Friday, October 5, 2012

Craft Show Prep

Things are starting to get rather busy as the days are just flying by, counting down towards the day of the craft show! Believe it or not I am still trying to acquire some supplies for the show.

I'm still working on the shop and it's definitely tough trying to get things listed on Etsy while thinking ahead for what I will need come November 3rd. One of the things I have been stressing over is prepping one of my mannequins. I was lucky enough to acquire a full torso with head and realistic face through a Haunter (Halloween) friend. She came to me bald and has some minor damage plus paint peeling. My dilemma has been agonizing over whether I want to tackle trying to re-paint her. I'm just too in love with her current face and know that I can't make an exact re-painted copy of it (since every artist's style is different).

Instead, I opted to try and find a wig that could cover the paint peeling on her forehead and just a few weeks ago I found the perfect one. It shipped from China and I was worried it wouldn't arrive, but it just got here two days ago.

With all the rain we've had I had I wasn't able to get outside to take pictures of her until today.



My biggest concern is covering up her breasts. The person who owned her before me painted on nipples so I can't leave her naked. She also, sadly, did not come with arms or legs, so I have had a hard time locating a shirt for her to cover the holes in her arm sockets.





I'm definitely very happy with how she is coming along. I've seen many mannequins that don't have nearly as nice a face as this one does. A lot of the ones I have seen have that dopey/droopy eyed face coupled with an elongated facial structure that makes them look less realistic. Sadly, though, she still has no name.



In regards to shirts I found this awesome shop on Etsy called Couth Clothing. I've been talking with the shop owner, Daniel, and she's been a pleasure to work with. I've already picked out this shirt and this sheer top. Please go check out Daniel's Etsy shop, I assure you that you won't be disappointed! I'm also super excited to be show casing another Etsy artisan's work in my craft show display to help me in promoting my jewelry and accessories.

In other news please be aware that come November 3rd I will be putting my shops on Vacation. So if you have had your eye on any items in the shop don't hesitate! Whatever sells at the show will be removed from both my Etsy and Artfire shops before I make them active again. Only my Vintage sewing patterns and other Vintage items will remain unaffected. Any jewelry items, accessories, or other handmade items of mine will be subject to removal if I sell them at the show.

Well, I'm off back to work. Have a great Friday everyone, TGIF! :D

~ Remmie

Friday, September 21, 2012

TGIF! :D

Happy Friday everyone! It's been a long week for me and as Fall approaches so does the impending date of my very first craft show. While exciting I am so nervous. There is so much that I still need to do, items that need to be made, and supplies that need to be purchased.

I have had to contend with juggling my day job with working on the shop and things have gotten pushed aside. I'll definitely need to do more now on the days I have off and the time I have before I need to head to work at the day job so I can get things ready. Wish me luck!

What are you preparing for this fall? Are you doing any craft shows? Please comment on this post and let me know! I love hearing from others whether or not you follow my blog. :)

And to kick off this weekend with a bang I'm going to be offering 15% off everything in the shop, both sewing patterns AND jewelry! Use the coupon code SWEETSEPT when you check out to get the discount. The same code applies to both my Artfire and Etsy shops. The code will expire Monday night at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard time. Don't miss it!

Now I'm off to clean up my work space so I can get to listing some new pieces. :)

TGIF!

~ Remmie

Friday, July 20, 2012

Glass Pearl Earring Giveaway!

Because a lot of people had trouble entering the last giveaway on last Friday, my winner and I decided to wipe the slates clean and try again!


Please read the entire blog post carefully. Read ALL the rules and instructions on how to enter.


Unlike last time I will not be so lenient and help people along if you don't do EXACTLY as the instructions and rules say.



Prize

You will win a custom made pair of glass pearl earrings done in your choice of glass pearl colors (there are 17 total to choose from) on either gold or silver plated ear wires and findings.

To see pictures and examples of all the colors I offer please click this link!

And here are some group shots of all the colors on the gold and silver plated ear wires:



Who Can Enter

ANYONE can enter! The Giveaway is open worldwide.

