The 2014 Bread Box Holiday Market - Last Call for Vendors!

Preparations are in full swing for the second annual Bread Box Holiday Market!  Our indie holiday shopping event featuring work from local artists, crafters, and designers was an overwhelming success last year and a huge hit with vendors and shoppers alike.  Providing a unique, thoughtfully curated selection of modern and trendy handmade goods, the Bread Box Holiday Market is your one-stop shop for local, handmade and affordable gifts this holiday season!

Come early and bring a friend.  Free swag bags will be available to the first 50 shoppers!

When:

Saturday, December 13th

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Where:

The Bread Box Studio Artists

501 West Sixth St.

Suites 180, 185

Lexington, KY 40508

(Behind West Sixth Brewing)

Are you a local maker who is interested in being a vendor at our event?  Online applications are open until midnight on November 16th!

Mayfest Arts Fair

I've been quiet around the blog the last couple of months.  I've been pretty busy with orders in my Etsy shop and preparing for local shows.  This weekend is the Mayfest Arts Fair in Lexington and I've been working nonstop on new pieces for the event, including these gemstone rings--my first time making my own sterling bezel settings and setting gemstones.

They're not perfect, but I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out given I lack a lot of useful metalsmithing tools and created everything with simple hand tools.

I'll have these a lots of my other popular rings available at Mayfest this Saturday and Sunday!  I still have two more art events this month, but I hope to get back to blogging come June when my schedule (hopefully) slows down a bit.

The Bread Box Holiday Market - THIS SATURDAY

Poster designed by Cricket Press.

One last reminder regarding The Bread Box Holiday Market taking place this Saturday at The Bread Box Studios in Lexington, KY.  The event is FREE and open to the public and will take place from 1-9pm.  Pop in and enjoy the festive atmosphere (complete with light refreshments and holiday music) and shop from a unique and talented selection of local artists and crafters.  Come early--we'll have swag bags up for grabs to the first 50 shoppers!  You won't want to miss this indie holiday art and craft fair.

Follow me on Instagram to see sneak peeks of what I'm working on for the event.

The Bread Box Holiday Market {Seeking Artists and Crafters}

{Art by Cricket Press}

Those who follow me on Facebook or Twitter have probably heard the exciting news...  I'm co-coordinating my very first indie craft fair in Lexington, Kentucky!

Along with Penny Candy Studios, Cricket Press, and other artists of the Bread Box Studios, I'm pleased to announce the very first Bread Box Holiday Market.  This event is being lovingly organized and thoughtfully curated to create a dynamic selection of local artists and crafters for shoppers to browse this holiday season.  We have some exciting plans in the works for the market including: swag bags for the first 50 guests, an artist raffle, and a cheerful atmosphere with refreshments, decor, and holiday music.  You won't want to miss this unique and festive gathering of local indie artists and crafters!

Bring a friend (or two!) and come early.  Admission is free to the public.*

When:

Saturday, December 14th (1pm - 9pm)

Where:

The Bread Box Studios

501 West Sixth Street, Suites 180-185

Lexington, KY 40508

RSVP to The Bread Box Holiday Market event page on Facebook and follow our Twitter to stay connected and to hear more exciting details about the event as we release them.

If you're interested in applying as a vendor for the 2013 Bread Box Holiday Market, please submit our online application by midnight, November 15th.  You may access the application here.

*Please note that, with our sincerest apologies, the location is not handicap accessible.

Beer Cheese Festival

This weekend I had the honor of being one of three judges for the Commercial Beer Cheese Contest at the 4th annual Beer Cheese Festival in downtown Winchester, Kentucky.  Last year I participated in the festival as an art & craft vendor.  Though I'm taking a break this year from selling my jewelry at art shows, I was thankful to still get to take part in this unique festival!

Judging for both the Commercial and Amateur Beer Cheese Contests took place early Saturday afternoon.  As a judge for the commercial category, I had the task of blind judging 14 entries based on taste and texture.

Before sampling even my first cheese, I took note of the remarkable variation in color and consistency from one cheese to the next.

