Sailorgirl Jewelry

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Year of the Dragon.

大展鴻圖Dazhan hongtu - "May you realize your ambitions"
吉慶有餘Jiqing youyu - "May your happiness be without limit"
萬事如意Wanshi ruyi - "May all your wishes be fulfilled"

In the chinese zodiac I am a tiger. That's good. I love tigers.

According to this Chinese Zodiac calculator, suitable careers for a Tiger include: advertising agent, office manager, travel agent, actor, writer, artist, pilot, flight attendant, musician, comedian and chauffeur.

I'm glad artist and writer are in there because chauffeur isn't happening. On further reading I discovered that I'm a water tiger, ok, that explains the sailing. And my chinese zodiac gemstone is sapphire and my colours are blue and green. Well yes they are.

what an idiot

2012-01-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Dude, what were you thinking? Even I, in my little 27' sailboat which only draws 4' would not sail this close to a shore that is strewn with reefs. This is human error at its' worst. Such a shame as now even more people will be terrified of going off on an adventure.

When I tell people that I sail off into the blue yonder there's a moment of silence and I brace for it. "Aren't you afraid of pirates?" "Have you ever been in any terrible storms?"
They always want to know the bad parts. Is it the fear of the unknown that stops poeple from taking a step out of the box?

Yes, storms happen. If there's a storm coming we don't leave port. If there's a bad snowstorm coming you wouldn't get in your car to go for a drive. Same with a boat.

Pirates are few and far between. Most of the pirates are in Somalia which is on the other side of the planet. Why would I be afraid of something so far away? The acts of "piracy" that happen here are nothing more than petty theft. It's the boating equivalent of having your car broken into. Only it happens less than it does with cars.

There's 2 ways to approach the unknown. One is a disaster waiting to happen. The other is an adventure to be had.

Me, I'm all for the adventure. What about you?

small moments

2012-01-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

It's hard on a dreary drizzly day to find a bright spot. All around is grey grey grey, January in Canada is definitely not pretty.
Thanks to my current fascination with my iPhone camera I am again looking at the world through a small round square and trying to find the little bits of brightness. I like the challenge of this.
When we travel to far away places it's really easy to find great moments, they're all around you. If you are on a white sand beach with waves crashing any moment you choose to capture will be fabulous.
The challenge is to find the moment on a dreary grey January day. Look closely at tiny objects, see the texture, see the colour. Find the wonder. It's there, waiting for you. Look closely.
I walk to work in the central core of a big city. I found these this morning. What can you find?

my french run

2012-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a goal seem so immense, so ridiculous, so overwhelming that you give up before you even begin. A while ago I realized that I wasn't feeling quite my energetic rah-rah self. I didn't have quite the same energy. I needed to get back into shape. I wanted to start running. At the time it was winter here in Canada and running outside, while it can be done, isn't for me. I hit the treadmill at the local gym. Talk about boring! So I gave myself a goal.

I am running virtually across France.

I log every run. At the end of every week I use Google Earth and plot my course. I check out some photos of where I've been. This month I decided that every run I will learn one new word in French. And I put this up on the internet to keep my accountable. Whether or not anyone ever reads this is irrelevant.

I began in Calais and I will finish in Marseilles. I may fall off the wagon, I forgot to blog for a long time, whatever. The point is that slowly, one foot in front of the other, I will complete a ridiculously huge goal.

Today was a milestone, I hit the 500 km mark!!!

One foot in front of the other.

tangerine tango is the colour of the year

2012-01-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Pantone has announced that the colour of 2012 is Tangerine Tango.

“Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

I'm all for some vitamin C with a little tangerine tango in my life.

bright spot

2012-01-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

No matter how grey or dreary the day, there's a bright spot somewhere. The challenge is to find it. What's your bright spot today?

first giveaway of 2012!!!

2012-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year people, we’re stuffed with holidayfeasts, overflowing with holiday cheer and exploding with good intentions.Those of us who are self-employed have been working away at year end stuff andall that reviewing and goal setting is spilling over into personal lives. Allover we’re making goals and setting intentions be they big or small. Me, I’veset enough goals for a small team, hopefully most of which I shall meet. On mygoal list, learn to make pie crusts, run more consistently throughout the year,and improve my photography. How about you?

Share a goal and enter to win my grass and sky little bubblependant. Because right now we need the hope of blue sky and green grass.

To enter the giveaway:email me at catherine@sailorgirl.comand tell me about your favourite holiday treat.
For more chances to win,tweet this giveawa and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on Facebook andemail me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me thelink to the post!

first winner of 2012!!!

2012-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

In December I asked you to tell me about your favourite holiday treats.

OK, how many of you joined a gymthis week to work off all those holiday treats? I think the nicest thing aboutreading all your responses was that more than half of you thought of a treat astime spent rather than calories ingested. There was Ruth, her treat was tosnuggle on the couch with her kids, and Susan, her treat was baking cookieswith her mum. I like the idea of a ritual being a treat. I also liked the oodlesof descriptions of gooey, rich, chocolate filled yumminess. Oh it is a goodseason isn’t it?

And to end our year off and begin anew one, the winner of my World is Your Oyster necklace is Gloria Browning!!!Congrats on being the first winner in 2012!!! Yippeee, yay, what a way to startyour year!

new year, new notebook

2012-01-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! A new year! And that means one thing, I get to start a new notebook!!!

I've mentioned my notebook addiction before, I LOVE notebooks. I love them so much that I have quite the collection sitting on my bookshelf. So I've made myself a goal for 2012, I don't buy any new notebooks until I've used up some of the old ones. Sigh.

Last time I cleaned my "purse" (actually more of a suitcase), I found 6 half-used notebooks. You can't write to do tasks in the same notebook as jewelry sketches. And business writing needs to be in a bigger notebook than doodles. You see how it goes? Every different part of my life needs it's own notebook. The trouble with this is that I am lugging around way too much paper.

So I have culled. And I have made notebook goals. Fortunately it's New Years and new beginnings mean a new notebook. The biggest question of today is, which of these should I use? Flowers? Birdies? Maps?

What sets the mood for 2012?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-12-31T14:30:00.000-08:00

The bestest of wishes for the bestest of years to you.

Flowers for the new year. And chocolate. Although I forgot to take photos of that. And a glass of your favourite beverage to celebrate. 2012 is going to be spectacular. Oh boy, do I have plans for this one.

playing with my iPhone

2011-12-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Catherine and I am addicted to my iPhone. This thing is SO much fun!!! If only I didn't have to do anything else (darn book keeping) then I could actually figure out how to use all the fun parts.

I have been playing with the camera a lot lately. Who knew it would be this cool? Yesterday I picked up another new app, Colorsplash. It's a keeper.

look closely

2011-12-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

A long time ago in a faraway land I spent some time in a desert. I went in not knowing much about deserts and not expecting a lot. The thing about deserts is that they're really stinking hot, so you slow down and sit. As you sit there sweltering, you start noticing small things, plants, leaves, flowers, wierd crawly things, a huge amount of life. It's amazing how much life there is when you look closely. I was remembering this today as I strolled along the streets of Toronto in late December. It's grey, dreary and kind of miserable. Yet as I learnt before there's a huge amount of life if you look closely. And I started noticing small thing, red berries, yellow lichen, textures of tree trunks and this absolute treasure of a find - PANSIES!!! In December!!! There is always hope, you just have to look closely.

Kiva update

2011-12-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

This is Ganmyagmar Ayurzana. She's a butcher in Mongolia and she is my latest Kiva loan.

As a small business owner I am frequently asked for donations to help fundraise for various organizations or groups. Much as I'd like to I can't give to everyone who asks so I created a company policy about donations.

Kiva is my chosen charity although technically it's not a charity. Kiva provides micro-loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Lenders don't have to fund an entire loan, you can fund as little as $25 so a single loan may have dozens of lenders funding it. Each borrower must commit to paying back their loan and Kiva has a far higher repayment rate than most banks in the Western world.

As a lender when I want to find a borrower I can click on a world map to lend my money to certain countries, I can pick gender and sector to lend to. I see a brief profile of who is receiving my money and I read about why they want a loan. This is not an anonymous writing a cheque, this is a story. I like stories.

I created a necklace called the Karma necklace. Karma, what goes around comes around. 25% of the Karma necklace is allocated to Kiva. Thanks to my Karma necklace selling out this season (yes I am making more this week), I funded a loan to Ganmyagmar, a weaver in Cambodia, a fisherwoman in Singapore who needed the money to mend her fishing boat, a food stall in Peru and a pupusa stand in El Salvador. All entrepreneurial women who will improve their lives because you bought a necklace.

Thank you.

street birdies

2011-12-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Found on a street. I want these all over my yard. Everywhere I look are birdies, is the universe trying to tell me something?

birdy trades!!!

