Where is Sojourn?

I have been so busy with getting my new kindergarten classroom up and running.
It's my second year, and it's looking great, so far. Jewelry work will resume in the coming weeks, as things settle in at school for me.

In the meantime, if you're interested, I've started a blog about my experiences as a teacher.

It's called Journeys in Childhood. Hope you'll check it out!

Personalize Your Packaging

In your business, presentation is just as important as the product itself.

Here's an easy way to personalize your packaging, on a budget.

1) Choose a strong, unique component of your logo, maybe it's a bird, a star, or a nouveau-style woman's profile. For me, it's a tree.

2) Find a rubber stamp designer who does custom work, to create a stamp with your chosen image. Here's the artist I worked with on Etsy! Be sure to grab an inkpad or two!

3) Stamp tissue paper in your choice of pattern. I chose to create alternating rows, like bricks.

Here's how it turned out:

Fall Wishes

Gathering Apples, 2009 Collection

In the fall of the year, when warm days give way to crisp nights, the work of plant and man culminates in a bounty, offerings for the harvest basket.









Sweet pendants, rings and earrings in this collection are winding their way into the shop, now. Pick your own!

Mountain Air

I am back from the White Mountains, and greatly missing the places and my family.

We climbed Mt. Washington (again), took Caps Ridge from Jefferson over to the summit of Washington, then took Lion Head down to Pinkham Notch. An 11 hour journey in total, and by the end of it, I was stumbling, lurching, and wishing never to hike again. Now, though, I would definitely be up for another hike!

A garden/greenhouse in Vermont made me think I'd like to have some succulents (spine and barb free) growing in the house. They are just so beautiful and ornate looking.

I found this great example at apartmenttherapy.com:

Oh, the Update!

I have a supply shop, now! Mainly pretty little found and collected things like sea glass, sea pottery, keys, old hardware, vintage buttons, etc. Occasionally extra wire, beads and the like. Check it out!

I've just finished ordering all the supplies I will need for a very exciting new project with my brother, using his photography!

At present, I must pack for a family vacation in the White Mountains. I hope for lots of swimming, hiking, and cool mountain air. Maybe some history and shopping will sneak in, too. See you all next week!

And Now, Supplies!

Take a moment to hop over to my brand new supply & destash emporium: Sojourn Supply!!!!

Saturday

Slept until 10 with dreams about some sort of a coastal secret society that I was a part of. Involved outbuildings, and secret tasks, emerald coves, lighthouses and forts.

This morning starting with coffee and sourdough toast.

I want to show you the mug I reserve for weekends only. It once belonged to a beloved family member. I can't bear to use my special mug on a day that requires me to work.





Look for a neat shop announcement later on today!

DIY Wedding Contest- Please Vote!!

My Key to My Heart romantic keepsake is entered, please rate it and/or comment- I'd greatly appreciate it!

To vote, click here!

There is nothing like the Moon
Twinkling through the leaves
On a half-cloudy night

A Sale in June

Tonight, take 20% off your Sojourn Curiosities order totaling up to $75, before shipping. Orders over $75 before shipping, take 25% off your order total. Orders over $125, before shipping may take 30% off the order total!

The nitty gritty:
To receive this discount, check out, and await revised invoice to pay, or pay and I will refund the discount. Either way will work.

Please be sure to put the phrase “SNS” in notes to seller on Etsy checkout. Sale prices valid through 9 a.m. Sunday morning (6/28)

June

Still here, guys. Just wrapping up the school year, and it's taking most of my energy. After next week, school is out and I will be working a little bit less. In August I will be entirely focused on jewelry. Good things, new things, coming right along...

Early Bird

A rainy Saturday morning on the cusp of tourist season in Maine? I'm totally there. Beachcombing, that is. Here are some of my favorite finds from today.

Viva la Sale

20 Items on Sale Now!

Organized-Like

I've begun organizing my sea glass and pottery. I really want to be able to see everything i've got, and right now, that's not possible.

