j2aney

My new baby!

2009-03-08T00:46:00.000-08:00

Just got back from Perth Upmarket. It was a pretty good day all in all, nice and steady all the way through instead of the usual massive rush and then almost no customers for the rest of the day. I was situated near the entrance again, next to Allambie Grove who sell the greatest home made olive oil, dukkah and olive oil soaps.

Anyhow, so many great retailers today! So much stuff I was totally tempted to buy... but I restrained myself! I still have my eye on the great jewelry from Bellymoo. The designs are soooo beautiful!

I am thinking of taking a break from markets for a while.. perhaps just list all my remaining stock online and see how things go from there. I really want to learn to sew! Since I have a brand new sewing machine that has never been used before it will be a good opportunity to put it to use :) It would be so great to make my own dresses and things.. !!!

So I now have a new baby.. I bought a kit thing from Australian Geographic. It is a set to get you started growing bonsai. I think bonsai are sooo amazing and beautiful that I would love to have my own. Here are some pictures of how it is faring so far.. The first seedlings started appearing! Woohooo!!! ^_^ I have been checking on them every day to see how they go! It is a Tasmanian Eucalyptus and the flowers are supposed to have a lemony fragrance. I can't wait (I will so cry if they die =<). I'm crossing my fingers about my nurturing skills >_<>

Lazy Jane

2009-02-15T23:40:00.000-08:00

OK.. So I have been totally totally lazy and haven't blogged for 2 whole months!! >_<>

I spent December totally busy preparing for markets and such, and once those were over my mind was only focused on my holiday!

I went to Hong Kong and stayed at my aunt's apartment for 2 weeks for an awesome shopping + eating trip! I had already been before but I haven't been on holiday for so long that it was definately overdue. Unfortunately I went alone, as my significant other couldn't get time off work. Luckily, some of my friends were also travelling so we could meet up.

We visited all of the best shopping locations, including markets where already-cheap fashions can still be bargained down in price, and huge shopping complexes totally filled with every designer brand a girl could want! Ahhh.. it was delightful!
Not to be missed of course, were tourist destinations such as The Peak, Ocean Park and Macau. The Venetian casino/hotel was amazing! Absolutely huge and packed with hardcore gamblers even in the afternoon. ^_^ Of course I had to try my hand, and came out with winnings to cover my day's costs! heheh
For those who will be travelling to Hong Kong, these are some must-visit shopping locations:

- Flower Street Market (Fa Yuen Gai) <-- latest fashions for the cheapest prices!

- Women's Market (Lui Yan Gai) <-- lots of gadgets and fakes and fashions but MUST bargain!

- SOGO, Times Square and Harbour City <-- brand shopping heaven!

anyways i ended up getting myself LOTS of clothes, filling up my suitcase and being 20kg over weight so freighting that back to Perth.. hehe :) I also ate ALOT since the food was so cheap and tasty!! yum yum!

Now.. to snap out of holiday mode and start preparing for the Oxford St Market (Leederville) on Sunday [edit. oops - its Saturday!], and the Perth Upmarket in March!!!

As for Valentines Day, I had a great evening out with Jeff. We ate at the SunMoon restaurant in Scarborough. The food and atmosphere were lovely. We spent a little time together at the South Perth foreshore where we could see the ferris wheel lit up beautifully and drove over to see if we could take a ride to see the Perth City views from a height. All in all, a lovely evening that could not have been better. ^_^

Buhnii !!

2008-12-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

Had a great day at Perth Upmarket on Sunday ^_^ Was quite a busy day with lots of different customers and lots of interest in j2aney :p The customers were so friendly and bubbly.

The Etsy girls are always so helpful! Always there when someone needs a bathroom break !! hehehe :) I met so many lovely people at the market, including at the stall next to me selling bio-dynamic olive oil and dukkah. Of course I had to take some of that home with me - a 'present' for my parents, which I have already cracked open to try - delicious!!!