How to Enter

Answer the trivia question below by leaving a comment on this blog. Please ALSO include a valid e-mail address with your answer. You can look up your answer via search engine, ask a friend, ANYTHING you need to find the answer! Don't forget to enter the captCHA code when you go to submit your answer or else your comment will not post!

The FIRST PERSON to answer the question correctly and leave their valid e-mail address will be the winner.

Trivia Question: In the Stargate television shows, what is the name of the character that Richard Dean Anderson plays?

Good luck!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Whimsical Photography

As an artist I appreciate many aspects of art. I have always been more into drawing and within recent years creating handmade items like jewelry and accessories. But one thing I have a huge respect for is photography. It has always been an art form that has somewhat eluded me in the past. As time has gone on I continue to improve especially now that I must take crisp, clear photos of my jewelry and vintage items when I list them in my online studios and social networking sites.


I admit, I envy photographers that sell prints because it is something I have always wanted to do but never had the true talent to achieve. But this doesn't stop me from looking through shops and "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over photos that grab my attention.


I really adore whimsical, and fantasy based or inspired artwork. But sometimes I can be pleasantly surprised and taken by imagery of very real life things or people.


At the end of the day though it always comes back to nature and animals.


These images are just the very tip of the huge cache of gorgeous prints that Photographer and Artist Danny have to offer in their Etsy shop named Maximonstertje.

But she doesn't just offer prints. She also has a beautiful selection of jewelry, postcards, and even iPhone cases.


I am continually inspired by the artwork she lists and I am always eagerly awaiting her Facebook updates so I can catch sneak previews of her newest print.

Be sure to check out Maximonstertje Photography on:


I hope you all find her work as inspiring as I do. I am hoping to get a print or two from her to hang on the walls of my studio here at Threaded Chains.

And for the month of July she is offering FREE WORLDWIDE shipping! That's such an awesome deal. :) Just enter the code FREESHIP at checkout to get free shipping on your order.

May the rest of your day and week be filled with wonderful art, inspiration, and love.

~ Remmie



Sunday, July 15, 2012

Winner Chosen!

The winner for my Friday the 13th giveaway has been chosen! Congrats to Maureen for winning. :)

That said there are some things I need to say to clear the air, as this giveaway has upset me a bit in regard to how some people have acted.

For the future I may need to rethink my giveaway strategy. I was a little disappointed with the very small turn out but to be fair it was a very spontaneous giveaway with little notice. There was also some big squabbling that went on after I started receiving entries so I may not offer my giveaways to include friends and family in the future. I can also just run all of my giveaways using rafflecopter.

As a reminder to anyone participating in future giveaways, please make sure that you read all of the rules thoroughly. I let a lot of things slide this time because it was my first real giveaway. In the future I won't be issuing reminders to those entering if they don't follow all of the rules. Reading everything and all of the instructions is key!


I hope that for my future giveaways this sort of thing doesn't happen again or I may have to ban people from participating in my giveaways altogether and I don't want things to have to come down to that!

We are all adults, so I hope for the future we can all act as such.

I apologize for this mixed feelings blog update but these are things that needed to be said. I am going to try and enjoy the rest of my weekend before heading off to my day job tonight.

Don't forget, it's still Christmas in July at my shop so even if you didn't win the giveaway you can still get a great discount on all items in my shop through July 31st! Hop on over to my Etsy Studio or my Artfire Studio and use the coupon code XMASINJULY10 at checkout to get 10% off your entire order!

~ Remmie

Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday the 13th Earring Giveaway!

I know a lot of people feel today is a bad day. No good. Horrible luck...well, I would like to change that.

I have actually had such a pleasant day today that I would love to give away one pair of my grape cluster glass pearl earrings to one lucky winner.The winner will get to pick the color glass pearls they want (they can be mixed if desired!) AND choose the base metal of the ear wires: gold or silver plated.

I will ship the item domestically OR internationally. So everyone has a shot at winning.

