Busy creating since my last post!!

I have been so busy making creations, I haven’t even posted on my blog! This weekend is the busiest of the year so far. I thought I would share some pictures of some I have finished. I don’t post all of what I make, but will post my favorites :) Come out to Shemer tomorrow to see them all. It should be a nice day!

I don’t know if anyone reads my blog, but I hope you will come out and say “HI”!…….

Here is the raffle gift donation for Shemer tomorrow. Come by and buy some tickets to win Sky Horse.

It’s hard to get a good picture of little Blackie, but he is so cute! SOLD

This is a new one…..I am playing with appliques. He is now for sale at MADE Art Boutique. SOLD

I really like his eyelashes….

OK, so I had to post little donkey. He came out so cute….pin. SOLD

He is for sale at MADE Art Boutique.

See Right Panel for new shows coming up!!!

…Or if using a mobile phone, scroll to the bottom of this blog to see places I will be…..

I’ve been balancing my schedule and signing up for new shows. Please look in the margin on your right for Upcoming Events! It is a chore to decide which one to take…..this is a busy time of the year here in the Phoenix area, and also will be the first few months of 2023 (tourist season!). Many shows have come back since the pandemic, but many have not returned but I keep my fingers crossed. Shows in Florence, AZ were so much fun, but no sign of returning as of yet in 2022 or 2023. I have consigned some Christmas ornaments and pins for the United Methodist Church gift shop “Serendipities” in Paradise Valley. Their show is the same day as the Valley Presbyterian Church Mission Marketplace (I am the craft group coordinator) so I couldn’t attend. I continue to have some pins on Etsy, but am considering closing it. I much rather sell at shows so people can look and feel my creations, but many people wanted me to have an online site…..so that’s where Etsy came in so giving it a try! You can email me with any requests, too. Hope to see you soon!

Above are some ornaments and pins I have recently created.

New picture frame/shadow box!!

Love this new picture frame I ordered from Amazon. Each frame is deep enough to hold critters and Spirit Dudes, so I’m using it to display my creations. I had so much fun putting this together. The best place to take the picture was to hang it outside against the house brick. I can change out the critters as needed. Really love the idea for display. Other uses for pins:

  • on purses

  • on backpacks

  • on scarves

  • on hats

  • in plants

Upcoming Shows, Etsy and New Line........

On the right hand margin, I will be posting my upcoming shows for the fall here on the Blog. Right now I am doing a lot of planning and making! I have been making horses which I will be taking to Shemer Art Gallery for their gift shop. I’m not sure how much they will cost, but the Director will tell me since she has lots of experience. That is the hardest part of my hobby. I really enjoy finding new things to wrap and what to wrap them with. Always searching out thrift stores. Last week at Goodwill there was a rack in the aisle for employees to put away which was abandoned…..well, I couldn’t find anyone close by, but there were 2 bags of old toy horses just sitting there already priced. I took them and was so excited to find them! It’s the little things that excite me.

I started an Etsy shop which can be accessed on this site by clicking the tab. It will take you out of my site directly to deserttones (my Etsy shop). I just have 25 pins on there for now to see how it goes. It is free shipping.

Just this week I started making my Spirit Dudes line. These little guys are so cute and I have fun making them. They are slightly bendable and can stand on their own. I think they are too heavy as a pin. They can be displayed standing or in a cubby of a shadowbox. That is how I am going to display them myself at my shows. I may even start one for my wall at home to include my other critters in the cubbies. I had customers give me that idea instead of using them as pins. The cubby for the Spirit Dudes would have to measure about 4”x4” to display them the best. I am finding it hard to find shadow boxes, but may find a way to make them.

I’m still experimenting with these little guys, so stay tuned. I may tweek them a bit. They are about 3-1/2” high including the hair.

Here is another addition….He is about 2” high and a little heavy as a pin, so he can fit in a cubby/pocket of a shadow box.

The next 3 horses are new additions. Approximately 5” tall….

