January Sale at Blue Gnome Emporium

It's that time for New Year's clearing and the inventory at Blue Gnome is having a January sale on many 2015 creations!  Excluded are made to order items, custom orders and alterations..so if that ring you've been checking back on is perfectly your size, this is the time to grab it!

Alterations are still offered for a nominal fee :)

I've had my lovely mom here since the beginning of January and so my 2016 has started off on a slow, family time note.  I'll be back in the shop on a more regular basis starting next week, it's been hard to get motivated to head to the studio here when there's tea drinking and chit chatting to be done with my mom..I do miss those leisurely chats and mindless window shopping sessions that only a good mother-daughter session can satisfy, she'll be dearly missed (again) when she returns to B.C.

So to all you lucky peeps who have your mothers nearby..pop by today and give her a big ol' hug and sit down together for a hot cup of tea.  It's a glorious sunny, winter's day this Tuesday and it's perfect for staying indoors for a bit of tongue wagging.

And if you have a moment, head over to the Blue Gnome shop and see what selections are currently up for grabs for a New Year's clearing!

xo Blue Gnome

   

To Track or Not To Track..

So I have something I'd like to discuss with all you lovely people out there..it's not anything particularly exciting but something I'd love to invite all of you to comment on because I'm a little unsure of how to proceed from here!

It's not very often that a parcel goes missing in the mail system..delays have certainly happened over the years and holidays are particularly a prime time for misplaced parcels that get found after the holiday rush in the postal system and sent forward..sometimes weeks later. I have to say, I have only had a small handful of unpleasant experiences with buyers and have always been grateful and so appreciative of those of you who have been ever so patient with delays or the replacement being created then sent on again. For those of you kind souls..I thank you for this. Such a seemingly small gesture of patience makes a world of difference for me since I'm usually in a tizzy at the thought of one of my beloved pieces having gone missing in the first place..and scrambling to make a replacement is generally in a panic as well. 

So comes the decision I've been pondering..I'm at a place right now where I think I will have to start shipping International parcels with tracking and insurance. Although this sounds like a no-brainer to some, the cost difference between shipping an International parcel as a "regular small parcel" with no tracking or insurance is currently around $12. Add insurance and tracking and the cost for the exact same parcel jumps to $26 ~ $30. Xpresspost and Priority shipping costs run another $30 ~ $40 on top of that. You can see how quickly a seemingly "budget friendly" purchase can suddenly add up. Currently, shipping with tracking and insurance is offered as an upgrade option..but without any real consequence to the buyer if the item disappears in the system while in transit, this option is rarely, if ever selected. 

Up until now, missing parcels are resolved with a full refund or an offer of a custom piece similar to the original item. It's proving to be quite costly on my end..even with lost incidents being (thankfully) fairly rare. So a question to all you lovely peeps overseas..do you think shipping with tracking and insurance should be a mandatory thing for items over..say, $75? Or would you rather have the option of choosing to pay extra for tracking and shipping insurance..and if you choose to stay with the most economical shipping option, possibly risk the very rare chance of your purchased item getting lost in the mail and not getting a refund or replacement? The cheapest shipping option would be offered and if chosen, Blue Gnome Emporium would not be responsible for lost or stolen items.  

Although tracked items have on occasion managed to elude tracking and a couple (in the last 4 years..) have never been located, what the insurance does is offset the cost for me to create for you, a replacement. In the event that an item cannot be recreated / replaced such in the event of a one-of-a-kind focal stone, a full refund will still be offered. Again, the insurance would also offset my out of pocket cost to offer this to my clients.

Oh my..this has turned into quite the rant. Lol. 

So my lovely International friends..what are your thoughts? Would paying a higher shipping rate deter you from making that purchase..even if it means peace of mind that you'll know where your item is if delayed..or a full refund if lost? Or would you rather take your chances with a cheaper shipping cost and in a very rare case, risk losing your entire purchase?

Write to me! I want to hear from you! 

smile emoticon

 xo

Family

With 2015 fast coming to a close this evening, I find myself with a few luxurious moments completely alone.  Taking a break from preparations for a night of festivities ahead, this rare quiet time has given me a moment to reflect on the year that's passed..and as my mind races with flash-card images of the last 364 days, one theme is a steady constant throughout it all..

family.

It's been a whirlwind year of toddler milestones, overseas adventures and countless days at Five Maples.  Through all the small details of the when and where's of everyday living, I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I have been blessed to have fallen asleep every night in the arms of the man I adore, kissed my son's sweaty forehead as I tucked him in for the night and been lulled to sleep by the comforting snoring of my furry soulmate.  

Our house is not overly large or spacious but there's never a lack of space for more love..every single nook and cranny is filled with the love we all share here.  

The friends and family gatherings we've hosted throughout the years, 

the tears and laughter these walls have witnessed.  

This is what makes my world go around. 

As I ring in the new year later tonight, I'll be thinking of my family and friends in B.C.  

I'll also be thinking of all of you..and wishing each and every single one of you a peaceful closure to 2015 with no regrets.  

May 2016 be your best year yet.  

May you live the life you love..and love the life you live.