2011-12-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

SCORE!!! One of my favourite part of any craft show is the trade. Love the trades!!! And this year, being year of the birdies I scored a fantastic birdy trade. Jocelyne of Rain Goose textiles makes the sweetest most fantastic birdy printed fabric and then sews them into awesome goodies. My red birdy pouch is a great pouch for makeup stuff. The potholder is hanging on the fridge and the tea towel I am going to hang on the wall of the studio. I could never bring myself to dirty this as an actual tea towel. I just love this tea towel.

December giveaway!

2011-12-08T12:02:00.001-08:00

As always at this time of year, I’m beginning my annual review. I look at what happened this year and I dream of what I want to happen in the upcoming year. It’s a time of reflection and pondering, in between holiday treats. One thing I love about my business is that it’s a lot about dreams and possibilities. 10 years ago if you had told me that I’d be where I am I would have said you were crazy. And yet here I am.

So in the spirit of dreaming big and seizing all possibilities this month I am giving away my one of my most popular pieces, the World is Your Oyster necklace.

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me about your favourite holiday treat.
For more chances to win, tweet this giveawa and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on Facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

As always, dream big!

we have a winner!!!

2011-12-08T11:59:00.001-08:00

The winner of the November giveaway of my Tuscan colour dot necklace is.... Lena Goldfarb!!!

Fall is spectacular. There’s something about the crisp air, the clear sharp light and crunchy leaves that I just love. I love seeing the leaves change and the bright berries emerge in the gardens. Summer is easy, it’s in-your-face gorgeous. I like fall because it requires a bit more notice. And it’s not just about colour, I love the texture of fall, crunchy, spiky, garden things. And as many of you pointed out, it’s also a great time for yummy treats, hot chocolate, spicy ginger cookies and red wine. Delicious!!! Lena too loves crunchy leaves and her favourite thing is woodsmoke. I agree. There's nothing like the smell of a wood fire on a cool evening.

Congratulations Lena!

words from the universe

2011-11-19T18:57:00.003-08:00

And the fortune cookie speaks. How did it know? I have big plans. Oh just you wait, I have HUGE plans.

where did the colours go?

2011-11-13T15:14:00.001-08:00

The last month has been a colour soaked play day for me. I've ignored dumb administrivia tasks, I've ignored cleaning up, I've ignored any boring grey thing and I played.

Daily I walked to the studio taking different routes to explore the fantastic fall gardens. There is so much colour in fall!!! And the weather has been so spectacular! I oogled the bushes of chrysanthemums, I drooled over daisies and berries and sunflowers. Until mid-October there was even honeysuckle to inhale. I cheered in the sunshine and bright blue sky. I even became a fan of red for the first time ever. How could I not have liked red before?

From these walks I meandered to the studio where I ignored everything except playing with glass. Oh the luxury of just playing. And it was a colour soaked playtime. I experimented with new brands of glass, some successful some not so much. I tried new techniques. Sometimes I just made pretty patterns on my table.

And today I opened my front door to discover the colour was not there. The leaves have almost gone. The sky was grey. My studio is bare, all is packed up to go to a show. My car is full of boxes waiting to explode into my booth in Ottawa and the table is empty.

november GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-11-05T15:41:00.001-07:00

While October snuck past me this year I am fully aware of November. It’s fall. Fall means red and orange leaves, the smell of wood fires and crispy air in the morning. It also means people start wearing darker colours and my tuscan series again sells like crazy! The prize this month is my tuscan colour dot necklace, perfect for fall.
Tell me, what’s your favourite thing about fall?

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me what's your favourite thing about fall?
For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

we have a winner!

2011-11-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

OK, I learnt a lesson with last months contest. Since it was Halloween I thought we should discuss candy. That was a mistake. Do you know how many extra kms I had to run after that contest? With the exception of a few votes for jelly beans (I don’t like them) and Michelle who voted for horehound which smells vaguely like Buckleys (gag) every other vote made me run out to the store and eat more delicious candy. Many voted for candy that reminded them of being a kid and there happens to be a retro candy store across the road from my studio. Oops.

And this months winner is Margaret Gould! Margaret voted for English Butter Toffee and she very kindly sent me the recipe!!! I LOVE toffee. Fortunately I haven’t had the time to make it yet. It’s on my list. Margaret, you win your choice of earrings!!!

2011-10-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Fall colours don't get better than today. Crunchy leaves underfoot. Reds oranges and more reds. They match my new red shoes. For the first time in my life I think I like red a lot.

october GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-10-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

It was a tough choice deciding what to give away this month. Right now there's a HUGE amount of beads and jewelry on my bench, so much I can't even see the table top anymore. So I shall let you decide on your prize. This month I am giving away a pair of earrings, your choice! Check out the selection in the store! (although by the end of the month when the contest is up there will be a lot more!)

Being Halloween, and since I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, this month let's talk candy. I know a lot of my beads look like candy, and candy is just so darn pretty! It is very inspirational and delicious.

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me this what's your favourite candy?
For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

we have a winner!

2011-10-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well you made me laugh with your answers for the September contest! I asked you which piece of sailorgirl jewelry would you like to have with you if you were shipwreckd on a desert island. You are smart people my friends, the majority of you said you'd take my Pirate Coin necklace, "in case I find natives I can trade it as money for coconuts and bananas!" (Sandy). I laughed at Michelle's answer, "I'd take the Sailboat necklace so that I could leave the island".

I do love Nicole's answer, "I think it would have to be the first necklace I ever bought from you. I've worn it almost every day since i was 14! Its just a simple dark blue pendent with little bits of silver in it. It reminded me of the islands back then, and today it still does. So even though I was on an desert island, the necklace would remind me that I'm in a paradise."

And the winner (chosen by random number) is Pat Sisson!!! Pat would like to have any colourful piece to make her smile. Colour I can do Pat. Your pirate coin is on it's way to you!

dreaming of paris

2011-10-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

To celebrate fall I bought a new umbrella. Just because it's grey and drizzly doesn't mean it has to be boring. Now I can wander along under the shadow of La Tour Eiffel dreaming of sitting in a cafe, avec un verre du vin or un cafe au lait and watching the world go by. And of course I shall wear my Eiffel Tower necklace.

le sigh....

fall walks

2011-10-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

It was icky and cold and threatening rain this morning so I left my bicycle at home and walked to the studio. When I was halfway there someone in the sky snapped their fingers and "poof"! blue sky appeared. I do love walking in the fall. There's no crunchy leaves yet and the flowers! Oh the flowers! The only downside to walking to work is that my 25 minute walk took 60 minutes. So much to see!!! So much colour!!!

And last, honeysuckle. I cannot believe there is still honeysuckle blooming in October. I know it's not the prettiest of flowers, and the colour is bland, yet the scent is irrestible.

NEW TORCH!!!

2011-09-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Oh boy!!!! Isn't this absolutely beautiful? I am SO excited about my new torch!!! This is a Midrange Plus meaning it's a Midrange torch on the bottom with a Mega minor torch piggybacked on the top (made by Nortel Manufacturing). If this is greek to you let me explain.

Nortel makes the workhorse torch that almost all teaching glass studios are equipped with, the Minor. It's a great starter torch and many glass workers stick with it forever. I however, being a slightly hyper and impatient person found that the Minor was too small and slow for me. Small cool flames are great for intricate detail work but that's not really my style. And this is more than a hobby for me, when you're faced with 10 shows in a 3 month summer season the concept of going as fast and quick as possible sounds really good. So when I set up my own studio I opted for a Midrange torch. Big flame. Fast. It's been great so far. Yet something was not quite perfect...
I burn a lot of glass. I know I go too hot and too fast yet I can't help it. There's a couple of techniques I've been working on that just have never worked for me. I suspected I knew what was wrong but I ignored my thoughts. And since I work in a room by myself it's not like there's anyone looking over my shoulder.
Until last weekend.
Upon walking into Beadfx for my fantastic class with Leah Fairbanks I was shown to my torch, a Mega minor. So small!!! Such a tiny flame!!! ARGH! And yet.... stuff worked. I didn't burn anything. My stringer (tiny thin rods of glass) didn't immediately ball up and smudge. I made a hollow bead.
Sometimes you have to slow down and be patient. Damn, that's not what I wanted to hear yet it's what I've suspected for a while. Going slow gives you more control. In the end going slow can be faster because you only have to make something once instead of 3 times.
I need to learn patience.

And so I've changed torches. I still have my beloved Midrange, only now there's a Mega Minor torch on top (slightly bigger than the Minor).

Yes, it looks like a raygun. Maybe it will zap some patience into me.

so fired up!

2011-09-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

That was SO MUCH FUN!!!
Oh boy.

My little tiny brain is just buzzing, percolating, zinging, firing on all cylinders, moving at warp speed. I am so fired up with ideas!

I just spent 2 days in a room with 6 other glass bead artists taking a 2 day workshop with Leah Fairbanks, queen of the floral gardens. She is an amazing teacher!

WOW!

So yeah, I guess I need to get out more. I love my studio to bits however sitting in a room all by myself can be a bit limiting. Thankfully I do live in a large city however even here there's not a whole lot of glass bead artists around. And online time just isn't the same as sitting in a room with other people who's eyes light up when talking about which clear is better. Oooooohhhh, it was SO good!