After sampling each cheese at least twice, judging them on taste and texture, and leaving any appropriate feedback for the contestants, I had narrowed the lot down to my three favorite cheeses.  For me, what makes an outstanding beer cheese is one that manages to pack a lot of well-balanced flavor while still maintaining a smooth, creamy texture.  From sampling the entries on nothing but a spoon so as to get the full experience, I noticed that around half the cheeses had what I found to be an unpleasant grainy texture, likely caused by the use of powdered spices.  A couple had unpleasantly overpowering flavors (too much mustard or too heavy on the beer).  There were several that I found quite delicious though; the one that really stood out to me ended up being the winner overall among myself and the other judges.  Larry Mac's beer cheese had a bright, but not overpowering flavor and a smooth texture with what I found to be a pleasant subtle crunch from finely minced onion.

After I finished judging, the hubby and I walked through the large festival.  The Beer Cheese Festival not only offers the option to visitors of tasting each and every beer cheese entry, but there are also a large number of art & craft vendors to enjoy.

Walking through the festival, you'll notice a few live musicians performing.  There is also a section of Kentucky Proud vendors & demonstrators as well as your usual festival food vendors scattered throughout the downtown streets.

Downtown Winchester is full of charm with numerous adorable shops and restaurants, and makes a darling backdrop to a unique event.  If you're a fan of beer cheese, or simply enjoy checking out local festivals, I highly recommend you make a note on your calendar to visit the Beer Cheese Festival when it rolls around again next June!

For more information on the festival, visit the official website, and to see who the top three winners of the Commercial and Amateur Beer Cheese Contests were, visit their Facebook page.

Win a $20 Gift Certificate from That Winsome Girl!

From now until midnight EST on July 3rd, send in a photo of yourself wearing your favorite That Winsome Girl design and you'll be entered to win a $20 gift certificate!

You can enter one of two ways:
1. Upload a "fan photo" to the That Winsome Girl Facebook fan page.
OR
2. Email a photo to thatwinsomegirl(at)gmail(dot)com as an attachment with "That Winsome Girl Fan Photo Giveaway" in the subject line.

Details:
*All entries must clearly highlight the participant wearing a That Winsome Girl design.
*Entries will be assigned a number according to when they were received. These numbers will be entered into a random number generator and a winner will be randomly chosen and announced on July 4th.
*Anyone and everyone may enter. You may submit as many photos as you like, but there will be only one entry per participant.
*The winner will receive a gift certificate code which will be redeemable for purchases made online ONLY via the That Winsome Girl Etsy shop. The gift certificate must be redeemed by midnight EST October 3, 2010 or it will become invalid.
*By entering, you permit That Winsome Girl to use your photo for promotional purposes. (Please contact me if you are firmly opposed to your photo(s) being used and I'd be happy to make an exception.)

I look forward to receiving all your wonderful entries!

Mayfest!

Sorry I've been so absent from the blog lately! I've been in relaxation and regrouping mode since Mayfest. I relaxed most of last week and then spent ALL DAY on Friday, well into the wee hours of the morning, cleaning and reorganizing my studio. The studio hadn't seen a complete overhaul for probably close to a year. It felt so great to go through and reorganize everything from top to bottom. My desk drawers and closets are much more functional now and I love it! It's so easy, especially when you work with lots of small items, to let things get taken over with clutter. Projects in various states of completion were taking over the entire studio and it was driving me bonkers! But now, everything is back in its rightful place and I feel so calm and focused and ready to get back in the swing of things.

I am expecting a busy summer ahead of me. Last summer I participated in shows every weekend (except three) from June until the end of August and I was completely exhausted by the end of things. This year my goal has been to focus on participating in fewer shows, mainly larger, higher traffic venues, and to pay more attention to my Etsy shop and to selling at boutiques locally.

I have already started to shift focus to photographing items for my Etsy shop. I have had intentions to really fill up my shop for the past couple of years. I always dread the act of photographing items, editing photos, and creating listings (mainly because I am a perfectionist). With the nature of my work, many of my designs are one of a kind or a few of a kind and it seems that I often spend so much time preparing to list something on Etsy only for it to sell locally as soon soon as it get it listed. I then have to remove the item and lose the time and money I spent listing it in the first place. Sometimes I wonder what the point is. BUT, I have so many wonderful customers who meet me at shows or find my designs at their favorite boutique and they crave and online source where they can really browse the extent of my collection. I really want to be able to provide an online shop that accurately reflects the vast number of items I have in stock at any given time. So, despite all my annoyances with Etsy, I am going to spend the next few weeks focusing on getting my shop in shape. And I'm hoping that sometime this summer I can finally get my hubby to help with designing my very own website.

