! 

Southtown Mall in Bloomington, Minnesota is a nice little mall with a good mix of shops and nearby restaurants.  With Kohls across the parking lot and Herbergers to the east, the parking lot is always full. 

I've been doing this show for 15 years now (hard to believe!) and I always feel like I've come home, despite living on the opposite end of the city.  Fellow crafters have become like family and catching up with them after the summer months is always a joy. 

There are times when lots of people come through the mall looking at crafts, and there are also times when we crafters joke that the aisle looks like a bowling alley and the only people we see are fellow crafters.  If it weren't for those "dead" times, I would never get to eat (McDonald's) or go to the restroom, so I do appreciate the slack as well as the busy times. 

I also make use of the quiet times by pulling out my tools and supplies and making new jewelry pieces.  This time I pulled out a few necklaces that I made this past year that I saw could be improved with a few changes.  I'll get some pictures up soon to show them off.  I do have a couple of before shots of one so you can see what improvements I made.

What I like best about doing Arts and Crafts shows is seeing what pieces people like and being able to customize them as far as length and color.  Like taking a pair of earrings and changing them from silver to gold, or adding a bead or removing a crystal, or lengthening a bracelet or shortening a necklace.  All of those variations are easy to do at a show.  I bring a small portion of my supplies with me to shows, and sometimes I can make changes right then and there.  Other times I might have to bring something from home but will have it ready the same weekend.  Still other times I mail a finished piece or have it ready for the next show.

The other reason I love doing shows is being able to talk and socialize with my customers.  I'm not usually an extrovert, but there's something about sitting in my little booth in the middle of a shopping center that makes me want to chatter away with all the people who came out just to see me.  It seems for those 3 show days I have an abundance of energy and a mission to be as entertaining as possible.  It certainly is not the life for everyone!!

So after a long, lonely summer with no shows, it sure is great to be back visiting and selling as a vendor. 

Here's to the greatest customers a girl could ask for!!

Hope to see you at the mall!

Laurel

Fall Arts and Craft Show in Bloomington, MN, September 16, 17 & 18!!

Don't miss the start of the fall arts and crafts show season in Bloomington, MN:

Located at Southtown Mall on Penn Ave. and American Blvd, one block away from 494 and Penn Ave.  We're on the south side of 494 in the same building as TJ Max and the Dress Barn. 

I'll be there in the front aisle in front of the Dress Barn.

Stop in and say hi!!

September 16, 17 & 18 -- Southtown Mall, I-494 and Penn Ave S

• Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
•  Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m. 

Also check out my Etsy store:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/StoneWingDesigns

and my Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/StoneWing-Designs/181080568595608

and my website:  http://stonewingdesigns.com/

Hope to see you soon!!

In the News!

The White Bear/Vadnais Heights Press featured me in a Creative License article on Wednesday, July 20th on Page 3B.

The original article was on one page, but I had to scan it in sections.

How cool is that!!??

Wishing you the best!