Talk about jam packed with information! Leah's style is totally different from my normal glasswork and different is good. Trying new techniques and directions is always good. There's so much I see online and think hmmm, how the heck do they do that? Now I know. She answered so many questions. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all this information. Right now I need to read over my notes and spend some serious torch time experimenting. If only I didn't need to sleep! All I want to do is make beads!

I've finally figured out why I burn my rubino all the time. And why my stringer work was so droopy. And I made a rainbow cane! And a hollow bead, my first hollow bead ever! OOOOHHHH! did I mention is was SO MUCH FUN?

stART

2011-09-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

And the universe speaks.

On a morning when I wake up paralyzed by the huge to-do list, when I can't even imagine where to begin, when I have so many ideas buzzing in my brain, when I begin to make breakfast and then run upstairs to find something and get lost in tidying up a bookshelf in search of a book until I smell the burning toast, when I realize I have 4 deadlines today and the words aren't yet written, when I hop on my bike and start pedalling like crazy up the hill to the studio there I find the words.

stART. Start. START.

Just start.
Start ART.

I'll never finish something I don't start. Start, it's the first step. The rest will come when it's ready.

START.

Go ahead, start something on your list. START.

liquid inspiration

2011-09-09T14:23:00.001-07:00

It's too darn quiet in here!!! OK, so there's music on, but that's not the right kind of sound. Sometimes I need to write some stuff, or make lists, or just think and I can't do that in the hush of a silent studio. Nor can I do that in a studio with music on, even if it's background music. I'll spend way too much time picking the music not doing the work. And it's so darn nice outside I don't want to be here.

So I'm off to Crema, a lovely little coffee shop across the road. I do love writing in coffee shops. They have to be just right and this one has what it takes. First the front is a glass garage door and today it's wide open so I don't feel like I'm inside. The flowers are sweet and the wasps are buzzing in, I don't mind them at all. There's great background music on, just enough to be there without being intrusive. There's a hum of conversations swirling around me and best of all, there is a lovely latte made by the very nice barista, Tavis. Look it's a leaf!!! I was just thinking about making a leaf necklace, now I'll doodle it out and see if I can't take it a step further in my sketches. And before I know it, the article is written, the doodles are doodled and the latte has vanished. Yay!

georgian bay

2011-09-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Fortunately not on our island, and more fortunately we were in a motorboat when we spotted this guy. How something this large can live on berries is beyond me.

Wild wild rocky wilderness. I love the little rock pools and how such pretty little flowers grow in tiny crevices.

Now does that look like a bead or what? Such good glass colours! I spent the whole time there staring at tiny little flowers and examing colours. Heaven.

September giveaway!!!

2011-09-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Well this month is a special month on the Sailorgirl calendar because September 19 is...

International Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!

In keeping with this months theme, my giveaway for this month is a pirate coin necklace! To enter the giveaway, answer me this me hearties,

if ye be t' be shipwrecked on a desert isle, arrr, which piece o' sailorgirl jewelry would ye like t' be havin' wi' ye?

Translated: if you were to be shipwrecked on a desert island, which piece of sailorgirl jewelry would you like to have with you?

If you need help with your english-pirate translations try this translator.

You can check out the store for inspiration. Email me your answer at Catherine@sailorgirl.com

we have a winner!!!

2011-09-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Nina Givens is the winner of a $50 gift certificate for Sailorgirl Jewelry!

Last month I asked you about buying jewelry in sets. I'm busy busy busy thinking about the upcoming holiday season and I wondered if you wanted to buy sets as gifts or if you like buying sets for yourself. Nina sometimes buys sets but not usually as gifts. It was an interesting survey, you seem equally split. Half of you like sets, half would never buy them.

Hmmm… we’ll see what I come up with.

a booth with a view

2011-09-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

How cool is it to be in my booth and watch a freighter go by? Art by the River in Amherstburg, Ontario is my favourite show because the park is so pretty. Not only did we watch the freighters this year one of the tall ships, the Pride of Baltimore was in the neighbourhood. I've been aboard this ship before (in Baltimore), it's amazing to tour a tall ship and see just how tiny they are. One of my favourite parts was of course the galley. And reading about how they ate and drank is fascinating! Tapping your hardtack to knock the weevils out before eating it? Uh, no thanks.
Just looking at the spaghetti mess of rigging on these ships makes me nauseous, I can't imagine climbing it sober let alone drunk. Oh, you do know that sailors were tipsy most of the time? Thos tankards that they're swigging aren't cups of refreshing ice water, it's grog. Grog was a "delicious" mixture of rum, sour slimy water, lime and sugar all designed to make the water palatable. You know, I'll bet they didn't have any of those fancy little paper umbrellas to garnish their beverages. Shame about that.

Read more about grog here.

round yumminess

2011-08-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Score!!! My neighbours at Art by the River this weekend made chocolate covered fruit! And we traded!!! Chocolate covered blueberries would make a nice necklace. Perfectly round. I'd show you the chocolate covered cherries but the wasps seem to have eaten them all, yeah, that's it, it was the wasps...

petalled sunshine

2011-08-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

I truly love the giant bushes of these that have exploded everywhere. Sunshine with petals. I am feeling the urge to make flower beads. And flower jewelry. Not sure what yet...

masterpieces

2011-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Oh what fun we had!

There was a spontaneous road trip last week to see the Caravaggio exhibit at the National Gallery in Ottawa. First there was a side trip to visit Robert and Bill of Henderson Farms jams. Love the jams! Love them! They make their jams on their family farm on Wolfe Island. We took the ferry over from Kingston and arrived at the farm just as Bill came back with the news that the elderberries were ripe. So while Robert whipped up the best flourless chocolate cake in the world we trotted off to pick elderberries. (Much easier once he showed me what an elderberry looks like, I'm such a city girl). The ferry ride back was under a full moon with a fireworks display in Kingston. Magical!

From there we drove to Ottawa. The exhibit was fantastic! When I was growing up in Ottawa the National Gallery was in a boring building that had no character. True story, my first job was as an elevator operator in that building. We won't mention how long ago that was! The new gallery is truly spectacular. It's a gorgeous light filled building that is so inviting to be in. One of my favourite parts was the Decoding Caravaggio room. Here they had a selection of costumes you could put on and be one of his paintings. My sister and I were, of course, the Martha and Mary.

We had a lovely day renting bikes, my first time using the Bixi bikes system. Ottawa does have great bike paths and cycling is such a nice way to see the city. With blue skies and warm weather we saw it at it's best.

On the way home we stopped in Tweed to visit Lucie and Dave of Lunacy Glass Studios. Lucie as a my glass mentor, I bow to her greatness. What that girl can do with glass is insane. They're in the process of restoring a century old house, the current project involves scraping off wallpaper 22' high. I admire people who do that.

It was a great break, a great roadtrip. There's so much stuff to see and so much of it is right her in our backyards.

Snacks! Zoe!

2011-08-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend there was a major street festival outside my studio front door. It's called the Taste of the Danforth and it's one of my FAVOURITE festivals. It's about food people! Food everywhere! The street is closed to traffic and all the cafes and restaurants put barbeques and tables outside. About 750,000 people show up to snack. What could be better than this?

How much work did I get done? Well.... I opened my front door directly into a beer tent. Then there was just way too many tasty little nibbles to check out.

And as I wandered I ran into Zoe! Zoe is a catalina macaw parrot and she is gorgeous! Zoe was my inspiration for my Macaw series.

Heck of a weekend.

August Giveaway! a $50 gift certificate!

2011-08-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

I’d like to ask for your opinions this month. I’m busy busy busy thinking up new designs, new colours, new ideas for the fall/holiday season. And sometimes I could use a bit of advice on what works and what doesn’t.

I’m thinking of offering sets this season. Some of the sets would be 2 necklaces, such as my birds nest paired with little bird (my favourite way of wearing these!). Some of the sets would be a necklace or pendant or bracelet with matching earrings.

Here’s my questions for you. Do you buy jewelry in sets? Would you give a set as a gift? Would you prefer if I had pre-made sets or if I said something like “pick any earrings to go with the necklace”? What would you like to see this season? Any special requests? Do you have any suggestions about anything, price points, colours, designs, anything!

This month I’m giving away a $50 gift certificate. To enter the giveaway simply email me with your suggestions and opinions.

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

we have a winner!

2011-08-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

It might be the outrageously hot weather, however I think we’re just of like minds. We can talk food for hours. The flood gates opened when I asked you your favourite ice cream flavours. Few of you could nail it down to a single flavour, but the hands down favourite is pralines and cream. Tiger tail, jamoca almond fudge and maple walnut all came in with several votes. You know what wasn’t voted on? Chocolate!

Picked by random number the winner of the summer bubble pendant is Jen Cazabon whose favourite is peanut butter and chocolate, with a twist - “the key is a double scoop on a waffle cone with rainbow sherbert on top”. Jen also posted the contest on Facebook earning herself an extra entry! Congrats Jen!

