Inside the Octopus Parlour

50% of sales going to Red Cross Japan relief

2011-03-15T15:55:00.004-06:00

Octopus Parlour is donating 50% of all sales made now through Thursday 3/17 to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts in Japan.

I've been so overwhelmed with sadness watching the news for the last few days. The disaster in Japan is just devastating and sitting here thousands of miles away, I feel so helpless. I've donated some money from my personal funds - since volunteering is unfortunately out of the question - but wanted to do even more.

If you've been interested in one of Octopus Parlour's handmade pieces of jewelry, now's the perfect time to shop.

Thank you so much for your support!

First Food Shoot

2011-02-16T22:24:00.002-07:00

Hope you had a lovely V-Day, regardless of your relationship status. I spent the (finally warm!) day with my fiancee. We cooked salmon, made chocolate pot de creme, and opened one of the last few bottles of wine from my sojourn in California 3 years ago. I vowed that I would not be in a restaurant on Valentine's Day since I've spent so many years past working in one.

We've done a couple food photoshoots since last I posted. Here's one of the images from the chili shoot that I styled that didn't quite make it as stock, but I love it nonetheless.

We ended up with about 30 final pictures from that shoot after 2 days of photographing chili. At least, unlike models, it stays rather still. I'm continuing to learn about lighting, composition and Photoshop. If I just keep working hard, hopefully I'll be able to do this on my own at some point. And pay the bills!

Photos and Jewelry

2011-02-06T23:38:00.003-07:00

Today was my first day shooting food photography with my fiancee. My new job is badass! Being your own boss requires a little discipline, but it is 1,000,000 times better than waiting tables and dealing with bitchy people while silently praying for decent tips. It was nice to come home with a pocket full of cash, but not with a mind full of drama.

Now that our heat/water/pipe troubles are over, more jewelry is getting made, like a restock for these Bloom Necklaces at Shana Logic.

Basil Bathbone and his 8-legged crew are pulling an all-nighter to get them finished by tomorrow. I, however, will be sleeping soundly in my bed.

Cold Like Death Part 2

2011-02-04T17:59:00.003-07:00

When I awoke at quarter of 10 this morning and checked my phone, I assumed there would be a message saying our furnace had been fixed. Instead, I found 2 missed calls from the plumber and the landlord, saying the key to our apartment we'd left them wouldn't open the door.

So I angrily piled the layers upon myself, donned shoes and drove 1/2 an hour back to my ice box of an apartment to wait for the plumber to try again. An hour later, I barely hear my neighbor's doorbell ring through the wall. I run outside and catch the plumber just as he's getting back into his van to leave. He'd been trying to get into the wrong apartment all along.

So, he fixes the furnace and says, "If anything else goes wrong, call us Monday and we'll come back and fix it." Awesome.

I pile the layers back on and head back to the west side to pick up my fiancee, Nippers-Kitayziz and Juno. When we get back to the house, I hear him say, "Uh oh..." and my heart freezes. I rush up to where he is; there's water gushing out from under our neighbor's door and it sounds like a waterfall in her courtyard. We call the property manager.

My fiancee climbs on the roof, jumps over into our neighbor's yard and tries to turn the water off in her courtyard. He comes back in the house unsuccessful and soaked from head to toe. He goes on YouTube and researches how to shut your water supply off and heads back outside, to the street, shutting the main water supply off for both apartments.

The maintenance man comes. He fixes it. We're happy. He turns the water back on inside our apartment. We rejoice and hug each other. We hug the cats. We go to the Antique Mall to search for vintage dishes for a photoshoot.

Then we return home. The sound of more gushing water reaches us from the courtyard of our other neighbor, diagonally across. Another pipe has broken. We call the property manager. Again. She thanks us profusely, telling us she'll send the repairman out again. My fiancee goes out to the street and turns the other neighbor's water supply off.

Now, my fiancee is taking a steamy bath, the cats are sleeping and I am finally warm. And tonight, we get to sleep in our own bed. Pretty happy ending if you ask me.

Cold Like Death

2011-02-03T21:23:00.003-07:00

The last day and a half have been filled with weather drama. New Mexico is experiencing cold unlike it's had in decades. The governor has declared a state of emergency and it's expected that between 10,000 and 20,000 homes in Albuquerque will soon be without gas.

Two nights ago our heater broke. The temperature in our apartment dropped drastically as we tried repeatedly to reset the heater. I called the property manager and she said she'd get a plumber out to repair it today. We pack up the kitties, their litterbox, their special water bowl and head over to my fiancee's sister's house.

Today comes. I receive a call from our property manager at the ass crack of dawn saying the plumber will be in touch shortly. Three hours pass. I call her back: the plumber's not coming. People's heaters are breaking all over the city. The pipes in people's houses are freezing. It's a profitable day to be a plumber.

So, we're back at my fiancee's sister's house again tonight. They're going to fix the heater tomorrow. Supposedly. Then we have to keep our fingers crossed that we aren't one of the 10,000 homes that loses gas. Because our heater is gas-powered.

I really really hate being cold. But it could be worse. We could be dead. I'm thankful I have family that I can stay with. But if everyone I know loses gas or power, we're getting in our car and driving to a pet-friendly hotel in Utah. Or Vermont. Because strangely enough, it's warmer there.

(FYI, Octopus Parlour orders will still be shipped out the next business day until further notice.)

2 More Days

2011-01-21T00:34:00.002-07:00

I recently discovered I sold another painting! It's "I'd Rather Not" (the blue one at the top of the photo from my show).

I am leaving the service industry in 2 days. 2 more days. I never thought this would happen so soon. I was driving yesterday as sunset began and the Sandias were lit up, pink and glowing. For the first time in years when I looked east toward the mountains, I actually saw them. And they were beautiful.

It made me realize that since pursuing my goal of being a self-employed artist, I've been in this tunnel vision world where I've had to let so much around the edges slide away. I've lost touch with friends; mostly stopped traveling and exploring, eating out and drinking. I don't need to go into everything here, but at some point I did something I promised myself I'd never do. I stopped appreciating the beauty around me; I stopped seeing. I was so focused: I had to be...or maybe I thought I had to be.

Whatever it was, I want to see everything again. I want to remember the things I love about living in the Southwest. I know I have a long path ahead of me just to make enough money to survive, but I honestly believe you don't need money to be happy. Now I'm going to have to live my words.

I can't wait. =)

Strawberries! ...and a donation debacle resolved

2011-01-16T11:44:00.003-07:00

The Vintage Strawberry Earrings I mentioned a few posts back are now available for sale (only $15!) at Shana Logic.

I wanted to share with you all about some of the issues I've been having with the donation Octopus Parlour had sent out to the Castle Rock Collaboration. For a good chunk of 2010, the Parlour was collecting 10% of all sales to donate to this organization to save the red rocks of Utah.

Back in December, I sent a check off to the Castle Rock Collaboration which was never cashed. After a good deal of research, I discovered that this organization had been disbanded because they had raised all the money they needed to preserve the beautiful rock formations of Castle Valley. Apparently my check is floating in some sort of postal limbo from which it may never return.

I'll be honest: I kind of felt like a fool, donating to an organization that didn't exist. But if you check their website, they are still asking for money to save the red rocks, so it's fairly confusing. Anyway, being that I loves me some red rocks, I spoke to the other organization that participated in the conservation efforts: Utah Open Lands. They still need money to continue the upkeep and maintenance of Castleton Tower and the surrounding trails and campsites. So, I'm going to take the money Octopus Parlour raised and send it off to them.

All's well that ends well.

New friends and new jewels

2011-01-11T17:43:00.003-07:00

There's a new man in town and he's takin' charge. L-Tryptopus is a mutant octopod from the talented OopisNein, who has been featured in one of our previous Etsy Octopus Shakedowns.

L-Tryptopus is a hard worker and rarely takes breaks, but when he does, he likes to hang out with the morose and gloomy Cheese Nippers-Kitayziz.

L-Tryptopus created some lovely new Bloom and Pincushion Necklaces for Bright Rain Gallery, which I brought over today, so they should be on the shelves shortly.

I have cinnamon rolls and pecan sticky buns blocking me from starting on more of these fuschia and black Bloom Necklaces, but as soon as I nom them, L-Tryptopus and I are heading back to the studio.

Goodbye Panda Robot

2011-01-08T10:51:00.003-07:00

I just found out that one of the galleries I sell at has shut its doors. Panda Robot is no more and I'm still not exactly sure what happened, since it was a complete surprise. It's pretty sad because they had received all these write-ups in the papers for the holidays, so it really seemed like things were moving in an awesome direction.

The good news is that there will still be a shop at that location next month selling goods from indie artists and crafters, but it will have new management, a new name and a new layout (the gallery for paintings in the back is going to be a spot for classes). I still don't know most of the specifics, but the one thing I do know is that they've asked me to stay on as one of the consignors, so my jewelry will be available there sometime in February.

Being an artist or crafter is a business filled with surprises, some awesome, some disappointing. I had my work in one shop for almost a year and sold nothing (this shop was only open 16 hours a week). Another shop returned my work after a couple sales saying they mainly sold $10 and under jewelry.

I would highly recommend that anyone looking to sell their work somewhere check out the price points that shop carries, but also check the hours on the door. Too many little boutiques have hours like Wed-Sat 1-5. I'm sorry, but that's crazy, especially during your first year of business. At first I was just excited to get my work out there - into a shop or gallery - but what's the use of having your art sitting around in a shop somewhere that's always closed?

I'll keep you all posted once Panda Robot reopens in its new form!

Custom Pincushion Necklace

2011-01-02T13:12:00.003-07:00

20 days left until I'm finished waiting tables! Life is great, but I wish it would speed through these next 3 weeks so I can finally be FREE!

Hope all of you had a super happy New Year with little or no puking involved. I got home from work about 20 minutes before midnight with just enough time to kiss my fiancee and cats and say a little wish for 2011. I am so excited for this year and all the awesomeness it's going to bring.

Right before the holidays, I finished this awesome Pincushion Necklace. It was a custom order featuring an amazing green anodized aluminum thimble. I love how the pins match the thimble and wish I could score more of these in every color of the rainbow. The felt is a blend of 5 different colors - Octopus Parlour will be offering custom blended felt colors in the future for an additional $10.

I'm heading off to photograph some work...but first, tea.

Strawberry Earrings

2010-12-28T20:25:00.002-07:00

The last few weeks I've been slowly...boringly...recovering from my sprained wrist. I've been to a few physical therapy sessions where I stretch, squeeze and get electrocuted back into health. Having restrictions on what I can do drives me kind of insane, but I'm SO PSYCHED by the thought that soon I'll be leaving the injurious job for a much safer one. YAY!!

I've started back into jewelry making this week with a fairly simple project that requires no heavy lifting or intense pushing: earrings! Here are the finished ones, waiting to be bagged.

Gorgeous vintage lucite strawberry earrings on lead & nickle free stainless steel posts. These will be available soon at Shana Logic and were created to match the Very Berry Necklace ($30). Like most of the Parlour's vintage pieces it may be short lived, depending on the availability of the beads.

Hope your holidays (if you celebrate) were lovely and relaxing!

Notice

2010-12-23T23:37:00.003-07:00

Today I gave my notice at my "day job". Technically, it's a night job as I work at a restaurant. I've been working in the service industry as a bartender, server, cocktail and restaurant manager for 13 years. It's a job that's both paid my bills and driven me insane. In one month I will be completely self-employed.

