earthcharms on Etsy... disappearing?

Well, yes and no.

Yes in the fact that I refuse to keep renewing items on Etsy for 20 cents a piece to keep them from expiring. I do not like the expiration dates, and I really do not like the fact that they encourage you to renew items to compete with other sellers for attention (especially with the influx of supply sellers and all the machine-made junk that is sneaked in). It just reeks of corporate greed.

As a consequence, my once 9-page store has shrunk to 3 pages and since I haven't been photographing and listing new items lately, will probably continue to shrink.

The good new is: all those lovely earthcharms creations can be found on 1000 Markets. I find it to be a much better venue for a number of reasons. The only downfall there is the current lack of international shipping. If you are an international buyer, I will be happy to list anything you see in my 1000 Markets store on my Etsy store so you can purchase it. Just let me know!

The Craft Faires are here!

After months of me stressing out about not finding any venues to sell in, I finally have my foot in the door. I had to take a step in bravery that I usually consider then discard: I wrote a letter to a new craft faire organizer and told her I would be a great addition whatever she was doing! She called me up and praised my boldness (she used another "b" word, actually), and sent me an enrollment package.

This Sunday, July 19th from 10am-4pm I will be selling at the Sonoma County Artisans & Crafters Faire at McDonald's Mission Plaza in Santa Rosa, CA. I have high hopes for the traffic in the area, as I know it's always busy there.

The following Sunday, July 26th I will be selling in a private community on the Russian River. I did this last year and had so much fun!

I can't wait to not only show everyone my new jewelry lines, but also unveil my bath & body products to the public for the first time. Hopefully it will motivate me to get it all online as well.

Needless to say, my products will not be available during those times.

I am very excited for Sundays!

Gemstone Show

I am a rock geek. I love gemstone beads, to be sure, but to know about the mineral makes the beads so much more special. How they form, where they come from, the shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties of minerals are all so fascinating.



I was lucky enough to find out about a gem show that takes place this weekend in San Rafael. I met up with a friend there this morning around 10am and didn't leave until 2:30! A hotel that I could never afford to stay in hosted the event on their second floor. Yes, I braved the elevator. Yes, I made a fool of myself. What can I say? I just don't have the inner ear for elevation changes like that!



There had to have been 30 rooms full of brightly-lit display cases. Each case containing vast treasures. I probably looked like a silly tourist brandishing my camera at everything that sparkled, but I really don't care. I wanted to capture just a tiny fraction of the unbelievable specimens I got to see (and I touched a piece of rhodochrosite that would sell for $150,000!).



Amidst all the sparkling expensive chaos, I managed to find a strand of beads I just couldn't leave behind (neon blue apatite rondells, if you're curious). I was gingerly stroking the strands of emeralds, sapphires, and rubies but they were just a tad out of my price range! I did manage to find a small cabinet piece of wonderfully translucent green fluorite for $20 and a lovely chunk of quartz points for my sister's birthday.



If you would like to see all of my pictures, just click here to view the album.



I had a great time and will definitely go back next year!