Eye Candy Creative Craft Show Recap and Trunk Sale Update

The North Branch craft show was another great success! That was a new show for me so I enjoyed meeting new faces who enjoy hand-crafted custom designed jewelry! One of the comments I recall was, "There really is a lot of jewelry here, but yours is truly unique!"  La-huv that!

I really do strive to be original and use only high quality gemstones, sterling and hill tribe silver findings.

I do have some custom requests in the works for Christmas gifts. I can still consider your custom jewelry order in time for Christmas. Just email or call me and I'll let you know what I can do for you!

All gift orders will have complimentary gift wrap if requested.

Meanwhile, I've been extremely busy at work and hockey games with the kids so I haven't been able to post too many new things on my website. I do hope to do that this weekend though. So check my site for frequent updates.

Trunk SALE Update!

I will be holding a 2 hour trunk sale this Friday the 5th at my home from 6:30 to 8:30. Sorry for the short notice, but the window of opportunity just opened up. I'll have some wine options for you while you browse.

Sale details:

• 5% off all purchases less than $50
  
• 10% off purchases $51- $99
  
• 15% off $100-$200
  
• 20% off $201+
  

Gift certificates will also be available in any increment you would like. No discounts on gift certificates.

Cash and carry. I will also have my computer up, so you will be able to use your debit/credit cards via PayPal if you would like that option.

I am looking at another date, December 18th, for another possibility. More to come on that later.

Be sure to stop by the trunk sale for the sale prices! 

Contact me if you have any questions!

Craft Show a Huge Success

The craft show at the Lindstrom Middle School was a great success! It was so much fun boxing up my creations for people I get to see all the time! One of my favorite sets went to another hockey mom. So if I must share, no one better to share it with!

I also received some custom orders which I will get to work on and already yesterday I put together some great new pieces to have at the Vadnais Heights Community Center Show coming up this weekend.

The Vadnais Heights Community center is just west of 35E on Cty. Rd. E. Just past Target and Wal-Mart.

Lots more designs coming!!! Keep your eye on the slide show on the lower right hand corner. the sun isn't shining this morning to take pictures of new things, but when it does, I'll shoot some and add to that slide show!

Meanwhile, I'll grab my gemstones and sterling silver and get going!! So many great ideas in my head, so little time!

A little contest to shart with you

I ran across a little contest a bit ago on a site I enjoy quite a bit! It is on Rubie, a christian artist network. Here's the link:
http://ruebee.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1854203%3ABlogPost%3A63680

You can go check out the rules yourself, but it's a nice little diversion from your day with some inspiration to boot! Talented photographer!

My rubie site is: http://ruebee.ning.com/profile/Kirsten

if you want to take a peek.

Eye Candy Hot of the Bench Creations

Oh have I had a "hay day" with some new sterling silver and semi-precious gemstone pieces! About every spare moment has been spent mixing and matching to create new designs! As many of you know, I have to tell myself, "I can't keep it all!" so I must share!!

Such great smokey quartz, bronzite, purple turquoise, turquoise, bali sterling silver, hill tribe sterling silver. And there's more coming!

Don't forget to peek at my indiepublic link at the right side of my blog. It has a nice slide show which I've been trying to keep current with my latest pieces.

I'm doing a trunk show this week on Wednesday, then my first of three November Minnesota Craft Shows is on Saturday November 8th at the Lindstrom Middle School! Be sure to stop by!

More updates to come, so stop back often!

Eye Candy Creative Fall Minnesota Craft Show Appearances

Here is an update on the fall craft shows that Kirsten Thompson, Eye Candy Creative Hand-crafted Custom Designed Jewelry, will be attending this fall in Minnesota.

A reminder that my designs are one-of-a-kind or limited edition! No production pieces here!

If you see something in my SOLD gallery on my website Eye Candy Creative at Etsy that you like, send me a message. I may be able to create something similar just for you!

My favorite earth creations to work with are semi-precious gemstone, sterling silver and fine hill tribe silver. I picked up some terrific labradorite, iolite and smokey quartz at a fall gem show as well as some terrific new sterling silver findings! So many great ideas swirling around in my head!

I just finished up Crafted Together in White Bear lake on October 11th!
Terrific show! I'll look forward to the next date in May.
www.craftedtogether.com

November 8th, 4th Annual CPTO Fall Craft Fair
Lindstrom, MN @ the Middle School*
Two gyms filled with lots of items for you to shop for!

*November 15th, Vadnais Heights Community Center
More details to come....

*November 22nd, ARTS FEST,featuring over 200 crafters! 9 am to 4 pm
North Branch High School, North Branch, MN. My space is #15

* Eye Candy Creative FALL/WINTER Craft Show Appearances*

Most all times begin at 9am and end at around 4pm.