As to my favourite? Currently I’m into gelato thanks to Dolce Gelato a block from the studio. I alternate between a double of passionfruit and mango (SO pretty!) or a double of chocolate and dulce de leche. I can also highly recommend the Presidents Choice Caramel bars, and they’re on the blue menu so they don’t count!

fun stuff

2011-08-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Peeps,

I know I should have written my newsletter this week. And I know I should have organized and cleaned my bench. There's no shortage of stuff I should have done. But really, all I want to do right now is play with glass. So I did.

I sat here at my torch. I played with these glass rods.

I made oodles of beads. Hey, Christmas is coming soon!

Lots and lots of extra large ocean beads. Don't know why, everything is coming out large right now. But I won't show you the stuff that didn't work. There is a little pile of roadkill by the bench. Not every experiment is a good thing. Tomorrow I swear I'll sit at the computer desk and do stuff that has to be done. Maybe.

orange you glad you stopped by?

2011-07-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

bright sunshine, bright sunflowers, mangoes, peaches, oranges, it's everywhere. and it is spectacular.

oh, and my current fave is a double cup of passionfruit and mango gelato. it's research people! i'm studying the colour mix of yellow and orange!

another view

2011-07-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

today was just an unfortunate day. my espresso machine at home is broken and in the "espresso machine hospital" so there was no morning caffeine. my bike tires weren't properly inflated and made cycling that dang hill to the studio even harder. i made oodles of phone calls and no one was there. my computer has a virus. blah blah blah. and then an email came through, "who's up for a sail tonight?".

no. not me. i. have. work. to. do. i'm so behind. no. can't. must work.

well.

that's kind of dumb isn't it. after all, isn't this what sailorgirl is all about, sailing? but really, it's not just about sailing. it's about enjoying the moment right now. living the dream be it on a boat, or a bike, or a hiking trail, or where ever. and the dream sometimes means to put down the stupid work stuff because the work stuff can wait. really it can, it won't go away. tomorrow i can go back and maybe then i can make things better.

and so i went sailing and it was spectacular. the wind was fluky and wierd making the sail challenging. we didn't race, we sailed the inner harbour and watched a couple of races. the clouds were AMAZING!!! there were huge dark grey masses and tall white puffy clouds, when the sky cleared at sunset we were bathed in golden light. we laughed, drank wine and snacked on great food. there was a bike ride home under the stars (ok, only 2 stars, it is an urban bike trail).

it was a great reminder, there is another view in life. you just have to remember to look.

waves

2011-07-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you love to be here right now? Cool ocean breezes, crashing waves, salty spray on your face and toes sinking into golden sand. Oh yeah...

july giveaway!

2011-07-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's finally nice and hot and humid! I love this weather! And what says "it's summer!" more than a great ice cream? I believe I've mentioned that a lot of my beads are motivated by food. Well, in August you can expect to see this summers "Ice Cream" series of beads. For you I shall study hard! I love the swirly patterns of ice cream, pralines and cream, raspberry ripple, butterscotch, YUMMMMMYYY!

My July giveaway is for the perfect summer accessory - My little summer bubble pendant. To help me in my studies, tell me what is your favourite ice cream?

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me what is your favourite ice cream flavour?

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

we have a winner!

2011-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

You're a star, yes you are, each and every one of you! It appears that we all have the same tastes too! Colin Firth is by far the number one star for us followed by George Clooney and Tom Hanks. Surprisingly (in my opinion), Johnny Depp only received one vote! Maybe it's because I'm a sailorgirl but Captain Jack floats my boat! For women stars it's definitly Audrey Hepburn for us, a classic.

The winner of my supercute starfish necklace is Gillian Henshall! YAY!!!

karma for kiva

2011-07-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

One day as we were motoring along in our dinghy in a busy harbour we heard that dreaded sputtering sound. The little engine coughed, coughed again and then died. Argh. As we drifted along into the mangroves another dinghy came to our rescue and towed us over to the shore. Together we figured out the problem and fixed it. Yay!

A week later the situation repeated itself only this time it was us who did the rescuing and towing. When living on a boat stuff happens and when there’s a problem everybody chips in to help because you never know if it will be you that needs help next time. This is just good karma.

Karma: the belief that what goes around comes around. Yes, I believe in karma. I believe in the sharing of information, of friendship and of resources. I also believe strongly in entrepreneurship and the power of people to succeed when given the resources.

Here in Canada we are incredibly fortunate. We have enough. We actually have far more than we need. When there is a catastrophe in the world we open our purses to help those in need. And that is a good thing. However I believe that in the spirit of karma it’s important to share all the time not just at those moments of dire need. It is because of these beliefs that I have picked Kiva as my organization of choice.

Kiva is an organization that provides micro loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries. As a lender, you view the profiles of borrowers and decide who and where your money is going. For my first Kiva loan I chose a Mongolian tinsmith. Some of my subsequent loans have included a Columbian food stall owner, an Ecuadorian group of women weavers and a Mongolian butcher. I favour women in either the crafts industry or the food industry. Many of these women are single mothers who are looking to better their lives and to educate their children.

My Karma necklace is a simple sterling silver circle, hammered to reflect the light. A circle to remind you that what goes around comes around. 25% from every sale of a Karma necklace will be given to Kiva so that another woman has a chance to get ahead.

yay! fabulous weekend!

2011-07-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

Really? 3 sunny days in a row? It appears that my fairy godmother is off her lunch break and back to making sure everything goes well. An excellent weekend in Cobourg, but seriously what else would you expect when this is the view?

delicious "research"

2011-06-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

When it comes to bead making and jewelry design, major source of inspiration for me is food. I love food. I love grocery shopping, I love cooking, I love eating. It’s all good. Wandering a veggie store is pure eye candy, check out the mangoes at the moment, and the raspberries, and oh, the thai eggplants, wow. I’d like to re-introduce you to one of my favourite series, the M&Ms. I’d made a bit of this several years ago and then forgotten about them. (I really have to take more photos of my work before it goes to it’s new home). While in my booth at Fairy Lake Festival last week a customer came in wearing one of the M&Ms bracelets. It was awesome! So in the name of research I spent some time studying M&Ms this week. I also studied Smarties to see if there is a difference. The colour of M&Ms is much nicer, far more intense especially in the blues.

So far I've made 2 styles of M&M bracelets, a single strand and a double. I'm wondering about making a triple.

Now I want to make an M&M necklace. Guess I'll need to study some more! Oh the things I do for my art.

so sailorgirl

2011-06-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

On the right hand side, my current postcard. On the left hand side a box of Scotties tissues. Huh. I think they must have designed this just for me. Love it. Only trouble is that in the studio they blend in so perfectly that I can't find them.

trades!!!

2011-06-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! new stuff! One of the most fun parts of any show are the trades we make. As a vendor I stroll down the aisle, waving my wrists to show off my bracelets. It's like fishing, you put out the bait (the bracelet) and see what takes the bait. At the Beaches show I scored the most perfect summer purse (in lime green leather!!!) from Katz Leather, I'd show you a photo but right now I have just my grocery shopping knapsack, stayed tuned until tomorrow.

This weekend at Fairy Lake I did a fantastic trade with Alicia Wishart, artist. Alicia is now the proud owner of an acorn necklace. I have 3, yes 3, gorgeous prints which will be up in the studio as soon as I go and get some frames. Aren't they fabulous?

i'm famous!!!

2011-06-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

OK, so maybe famous is a bit strong. Sailorgirl Jewelry was spotted international!

One thing I love about sailing and cruising are the people you meet. Friendships are formed quickly and deeply. 6 years have passed since I hung out with my friend Becky on Polaris. They headed down the Western Caribbean and we stayed around the Bahamas. One day last April we were strolling through the Green Parrot bar on our way back to the dinghy dock when out of the blue we hear our names. And I knew that voice. Becky!!!