This is one of the most amazing moments of my life, right up there with getting engaged, starting my own business and graduating college. Because of that, I'd like to share something waaay more personal than I usually do. This is part of a blog I posted for my friends and family and I'd like to share it with you.

For so long I thought the restlessness inside of me was just something that would always be there. Still I fought it, I tried to run away from it and it always followed. I ignored it, but it came back. I got in my car and drove thousands of miles, over and over again, assuming at some point I would find what I was looking for. But I never did.

Many years later I finally realized I didn't need to run or search. I'm not sure exactly when that dawned on me, but I think it was when I stopped telling myself that my options were limited. When stopped saying "I can't". The anger, the disappointment, and the restlessness disappeared and were replaced by a powerful fire inside that drove me forward. Confidence replaced lack of confidence and hard work replaced procrastination. I finally knew what had been missing and I knew how to find it.

For 3 years now I've worked toward the final goal that will bring me everything I've ever wanted. I've pissed a lot of people off by not returning phone calls and disappearing into my studio, working 60 - 80+ hours a week, finishing project after order after project. With each step I took though, the pieces of restlessness, negativity and disappointment fell off me.

Still, I felt the tremendous weight of what I had to do pushing down on me, its spirit testing me, daring me to say "I can't!" Each time I wanted to fall to the ground and give up I stopped myself and instead said, "Of course I can".

They say love brings freedom. Being in love, with the people you love, doing the things you love to do. I have the people I love in my life - my friends have stuck by me through this, giving advice, being awesome even when I wasn't always available. I've found a man who makes me so happy and fulfilled I've decided to spend the rest of my life with him, being completely positive dorks together. My family has been super supportive and I give thanks for that. Then, there's every person who told me the work I am making is beautiful, that they saw my website or a show I was in and loved my art.

Now I'm going to do what I love to do. I'm going to do it if it means giving up all my luxuries, eating rice & beans for every meal, wearing clothes with holes in them, not going on road trips, being cold because I can't afford my bills...(just yet). I'm going to do it because I want my freedom. I want my life to be filled with love.

I used to feel like I was stuck between stations for what seemed like an eternity. Today, those doors are sliding open and I will be the first one off the train.

12 Days

2010-12-11T11:58:00.003-07:00

In twelve days I'm going to have some very exciting news to share with you! I can't wait; right now I'm bursting at the seams, but I have to keep it on the D.L. until then.

This month has been both awesome and frustrating for me. The holidays are always filled with a mixture of both, but I love shopping for all my friends and family, making holiday noms, and it's also birthday month. Yay Sagittariuses! My fiancee and I are heading up to Ojo Caliente to relax in the hot springs for the big day. I've also booked my plane tickets for January to head out to the east coast (but not before getting groped by TSA) to see my family and the ocean.

However, I fell at work 2 weeks ago and sprained my wrist and the doctor has told me no jewelry making for awhile which is driving me INSANE since this is the busiest season of the year. Our bodies will only let us do so much though and as reluctant as I am, I must listen to mine. I wish I could get the octopi to pick up the slack, but they've decided to go on strike until the New Year and currently won't even speak to me. I'm not sure what I did, but it's something big. Le sigh...octopi.

One last thing: get in on the free shipping sale in the Etsy shop this weekend before it ends Sunday at midnight!

Castle Rock Collaboration Donation

2010-12-07T12:51:00.003-07:00

Today is the day that Octopus Parlour is sending a check off to the Castle Rock Collaboration, the organization dedicated to protecting and preserving Utah's beautiful Castle Valley. Check out their website for details on how they've saved these red rocks from developers. We've been collecting 10% of all sales since the spring to donate to this great cause and appreciate all of our customers who've helped contribute!

Never been to see Utah's amazing red rocks and canyonlands? Let me fill you in on the incredible beauty that the Castle Rock Collaboration (CRC) is trying to save.

This was our campsite in an area that the CRC has purchased with funds from donations right outside the town of Castle Valley. That rock chimney in the background is Castleton Tower.

There were 3 campsites in this spot, first come first served, and an amazing trail up to the Tower. We did a photoshoot at the base of the trail the morning we awakened after a crazy rainstorm. It was so intense that my usually waterproof tent started leaking! Good times...

Here I am, braving the crazy winds near Fisher Towers on rt 128, north of Moab

I wish the best of luck to the awesome Castle Rock Collaboration for their endeavors towards saving one of the most beautiful places on earth for future generations to enjoy.

Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off Sale!

2010-12-05T12:47:00.003-07:00

Since it is the holiday season and everyone's in a mad rush to find gifts for all the people on their list, Octopus Parlour has decided to help out a little by offering a sale on our earrings and barrettes. All earrings and barrettes are buy 1 get 1 50% off for this week only, starting today in the Etsy shop. Discounts are taken on the lesser priced item and refunds will be made through Paypal after payment has been made.

I'm finally getting over my cold (YAY!) so I can start back in on all the projects that are swimming around in my brain. A trip to the wool store last week resulted in even more awesome colors for the Pincushions which I'm in the process of testing out. Of course I turn my head for one moment and Nippers-Kitayziz has a mouthful of wool roving which I had to extricate from her kitty teeth. I have a no-kitties policy inside my studio, but occasionally I get distracted and forget to close the door.

Hope your week is fabulous!

The sickies can't keep me down

2010-11-30T22:48:00.004-07:00

I've spent the last 24 hours in the throes of a nasty cold, popping decongestants and chugging cough syrup. I have to say, the one positive thing about all this is that when the coughing marathon is over, I'm going to have some seriously nice abs.

This comes after slipping at work this weekend and landing hard on my wrist (for the second time - deja vu). My wrist injury hasn't completely sidelined me, but it has slowed me down quite a bit. I finally finished some Bloom Earrings for Bright Rain after taking multiple breaks in between. Tube setting while wearing a brace is pretty un-fun.

Despite all this physical hurtiness, life's been good. Sales have been up for the holidays and I've been learning more photography secrets in my free time. Plus, my birthday's in 2 weeks and we're heading up to Ojo Caliente, a spa with hot springs in a tiny New Mexican town surrounded by massive rock formations. I can't wait to soak in the springs and relax.

Though Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, the octopi have planned more sales just for you in the upcoming December weeks. Keep an eye on the shops over the next week! Stay warm, my Parlourettes...

New Blooms!

2010-11-23T13:30:00.004-07:00

Here is the new White/Fuschia Bloom Necklace I've designed for Shana Logic! This is the 2nd series in this color combination and in a limited run of 10. They should be available in the shop later on this week or early next week.

I'm getting my grocery list ready for Thursday's big extravaganza. I've never been much of a holiday person (especially where excess spending is required), but my fiancee's family is really big into holidays so I get caught up in their excitement. We're going to be making a key lime pie and a yummy shrimp and veggie pasta salad. I've sent him on a quest to try to find me a Tofurkey since I'm heading off to work tonight to try to make up for my sick day on Friday.

Hope your Thanksgiving is lovely and relaxing!

Down time

2010-11-20T12:43:00.003-07:00

I'm going to be honest - I don't feel particularly prepared for or inspired by this holiday season yet. I've been hiding out in my studio, trying to get caught up with orders and have put everything else aside for the moment.

Yesterday I got really sick and had my shift at work covered so I could rest. I haven't spent a day doing nothing for awhile and figured the best thing would be to sleep, watch TV and read blogs. I forced myself not to go into the studio (so hard!) so that I could just relax and heal.

At some point we all have to take a break from life and unfortunately it takes getting sick to make me realize I've waited too long. I'm sure it must be the similar for you if you work from home. It's so hard to put down the project(s) and STOP. However, we have to force ourselves to do this in order to give our bodies and brains a chance to recharge.

Hope your week is awesome and that you can find a chance to relax amidst all the holiday hullabaloo!

Senator Brainsack likes to solder without protection

2010-11-10T13:01:00.002-07:00

Senator Brainsack is in the process of creating new Bloom Earring designs for Bright Rain Gallery. He likes to live dangerously and forgo the use of goggles and a respirator. Sometimes, I even think I smell cigarette smoke coming from the studio, but when I go in to investigate he's always like, "What? WHAT??" and no cigarettes are to be found.

While he's working on that, I'm sanding and polishing the tube settings for another round of white and fuschia Blooms for Shana Logic. These are going to be ever so slightly different from the originals - vintage parts can be hard to come by.

Chance

2010-11-04T10:50:00.003-06:00

Senator Brainsack loves custom orders. They make him jump up and down, flapping his tentacles around until he smacks someone in the face. Here's one of Octopus Parlour's recent custom orders. This is a vintage brass thimble with a red hand-felted cushion and let me tell you - my octopus friends were NOT at all happy to see it go (octopi are greedy little bastards).

I went out for Chinese food a few days ago. There's a place called Chopsticks around the corner from my house that Hudson said was really good so I decided to give it a shot. They had Sesame Shrimp so of course I had to go there. When the meal was over, our server brought us fortune cookies and I immediately grabbed mine and opened it up.

The fortune inside said "Take that chance you've been considering." I brought it home and posted it up on the wall in front of my desk.

I know what "chance" the fortune is talking about. I know it'll be the most awesome and scary thing I've ever done. I know that if I take that chance to do what I've always dreamed of, even if I fail, it'll be the best thing in the world. I'm still worried - I don't want to screw myself over, but I'm tired of a job where I always have to be someone's bitch. I know there is another way and I'm not going to stop looking for it - no matter how much work I have to put in, no matter how many years it takes.

My options - and your options, too! - are endless. I just have to believe that and everything will be okay.

New Online Store and Fall/Winter 2010 Collection

2010-10-31T23:38:00.004-06:00

So instead of celebrating this most awesome of holidays, I decided to let the octopi go out partying for once while I took the helm of the "Responsible Adult" (yuck!) and got Octopus Parlour's new online store up and running!

Many new items from my fall/winter collection are available and there are quite a few matching sets of earrings and necklaces.

The Four Layer Necklace above matches the Vintage Gold Drop Earrings below.

Hope your Halloween was amazing!

New storefront in the works

2010-10-31T11:31:00.003-06:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

I'd like to say I have an awesome costume planned for tonight, but this month has been so crazy that I really didn't have the time to do anything. Boohoo for me. This is one of my favorite holidays, but this year I'm going to be lame and skip the celebrations.

However, after much thought I've purchased a new online store front to replace this one, which will be taken down shortly. I'm going with Big Cartel since I've heard good things about them and really like the simple layout and interface.

I've had kind of poor luck with sales on Etsy this year and I think it's for a couple reasons. People I talk to about Etsy don't like the idea of having to create an entire profile on a site just to make a purchase. They just want to buy the art and be done with it.

I also think there are still folks out there who equate Etsy with the type of stuff you find on Regretsy and let's face it: with the millions of sellers on there, you do have to wade through a lot of crap. Sorry, but it's true. I buy a lot of birthday and baby shower gifts on Etsy, but it's always time consuming to comb the pages trying to find something nice.

So hopefully by tonight, everything will be up and running and perhaps I'll have a little time to throw on my favorite blue wig and head out for some hot cider.

4th of July Canyon Hike

2010-10-28T12:39:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday, we went south to the Manzano mountains to a canyon called 4th of July, so named because in the fall the brightly colored leaves are reminiscent of fireworks. I brought Hudson's Alpha 200 with me to catch some photos of the amazing beauty.

