30 October
There's been a change in room for the radio show Sunday, so please head to The gdevoid (Need for Beads) on LiveVideo.com to access the show. Don't forget to change your clocks, too!
27 October
Exciting! I was just featured on an episode of Art-onTV — you can view the interview online, at Art-onTV.com.
Additionally, set your watches and join me for my internet radio interview with The Jewelry Connection. It airs Sunday, Nov 1 at 12 pm PST, 2 pm CST, 3 pm EST in the USA. (Mountain time isn't mentioned, but I would assume it's 1 pm!) If you're in Europe, show time is 9 pm, with the exception of the UK where show time is 8 pm. More information about the show is found on their website: The Jewelry Connection on LiveVideo.com. NOTE: There's been a change in location. Please see the October 31st entry above for more details.
5 October
Slight adjustment to our staff: Vanessa is returning to her main role(s) as instructor and weaver, and Jen has been promoted to Inventory Coordinator. This position had been vacated at the beginning of the year when our previous Inventory Coordinator moved out of state. Vanessa graciously agreed to step up and come to the studio 3 days a week to take over the Inventory Coordinator position. (Especially given the economy and the fact that January/February are very slow months for us, I didn't want to hire a new person, and then two months later have to say, "um, just kidding...") However, we all knew it was temporary. For the entire month of September, and even some of August, Vanessa trained Jen in all inventory-related tasks, so Jen can take over this posistion with some confidence.
Vanessa will continue to teach classes and weave production pieces for Blue Buddha, so you'll still see her around. She is looking forward to spending more time developing her own jewelry line, Kali Butterfly. Please join me in wishing Vanessa and Jen much success with their new responsibilities!
25 September
Bummer: we didn't make the finalists for the Shine a Light competition. (You can see the finalists here.) We want you to know, though, that we are touched by all the votes we received. We love the fact that so many of our customers, vendors, friends and students took time out of their day to support us. That means more to us than a judge selecting us for the finals—hands down. You guys rock. :-)
21 September
Just a quick reminder that we are closed all day today for a company-wide meeting. We've gotten a start on the weekend orders, so even though they won't start shipping until Tuesday, we should be caught up quickly. Express orders are promoted to the front of the line, so all of those will ship on Tuesday.
18 September
Welcome, folks who are here after meeting myself or Kat at the WBDC's Entrepreneurial Woman's Conference. I had a fantastic time on the panel, and was glad to meet so many like-minded women. I'll be posting my handout on this website at some point during the next month. (I have a couple of book deadlines that are top priority right now!) In the meantime, though, you might want to check out some of these articles, especially if your business is craft-/art-related:
Good luck to all of you, and much success in your endeavors!
15 September Shine a Light update: It's now out of our control, and into the judges hands. Thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who supported us. We are really touched by the number of you who took the time to navigate a tricky website, register, and endorse us. We know you wouldn't do that for just any business, and we are extremely grateful.
We finished 2nd place in Chicago—2 votes behind the front runner. (Though if you count the additional endorsements for the duplicate Blue Buddha nomiations, we would have been #1 in the city.) Chicago's a big city—we're impressed and excited to rank so high!
Thanks again. We'll keep you updated as to how it all turns out!
11 September Shine a Light update: We are up to 195 endorsements! Thank you everyone who has voted for us. We feel the love and are so touched by your support. We're still about 40 votes from the Chicago front runner, so keep the votes coming!
If you've had any difficult voting (we realize their website can be tricky), please, please, please call or email us and we'll try to walk you through the issue to get it figured out. Only three more days to vote!
7 September
I have some exciting news and a special request! Blue Buddha Boutique has been nominated as an "inspiring small business" and is being considered to win the Shine A Light award from American Express and NBC Universal. We could be in the running to receive up to $100,000 in grants and marketing support.
If we are selected as a finalist or winner, we plan to invest the $10,000 - $50,000 grant to speed up the process of in-house manufacturing. This will create more jobs in this challenging economy and result in even faster shipping of your orders (virtually eliminating out-of-stock rings!). We would also step up our efforts to work with local wire and rubber manufacturers, so that as many of our products as possible can be 100% Made-in-the-USA. If we are the final winner, the marketing support will increase the visibility of not only our firm, but of chainmaille and handcrafted goods as a whole.
Are you in?
Here's where we request your help. To be considered, we need at least 50 nomination endorsements, however, only the top 150 nominated companies will be evaluated by the judges, so the more nominations the better! Would you please take about two or three minutes to endorse us? If you've been happy with our products and services, and you think other businesses could even learn a bit from our company philosophy, then endorse us and help spread the word!
Here's how:
Register at http://shinealight.ivillage.com/register -- you will need to create a username and password. The link to register is near the upper right corner of the page. Yes, we know registering on websites can be annoying, but registering on the site is a way to ensure one vote per user. You will see in the registration process that the contest promoters promise not to send marketing emails.
Click on the blue box that says "Support this story. Endorse now." . The box is under BLUE BUDDHA BOUTIQUE, all caps, at the very top left (You may have to double click the box, depending on your browser.)
Make sure you see the message "Your endorsement for "Blue Buddha Boutique - Hobby Becomes Global Enterprise, Spreads Beauty" has been recorded."
And you're done!
Please participate with us in this exciting process! And, be inspired by the other small businesses. We appreciate your continued support, and are so grateful for you taking the time to register & endorse our nomination.
3 September
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading!
14 August
We're hiring! We're looking for an inventory assistant/quality controller who is available to work weekends or nights/early mornings. This is an entry-level position, but there is plenty of room for growth within the company for the right person. We're accepting applications now, and will begin interviewing in early September. Please see our employment opportunites page for more details.
