And the storms continue....

This is beach at the end of our road

As you can see it is taking another battering from the winter storms this week

While the wild and wet weather is rather unpleasant, I can't help but wonder what treasures will be washed up, for me to find?

These four creations have new homes, the container ship en route to the UK

Another wreath is now on display and I am working on properly my most involved project to date

Who knew building a castle with 12 towers was sooooo time consuming?

Pictures to come

Fa la la la la la la la la!

Well, the festive season is almost upon us

I will be glad to see the back of it from a crafting perspective!

Enough to tress and jingle bells for one year!

My mini Black Friday shifted a few items, that had been  hanging around

I was asked why I was selling so cheaply (it was only for two hours!)?

Well a loss leader led to a few more orders and was way cheaper to do than advertising

My Etsy store is very quiet but the trickle of sales from Facebook is good

I, like many others, am plagued by invites to advertise

As a hobby seller, I am not tempted!

While extra sales would be nice

If I have to mass produce or feel pressured by deadlines to create then the fun has been dissolved 

I'm not in this to fill my pension fund

I make my driftwood creations because I love to do it

I'd like to leave pressure and stressors at my paid full time job, thank you!

So much in a few weeks

It's been a while since I've written

Sorry for that

 

 

Here are the two gifts I mentioned in my last post

The two recipients were really pleased with them!

This was a special order, second dragonfly request

 

These key rings were made for the Christmas Marketplace sale which took place on November 7th

I managed to sell most of the Christmas stuff I made plus some boats too

Hopefully I will get some other orders from it too?

The driftwood Christmas trees were a particular success 

We went away on Sunday for a couple of nights on Hornby Island (our mini break for the last five years)

Luckily Monday was warm and sunny allowing us time to gather driftwood on Tribune Bay

Sometimes you just need a break and get away

It is so quiet on Hornby at this time of year, well worth the effort

Promise to post soon

Midweek sales

Taking driftwood flowers into work today prompted two sales!

I am always happy to see how happy these little driftwood flowers make people smile

Busy making a couple of special orders 

Two retirement gifts constructed and some Christmas stuff created

More pictures to come

#christmas is coming!

Last day of my mini break

Took advantage of the sunshine and made these beauties

Getting a good stock ready for the Christmas market place at Campbell River Community Centre

Back to the regular job in the morning....😁

Special order #retro

At the sale two weeks ago, I was asked to make a special order

"Can you make a campsite with a retro camper?"

Of course I could,  love a challenge!

The buyer was thrilled, me too!

Signed up for the Christmas Bazaar at the community centre on 4th November 

I'd better crack on with some projects!

Thanksgiving

Luckily for me I have 6 days off over the long weekend

This gave me opportunity to start on some Christmas goodies

I enquired this week about the upcoming Toy & Craft sale

However this is over subscribed and I'm on the wait list

I may opt for the Christmas sale at the community centre instead

A smaller event but something I feel I could cope with

These turned out great and I've other orders to start on, laters!

Sale time

It was time on Saturday to expose 50th Parallel to the public

To be honest I was nervous about doing a sale but on reflection I don't know why

It was fun to set up the stall and even better to meet and greet customers and other sellers

I wondered if I had enough stuff

 

 

 

 

As it turned out there was plenty

Great feedback and a number of sales

All in all it was well worth the effort and worry

In addition I made my largest Etsy sale this week, one boat and four more custom made boats

Out of choice I would not repeat stuff I'd made but that's what they wanted!

Finished off my weekend at a course to improve my Etsy store

Feeling pretty good and already planning another sale.....stay tuned!

Time to get things finished

Always nice to get an order through Etsy to start the weekend

But on with the serious job of getting a some projects that I'd started, completed

First I had a whole bunch of flowers to complete

I found some Sand Dollars that I had collected, these made a great centre

As did the mini bark chips and some buttons I had laying around

Feeling pleased with myself, I played for a few minutes and made this little piece 

I am always amazed at how some simple ideas really come together

Next were the Christmas (it physically pains me to say that word in September!) wreaths

They turned out pretty well and I've already had an enquiry about them.

Sadly my weeks holiday is over so back to the real world of work in the morning, adieu!

We're home!

 

A very restful three nights on beautiful Quadra Island

Lucky enough to get out on the sea in Kayaks which was great fun

Arriving back on a driftwood strewn beach, what a result!

 

#driftwoodheaven

 

Only a small stash of goodies to smuggle back across the border into Campbell River.

 

Happy Man

 

Quadra

 

"Memories of Summer" September 2015

 

Off for a stay-cation on Quadra Island for three nights

A little cabin booked on Gowland Harbour

Hoping to Kayak and beach comb at the spit

(I am excited to go to the spit as it is usually piled high with driftwood, like a kind of heaven for me!)

End of Summer........Bah!

Mid week and we are on day five of the long awaited rain

People at work are convinced that summer is over

No, I say! The forecast for the weekend is warm and sunny

Hooray because I will be on holiday for a week!

I made this little beauty on the weekend

"The Trinity" (boat, house & lighthouse) has attracted lots of attention

Working on some tiny boats and some more houses

I am planning to do a craft show in the fall, but this does fill me with dread

What if I go to all that trouble and no one buys anything?

I will have to give this some careful consideration!

Adventures in driftwood

It was another busy weekend at 50th Parallel

Getting prepared for some more adventures with driftwood

Spent a bit of time getting some preparation done 

I am really taken with the little birdhouse 

Got some vases drilled out too!

Stocks are building up, actually these are all the items listed on Etsy

And these are the extras

A sale on Etsy on Saturday for two boats, a special order mirror and a plaque with a sailboat 

Good times!

All work and no play

Have been off work for a couple of days (with a rotten summer cold)

However this gave me opportunity to get these boats finished

 

Larger than my normal boats, I could not resist the lovely shapes of the wood I had found

 

 

 

 

It's always a challenge what to mount them on, but I was able to slice up a nice piece of cedar which made a perfect stand

This boat had to been made due to the beautiful know at the front

This is a great example of why I love driftwood, every piece is so unique and adding a paint wash like this one simply brings out the texture and individuality of the wood

Onwards and upwards, houses, boats and flowers to make today!

All go!

It was long weekend last weekend and I had started on a number of projects

Warning....an awl is a dangerous piece of equipment. Managed to stab myself and obviously hit a nerve or tendon making two fingers unusable! Luckily this resolved after 24 hours.

 

Left on Monday for a quick trip to Victoria and some retail therapy

 

very pleased with my stash of supplies to keep me busy.

 

 

I got a request from the daughter of a friend about selling my boats in the gift shop of the resort she works in. No real limitations other than size (ease of packing and carrying for guests)

 

 

 

They didn't turn out too bad at all

I am excited for her to get them on Monday

 

My new business cards arrived this week so a custom holder was in order