I'm heading back to work today at the restaurant (DRAMA!) but am going to treat myself to a soy chai latte at the awesome little coffee shop around the street. Hope your day is amazing!

Red and Blue Bloom Necklaces for Shana Logic

2010-10-26T22:02:00.003-06:00

I finished these for Shana Logic yesterday. Bloom Necklaces are made from vintage flowers (usually from the 50's - 80's) tube set on a sterling post. These have 18" sterling chains and will be available later this week for $35.

I am so glad I finished these because it is SO RIDICULOUSLY COLD in my apartment that I don't feel like doing anything except sitting here in front of the computer, trying to catch up on emails and blogs while being mindlessly distracted by pretty photos and fascinating stories. Each year, I freeze for a few weeks until the landlord is ready to turn on the heat. In the meantime, my nose will be popsicle-like for a bit longer. Cherry flavored popsicle, judging by the color.

New Bloom Necklace Colors

2010-10-24T12:23:00.002-06:00

I have to go into work today to cover a shift for one of my co-workers, but these will hopefully get finished and shipped out to ShanaLogic on Tuesday. There will be a limited supply of these (10 each) in red/black and shades of blue.

Goblin Valley

2010-10-22T11:17:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, I set out for an epic road trip through southeastern Utah's national and state parks. It was absolutely breathtaking - any words I could use to describe it just won't do any justice. These photos are the closest thing I have to show the amazing beauty that I had the opportunity to witness.

Goblin Valley is - like many gorgeous parts of nature - in the middle of nowhere. It's off rt. 24, near the town of Hanksville, halfway between Moab and Capitol Reef.

The "goblins" are the strange mushroom shaped rock formations, also known as hoodoos.

These next 3 photos were taken with Hudson's Lens Baby, a strange frustrating device that if you get it right, makes the photo look like it's a miniature scene from a dollhouse or model train.

Sales!

2010-10-15T11:10:00.002-06:00

I popped into Panda Robot yesterday in between a manager's meeting and my bar shift only to discover that Otherwise had sold! I had a show there a few months ago and the work has been up since then.

I guess the painting had sold that very day, a few hours before I came in. This marks a huge milestone for me - the first painting I've sold to a complete stranger. Up til now, all of my original paintings have been sold/traded to friends and family.

I've been learning more about lighting and all the little buttons on Hudson's DSLR down at his studio. I'm really excited to bring everything I've learned together and submit to Istock, but that is still a month or so off.

In addition to all this, I will be changing the storefront to a more usable and prettier option with better photos. I hope to get this up by the beginning of November in time for the crazy holiday season.

Take care and have a lovely weekend!

Silvery Sadness

2010-10-06T10:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday while I was at my local jewelry supply shop, I took a look on the black board that posts the daily per ounce prices of precious metals. Sterling silver was $23. This might not mean much, but if I explain that when I started about 2 1/2 years ago, sterling was $9 an ounce then perhaps you can see my predicament.

Sterling is rising at an alarming cost, causing me to try to re-evaluate both my pricing and the materials I use. I've always used sterling whenever a silver-colored metal was called for and I've tried to keep my prices low compared to the amount of work that goes into each little jewel.

I hate the idea of raising prices in a crappy economy, but I'm barely breaking even and although Octopus Parlour is an endeavor of love, it's also something that needs to pay my bills. The money part of my business is one of the least enjoyable parts (along with bookkeeping and marketing) and I wish I was making enough to pay someone else to deal with it!

I'd love to hear any feedback you might have on the cheaper quality/lower prices vs. higher quality/more expensive prices. I know not everyone will agree on the best course of action, but it's great to hear where the majority stands. Thanks!

Flux

2010-10-04T20:08:00.002-06:00

I've completely fallen behind on my task to photograph new work, being that I've started on several other projects as well (including my application to be a stock photographer). I spent yesterday photographing antique spoons and today was a long tea-filled day of Photoshop and web design. Octopus Parlour's website has gotten a much needed remodeling though I didn't quite make it to the lookbook. I have, however, edited most of the photos for it and here are two I love:

This photo shows one of the newest designs: the Vintage Four Layer Chain ($45).

This lovely little necklace is available at Panda Robot in East Downtown Albuquerque ($35).

Tomorrow I will go back to working on new colors of Bloom Necklaces for ShanaLogic, but tonight I get to dream of pastelarias in Portugal! Serious sugary noms probably unlike anything we have here in Albuquerque (especially since 2 of my favorite bakeries just closed). Probably time to do some baking...

WE'RE BACK!

2010-10-03T01:41:00.004-06:00

OMG...We're back! It's quarter of 2 in the morning - I'm trying to nom down some of this superunappetizing pb&j and unwind from all the CRAZINESS of the day. We had something like 275 customers come in tonight; mostly tourists visiting during the both awesome and stupid Balloon Fiesta that takes place in Albuquerque once a year. Most of my co-workers went out for drinks after the melee cleared, but the call of comfy pajamas was too great for me.

These dudes have completed cycle one of their hibernation and are back and ready for action! I've been home for a couple days now, but have slowly been easing back into city life after being in the middle of nowhere, camping under red rocks and in box canyons. I did 2 photoshoots with my awesome fiancee of Octopus Parlour's fall/winter collection. Pictures will, of course, be coming soon.

I should really get off the computer and at least consider the option of bed. Goodnight Parlourettes!

Burdastyle rocks out Octopus Parlour's Pincushion Necklaces at the NYC Maker Faire

2010-09-18T10:48:00.003-06:00

I received some AMAZING news from Sonia at Snoozer Loser the other day. Apparently, the bloggers at Burdastyle, a blog for sewers, were loving Octopus Parlour's Pincushion Necklaces so much that they asked to borrow a few to wear during the upcoming Maker Faire in NYC! Always a fan of free publicity, I jumped at the chance to send a few Pincushions off to my favorite city to act as reps for me.

I wish I could be there myself since it seems like so much fun and I have yet to do a craft fair. Plus visiting NYC means lots of friends, Delirium Tremens on draft, new jeans at Uniqlo and the best pizza ever.

Hope your week is awesome! When I return, I'll have many lovely photos to go through of the fall/winter collection, so stay tuned for some gorgeous bling.

Fall/Winter Collection in progress

2010-09-13T21:45:00.003-06:00

My great plans to get my ass down to the State Fair were completely foiled by the fact that it is closed on Mondays. Boo! I spent the day buying jewelry supplies and yet another organizer with 89,000 little drawers for said massive piles of supplies.

Then Hudson took me to the Paleteria, a Mexican popsicle and ice cream shop in the War Zone. We both got Tres Leches sundaes with strawberry sauce that were Om Nom Heaven. Hudson was good and was able to resist the creamy temptation enough to have only half of his, but I devoured mine...and then took a few bites of his. Taunting the Lactose Intolerant Gods is never a good idea and I paid for it on the end as I worked on Octopus Parlour's fall/winter collection.

The pieces are getting put together into something more wearable (check out my first attempt at beading with the vintage pearls!)

I can't wait to show you everything once it's finished! I'm doing a lot of matching earrings and necklaces and trying to incorporate a similar color scheme so they can be mixed and matched.

I also shot my first stock photo collection, but it accidentally got erased. Probably a blessing in disguise because the lighting wasn't perfect and I'm all OCD about stuff like that. Soon, soon, soon!

Stuff to do

2010-09-12T10:21:00.003-06:00

So today begins a final countdown to finish a whole bunch of stuff, including:

-prototypes for my fall/winter line of jewelry
-taking Sr. C back to the shop (5th time in a month) for tires
-then installing new windshield wipers on his expensive ass (look out! I'm gonna do this myself)
-getting my ugly mop of hair cut into some semblance of sexiness
-picking up a shift Tuesday night for my awesome co-worker, Jeffery
-stocking up on canned fish, trail mix, Lara bars and a big ol' bag of salt and vinegar potato chips
-finding the clothes for my photoshoot
-getting the furfaces ready for a vacation at Aunt Stacy's
-and for fun, a trip to the State Fair for fried beer, deep fried frozen margaritas and enough funnel cakes to make my stomach explode!

Have a lovely Sunday, Parlourettes!

Steps to Pincushion!

2010-09-10T00:20:00.007-06:00

Octopus Parlour's Pincushion Necklaces are now available at Snoozer Loser!

Each Pincushion starts with an antique or vintage thimble. I usually search the huge second-hand malls here in Albuquerque (I also tend to find plenty of other amazing ancient goodies there that make their way into my work...or my jewelry box). I take them home and clean them up, making any uneven thimbles round again.

90% of the time, I can preserve the antique patina, but sometimes I find an amazing thimble with a small crack in it. Those particular little gems have to be repaired with the torch and whenever I use heat, it removes the original patina.

Then, I felt balls by hand with hot water from a tap. I'm pretty new at all this felting stuff (but my fiancee is badass at it), so at first sometimes it can take a couple of tries to get one that fits into the thimble. Let me also share with you that this is a particularly painful artform on the hands and I need to take chocolate/gardening/Lost breaks every so often. Once the ball dries overnight, I hand-embroider each one and attach it to the thimble.

The sterling chain is cut by hand from a bulk roll and the jump rings and clasp are soldered on. Any excessive bits of solder are sanded off, then polished to perfection using 5 different grits/compounds. Then, the 2 sides of sterling chain are attached to the pincushion pendant and it's finished!

Pincushions for Losers

2010-09-06T22:27:00.006-06:00

What a day! I've been preparing for my upcoming photoshoot in the red rocks of Utah and trying to get my camping gear in order. I bought the awesomest baby blue wig on ebay for it that I can't wait to wear!

My back's been giving me some serious trouble lately - it went out a couple months ago for the first time in my life. Now I'm worried it's just going to keep being an issue, judging from friends I've known with back problems. I remember hearing from this woman - who used to make jewelry but is now a yoga instructor because she screwed up her back - that you have to be really careful and take care of yourself. I end up in these weird hunched over positions that I'm sure don't make matters better.

I just finished editing some photos for the collaboration with my friend Sonia from Snoozer Loser. These are the Pincushion Necklaces that Snoozer Loser is going to be carrying soon.

My fiancee helped me set the lighting up, but everything else I did myself. I am super proud of my new photography skills! Thinking of trying to make some money at it like he does...

Snoozer Loser is rad

2010-09-03T10:05:00.003-06:00

AAAHHH!! More good news - I'm going to be collaborating with one of my bestest friends, Sonia Tay of Snoozer Loser. Sonia creates some of the most amazing clothing ever, including a lot of hand-screenprinted fabrics that she makes herself. The other day, she said she wanted to start selling jewelry from other artists in her shop. So we talked about creating some Pincushion Necklaces that match the colors she's using in her fall line.

So instead of picking up extra shifts to pay for my upcoming road trip through the beautiful state of Utah, I'm gonna be cranking out little Pincushions for Snoozer Loser. Which is perfectly fine with me, since there's only so many sick customers coughing all over while they cradle their free hot water with extra lemons and honey that I can take. Health is wealth.

Sunday Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

2010-08-29T10:53:00.003-06:00

We're back with an all new super fabulous Etsy Octopus Shakedown! Featuring the tentacled best of Etsy's handmade goodies, these are today's offerings.

Lilac Octopus Ring by Zougeebean ($20). A portion of every purchase at Zougeebean goes to aid animals in need.

Kraken Ring by AlrightDarling ($40).