I went to the Trash & Treasures junk barn in Searsport, and came home with two antique wood printer's drawers, and a more modern set of long, shallow cabinets with drawers. It will be like 1/3rd of a flat file:)

Here's what I've got sorted out, so far!

Dark Side of the Sea

So, today I wanted to do something divergent, but I needed the movement to do it. My sister, my wonderful sister, encouraged me to try antiqued brass wire with sea glass, and see how I liked it. The results are gorgeous.

Coming tonight, I do believe, are 4 new pendants featuring vivid green and blue sea glass and dark, delightful antiqued brass wire. Two are on chains, two on ribbons, but both will be available on either. The concept will be something dark and oceanic. The scene in my mind is definitely otherworldly, though at this point, not precise.

Stay tuned:)

Specimen Space

An Etsy pal has called to my attention the most beautiful organizational tool I have ever seen:


Soul-wrenching want!!!!!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

A Testament!

If you've ever wondered about the durability of Sojourn Curiosities jewelry, I present to you the following scenario:

A vintage Sojourn piece enters the washing machine, unbeknown to its owner (moi.) The wash is transferred to the dryer, and the very surprised and somewhat concerned protagonist finds at the bottom, this:



Upon closer inspection, the piece is found to be perfectly sound, and perhaps a bit cleaner for the journey:

ZANY CRAZY SUBARU GO 'SPLODEY SALE!

HUGE SALE!!!! I'm offering savings 20-30% off marked prices storewide to help with some sudden car repair expenses- now through this Sunday evening, take 20% off orders up to $50, 25% off orders over $50, orders over $125 take 30% off! Discount applies storewide!!!!!

Simply proceed through checkout and pay and I will refund the discount savings, *or* tell me in the "notes to seller" section that you'd like a revised invoice, and wait for that to pay.

(Custom orders are excluded from this offer)

The Salvage Barn is Open!!!

And, oh, how I love it! Today the salvage barn store opened up for the first Saturday of the season, and he has considerably more small hardware than he had last fall!

Got some great new goodies to wrap!







Also went looking for sea glass, this morning. This is Thistle investigating my collective finds from the past few occasions. I think winter and autumn are going to be my hard and heavy beachcombing seasons.

Collabtastic!

This month is all about teaming up with other artists to offer some really neat products, and a great giveaway!

The first in a few upcoming collaborations is between myself and Jupita, a super cool designer who repurposes gift cards into hip, funky jewelry!

We've paired a wire wrapped key with one of her funky necklaces in red and silver:



And, coming soon, a blue and silver piece with Jupita, and some unusually BRIGHT keys in a new collaboration between myself and watercolor artist extraordinaire Moonstr!

We Amuse Me

An amusing IM conversation I had today,transcribed- uncut for your reading pleasure!

Me: i made enough curry that it looks like i'll have lunch for tomorrow *and* friday!
Manfriend: that's pretty exciting
Manfriend: if you like curry
Me: yes it is
Manfriend: if you don't, it's kind of gross
Me: i like having real food for dinner
Me: i mean lunch
Manfriend: yeah, it's cool
Me: instead of a little of this a little of that.
Me: which is cool sometimes
Manfriend: you could get lunchables
Me: pretty balanced curry though
Me: haha
Me: hunny
Me: that's icky
Me: have you seen what is really in lunchables? i mean what they consist of?
Manfriend: nope, not really
Me: some are like nacho chips and cheese
Me: and a candybar
Me: some are cold pizza makings eaten cold
Manfriend: i assume they're good because their name includes "lunch"
Me: they are perfect for lunch!
Me: and growing children!
Manfriend: yeah, especially if they're growing horizontally

Here there Be Savings! (Yargh)

Tonight, Sojourn Curiosities will be partaking in the notorious SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL!!!!

Three levels of savings!