Over a couple of Kaliks we exchanged news and stories. She knew all about Sailorgirl Jewelry, she had spotted it on several other women - in the Rio Dulce in Guatemala! The Rio Dulce is a hurricane safe spot for cruisers over the winter. Cruisers wear Sailorgirl Jewelry, well, cruisers who have friends or relatives in the Toronto area. Apparently it's very popular to send my work to sailing friends! But of course!

new toy

2011-06-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

i LOVE my new iphone. yes i should be making beads, or coding my website or polishing silver, not to mention the tax returns (uh ick). however i just downloaded hipstamatic and instagram and they are too fun!!!!! argh! any recommendations on which filters to get for these?

not to mention photobooth. my sister (that's helen there) and i have shots like this from years ago, i feel like a kid again.

do you think revenue canada will understand if my tax return is late because i spent all my time playing with my camera phone? what if i send them a pretty picture?

eye candy

2011-06-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

The world is blue blue blue with some green added in. Until it's not blue and becomes a series of violent grey streaks. The world can go from the picture above to the picture below in about 15 minutes. Clouds are fun to watch.

macaws, pirates, and bill

2011-05-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for parrots. they come in pretty colours and I like pretty colours. I spent my childhood in Australia where flocks of bright coloured birds were a common sight. Budgies weren't something you kept in a cage, they were in the trees outside along with pink and grey galahs, kookaburras and lorikeets. This is Zoe, a Catalina Macaw. Isn't she gorgeous? Zoe was at the movie theatre the other day, it was the opening day for Pirates of the Caribbean. Of course, pirates must have a parrot, although I don't remember Captain Jack Sparrow having a parrot. While I am not a pirate I am a sailorgirl and therefore I should have a parrot. Have you met Bill, the third member of the crew on Forbidden Planet?

read the full story of Barnacle Bill

Expect to see the new Macaw collection of Sailorgirl Jewelry soon.

places to ponder

2011-05-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Staring into space and pondering the universe is a big part of both my winter sailing and jewelry design work. There's a lot to see when you stop and look around. On the west shore of Bimini I found a couple of perfect places to sit awhile and contemplate.

inspiration... and lunch

2011-05-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous day, brilliant blue sky, sunshine and perfect temperatures. On a Saturday!!! Definitely a day for a trip to St Lawrence farmers market. I do like cooking and eating and I absolutely love grocery shopping. So much so that my fridge is always way overloaded because I just have too many ideas when in a food shop. And a farmers market, good grief. It's all just so pretty, and there's so many delicious things just screaming EAT ME. I biked down with one knapsack, that is all I am allowed to buy (it was a big knapsack). Of course not only did I overbuy (oh so tasty how can anyone resist?) I came away with a bazillion new bead ideas. The beets I shall roast and toss with orange slices, red onions, parsley and olive oil. And won't these colours make an amazing bead?

And the fiddleheads. I have to admit they aren't my favourite, maybe I just haven't found the right recipe. However I do think they're gorgeous and I shall be making fiddlehead beads. Such a delicious green.

Don't even get me started on the eggplants and the peppers.

house plans

2011-05-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I want to do this to the roof of my house. This is one of the restaurants at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in Nassau.

And then I'm going to turn the front of my house into something like this. Only mine will be a bit brighter. More blues. You know, I think I have enough shells hanging out in my basement. I'll just add some glass (definitely have lots of that).

I did discover that a couple of the shells that I brought back this year might not have been quite vacant. There's a bit of an aroma in the basement. Oops.

contest for may/june

2011-05-18T11:20:00.001-07:00

You’re a star! Yes, you.
This month I am giving away one of my sterling silver starfish pendants. A starfish for a star like you.

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me who is your favourite movie star?

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

we have a winner!

2011-05-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

People, you rock!!! I asked you to tell me what you were celebrating for last months contest. Well. You have conquered cancer, quit miserable jobs, successfully docked your boat in front of a crowd, watched the sunset, dug in your gardens, planned weddings, gone on holidays to fabulous places, ridden your bike, and played with your dogs. Everyday you find a reason to celebrate, good for you. Let’s all do our happy dance together.

In a random draw the winner of last months contest is… (drum roll)…Cathy Kearns! You won a pair of my Monet earrings!!! Cathy is celebrating all her hard hours and miles of training for a half-marathon. Do tell Cathy, how did it go?

look where i was

2011-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, life in the blue bubble. No where in the world are there as many different shades of blue than the waters of the Bahamas. It is glorious. It also explains why my booth is blue, my jewelry is blue, my whole life is coloured with memories of this.

I'm back. Photos are coming, stories are coming. It's time to switch from Sailorgirl to Sailorgirl Jewelry.

May Contest - Monet earrings!

2011-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Life is short and we should celebrate every single day. That's one of the reasons I like having my monthly giveaway, I like the idea of someone celebrating a free piece of jewelry, it brightens someones day. When there's a major holiday it's easy to celebrate, it's the other days that it's important to find a reason to celebrate. I've decided that every day I will find something to be happy about. So this month, tell me something that makes you happy and gives you a reason to celebrate. It can be something as small as a perfect cup of tea. Or a warm cookie. Or a major goal like running a 5k race. Something that made you celebrate. To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me, and tell me what are you celebrating today. For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet. Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post! Blog it and email me the link to the post!

April Winner!

2011-04-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Donna Kay, it's your lucky day! (hey, how fitting to create a rhyme, did you know that April is National Poetry month?)

Donna has won my April draw for the Snow Queen ring necklace. Thank you to everyone for answering my shipping poll. Apparently everyone like the free shipping option so my shipping policy remains as it is. Free shipping using regular mail with Canada Post, currently orders within Ontario take 5 -12 business days). All orders over $150 will automatically by upgraded to Xpresspost (2 day guaranteed). If you've left your shopping until the last minute you can purchase a shipping upgrade to Xpresspost.

One of my suggestions was to use carrier parrots. Stephanie pointed out that parrots won't be very happy delivering jewelry in Canada in January and that I use Canada geese instead. An excellent option. While they aren't nearly as colourful as parrots I could knit them some lovely little blue and green sweaters.

pretty pretty

2011-03-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

it's all so pretty!!!!! flowers are just the best thing on the planet, they make me happy. one day i shall live somewhere really warm where i can have massive bushes of bright flowers all year round. and i will have mango trees, and avocados, and tamarinds, and papayas just like these. they're not quite ripe, but the 2 that were the ripest are sitting in my galley. now i have to stop them from rolling around too much before they're ready.

swinging at anchor

2011-03-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

was it the best thing to leave the dock at 2 pm knowing we had a 6 hour sail ahead of us? well, know. you're not supposed to arrive at your anchorage after dark, navigating channels in the dark isn't the easiest. but what the heck, we want to get going!!! now!!! and we know the anchorage we're heading to. so instead of having the hook down by sunset we watched the sun go down as we glided on the open water. all i can say is ahhhhhhhh.... it's been too long. we made it to the anchorage just after dusk, put the hook down, and watched the stars come out. all in all, it is good to be on the water.

floating again

2011-03-07T18:34:00.001-08:00

we've scrubbed the bilge (this is the after shot. diesel, oil, all i can say is ICK!)

we've painted the bottom. (after scuffing off the old paint and looking like 2 smurfs)

and now the big day!!!! WE FLOAT!!!!!

tomorrow night, sundowners on the hook, maybe some dolphins swimming past, a clear moon and gentle rocking. life is mighty fine isn't it?

on the hunt

2011-03-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

I'm on the prowl this trip, I'm looking for interesting, cool, unusual stuff to cast into silver trinkets. West coast Florida is a known shelling destination, the beaches are covered in fabulous shells and broken bits. There's a large coral reef further south running along Mexico, Belize, Honduras. The shells get picked up by the Gulf Stream, a current that flows north, and they tumble along merrily until they get dropped on the west coast. It's a treasure trove for those of us who can happily spend hours crouched at the surf line pawing through piles of bits.
Here's the other thing these beaches are known for - sharks teeth. Sharks of all species continually shed their teeth and grow new ones. They have 40 or more teeth in each jaw. Behind the functional rows or teeth are seven other rows of teeth developing into mature dentures to replace teeth as they are shed or lost. In ten years, an average Tiger shark can produce as many as 24,000 teeth. I admit, when I learnt how to find these I was less then comfortable. After all, I'm floating around on a small plastic boat and there's how many sharks out here? Then I learnt that these teeth are prehistoric. For millions of years, sharks have lived and died in the Gulf of Mexico. Dead sharks sink to the ocean floor where they are covered by layers of sand and silt. Over time, the cartilage of their bodies disintegrates. Water and storm action eventually sweeps the sand away, exposing the teeth. Some are washed up on shore with the changing tides and waves.
OK, so now I feel better, and now I want the perfect little sharks tooth to cast in silver. Back to the hunt.

march contest - you could win!!!

2011-03-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

By now I’m sure that almost everyone is completely sick of winter. So I’m going to give you one nice thing about winter, my Snow Queen Ring necklace. I need your help people. This month I have a poll for you. What do you think I should charge for shipping?

A. continue with free shipping using regular mail (5 - 12 business days in Ontario), still offering the $10 option for Xpresspost,
B. ship all packages Xpresspost (2 business days) at a cost of $10 per purchase
C. offer free shipping using regular mail, free shipping using Xpresspost for orders over $100
D. train my own fleet of carrier parrots who are fed all the crackers they want
E. suggest an option

To enter the contest and win a snow queen ring necklace email me and let me know what shipping option you think is best. catherine@sailorgirl.com. The winner will be announced on April 1. (why yes, that is April Fools day isn’t it?)

we have a winner - february 2011!

2011-03-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Elegant, that’s the word several of you used to describe your favourite flower - the tulip (natures prozac according to Stephanie). Second choice is the gerbera, thanks to your emails I now know that the gerbera is from South Africa; wow, my newsletter is both entertaining and educational! (Not a subscriber yet? Click the button at the top left of this screen to receive my fabulous monthly newsletter, eye candy and facts!)