Niina (NiinaAoki) came by and dropped of my new adorable Buhni cushion! It is sOoo kawaiii~~ I love it! And there is so much detail in the little flowers, all hand stitched :) I was also quite naughty and bought a lovely necklace from Jacquie (RamsdenDesigns). I love the two girls and of all her work they are my favourite! The colours are so beautiful and they just look so pretty! Can't wait to wear to wear it!As for today, I'm off to BoyGirlDog to deliver some more stock and check out Sioux's awesome store again. And in more good news, apparently, the drop in interest rates mean that there will be more investments in Australia and hopefully the Australian dollar will go up - preferably by the time I go on holiday! Keke

Have You Had Your 2 and 5 Today?

2008-12-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

Two fruit and five veg?

Well here are some vegies anyway.. No fruits :p My work in progress for Vegiez Necklaces ^_^ Aren't they cute in a bunch like that! Heheh :)

Oh and check out what I got at Subiaco Unwrapped - prettyyyyy..~~ I did have photos of my stall but since my mobile phone and laptop are incompatible, I can't get them on at the moment =< Anyway, tis necklace was made by 'cheir', a girl named Celia. Her laser cut jewellery is awesome! Love it ^_^
The market turned out quite well, although it was quite windy and it rained! Much to my dismay.. Luckily I was able to steal a plastic sheet from NiinaAoki. I also bought one of her adorable Buhni cushions in red ^_^ Will post a picture of it when I get it (she ran out of red ones.. :p).

My next markets are Oxford Street Market in Leederville (December 13th), Perth Upmarket at the Perth Town Hall (December 14th) and Oxford Street Market in Leederville (December 20th). My weekend is going to be a busy one! :) I am mostly prepared, I think!

And after all the rush of markets is over, I will be heading straight to SPotlight with a friend to take advantage of their sale! Dressmaking patterns are half price and I will be picking some up to work on my sewing skills - and use my new sewing machine! I won it from a raffle at Spotlight weeks ago and haven't had the time to even open the box yet! Can't wait and I hope I'm not too bad at sewing.. hehe ^^

When One Door Closes, Another One Opens

2008-12-03T01:04:00.000-08:00

"when one door closes, another one opens"

That is what I am hoping! The recruitment company I am working at no longer has enough work for me.. but who better to find me a job than the recruiters themselves? Im hoping that a new door will open so I can save up enough for my holiday! It would also be great to learn from another company and see their style..

On a brighter note, I had a great weekend with them at Southern Cross. A little travel sickness on the train, but it was fun. The food and hospitality at the Railway Tavern was just fantastic! Thanks to Jo and Robert! We had a roast dinner, played darts, sang karaoke and woke up to be treated to a delicious cooked breakfast - yum! It is a nice little town (although I am more of a city gal myself.. ^^).

I have been working on some little toadstools to be used in my little glass bottle charms. Thanks to Liza for sending me some lovely flocking in different shades! In these charms, I have used the autumn and forest flocking and love the way it turned out. I have also been at Ali J's making button badges! Pictures to come ^_^ They will make a small, cute gift to show someone you have thought of them this Christmas :p

Subiaco Unwrapped market is tomorrow!! A bit panicky.. I'm spending the whole of tomorow preparing.. but still!! aRghhHH~~ >_< *fingers crossed for the weather too!!!!*

BoyGirlDog

2008-11-22T22:39:00.000-08:00

Just got home from BoyGirlDog, an awesome little store in Mount Lawley that will be stocking some of my work! I almost had to tie my hands behind my back to keep myself from buying anything there, they have such a fantastic collection of jewellery, t-shirts and some SUPER-cute figures and stationery from 'tokidoki'. kawaiii~~ !! >_<

I still have some more pieces to make as they were sold out when the lovely owner of BGD ordered from me - keeping busy tonight !