Octopus Tentacle Scarf Knitting Pattern by UnderTheMountain ($5).

Steampunk Inspired Clocktopus Necklace by SplendidEmporium ($30).

Bronze Octopus Earrings by RickysLunaParc ($65). In addition to a matching octopus brooch, RickysLunaParc has some of the most awesomely weird charms I've ever encountered.

All images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

Vintage Bloom Earrings

2010-08-28T11:04:00.002-06:00

We've been superbusy down here at the Parlour: soldering, cutting, filing, polishing, and packing all the little jewels up to send off to various parts of the country. Fall is a busy time - YAAY!! - and I wanted to make sure all my suppliers are fully stocked with O.P. goodness. Here's a glimpse into the most recent endeavor, Bloom Earrings.

These 3 pairs were sent off to Hello Bluebird in West Reading PA.

And this pink and purple pair was commissioned by my Dad for my Mom's 60th birthday!

The earrings were made to match this necklace that she already has:

Today is my last day at the Diner for the week and tomorrow starts the restocking of the black and fuschia Bloom Necklaces at ShanaLogic. Have a lovely weekend!

2010-08-21T09:48:00.002-06:00

DON'T GIVE UP.

Last night I came home from one of the crappiest days at work in awhile and bawled my eyes out. I'm not going to lie: things at the restaurant have been really frustrating. All I keep thinking is that I want there to be an end to this. I want to know when I will finally be able to make my living solely from the sale of my work.

I expected myself to be further along by now than I am. I look to others who seem to "have it made" and I wonder what I'm doing wrong. I think of the options I have and begin discounting them, one by one, saying "I can't".

Then I woke up early this morning and realized how foolish I was being. Everyone needs to cry every now and then, but wallowing in self-pity will NOT help. Telling myself that my goals are too difficult to accomplish is exactly what I used to do -- what kept me from taking even the first step.

Of course it's going to be hard. Of course there will be setbacks. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. I haven't come this far just to give up. If achieving my goals means I have to put up with a little more bullshit, drama, lying and negativity, then BRING IT. I've been through high school - you can't throw anything at me I haven't been through at least twice.

I can wish things were different all I want, but nothing will change unless I make it happen.

I'm gonna go make it happen.

New Jewels at Bright Rain Gallery

2010-08-19T11:56:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I brought a bunch of necklaces down to Bright Rain Gallery in Old Town Albuquerque. Old Town is the touristy part of Albuquerque, comprised mainly of quaint old buildings filled with hot sauce, sombreros, jewelry, pottery, cheesy southwestern landscape paintings, postcards, fake Indian blankets, real Indian blankets, toy guns and restaurants serving "Mexican" food. It's generally hard to find parking, but I snapped up a free spot just a couple blocks from where I needed to go.

Also, 2 of our most brightly colored, super chunky necklaces are on sale for a limited time! Both the Vintage Principessa Necklace
and the Ocean Goddess Necklace are $15.00 off from their normal prices.

Hope your weekend is absolutely amazing and filled with brightly colored bits of happiness!

Pssst...we've got something awesome for you!

2010-08-16T11:18:00.002-06:00

My kitties are great.

By the order of the Children of the Nip, the rest of August will be free shipping month for all blog readers! Pick something out that you like in the Etsy shop, then convo me with the code CATFREESHIP and the shipping charges will be removed from your purchase.

This afternoon I'm heading down to Old Town - the scenic & touristy part of Albuquerque - to meet with the owner of Bright Rain Gallery. I'm so excited, but I still have a lot of work to finish.

Happy Monday, Parlourettes!

Panda Robot Art Show

2010-08-15T12:00:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I went to an opening for Panda Robot in East Downtown Albuquerque. Panda Robot is a relatively new boutique and gallery featuring handmade goodies, fine art, and Japanese toys. I was lucky enough to be included in both their gallery show as well as the boutique.

YAAAAY!!!

Octopus Parlour's jewelry

I want this robot painting!

Me and my awesome friend Bree

This adorable girl greeting all the guests was decked out in Octopus Parlour's Circus Lolita Necklace

The Most Amazing Beatboxer Ever!

Octoplush

Limited Edition Bloom Necklaces

2010-08-12T15:53:00.001-06:00

Only 10 of these will ever be made! Available next week at ShanaLogic. Stay tuned for details...

Very Berry Necklace now available!

2010-08-09T12:30:00.002-06:00

Yay! The Very Berry Necklace is LIVE on Shana Logic.

Photoshoot of Chunksters

2010-08-05T10:47:00.002-06:00

Since I'm over here in Bloggerland, I figured it was time to share a little of what I've been up to recently. I did a photoshoot that I styled entirely by myself featuring the Asymmetric BabyChunk Bow Necklace paired with matching Peppermint Carnivale earrings draped over a frosty treat.

My fiancee helped me with the lighting, which is something I still don't understand, but thankfully one of us does. I'm really loving photography and think I might start submitting to the stock agency he works for. I'd love to be able to buy myself a decent camera though...future dreams of new equipment!

Also, I just brought down a bunch of jewelry and a few paintings to Panda Robot in East Downtown Albuquerque. They're having a grand opening tomorrow night starting at 7, so if you happen to live in the area you should definitely stop by. I had a chance to sneak a peek at some of the art yesterday as they were setting up and it's really amazing!

Antarctic Octopuses with sub-zero death venom!

2010-08-05T10:32:00.002-06:00

I discovered something absolutely amazing that I MUST share with you.

Octopuses. In the Antarctic. With vicious sub-zero killing venom! YAY!

Here's a quote from the original article:
"A research expedition to Antarctica to study the region's octopus life has returned with descriptions of four new species, and the first known sub-zero venoms.

'Antarctic octopus venom works at temperatures that would stop other venoms in their tracks,' said biochemist Bryan Fry of the University of Melbourne, who led the expedition.

Antarctic octopuses eat a wide variety of animals, from clams to fish. They catch their prey with their tentacles and use their venom to kill them, much like snakes."

That's all well and good, but they don't explain whether the venom is potent enough to kill a human. These little octopuses could prove to be seriously useful when it comes to self-defense.

HUGE SALE!

2010-07-21T18:36:00.002-06:00

Right here.

Brass Pincushion Necklace: THIRTY BUCKS.

Circus Lolita Necklaces for TWENTY FIVE BUCKS!

There are some other fine jewels available for 15% - 30% off so get them soon because it's all ending June 2nd.

xoxo

Frustration

2010-07-21T14:09:00.002-06:00

It's been awhile.

I'd love to say everything has been superawesome, but honestly I've been going through some frustrating times. I found out today that the entire Parlourette photoshoot has been deleted. A lot of that jewelry was one-of-a-kind, and ALL of that jewelry is in NYC now so I am kind screwed. I was going to use those photos for my new business cards as well as Etsy and promotional shots... :(

I've also found that certain paths I've been following are turning into dead ends. With other paths, I'm starting from the beginning and feeling intimidated about the hike ahead of me. New problems keep surfacing that need to be solved. I constantly have this huge pile of work in front of me that needs to be done. No matter how much I chip away at it, it's always growing.

There has also been a serious slow-down of sales in the summer, which always makes me question if I'm doing the right thing (am I making work that people like?). Stupid doubt sets in and makes me wonder if I can really get out of the service industry in this way.

Self-doubt is such an insidious, defeatist thing - as soon as it creeps in, I know I need to shut myself off to it and kick it out. It serves no purpose and only brings negativity. It makes you feel like, "I can't!" instead of "Of course I can." Never say you can't, never think you can't; there is always a way.

I'm gonna go eat some ice cream because ice cream makes everyone feel better. When I'm done, I'm getting back to work and I'm going to stop feeling negative, because it doesn't do me or anyone else any good at all.

New Matching Set

2010-07-14T10:29:00.002-06:00

The Parlour is cranking out another lovely design for ShanaLogic! This time, it's a matching set of earrings and a necklace.

The necklace is made from vintage lucite beads (a strawberry and a piece of "candy"), plastic chains similar to 80's charm necklaces, aluminum chain and sterling findings. The earrings have the lucite "candy" beads paired with little glass hearts and the pink plastic chain on sterling hooks. They will be $30 and $20 respectively.

We're having a heat wave in Albuquerque and despite the swamp cooler blasting as high as it can go, it's painfully hot. Almost too hot to work, so we're heading downtown to the Planetarium for a bit. My friends have been hanging out at the public pools a lot, but honestly I'm afraid that even with #100 sunblock, my white skin would be roasted into a crisp in like 15 minutes, so I'm waiting til the end of the summer for that.

Hope your week has been lovely!
xoxo

350 Mile Pietown Drive

2010-07-09T11:19:00.004-06:00

We took a drive through the back roads of New Mexico: down 25 to Socorro and west on 40 (what used to be route 66) to the Very Large Array. We took a pit stop to stuff our pieholes with pie in Pietown, then on to Omega and up through the Malpais Wilderness to the Ventana Arch. Before heading back to Albuquerque, we followed a dirt road to these sandstone bluffs that you could climb on top of and see for miles.

Parlourette

2010-07-04T00:45:00.003-06:00

Hey folks! It's past midnight on Saturday (technically Sunday) and I am finally done with a very long and stressful week. If you've never had the pleasure of working in a restaurant, I'll let you in on a little secret: they're filled with more drama than most high schools. My job is great because I'm able to work nights (I hate waking up to an alarm), but I take so much of it home with me and it echoes around in my head long after it should.

I am so happy to be home - in pjs and in my comfy chair - listening to the crazy neighborhood kids lighting off fireworks. Senator Brainsack over in the corner has reminded me it's high time to share some of my newest creations with you.

These necklaces are part of my new line, Parlourette, which will be available soon at AuH2O in the East Village. Parlourette is superfun colorful vintage (and vintage inspired!) jewelry that's awesome for a night out or appropriate for a day in the office. I've specifically designed Parlourette jewelry to be more affordable - most pieces are in the $12 - $30 range, with nothing over $40.

I've already reserved the Parlourette name on Etsy, so eventually I'll start filling the store with my new designs. I'm also looking for a new store front for my own website - the GoDaddy one I've been using is really disappointing. I've heard good things about Big Cartel - if anyone has any opinions or experiences regarding online store hosting, I'd love to hear them!

Thursday

2010-07-01T23:34:00.002-06:00

So, supposedly in Germany they have this octopus that can predict winners of the World Cup games. It's name is Paul and it has decided that Germany will beat Argentina in the quarter-finals. Check it out here if you don't believe me.

Yesterday I drove 100 miles to check out these ruins at this park that ended up being closed and gated when we got there. It was disappointing, but the drive was seriously beautiful. Rural New Mexico is absolutely gorgeous; out there your mind can fly. On the way home, we spotted a large raccoon digging through the trash at a gas station.

I'm going to be sending some jewelry to NYC next week; I'll keep you posted with details and photos soon!

A Bloom Necklace Wedding

2010-06-27T12:57:00.002-06:00

I woke up waaaay later today than I intended, with only a short time left to get ready for work. I picked up an extra managing shift today at the restaurant as a favor to my boss. Since I won't have a chance to scout around Etsy today for awesome octopus goodies, I've decided to share this with you from Shana Logic's blog.

This is Angela and her wedding party. Angela contacted Shana Logic awhile back about having me make 6 matching Bloom Necklaces for her bridesmaids. I was superexcited that someone wanted to incorporate my jewelry into their special day and was keeping my fingers crossed that she'd post some photos once the wedding was over. I love how her bouquet matches the Bloom Necklaces! :)

The entire blog entry can be found here, if you're interested. Thanks for your support, Angela!

