Found Items Made New Again

I'm at the market today altering some recently found items that will soon be new earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

Please come into my work studio with me through these photos. :)

Do you recognize any of these items?

Loralei's Heart of Centerville Event

Many thanks to Loralei's for a wonderful evening with Art in the Heart of Centerville Friday, May 18, 2012.  They invited me to be their featured artist and to demonstrate artwork involving their customers.

I offered up a choice of vintage buttons and other earring components to make earrings for only $3.  It was a very popular event! 

Here's a photo of our first happy customer wearing her new pair of Steph's Jewels' Vintage Button Earrings!  I would have taken more photos of happy customers, but I was busy making earrings!  :)

New Year. New Lovely Ladies.

With Handmade Dayton Etsy Team's monthly meeting scheduled for tomorrow, I wanted to bring some "freebies" to share.  We like to send our customers little samples as a way to promote each other's Etsy shops.

I had so much fun last year incorporating beautiful images of Vintage Lovely Ladies into my jewelry, that I thought it might be nice to try them in a "freebie" promo item.  Little images found their way onto mini oval glass tiles mounted on pretty little filigrees.  They turned out so cool that I'm going to do something special with them... not sure what yet.... but they will definitely become the focal point of a new Steph's Jewels series.  Here's a sneak peek...

Now... I have two dilemmas.  1.) Just what exactly to design using them.  and 2.) A new idea for "freebies".  :)

While searching a flea market in Corbin, Kentucky, I found this lovely vintage rhinestone necklace with several links - what a find!  Each of these pretty little links may be just the perfect marriage my new Lovely Ladies desire!

I snapped a photo of this beautiful painting in the bathroom at a favorite coffee shop recently.  She will be a new project soon as well... stay tuned...

Any ideas on a perfect name for her?

Summer Festivals

Last weekend, at the Waynesville Second Saturday Street Faire and Car Show, I had the pleasure of displaying artwork with two lovely ladies - Gina and Smash.

Though sales were not the best, it's always a good day when you can meet and greet other Dayton area artists and enjoy fellowship!

I will be posting on Facebook at Julie Jamison Crusenberry when other festivals come up this summer and fall. Please come join us... you'll be glad you did!

Creativity is a Way of Life

Creativity is now a way of life for me...

As a former member of the business-suit wearing, super-mom, working in an office for a living sector of our population, I left my day-job two years ago. A little freaked out by my lay-off caused by budget limitations, I realized how totally burnt-out I was and that I would most assuredly run away screaming if I ever had to put on a business suit again! I applied for unemployment and started looking for jobs in my field of charitable fund-raising.

Organizations in my field are still doing lay-offs and early retirements and therefore, jobs are scarce. I had been making jewelry for a few years as a favorite pastime, friends and family had bought some and I had often toyed with the idea... "Wouldn't it be fun to work for myself, make and sell jewelry?" I decided to give it a try while I searched for a new job.

I applied for and did a few art shows, held open-houses in my home, did a few custom orders for friends or friends of friends, had a VistaPrint magnet made for my car and I was lucky if I broke even. I knew it was a long road ahead if I was going to make my past salary at my new business! :)

A dear friend of mine for several years, Heather, had an adorable little shop in Lebanon, Ohio called Maddie Lisee. She needed some help with her shop, so I covered for her a couple of days a week. The more time we spent together, the more time we brainstormed about jewelry and creative ways of making money. We used to call the talks our "swimming sessions" because we would brainstorm until our heads were swimming! During one of these talks, we decided it would be fun to make jewelry out of vintage, antique and found items. I made a charm bracelet out of vintage buttons and Heather made a necklace out of a chandelier crystal and we were on our way!

Creativity is now a way of life for me...