Introducing our New Brand "Espresso Bar Designs"

It's such an exciting and happy day! In keeping with the "foodie" theme of The Bohemian Art Cafe--we serve art, not food! (TM) and this blog "The Bohemian Art Buffet," we are rolling out our very own product brand and label, Espresso Bar Designs (TM).  (I've always loved and wanted to own my very own coffee shop and this just seemed to fit so perfectly.)

We're starting first with the roll out of our Jewelry lines--wire wrapped pendants and rings, scrabble tile pendants, painted domino pendants, fused glass pendants, bracelets, rings and hair accessories,  reversible stained glass pendants, earrings and charm bracelets.  They are being uploaded to our store and new items will be added each week.

To celebrate this roll out, we are offering free shipping for the next 10 days (offer ends August 11).  It's the perfect time to get a jump start on your holiday shopping, stock up on "girlfriend" gifts for birthdays and other celebrations, or to pamper yourself with something special.

We also offer a variety of fused and stained glass and found object sun catchers, wine stoppers and cheese and hor d'ouvre glass trays.  We will be adding some of our unique designs in fabric by the yard and uniquely designed packaged papers for art journaling and scrapbooking in the not too distant future. 

Our brand lines will begin being made available at select boutiques and gift shops and possibly through mail order catalog if we can get through the lengthy negotiations process.  We're growing and excited about it.  Won't you help us celebrate by stopping by and shopping!  

Five Things I Love About Technology

Okay, I know I complain sometimes about the pitfalls of technology (viruses, Trojans and malware--Oh My!), but in the long run, I really love so many things that my computer, software and the Internet provide.  Like my Etsy shop BohemianArtCafe.

(c)SZing Pink and white hand painted on wood and wire wrapped pendant 2" x 2".  $30.

So here's my David Lettermanesque list:

#5.  Information--I love browsing and being able to follow links, quickly look up definitions and find other artists and their work.  Yesterday, having a memory fart, I looked up "subsume" because for the life of me I couldn't access it despite trying to force my synapsi to work harder. (is synapsi a word? perhaps I'll look that up online.)

 (c)SZing Koi fish fused transfer fused into opaque glass necklace.  $20.

#4.  Not having to write long hand--even though for my journals I still do and I have this undeniable fear that I should continue to write everything or print hard copies (my need to go paperless fights this) in case technology fails or, as it inevitably will, changes and I lose my "stuff."  I'm a much faster typist that writist. 

(c)SZing Beautiful turquoise and aqua dichroic glass on black glass with wire wrapping pendant.  $20.

#3.  Access to friends via email and social networking.  I'm growing to love using Facebook for example, just to see what people are up to and get a break from unpacking the studio.  Also so cool to catch up with people I haven't seen or heard from in years, as well as to make new connections with friends I hope to meet soon.

#2.  It's quick, it's (mostly) easy to learn and use, it makes me feel connected no matter where I go (okay, okay, I know some people call this the leash-syndrome.)  I LIKE knowing that if I need info or to reach someone all I have to do is pull out my cell phone.

(c)SZing A large variety of pierced earrings.  Some are glass beads, some are not. 

All are fun and beautiful to wear and very affordable at $12 a pair.

 (c) SZing Charming butterfly earrings.  $12.

#1.  Etsy, Ebay and Pinterest.  Wow, wow and wow.  Oh, and did I forget Amazon? 

(c)SZing REVERSIBLE (yes, two sides for the price of one!) stained glass necklace. 

 Butterflies on one side, flowers on the other.  $20 with chain.

Speaking of Etsy, I just uploaded a bunch of my jewelry and a few other non-jewelry art pieces and supplies to my shop, BohemianArtCafe.   Please come and shop, like my shop, tweet and re-tweet, share the link to the shop with others.  Not having a public venue studio as I used to, I'm having to rely more on virtual storefronts. I appreciate your help in this. Muchos gracias!! 

 

(c)SZing REVERSIBLE (yes, two sides for the price of one!) stained glass necklace.

Pink and blue abstraction on one side, yellow and blue abstraction on the other.  $20 with chain.

Twisted in a Good Way...

As I mentioned last week, I took a wire wrapping class this weekend at the Bead Strand in Ocala with Miranda Turner of Wishful Wire (she does not yet have a website--sorry).  I had been practicing my wire wrapping for several weeks before taking the class and had made a few beaded pendants and some rings that I like very much...

(c) SZing Wire wrapped black swarovsky beaded ring (sz. 8)  $20

(c) SZing Wire wrapped black and dark pink swarovsky beaded ring (sz.6)  $20

(c) SZing Wire wrapped green/purple irridescent swarovsky beaded ring (sz. 7)  $20

So far, I've made about a dozen rings to sell (and kept three--a shiny silver beaded one, one of the black beaded ones, and a dark purple beaded one).  I'm selling these for $20 a piece (if you want one, email me and we can make arrangements.)  I'm going to be posting some of these at Bohemianartcafe on Etsy and maybe also see how they do on Ebay.  I'm going to work this week on making some of these rings using sea glass beads and will post the results when I have some completed.

I worked on a couple of beaded pendants but they are incomplete--I need to add bails and want to do some additional embellishment, I think.  This is what they look like thus far:

(c) SZing Work in progress wire wrapped beaded pendant. 

(c) SZing Work in progress wire wrapped beaded pendant.



I had such a great time at the wire wrapping class--there were only four of us, so it was the perfect size class--if one of us got stuck, none of us got too far behind while Miranda helped out.  She is a very good instructor with fairly clear directions and easy to follow along.  I specifically decided to take this class because fine soldered silver working 1) takes me a long time and 2) is getting quite costly, but I have a great many fused glass cabochons I have made over the past few years and wanted to find a way to incorporate them better into some jewelry.  This seems to be a perfect solution!!

I used an oval piece of black glass with two pieces of dichroic fused into the cabochon as my class practice piece. I was very pleased with the result.... I have already gotten several lovely remarks about it when I wore it to the grocery store and church.

(c) SZing Wire wrapped fused glass cabochon pendant (NFS)

Of course, Saturday evening and Sunday, since it was scorching hot and humid, we stayed indoors and had a movie festival.  I used my "breakfast in bed" serving tray to lay out jewelry making materials while I watched tv and worked on several other pendants.

(c) SZing Forest stone wire wrapped pendant. 

This is a square stone bead I've had for a while, not glass.

The "copper" color wire is plastic covered over wire and

will not leave the green residue regular copper wire normally does. 

Approximately 1 1/4" l x 1" w.   $35.

 (c) SZing Wire wrapped red sea glass pendant. 

Approximately 2" l x 1 1/4" w,

$40.

(c) SZing Wire wrapped pink and gold stone pendant.

Approximately 1 3/4" l x 1 1/2" w. NFS.

Since my studio is not quite up and running, it is AWESOME to have a creative outlet.  I do have to say that my resolution to "not make anything new until I sold all my existing inventory" really didn't last long.  I just can't not create! (sorry for the double negative there, but it is the only way I can adequately describe this drive to create.)  It is truly a passion within me driving me to express my creativity.

Not only was the wire wrapping class a delight, but I was asked by the owner of The Bead Strand if I would like to hold a trunk show at the shop in the winter and we scheduled it for November 2nd/3rd.  Very exciting.  I am going to see about finding some other venues where I might be able to do similar trunk shows in and around the Florida area.  Things are moving along despite not having an "open to the public studio."  Happy Day.  Now on to the excitement of starting to load some items to Bohemianartcafe on Etsy.