The giveaway will end on Saturday, July 14th at 11:59pm, eastern standard time. Only ONE winner will be chosen!

Here are examples of the earrings:



More images can be found in my facebook galleries here: Gold Earrings, Silver earrings
Or, you can view my Rings and Earrings Etsy shop section.

How Can I Enter?

All you have to do is answer the Trivia question by leaving a comment on this blog post. I will not accept answers anywhere else! You MUST post your answer as a comment to this blog post in order to win. The first person to reply with the correct answer wins!

You must also leave a valid e-mail address through which I can contact you if you are the winner! The winner will have 24 hours to reply back to me. If no response is received I will go to the next person.

Trivia Question

In the television show Stargate: Atlantis, what is the name of the character played by Jason Momoa?

Good luck!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Behind the Scenes

I am taking a short break from updating my Artfire studio and I thought that since it's Christmas in July I'd like to share some behind the scenes pictures of just how I strive to go the extra mile for my customers.

All of my fans be them on Facebook, Twitter, here on my blog, or anywhere else you are watching me and my customers are the ones that make it possible for me to do what I love. I know for me when I go shopping at other handmade, vintage, and supply shops on Etsy, Artfire, or anywhere else I love it when my order is given that personalized touch. I have bought items that came to be wrapped so beautifully and included little notes, thanks yous, business cards, and even coupons. I love knowing that the artisan and shop owner I am supporting has taken the time to stop and appreciate my business to them.

Orders are gift wrapped in colored tissue paper and sealed with festive stickers that I change around depending on the season and holiday at the time of purchase. A hand written note is also included to voice my thanks and to let you know just how much I appreciate your business. :) I also have been including my new business card with my orders for you to share with others.

Recently I had an order for two pairs of my grape cluster earrings. My customer was purchasing these for a friend of hers for her birthday. We talked on Etsy for a bit and I was given the go ahead to customize her order a little further. Polka dotted tissue paper was used to wrap the earrings and each package was sealed with some adorable birthday stickers.



I also included a special Hallmark card, with matching envelope, with a personalized greeting (as requested from my customer), to go with the order. And as always, I included a note for my buyer. Two business cards were sent so she could share one with her friend.



Everything here is included for free with her purchase. I have stickers for just about every occasion and I am always looking for more. I definitely have a lot of fun wrapping my orders. It feels like Christmas to me, wrapping things up to send off to people. :) My hand written notes are also different for each order. I have many different note pads to use for this purpose. Someday I would love to have some stationary with my shop name on them.

Currently my vintage items are shipped in ways that maximize their safety with in the mailers. However, I can offer gift wrapping if asked. :)

What do you guys do for your customers? Do you offer gift wrap options or do you gift wrap everything, like I do? I'd love to hear what you guys do for your clientele.

Back to work for me now. Have a fabulous evening!

~Remmie

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Goosebook + Christmas in July

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! Things have been super busy over here so I apologize for not updating sooner as I had promised.

I'll get right down to it and start with the big news first.

There is a new social networking site and it is small business friendly! I am personally tired of Facebook making changes that negatively affect small business owners like myself. Lately all Facebook has done is make changes that many of it's users hate. Their motivations are to please shareholders now that they have gone public. So Goosie Girl took matters into her own hands and created her own social networking site. About 70 people signed up in just the first 24 hours alone, and I was one of them. Businesses seeking membership are asked to pay a small $5 per year fee and regular profiles for non-business members are completely free! No "promoted posts" like on Facebook. Your posts will reach everyone who watches your profile and won't get hidden, unlike on Facebook. I'm excited to be a member and I am certain the site will only continue to grow.

Goosie has named the site domain mombition as many people who wanted to sign up in the original wave are mostly stay at home, self employed mom's, but EVERYONE is welcome to join! I am currently awaiting approval for my account so i should be up and running on there within a day or so. Come and join me, and many other small businesses, and check it out here: Goosebook

Christmas in July!