This little guy above is for sale at Shemer Art Center.

More and More........

Had a great show at the Superstition Mountain Museum Holiday Boutique 11/27 and 11/28. This was the first time I did a 2-day show. It was a long weekend, but I really did well! It started out very slow on Saturday but really picked up along the way. In fact, the Manager of the gift shop bought some pins of his choosing (I gave them a discount) to sell in their little shop! I was so excited and hope they will sell and they will ask for more….

I am adding more pictures and started to make horse pins, little bugs, birds and cactus pins. I always like to experiment. I make the bird pins out of polymer clay….I hand mold the bird from the clay, bake it and then wrap and decorate with my usual “doodads”….old jewelry, rhinestones, eyelets, bead caps, wire, metalic thread, beads, etc. and etc…….

More pictures and stuff......

Well, we are still at home. Fortunately, I have had 1 of the vaccines so far! Looking forward to getting back to some kind of normal soon.

I did pretty well prior to Christmas and I did a few outdoor shows……that were allowed :) Shemer’s Gift Shop Artist Showcase 12/5 turned out well and it was a beautiful venue and day out on their patio. They had a good turnout of customers and vendors.

I also did an “Art Crawl” 12/13 that was put on by the Coronado Neighborhood Assn. We displayed our “wares” out in our own yards, a map was emailed to the Assn. members and they took the “tour.” Wow, I did well and people came out on bikes, cars and walking their dogs. I hope they continue to do this every year. A great way to meet the neighbors, too! The previous art market they had in the fall was also a success for me which was held at the Coronado community garden.

I added a few pictures of the horse sculptures I created….something new but much more time-consuming to make. If anyone visits this website, please let me know what you think…………:)))))

I have contacted a few local gift shops regarding consignment, but no one is taking product due to the low sales right now. I think once this pandemic gets “better” people will venture out and start to make up for lost time………..

Dog Days of the Pandemic......

Here we all are….at home cleaning, working in the yard, tapping on our social media, talking to family next to us….and friends on the phone, reading, crafting, eating/snacking, and whatever other trouble we can find. I have done a lot of yard work this past couple weeks and now it is done. Did housework and actually dusted, which is the part of housework I hate. In January and February, I lost 2 stores that closed which was very sad. The economy has been bad and now it is even worse. I did have 2 good shows in the fall, at Merrill Ranch Florence and the Craftacular at Desert Botanical Garden, and in February at the Florence Women’s Club historic home tour event. Since I have tons of supplies and no excuses to NOT craft, I am making larger animals and pins. Even though I haven’t ventured out to a store (other than the grocery and Walgreens) or just can’t because nothing is open, I still was able to buy some spectacular ribbon yarn online.

New Pictures Added!

Have been busy making more pins during these unbearable hot summer days! I’ve also made some larger animals (horses) that I posted in the “New Gallery” section. I have ventured into the larger sculptures and am taking notes from my cousin in KC…examining the ones she has done in the past. She rarely makes pins anymore and does more custom animal sculptures. I find them so difficult to do and so time-consuming but thought I would try. I venture out to all different types of stores to find the base of the animals…..hobby and craft stores, thrift stores, estates sales…. I have many horses in different styles ready to work on and infact I have small ones to make pins also. I am sticking to desert/western animals and critters since they interest me the most.

Pin-making is still my favorite and enjoy the excitement when I complete each one. I am always coming up with different ideas. I go to shops to buy beads, findings, doodads, jewelry, different types of yarns and whatever I can find that I could add to a pin. Right now I am deciding which shows I will sign up as a vendor beginning in the fall. So far the Celebrate the Arts show at Merrill Ranch in Florence 11/2 is on my list. One of my favorites! And of course the Craftacular show at Desert Botanical Garden on 11/4 (for volunteers only). I am still contemplating more shops to go to that may like to consign my pins…..love doing that, too!

Busy.....Busy.....Busy.....