And our winner this month is Ann Divitt! Not only is the gerbera her favourite flower, Ann is driving a Smart car that has decals of the gerbera all over the sides!!! How cool is that? Personally I adore the Smart car, and a Smart car covered in flowers is just the cutest thing I can imagine. I did love Sandy’s story about making dolls out of hollyhock blossoms.

Photo courtesy of Sandy MacKinlay.

And I love Matha’s answer of wanting “an enormous, gigantic, humongous bouquet of all of them together, greeting me when I wake up on the next dreary grey day”. Several of you chastised me for making you pick just one. I agree, one day I’ll have a huge garden with every flower possible in it. Flowers make me happy.

aaahhhhh.....

2011-03-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Now that feels GOOD!!! We've only just landed and there's a ton of boat work to be done but I just had to zip to the beach and stick my toes in the water.

cool street art

2011-02-20T15:56:00.000-08:00

this is the most fun street mural I've seen in a long time. Love it!!! Dogs, poker, chickens on bikes!!! Makes me want to pick up a paint brush. Augusta St in Kensington market, Toronto.

more crafty projects

2011-02-19T12:38:00.001-08:00

Recently I was asked "don't you miss making beads and jewelry when you're on vacation?" Yes, yes I do. However I'm pretty good about finding other stuff to do and to be honest, a small break is good for the creative soul. Sometimes here I get so darn BUSY making beads and jewelry that I don't have time for anything else. My life isn't exactly balanced. So while I'm not in the studio I get to play with other fun stuff. First on the list, my annual tank top. I like to knit, I like to crochet. Not well I might add, but who cares? It amuses me. The bug usually hits around October. When the weather turns cool and you just want to snuggle into a scarf, when the urge for matching mittens and hats hit, that's when I want to knit. For some reason last October was a dry spell for my knitting urges, they just didn't happen. Now, now they are upon me. I want to play with yarn. It's a good boat project because it's very portable. I learnt to crochet on the last trip to the Bahamas. I only had one ball of cotton so I picked up my learn to crochet book and worked on a stitch until I had it. Then I'd unravel it and learn the next one. I should mention that the urge to knit always ends before I finish a project. We hit my favourite yarn store (Romni Wools on Queen St W, Toronto) the other day so I could pick up cotton for my annual tank top. I begin one every year. I've never finished one. This year I swear I will finish this.

This I fell in love with. This is exactly the colours of a scarlet macaw parrot. Wouldn't a parrot tank top be awesome?

I went with choice #2. Ummm... yeah. Blue and green, at least it will match everything else in my closet. And won't it be fabulous with this pendant? My favourite, the summer bubbles.

I promise to post photos of the finished tank top. I swear I will finish it. Just don't hold your breath.

all lined up

2011-02-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

I love home jewelry parties! what could be better than a friday night with 20 girlfriends, excellent food, a whole lot of wine and pretty coloured baubles to play with? I love this view of Meg's hallway after the jewelry frenzy settled down. All those shiny Sailorgirl Jewelry bags full of happy jewelry on it's way to new homes! How fun is that?

time to be Sailorgirl

2011-02-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

I went for a walk yesterday and saw this:
and i dreamt of this

We should finish our half done bathroom reno. I should build more jewelry inventory. I should build up my online store, finish my book, write those 3 e-books and code that e-course.

Should is a bad word. It makes me feel like a little kid, scuffing my shoes in a corner while being scolded. Rather than "should" I will use "could". We could finish our bathroom reno and I could work on the business. Now I'm not obligated, I have a choice. And I choose to go out and live life. The bathroom will get done whenever and the business can be put on a different track for a while. Life is short, if I'm obligated to do anything at all it's to live life as fully as I can and be the happiest person I can be.

After all, what's Sailorgirl Jewelry if I don't go and be Sailorgirl for a while?

February giveaway

2011-02-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today is a beautiful sunny day and everyday the sun stays longer and longer. I know it’s premature but I can feel spring in the air. Or maybe that’s just because I’ve been making more of my new Posy Necklaces. When it’s grey and wintery I make sure I always have flowers around, who can be in a bad mood with flowers beside you? So for February the giveaway is a Posy Necklace in your choice of colours. (currently available in Sunshine and Easter, more coming soon!). To enter, email me and tell me, what’s your favourite flower? catherine@sailorgirl.com

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

we have a winner!

2011-02-03T14:10:00.001-08:00

Life is mighty good here at Sailorgirl headquarters so I've decided to share the love. Every month I host a giveaway. I ask you a question, you email me an answer and ta-da! you're entered. The winner is chosen at random.

Drum roll please…. In a completely random draw the winner of the January giveaway for a pair of blue ocean stud earrings is… Diane Jupp! For last months contest I asked you for your favourite winter activity. (I thought I might broaden my winter activities beyond hibernating). Diane’s response: really???? you are asking a Canadian hockey Mom what her favourite winter activity is????... While a few people mentioned hockey and hockey practise Diane was the only one to mention it in glowing terms. Congrats Diane, I’m sure the earrings will look lovely at the rink.

the beginnings of spring

2011-01-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Curious about what's new for spring? It's somewhere on this table. Doesn't it look pretty all laid out like this?

well heck

2011-01-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! When I opened the kiln this morning I did a big happy dance! Yay! Lookee lookee an experiment that worked! Tis that time of year, when I have a wee bit of downtime and I get to play. So I've been playing with some new styles of beads, these are window beads. Very fun to make. This is the first one that actually looks like what it is supposed to. Yippee!!!

And then....

Sigh....

Darn. Heck. Crap.

I turned my bead over and saw a HUGE crack. WTF??? Did I not heat the bead evenly? On a larger bead if you are working on a small area you have to be careful to keep the rest of the bead warm, if a section cools to much it will crack. But no, I was very careful. It was the way it cracked, I went to my bench and looked.

Yes, my fault.

The base of the bead is black. And in my "gee let's just see what this does" mood combined with a really good audiobook in the background I grabbed a rod of Bullseye black, not Moretti/Effetre black.

So what you ask?

Bullseye and Moretti/Effetre are the 2 most popular types of soft glass used by beadmakers. They cannot be mixed (see the above photo). Every type of glass has it's own COE - coefficient of expansion. This is the rate that a glass will expand and contract with heat. Bullseye has a COE of 90, Moretti/Effetre is 104, meaning that they cool at different rates in the kiln and cause the bead to crack, 100% guaranteed.

Usually I only use Moretti/Effetre because I like the colour palette and because it's the softest of glasses and it melts the fastest. Yes I am impatient and hyper. However I use the 90 when I'm making my midnight sparkle beads and I'd made a bunch the day before. It is very very very important NEVER to mix different types of glasses on your workbench. Argh. I know that. I just was having too much fun to pay attention and clean up properly.

Well heck. Good thing it's not the night before a show. If I can make one window bead I can probably make another. Stay tuned.

the snow queen

2011-01-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Meet the Snow Queen, queen of the snowflakes or "snow bees". In the past the snow queen beads have made an occasional and unpredictable appearance. For some reason they are finicky and fussy and I usually burn them. Recently I discovered why.
Glass is a very forgiving medium, you can push it, prod it, pull it with picks and poke holes in it. You can let it droop and swirl and then move it back to where it should be. It's like playing with hot liquid candy. Up to a point. It also has a mind of it's own and working with it is learning what it wants to do and how to tame it.
Taming clear glass and silver leaf has been an issue for me. The snow queen and I did not see eye to eye and we just couldn't be friends. I tend to work hot and fast on the torch, I use a large torch (a Nortel mid-range), I'm naturally hyper and I always have a huge to do list. I charge at everything full on (could be why I burn a lot, yes you can burn glass). The snow queen does not like my working style. At the last One of a Kind art show I gave a daily demonstration and the torch in the demo studio was this tiny little torch (a Nortel minor) that I used when I learnt how to make beads. It was so bloody small and slow! Drove me crazy for the few demos. And then I sat back and wham! got slammed in the head with a revelation. Some glass just doesn't like to be rushed. Sometimes it wants less heats. I mean, yes, I knew that, but even when I turn my torch down I don't turn it down enough. Working on a tiny torch made me go very very slow. It is not in my nature to go slow. I need to compromise and meet this glass halfway.
I thought about it. I turned my torch down, with a deep breath I worked slowly. The snow queen and I became friends. She's back and she make lovely jewelry.

becoming a red person

2011-01-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

I've never been a fan of red. Don't know why. I don't wear it, I don't own it. Not that I dislike it, it just doesn't really do much for me. Lately however, I'm seeing red everywhere and I might be turning into a fan. Maybe it's because in this dull grey time of year any glimpse of colour is good. Maybe the red just stands out more. I like a real crimson deep red, nothing too orangey, just a dark scarlet, a full rich blood red. It's time to experiment some more.

bling for all

2011-01-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

If every sketch of jewelry in these books came to life there would be bling for the entire planet. And these are just the notebooks that I carry around with me daily (which might explain why my "purse" is a knapsack). I have 2 bookshelves stuffed with filled notebooks. What's amusing is that I keep having the same ideas over and over. I found some designs from 2 years ago that I had just finished doodling out last week. Maybe I should stop doodling and start making. Just a thought.

