Happy Holidays!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

The past few weeks have been hectic, as I'm sure it is for most of you during this time of year. After five consecutive weekends of fantastic shows, I had two and a half weeks to get everything ready for Christmas-from shopping to decorating.....absolutely everything! And then things came to a crashing halt when our beloved dog Gracie fell ill and had to be put down on Dec. 12'th, leaving our family heartbroken.

I promise to share all of the highs and lows of the past two months over the next few weeks, but I didn't want the holidays to pass without sending my greetings. I want to thank you all for the support this past year, and want to wish you and your families and friends a joyous Christmas and an amazing New Year!

Take care.....Marian  xo    

 

 

Catching Up!

These past two weeks have been jam packed with so many things going on-birthdays, Halloween parties, job offers, and my first Christmas craft show. Lots of wonderful things to share with you in this post that I'll use to catch up.

First, my hubby's birthday...Happy Belated Birthday! I am blessed with a really great guy...my dearest friend and companion, and my number one supporter! I can't imagine life without him... Love you and wishing you many more!

Next on the calendar was my daughter's second annual Halloween party. This year's theme was "A Haunted Carnival". Great food, great costumes and lots of fun! Here are some pics of the Carnival's characters.

 

The Ventriloquist and his Dummy...Brent and Jess

 

Two deranged clowns...aka me and hubby.

 

 

The Gypsy and the Crazed Clown....Trish and Greg

 

 

Cotton Candy Fairy, Conjoined Twins, and the Demented Popcorn Vendor...Jeannette, Audrey, Olivia and John

 

And the Strong Man that stole the show....too cute!!

 

An illuminated Captain Spalding

 

*****

 

More thrilling news for the family this week when two long awaited job offers came through for Jess and Brent. Congrats and good luck to you both on your new careers!

 

And lastly my Christmas Show schedule started off with a bang this past weekend at the Rotary Christmas Show in Stratford. I had an absolutely WONDERFUL time. The Rotary Club organizers did a fantastic job and couldn't have been more supportive. The Rotary Complex is a lovely venue--bright, clean, easy to get in and out, and decorated beautifully. 

 

I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people...patrons and vendors. In addition to fantastic sales, I was completely overwhelmed with the response from everyone...so much positive feedback and support. And as if this wasn't enough, I did some incredible networking that may lead to some awesome future opportunities to expand my business in directions that I could only dream of before. Thanks to everyone that stopped by my booth. It was lovely meeting you all and I look forward to returning next year.

 

Thanks also go out to my sister Jeannette for helping me on Saturday. You're a sweetheart and loved having the chance to spend the day with you! I also want to thank my hubby who spent the day with me on Sunday...couldn't do this without you! And thanks to Brent for help with setting up on Friday...yes it takes a village.

 

Here are some pics of my booth this past weekend:

 

 

 

I'm back to work on new creations for my next show which is Nov. 16'th right here in my hometown of Aylmer, ON. Diva's Christmas Day Out runs from 10 to 4 at the German Canadian Club-Saxonia Hall, and if you're in the area it promises to be a great show. Hope to see you there!

 

 



Take care.....Marian  xo    



 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hoping this Thanksgiving finds you with

plenty of reasons to give thanks!

 

Not what we say about our Blessings but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.

-W. T. Purkiser

 

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, and hopefully you'll have the opportunity to spend time with family and enjoy some great food. It's also a great time to reflect and take a moment to remember all of the things that you're grateful for.

And a Happy Columbus Day to all of my American friends.

Enjoy!

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    



Fall and Winter Collection

We're enjoying a glorious Fall and I took advantage of the weather to get out and do some gardening today. I'd like to think if I can get some more weeding done now it might make my spring clean up a little easier. Besides, it's a great excuse to get outside for a few hours. Not that I need an excuse, but with four weeks until my first show, I'm feeling a little guilty for taking time away from business these days.

I've been busy making lots of new jewellery and fashion accessories that I'll be adding to my Etsy shop and selling at my four upcoming Christmas shows. For a full list of shows check out my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/RomanceRuin. I'll be adding discount coupons for admission over the next few weeks and if you're in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello.

I've been scoping out some new fabric stores and found some delicious new fabrics, along with some fantastic deals. I love the rich colours and textures of cool weather fabrics, and as usual, purchased far more than I'll ever have time to use. I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to fabric shops, and could spend hours wandering around touching all of the gorgeous fabrics and getting all sorts of ideas. I'm always so inspired after a shopping trip and can hardly wait to get behind the sewing machine. Lots of hats, scarves and bags are waiting to be made and I promise to share my newest creations with you when they're done.

Right now I've been focusing on jewellery and here are a few pics of my newest creations:

 

 

With the introduction of my new Fall and Winter collection and Halloween around the corner, I thought it would be a perfect time to have a sale. My "Bewitching Sale" offers 10% off everything in my shop until October 21, 2013. Just use Coupon Code BEWITCH 2013 at checkout to get your discount. Lots of vintage and antique styles if you're dressing up in a period costume--or if you just feel like treating yourself or someone you love! Click on the link to take you there: www.etsy.com/shop/RomanceandRuin.



 

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    



Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

I'm lucky enough to live in a part of the world that enjoys four very distinctly different seasons. And although I'm not a fan of certain seasons, I do know for sure that I LOVE FALL!! It is without a doubt my favourite time of year. There are far too many reasons to list here, but my top ten are:

• Lovely foliage...the leaves look like jewels hanging from the branches
• Vogue, Elle, In Style and Harper's Bazaar enormous Fall fashion issues
• Shopping for a new Fall clothes
• Celebrating Thanksgiving with family
• Halloween parties
• Preparing for Christmas
• Rural Fall fairs
• The new crop of pumpkins, squash, apples and pears (great baking!!)
• Cool nights and sleeping with the windows open
• And for my first time, participating in Fall and Christmas Craft Shows!!