Be back tomorrow with the Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

New Fuschia Pincushion Necklaces

2010-06-24T13:19:00.002-06:00

Finished up these babies last night. I'll let you know when they're up for sale at ShanaLogic.

The best part about this round of Pincushions is that I was finally able to afford these sweet new concave round nose pliers by Swanstrom that don't mar the surface of the wire when I bend it into little loops. This way, there's less cleanup at the end, which is AWESOME! Having nice tools definitely requires money, but they make the entire process so much easier.

Giant Octopus Robot takes over Trafalgar Square!

2010-06-22T11:32:00.002-06:00

This afternoon, in my usual quest for octopus-inspired awesomeness, I came upon this:

A giant octopus robot has taken over Trafalgar Square in an attempt to bend humanity to its vicious and evil will.....actually, it's a project called OUTRACE which explores the relationship between the virtual and physical world. People will be allowed to take control of the robotic tentacles to draw shapes with lasers or write text messages that will be recorded and posted online.

Please bring the evil tentacles over here when you're done with them, Brits. We could really use something like that to keep the citizens of Albuquerque in line.

Monday

2010-06-21T21:05:00.003-06:00

I took a break from the little army of pink Pincushion Necklaces on my desk to go outside and check the mail. This was waiting.

This is why I love it here, this strange land of weirdness with all of its insane beauty. Despite the parts of it that piss me off, I love it. Every sunset is amazing, every drive out of town takes me past something gorgeous to look at. I can't get tired of the desert and the rocks and the sky and clouds.

This is why I'm probably not moving back to NYC any time soon. Sorry, guys. I love the peacefulness here; I love how annoyingly slow life out here can be.

Check this out: first tomatoes of the season.

And that rad octopus plush I ordered the other day from KidRobot arrived today in way under the estimated shipping time. I know KidRobot has no control over UPS's shenanigans, but it's always an added bonus when some dude appears at your door with tentacled-goodness way sooner than you expect.

Just an FYI, it's actually more green than blue, but that's probably just my computer screen again. Super soft, super squishy, doesn't bite yer hands like these things:

Um yes, I have 2 cats now: Nippers-Kitayziz and her sister Juno. When we got Juno, she had just finished nursing 5 babies and was completely worn out. We've fattened her up and plan on getting her fixed soon. At first, Kitayziz was pretty snotty to her, but now they seem to be getting along like sisters do (playing/fighting).

On top of this all, I've been working on a line of more affordable, but still fabulous jewelry that will be launching this summer. I can't wait. Sleep well, my little Parlourettes!

Sunday Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

2010-06-20T20:59:00.003-06:00

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope it was excellent - mine was filled with chocolate birthday cake, sunset gardening, good times. Before I disappear into an octopus-filled studio I wanted to share with you some of Etsy's tentacled best. I've scoured the cephalopod-inspired pages to come up with some handcrafted awesomeness just for you!

Sweet Surprises makes adorable and affordable octopus jewelry and accessories.

Octopus Barrettes, $3

Octopus Stud Earrings, $5

Octopus Magnet, $2.50

3 different artists with super rad octopus prints.

Octopus Print by DoomGloomBoom, $12

Pale Pink Octopus Print by Marystreacle, $9

Octopus Love Silkscreen by Animalsleep, $25

As always, all photos are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

Cutest Octopus Plush Ever

2010-06-15T18:02:00.002-06:00

I had to wait to share until I had the chance to buy one, but this is the grand king of kawaii octopi.

This adorably squishy little octopus creature will surely fill any void in even the saddest of hearts.

(all photos copyright Kidrobot and TADO)

Octocam

2010-06-14T20:17:00.003-06:00

Giant Pacific Octocam! at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center. Just call me an octopus stalker...

We're back...It's The Etsy Octopus Shakedown!!

2010-06-13T10:55:00.004-06:00

It's Sunday and not just any Sunday, but my 1st official Sunday not having to work in a restaurant! Life Is Good. I'm going to celebrate this wonderful day by presenting to you some of the absolute octopussy best that Etsy has to offer.

Squid 2 by theinkling ($15)

Vintage Carved Bakelite Octopus Ring by craftingfool2003 ($44.95)

Plush Octopod Hat/Pillow by ObeyMyBrain ($35)

Octopus Lovers Fat Quarter by SofsDesigns ($12)

Leather Octopus Eye Patch by SnappingDragon ($36)

As always, all images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request. Enjoy this lovely day!

New Earrings

2010-06-11T12:41:00.002-06:00

Sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately...I finally finished a large order of Pincushion Necklaces for Shana Logic and then actually allowed myself 2 days off. I rarely take a day off, but figured that I kind of need to before I go insane. :p

We went up to Pecos National Park and over to the river to cool down on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I got all the errands done that I've been putting off forever - like taking the massive piles recycling to the dropoff station - and went to a dinner party at my friend Megan's house. She made us yummy fish tacos and I brought over brownie sundaes for dessert.

I finished these drop earrings up today for Hello Bluebird.

And last, but certainly not least, I am very happily giving up my Sunday shift at the restaurant. This will give me an extra day to get jewelry orders filled and hopefully get back to painting at some point. This has been a long time coming and something I am incredibly proud of!

New York, New York

2010-05-29T11:21:00.002-06:00

I thought I'd share some of my photos from my trip to NYC a couple weeks ago. Somehow, in about 2 1/2 day's time I managed to trek all around the city, see friends I haven't seen in years, go shopping, and meet a few buyers at some awesome shops. It was a blast!

First subway ride

I stayed with my awesome friend Sonia in Chinatown.

Thompson Square Park

I walked halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge since it's something I never did while living there.

Om Noms

Eat Me!

Bleecker Street subway station

The Skinniest Store Ever. This place has been a clothing store and several eateries over the years.

Courthouse downtown

Hope you enjoyed my shots; have a fabulous weekend!

Pincushion Necklace Sale!

2010-05-28T12:05:00.002-06:00

In order to make room for new creations, all of the first series of Pincushion Necklaces are 15% off. YAAAY!!

Click here to score yourself a lovely little handmade creation at a reduced price.

Amazing tentacled art

2010-05-25T10:05:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite blogs is My Love for You Is a Stampede of Horses. It is constantly a source of inspiration and information. Recently they wrote a post featuring this artist, Kate MccGwire, who has created an installation called EVACUATE featuring feathered tentacles encompassing a kitchen.

EVACUATE is part of the Tatton Park Biennial which is taking place in Cheshire, England until September 8th. If you are lucky enough to live in or be visiting that beautiful country, I'd highly recommend checking it out!

Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

2010-05-23T10:38:00.003-06:00

It's Sunday! And you all know what that means -- we're back with another Octopus Shakedown. The tentacled pages of Etsy have been scoured for unique creations of handmade octopussiness.

Boat Neck Octopus Shirt by SiempreLaLucha ($30)

Mermaid, a Handmade Tote by CalviRee ($58)

Hector, The Lonely Baby Octopus by Kritureart ($20)

How awesome is this? I've never seen anything like it in all of my searches. I need to win the lottery so I can cover an entire room with these.
Domestic Tentacle by ArtAkimbo ($800)

As always, all images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

OMG YAY!

2010-05-20T12:12:00.003-06:00

So I've been in conversations with this amazing girl who owns a boutique in NYC featuring vintage and recycled clothing and jewelry. I was really interested in selling my jewels there, so I stopped in last week and she told me to send her an email. She wrote back that she loved my work, but it didn't really fit the lower price points that she offers in her shop.

So after much thinking, I've decided to come up with a lower priced line of work. I prefer working in sterling silver and 14K gold-filled, but if customers would rather have cheaper jewelry (which is a feeling I've been getting from stores selling my work lately), then I am more than willing to oblige.

I've been trying to keep prices low on a lot of the jewels, like the Bloom Necklaces, but it's getting harder and harder to make a profit this way, especially as the costs of precious metals skyrocket. Don't get me wrong, I love making art and it's not all about money, but I really desperately want out of the service industry. I'm sick of waiting tables, so if selling art is a way to escape my job, then YES! I will make whatever customers are willing to buy as long as it's in a style I am inspired by.

I'll have more details on this over the coming weeks. Currently I have a bunch of little embroidered balls sitting on my desk waiting to be made into Pincushion Necklaces for ShanaLogic, and then after that, it's onto the lower price point items!

Have a superfantastic weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Fortune Cookie

2010-05-19T16:39:00.002-06:00

I need to apologize for being a bit M.I.A. the last week and a half. Life has been even crazier than usual. I flew out to NYC to meet friends, eat om-noms, go shopping and pimp out O.P. jewelry to a multitude of awesome shops. Then I headed up to Massachusetts on the smelliest, filthiest Greyhound bus ever to see my parents and Grandma and empty out my storage unit. Both my poor dad and I almost pulled our backs out with all the heavy lifting, but somehow we finished everything we needed to.

While I was going through boxes of school notes, old glassblowing projects, club flyers and random single shoes, I found an old planner I used to keep back at NYU. On the side of it surrounded by stickers was a fortune that read:

When I read that, my eyes welled up with tears. Seriously. (I am a sucker for the supercheesycornyemotional) I saved that fortune and taped it to the planner back before I even knew what I wanted out of life. 20 years old and everything was about getting drunk, new shoes and partying with hot guys. Somehow though, I knew I'd figure it out eventually, get to a point in life where I had everything I needed...and I did.

Finally, a dozen years later the effort is slowly starting to pay off. Sometimes I forget how far I've come and how much I have and it's these little things that remind me how absolutely wonderful life is.

Postponement

2010-05-16T12:39:00.001-06:00

Hi!

I'm finally back from my trip to NYC/Mass, but I have to head into work early today so the Octopus Shakedown will be postponed til tomorrow. Sorry! I also have some exciting news to share with you, so stay tuned.

Goodbye!

2010-05-07T23:20:00.003-06:00

Octopus Parlour is going to be shutting down for a few days while I head up to Massachusetts to empty out my money-sucking storage unit. Who knows what sort of interesting treats I might find hidden within those murky depths?

No emails/convos will be answered or orders processed from Saturday 5/8 to the following Saturday 5/15. Any orders made during this time will be shipped on Monday 5/17. Sorry for any inconvenience!

In the meantime, enjoy this badass photo of a Giant Pacific Octopus next to a diver. It's got a face. Crazy.

Bloom Necklace Giveaway!

2010-05-06T10:40:00.002-06:00

Hello my lovely little Parlourettes! This week I have something superfantastical for you: Doe Deere is hosting a Bloom Necklace Giveaway on her blogazine. One lucky reader will receive their choice of one of the 3 necklaces shown above.

All you have to do is head down to the Blogazine and leave a comment telling which flower is your favorite and why. Pretty easy, huh? So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!

Pincushions in progress

2010-05-03T21:22:00.003-06:00

Today I've been working on 20 red Pincushion Necklaces for ShanaLogic, as it seems they've sold out. I'm going to get as many of them finished as possible before I leave for Massachusetts at the end of the week. I'm heading back to the northeast to clean out my storage unit, but luckily I'll get a chance to see family and friends as well.

On one table, I'm working on the embroidery.

In the studio, I'm drilling holes into the sides of the thimbles with my trusty flex shaft. The sterling chains off to the side have jump rings that need soldering.

