US Magazine September 2012

Those of you who have read my other posts about the links know that when I first bought them a year and a half ago I could not give them away. They have been selling so well these last 6 months that I have been ordering more and more of them. I now have about 50* different colors/shapes/sizes for sale in my etsy shop Willow Branch Beads.

Last weekend my step mom was flipping through the latest US Magazine and what did she find? On page 131 in the fall styles for under $100 a chunky acrylic link bracelet. She showed me and I was SO HAPPY about it. Thrilled really! I couldn't wait to shout this out to anyone who would listen! I AM SHOUTING!

Anyways, if you do not want to buy the supplies to make your own, you can buy ready to wear bracelets from my etsy shop PeggyMade. OR you can visit one of my favorite etsy shops CocoNoire. Deb is the ower of CocoNoire and I look forward to her weekly purchases (3 last week actually)! Here is a shout out to Deb, customer of the year! Deb adds a little something extra to her bracelets CHECK IT OUT!

**Right now I have 22 different links for sale at my etsy shop. I had a shipment of 30 more different ones last week and I have another shipment coming tomorrow. All will be listed by the end of this week.

Color Palette

Hello Everyone!

I am trying to figure out what colors I want for my next link order. I am going to place the order in the beginning of October.

Above is a picture of the Cream and Coffee Links. The links I am ordering will be marbled like these ones. I will need to find two colors that look good together and that my customers will also like. 

HERE ARE THE COLORS I AM THINKING ABOUT.

I spent quite a bit of time putting together these color palettes. Basically I used google images to find pictures that I liked and pulled the colors out of them.

PINK AND NAVY

YELLOW AND GREY

 MINT AND YELLOW

 MIXED PASTELS

MIXED PASTELS TAKE 2

TEAL AND CORAL

 PINK AND YELLOW

 RED AND PINK

 PINK AND PURPLE

SALMON AND CREAM

 MINT AND GREY

WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO?

I CAN ONLY AFFORD TO ORDER ONE COLOR COMBINATION AT A TIME AND ONLY EVERY OTHER MONTH.

TIME TO VOTE!

The time has come and I could not be more excited!

Blogging Link Challenge Projects REVEALED!

I would like to start by saying that I am so happy with the results of the first blog challenge that I hosted. So happy in fact, I am planning on doing another challenge using my larger links this fall.

I sent 25 links out to 21 people who contacted me to participate. Half of the participants received black links and the other half received tortoise shell links.

YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT on AUGUST 27th TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE PIECE!

Just comment below, telling me which piece is your favorite. On the 28th of August I will add up the totals and the person with the most votes will get a $20.00 gift certificate to my etsy shop WillowBranchBeads. If you do not have a google account but would still like to vote you can also vote for your favorite piece on my facebook page Beads & Boutique.
When you go to facebook and vote, please look for my photos. I just posted all of the pictures in an album there. You can place your vote by commenting on the album or the picture of the piece you like. Thanks! 

Challengers: Please vote for your favorite piece, not your own.

Please share information about the challenge on your facebook page and/or other social network sites.

Encourage friends and family to vote for your piece.

Good Luck Everyone!

Kay Thomerson

Shai Williams

Terri Gauthier

Kashmira Patel

Sarah Goode

Audrey Belanger

 Jami Shipp

 Paula Hisel

Ambra Gostoli

Jennifer Reno

 Janeen Sorensen

 Mary Govaars

Emma Todd

 Miranda Ackerly

Linda Florian

 
 Tania Spivey

Denielle Hagerman

Shelley Graham Turner

Blogging Link Challengers

I just wanted to put out the list of everyone participating in the Blogging Link Challenge.
Remember to send me your pictures tomorrow, August 15th so I can get them sorted and ready for the reveal on Friday, August 17th.

Ilenia Ruzza - http://ile1974.blogspot.it/

Shelley Graham Turner  -  www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com

Tania Spivey -  www.moobiegracedesigns.blogspot.com

Ambra Gostoli -  http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com/

Kashmira Patel - http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/

Linda Florian - http://lilysofthevalleyjewelry.blogspot.com/

Jami Shipp - http://celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com/

Terri Gauthier - http://terrisbloomingideas.blogspot.com/

Miranda Ackerley - http://mirandack.com

Mischelle Fanucchi  - http://thesecretlifeofmicheladas.blogspot.com/

Mary Govaars - www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com

Sarah Goode - www.pookledo.blogspot.com

paula hisel - http://simplybeadiful.weebly.com/simply-stated.html

Shai Williams - http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno - http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Kay Thomerson - http://kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/

Denielle Hagerman  - www.somebeadsandotherthings.com

Janeen Sorensen  -  http://wildvanilladesigns.com/

Emma Todd  -  www.apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com

Audrey Bélanger  -  http://esperianterra.blogspot.com/

Michelle Andrade  -  http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Here they come!

I wanted to let everyone know that the links for the link challenge have been shipped!

The International packages went out on Monday and the domestic packages went out on Wednesday. Hip hip hooray!

Blogging Link Challenge

The Challenge:

Create a piece (or pieces) of jewelry using the links provided. Use at least one other component.

