Busy Times

Burnt raisin toast

Ever feel like burnt toast? Well…I have and do from time to time.
Took this last weekend off for a mental break.

So what’s going on…

My blonde daughter at her first art show in front of her booth

My daughter participated in her first art show with RAW artists in Costa Mesa, California. It was a raucous night with about 50 artists, a beauty booth, fashion show, and a huge nightclub backdrop. She visited with throngs of people and collected, as well as gave away, a deck of cards.

cartoon portrait of my son

My son is on the fast track to graduation. First he’ll turn 18 then less than a month later he walks down the path in cap and gown. Where does the time go?

colorful hula dancing girls made into earrings

Last week brought to life a gaggle of these. Dancing Hula girls for your ears.

…and a couple of gals similar to this…

blonde gals with crowns and signs that say i am what i am made into earrings

Many other things took shape this past week or so. As did a complete inventory of my jewelry selection. I have so many things. Some fabulous and new but lots that I’ve been looking at for awhile. Three or four trays of stuff were taken apart and I still have lots for a sale table at my next show.

Which is over Mothers Day weekend, May 11 & 12, at the Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo, California. Mark the calendar and come say hello. My booth is in the back parking lot space #5.
Also my booth will be out next to Heritage Lake at the Irvine Fine Arts Center on Saturday June 1st. Come mark the day with music, ceramic bowls of ice cream, and lots of great artisan work.

Just for the record the shop is still empty. I’m still having trouble finding the time between shows to refill it and keep creating. So please come follow me on Instagram (@susanmwb) and if you see anything you like please message me and we’ll work something out. You can also find me on Facebook or Pinterest at Susan’s Charming Trinkets.

See you soon!

And here we go…again!

Basquiat
A little Basquiat for inspiration.

Just a little reminder to let you know I’m at it again!

This entire site was very underloved, underused, and, well, ignored. This week I decided to change it up and make it work! You’ll notice lots of changes. Different home page and the addition of my own shop! About time!

I’ve had over a decades worth of angst over my Etsy shop. Spending time listing lots of things only to have a show and come back to de-list most of them. List them again, nothing sells, they expire, I re-list, do a show, and unlist all over again. It’s a giant time suck and pain in the wa-zoo not to mention the giant mental block I have with it.

So about ten days ago Etsy announced that they would be raising all their fees, adding subscription services, but no one’s ability to be seen would change. Paid subscription or not. Ummmm….let’s just say I am not inclined to believe that entirely. It’s unfortunate but they’ve turned from being a very supportive backer of the hand made movement into a publicly traded must make money operation.

That said it is still an excellent platform with over two million shoppers peeking at it all the time. I will keep a presence over there. But all of my collection will be found here with only a few bits and bobs over there. I have yet to make a decision on my supply shop. I let it go a bit to get organized and decide what direction to go in. Am still deciding.  The real upside is that it lit a fire under me to get this site moving!

As of today there are a few things here. But keep checking back as I am obsessed with getting as much in here as possible!