And my not-so-helpful-but-always-amusing sidekick sits nearby, providing moral support.

It's been so unseasonably cold and rainy here in the desert that I've had to bring all my plants in so the apartment is now covered with a multitude of pots. After living primarily in studio apartments in NYC and Boston, being able to have a courtyard with a garden that's all yours is the awesomest thing ever.

Sunday Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

2010-05-02T10:36:00.005-06:00

Welcome back once again to another Etsy Octopus Shakedown! I spend Sunday mornings (okay, afternoons) combing Etsy with a cup of tea in hand, searching far and wide for the octopussy best of what indie artists have to offer. Here are this week's awesome finds.

Your Jelly Friend, original art by TheBeesKneesDesigns ($46.50)

Blue with Sparkly Hearts Fuzzy Octopod" by OopisNein ($22)

And because I just can't get enough of her adorable Octopus plushes (I mean seriously, only $22 for a handmade plush? Can you imagine the intricate sewing that went into all those tentacles?):
Pink and Green Octopod by OopisNein ($22)

Sterling Tentacle Ring by OctopusMe ($160) Just an FYI, if you're looking for a huge selection of well-made, gorgeous octopus jewelry, OctopusMe totally has you covered.

Underbelly Print by Isacatto ($55)

As always, all images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

Also, just to let all of you in on a little secret: very soon Octopus Parlour in conjunction with Doe Deere Blogazine is going to be holding a Bloom Necklace giveaway. One lucky reader will get to pick their favorite color combo out of 3 gorgeous necklaces, so stay tuned for details. I'm so excited, I'm going to squeeze Senator Brainsack's face until it pops! (just kidding, he's a stuffed octopus and can't really pop)

White Sands

2010-04-29T13:12:00.003-06:00

I got back last night from an amazing trip to White Sands for a jewelry photoshoot. One of the necklaces is a new design, a really loooong asymmetrical SuperChunk in cream and golden tones. The photos we took look absolutely rad and I can't wait to show you!

Getting away for a few days was much needed and it's so great to return home with a fresh perspective on things. I've been frustrated lately with how there is never enough time or money to do all the things I'd like to do. My goals seem to consistently take longer to complete than I'd like them to.

I read this article, "Understanding Growth" last week at Crafting an MBA, which is an awesome blog devoted to the business end of being a crafter/designer/artist. I would seriously recommend it to anyone trying to start their own small business and make it grow. It really helps put things in perspective that as one person, you can only do so much.

I'm going to continue expecting great things from myself, but not the impossible. For some reason despite the body needing oxygen to survive, it's easy to forget to breathe. I'll try to remember more often from now on...

More Pincushions!

2010-04-22T11:17:00.002-06:00

I spoke to Shana of the amazing ShanaLogic and Octopus Parlour is going to start selling bright pink and black pincushion necklaces along with the red ones!

Here's a little photo of the black ones:

I wish I actually had 8 arms like my namesake, because I'm sure I could get everything done a little quicker! Sometimes I think about hiring an employee to help me with all the drilling and soldering and errands here and there, but I'm not sure I could afford it. Hence the dilemma.

I always feel this lack of time most acutely on Thursdays - which are my Mondays - as I return back to the restaurant to make some $$. I have this list I keep on the wall of all the stuff I still have to do and only 1/2 of the things on there have been crossed out. I recognize that getting to where I want to be is a process, and not one that can be finished in a week, but man, is it hard sometimes!

Hope you all have a superlovely Thursday!

1st shipment for Hello Bluebird

2010-04-19T21:42:00.002-06:00

These little jewels got sent out today to Hello Bluebird. If you live near West Reading PA, go on in and check out their shop filled with fantastic goodies from indie artists and crafters.

Etsy Octopus Shakedown

2010-04-18T11:36:00.004-06:00

Once again, I've found a few lovely little cephalopodic goodies from the world of etsy for you all to enjoy on this lazy Sunday afternoon.

Octopus Wood Box by Concentric

(close up of the adorable image)
Amorous Octopus T-shirt by Dyslexicpress

The Low Tide by Peppermint Dreams

Neglecting Defenses Original Art by BrokenFingersArt

All images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

Staying positive!

2010-04-17T11:25:00.007-06:00

Last night one of my co-workers asked how I was able to be so happy all the time. I was touched that he viewed me as a "happy person", since I can't always say I've been that way in the past. It got me thinking though about the things I've done to make my life more positive and how I can continue to do so in the future.

As an artist/crafter running a business, I know everyone in the same spot gets overwhelmed trying to balance that business with the rest of their life. Whether you have a day job, kids, school or you just want to do some socializing, finding a way to fit everything into the short 7 day week seems daunting and sometimes impossible.

I'm still trying to figure it all out myself. I'm not going to lie and pretend like my life is this perfect thing with no sadness or difficulty. There have been times when I've broken down, frustrated and sad, wondering how long it's going to take before I get to where I want to be. At these times, my fiancee tells me that I am where I want to be -- life is good, we have a roof over our heads, we're healthy and we have each other.

I've also come to accept that no matter how hard and fast I work, I am still moving forward at a snail's pace. And that is okay because it has to be. I am only one person and working 80 hours a week is just going to wear me out. So taking breaks - whether that's hiking, going out to dinner, gardening or watching TV - is something I absolutely must do.

I've also found 2 things that quickly put me in a positive mood whenever I'm feeling down. Playing the ukulele is the first. I love singing, plus learning an instrument is superbadass!

Also - and this one I fought for years because it seemed so loathsome - going to the gym and working out is the second thing. Let me reiterate - I hate the gym. I hate working out. I hate being surrounded by sweaty grunting and moaning meatheads. But if I'm sad, it's usually because I haven't worked out in a week or so.

In addition to the endorphins exercise creates, it also makes your body look super sexy which makes your spirits rise! I promise you, if you are depressed, get a gym membership (when people say they can't afford it, I tell them to cut out 4 - 6 trips to the bar a month). Go just 2 - 3 times a week. You will feel better. Seriously. My mom drummed this into me growing up and I fought her tooth and nail, but she was right.

I hope that sharing my experiences can in some small way help others to see that it's not too hard, it's not hopeless. Happiness is right around the corner; it's not always easy to completely re-route your way of thinking, but it's not impossible. We can have our cake and eat it too!

Sandias

2010-04-15T12:16:00.002-06:00

I've been hard at work trying to finish a bunch of Blooms, Pincushions and SuperChunk Necklaces for Hello Bluebird, but even I have to take a break and leave the octopi to fend for themselves for a bit.

My fiancee and I headed out to the Sandia Mountains. Sandia means watermelon in Spanish and when the sun sets, it casts a pink glow on the mountains giving them a watermelonish look.

"The Nipple" is in the background: that was our destination.

On our way up to the top of the Nipple, we saw just 2 of these flowers in bloom. On our hike back however, once the sun started sinking beneath the horizon, thousands of these white flowers opened up to decorate our path.

I'm still stuck in limbo right now, trying to decide whether I should give up a day at the Diner so I can have the time I desperately need to get more artwork done. If I remove a day from my schedule I will have to cut corners everywhere and will be barely able to make ends meet. However, going into that place 4 days a week is sapping my energy: I hate the drama, the complaints and negativity, whoring myself out to rude and demanding customers who treat me like a slave, and the crappy tips. But it affords me opportunities to pay my bills, to go out of town, to occasionally buy myself nice things that I don't need, but that I really want.

So which wins? Is it being financially secure, but frustrated and enslaved or free and happy, but constantly worrying about money? I'm still trying to figure it out...

Belated Etsy Octopus Shakedown

2010-04-12T11:32:00.004-06:00

Good morning, sleepy Monday! Life's been crazy lately and the craziness should be continuing, but there's nothing like a night of insomnia to slow you down. I had all the best of intentions to bring you a fantabulous Octopus Shakedown yesterday and ended up going into work early to cover a friend's shift. Anyway, I present to you the awesome octopussy goodness I've dug up from the bottom of the sea!

Octoplushie by JayneDanger (just as a heads up, she has an entire store filled with these little cuties in all different colors)

Victorian Steampunk Octopus Locket Ring by SweetheartSinner

V-Neck Bell Bottom Octopus Tee by TheFullSpectrum (this one's medium, other sizes available in the shop)

Tiny Squid Octopus Trinket Jar by Skybirdarts (other colors available)

Octopus Stick Barrette Style Hair Ornament by Tinfoilhalo

As always, all images and designs are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

2010-04-09T11:51:00.002-06:00

It's been a few days since my last post and everything has been going well in Parlour Land. I've been working on a series of earrings for ShanaLogic as well as some jewels for Hello Bluebird.

Here's a preview pic of the earrings:

One thing that's been driving me insane - and I don't know if those of you working a day job and doing your art/craft feel this way - is that I feel like I never have enough time to complete all the work I want to in a reasonable amount of time. Everything takes me forever since I only have 3 days in the work week to make art/deal with O.P business stuff. I'm not making enough money from it yet to leave my restaurant job, but it's keeping me very busy.

I desperately want to give up one of my shifts, but know that I won't make enough money to pay my bills. Or will I? Sometimes I feel like you just have to take the plunge, one more little step that means falling off the cliff and maybe before you hit the ground you find a way to fly.

I am so scared! I know if I need to, I can pick up extra shifts from co-workers who are sick or going on vacation. It's not like I'll starve. I have a little money in the bank, but I hate using it. I wish there was someone to tell me the right way to proceed with this, but there isn't. I just have to give it a try and if I fail, that doesn't mean I've completely failed...there are always other options.

One more step?

Hiatus

2010-04-04T14:36:00.002-06:00

We're taking a break from the Etsy Octopus Shakedown this Sunday. I have to head off to work to refill iced teas and sling steaks. Happy Easter if you celebrate it and Happy Sunday to everyone else!

Only 2 more days for free shipping!

2010-04-02T11:41:00.004-06:00

The free shipping offer is coming to a close at midnight on Saturday. Head on over to the Etsy shop and send us a convo saying you heard about free shipping in the blog and I'll remove the fees from your purchase.

Here are some of the fabulous new jewels that have been recently added to the shop.

Pink Sterling Pincushion Necklace

Pink Passionflower Bloom Earrings

Royal Medallion BabyChunk Necklace

Thanks for looking and have a superfantastic weekend!

Another too-short week comes to a close

2010-03-31T21:36:00.004-06:00

We finished up our photoshoot a couple hours ago and I only had the strength to edit the one photo I needed to finish tonight. I'm using this image of the 3 Pincushion Necklaces for Octopus Parlour's ad on Doe Deere's Blogazine.

These new pincushion necklaces have handmade felted cushions (made by me and my awesome fiancee!) and I found some spiffy colorful pins to match. These particular ones will be heading off to Hello Bluebird in a couple weeks.

I'm sad I have to return to the restaurant tomorrow -- there's still so much work I'd like to finish. I threw my back out yesterday, so I had to slow everything down, but at least I got as much done as I did. Next week I'm going to finish the earrings I designed specifically for Shana Logic, so there's more loveliness to look forward to!

Yay for Mondays!

2010-03-29T12:03:00.004-06:00

Monday starts the beginning of the Parlour work week and this particular day is absolutely gorgeous out! Warm...sunny...it makes me remember why I moved to this crazy desert town in the first place.

