Announcements...

This was a very good week for the Shop!

I sent out my first newsletter to past customers and friends. If you would like to be included and receive the next one let me know.

I am getting ready for the Big on Bloor show on the 20th.



I had a customer who purchased my Fresh earrings come back and order a custom matching bracelet. This was the first ever bracelet made by me and I think I am going to make a few!



And also a custom label lip balms were ordered from a returning customer.
Returning customers make me really happy because it means they are happy with their purchases and I must have done something right ;)

And as per my Sister's request I know have Coconut lip balm flavour in the shop!!!

Another productive weekend!

On Friday I checked the online paper for Garage sales in my area and believe it or not I was up at 8am on Saturday in order to venture out and find some goodies before someone else snatched them up.

Here is what I ended up with for $24 !!!



My favourites are the TV tray and suitcase!

The idea behind this little trip was to find some way to display my earrings at the upcoming Big on Bloor craft show. I didn't think that my couch cushions will really cut it for another year.

Here is what I did

Step 1: Found a very large wooden frame for all of $3, I paid $5 for the frame and suitcase!


Step 2: Tear apart the frame and remove the painting, glass and backing. Here is where I warn you to make sure you are careful and have a tetanus shot as the staples can be very old and dangerous as they may fly in the air...



Step 3: Apply at least 2 coats of latex paint, I purchased a tester can from the hardware store for $6 in Cocoa Mousse.



*** Very important, let the paint dry. I don't have patience and well I was covered in paint. Also cover up the surface you are working on as paint likes to drip and also fly in the air***

Step4: Use thumb tacks to attach window mesh and cardboard to the frame. Also do not try to use your thumb to push in the thumb tacks it will hurt, find a hammer. In my case call one of your best friends and ask if her dad has an extra one kicking around. Also it was hard keeping my cat from helping, that's his thumb in the picture.


And here is what I now have



A super cool about $10 earring display.
I just finished putting a second coat of paint on a smaller frame that will be used for the same purpose.

A good day...

I worked really hard today and my poor fingers really hurt from wire wrapping and opening / closing jump rings.

I promised myself to do my best to update the Shop! almost daily with new items this summer.

And this is what you should expect in the next week:


New "Joy" earrings in Red and White



Brand new 'Dew Drops' earrings



"Sugar Cubes" - these are just listed !!!! Click Click Click for them

And



"Simply Yours" set. It will be sold separately!!!

And now I need to work on some new art work to mix in between the jewelry!

Giving can be better than receiving...

Lately I have been trying to give a little to do the world. I don't have money for donations and hardly time, but it is worth the effort and right now my time is easier to go without. One day I will love to be able to write the big anonymous cheques but until that day I will give you my time.

For the past month I have been volunteering every Tuesday as a Big Sister to a 10 year old boy. Together we join other coworkers of mine and their 'littles' for a fun 2-3 hour activity. We went hiking in the rain this Tuesday, glow in the dark mini putting, visited a boring museum... overall a little fun.

I don't have a lot of (well any) experience with kids and this experience has taught me to never try to take care of 20 boys at the same time.

But at the end of the day to see their smiles warms the heart and makes me feel that I have done something to make someone else happy.

Also in the theme of giving back, one of my coworkers is planning to Walk for Boobies

in order to help find a cure for breast cancer. She needs to raise $2,000 in order to participate. Since I am not financially able to write the cheque I want to and fully respect her cause, I am doing the next best thing I can...
Meet the Walking for Boobies Necklace


It's hand painted wire wrapped sea glass and the entire purchase price will be donated to Liz and her walk. I can make a few of these so please don't be shy in ordering more than one ;)
Feel free to share this or even send a direct donation to Lis through her site ;) Every single dollar will bring her closer to her goal and everyone closer to a cure!

Anything but...

Studying...
I should have tests more often because while "studying" I manage to get a lot of different things done

Frame the print my Dad purchased a few months ago...



Update the Shop! with new "Fresh" earrings to replace the ones that sold last week. They are not identical to the original and I had to make a fresh "Fresh" pair ;)




And also get this beautiful Sea glass pendent ready to list



See very productive, just not doing what I should be doing...

Happy Mathers' day to all the Mamas

Today I really miss my mom and wish she wasn't across the ocean so that I can spend the day with her. Yes I am first to admit that I am a little jealous of everyone spending the day with their mamas. On the other hand I realize how much I took her for granted when she was within easy reach.

SO happy Mama day!!!

I love you!!!