Thank you for such an incredible year!  

xo Tina

Blue Gnome

The Human Spirit

When I started creating and selling one-of-a-kind jewelry, it was a love of creating and silversmithing that merged with a tentative business venture..a journey into the unknown world of marketing myself.  Terrifying to say the least..these little creations were painstakingly made, one piece at a time, born of heart and soul and brought to life in my tiny home studio where I would work away, sometimes only 15 minutes at a time..a refuge from the day to day insanity of work..then a little later on, the complete chaos of being a new mother trying desperately to meet the demands of an infant while clinging on to what small piece of self identity I had left.  

The act of listing one of my pieces for sale was one of anxiety, it was nerve wrecking to put something so personally a part of me on public display to be judged and critiqued while waiting for acceptance, waiting for someone to fall in love with one of my own enough to want to give them a loving home.  My first sale was a moment I will never forget.  

Affirmation that people might actually like what I've created!  

I was elated to receive positive feedback and I haven't looked back since.  

Although the business aspect of Blue Gnome is going as well as I had hoped given my full time job chasing and wrangling a toddler most days, what I hadn't expected was the human side of creating jewelry. As much as the success of the business has kept me going, the people I've "met" through my little creations have had a much stronger affect on the longevity of it.   The connections I've made with people from all over the world, the stories I've been privileged to and trusted with..the personal battles people have won or are still fighting, their losses and triumphs.  

This is a part of creating jewelry from the heart that I hadn't expected..or was fully prepared for.  Creating a very special set of "twin rings" for a client overseas who had just lost her twin girls at birth..or a client telling me that her purchase from my store was her very first purchase with her own money after leaving an incredibly difficult marriage of 32 years..a triumph of independence.  

I've been asked to create matching pendants of dragonfly wings for a man and his aging furry companion so that they will stay connect during their time apart and reunite in the afterlife.  

I've created totems to protect, celebrate and remember loved ones.  

My work has become so much more than hammering, forming and casting metal.  

My work has become an ongoing project of human experiences, our life stories of love and loss, hope and despair.  

These are what I hope my creations speak to you of.  

Inspired by my own life and those amazing stories so dear to your heart that you've chosen to share with me, my hope is that my small offerings of sterling strikes a chord with you beyond what you first see.

In these times of incredible hardships and cruelty all over the evening news often times,  I am blessed to be sheltered from all that by the brilliant light of the human spirit through all of you.  

Your stories lift and inspire me, you give me hope that lightness will always prevail.

“Hope is the thing with feathers 
That perches in the soul 
And sings the tune without the words 
And never stops at all.” 

~ Emily Dickinson

xo Blue Gnome

Dream Traveller Totems

And when the roses are half buds half flowers

And loveliest the king of flies has come

It was a fleeting visit, all too brief

In three short minutes, he had been and gone.

He rested there upon an apple leaf

A gorgeous opal crown set on his head

Although the garden is a lovely place

Was it worthy of so fine a guest.

- By Danny Kirwan & C.G. Adams

------------------------------------------------------------------

A creature of wind and water, the dragonfly represents change, resilience and strength in many cultures. Due also to their tragically short life span, they serve as a reminder to live our lives to the fullest, adapting to situations and living lightly on our feet. Their images can often be found embossed onto the garments of samurai warriors, symbolizing agility and good fortune. An ambassador between our world and the afterlife, they are said to carry the souls of our ancestors on their backs - a dream traveller.  

To  see one is often a good omen.

This dragonfly totem has been made entirely of sterling, handcrafted from start to finish.  A riveted construction makes this a moveable piece as the second wing can swing outwards, an ever changing  totem.  Tumbled for hours for strength, a dark patina has then been hand applied to add depth and to make the details pop. A beautiful art piece - and a reminder to live lightly on your feet.

Made with love and a touch of late summer magic from my Five Maples.

xo Blue Gnome

**  Both piece are now reserved for two special souls..thank you ladies! xx **

Grove of Dreams

It's a grey rainy day here today..a much needed break from the dry, sunny days lately, it's almost as if I can hear the garden sigh a sigh of relief as they soak up all this cool goodness falling from the skies. 

I thought it might be too overcast to properly capture the stunning vibrance of this green turquoise but surprisingly, with no warm overtones in today's early morning light, I think the photo turned out beautifully.

I've been saving this gorgeous turquoise for a special piece - one of my all time favorite examples of the incredible creations mother earth offers us, time and time again.  It reminds me of a grove of birch trees I found my self wandering through years ago while I was looking for an over exuberant Sachi who had taken off after a squirrel (ah..I don't miss those early puppy years!).
 I was mesmerized..it was like being on the perfect film set for a Midsummer Night's Dream.  A magical moment when you're certain you've just crossed that very thin veil between reality and dreams. 

This necklace will be available on Monday morning..make the most of your late summer weekend everyone! 

xo Blue Gnome

Turquoise Love

There's a Summer Turquoise SALE going on at the shop right now!

Hop over to www.bluegnomeemporium.etsy.com to see what else is included..this Diversity ring and many more!

Have a lovely Tuesday all you beautiful people! xo