Today's project is getting a few of the new style Pincushion Necklaces completed. I start with wool roving for the cushions and vintage/antique sterling thimbles. 3 of these will be going to Hello Bluebird and the last one will be posted to the Etsy shop. I'm so excited to be able to use bright colors in the Pincushion Necklaces!

Since it's such a lovely day, I've put the plant babies I've been cultivating outside to catch a little sun. It's about time to transplant them, but I'm a little worried by how unpredictable the weather's been lately. I've got tomatoes, cucumbers, New Mexico chiles, watermelons, and basil and none of those will stand up particularly well to a snow storm.

Nippers-Kitayziz has been enjoying the outdoors as well and takes to rolling in the dirt until her black fur turns brown, then coming in the house and shaking it all off on the furniture.

Hope your Monday is filled with lovely things (and if you're working, hope you get out early!).

Sunday Afternoon Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

2010-03-28T12:24:00.005-06:00

A huge hello to all my lovely little Parlourettes! Today I've dug up a bunch of tentacled goodies for you from the lovely land of Etsy. Enjoy!

Dot the Octopus Navy Blue Polka Dot Top by Sohokitten.

Octopus Ring with Antique Bronze Plate by Billyblue22.

Octopus Tote by Rainbowswirlz.

Aqua Octopus Necklace by Birdqueen.

Letter O Octopus Print by JennSki. Her shop features prints for every letter of the alphabet with an adorable illustration for each.

As always, all photos are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

A special deal just for you!

2010-03-27T11:01:00.004-06:00

Hey loyal readers!

I wanted to offer free shipping all next week (3/28 - 4/3) on any purchase you make at Octopus Parlour's Etsy Shop. Please convo me on Etsy before making your purchase (just say you heard about free shipping on the blog) and I'll remove the shipping fees for you. If you forget to get in touch with me first, I'll refund the shipping charges through Paypal after you've paid.

I woke up this morning with an awesome idea in my head for the new ad for Doe Deere's Blogazine. It's going to feature the new Pincushion Necklaces, with handmade felted balls. Now that I'm making them by hand (with the help of Hudson who is possibly the world's best felt ball maker), the cushions can be in any color of the rainbow! I've even found this metallic glitter thread that can be woven into them.

I have a bunch to make for Hello Bluebird, a fabulous shop in PA that is going to be selling Octopus Parlour's jewels! I just heard back from them 2 days ago and was literally bouncing around the room with excitement.

All these new opportunities make me feel like I don't have enough time for Octopus Parlour. 3 days a week doesn't seem like enough to get all my orders filled plus all the other hats I wear. And yes, there are the octopi...but without direction from me they totally slack off and end up asleep on the bed. I'm glad I'm not paying them.

Making changes to heal the world

2010-03-25T10:42:00.003-06:00

I received an incredibly thoughtful letter from APVNM, thanking Octopus Parlour for our donation from last holiday season. Reading through all the good things this organization has done for animals made me feel so incredibly happy to have contributed to such a great cause.

It got me thinking, too, about how we, as humans, are constantly driven by the need to spend our money buying stuff. The purchase of this stuff - whether it's new clothes, shoes, video games, sports equipment, truck balls, whatever - fills us with some sort of positive feelings that tend to last for just a little while until it's time to buy more stuff again.

I started contrasting the feelings I get buying, say, a pair of awesome new shoes (which I honestly never NEED, regardless of how I choose to rationalize it) with the feelings I had after reading through this letter from APVNM. There's something about knowing your money is going to make a good change in the world that really means something. Something much more than a pair of new shoes.

Then the very next day, Hudson told me I had to watch this: The Story of Stuff. This is a documentary by Annie Leonard, using hand-drawn illustrations to explain how our drive to consume destroys so many people's/animal's/plant's lives as well as the environment. It explains how when you buy something cheap in a store like a $5 radio, the hidden costs are more than you could ever know. From the third world people displaced out of their native land so corporations can mine for minerals or chop down trees all the way to the Walmart worker at the store selling the radio making minimum wage with no benefits. (I'm not going to go into the entire thing here, but if you have a spare 20 minutes, please watch it!)

One thing Annie Leonard does say that really stuck with me was that 6 months after an item is purchased, only 1% of those items are still in use. That means 99% of all products purchased are headed to a landfill (or hopefully recycled) within 6 months. When I heard that, I was like, NO WAY.

I started feeling twinges of guilt and asked myself how I was contributing to this. Here I am, manufacturing jewelry and art, making stuff for people to buy that might end up in a landfill polluting the environment. Using chemicals that are bad for myself and the rest of the world. Buying cheap stuff that I frequently don't need, yet I find a way to justify it to myself that I do.

What can I do? How can I change my ways to make my imprint on the Earth much lighter?

-Buy local as much as possible. Most jewelry supplies don't come from New Mexico, but I can at least buy from a company that doesn't have to ship their goods a second time to me.

-Try to buy from companies that pay their workers a decent wage. I get my art supplies from a little shop called Artisan that I used to work at and I know employees are treated well there. Their products cost more than say, DickBlick, but I don't care because I know that it's a good place run by good people.

-Buy handmade! I've started buying most gifts on Etsy and find the things I've purchased to be way better quality than what I usually find in a chain store. Plus, there are a lot of people making clothing, jewelry, etc. from recycled materials which is awesome!

-Make jewelry that lasts. This is something I've always tried to do; quality is so important to me. I want to make pieces that will last a lifetime so that they don't end up in a landfill. I also offer free or low-priced repair options on all jewelry, so if it breaks, please let me know!

-When there is a recycled/organic/cruelty-free/fair trade option, go with it, even if it costs more money.

-I'm making an effort to use less enamel in my jewelry. I know it's really bad for the environment, so I try to keep its use to a minimum.

-Investigate recycling options. Sure, I can melt down sterling or cash in my gold-filled or brass at the jewelry supply store, but what about used up drill bits? plastic flowers missing a petal? enameled metal links? Where can I go to recycle these things? I cannot bring myself to throw any metal into the trash, so I have a collection of broken dremel bits and other things lying around the studio until I find the answers to these questions.

This gives me a lot to think about. I do know this: I can take $100 and put it to use changing the world or I can go to the store and buy a pair of shoes. Shoes that I'll wear a couple times a year and that will sit in my closet taking up space. It's time for Octopus Parlour and myself to make some positive changes. Let's spread the love!

Octopus Parlour featured on the front page of Etsy!

2010-03-22T11:16:00.003-06:00

This morning I woke up, poured myself a cup of tea and sat down for my morning ritual of internet action. When I logged into Facebook, I was weirded out to see a post under Octopus Parlour's fan page that the shop was featured on Etsy. It looked like someone hacked into my account, so at first I was trying to figure out what was wrong, but then I realized this new Etsy app for Facebook communicates between the two sites. Turns out it automatically posts to your fan page if you're featured on Etsy.

So I did a little research and found the screen capture from about 2:00 AM on Craftcult. Here it is!

My fiancee has been post-processing the photos from the shoot with Vanessa and Eriq last month.

Vanessa is wearing 2 Vintage SuperChunk Necklaces (pink and orange one), Pink Candy Drop Earrings and Pink Chrysanthemum Barrettes.

Vanessa is wearing a purple Bloom Necklace on enameled chain (available soon!) and Blue Chrysanthemum Barrettes.

Sunday Etsy Octopus Shakedown

2010-03-21T13:23:00.004-06:00

It's back! Presenting Octopus Parlour's Sunday Afternoon Etsy Octopus Shakedown! I've scoured the tentacled pages of Etsy for some truly amazing and creative octopussy finds for you to drool over.

Garden Tentacle by Marathon1981 ($26.00)

Rainbow Tentacle Earrings by Deceptions ($15.00)

Tropical Baby Octopus Toddlerus by ButterflyLove1 ($14.00)

and another by the same seller because these are both so adorable and knitted by hand!
Stripy Baby Wonky Octopus ($14.00)

Octopus Print by Berkleyillustration ($10.00)

I really want this one myself; his stripes are AWESOME!
Deluxe Socktopus Recycled Sweater Plush by Blackbirdfashion ($24.50)

All images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request.

That's all for this week! Be back soon with some photos from a recent shoot.

Customer Service

2010-03-19T11:21:00.003-06:00

I have recently had both totally amazing and absolutely horrible customer service experiences with companies that I deal with for Octopus Parlour. This has got me thinking a lot recently about customer service, what it means and how businesses (or employees) and customers should handle a dispute.

It's also been a bit of a slap in the face because I naively thought once I get out of the service industry I won't have to deal with rude people anymore. Well, SURPRISE, they're everywhere. And even when you're working your dream job, you're going to come across people that are rude, mean, snarky and difficult. You're going to meet people that could help you, but choose not to because they're in a bad mood.

I had an amazing experience with Isabella's Collections, on Ebay recently. I purchased some vintage flowers from them. When they arrived, some of the holes were drilled too low, making them unusable. When I wrote to them, Sharon, the owner wrote back promptly, apologized and then offered to send new flowers to replace the ones I couldn't use. I thanked her and asked where to ship the others flowers back to for a return and she told me to keep them. The next day, she shipped out the new flowers and even included a free gift.

I think partially this transaction went so well because I was nice to Sharon when I wrote to her. I didn't accuse her of trying to screw me over, say that her product was crap or tell her how offended I was. Also, I could have just been upset and left neutral or negative feedback, but that wouldn't have resolved the situation. I think it's really important as a customer, when you are upset about something to try to speak (or write) in a calm and non-threatening tone of voice. If you find yourself getting worked up in a person to person conversation, take a deep breath. Most sellers or businesses are more than willing to work with you if there's an error to rectify it.

Of course I say "most". The Ring Lord is one business that won't. I buy enameled copper chain from this company and will never do so again after my most recent experience.

I placed an order with them on March 2nd. Their site said it took a couple days to pack the order and UPS Ground would have it here in 7 - 10 business days. I knew I needed it in about 3 weeks to finish an order of earrings. 2 weeks later, I went to track my order on their website and discovered that it said I hadn't paid. Which was strange, because the money was taken out of my Paypal account on the 2nd.

I wrote to them, explained my predicament, and when Bernice, one of the owners, wrote back she apologized, but didn't acknowledge the fact that I said I was really hoping to get it soon so that I could finish my earrings. She said it would still ship UPS Ground and take 2 weeks to get here. I wrote her a second time and she didn't respond, so I wrote to Jon Daniels, the other owner. I forwarded the emails between myself and Bernice and told him I was disappointed with the level of customer service I received and felt like my needs had been ignored.

He wrote this back:

"Going to me isn’t really going over Bernice’s head – she owns 50% of the company. We are more of a “charge a fair price and ship a good product” type of company not a “charge as much as possible and do everything possible to make the customer happy”. Occasionally a mistake happens - its regrettable but its not necessarily something we should have to pay for. We use code from Paypal the company that wrote the shopping cart software but I doubt you think it would be reasonable for paypay to pay the extra shipping costs. I have 2 opinions of the matter – 1 – there is no such thing as a chainmail emergency, 2 – my suppliers (all business to business industrial type suppliers) would never ever do anything other then apologize for any delays – its just the price you pay for dealing with low margin companies.

What we have done to avoid the types of problems you had:

1. All orders are completely traceable via the “my account” area of our webpage. Had you logged in to check on your order you would have seen it was not paid.
2. We send email confirmation of shipments unless its by envelope by mail"

I was pretty shocked to receive a letter back telling me that it was my responsibility to check up on my order and make sure it was being processed. I am also amazed that in today's economy, a business would admit that they won't "do everything possible to make the customer happy" or say they shouldn't have to pay for mistakes they make.

