Don't worry, I promise this blog post wont actually be one of those BORING essays that every school aged child has to write when they go back to school, reducing their summer of freedom and folly to a bland 500 word essay. Instead, I hope to enthrall you with fascinating tales of victory and defeat, learning and exploration. Okay, not really-my summer was no where near as dramatic as the last sentence seems to indicate. However, I've HAVE worked like a crazy person, learned A WHOLE LOT, and made some great headway in establishing Sweet Sincerity Jewelry as my MORE-than-40-hours-a-week-full-time job. So prepare to be impressed. Ha ha ha, not really.
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One of the MANY Configurations of the
Sweet Sincerity Booth at Craft Fairs This Summer |
Seriously though, I HAVE learned so much this summer about life, the universe and everything! Well, mostly what I learned was about craft fairs, really. I did 5 local craft fairs, learned how to set up my display quickly, efficiently, and without it tipping over in the wind (SCORE!!!!!), how to price things for the local market, how to interact with a few scary customers who wanted half of my inventory for only 20$ total, and much, much more! Some of the craft fairs that I participated in made me hundreds of dollars, and others made me value the priceless nature of experience (which basically means I made next to nothing on them, but got to practice how to set up my craft fair booth). It's been a whirlwind of activity for the last month and a half, which is why I have yet again lapsed into complete and utter SLACKER TERRITORY when it comes to filling my shop with new things and BLOGGING!!
Another event that has severely impacted my motivation to blog and list new things on the "interwebs," as my hilarious metal-smithing teacher calls it, is that my lovely bff baby sister got a NEW not-so-part-time job as a chef at a local pub. I'm really excited for her to have a job that she really likes, but that of course means that I'm left all by my lonesome to get motivated to work, blog, and produce. Yeah....I really miss her. LOL. But she's never been too busy to come and support Sweet Sincerity Jewelry despite her busy schedule. Hooray for that!
OK, now I will go on a crazy rant-all you normal, well-adjusted people feel free to ignore this paragraph ENTIRELY. So let me start of by saying that I HATE the evil insensitive advertisers who begin advertising fall merchandise before summer is actually over. Here in Maine, we value every drop of summer we can get. From the day it hits 65 degrees Fahrenheit to the first flurries of winter, we here in New England are happily wearing our shorts and flip flops. Winter accounts for about 7 months here, so whenever it's above freezing, there is cause for rejoicing and randomly breaking out into song. Advertisers who clearly have no idea what it's like to live here are ALWAYS sending out fliers AT LEAST 2 months early, advertising what's new for the coming season. That's just plain insulting, because we know we won't be letting go of our flip flops til November, and we won't be enjoying the spring thaw til June. We also know that fall is really just a harbinger of doom, and we'd rather not think about the long cold winter that is just around the corner. Common!!! Just let us hang on to our warm weather, PEOPLE! Look at me, going on this crazy tirade, and after I just gave in and changed my Etsy banner to a fall theme! HA! GIANT hypocrite ends rant.
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| A Small Sample of the Sweet Oceanside Line! |
In other, more balanced/less insane news, I've started a collaborative jewelry line with
my metal-smithing teacher, that is now being shown in the
Maine Jewelry and Art Gallery!!!! How exciting is that? The line that we are doing together is called "Sweet Oceanside" and consists of sea glass, pearls, shells, and other ocean-y type elements. The shells and sea glass have been picked off the beaches of Maine by our own family and friends. Isn't that neat? Last Friday, I also put some
Sweet Sincerity Jewelry on display in the Gallery. If you are in the area, please go check it out!
Maine Jewelry and Art is located in the heart of Downtown Bangor, diagonally across from the Bangor Public Library on Harlow Street. I can't believe I have anything in a gallery! I feel so special...BLUSH! It feels good to know that I've learned so much that I can now call myself a metal-smith!
So yeah, It's been a busy summer Sweet Sincerity-wise, but it's been fun-and having a job that you love is truly priceless! So now, lastly, enjoy some of my favorite collections that Sweet Sincerity Jewelry has had the privilege of being a part of.
And here's a collection I put together of other talented artists! Enjoy!