This summer will be a busy one for That Winsome Girl. I hope to expand my business and see where things go. I really struggle with shyness and insecurities, and for so long I have been letting them take power over me and limit my growth. I have grown so much as a person over the past few weeks and I'm finally going to let go and trust in God and the talents and blessings he's given me. I am incredibly blessed to have an incredibly supportive husband, wonderful family and friends, and the best customers a girl could hope for. I think it's about time that I stop listening to the insecurities and consider all the generous praises I receive from others. I'm ready to jump into things wholeheartedly and just enjoy and appreciate where life leads me. I have a feeling it's going to be a real journey.

Amid all the ramblings, I've shared a few photos of my display from Mayfest. I took these on Sunday morning after customers started arriving and it was quite difficult to get any photos taken, so these mediocre ones will have to do. Unfortunately I wasn't able to really finish several of the ideas I had for my display. As you could see, I wasn't able to find time before the show to sew the ruffled tablecloths I had been envisioning. My booth wasn't quite the whimsical little space I had hoped, but that's okay. The show was a huge success despite my less-than-perfect display. I had set an incredibly high goal for myself after the success I experienced last year at the show. I was able to meet and exceed my goal and the weekend was a huge blessing! Before the rest of my summer shows, however, I do plan to sew those darling ruffled tablecloths, make some tissue paper pom-poms, and figure out some other ways to add a few more pops of color to my display. I've switched from using two 6'x2.5' tables to four 4'x2' tables, so I've been completely reconfiguring my space. It's been fun but a little challenging.

Lilac Beauty

Just thought I'd pop in to share another new design for Mayfest. I've been a busy little bee in the studio these past few days and things will remain super busy until after this weekend. I probably won't be posting much this week, save for maybe a post or two to share new designs I'll have available at Mayfest.

This necklace is one-of-a-kind. I'll have a few necklaces available in a similar style, but no two will be just alike. The necklace features vintage cabochons (with a couple of new, vintage-style cabochons) linked together and finished with a simple 14K gold-filled chain, adjustable up to 19 inches. I think it would be stunning with a vintage strapless lilac dress and gold pumps for a summer wedding.

Sneak Peek

I thought I'd share some sneak peeks of new designs which I'm saving to debut at Mayfest. The first necklace above is one design of many that will be made in this same style. I will be offering this design in 14K gold-fill (as shown) as well as sterling silver in various color combinations. Different color roses will be paired with beautiful freshwater pearls in a few different shades. The chocolaty brown freshwater pearls used in this particular necklace are so rich and warm and gorgeous! I think this particular color combination would be so dreamy on someone with a golden complexion.

This next design is one of my luxe pieces featuring freshwater pearls and gemstones. I have paired a gorgeous smokey quartz briolette with a gorgeous cluster of freshwater keishi pearls. I have meticulously connected each and every keishi pearl to the delicate sterling silver chain with handmade (by me) fine silver head pins. Each pearl is securely connected so this beautiful cluster will last a lifetime and beyond.

I really love this design as it pairs two of my favorite materials to work with: smokey quartz and freshwater keishi pearls. The bridal earrings I designed for my wedding featured a gorgeous cascade of these same keishi pearls, so they have a special place in my heart. I adore the way center-cut keishi pearls are like little abstract flowers. When they are top drilled, they look like little rose petals. I am crazy about their uniquely organic shape and their gorgeous nacre.

I'm am planning on designing a pair of matching earrings to make the necklace part of a set. I think it would make a beautiful, sophisticated gift for Mother's Day.

Last Chance!

Just one last reminder that there are only 3 hours left in the Black Friday Sale! I have been adding new items to my shop all day and am still adding more and more.

These are a few of my favorites amongst the new additions. I just love the Beekeeper Necklace!

Did you find any awesome deals on this Black Friday?

The Sale is On!

Just a friendly reminder that the Black Friday Sale in my Etsy shop is going on right now until midnight tonight (Eastern Standard Time, folks). That means you have a little over 14 hours left to shop the sale.

Here are the awesome Black Friday Sale details:

All orders placed during this time will receive 25% off.
Buy 4 items, get a 5th free.
All orders over $50 (after discounts are applied) will receive a free gift.

