'tis the candy season.

It's sale time! urban legend is participating in Etsy's community-run annual sales event, Christmas in July. Most items in the shop are discounted 25% for the duration of the sale, from July 11-21.* Sale prices are listed, so there's no need to use a coupon code. Happy shopping, and please don't eat the jewelry!

*new designs and necklace of the month club are not discounted.

It's summer sale time at urban legend!

Necklaces are 10% off and earrings & bracelets are 20% off

through Sunday, July 17.

spring cleaning.

I've started to work on some new glass designs - finally! I'm looking forward to photographing them this weekend. In anticipating listing them, I realized I'm nearly out of room in my shop. Which means it's time for an impromptu spring cleaning sale. Use the code SPARKLEFRENZY to get 30% off your order in my Big Cartel shop.

And keep your eyes open for new work in the next few weeks - I'm excited!

i want candy.

My urbanlegend shop is turning 2 years old this month. That's 2 years of making big, fun, candy-looking, please-don't-eat-the jewelry, and I've enjoyed every minute so far. I've also placed no less than 10 orders for beads in the last two weeks, so you can look forward to yet more fun new stuff - and I can look forward to trying to figure out where I'm going to put everything.

To celebrate this sugary bounty, I'll be having a sale from Friday, March 11 (that's tomorrow!) through Wednesday, March 16. Use the code IWANTCANDY in the coupon box of the Etsy checkout to take 20% off your order. Thanks for being a friend to urbanlegend, and I hope to see you in the candy store.

Etsy urbanlegend

summer sale times at urban legend! (and a slight amendment to the shop update)

The time for summer sale at urban legend has arrived! From Wednesday, July 28-Monday, August 2 I'll be having a 20% off sale in my urban legend Etsy shop. (Everything is on sale, with the exception of the Heavy Fuel designs - see my previous post for more information about that.)

Sale prices will be listed, so there's no need to wait for a revised invoice. However, because sales involve So. Much. Editing. of listings, I've decided to wait until Wednesday morning to post my new shop update items for this week. That saves me listing them tomorrow and then having to edit them right away on Wednesday morning. I'm a little selfish that way. But here's a little peek at what I'll have for you on Wednesday. New items and sale prices will appear early Wednesday morning ~ have fun, and thanks for supporting urban legend!

summer lazy

image from flickr

I'm enjoying my summer so much. I've gone to movies, gone to breakfast, gone to dinner, gone for drinks, gone on a makeup-buying bender, gone for walks, gone to block parties, and gone days and days without washing my hair. Ahem.

In the spirit of my lazy summer days, there will be no shop updates for either of my shops the week of July 5. I'm taking a break from photographs and listings, although I'll still be making new things. You just have to wait an extra week to see them while I sit and read a book. (I know. Big meanie.)

I will, however, continue my summer sale in Leaves of Glass through Monday, July 5. Everything in that shop is 30% off, with sale prices marked so you don't have to fidget waiting for me to get around to sending a revised invoice (that would take way too long. I'm quilting, or at the farmer's market, or trying to figure out how to make yogurt or something). Many of these pieces will be discontinued after this sale, so get them while you can! I'll be working on a new collection later this summer (I'd give you a hint, but I have absolutely no idea what it's going to be like), so I'm clearing the decks now. Here are a few of the pieces that are currently on sale:

I hope you're enjoying your summer too! If you read any really great books, drop me a line and tell me about them.

three years and counting

Today marks the third anniversary of the day I joined Etsy as a seller. It's been an incredible experience, and I feel so lucky to have met many, many wonderful people - both sellers and buyers. I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back and see how Leaves of Glass looked when I started. Here's the first thing I ever listed:

They were called Cherry Carousel, and I had to take approximately 60 pictures of them to get a picture even this clear. I wish I was kidding. I hadn't picked up a camera in ten years, and had never heard of macro.