And with July comes Christmas! It's that time again so I've been working very hard to get some more Christmas themed items ready to post into the shop. I just listed two handmade jewelry items for Christmas in July the other day. Check out my Christmas Shop Section and stay tuned for more!

Also coming to the shop to celebrate Chistmas in July I have two brand new jewelry styles I'm introducing to the shop: Lariat necklaces and Adjustable Macrame Hemp Jewlery bracelets/anklets. Below you can find a sneek peek preview! I will be adding these and much more to the shop over the coming days.




And lastly to celebrate Christmas in July I will be offering 10% off ALL items in my shop using coupon code XMASINJULY10 until July 31st at midnight, eastern standard time. This discount is not available with any other percent off offer (like the 5% discount offered through the My Etsy Shop app on my Facebook page) but IS good in conjunction with the two for $11 glass pearl earring sale as well as the 3 for $7 Vintage sewing pattern sale. So now is the perfect time to get some early holiday shopping in whether you want to buy my handmade jewelry or some of my mother's vintage items. More will be added as the month goes on.

I will be activating the code within the next few hours on both Etsy and Artfire. Keep an eye out on my Facebook and twitter accounts as I will announce it once the codes are activated!

That's all for now. Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

~ Remmie

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Discounts Coming + Happy Wednesday!

It was a great weekend! I know it's Wednesday but I've been quite busy. I made five sales this past weekend in four days, it was really exhilarating! I hope someday that things can be this way on a more daily basis. Until then I am striving hard to promote my shop.

I'v also been featured a few times! I was featured on #Hemp Today. Checkout the #Handmade section especially! And a pair of my earrings were also showcased in a beautiful treasury on Etsy. Check out Shades of Turquoise and Metal now and share it with everyone you know. :)

I thought I would take the time to let you guys know that I have some discounts coming, and some that are already here but you may not know about.

Earlier in the day I set up a rewards feature with the Threaded Chains facebook fan page. Once it is cleared you guys will be able to get 10% off all of my handmade jewelry through my Etsy shop. The discount can't be combined with other offers though but it will apply to your entire order of jewelry! I'll make an announcement once the promo is up and running. In the meantime you can visit the My Etsy Shop app on the Threaded Chains facebook fan page and get 5% off right now! I won't keep the discount going for too long though so take advantage of it while you can! :)

I am also working on getting my Artfire store front up to date and current. Bare with me in the meantime!

And for any of you interested in making a purchase from me but you don't want to have to buy through Artfire or Etsy I am now accepting orders manually if you see anything in my Facebook photo gallery that has been updated with a price. Just send me an e-mail at Threaded_Chains@hotmail.com or note the fan page with which items you'd like. I'll be happy to work out a payment method with you that works to suit your needs.

On a last note be prepared for a HUGE overhaul of my shop policies. They are outdated and a little convoluted with all the text there is to read. I will be fixing that so it is much easier to find the info you need quickly and easily and not have to scroll forever to find it. :)

Before I go, here's a look at the weekend's hottest items that sold in my shop. :)



You can see these items in My Etsy Shop!

I have tons more I'd like to say but I have to rush off and get ready for my "day" job. I have a huge announcement though, so stay tuned! I'll be updating tomorrow. :)


~ Remmie

Friday, June 8, 2012

Summer Nostalgia + A Sale

I have spent a great deal of time promoting my shop, but what about all the people I watch or see in the forums, threads, twitter, and facebook?

For the last three days I have been reaching out to people through some of the Etsy teams I am in to try and find Summer Themed items to share with all of the people that follow me. It has been a long time since the last time I made a treasury. I'd forgotten how much fun it can be! And very addicting. I always try to share treasuries I see that I love. And to show my gratitude for all of the handmade artisans, vintage sellers, and anyone else involved in the Etsy community I show cased 16 different items from 16 different shops.

There is a little something for everyone.

New graphics for your shop? I got it. Need some pretty jewelry or a new outfit? I've got that (and shoes too)! Need something to spice up your home decor? I've found that too! And everything is summer themed. Take a look, you won't be disappointed! Click below to go right to the treasury!