Here’s the deal:
Take 20% off your order totaling up to $75, before shipping. Orders over $75 before shipping, take 25% off your order total. Orders over $125, before shipping may take 30% off the order total!
The nitty gritty:
To receive this discount, you must checkout, but *not* proceed to Paypal for payment. I will e-mail an adjusted Paypal invoice to you through which you may complete payment.
Please be sure to put the phrase “SNS” in notes to seller on Etsy checkout. Sale prices valid through 9 a.m. Sunday morning (4/26.)

p.s. Each purchase enters you into the "Treasures from the Deep Giveaway" I'm having with Heathen's Hearth!

Not All Apples are Poison

In fact, this one, while downright sinful, promises to be an entirely HEAVENLY experience!

Behold, the Almond Joy Caramel Apple by Double Dipped Sweets!




I can't wait for mine to arrive. Doncha just want one, now?!

Returning

From time to time, items go on hiatus from the shop. Sometimes they are off to a retail location, sometimes I am on the fence about them, sometimes I want to re-photograph them, and don't get around to it. This week, I have a mixed batch of things Not Seen in a While to return to the shop. Some are already in there, some are on the way. Some you haven't seen in over a year, others have been there on page 4, awaiting a re-shoot.

Here's a sneak peek!

Treasures from the Deep Giveaway!

Sojourncuriosities and Heathen's Hearth have put our noggins together and come up with a giveaway that will have you praising Poseidon himself!

We are offering a bountiful plunder worth more than $50! One lucky winner will receive the following:

From Sojourncuriosities....

Mermish Heiress Earrings

From Heathen's Hearth....

Stormy Seas Perfume Oil (15 ml)

The Sojourncuriosities Natural Goat's Milk Soap (5 oz)

Ocean Breeze Sugar Scrub (5 oz)

So how do you enter this fabulous giveaway? Let me tell you!

• Leave a comment on Sojourncuriosities' blog and Heathen's Hearth's blog telling us what your favorite items in our shops are. Our shops are http://sojourncuriosities.etsy.com/ and http://heathenshearth.etsy.com/ (if you do not have a blogger account, please leave an email where we can reach you!).

• Blog about our contest (please convo or comment in either blog with a link to the post for verification).

• Use a social networking site to talk about our shop (again, please link to page in a comment in one of our blogs... Valid sites are Twitter, Myspace, Plurk, Facebook, etc...).

• Purchases from either or both shops: Any purchase made from our shops will earn you entries into the give away. 1 extra entry for each item purchased. Make sure you leave a comment letting us know you purchased!

• Be a follower of our blogs. If you already are, make sure you leave a comment letting us know!

This giveaway will end Sunday, May 3rd at 11:59 PM! The winner will be randomly chosen after all entries are tallied using random.org.

Thanks! Now go spread the word!

Romantic Steampunk

My new antique keys are here, and I've been wrapping up a storm. Lots of "clockwork" style additions to the Passage series this week: blue, purple, red, pink, and more to come.

Here's a glimpse:

Spring

Ah, spring. Taxtime, rebirth, peeping chicks, greenery... did I mention taxes?

Crunch time, it is. However, I have managed to create a few beauties! Here is a sampling of what is to come.


Sea ceramic in a blush hue, rosy and gilded.
Sea glass in honey-amber brown.

On the Frequency of Shop Updates

For a long time, I would make 7-20 new items every weekend and slowly release them throughout the week, you know- 1-3 items per day. Then, in the past month, I began to think, "hey! I'm gonna make things when it comes to me, and list things when they're made!" I'm undecided on my shop update "style", at this point, but I am reflecting on my own preferences, as a shopper...

I find myself more interested in keeping tuned with a shop (soap, etc.) when I know exactly when the next update is expected. A suggestion of "stay tuned" or "coming soon" makes me half-heartedly want to check back, but also means I probably won't be leaping at the new products if I have to keep checking back daily in order to see them.