JANUARY GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that my mind is wandering to blue seas? I crave sunshine and blue skies, however I’m here for now and so I shall make the best of it. While my favourite winter sport is planning my annual escape I do indulge in some other pastimes. There’s evenings on the couch with plates of goodies, glasses of fabulous wine and movies. There’s bundling up and strolling by the lake to check out super cool natural ice sculptures. There’s scrabble games and fireplaces. And I might even get out my ice skates later this week. Tell me, what’s your favourite winter activity? This months’ prize is a pair of Blue Ocean Stud Earrings, something to help you dream of summers approach.

To enter the giveaway: email me - catherine@sailorgirl.com - and tell me, and tell me about your favourite winter activity.

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

Winner of the December giveaway!

2011-01-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well well well, it appears that we speak the same language – food. Last month I asked you to tell me your favourite food and the floodgates opened! Boy do you like to talk food! This must be why we get along so well, I'm always happy to talk food. I received recipes and photos (hey! no calories in photos!) and oodles of delicious comments. Definite winner for favourite holiday food was stuffing in all sorts of varieties. Second favourite food are shortbread cookies. Cookies in general were high on the favourite list, gingerbread came in second. Also high on the favourites list were leftovers. Ummmm turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. Followed by more cookies of course.

In a completely random draw (using random.org) the winner of the December giveaway of a Sky Blue Bubble Pendant is Jackie Barwin in Ottawa. Jackie voted for crunch, freshly fired potato latkes for Chanukah, made with yukon gold potatoes. (Latkes are on my list of things to make, anyone care to send me a tried and true recipe? Jackie? Actually I should check the Smitten Kitchen - smittenkitchen.com - I'm sure I've seen latkes listed there).

Congratulations Jackie, nice way to start the new year. And a nice pendant to brighten up a dull grey month. Enjoy!

Happiest New Year Ever!

2011-01-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Happiest of happy new years to you! Yes you!!! And best wishes for a healthy and prosperous year.

It's a new month and a new decade and I don't know about you but I'm planning on this decade being the most fabulous ever! Well, I'm assuming it will be fabulous, if there's one thing that sailing has taught me this past decade it's that plans are very nice however it's best just to go with the winds. When sailing Mother Nature is in charge and the best of plans mean nothing unless she agrees. For the first couple of years when sailing I would get so frustrated by thinking "oh tomorrow we're going to X" only to wake up and find the wrong wind, or no wind, or too much wind. Eventually I figured out to just chill and sometimes stay where you are, or to go somewhere else. If Plan A doesn't work out, move to Plan B, or Plan C or D. Relax and go where the wind blows.

It's a philosopy that's served me well in my work life over the past decade. 10 years ago if you had told me I'd be a glass bead artist and jewelry designer I would have laughed and then had you shipped to an asylum. Me, artistic? Me, jewelry? Uh, no. 10 years ago I had never made a pair of earrings. I had never seen a lampwork bead let alone thought of making one. 10 years ago I was fresh out of my "career" in a cubicle, had discovered sailing and didn't know what to do with myself. I thought of opening a cafe but that wouldn't give me any free time to go sailing down south. I thought of writing until I took a look at the paycheques of a few writers. I was floating and waiting to see which way the wind would blow. Surprise surprise.

The biggest thing I'm taking from this past decade is to dream wildly, plan madly and be open to anything. Because where you end up could be exactly where you planned to be, or the last place you expected.

Speaking of the past, here's a picture from the archives - my very first jewelry "booth". October 2002, a $40 table at the Distillery, downtown Toronto. My laundry table, hallway mirror and my first creations, before I'd even made a single glass bead of my own. Sailorgirl, you've sailed a long way in the past decade.

So where will I be a decade from now? Should be interesting to see, I'm up for an adventure!

DECEMBER GIVEAWAY!

2010-12-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

Life is mighty good over here at Sailorgirl and I'm celebrating by sharing the love! At the beginning of every month I announce a giveaway on my monthly newsletter (you're a subscriber right?), on my facebook page (you're a fan right?) and here.

Somehow while I was busy working away the season changed. The fall was so lovely and long and sunny and now it's gone. Blink. Disappeared. It is most definitely winter out there. December is also home to the shortest day of the year, December 21. Cheer up folks, after this day it all gets better! Since the skies are currently grey and the days are short, this months’ giveaway is a Sky Blue Bubbles pendant.

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me this, what's your favourite holiday food? Or leave a comment here!

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

I survived!!!

2010-12-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

in the beginning

Aaaaahhhhhhh sleep is a wonderful thing. After the mad rush of prepping for a show of that size, the sheer luxury of waking on my own, no alarm clock, and just lying in bed is absolute bliss. I've had a couple of couch days and am beginning to feel like me again. That show is such a high it has to be balanced with a few days of low. First there was the insane rush of creating enough inventory for 11 days, then the move-in, the joy of seeing so many friends from all over the country!

it starts to look like a booth

As we set up and babbled on, admiring new work and catching up on lives I was amazed that another year had gone by. Really? How did that happen? Then speaking to people for 12 hours a day, it's kind of insane. And you know what? I LOVE it.

ta da! Booth!

A really cool part of the show this year was participating in the Open Studios. Show management set up a full lampwork glass studio and I made beads for an hour a day. Even though I tell people "I make my beads" and I have photos in my booth, until they see the glass actually melting in the torch and watch how a bead is made most people don't really understand that each bead is made one by one. I forget sometimes that what I do is magic, I take this for granted. Sharing the magic and hearing the "ooooooohhhhh aaaahhhhh" as I pull out a line of hot glass is really rewarding. It's moments like this that make me forget the late nights and hard work. It's when I realize how much I love my "job".

One of a Kind demonstration schedule

2010-11-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

A new feature at the One of a Kind show this year - open studios! For an hour a day I'll be demonstating flameworking, if you're coming to the show why not schedule your visit around a demo and watch how beads are made!

Here's when I'll be demonstrating:

Thursday Nov 25 6 - 7 p.m.
Saturday Nov 27 6 - 7 p.m.
Sunday Nov 28 2 - 3 p.m.
Monday Nov 29 2 - 3 p.m.
Tuesday Nov 30 2 - 3 p.m.
Wednesday Dec 1 2 - 3 p.m.
Thursday Dec 2 2 - 3 p.m.
Friday Dec 3 6 - 7 p.m.
Saturday Dec 4 2 - 3 p.m.
Sunday Dec 5 2 - 3 p.m.

Move in tomorrow!!! So exciting!!!

ARGH!!!!! 3 days to go!!!!

2010-11-21T20:43:00.001-08:00

ONLY 3 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE ONE OF A KIND SHOW OPENS!!! a bomb exploded in the studio and i can't find anything! for the first time ever i have space to build the booth in advance, of course now that i see it i want to change everything! and i don't think i have enough work to fill the space! ARGH!!!! if i live on espresso and sleep for 10 minutes a night i should be able to do about half of the work i intended to do. why oh why oh why do such brilliant ideas come to me when i have no time to make them? MORE CHOCOLATE!

I. Am. A. Machine

2010-11-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

I am a bead-making machine!!! Check out yesterdays production run!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!! and all so pretty and lovely. You know what I need know? A bead cleaning elf. Each bead has to be pulled off the mandrel with vise grips, soaked in water and then the bead release (icky gray mud) has to be cleaned out with a diamond tip drill. Done under water. Ick. Yuck.

On my upcoming studio equipment buying list? A Breville espresso machine like I have at home. I need lattes to keep up this pace.

this is fall?

2010-11-13T10:46:00.001-08:00

This is the time of year when I should be moving into Screaming Panic mode with the One of a Kind show in just a week and a half. However I am only feeling a mild panic, the sort of panic where I think, "hmm, really I should make a few more of those green mamba pendants or I could go and check out that sale in the bookshop across the road". And I go to the booksale and then wander along to the coffee shop. I am blaming the weather, it's tooooo nice!!! Where is the grey? Where is the rain? Where is the crappy weather? One of a Kind is for Christmas shopping, it's supposed to be cold and yucky. Yet it's 12 degrees, there are snapdragons and hollyhocks in the gardens. Walking to work now takes twice as long as it should as I detour and meander. I am just not feeling the happy ho-ho-ho jollyness of the festive season yet.

There are 9 days until move in. 9 production days. Time to get jolly.

daily photos - my project 365

2010-11-10T17:52:00.001-08:00

October 12 - 20

Everyday i walk around with a square filter in front of my eyes. Until the moment when I've found my daily photo it's always there somewhere in my mind, find the moment, find the moment. It's a good thing. As my work season ramps up I still find the image everyday, what I find harder to do is remember to download those images from my camera card to the computer and catalogue them.
To view any of the images full size or to see the whole project, check out my flickr site.

mail call!!!