Summer Nostalgia

All of my promoting has paid off for me as well. Last night, about an hour before I turned in for the night, I made a sale on this beautiful switchback macrame hemp bracelet. It is one of my made to order items so you can pick your size and add any beads for your perfect bracelet!



There are tons more pieces like this in my gallery. Stop by and pick out your perfect style in a bracelet, anklet, or necklace. Or maybe even mix an match a set of all three! Each is made to order. :)

I am planning to add some more Vintage sewing patterns tomorrow so stay tuned for that. I have a bunch that did not sell from the last time so I am thinking of gradually listing a bunch of them throughout the day. Keep your eyes peeled!

Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Friday!

~ Remmie

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Love for Vintage

I did not know very much about "vintage" items when I was younger. Well, that's what I thought anyway. To me I grew up watching The Jeffersons on tv, Laverne and Sherley, Happy Days, etc and I knew they were old but I couldn't grasp the concept fully. I never fully understood the things I saw on there was not the way the world worked now. I am older now, 24 to be exact, and I've got a solid grasp on vintage items. I see the trends coming back into fashion.

 I continue to live with vintage items in my life and I will forever have a special place in my heart for those old TV shows. As my love for Vintage has grown I have been exposed to newer and better things.

 What's the latest thing?

 Vintage sewing patterns.

We now own tons of them, and they have been right under my nose, squirreled away in my nana's attic, basement, bedroom, back rooms, everywhere, and I didn't even know it! My mom and I can't get the full use out of them so when she proposed the idea for me to help her sell them on Etsy and Artfire I was happy to help. I love being able to handle these patterns before I list them and eventually package them to ship somewhere. I've actually sold quite a few to the U.K. and Australia, even Germany!

I want to share my love of vintage with others who are much more sewing savvy than myself. Recently we acquired three new patterns (ones I have not previously listed on Etsy or Artfire), and I thought I'd share them here with you. :)

 


The first is an Advance 1940s sewing pattern for a cobbler apron or poncho. This one is extra neat because whoever owned it before us made two extra pattern sets and they are included with the original. So there are now two small sewing patterns and one large! It's like three for the price of one. :)

The second pattern is a 1950s Simplicity pattern for a slim skirt in a waist size 32, hip size 41.

And the last one is from a brand I have not personally heard of before. It is a mail order Marian Martin 1940s sewing pattern for a skirt and blouse. This one is my personal favorite! I love the type of top this one makes. The pattern is for a size 38.

All three of these patterns are currently up for sale in my Etsy shop, and you can find them in my Vintage section.

Although I can't sew and produce vintage clothing, I have begun incorporating vintage supplies in my jewelry. Coming very soon I will be posting a super cute vintage button necklace. In the meantime though I have two gorgeous pairs of earrings up for grabs that are both one of a kind and are made using vintage buttons:


Both of these earrings are available in my Etsy shop. You can see more earrings (including the ones above) in my Rings and Earrings section.

I have many more things I'd love to share with you all but I will save that for another blog post. :)

Until next time!

~ Remmie

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Win a Kindle Fire! o:

Giveaways are awesome, so here is yet another giveaway I found! Win yourself a Kindlefire. It's easy and there are tons of ways to enter!

Check out the Giveaway Scoop for your chance to win!

I promise I'll try to get some new photos up to show you some of the things I've made during my blog hiatus. I have items I've never listed on my Etsy or Artfire shop so keep your eyes peeled! And while you wait you can enter to win that nifty Kindle Fire. :)

Monday, June 4, 2012

Back! And with a sweet deal

I know it's been a long time since I blogged, two years...oh my. Well, to make it up to you guys I've got a really awesome link to share!

Gretel Creations is having a giveaway on their blog. You can win one of three super cute items from their shop! They make adorable little amigurami plush toys in stunning detail. Check out the blog here!

Also, you can check out the shop here on Etsy.

Take a gander over at her facebook and her twitter too!

Don't miss out on this awesome giveaway. :)