AND.. the new business cards I mentioned in an earlier post finally arrived! I just love the way they turned out, and had the same design made into hang tags for my necklaces ^_^
AND.. more good news -- I booked my flight to Hong Kong yesterday! I will be leaving on the 25th of January and I am super excited :) On my way home today, I saw a plane in the sky and thought "that's gonna be mee~". It is a little childish I know, but I haven't been on holiday for yonks and I can't wait! Hong Kong has so much cute and stylish clothing, way ahead of the fashion here in Australia. Also, I will be scouring the streets for cute charms for my jewellery ^_^ Now for the hard part.. saving up enough money for a two week shopping spree~~

Made On The Left

2008-11-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

Phew felt so tired after Made On The Left - but it was great fun! I was a teensy bit late arriving, so frantically tried to set up while doing last minute finishes to some of my pieces! I threw together the necklace stand a few days ago and love it, although it would be better if it could hang more than 10 necklaces! But Jeff (my boy) bought the lovely white stand for me - its really stable and looks great ^^ I also had lots of good feedback and was approached by a retailer, which I am really excited about - now to get off my backside and make a catalogue-y type thing :p The photos of my stall from MOTL didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but I had a great stall spot between Polyclarific and a nice lady namd Marina who made the most beautiful tutu-style skirts for children and lovely chunky jewelry. Her and her lovely little helper Ash (ley/leigh?) were great company and great help for getting me food and watching my stall while I stole away for a browse of the rest of the market ^_^. It is always so lovely to see when others enjoy your work, and I was so happy to see that a visitor to the MOTL market had blogged about her purchases (two of which were from my stall!). For a newbie into crafting and selling like me, it is so exciting to be mentioned! I also got these lovely brooches from Niina (Sinipuu) - her illustrations are absolutely amazing, I am a huge fan and was sooo tempted to get one of her lovely bunny cushions.. but I had to refrain since I'm saving for a holiday to Hong Kong! I have hinted to my boy though that I would like one.. hehe ^^ Last week, I went to Sarah and Moz's house to discuss with Moz some new designs for my business cards. I have been meaning to change the look of my cards/banners to something more professional, yet cute. After hours of playing around with an idea I had, Moz turned it into something so simple - but totally cute and exactly the stye I wanted!! I also got to see Sarah at work making her beautiful polyclay jewelry, which was lovely :) The cards and hang tags are already off the printing press and should be arriving tomorrow or the day after - can't wait!

Twas a LoOoOoong Day~

2008-11-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

I've just managed to roll myself out of bed after getting home about 12.30 last night. Ali J and I spent the whole day/night on James Street in Northbridge at the Northbridge Festival. It went pretty well, with lots of crowds in town that day, although the sounds from the Redbull Air Race planes was deafening!

Our first sales were made before the official opening time of 1pm and our final sales were at 10.45pm just while we were starting to pack up! It was slow and steady for most of the day, with lots of tourists in town - we even saw some of the crew from the RedBull Air Race! Ali spent most of the day rearranging our stall, positioning my rings so they could be better seen - and it paid off - THANKS ALI J!! ^_^ Her side was rearranged maybe 4 times?

I was a little sad that none of my new Angel earrings sold.. People seemed to think they were a bit Christmassy? What do you all think? I think they are adorable - it is so canny how every piece I think will do really well, proves to be one of the least popular ones of the day, and the pieces I think are quite ordinary do better instead!

All in all, I thought it was a great day, although it would have been better if the organisers had let us bring the car in at the end so we could pack up! Ali was great company, and even let me slip out for a ONE HOUR dinner with my friends who to came to visit! I am sOoo looking forward to my next market - Made On The Left! It is going to be greatt~

Be My Angel

2008-10-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday's Distracted Market was great fun, I got to catch up with the MOTL girls who had stalls there, including Ali J, Sarah (Odd Girl Out), Jane (PlanetLime), Jacquie (Ramsden Designs) and Beth (The Tiny Little Girl). Their stalls looked fantastic! However, I forgot to bring my camera to show you all the pictures =<. I bought a beautiful ring from Ali J's stall and a cute little heat pack from Hem'd. It is a frog-shaped heat pack named Francine! Now sitting on my desk at work, I will remember to take pix to put up!

In line with the soon-to-come Christmas theme, I have designed and created some really cute Angel earrings! They aren't so Christmassy that you can't wear them throughout the year, but will be the perfect accessory for that Christmas touch to your outfit (earring findings haven't been attached in this photos).