This has been a great couple of months so far and am summing it up right here:

—I did a show in Florence, AZ, at Merrill Ranch Celebrate the Arts event.

—I did a craft sale for volunteers and staff at Desert Botanical Garden.

—I sold some pins at the Cook’s Tour, Valley Presbyterian Church, to benefit several missions.

—I now have pins on consignment at Let’s Imagine, a boutique store on 5th Ave., Scottsdale.

—My pins are now in a Gift Magazine/catalog published by Phoenix Home & Garden magazine. That was a shocker!!! They can be purchased through Southwest Gardener gift shop and online at southwestgardner.com

—Last but not least, I will be appearing at Shemer Art Center and Museum on Saturday, 12/1, from 12:30 to 2:30. I will be demonstrating creating my pins and will share some of my secrets :)

I did great at the shows! So, a lot happening and I need to get back into my “studio” to make more. By the way, the article in above gift catalog stated that my home studio is in Sedona. Ha! Maybe I should consider moving there…..nice place to live!!!

A new consignment store for me!!!

Thank you to my neighbor's recommendation to take my pins to Southwest Gardner.  They were so excited, took them on the spot and placed them in a basket by the register!  So, now I have to make another supply to keep up with the demand in my other stores....please see the side panel for the stores I now have pins on consignment and addresses.  I have been making some other surprises....cats, dogs, sea turtles (yea, I know, they aren't desert animals...) and snakes, and some bugs.  Two Plates Full will be receiving a supply in September.  Note:  This is a very slow time for sales in Arizona.....yes, it is waaaaaay too hot and tourists don't like it....neither do we HAHAHA!

Be Well!   Your friendly critter wrapper.....Jan

My 6th month post????

I guess it has been awhile since I even got to my blog.  Have been busy making more pins!  They sell well at Shemer and they are keeping me for another year.  The gift shop had a 15% increase in sales this past year so all of us artists have been invited back.  They wanted more snakes....can't believe it (and I really don't like making them) so made a few more.  Will be dropping off a supply of various pins this coming Saturday. 

I have also been busy volunteering at my church and am the leader of the White Elephant sale which will be held on April 5,6, 2019. I guess they know I love to peruse thrift shops so I have experience (HaHa). My job involves being present at the church (outside under shade!) every 1st and 3rd Saturday to accept drop-offs.   So if you have anything you CAN live without, please stop by, drop off and visit!  Please no large furniture or refrigerators, HaHaHa!!!!  That's between 8am and 10am.  I also am co-coordinator of the Cook's Tour Crafters and we meet every Tuesday, 9-12.  Everyone can join us!  We make items for our boutique sale which will be November 2, 2018 at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley.  Some of the sculptures and pins in my gallery will be sold there.

So, onward and upward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cook's Tour 11/3/2017 at Valley Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale, AZ was a success!!

I submitted my sculptures for Valley Presbyterian's Cook's Tour silent auction held on 11/3/2017.  I had a few requests from people who wanted to buy them previously, but I had NO IDEA what to sell them for, so at the last minute I decided to give them to the auction.  I just want to get an idea what someone would actually pay for them hahaha.  I may be surprised on the downside :)))) but I don't care.  Money is going to many great organizations in the Valley.  And I had fun making them.....see pictures in the New Gallery.  It will be a month or so before we find out the total for missions.

It's nice in Arizona.....the HEAT IS GONE!

And meanwhile...............I have been busy working on more pins and ideas.....................Sculptures are coming! 

Starting anew!!!!  My pins are now on display and for sale at the Shemer Art Center, thanks to Sue Hunter...a fantastic local artist.  I met her at Desert Botanical Gardens while volunteering as an Instructor Aide for her Alcohol Inks class.  She told me to go right away to Shemer which I did! After a juried procedure, I now have lizards, frogs and even a couple cats, snakes and butterflies on display and for sale.  Get them while they're hot!  HAHAHA!  They will be on display for 6 months to a year.