Details:

First of all you have to become a follower of my blog. Then you will need to email me at peggy@willowbridgecenter.com with your name, mailing address and blog information by July 22^nd, 2012. If you are one of the first 20 people to email me I will send you 25 links. You will have 3 weeks to create a masterpiece with the links. As soon as you are completed, you will need to email me a picture of your project along with your name and blog information. You will need to send me this information by August 15^th, 2012 or any time before that (so I don’t go nuts on the 16^th). August 17^th, 2012 will be the reveal day. On that day you will need to blog about the challenge, your experience with the links and show a picture of your project. I will be posting pictures of all of the projects on my blog that day as well. Direct your friends to my page so they can vote for you and on August 27^th the blogger with the most votes will win a $20.00 gift card to my etsy shop WillowBranchBeads.

The Fine Print:

If you do not complete the challenge you will not be able to participate in any future challenges that I host. I will be sending out different links to different people, this will be completely random.

The Story:

So a year ago I ordered a TON of acrylic links to sell at a bead show that I was having. When they arrived I was teased so badly by my fellow beaders "who would want to buy those?" "what are those?" "why did you buy those?" etcetera. Anyways, they did not sell well at the show or at the bead shop so I took them home and packed away they went.

I stumbled upon them last April and even though nobody else liked them I still did and decided to list them in my etsy shop. Within a few days I sold my first lot and within a few months they were all gone. Now I sell many different types of links at my etsy shop and they are my hottest item.

I have a handful of buyers who make jewelry with the links then sell the jewelry they make on etsy. I can’t believe how successful they have been! I always look forward to seeing what people will make with the links now. Usually people just link them together and sell them as is. I would really like to see them used with other materials.

Now you know how I came up with the idea. I hope you enjoy the challenge!

LinkaWingDing Bracelet

So I sell links on my etsy supply site, they are my hottest sellers yet. I love seeing what poeple make with the links but have yet to see anyone do anything other than link them together and sell them as is. I also love Genea Beads, my favorite are her Wing Dings. I thought I would combine the two with a little bit of wire wrapping and this is what I came up with.

WillowBranchBeads
PeggyMade

Dakota Stones Trunk Show

Ooh La La. We just got a Trunk Show from Dakota Stones in at the Bead Shop. There are tons of Beautiful beads to dig through and I can't wait to see what people create with them!
The Trunk Show will only be at the Bead Shop for 3 weeks so if you want anything you better come now before it is all gone!
I am trying to be a good girl and let the customers buy what they want first. After a few days I am pretty sure that I will cave and have to pick some things out for myself.
The Bead Shop at WillowBridge
220 South Ashland Street
Cambridge, MN   55008
763-244-3425

Button Swap Blog Hop REVEAL!

The day has come! Hurrah!
This is the first time I have ever participated in a blog swap hop and I could not be more excited!
Back in March I signed up to be a participant in the Button Swap Blog Hop by Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio. A few days later I was partnered with Michelle Hardy of Firefly Visions and my hunt for buttons began. Michelle and I swapped our buttons and I was so happy with the ones she sent me.

There were so many great buttons that I had a hard time choosing which ones I wanted to work with. My favorite buttons were the little glass shank buttons with the mushrooms on them but I did not get around to using those ones (yet).

This is what I made for the reveal. I used the Lansing buttons on the card.

I had to surround my new bracelet with shells because my partner kept referring to herself as "Shell" in out emails.
I love the peyote stitch and I really like simple designs. My biggest concern about using buttons was that they would flip flop all over the place. I came up with a design where I used the shank on the button instead of a bead in the pattern. It worked great, no flipping all over the place. I like this bracelet so much that I think I am going to teach this pattern in one of my fall classes. I came up with the design all on my own and I am real happy with it (I am sure that someone somewhere has thought of this before me..blah..blah..blah..).

Here is a picture of me wearing the bracelet.

I did get to play with the other buttons as well. I have a major problem with editing sometime, I always want my jewelry to be so colorful that it just ends up tacky and over done. Here is an example of what I mean.

I was thinking that I would make a rainbow bracelet and started bezeling the buttons. I spent so much time playing with colors that I did not want to pitch the idea. Finally I decided that I really did not like how this bracelet was looking and gave up. I am going to take this apart and start over. I will most likely still bezel the buttons but I am thinking that I will choose just one color instead of the rainbow idea.

I had a lot of fun working with buttons and I can't wait to see what everyone else did. As soon as my Mother's Day dinner with the boys is over I am going to come home, relax and look at everyone else's projects!
Oh and if you would like to see what Michelle "Shell" Hardy made with the buttons that I sent her just visit her blog at http://fireflyvisions.blogspot.com/

Alice Peterson and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

Christine Stonefield and Dana James

Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner

Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.

Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino

Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

Mary Harding and Stacie Florer

Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic

Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

Shannon Chomanczuk and Kay Thomerson

Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

Tania Spivey and Teresa Gagne

Teresa Gagne and Tania Spivey

Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

Oh and check out my cute little guy! He made a book for me this Mother's Day. He came up with "The Hill of Hearts" all by himself.

Best gift ever, I love you Jimmy!