On the other hand I am supposed to be studying for my big CMA case exam that is coming up on Thursday and well this doesn't look like accounting does it...

Update

Really if you would like a quick and up to date account on what I am up to visit my little Twitter page ;)

I have been incredibly busy with everything else including dreaming of working on art work but actually creating.
I recently managed to get out the ink and turn out a new Lino and woodblock print



"Dreaming in Green"

Now I have a big Case exam on May 14th, and instead of studying I have been sitting around and simply shooting myself in the foot, since this is a career defining exam.
Good job me, now I wish I can find some motivation & concentration.
I hope to get out of work by 4pm tomorrow, and spend 2 hours studying at a coffee shop prior to picking up my Little Brother for our weekly 2 hour activity. I think I forgot to mention, that I am volunteering as a Big Sister & it has been challenging.

Summer is here....

well perhaps for just one day, but I took full advantage of the sunshine and headed for the Beaches in Toronto

I discovered the boardwalk and beach last year for the first time at the end of the summer and this year I will be there every weekend. Just a weekend beach bum ;)
I can't believe I didn't know how wonderful it is there all of these years.


I even enjoyed my first Ice Low Fat Light Ice Latte of the season ;)

I decided to go by the water and look for sea glass. Lately I have been looking at wornderful jewlery made out of sea glass and thought if I would be lucky enough to find a piece... well



I am going to wire wrap some of the bigger pieces and perhaps get my hands on a drill...
Anybody worked with sea glass before? Ideas...
I may put some in the shop as supplies...

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a weekend filled with good food, family, friends and lots and lots of sunshine!

I sure did!


I hope that since winter is behind us the sunshine will bring lots of happy happy days!

Twitter me and I will twitter you ;)

hehehehee I joined Twitter the other day and now I am part of the addiction...




I am doing my best not to activate it on my BlackBerry because you know it will be all down hill from there for me ;p

Sometimes...

Ever think really hard about someone and they end up calling you the next day? Just out the blue, someone perhaps you didn't think you would ever see again...

Anyways, this was a weekend filled with moments, for lack of better way to describe it.

Saturday night I celebrated my best girl's birthday with a night of dancing. I was a bit of a 5th wheel since it was two couples and me but hey I tend to have fun no matter what.
I made her this little necklace as a present


I really like this shot of it



I also had one more shell bead and made a similar necklace for the Shop!




Sea and Sky necklace

Goodbye winter

The grey blahs of winter are almost over, I see the sun outside that is actually starting to hurt the eyes instead of it struggling to show behind the grey haze of clouds and coldness.


My little trip to Ottawa last weekend, left me smiling as I climbed on the last little pile of snow ;)

I am excited for the long warm days when working late won't matter because the sun will still be out at 9pm. I can't wait to feel the warm from the sun as it gently (I say gently because I will be wearing 30spf sunscreen) tans my skin.

Summer is coming!!!!

13 Things about me...

Well it’s supposed to be 15 things, but it is Friday the 13th so you only get 13…

1. I never take anything at face value. I have to know who, what, when and most importantly why. I have to know the reasons behind decisions and it all has to make sense ( for asking myself ‘does it make sense?’ all the time, I blame my boss)

2. I am in love with Valentines day. Always have been, even as a little girl when boys were the last thing I was interested in. Now, I believe in this one night when you can look into your partner’s eyes and celebrate your love. Everyday you may take each other for granted but on Vday you concentrate on each other and your love. This is my first single Valentines day in many years and it will still be special. Yes I am a hopeless romantic and always will be.

3. I am jumping out of a plane in late May or June.

4. I just calculated that I have 4 more years of full time work and school: 1.5 years to become a Certified Management Accountant and 2 years to get my part time MBA. But honestly by then I may decide to become Dr Iva and go after a PhD. My ambition will be the end of me one day.

5. I am not a morning person. I hate waking up early. I hate alarm clocks. I am at work at 7:30am every day and it is over half hour drive… this is a big contradiction, so you can imagine that I am not really awake until my regular 9:15am coffee

6. Growing up I was always afraid of animals, even small ones. I was even scared of Tiger when he was a kitten, but he was way too loveable and now we are inseparable. Rea was another story, as a puppy she was all teeth and nails but thanks to her now I am not as scared of dogs.

7. I only have 1 DVD in my ‘collection’. I never really want to watch a movie twice and have always lived with someone with many DVDs. Amy gave me “Sex and the City” season 3 this Christmas and this it sits lonely on my TV stand.

