Spring Has Sprung!

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Fred - a store

Despite the cold temperatures outside today, the calendar HAS rolled over to the season of Spring!

While we wait for the temperatures to catch up to the new season – and bring some flowers along with them – we can look forward to a few significant days coming up soon, and make our plans now!

Easter: Sunday, April 5
Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 10
Victoria Day: Monday, May 18

If you’d like to place a custom jewellery order, please think about doing so early to avoid disappointment! Send me a message at sandra@fredastore.com to let me know what you might like, and once your order is prepared I can email you an invoice that is payable by debit or credit card and I can ship your item!

Alternately, have a look at my new Fredastore shop on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Fredastore/app_410312912374011 to see if any of the items listed under the “SHOP NOW” tab near the top of the page are to your liking!

In the meantime, here are a few “Spring” pieces to get the ideas flowing!

Surely, Valentine!

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Fred - a store

It’s that time of year again – yes, it’s my birthday. Oh, and Valentine’s Day, too!

Your special lady might love a token of your affection at this time of year, so you can find the perfect hand crafted item by yours-truly in Hamilton at:

Textures Craftworks: 236 Locke St. S., 905-523-0636 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Textures-Craftworks/196950247017000

Bold Artiste: 6 Bold St., 905-902-2219 https://www.facebook.com/BoldArtiste

Or, you can always order a custom piece of jewellery for your Valentine any time!

Simply contact me at sandra@fredastore.com and let me know how much you’d like to spend, and I will issue you a gift certificate for a custom piece in that amount.

Your recipient can contact me at her convenience with her specifications, and the finished piece can be picked up during business hours at Textures Craftworks if you like, or arrangements can be made to have the piece shipped.

In the meantime, here are a few examples of what I can do for you to get the wheels turning!

: garnet and sterling silver plate

: Swarovski crystal and sterling silver plate

: freshwater pearls and Bali silver with sterling silver plated earwires

: freshwater pearls and white gold plated earwires

Have a great Valentine’s Day – and I’ll be working on something for your beloved!

Bring it on Back!

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Fred - a store

Last week I was feeling a little depressed with my never-ending hunt for a ‘day job’ as an admin assistant. I was finding it difficult to concentrate on making some new jewellery to complete an actual order I had from my pharmacist. But after stepping outside of my usual day-to-day activities and changing things up a bit, I was finally able to sit down at my desk and apply myself…

I had a mobile jewellery sale scheduled for last Friday back at my former workplace, and I had been asked for something bright red with gold accents – either a necklace or a bracelet – that my pharmacist could wear with her new red pants.

After procrastinating for a few days, making other jewellery, and staring into my red bead stash, I finally came up with a few pieces for her to choose from:

glass, crystal and acrylic necklace and earrings with brass and 18K gold plated earwires

crystal, brass and red coral necklace with 18K gold plate

red lampworked glass heart pendant with brass accent bead and 18K gold plated chain

I recently embraced new technology and finally got a new cell phone, then ordered ‘The Square’, since I am doing a few mobile sales this fall. It arrived in the mail the day before my sale, so I was able to set it up and figure out how to process credit card sales using my cell phone now, in addition to accepting cash sales. It was a little fiddly to figure out at first, but eventually I was able to get it to work as advertised. A great little gizmo to expand horizons for small businesses like me!

Things went well on Friday (after slow sales on the last few outings), and it was great to catch up with some of my former co-workers again!

As for the red jewellery creations for my pharmacist, can you guess which piece she picked?

Fred – a store – handmade gifts & costume jewellery design

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I’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Fred - a store

Opening up Facebook today, it was serendipity that I was faced with an article in my feed from The Muse.com called 12 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Creativity.

After 10 years at my last job, I have been unemployed for 11 months now, and I am as shocked as anyone that it has been this long and I still haven’t secured a “day job” as an admin assistant. I have sent out plenty of applications and have even had a slew of interviews, but nothing has panned out for me yet.

I have been blessed with plenty of folks who are rooting for me and who have been very supportive during this difficult time, and that has helped enormously. But every so often I get discouraged by how long this is taking, and I worry what will become of the life my husband and I have been trying to build. Today is one of those days.

I have also maintained a home-based jewellery design business as a sideline for the past 18 years since I had to close my brick and mortar shop, Fred- a store, and I have kept busy in between sending out job applications by ramping up my jewellery business, creating this website and blog, as well as creating a social media profile for the business. The thing is, feeling down does not inspire creativity when it comes to making jewellery. Who knew?

I have a mobile sale scheduled for Friday and although I do have a large hockey bag full of jewellery creations ready to go, I did get a special request from my pharmacist.

have jewellery, will travel!

She told me she bought a new pair of red pants and would like something bright red (with gold findings) to accent them. It could be a necklace, earrings or a bracelet – she’s open.

While I do have a few pieces made already that might fit the bill, I do like to come up with a few options for people to choose from when I do custom work. I did try to make a few red things yesterday, but I wasn’t feeling the love and just made a slew of silver clip-on and lever-back earrings instead. Procrastination rears its ugly head!

I got as far as taking out the containers of red beads and staring into them, waiting for inspiration to strike. Oh well.

Then I looked at the infographic on 12 Ways to Instantly Boost Your Creativity. Have a look: https://www.themuse.com/advice/12-ways-to-instantly-boost-your-creativity

In the past 24 hours I have done five of the suggested twelve creativity-boosters:

Go on a walk– I walked to the bus stop. And back.That counts, right?
Take the bus– Took the bus to the other side of town to run an errand. And back.
Listen to music– I have music playing in the background all day as I work. The radio is on now, in fact.
Do your thing– Since no one has hired me yet to do their thing, I fill in the days doing my thing – a.k.a. Fred – a store things.
Try a new ice cream flavour– I was most excited about trying this idea since ice cream is always appropriate, but then I remembered – I already tried a new flavour last night! Häagen-Dazs was on special at the grocery store on the weekend and my husband and I decided to get some. But since the selection was VERY picked-over, I ended up trying something new – Limoncello Gelato. And it was delicious!

hey – apparently there was vodka in here! No wonder it was good!

So, I have started down the road toward ‘instantly’ boosting my creativity – aaaand it’s time to start making dinner before my husband gets home. Do you think the creative sparks will hold on until tomorrow? Stay tuned and we’ll see what new red creations emerge from my bead containers!

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Go Ahead – Make My Stuff!

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Fred - a store

“Imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery”. – Charles Caleb Colton

Imitation may be flattering, but stealing is not!

I am often inspired by the beautiful work of other people, but one should NEVER steal someone else’s ideas and recreate them exactly – one must always take inspiring ideas and use them as a jumping off point. Change them enough to make them your own.

If you have ever sold things at a craft sale, you would probably be very wealthy if you had a dime for every person who visited your booth and admired your work before walking away and telling their friends, “What a great idea – I think I’ll go home and make one!”

I have always found that the more things you make, the more new and ORIGINAL ideas come your way…for instance:

This necklace features hand-crafted floral cluster made with white beans, pumpkin seeds and crystals and is strung on multi-strands of crystal, glass and candy jade with 18K gold plated embellishments. I have admired various necklaces I have seen with floral focal points, but never have I seen another made with seeds and beans!

I created a line of jewellery 20 years ago which I named Seeduction, and I am pleased to say I have never seen anyone else work with these natural materials in quite the same way. Will that change now that my work has gone online? Only time will tell…

Fred – a store – handmade gifts & costume jewellery design

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fredastore
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fredastore
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Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Fredastore

Fred – a store..

Handmade Gifts & Costume Jewellery Design

Tag Archives: jewellery