And this is what the back looks like.. ^^ The angel and its wings and halo are all handmade using polymer clay, with handpainted hands, robes and faces. I think they've turned out great, much cuter than I had expected, and I hope you all love them as much as I do! They will be a bit pricier than the Kokeshi Doll earrings, but I still haven't decided on how to price them! Advice/opinions will be greatly appreciated!! ^_^

Life in Miniature

2008-10-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

YAYY!!! Finally got my computer back! Haven't blogged for so long because my computer died.. damn macs >_<>

I thought I would share what my kokeshi dolls look like when they are still WIPs.. all plain and gross-looking.. when I see them at this stage I hardly feel motivated at all! It is only when the paints start going on that the dolls begin to take shape ^_^ Also, Lotta told me about this great shop where I have found some tiny miniature dolls, about 1:150 scale! I have decided to use them assembled inside the cute jars I have as necklaces ^^ Just a little size comparison so you can really see how tiny they are!

The little soccer ball is handmade using polymer clay ^^

No one but my boy and my family have seen these yet, so I would love some feedback! I have been trying to find more of these delightful miniatures in different poses, and brainstorming ideas of different scenes I can put them in too ^^ Always so busy trying to fit in work, uni (exam coming up.. yikes!) and crafting! It is so great when the pieces come together, I am addicted to supplies shopping now :p

So far, I have been accepted into MOTL (November 15) and Perth Upmarket (December 14) and I am sending in my application for Unwrapped today - Fingers crossed!!!

Swamped!

2008-09-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

OK So I am totally busy this long weekend! Went to buy the display units I have had my eye on for aaaages! AND I only spent $37 on them! wOooHoo! Bargain! I love them so much hehe even if I stopped using them for markets I could use them as display units in my future dream home! ^_^ I went to Thingz and there were sOoOo many awesome things to choose from! I bought two pretty candles for my boyfriend's mum and they cost less than $10! Couldn't believe it :p

More on the good news front - I have been working on a temporary basis with a recruitment company in East Perth while their receptionist is on holiday. They know I am studying Human Resource Management and am really interested in staying on with them to train as a recruitment consultant. They extended my time there by 3 months!! YAYyYy~~ So I will be doing some training under the consultants afterall! Very excited, and hoping I do well so it will become permanent! The staff there are amazing, so friendly and easy going.

Unfortunately, I also have uni work up to my eyes at the moment >_<>oing to be in Mandurah for the whole day tomorrow so not going to get started till Monday.. And will be working on Tuesday and Wednesday! I hope Jeff (bf) can be held to his promise to help me do it!! :p

Oh I also want to share with you, my new adorable "Watchover Voodoo Dolls". It says that they are handmade in Thailand, but its only $12.99 each, so cheap! I like how the Ninja one is supposed to 'control your frustrations with idiots and help you show patience' - I think I need some of that! :)

My 21st!

2008-09-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone ^^ Feeling much better now hehe. I had a blast at my 21st and ended up having too much to drink at the end ^_^ I wish everyone could have come and celebrated with me but I know alot of people were feeling unwell and others had to work :p Anyways I had a great night, the food was great and my cake turned out delicious - not that I really had much - my tummy wasn't feeling so good!! This is my boyfriend, Jeff ^^ He helped me so much in organising everything and looked after me when I was vomiting into the ice bucket >_<>

My crafty neighbour/childhood friend, Gillian, with her super cool haircut, Alistair and me! ^^
Louisa, me and Mel ^^
Caitlyn, me, James, Mayda, Jacinta and Steph - thanks for the awesome night, the drinks and my present!! I was in love when I saw the Gucci on the giftbag already hehe :)

My colleagues/bosses and I !!

My man and I with my cake! I love you ^^ Thanks!!Heres my yummy cake ^^ Thanks Mozart Patisserie for this beautiful cake, it looked and tasted fantastic!

All in all it was a great night - thanks to everyone to came - sorry if I forgot to sms you hehe :p I love all of my presents and I had a great time, and you guys finally got to see me drunk! I hope you are happy >_<>

Hoping to get some crafting done this week! Also have a group assignment for uni to work on >_<>

Sigh of Relief

2008-09-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

Phew! All that rushing around to Spotlight, Beadco and other stores for last minute supplies was worth it!! Upmarket was a fantastic success!