October 11th White Bear Lake, MN
MNCRAFTED TOGETHER-Indie Craft Market!
White Bear Lake Armory!
This falls just after a great gem show that I will go to. This will be a good time to get the "first picks" after the gem show! For more information on the show go to www.craftedtogether.com

November 8th, Lindstrom, MN
4th Annual CPTO Fall Craft Fair
@ the Middle School
Two gyms filled with lots of items for you to shop for

November 15th, Vadnais Heights Community Center
More details to come....

November 22nd, North Branch, MN 9 am to 4 pm
ARTS FEST, North Branch High School, . My space is #150!
Featuring over 200 crafters!

Spring Wedding in Minnesota

We had a spring wedding in Crosby, MN this weekend that was casual! Yeah for comfort! I made sure we got a family picture before we all got dirty! Fishing was also good off the dock at Lake Dodo so I'm including some of those photos as well!

I hope to be hitting the design table soon with new pieces. Meanwhile, go to EyeCandyCreative to see what is available currently!

New Gemstone and Sterling Silver Designs!

I've been big time busy creating some beautiful new pieces using semi-precious gemstones including smokey quartz, citrine, labradorite, sterling silver, hill tribe fine silver and bali silver. I've been taking photos and posting as I can, but here are some of the latest pieces. Watch for them at Eye Candy Creative online or be sure to come to White Bear Lake, MN on May 3rd for the Crafted Together Indie Market where you can try and buy in person!

Crafted Together Indie Market

Eye Candy Creative jewelry of Forest Lake will be one of the over 60 local artists that make up Crafted Together Indie market in White Bear Lake, MN sponsored by a local indie shop favorite Truly!

This is a ONE DAY ONLY event on Saturday the 3rd of May from 9 to 5 p.m. at 2228 4th Street at the Armory in White Bear Lake, MN!

Live music will be from 1-3 or thereabouts. There will be have food and drinks available (hot dogs, sandwich, chips, popcorn, soda, water, treats.

My suggestion would be to gather up your friends and family, stop at Einstein Brother's Bagels for a bagel and coffee before you arrive pronto at 9 at the market for the best picks from the designers, take a break, have lunch with a glass of wine at Ingredients and then stop back to pick up things that you may have passed up! (Here's a great link for all the dining in White Bear Lake)

So mark your calendars now for this terrific event! Mention this ad at my table and receive 10% off your items at Eye Candy Creative on the day of the event!

My First Felted Wool Tote Bag!

OK, so I've had a bit of a creative diversion happening here. I've been learning how to knit because I so love all the creative felted bags I see and I have way too many ideas in my head for them. So I HAD to learn.

Then, I see my friend knitting this fabulous bag* and for some reason I think, "I could make that for my mother-in-law's birthday!" Why oh why did I say that?? Well, the best gift to give is one you want to keep. Or as I might say today, "the best gift to give is one that you have to pry from your hands!" because now that this bag is finally done, it's very hard to part with.

Not to mention, it is my first project beyond a scarf!! But, I committed to making it for my MOL. In fact it's been by MOL's since I picked out the yarn. So to go back now would just be, well, wrong and selfish! And as my husband keeps reminding me, it will be an heirloom some day. Oh joy! Really, I know she will love it and will appreciate it so much! So for that I'm completely thrilled!

I just took photos and wrapped it up to give her tonight! So I'll try to post a picture of the "post gift" with Judy's happy face! I already have plans for one for me in greys!

See more photos here on my flikr site if you'd like. I'll post more details later, like the wild goose hunt for handles and the cool tip I have on them!! Enjoy!

*The pattern is from a fabulous book that I can't think of the name right now. So I'll be sure to come back and update this post with the book name for anyone interested!

New Semi-Precious Gemstones and Sterling Silver Designs

Not much time for details, but after I hit the gem show last weekend, I GOT BUSY! Lots of new labradorite, chalcedony and grossular garnet designer jewerly bracelets, necklaces and ear candy. Along with sterling silver and hill tribe silver compliments! So beautiful and unique! More to come, but here are some really beautiful pieces. Some of which I've gotten up on my Eye Candy Creative Shop and others, well, have already found homes!

I Wanna go Back to Florida

The favorite wine of a Minnesotan has been said to be, " I wanna' go to Florida!"

Well I want to go back to Florida! The Florida Keys that is! I got a little mental health break early in March when I took off on my own (sans kids and wonderful husband) to spend a long weekend with my parents who have a condo from mid-January to mid-March in Islamorada. The best "key" in my humble opinion. The are at about mile marker 88 I believe. At the Palms situated right next to one of the best Keysie restaurants, Lazy Days and one of the best deep sea fishing outfitters Bud and Mary's.