It's been a difficult summer and I'm ready to move on and put it behind me. I'm very excited to have been selected to participate in four local craft shows this November and December. I'm also working on placing my designs in several shops on a consignment basis. I'm hoping to have 3 or 4 shops on board by the end of October. Looking forward to establishing some great new partnerships!

I'm blogging today on what turns out to be a record breaking day for the hottest temperatures on record for September 10`th....32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit). Not very Fall-like but I`m staring at my first Halloween party invitation and my stack of huge Fall fashion magazines (I love pouring over them before going shopping for new Fall clothes). The magazines can wait for a cooler day, but I`d love to share the invitation with you. My daughter is planning her second annual Halloween party and if it`s anything like last year`s, it will be fantastic! Here`s some pics of her amazing handmade invitations. I have no idea what I'll be wearing, but there are so many amazing ideas on Pinterest. I'm going to have a hard time deciding on something for myself and hubby.

 

 

 

Another thing that I wanted to add to my top ten list are the start of new seasons of my favourite TV shows. Boardwalk Empire started off with a bang this past Sunday, and Downton Abbey is set to start at the end of the month across the pond on BBC. Can't wait to catch Season 4...until then I'll have to keep busy making some Downton Abbey-inspired pieces like the two necklaces in the pictures below. I love the long black bead flapper necklaces that Lady Mary wears....so glamourous. 

 





 

Two separate pieces that can be worn on their own or together.

 

 

This elegant flapper necklace is long enough to wear as a double/triple strand or as a stunning single strand necklace.

 

Can't wait for another season of Crawley women and their gorgeous clothes and jewellery!

 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today and

 

make sure that you take time to enjoy some of the great things that Fall has to offer!

 

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    

 



 





Home County Music and Art Festival 2013

 Regretfully I've had to withdraw from the Home County Music and Art Festival on July 19-21, 2013 due to a family emergency. My apologies to anyone planning to stop by and see me. I will be adding many new pieces that were created for this event in the next 1-2 weeks and offering free delivery to all of my customers until August 17, 2013. Please use Coupon Code FREEDELIVERY0813 to take advantage of this promotion.

Take care.....Marian  xo    

Last Minute Details

Three days left before the big show and I'm starting to feel more relaxed as I continue to stroke things off my to-do list. Other than packing, which I'll take care of on Thursday night, most tasks that are left are quick and easy. The plan is to sit down and sew all day tomorrow and most of the day Thursday. Hopefully I can make a few new ties, hats and carpet bags....and necklaces, bracelets, earrings....and rings, scarves, belts, and headpieces.

I never seem to make as many items as I think I should. That's one of my worst fears--that I won't have enough to fill my booth. And fear # 2 is that I won't sell anything....oh yeah-and fear # 3 is the weather. This will be  my first outdoor show and the heat wave that we're currently experiencing is supposed to break on Friday, along with the severe thunderstorms that normally accompany a big change in the weather. Yes, Friday is Day One of the show. So as the British say, "Keep Calm and Carry On". I know in the end that these are normal pre-show jitters and I just try to keep them at bay. Things always seem to work out fine in the end.

I'm still working on new displays and had a last minute thought on a unique way to display my bracelets and Gatsby hand ornaments.

                  I purchased a collection of vintage gloves on Ebay, and with a little batting...voila!

Bracelet displays!



 

 

 

 

This is a Gatsby inspired headpiece that I made for the show in black and silver.....

 

 

.....and stacks of business cards are printed and ready to go!

 

So, I'm nearly set and can't wait to get started. To meet lots of new folks, see some familiar faces, enjoy the music

and fingers crossed, have a very successful show!



Take care.....Marian  xo    

Gatsby Design Challenge

Have you checked out a new online shop called Shopbevel? It's a fantastic site that offers jewellery designers the opportunity to have their creations manufactured and receive royalties for all sales.
Last week a rep from Shopbevel contacted me through Facebook regarding a Gatsby Style Challenge and invited me to submit one of my Gatsby inspired pieces.

The pieces that have been submitted are then listed on the Shopbevel site for everyone to review and cast their vote for their favourite design. The winner's item is then manufactured for a limited time and offered for sale on the site for anyone to purchase. The winner also receives a 15% royalty from all sales. So many amazing designers and gorgeous creations!

I decided to submit my black and gold Gatsby flapper necklace, which I think is very symbolic of the art deco era. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hope to have the opportunity to work with the folks at Shopbevel and have my necklace manufactured.

If you'd like to help by casting your vote, you can head over to shopbevel by using this link:
http://www.shopbevel.com/index.php/vote/gatsby-style/2922-tasseled-flapper-necklace


Thanks so much!

Take care.....Marian  xo    

Tasseled Necklaces

Tasseled necklaces are my absolute favourite. Their long length gives them such elegance, and their sexy sway when the wearer moves makes them so appealing. Most of the originals were created with a necklace made of glass beads that ended in a tassel. Originally these necklaces were called sautoirs, but they became known as "flapper necklaces" in the 1920's when they became the craze with the "bright young things" of the Art Deco period. Tassels also started appearing in earring designs. They were perfectly matched with the latest style of bobbed hair, dangling below the flirty new cut. Tasseled shimmy dresses were also a fashion trend during the same period. The flying beads and tasseled ends created a lively sense of movement when the flappers participated in the latest dance crazes like the Charleston and the Shimmy.

With the release of the Great Gatsby all of the jewellery of the era has become popular again. Lucky me! I've had a great time designing lots of new tasseled necklaces. Below are some pics of my newest creations. For a look at my entire collection, you can visit my Etsy shop by using the link on the right.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and hope you'll come back to visit again!

 

Take care.....Marian  xo