Looking forward to the Merrill Ranch, Anthem Celebrates the Arts Festival 11/4/17.  It will be held at the Anthem Community Park, 3313 N. Anthem Way, Florence, from 11am to 4pm.  I am registered and look forward to a great day.  I will mainly have lizards and frogs for sale. I missed last year, so am really excited to once again participate.  It is a beautiful setting with music on the lake.  There are events for the whole family!

Oh, yes, I almost forgot............................................today is my birthday!

OOOOOh MYYYYY! What a bad day!

April 30th was such a bad day!  Not only didn't I sell anything, a huge wind came and blew my tent away....ALMOST!  Thankfully 3 mall security guards helped hold down the legs (and me on the 4th one).  Gosh, I saw my pins fly off the table...and down the street along with business cards.  I picked up what I could and just hoped some nice people who may have picked one up may see my name and website!  So if you are out there, please let me know?  Depending on how many I lost, they will be gifts :)  I even had to donate one required as a raffle for the day, so I hope the lucky winner enjoyed the frog.  They cancelled the show at about 4:30, which they have never done, due to the weather and destruction the "microbursts" caused.  But they emailed us all that they are giving us a FREE day!  So Sunday, November 13th, same time, same place, will be our "makeup" day and what a great day it will be!  Before the holidays?  That is the best time of year for sales.  I already signed up so keeping my chin up :)

AFTER A BREAK....

Now that I have had a LONG break after Christmas, that busiest time of the year, it is now time to get back to making "stuff."  Experimenting a lot lately, so stay tuned for "sculptures" or something like that.  Signed up for a fun little show at the San Tan Village Mall coming up on April 30th (see side panel).  I sold so much before Christmas, had to get my fingers going again.  Did a good spring cleaning of my craft room, but some stuff I just can't get rid of!!!  (I think you know what I mean, you crafters out there).  So, getting back to "business" and hope to see you this weekend if you get a break...supposed to be a little warm, but, hey, this is AZ!!!  Maybe I will look "higher" when it starts getting too warm....ie Flagstaff area.  HA!HA!

A Great Day At MACFest, Mesa, AZ!

Had a very successful show yesterday, December 19th...this was my "award" show and my entry fee was free.  I really had a great swarm of people from beginning to end and lots of interest in my "craft."  All seemed very intrigued with my critters and never saw anything like them before.  "This is different than all the other 'jewelry' we have seen."  Or, "I have never seen anything like this." "Wow, you must have a lot of patience!" ...some of the comments, haha!  Looking forward to participate in the coming shows with MACFest...  This is the last show for me before Christmas. So if anyone needs a last minute gift, just let me know.  I still have a few left...

MACFest a success!.....Kind of

Had a great time at MACFest in Mesa on Saturday and met some great people!! Bought a bracelet made from brass and stainless steel nuts...yes like nuts and bolts... and leather cord.   The funny thing was, the man who makes them...his name is Dan Nutz!!!  Just so funny had to buy one from him. Also bought a necklace made from paper beads and it's beautiful!  I really had bad sales that day, but the MACFest staff came up to me when the show was almost over and told me I won "Best New Artist"!!  They took pictures of my display and they interviewed me.  The interview is to be posted on the MACFest website, so I will have to read it to see what I said LOL.

I felt very honored and I will have the Dec. 19th entry fee waived and I will have a "special" spot on the street to display my critters.  So, if you are in the area of MacDonald and Main St. in Mesa that day, please stop by!

...SOOOOO I went on Ebay, AND.....

Well, I fell for some BEAUTIFUL ribbon yarn by Sari and couldn't resist to buy....I was watching it and watching it...and then only 5 hours left!  So fell for 2 different colors.  (I made some money at the Merrill Ranch show so that was my excuse.)  I love that brand (almost as much as "Incredible" by Lion Brand that has been discontinued) and love the texture.  As soon as I get it I'll post a project!  Hope to see you at the Sportsplex in Phoenix this weekend (see sidebar)!  Also check "Work" and see some added new critters...