2010-11-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

Remember being a kid and sending away for a prize from a cereal box in the mail? How you'd wait and wait and wait for the postman to bring it? Think of the joy of opening the mail box and seeing an envelope with your name hand written and stamps and postmarks. The anticipation of drawing out a card or a folded piece of paper and glancing first to see who it was from and then enjoying the letter itself.
Our online digital life has made so communication so much faster, so much easier yet sometimes it feels a tad impersonal. Writing a letter on nice paper, going to the mail box and actually mailing it gives much more weight to the sentiments, a permanence that an email can never have.

In the spirit of encouraging this Beth Nichols is hosting the Great Stitched Postcard swap and I'm participating. Those of us involved must make a postcard based on the theme of home with whatever we want, fabric, collage, stitching, ink, anything our hearts desire. How we interpret home is up to the creator. Beth sends everyone a name and address and we mail it off.
So now I can look forward to a postcard arriving from a new friend somewhere in the world. How cool is this?

The concept of "home" is one I've been thinking of lately as I've been thinking of exploring and travel and sailing and home renovations and where I want to go for the next phase of my life. It's a timely theme for me and I have my postcard all worked out in my mind. Now I shall make it, blog it, post it on flickr and mail it off into the wild blue yonder. Stay tuned amigos.

not so cuddly

2010-11-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

Poison must be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Venom is injected, in nature usually through a fang.

Did you know that? I didn't, it's just one of the amazing things I learnt on my field trip out of the studio yesterday. We went to Reptilia, a private reptile zoo in Vaughan, ON. Very very cool, assuming you don't mind the creepy crawly type of cool. I'm fine with it as long as it's in a cage. Mid afternoon during the week is the perfect time to go as we were the only visitors. The very nice and informative keeper (trainer?) offered to let us hold something however as I mentioned, I'm fine with creepy crawly as long as it's in a cage.

We lucked out and watched several feedings, no, I won't post those photos I admit they're a bit gruesome. The snakes are feed every 14 days. Remind me not to come back in another life as a snake I personally prefer to eat more frequently and I'm not so keen on the dead rat diet. Of course as I wandered and oogled the little part of my brain that is obsessed with glass kept looking at these and thinking, wow now that would be an awesome bead. (Actually I thought the anacondas and the reticulated pythons would also be awesome purses).

Look at the texture on this green mamba's skin. Now that is a bead waiting to happen.

NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY

2010-11-02T14:51:00.001-07:00

Life is mighty good over here at Sailorgirl and I'm celebrating by sharing the love! At the beginning of every month I'll announce a giveaway on my monthly newsletter (you're a subscriber right?), on my facebook page (you're a fan right?) and here.

While I do tend to be a bit focused on water/ocean/summer colours, lately I’ve been playing with cats. Big cats. Inspired by a great afternoon at the zoo and a few episodes of Planet Earth (best documentary EVER!) my Safari collection is making me purr. This months’ giveaway is a pair of Tiger Earrings. To enter send me an email and tell me which animal you’d most like to see in the wild.

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me this, what animal do you dream of seeing in the wild?

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!

and the winner is...

2010-11-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Barbara Roberts!!!

For my October giveaway Barbara wins a pair of my Ocean earrings, which will look stunning when she travels to the Mendosa region of Argentina to tour the wine country! How cool would that be?

Speaking of cool places to travel you do have dreams don’t you? The most popular dream destination amongst you is the Greek Islands. I’ve always dreamed of these. I see myself pulling up on my white sailboat to a dock in a small village. We’ll tuck in amongst a few other sailboats and the local fishing fleet. As we step off we’ll pass groups of fishermen mending nets and drinking retsina. We’ll wander along the wharf until a particular taverna calls us in. Sitting at a rough wooden table we’ll order a jug of wine, a plate of olives and a plate of fried fish. We’ll dip hunks of bread into garlicky dips as the bouzoukis play in the background and the locals stroll in for their evening gathering.

Oh wait, where was I? Other popular destinations include the Galapagos, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. Yes please, I’d like to go to all of these. Australia and New Zealand are on my “already visited and would love to revisit list”. I love Australia not only for it’s spectacular beaches and great weather, also because they have the weirdest animals on the planet. There was definitely some wine involved before wombats or platypus’ (platypi? Platypuses? What is the plural of platypus?) were created. Did they run out of parts? Watching hundreds of kangaroos hop across a sun-drenched desert is a sight everyone should see. The outback is where I first learnt to really look closely at my surroundings. Sometimes where there appears to be nothing, there’s really something going on. I enjoyed your answers to my question of where do you dream of visiting. Keep the dreaming going. More importantly, buy a plane ticket. The world is a big wide wonderful place, explore it well.

ps. can't you just see me here?

OOAK booth number!!!

2010-10-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

OOOOHHHHHH!!!! Booth numbers for the One of a Kind show are out!

Announcing my home for 11 days - booth W38!

So exciting! I love this show! I love being part of such an incredible community, so much talent! When you work alone getting to spend 13 days (2 days of set up + 11 show days) babbling with fellow crafters who get your life is so necessary! And so many of the vendors come from out of town that I don't see them often. As soon as the booth assignments came out I pored over them, checking to see who's in the show and where my buddies are. I've started making my shopping lists although I'll have to see all the new work. There's so much to see! Only 26 more days until set up!!! Back to work!

daily photo - my project 365

2010-10-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Sept 24 - Oct 2

My daily photo - for one year I have commited to taking a photo every single day. It is amazing to me that I walk around with a little voice in my head saying "is that it? is that today's shot?" This is definitely changing the way I move through each day. I look for moments, small vignettes, even on days where I am just stupid busy it's always there in the back of my mind, find something worth noticing. As I look over my recent batch I am noticing flowers. I've always loved fall gardens, I love the gradual decay and the splashes of colour. I think there's more purple flowers in fall than in summer or maybe I just see them more without all the other colours to distract me.

Oct 3 - 11

All images can be viewed on my flickr site.

Preview Party - Trunk Show

2010-10-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mark this down on your calendar, you don't want to miss this!!! You're invited to my Special Super Duper Holiday Preview at my studio!!! I have oodles of new work and I need your opinion on it please! Do come and try things on and give me feedback!

What: HOLIDAY PREVIEW SHOW
Where: The Sailorgirl Studio - 535A Danforth Ave, Toronto
When: October 29 2010 5 - 10 p.m

Wine and cheese and beads!!! New beads!!! New work!!! A whole new line!!! What could be better than wine, cheese, and beads? Extra special pricing on all the new work this evening!!! Get a headstart on your holiday shopping without the crowds!

You're invited and so are your friends! You are welcome to bring along anyone who wants to play with pretty coloured beads, try on fabulous new jewelry and have a wee glass of wine (or two!)

For those who aren't in the Toronto area, I'll be posting the new work online on October 30 along with special pricing for that weekend!

As a bit of trivia on the side, a lot of times a Preview Party or Studio Party is known as a Trunk Show. I have no idea where this term came from unless it was when people actually sold out of the trunk of their car. Wikipedia defines a Trunk Show as “a special sale in which vendors present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue. In many cases it allows store personnel to preview and/or purchase merchandise before it is made available to the public. It is particularly desirable to have the actual designer present at the event.”
Select customers – that would be you. The actual designer – that would be me. The unique venue – that would be my studio. And the merchandise that you will be previewing? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.

ONE DAY BIRTHDAY SALE

2010-10-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a land far away (yes very far away, New Zealand in fact) a princess was born. Well, she believed she was a princess and still does sometimes. Annually to celebrate her princess-ness on October 5 she dons her tiara, eats cake and drinks champagne.
So here I sit with my tiara and my cake – chocolate with raspberry cream. The champagne is chilling in the fridge for later. All that’s missing in my little party are guests and gifts. I’ve lots of gifts for me, how about gifts for you, my online guests? Think of this as your loot bag at my virtual birthday party.

A special one day only sale! 25% off!!!

Use discount code BDAY25 when you check out at either of my online stores!!!

Sailorgirl Jewelry – my fabulous glass collection
Bonjour World Jewelry – my silver collection

OCTOBER GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-10-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Life is mighty good over here at Sailorgirl and I'm celebrating by sharing the love! At the beginning of every month I'll announce a giveaway on my monthly newsletter (you're a subscriber right?), on my facebook page (you're a fan right?) and here.

Last month was the inaugural giveaway and I went with a gift certificate. This month I'm giving away a pair of my signature Ocean Earrings. There's a chill in the air here in Canada and it's time for the sailboats in Lake Ontario to be put away for the winter. My thoughts are straying to my little white sailboat sitting patiently in the sunny south waiting for Sailorgirl and the Pirate Guy to return for more adventures. Until I do I'll be wearing my ocean jewelry daily to remind me of blue skies, turquoise water and fun times.

To enter the giveaway: email me at catherine@sailorgirl.com and tell me this, where do you dream of traveling to?

For a more chances to enter, twitter this giveaway and email me the link to the tweet.
Post this on facebook and email me the link to the post!
Blog it and email me the link to the post!