Canadian Rockies Art

Change of plans Shop update on Wednesday

I know, I know… I said I would load up these goodies to my online shops today, BUT, I had a good excuse:

Artfire allowed the Mavens (I’m a Maven) this afternoon to test-drive the new Collection Engine, and man oh man, I HAD A TON OF FUN!!!!!!

Here’s one of the collections I made today while testing the new gadget:

(click on the image to  get to this collection)

Here’s the other 3 collections I made:

Luscious Purples - Hot Trend for Fall-Winter 2010-2011
Fall for it...
Hungry yet? (grab a glass of milk first...)

I have to say that it is easier to make a collection on Artfire than making a treasury on Etsy (I gave up making treasuries on Etsy because I find the process is clunky when you gotta copy-paste all those item numbers, and I’m happy to have the new much more intuitive Artfire Collection tool to play with instead! Yay!!!)

So, I will start making Collections and sharing them here with you all once a week on my old "Wordless Wednesdays" that I used to do (before giving up on making treasuries on Etsy).

Anyway, I’m beat, I gotta pack a few orders and it’s nearly 10PM.

Tomorrow, I’ll be at the Cancer Center all day for mom’s chemo and I won’t have time to upload new items online, so I’m looking at Wednesday at this point…

Thanks for your patience!

Certified Handmade badge awarded to Canadian Rockies Art & NG Originals at Artfire

I am quite proud to announce that my two studios (Canadian Rockies Art & NG Originals)  on Artfire have received an important recognition with an artifact and a Certified Handmade badge that is now displayed in my Studios and on all the handmade jewelry items that I list, assuring all buyers that all of the items in my studio are skilfully created one at a time with my own two hands.

Receiving this latest artifact was very important to me, because it is a statement that I, as a seller on Artfire, was researched and it was determined that I am indeed the designer, creator and maker of the jewelry that I sell in my two Studios.

To give you an idea of what its about to apply for this certificate, the application process was very thorough. Sellers must be in good standing with no disputes,  you must provide concise written details and photographs of the creation process (pictures of you working on pieces in progress) which are then reviewed for the type of products you sell.  Most importantly - your Artfire Studio can only be 100% Handmade.

Furthermore, you must also have a studio that is complete with a banner, an avatar and provide a photograph of yourself and your studio or workspace, and also have your studio policies and bio all filled out properly.

I had all this done (policies, bio, banner, etc) a long time ago, so it wasn’t very difficult for me to just add in the information and pictures in my application to prove that I make everything that I sell in my studios, but I think that it is important for us to take the time to show buyers that we are the makers of our designs and that they can shop with confidence.

Artfire Staff takes the time to carefully review each application for this badge, and so I am very proud to have been officially recognized for my handmade work.

I have several of these Artfire artifacts in my Canadian Rockies Art studio (main studio) as I am also a Mentor for the website and an Artfire Maven, the guild master for the Metalsmith’s Guild, and a member of a few other guilds as well. I’m also a Charter member (I’ve been a member of the site since the begining).

I love Artfire and I hope that you will come join us to sell and/or buy!

Cheers!
Nathalie

VLOG Difference between Sterling Silver and Silver Plated

So, do you think that “price-point” is a dead giveaway to see if what you are buying is real sterling silver or if a piece is made with silver plated metal?

Have a look at my video on the subject – I have a little story that might surprise you!

And, by the way, I only use “real/solid” Sterling Silver (no plated metals) in my designs, which you can find in my various online shops: NGOriginals Artfire Studio and Canadian Rockies Art Studios on Artfire, as well as on Etsy in my NGOriginals & Canadian Rockies Etsy shops.

Happy shopping!

Lauching my Jewelry Buyers' Guide Videos!

Hi everybody!

Awhile back I had the idea that I would like to do a series of articles to help buyers of handmade (and commercial) jewelry online understand the technical terms they read in descriptions when they are shopping and trying to find that perfect piece of jewelry.

We use a lot of words and expressions when we make jewelry and we know what those words and techniques mean, but for most people, just like us before we started making jewelry, a lot of the technical terms are foreign to most buyers out there.  This series will share information in a way that is easy to understand.

Here’s my intro video to explain what I will be doing… Stay tuned for more videos in this series and feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Thanks and Happy Shopping!

Classic Dad Modern Edge Gift Ideas

OMG, how time flies! I can’t believe that Father’s Day is approaching so quickly, and when I received a heads-up that my Connor Sterling Silver Chainmaille bracelet was featured in this cool treasury, I figured I should post about it here.

Have you gotten your shopping done yet for Father’s Day? It’s not too late… look at this treasury (click on the image to get to the treasury itself) and discover many wonderful gift items for the man in your life!

Don’t forget, I accept layaways and reserves on items such as my Connor Chainmaille Bracelet for men.

I have other items which are suitable for men in my Canadian Rockies Art Artfire Studio & my Canadian Rockies Etsy shop.

Happy shopping!

Mother’s Day Sale PICK YOUR SALE EVENT!

With Mother’s Day approaching, I am holding a Mother’s Day sale starting now (today, Saturday and Sunday) in both my Canadian Rockies Art Artfire Studio and my Canadian Rockies Etsy Shop (Note: I have a wider selection of items in my Artfire Studio as well as a few reduced priced items that are not listed on Etsy).

But here’s the SCOOP:

YOU can PICK the sale that you prefer – Pick the sale that works best  for you:

In my Etsy Shop I am offering: Buy 2, Get 1 FREE on all items listed in my Etsy Shop:

And, in my Artfire Studio, I am offering a 20% discount on every single  item (you can buy just one, you don’t need to buy “2” items to get a deal).