To participate in the sale:
Add desired items to your Etsy cart and proceed to checkout. Enter "Black Friday" in the "message to the seller" during checkout. You can wait for a revised PayPal invoice to be emailed to you before making payment or you can submit payment immediately and I will issue you a refund through PayPal for the discounted amount.

The fine print:
If buying 4 items, to receive a free 5th item, please add 5 items to your cart. The 5th free item will be the item of lowest price in your order.

This offer may only be redeemed on items listed in my Etsy shop at the time of the sale and cannot be applied toward custom orders.

Payment must be made within 3 days or discounts will be void.


I will be adding new items to the shop throughout the day and relisting sold items. If something has sold that you had your eye on, feel free to contact me to check and see if there is another available.

Black Friday Sale!

To help jump start your holiday shopping...
♥ ♥ ♥

I will be offering the first ever That Winsome Girl Black Friday Sale starting at midnight on Thanksgiving and ending at midnight on Friday, November 27th (Eastern Standard Time).

All orders placed during this time will receive 25% off.

Buy 4 items, get a 5th free.

All orders over $50 (after discounts are applied) will receive a free gift.

To participate in the sale:
Add desired items to your Etsy cart and proceed to checkout. Enter Black Friday in the "message to the seller" during checkout. You can wait for a revised PayPal invoice to be emailed to you before making payment or you can submit payment immediately and I will issue you a refund through PayPal for the discounted amount.

The fine print:
If buying 4 items, to receive a free 5th item, please add 5 items to your cart. The 5th free item will be the item of lowest price in your order.

This offer may only be redeemed on items listed in my Etsy shop at the time of the sale and cannot be applied toward custom orders.

Payment must be made within 3 days or discounts will be void.

♥ ♥ ♥
What a great opportunity to stock up on gifts for all the women in your life!

Giveaway at All Things New!

My Puttin' On the Ritz Stud Earrings are currently up for grabs in a giveaway hosted by Rachel at All Things New!

These are one of my favorite pairs of stud earrings and have been one of my best sellers recently in my Etsy shop. The studs are incredibly glamorous but also simple enough to be worn for every day. They feature vintage Japanese gold plated rose cabochons set onto sterling silver posts. They are truly stunning!

And not only are my earrings up for grabs in the giveaway, the winner will also receive two bath & body products from Anita of Sweet Treat Your Body. Talk about an awesome giveaway! To enter simply visit my Etsy shop as well as Anita's and then leave a comment on Rachel's blog with your name and email address. The giveaway ends on Thursday, October 22nd at 11pm.

Good luck!

Midway Fall Festival

That Winsome Girl will be at the 35th Annual Midway Fall Festival this Saturday and Sunday! The Festival is from 10am until 6pm on Saturday and 11am until 5pm on Sunday. I will be introducing some new items at the festival, including a line of handmade 1950's inspired sweater clips--just in time to accent all your favorite fall cardigans! After the festival I will be working hard on filling up the Etsy shop and expanding to carry my designs in more local boutiques. I am working gleefully in the studio to offer lots of new designs in plenty of time for all your holiday shopping.

Just thought I'd share a new one-of-a-kind design that I am totally crazy about. It features a vintage solid sterling filigree bow brooch (pin back removed), a row of gorgeous amethyst cubes, a row of creamy white freshwater pearls and all sterling silver findings. Absolutely glamorous, feminine and playful.

Meet the Artist

I am having a special Meet the Artist event this Saturday, August 22nd from 12pm until at least 6pm at Kolors Art & Gift Boutique in Lexington. I'll have my entire current collection available and I'm bringing all my lovely findings and components so I can demonstrate the design process in action! I'll be accepting custom orders and can create one of a kind pieces for you, right before your eyes. I've been working on quite a few new pieces for the event. I am also making three kinds of super cute, totally delicious cupcakes for the day: Three Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting, Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. I'm also using my brand new gum paste tools to create some sweet little gum paste flowers to decorate the cupakes. It should be a fun day!

Where:
Kolors Art & Gift Boutique
3537 Palomar Centre Suite 145
Lexington, KY 40513

The Palomar Center is on the corner of Harrodsburg Rd. and Man O' War Blvd.

When:
Saturday, August 22nd
12pm - 6pm

I will be setting up my designs on Friday evening, so feel free to stop by then or earlier on Saturday to browse them.