Even if he'd just written me back saying, "I'm so sorry about your experiences, our apologies, but we cannot do anything to expedite shipping", that would have been better than the email I received. Instead, after I wrote him back, saying that I didn't appreciate how rude he'd been, he sent this email:

"Sorry if you don’t like the way I’m trying to explain things. Making our customers happy is a priority HOWEVER the way we focus on making our customers happy is by selling them a good product at a good price not by giving them exactly what they ask for anytime there is little problem like a computer glitch that was not our fault (our responsibility but not our fault). We take responsibility for getting you your product but we don’t take full responsibility for getting it to you exactly when you want UNLESS you proactively do something to ensure we are informed of your needs.

I am in your shoes on a daily basis – I place $100,000 orders that I need on time and the orders are often late – I assure you no amount of complaining would get me free shipping or a shipping upgrade. The reality is this is what happens sometimes when a company must focus on manufacturing. Ideally I would prefer to sell in bulk to stores that sell to small customers who need things on time with no chance of mistakes."

In this situation, it doesn't matter how nice I was to both Bernice and Jon; they seem to take offense with customers making it known they are displeased with how the transaction went. It's really shocking that a business owner would openly admit that they'd rather not "sell to small customers who need things on time with no chance of mistakes", when those customers help to pay their bills and keep their shop running.

I know every person working in business encounters the annoying customer. Those people can be so frustrating to deal with, but unless a customer is yelling, swearing or being really rude to you first, it's a good idea to try to be as calm, professional and diplomatic as possible. Be prepared to handle complaints in a way that everyone leaves (as) happy (as possible). If you don't like a customer, don't tell them that -- it's just not okay. Understand that whether it's your fault something went wrong or just a "glitch" in the system, as a business that holds ethics high you really need to step up and take responsibility for fixing the error that has occurred. Sometimes apologizing just isn't enough.

Working in restaurants, I see customers everyday who think that if they complain enough, they can get a free meal. This happened last night with a woman who was "offended" and "disgusted" that her tacos were too greasy. Though my manager took the tacos off her bill, she was still furious and wanted the rest of the food comped as well, which he wouldn't do. When I apologized profusely to her as I was bringing her check over, she grabbed the bill from my hand and yelled, "Yeah, whatever!"

People shouldn't feel like they can complain to get free stuff, but not every customer is like that woman last night. There's a nice way, and there's a not-so-nice way and as a business owner, I will always be more than willing to help out someone who complains to me in a nice way. Not saying I won't help everyone out, but if someone insults me or swears at me, I'd probably just refund all their money and be done with it.

I guess the moral of this post is to try to treat everyone with respect, but to stick up for yourself when you feel it's necessary. Sometimes you are going to encounter Ring Lords and sometimes if you're lucky it'll be Isabella's Collections. In the end, I hope any customer with a problem feels comfortable enough to come to me and I promise I will do my best to ensure you leave here happy instead of upset.

Etsy Octopus Shakedown featuring Society Sedso

2010-03-14T14:45:00.003-06:00

This week we're doing the Octopus Shakedown a little differently and focusing on just one artist. SocietySedso aka Bunny X Productions on makes these ABSOLUTELY AMAZING polymer clay tentacle pendants.

I was browsing through people's favorites when I came across these. I've seen some pretty awesome polymer clay sculptures and jewelry, but never anything like this. The prices are really reasonable for such superb craftsmanship; you can pick up a pendant for $28 - $35.

Lace

Evie

Poison

All images are copyright SocietySedso/Bunny X Productions and will be happily removed upon request.

Castle Valley Collaboration

2010-03-11T10:06:00.003-07:00

If I ever get wealthy enough to buy a home, I'd like it to be here:

Castle Valley is the most beautiful non-seaside town I've ever been to. It's nestled underneath the large majestic rock formations of Parriott Mesa and Castleton Rock.. This area of Utah is known as Postcard Alley, because as you're rafting down the Colorado River, which is just about a mile away, everywhere you look you're presented with another picturesque, postcard-like view.

Before I moved to the Southwest 5 years ago, I had NEVER seen anything like this. I grew up in Mass/CT/NYC and there are no arches, mesas or sweeping vast areas of nothingness. Here in Albuquerque, if I drive 15 minutes and start hiking up the Sandia mountains, I can look down upon the entire city. I can see where it ends. In Massachusetts, the cities and towns never end. They just blend into each other with trees in between.

Castle Valley, to me, contains all of the most beautiful things that the Southwest has to offer. In addition to waking up every morning to a view like the photo above, this part of Utah is chock-full of National and State Parks and hiking, backpacking, climbing, biking, bird-watching, river rafting and other recreational opportunities.

That's why I was shocked to hear that back in 1999, land in Castle Valley that included part of the gorgeous rock formations had been sold by SITLA (the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration that owns it) to some evil corporate developer that wanted to turn it into a resort for the rich. Something like this would destroy the delicate ecosystem thriving here and change the feel of the town forever. In addition, there is very little water available and the people of the town are just able to make due currently. Any large growth in population would tip the balance to unlivable.

Once this happened, the town rose up in outrage and formed the Castle Rock Collaboration, which sought to raise enough money to buy the land back from SITLA. The sale to the developer was cancelled, so long as the Collaboration agreed to pay SITLA the money they needed in exchange for the land. Last July, the Collaboration raised enough money to protect 530 acres of land. They still need $45,000 to buy back the entire parcel.

When I read about all of this, I knew I had to help. I love Castle Valley so much and desperately want to do my part to preserve it for many generations to come. Because of this, Octopus Parlour is donating 10% of all sales to the Castle Rock Collaboration.

If you haven't been out to this part of Utah, it is seriously time to think about taking a roadtrip. Come and see all the beauty I've found!

Taxes...Woooowheee!

2010-03-08T10:42:00.002-07:00

So today I have to go through all my receipts and Paypal records from every last little thing I bought for the sake of Octopus Parlour in 2009. This is my first year filing taxes as an official small business and I have to say I'm kind of nervous! Not taking-a-test nervous, but usually I get back a few hundred dollars and this year I have no idea what's going to happen.

I know I spent a lot more than I earned, as most people tend to do in the first couple years. Normally I'd do this on my own online, but this year I'm shelling out the big bucks (they couldn't give me an exact quote...scary!) to have a professional at H&R Block help me out. Eventually I'd like to get my own independent accountant (maybe by then my sister will have her accounting degree), but for now I'm just going to work with whoever they assign to me.

Saving all my receipts is a huge help, but now I wish I'd put them into my ledger when I brought each one home. Hopefully the accountant can give me even more tips for next year to maximize my refund.

Sunday Afternoon Etsy Octopus Shakedown

2010-03-07T10:25:00.003-07:00

Hello my little Parlourettes!

Back as promised for yet another Octopus Shakedown featuring the octopussy best of what Etsy has to offer. I hope you enjoy these amazing works of art!

Aqua and Red Octopus Tote Bag by JensBags

Octopus Vinyl Graphic by Heckfire

Octopus Tentacle Corporate Man Explosion T-shirt by DarkCycleClothing (available in guys, girls and a multitude of different colors)

Silkscreened Octopus Print on Old Sheet Music

All images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request. Take care and have a super relaxing Sunday!

Finally...earrings!

2010-03-03T11:26:00.002-07:00

I know I've been promising you, my lovely Parlourettes, some earrings and barrettes to adorn your body. Now, finally they have arrived! These little guys in the photo below will be available in both Octopus Parlour's Etsy shop and eventually in the online store. I started uploading last night and I'm going to try to get them finished before I have to go into work tonight.

Yesterday, we did a photoshoot of the barrettes in Hudson's studio. I was able to do most of it by myself, using his Alpha 900 camera and a Tamron macro lens. I'm finally starting to get the hang of lighting product shots which is awesome! Here's a sneak preview of the glittery Skull Barrettes.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

Photos from the De-Na-Zin Wilderness

2010-03-01T22:04:00.002-07:00

Here are more photos as promised from my recent excursion up north. These are of a fantastical place called the De-Na-Zin Wilderness, which is about 45 miles south of Farmington, NM. We didn't get a chance to go too far in, because the light was failing, but I did manage to photograph a few amazing rock formations.

Sunday Afternoon Etsy Octopus Shakedown

2010-02-28T10:37:00.003-07:00

Back again with yet another Etsy Octopus Shakedown! We've combed the pages of Etsy for a bunch of great octopus-inspired items for you to enjoy. These are our favorites.

Blue and Red Octopus Original Linocut by TheGreyFoxStudios

Bright Blue Tonal Octopus Graphic T-shirt by HappyFamily

Leaving Home Print by WaterBears

OctopusMe Claw Tentacle Earrings by OctopusMe

Tonky Octopus Necklace in 14K gold plate by TonkyDesigns

As always, all images are copyright their respective owners and will be happily removed upon request. Thanks for joining us and have a lovely Sunday!

Pincushion Necklaces available at ShanaLogic

2010-02-27T12:07:00.001-07:00

Now available here at ShanaLogic!

Break

2010-02-26T12:43:00.002-07:00

It's easy to get mired in the huge pile of work that looms in front of me, constantly beckoning. Do you ever feel that way sometimes? Some of it is so fun, it's barely work at all, like designing new jewelry or painting. Other parts are less exciting, like doing taxes, but regardless of the type of work everyone needs a break now and again. I know that I have a really difficult time admitting, "Enough is enough!" and taking a step back to relax. I think also when you work from home it's more difficult to know when to stop.

So this past week my fiancee and I got out of the house and into nature. Doing this always helps clear my mind and makes me feel better about everything. We drove about 3 hours northwest to Farmington NM to check out the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness and the ancient ruins of Chaco Canyon.

Here are some of the images I captured on my camera. This first set of images I'll post today is from the Bisti.

I've really been enjoying taking photos and am thinking about submitting to the same stock agency my fiancee does. I'm no professional, but given time I think I can get better. The agency also accepts vector artists and learning Illustrator is something I've been putting off doing for way too long. I've heard the pen tool is a pain, but once you've mastered it, it's fairly easy. I also feel like my style of painting in blocks with no blending will lend itself well to making vector art.

Etsy Octopus Shakedown!

2010-02-21T11:28:00.003-07:00

Last Sunday, Basil Bathbone, Senator Brainsack and the new arrival Limeaid Bandaid sat down with me at the computer to search Etsy far and wide for the awesomest tentacle-inspired and cephalopodic goodies. We decided that this should be a regular weekly event, especially since a lot of bloggers out there take Sundays off. So be sure to come on over every Sunday to check out the octopussy best of what Etsy has to offer.

Squid Ink Unisex Hoodie by BlackBirdTees

Hot Pink Felt Octopus by ManfredMonkeys. This octopus has buttons sewn on to represent its little suckers!

Dedot Pentapod Monster by Cottonmonster

Victorian Octopus Filigree Necklace by Sweetheartsinner

Sea Monster by TheInkling (p.s. -- she also has this available as a miniature print inside a pendant to hang on a chain.)

Squid's Garden Yellow Bow Tote Bag by KatieGariepy

All images are copyright their respective owners and will be removed if desired upon request.

Just as an FYI, I'll be gone this week during normal shipping days (Mon - Wed) so all purchases made during this time will be sent out Thursday.

Thanks again and have a fantastic week!