It's hard to beat the temperatures and sunshine and the gorgeous view of the Atlantic from the Palms! Situated right on the water, I spent most of my time working, literally working on my tan. I was focused on sun therapy! Although I did get up every morning and enjoy a walk and/or jog to start my day.

I did get to go out one day fishing with my dad and Uncle when the waves weren't too huge! What a treat that was!! Caked on the 30 SPF and headed out hoping I didn't have to use the toilet while I was out there!

Less than 60 seconds after anchoring we had fish on! They didn't stop much for the next half-hour! What a hoot! Gorgeous multi-colored, multi-shaped tropical fish. No, murky greenish, greyish fish like we catch here in Minnesota. If I remember right, here are some of the names of the beautiful fish that we brought in or saw where: Yellow Tail Snapper, Grouper ( know we missed a few of these huge ones since our lines were snapped) Porgy, Permits, which I don't think we kept, Mutton and some other grouper types, Ballyhoo, Blue Runners which were especially fun to catch but we didn't keep them, a Hogfish that was really funny looking, Mackarel and another beautiful fish that I can't remember the name of. I know there were more, but I can't recall their names right now. Oh yeah, we saw Portugese Man-o-Wars floating by. Definately do not touch these!

I really wanted to see a sea turtle and a dolphin. We did get to see a couple of sea turtles, which was a real treat considering it was quite wavy that day. They were swimming at the top, and as soon as they saw us, they vanished. But no dolphins. Something fun though were some flying fish that I caught out of the corner of my eye while we were changing fishing spots.

My dad and my uncle are really terrific fishermen! They usually can catch more keepers than some of the charter boats bring in! We did catch a meal full that day and took the catch to Lazy Days the next night for an incredible feast!!! Wow! Incredible! We had them cook it up three different ways and they brought out this HUGE platter! My mouth is watering just thinking about it again!

Around 4 o'clock each day it was fun to walk down to Bud and Mary's to see how the charter boats did. White flags hoisted on their fishing poles out the back of their boats marks the number of sail fish caught that particular charter. Then they start unloading the catch of the day! I'm not sure who is more curious to see what they caught. The tourists or the pelicans!

On the first afternoon we walked over, we saw nurse sharks swimming around and a particular treat, a manitee, popping his head out of the water behind a charter where the hose was dripping down. He was drinking the water coming out of the hose. I learned that they need fresh water for drinking! I had never seen a manitee in the wild before, so I was thrilled!

The think is that here in Minnesota, the last week of March, and it is still in the low to mid 30's, which for this time of year to me for some reason is feeling like 10 degrees. There is still plenty of snow on the ground when I should be looking for tulips coming up and I wanna' go back to Florida!

What a blessing it was though to go and rest and reenergize! I'll look forward to my next trip!

Gemstone's Inspire New Designs!

I have a few new designs that are really wonderful! Some of the gemstone combinations really dance set along with sterling silver!

The set shown here is called Serendipity. Gorgeous smokey quartz and citrine compliment each other beautifully! I tried to photograph to enhance their beauty. In person is the best look of course.

The bracelet is a gorgeous selection of watermelon tourmaline in colours of pinks and fuscias to fern and dark greens. A double strand design gives you the look of two bracelets in one complimented by hill tribe silver and a unique clasp with a floral print that makes this a one-of-a-kind collector piece! Watch for it to be placed on my online store soon! I need to think of a name for it first!

I have a show that I will be a part of coming up in White Bear Lake, MN called Crafted Together. It will be Saturday May 3rd. Go to their website to check it out and go to my website, Eye Candy Creative to see what pieces are currently available for purchase!

Local Event Inspires to Make Time to Create!

I will be one of the designers at the local Crafted Together show on Saturday May 3rd in White Bear Lake. A couple of talented and wonderful business owners from Truly..., a fabulous Indie shop in downtown White Bear Lake are pulling together some wonderful talent!So I best get out some of the wonderful new labradorite and smokey quartz and artisan sterling and hill tribe silver that I have been hiding until hockey season is over!What a great incentive to hit my designer's bench and create some fabulous new items!So, mark you calendars for Saturday May 3rd and stop by and see us all!Visit the Crafted Together website for more information on all the vendors!

New Designs on the Way!

Hockey hockey hockey and custom work have filled my time up lately. Of course I love those custom requests!!

But alas! The kids are painting in the kitchen now and I just completed a couple of custom pieces and I'm going to leave my mess out so I can create some new pieces to list on my Eye Candy Creative website!

Shown here is a bracelet I made for myself for Christmas. Labradorite, sterling with a wonderful swirl sterling magnetic clasp, reminding me to believe!!

Have a terrific day!