I hope to see you there!

Festival Update

The Lexington Fourth of July Festival went well, not super great, but well. I had very high expectations from the event as I had heard that 150,000 visitors were expected. The day started out great as the weather was lovely, but by 2pm the rain had rolled in and by 4 everyone had left due to pouring rain and we decided to pack up early and leave. No point in staying out in the cold rain, ruining my display when there was no one around to buy anything anyway. There was also a parade that lasted an incredible 1.5 hours during which time no one moved from the street to shop. Considering the 3+ hours that were lost due to the parade and weather, it wasn't an awful day. I made more than enough to make the day worthwhile, however, I do not think I will sign up for the event again next year. I was located in Triangle Park with other juried artists (everyone else was located up and down various adjacent streets) and, from what others said, there were significantly fewer juried artists than previous years. I counted seven total artists in Triangle Park (five of which were selling jewelry), which was quite a low number. Usually the park is full of venders. There were actually spots of both sides of me reserved for venders who never showed up. I was disappointed to see that many of the non-juried tents were "information" booths and folks reselling various junk. Overall the festival was a big disappointment. I was however thankful as I was set up for the day more than an hour before the festival offically began. I used that time to take plenty of booth photos. I also wandered through the entire festival and bought some unbelievably delicious Kentucky Cream Candy.

Various photos of my display:

I spent the evening with the hubby. We met for the first time/had our first date on the Fourth of July two years ago. We had dinner at Logan's Roadhouse, where he had taken me for lunch on that day before. We had a super sweet, low key evening together.

New Designs for the Fourth of July Festival

I have been incredibly busy preparing for the Lexington Fourth of July Festival, which I mentioned in my last post. I am super excited about the event. I have a prime spot in Triangle park, under beautiful trees and next to a relaxing fountain. I will be at the heart of the festival. I am expecting a busy day and have been creating lots of new designs for the event.

One of my favorite new pieces is a gorgeous bracelet of vintage lucite beads in dreamy, creamy matte shades of cream, baby pink and brown. I have carefully wire wrapped each of the beads using sterling silver and finished the piece with a sweet sterling silver heart shaped clasp, a length of dazzling extender chain decorated simply with a single brown freshwater pearl. I am in love.

I have two of these pieces available and I really wish I could keep one for myself. I just love vintage lucite beads, especially those with a matte finish. The beads used in this designs are some of my favorite.

I have also been working with more lucite to create several new color combinations of my Vase Earrings. I look forward to debuting all the new designs this Saturday.

Gemstone Shopping and Another Event

The Kentucky Proud Art Fair went quite well last Saturday. While the wind was a force to be reckoned with and several of my displays got damaged (nothing a little elbow grease can't fix), the show was a great success! Unfortunately with the wind issues I was pretty preoccupied after getting set up so I didn't get a chance to photograph my new display. I am hoping to capture some nice photos soon. I am now frantically preparing for the Lexington Fourth of July festival. I was accepted as a juried artist to show at Triangle Park in Lexington from 9am until 6pm on July 4th as part of the Vine Street Festival. One source claims that last year's festival saw over 150,000 visitors, thus I am expecting a busy, successful day!

I have been ordering lots and lots of new supplies as my stock has been painfully low. I ordered some gorgeous gemstones to pair with three vintage brooches which will become one of a kind necklaces.

This gorgeous pink chalcedony briolette is from The Curious Gem on Etsy. I will be pairing it with a lovely vintage Catamore 12K gold-filled brooch with a sweet ivory rose. I am planning on accenting the necklace with some wire wrapped freshwater pearls.

These stunning green onyx cube beads are from Stoney Marie Gemstones, also on Etsy. They will be paired with a vintage Van Dell 12K gold-filled rose brooch with an ivory rose. I am planning on placing the brooch asymmetrically on one side of the necklace and wire wrapping these gorgeous beads at the bottom of the drape. I will also use a few to make a pair of matching earrings.

Lastly are some beauitful deep amethyst cube beads also from Stoney Marie Gemstones. I will be using these similarly to the green onyx beads above. They will be paired with a vintage sterling silver bow shaped brooch which will be placed asymmetrically with the amethyst wire wrapped to drape beautifully. A pair of matching earrings will also be made.

I am really excited about these new gemstones and can't wait to see how the designs turn out.