Newsy Bits

A few things worth telling, on this very snowy April first.

I just got the April issue of Boston Magazine that happens to feature my Copper Jewel Ring. This is my first time having my jewelry in a magazine, and I am thrilled.

 

Have you heard about Molly's new site, Blarter? The name is a mash up of "blog" and "barter," and it's a little bit of genius. Finally a site that encourages the trade of goods and service between bloggers.

Have you read Francesca's story about the orange cake from war times? An amazing story worth reading.

Do you know about 21 Secrets, An Art Journal Playground? It's an online workshop featuring 21 different teachers/sessions. Check out Amy's class called Three Little Words. She's pretty much the authority on art journaling, and one funny gal, to boot. 

That's all for now. I'm off to shovel snow. Very funny, Mother Nature. Very funny April Fool's Day joke.

Another giveaway!

Just a quick note to let you know that Molly over at A Foothill Home Companion is hosting a giveaway. Click on over to win a fifty dollar gift certificate to my shop. That's right, you get to pick.

And while you are there, check out the two other giveaways she is hosting. It's pretty much a magical wonderland of giveaways over there now though Monday.

Giveaway!

Just a quick not to let you know EarthMama is hosting a giveaway of one of my items this weekend. The winner can choose from the pieces pictured above. Click over for details and to enter to win. There's also an interview featuring yours truly.

As a bonus,  I'll be offering a 15% discount for one week to EarthMama readers. Go git the coupon code!

Why I Had An Art Attack

My booth at SoWa

Something didn't feel right. Fidgeting in my bed, I tossed and turned. My breathing was rapid, my toes were twitching, and my belly was churning. I had just returned home from the most successful weekend ever of selling my jewelry. Shoppers showed up in droves, I got to meet lots of sweet customers in person, and hear many kind words about my work. So why did I have such an uneasy feeling?

I finally got out of bed and, without making a conscious decision, grabbed my sketchbook and started drawing. Ideas poured out of me—some were influenced by all the beautiful things I had seen over the weekend, others were my own concepts, born from the renewed motivation I had just gained. In essence, I was having some sort of art attack. A physical reaction to my stirred soul. An actual burst of artistic energy.

I was a vendor at the 7th annual SoWa Holiday Market this weekend. Eighty artists and independent designers, including a good handful of jewelers—every one of them talented, friendly, supportive, and creative. Neither shoppers nor makers could roam the aisles without being tempted and stimulated.

Being counted among so much talent and energy made me humble. I left bursting—with the ideas that swirled madly in my head, with gratitude for the extra income earned, and with a sense of connection to a community of people I can learn so much from.

Here's a shout out to some of my amazing SoWa neighbors:
Gorgeous neck pieces made from vintage ties at Lillian Asterfeld
Adorable felt items and hand spun yarns at Migration Goods
Bold jewelry from Amy Casher
Ceramic and wood creations by Firewood Furniture
Sewn goodness from Fisherman's Daughter

Yay! A Giveaway!

AND THE WINNER IS...Erin, at Tiny Twist Creative. Yay!

First things first: I'm having a sale. Take 15% off everything in my shop through December 10th. Just use coupon code EDEC10 at checkout.

Now to the giveaway: I'm offering up a feather bookmark to one lucky winner!

sterling silver feather bookmark

To enter to win, just leave a comment here. For more chances to win, you can "like" AG Ambroult on Facebook, tweet about this giveaway, or mention the giveaway on your blog. (Be sure and stop back here to let me know you've mentioned it in other places) 

I'll announce the winner here on Wednesday, Dec 8th. Good luck! 

Speaking of giveaways, there's a fabulous one going on over at the Rhythm of the Home blog. Click over for a chance to win one of the many incredible offerings. 

Happy Bits

Just a few bits on this chilly Friday...

My Millipede Ring made it into this stunning treasury

And click here to see the ornament I made for Kelly's Wellness Tree. (yeah, I forgot to get a picture of it before I sent it off)

Have a great weekend!

Lots of Time = Lots of Projects

Whew. The loooong weekend left us with lots of time to occupy. We cooked and ate and created and read and now it's time to jump back into the swing of things. The jewelry biz is picking up for the holiday season and those bookmarks have proven to be quite popular (picture me crawling out of my cave-like basement workshop, protecting my eyes from the brightness of daylight, after making many, many bookmarks).

The last of the autumn-themed projects—delicious and simple sugar cookies.

..And the first of the Christmas crafts, beeswax ornaments (these smell so good!)

A couple of lanterns made from old jam jars. Just water down some glue and paint it over torn pieces of tissue paper to stick it right onto the glass. We tied string around the tops and took a few lantern walks around the neighborhood. Now that it gets dark around 4pm, we can do that before dinner. (We even played night hide-and-seek in the back yard, using the lanterns to light our way. Fun!)

Pomanders, which I forgot all about, but should have been started about a month ago. We figured we'd give it a shot and see what comes of them in a few short weeks.

I rejoice in the fact that Black Friday is done and over with, and we don't have to hear that term—or all the hype for another 11 months. Now, if we could only avoid all the other holiday advertising madness....

Happy Holiday Season!