8. I used to worry about the future and always make sure that everything was planned out. I had the ‘perfect’ life all set out for me and was getting there. On my 24th birthday last year, I let go. I stopped planning and let life be, I have never been happier.

9. Iva is the name of the Weeping Willow tree in Bulgarian. My future company will probably be called that.

10. My love for the colour red is getting out of hand. Red hair, red handbag, red wallet and now a red blackberry. It makes me happy.

11. I am really good at hiding my real feelings.

12. I am told that I have beautiful eyes at least 5 times a day and out of those 5, 3 people ask me if I am wearing contacts. No I am not, my eyes do change colour depending on the light around me and the colours I am wearing. I love every single compliment and it always makes me smile.

13. I don’t have patience. I can never wait and always want everything NOW. If I want something I go after it and never wait for it to come to me. Once every few months I try to teach myself to wait and let things happen… it hasn’t worked yet. It is my biggest flaw, but at the same everything I have accomplished is because of it too.

Tourist for the Day

An event I discovered last year in my little city of Toronto is Winterlicious . Great, out of my price range, restaurants have set menus for a lot lower price. Today I had lunch at the top of the CN tower, something that I really really wanted to do. Now this is not the famous spinning 360 restaurant, but the Horizons restaurant , still 100% worth it.
Just check out this view from our table:




and the menu was pretty good for $15 and $10 to get up there
I started with Smoked Salmon Salad

Followed by a Chicken Pot Pie



and a Sour Cream Ice cream and Apple crumble



and if you are up there you have to go on the glass floor of the CN tower and sit on it like all of the tourists :)



Actually most people are scared of the glass floor. It does feel a little weird at first but really nothing freaky about it. And really I am a tourist in my own city as I hardly ever visit the attractions. This is only the second time I have been up there.

Black and White and Red SPT Jan 22 09

Black and White and Red SPT Jan 22 09
Originally uploaded by iva_o.

I wonder how I will change over a year. How my view of the world will change, what I will look like and if I will be happier.
I took this photo at the end of the day on the 22nd, tired and stressed and confused and feeling ice cold towards most parts of my life. Wishing that things are just black and white, yes and no, forward or backward, stop or go.
On the other hand I am thankful for my friends and my family. I am happy that my brother is back and living with me. My one bedroom apartment is a mess but it is a home. I am happy that when my sister visits she calls my apartment "home".

PRINTSY Interview

PRINTSY interview
Originally uploaded by iva_o.

Hey there,

Check out my printsy.blogspot.com/ interview.
I think it turned out pretty awesome!

On a personal note I am battling a monster of a cold that does not want to go away. It has been over a week and I still feel really crappy
So yey for Printsy interview :(
and boo to the cold :(

"Give me a sign" Jan 8th 09 SPT

"Give me a sign" Jan 8th 09 SPT
Originally uploaded by iva_o.

I was thinking about an artistic goal for this year. I have been getting really into it and then a week later my life spins me around and I leave everything behind.
I would love to participate in the "365" " photo project, but lets be honest here, who am I kidding....;)

So what I am going to try and yes try, most likely miss a few, but participate in the Self Portrait Thursday Project.
Yes Commitment!
My goal is to capture the next year, one Thursday at a time, and the rollercoaster that I am expecting in 2009!
Get ready for it ;)

Ps I still have an awesome sale going on in the little Shop!

Happy New Year!!!

Winter tree banner
Originally uploaded by iva_o.

I hope 2009 brings everyone a lot of smiles and good times!

I am glad that 2008 is over and a new year filled with hope is here!
My resolution this year is to wake up every morning with a smile on my face. Just a happy outlook to face the world ;)

I am starting it right with a new banner in my little shop, check out my awesome new photoshop skills. I know to most of you this is nothing, but I am learning!


I am also having a sale to make room for my new ideas for 2009. Buy 2 items get 1 FREE!!! Until Jan 15th 2009
Free Item must of equal or lesser value. Purchase all 3 items and wait for an updated PayPal invoice upon purchase.
Excludes Custom Items.

Happy Holidays!!!

My Favourite
Originally uploaded by iva_o.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

Wish upon a star ....

Wish upon a star earrings
Originally uploaded by iva_o.

Just in time for the Holidays I have two new earring designs in the Shop!

My favourite right now are these Little Stars
and I have made a wish on my pair and hopefully it will come true and soon!

My Christmas tree is up, I wanted a small one but somehow I got one that reaches all the way to my ceiling and my carpet will forever hold its needles. Oh well the apartment officially smells like Christmas, now I only wish I had someone special to share it with... maybe next year.