What say you, o' shoppers and buyers of things?

Sea Glass for Sale!!!

Well, between my incessant beachcombing, and the enormous amount I bought locally, I have in my possession many, many pieces that I can use, and then some that I can not. Pieces I can not use are either too small, too large, or not smoothed the way I'd like. I think they'd be usable by jewelry artists who do bezel setting, PMC, mosaic, assemblage, mixed media work or in home decor.



At present, I've only made it through about 70% of the mainly white sea glass. White is my least adored color of sea glass, and perhaps the most common, so I have had lots and lots to offer in that hue. What I've got is in shop now. Keep an eye out, because coming up I will add some pottery, crockery, more white glass, and smaller amounts of all the other colors of sea glass, too.

Sea Wind

This morning I awoke at the crack of dawn. Ok, so it was 6:30. I was on the road in 5 minutes, and driving in the fog toward my Sea Glass Spot.

I was rewarded by being the first one there, and the only one for the duration. The tide was exceptionally low, which I did not anticipate, and extra treasures were revealed. Lots of pottery, china, porcelain, etc. A fellow treasure hunter mentioned today that lots of these pieces probably come from shipwrecks off the coast, and many from the early to mid- 1800s. How exciting, I thought! Photos of my recent finds will be forthcoming!

Later on in the morning, we decided to go on an adventure. Acadia, it was!

Smooth, smooth rocks. Too large to wrap, though!

Great Head, off in the distance. Gorgeous and sort of eery, like something out of The Goonies. We climbed up to the top a short while later.

On top of Great Head. Windy, yes. Ever so windy.

Oh! There was rubble foundation of something at the very top, and I found a unusually green hued shard of thick glass nearby, so I will be doing some investigative work to try to find out what once sat atop the knoll!

Melt Into Spring

A few of my favorite things, in sweet, pastel hues of springtime!

Come, Bathe with Me!!!

Are you a fan of Sojourn Curiosities jewelry? Do you like the sea?

Do you enjoy BATHING?

If so, you'll love this gorgeous soap from Heathen's Hearth! It's inspired by my work with sea glass, and is a sea green all natural goat's milk formula in a Sea Breeze scent!

Nest

The nest is a symbol of life, rebirth, nurturing, and springtime. Tonight, after days of creative block (I believe due to the piles of sea glass in the middle of my workroom), I began to make a nest. Then, I realized I could add my swirls. I think it's pretty sweet, and can't wait to make some more like it!

Kid in a Candy Shop

Perhaps you've noticed things have been quiet over the past day, or two. Thanks to Craigslist, I've acquired a rather substantial amount of locally gathered sea glass and pottery from a woman in my town who is giving up her craft and moving away.

I am both delighted and overwhelmed to have the duty of sorting it all out by color. I think it's getting in the way of my crafting, but I'm mostly done. Just one box left. Of course, later, I will also want to sort within color by size...

More detailed photos are in my Flickr gallery.

Meditation and Sorting Beads

They are the same, yes?

Many thanks to the dear Julie Persons for the gift of the beads I am integrating into The Collective today!

Sea Finds, Feb. 21

Last weekend, I checked out a new spot for beachcombing. This waterfront fringes a small city next to my town, with a great maritime history, so I knew there were bound to be some finds. I walked for two hours, and was amply rewarded.

Highlights include milk glass, what I think is vaseline glass with a gorgeous pattern, and a piece of orange glass. These are just highlights, though. I filled both exterior, and both interior netted pockets of my coat, plus both my back pants pockets!

See more images in my Flickr gallery!

A New Place to Shop

Hey Folks!

In addition to my mainstay, my Etsy shop , I'm trying out a new marketplace. I've moved a number of my items over to 1000 Markets! It's an exciting new venue, and I plan to sometimes list my some of my new creations there, while maintaining my Etsy storefront.

If you keep up with my creations, I hope you'll visit both!