Just enter the coupon code: Mothers Day in the Artfire Checkout System.

So come on down now and treat your mom, your sister, your best friend and/or yourself today!!!

And, speaking of sales, I have to comment about why I love my Artfire Studio so much. Some readers ask “Why are you trying to entice people to shop on Artfire?” – the answer is simple:

The Artfire Pro Members tools make my life SO MUCH EASIER (and if it saves me time and makes my life easier, that means I have more time to make more jewelry!!!), the staff at Artfire is really dedicated and supportive and they answer my questions quickly.

I also find that my Artfire Studio gives me more flexibility to create the shopping environment that I want to provide all my buyers with – I now have a voice “welcome” message to greet you in my Artfire Studio on the right hand side, easy click buttons to sign-up for my newsletter and to follow me on Twitter, etc.

And, for buyers, it can make your life easier too – why? How about one of my favorite features – The Artfire COUPON CODE tool!

That alone needs to win an Oscar for best performance!!!

It saves us all a lot of time and hassles. I create a coupon code (it took me all of 5 seconds to create one for this sale here), and you, as a buyer can enter it during the checkout process and the total that you pay is the real discounted total. So, you do not have to wait for me to issue a revised invoice, or you do not  have to wait for a refund if you paid the regular price.

You just grab what you like from my Artfire Studio, enter the coupon discount code, you pay the real discounted total on the spot and you’re done!

Time is money -  this tool saves us both time and money. WIN-WIN!!!

So, for this Mother’s Day Sale weekend, pick your own sale and enjoy a wonderful Mother’s Day!

And for those of you who are looking for a great place to sell what you make, and you don’t yet have an Artfire Studio, check out this Sellers information page, it will give you all the information you need to know about Artfire. Enjoy!

Shopping online for Unique Gifts!

Life has been rather crazy at my house lately. With all our health woes, etc, I’m just beat, and with Mother’s Day coming up, my mom’s birthday, as well as Father’s Day – I just don’t have the energy or the time to shop in the malls, and I MUCH prefer to shop online on Artfire to find some really unique gifts ideas for my loved ones!

Here’s a few examples of the really beautiful handmade gifts you can find on Artfire these days:

Twilight’s Edward scented Shea Butter Souffle Cream from my friend Michelle at CozyMoments on Artfire:

Nothing says “I love you mom!” better than really adorable miniature handmade critters and monsters, like this cutie pie named Strawberry Scoop made by my friend Susmitha of Art by Susmitha in India, also on Artfire:

 

Or how about a gorgeous brooch (aka fibula) to hold your mother’s shawl closed on a cool Spring evening – like this Red Rock Copper beauty here made by my friend Donna of Creative Treasures by Donna on Artfire:

And this one here would make such a special unique and thoughtful gift, for a friend, a sister, a mother, a daughter – She Can Do Incredible Things Handmade Key Chain Charm, made with love by my friend Cindy in Longview WA of Cindy’s Art and Soul, on Artfire – Cindy can make key chain charms for men too for great Father’s Day gifts:

And lastly, why not stop by my Canadian Rockies Art Artfire Studio or my brand new NG Originals Artfire Studio for some unique gifts for men and women alike! Custom orders are welcome, brides, bridesmaids, wedding parties, come over for a visit and I’ll be happy to handle your special jewelry needs for your wedding!

Shopping online on Artfire for all the gifts and special occasions that you have is really a great time saver and it helps to support Artisans who work from their heart to create those special items just for you.

Alice in Wonderland Jewelry!

I think that we’re all pretty much in the same boat here: anxiously awaiting the release of the new Alice in Wonderland movie – I always enjoy Johnny Depp’s characters and from what I’ve seen so far with the previews, this movie is going to be really terrific!

I’ve always loved the story of Alice in Wonderland when I was a child, and it always triggered my imagination big time, so I started looking on Artfire to see what cool handmade items some artisans have made, inspired by this story, and I found some SUPER NEAT Alice in Wonderland Jewelry!

Here’s a few great creations that caught my eye:

 Alice – Queen of Hearts Necklace by Diane Ferguson on Artfire.

Alice in Wonderland Ruby Teacup Necklace by Swank on Artfire.

Pendant Queen of Hearts OFF WITH HER HEAD!

by LDPhotography on Artfire.

 

There’s some really neat Alice inspired work out there, check it out on Artfire!

I'm featured on My Shopping Connection!

I just received the most excellent news this afternoon!

I received an email from the editor of the famous "My Shopping Connection" website, because she wanted to let me know that they've decided to feature my Mobius Love Knot Sterling Silver pendant on their site.

How cool is that!

 

It's a very neat website with tons of gorgeous handmade items. I'm definitely honored to have been picked!

Handmade Valentine’s Gifts for HIM and HER!

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, there’s nothing easier than shopping online for handmade “from the heart” Valentine’s Day Gifts!

Whether you shop with me or with another Artisan, when you buy a handmade gift for a Valentine’s Day present, it makes that gift a million times more special.

Come visit the special Valentine’s Day Gift Guide on Artfire today for some fabulous gift ideas…

Feel free to also stop in my Artfire Studio to shop, where you will find many suitable gifts for Valentine’s Day for women and men alike. Here’s a few examples of what you can find in my Canadian Rockies Art Studio on Artfire:

Valentine’s Day gifts for HIM (click images to get to listings):

 

    

Valentine’s Day gifts for HER (click images to get to listings):

 

 

Happy shopping!!!
Cheers,

Nathalie