Moving on a year to January of 2008. I had learned a bit more by then, and looking back through my listings and sales I'm touched to see how many of my loyal and generous customers came to me in that first year and are still fans. Thank you so much! I would not still be here without you. Lakeshore Earrings:

Moving on to last January, I came to this listing. By last winter, I'd developed a signature style of photograph that included a crumbling book binding as background. I'd also received generous advice and friendly council from seasoned sellers, made dozens of friends whom I cherish, started this blog, collaborated with customers on some very special custom work, sold over 1,000 items, mentored more than a few new sellers myself, and learned to listen to my father's voice in my head. I don't know that I've ever told him this, but every time I answer a convo or work through a thorny problem, I hear my dad editing me. He's a good writer, a temperate and kind-hearted man, and he masters his ego more successfully than anyone else I've ever known. Thank you, Dad. I love you. And I love these vibrant, knobbly blue beads. Note to self: check beadboxes for more Capri beads. Capri Earrings:

Shortly after this listing, I decided to launch a second shop, separating my designs with vintage Lucite from the vintage glass line. I took a break from Leaves of Glass for personal and professional rest, and worked on developing the new shop and a new style of photograph. This second project is still a work in progress - I floundered around for a while, and there's a horrible maudlin section in my Sold listings that shows a style I liked, but never mastered in terms of quality or visual pop. I'm constantly reevaluating my photographs and trying new looks, and at the moment my shop has settled into an amalgam of styles - basically I just choose whichever style I feel best suits the particular piece I'm photographing. I'm still not happy with it, but I've made my peace with the idea that I'm never going to be happy with it. Moving on...

Here's a new pair of earrings I listed today, the first day of Year Three. And yeah, the photograph is bugging me. But as always, I'm in love with the beads. That particular passion never seems to fade, and finding new pieces to design with is still my favorite part of this work.

Thank you to everyone who helped me, befriended me, sought my advice, and liked, promoted and purchased my work. It's been a privilege, and I hope to know you for a long time to come. To thank you, and because it's become a tradition for me, I'm having an anniversary sale in my shop. Stop by anytime!

20% off all weekend!

Leaves of Glass is having a 20% off sale all weekend - Friday, November 26 - Tuesday, December 1. Item listings in my shop have been edited to reflect the sale prices, and all orders will be shipped on Wednesday, December 2 to arrive in plenty of time for the holidays. Happy shopping!

oops.

I'm late with Friday's sneak peeks; I'm sorry! I was working my way through a gigantic to-do list and didn't get to any of the fun stuff. Here they are, slightly delayed. The new listings will start appearing in urban legend early next week.

The last of my summer line is discounted 20-50%, and will be on sale through the end of the weekend. (And then, like that, it's gone...)

first annual killer pop rocks sale!

Welcome, welcome, step right up to the First Annual urban legend Killer Pop Rocks sale! A huge section of my shop is marked down 25% - earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Sale prices are listed, so there's no need to wait for an adjusted invoice. Have fun, but don't mix pop rocks and pepsi, and please, please - don't eat the jewelry.

Etsy Buy Handmade urbanlegend

countdown to creative renewal time, plus some incredible deals for spring

In a little less than 24 hours (10 p.m. on Sunday, April 19), I'll be closing Leaves of Glass for a six week hiatus while I take a break. I'll be back in early June with new work; my other shop, urbanlegend, will remain open. I'm having a store-wide 30% off sale to clear the way for new work, and I wanted to post some other incredible deals here at the same time. (Sale prices in Leaves of Glass are an additional 30% off the prices displayed; sale prices in Coo-koo-ri-koo, LemonStory and twilightandfiligree are as marked.)

The enchanting cookoorikoo is having a sale on all her yoyo jewelry. Gorgeous fabric necklaces, earrings, bracelets and fascinators are all 30% off. Shana has a fantastic eye for color and design, and I know from personal experience that her jewelry is beautiful and always gets lots of attention when I wear it. Check it out!

Also planning to take a break at the end of April is lemonstorynyc. A selection of her graceful kimono dresses are on sale. Don't miss out on unique handmade couture.


I recently discovered twilightandfiligree, maker of sensational leather bags. Visit her spring sale section for deals on unique handmade leather purses.

everybody out!

I'm feeling the need for a clean sweep, and have started planning a new collection for Leaves of Glass (remember a couple of months ago when I promised her some refreshing love and attention?). It's nowhere near ready to debut yet, even as sneak peeks, but in the interests of cleaning house and clearing my mind for new material, I've put lots and lots of things in my shop on sale. Check out my sale section, and help Leaves of Glass get ready for some new looks!

randomly selected holiday specials

For one reason and another, I've had a rough and choppy fall, and have fallen a bit behind on all the fun stuff that's supposed to go with holiday shopping. It didn't occur to me until this morning that it would be fun to offer daily specials in my shop, so I'm going to do my best to keep up with that plan (Step 1: publicize it so you're accountable...). Starting with today: for Wednesday, December 3, take 15% off all blue earrings! Keep an eye on my Special of the Day section for new shopping treats.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5041500&section_id=5785807

Happy holidays!