Meredithbead newsletter
October 2013
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October 2013

 Autumn in SoCali really doesn’t begin until mid-late October. That’s when we’re finally sorta maybe done with triple-digit temps until March. That’s when we enter fire season, with hot dry Santa Ana winds blowing in from the desert and igniting dead brush and leaves. October is allegedly the start of our rainy season — hopefully not on weekend craft days. If we get enough rain, then maybe we won’t have fires.

October is also "Oh crap, I have 40,000 things to do before the holidays" month.

The biggest jewelry news is metal prices, which have actually gone down somewhat the past year. The best analogy is gas prices — they spike ridiculously high, and when they drop back to "only" 2x what they were before the hike, we’re happy. Since I need both metal for my jewelry and gas for my car, I should be happy. (Insert smiley face here :-p )

Silver $21.72
Gold $1319.25

JEWELRY
The biggest news is my new line of painted jewelry. I’m taking old pewter beads and vintage brass findings and components, and upcycling re-inventing them with a pop of color. It’s amazing how a little paint totally transforms a piece! So far, these are in my ArtFire shop only. They have their own section:
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/Meredithbead/1/1/349629

green.painted.pin.front.jpg
Vintage re-imagined aqua verdigris bar pin

painted.earrings.pink.orange.lavender.swirl.jpg
hand-painted earrings fuchsia pink orange lavender
painted.filigree.4drop.blue.green.pink.jpg
painted pewter earrings navy blue green gunmetal

FINDINGS
Angle cut jump rings are baaack!! So far I have them in S-M-L in sterling, and L in gold-filled. I’ll have S-M in GF soon. These are a little rounder than the old angle cuts, but still oval. Maybe Mediums are 1 gauge thinner. Basically, the manufacturer had so many complaints when they discontinued the item that they plunked down 20k to build a new angle cut jump ring machine. Yes, every finding has its own machine. These will be a regular item again :-)

WEBSITES
Didn’t I once say, "If I ever build another website, just kill me and put me out of my misery"? Please ignore that advice. I’m trying to build another website.

Trying. I want to have a website on OpenSky, but I have to bring in 20 followers who are new to OpenSky. So far I have 18, and 5 days left to get 2 more. I’d get down on my knees and beg, but arthritis is a bitch.

What you can do:
1. Click on my OpenSky link
   https://www.opensky.com/meredithbead
2. click "follow" from my page
3. join OpenSky

You don't have to do anything else. You can opt out of emails (if you're reading this, you know where to find me anyhow.) I figure -- the more new eyeballs on my work, the better chance I have of selling something :-)

Any help is appreciated!

LOCAL NEWS
My only large craft show this season is Irvine Fine Arts Holiday Faire, Saturday November 9, 9am-4pm, by Walnut and Yale. Same booth space as last year. Otherwise, I’m at Hollywood Farmers’ Market every other week, weather permitting.

REMINDER (If you haven’t used your coupons yet)
These coupons are good for a one-time use until the end of 2013. You can combine shipping and merchandise coupons.

FINDINGS
10% off all merchandise.
Shipping – free for US orders of $40 or more, $100 for overseas.

JEWELRY
25% off all merchandise.
Shipping – free for US orders over $10, and foreign orders over $25.

Happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas & Kwanzaa! (Hope I didn’t leave anyone out.)

Meredith

exclusive hand-crafted jewelry:
www.meredithbead.com
jewelry and findings:
https://members.tripod.com/meredithbead-ivil/index.html
 
religious and cultural jewelry:
poetry and essays (my writing website)