When I arrived, I found out that my stall was in a covered, but outdoors area, and the slightest breeze knocked all my earring cards over! LUCKILY, before I could panick too much, Justine (the organiser for Upmarket) moved me inside - to a prime spot next to the staircase! So I hastily tried to make up the time I had lost and this is how my stall looked ^^

The fabulous looking white shelf, white dish and black busts are all stolen/borrowed from Lotta. I love the way they look and I'm hoping to go shopping this weekend to find a similar shelf/display thingo ^^

Here are some more photos taken by Jane/Planetlime - THANKS JANE!! ^^ Oh and look at my super super cute apron? Isn't it just so pink and adorable? That was also Jane's creation! Oh and I must mention that I borrowed the table from her too hehehe :) Perth Etsians are so great :p

What can I say? My stall was packed yesterday! It looked great (I'm very proud of myself hehe) and there was a lot of interest in my pieces ^^ yay~~. If you think these pictures look busy, look at the last one! I couldn't believe how many people showed up! I'm also sooo glad I got this fantastic spot look at all the browsers! Unfortunately, you may be able to see in the opposite corner to me that other stallholders weren't so lucky.. and their spots did not have so many customers pass through =<

The new bottle charms were received well, I had many interested comments about them and sold 6 of them. However, the best seller is always the kokeshi doll earrings which generate so much interest because of their cuteness factor! I even had a lady put them on right away, which was lovely!! ^^ Thanks for everyone who came and supported me, and thanks to all the customers and your positive comments and interest in my work! AND thanks to all the Perth Etsy sellers for your support and helpful advice, not to mention lending me props for my display! ^^

Upmarket Preparations

2008-09-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show everyone some of the pieces I'm preparing for Perth Upmarket! Can't believe there is less than one week left >_<

So this past week I've been crazily creating and Upmarket will be the 'launch' of my newest range of jewelry! I have used some beautiful corked glass bottle charms, filled with tiny hand-sculpted polymer clay scenes. Each bottle has its own theme and comes strung on a silver necklace ^^

'Snowy Rabbit' is my first bottle charm creation! It features a pine tree, with a teensy bunny, surrounded by glittery snow.

'Garden' is the theme for this bottle charm, with a tiny handmade potplant and spade/trowel (is that the American term?). This would have to be my favourite ^^

A variation on 'Garden', this little bud is 'In Bloom', after hard work in the garden of course!

A simple 'Love Letter' surrounded by tiny polymer clay hearts for that special someone!

Do you like to play 'Mind Games'? Or just challenge yourself with a miniature polymer clay verson of ring toss? ^^

This simple piece draws attention to the tiny star hanging within the corked bottle and is enough to bring a 'Twinkle' to your day! Pink and white stars are available, with more colors to come!!

I am unsure how many of each piece I can produce for Perth Upmarket, so I wanted to be sure everyone could take a look and I hope to get some feedback about what you would like to see ^^

My Messy Workspace

2008-09-05T03:43:00.000-07:00

How gross is my workspace, hey? sOoo messy lol :p not sure if you can see the packet of liquorice bullets there.. for some sugary inspiration of course, don't we all need a sugar rush now and then?

So basically.. here is where i craft, use the computer and watch tv... All from one seat! (i'm also incredibly lazy ^^ ) im also working on some button and poly-clay rings which will be fairly cheap, and are quite easy to make. I love these little butterfly buttons, but couldn't think of what to make with them! I hope these will help to fill up my stall a bit.. quite worried it will be empty >_<

Anyways, spending my Friday night at home tonight.. so heres hoping i can get all of those tiny things you see on the baking paper (un-painted kokeshi doll earrings) painted so they can be glazed tomorrow!

My First Post ^^

2008-09-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

It's my first post!! I've actually created this account at work and I'm posting from work too >_<

Im totally freaking out about Upmarket.. Don't think I really have enough stock yet.. Will be taking photos of my workspace tonight so you can all see how messy and gross it is while I'm panicking about creating more stock :p I am highly disorganised.. Fortunately, Lotta has been sOoOo kind and let me raid her house for display props! I've taken a serving dish, some busts, a hand (ring display), and a wierd-looking display that looks like about 20 glass science lab round beakers stuck together.. hopefully that will be easier to understand once I've put pictures up after the market heehee ^^