13 August
Due to popular demand for another book signing session, and a new class, we've switched some of Scott David Plumlee's classes for September 19-20. He'll now be teaching a Double Chaos Bracelet and Tornado-wrapped Earring & Pendant on Sunday, September 20. There's only one spot left for the Beaded Infinity Bracelet on Saturday, so sign up now if you want to take that class!
5 August
Due to some scheduling anamolies with the students signed up for the Vikings & Dragons class, we're moving the class to next week. This means there's still time for you to sign up for one or all of the classes! The new session runs Wednesdays, August 12 - September 2.
30 July
Whew! Nearly 250 folks applied to test Rebeca's Book, which sadly means lots of you will be disappointed, as we won't need more than 20 testers. If you've been selected, you'll be contacted anywhere from August through January, depending on which chapter(s) we think you'll be most valuable. Because of the overwhelming response, we are not able to reply to everyone individually, so please don't email us asking if you've been selected. If you're chosen, we will email you (and if we don't hear back, we'll try again!). Again, we're sorry we can't respond to each of you individually. We sincerly thank everyone who applied!
14 July
Rebeca is looking for testers for her chainmaille book. Chicago folks are preferred, but we'll probably use some out-of-state folks as well, since we need as diverse a base as possible. Interested? Fill out an application If you're a good fit, we'll contact you with more detailed info.
22 June
Posted our wire knotting workshop photos to our page on Facebook. Also, in case you missed the update in the supplies section, we now have First Class shipping for small (under $35) orders. We're testing it through the end of July to see how it goes, but so far, it seems to be a huge hit! If you have any feedback for us, please let us know!
12 June
Caught up on orders, and we also posted our Bead&Button Show photos to our page on Facebook. Now to get caught up on class listings and new products!
10 June
We're back from the show! We're mostly caught up on orders, but there are a couple of orders with out-of-stock items, and we'll be dealing with those over the next few days. We'll post photos soon. (We would have posted photos on Facebook already, but the website seems to be having problems accepting our images right now...) But soon!
1 June We're now at the Bead&Button show. We are accepting Internet orders, but please note that orders will take several days longer to ship than normal, since 2/3 of the office staff are at the show. Your order may also be delayed if the studio runs out of some inventory that is at the show. No phone orders will be accepted until June 10. See the contact page for more info. Thanks for your patience. We'll be back soon!
23 May We're now (mostly) closed to finish preparations for the Bead&Button show. Any orders that came in through midnight Friday, June 22 will ship early next week. Subsequent orders will begin shipping June 1. You'll still see us pop in occasionally on Twitter, but mostly we'll be up to our ears in little plastic baggies! We aren't accepting phone orders during this time, but we will be checking messages periodically.
A reminder to our retail stores and professional crafter customers: Please bring extra copies of your state tax certificate in order to qualify for tax-free purchases. We do need to retain a copy for our records.
We'll reopen for Internet orders only on June 1, but please note that orders will take several days longer to ship than normal, since 2/3 of the normal office staff will be at the show from June 2 through June 8. No phone orders will be accepted until June 10. Additionally, we might not be able to answer chainmaille-related questions until that time, as all our maille experts will be at the show. We don't expect to have time to stay caught up on email while at the show. We will, however, be tweeting live from the show floor and look forward to staying connected with our out-of-state/country fans via Twitter while we're gone.
As we tie up a few loose ends before we leave, we wanted to let you know that the customer survey will be closing on Monday, May 25. If you haven't already filled it out, please do so! We're so excited that so many of you let us know your opinions. We'll be tabulating the results in June and letting you know how we plan to address your concerns.
And finally, we're looking for an intern! If you live in Chicago (or can at least get to Blue Buddha studios once a week or more) and you would like to earn free jump rings, please apply. Interns help create sample weaves in a jillion sizes and in different metals.
18 May
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Lots of eye candy in this one. Happy reading!
Also, we're conducing a customer survey—the first in a series of short surveys that will help us figure out how to better serve you, and to make sure we're growing our company in a way that aligns with your wants and needs. Please take about 5 minutes to fill out the 10 question survey. Thanks so much for your input!
5 May
I'm very excited and honored that my Poseidon's Embrace necklace is a finalist in the Bead Dreams competition. It'll be on display outside the Bead&Button show floor; please do stop by and take a look!
Speaking of Bead&Button, we're weighing and packing rings as fast as we can. This means that orders might be delayed a day or so here and there.
We will be closed from May 23-May 31 to finish show preparations. You can still place an order during that time, but those orders won't begin shipping until June 1st. (If we're done prepping for the show before May 31, we will certainly re-open, but we're not promising anything!). We'll keep you updated on our Bead&Button progress!
6 April
It's time for another Craft Racket, a networking night for crafters sponsored by the Chicago Craft Mafia. Whether you've been making maille for only a few weeks, or for a few years, (or if you have other crafty passions), the Mafia would love for you to join us at our quarterly informal gathering. Meet fellow crafters, ask questions, network, snack, and of course, have fun!
I'll be creating the tip sheet for this Racket; the topic is Product Photography on a Shoestring Budget. However, feel free to stop by and ask questions about any topic that interests you!
12 March
I'm excited to announce that Blue Buddha Boutique will be a vendor at the Do It Your Own D*mn Self show presented by the Chicago Craft Mafia. It's a supply show, and I'll be bringing sale items as well as overstock items, and some supplies that haven't yet made it to the sale page. I'll be joined by about 40 other crafters who are selling their unused supplies, too. Expect a TON of goodies, super cheap! For more info, see the Do It Your Own D*mn Self website. (Also, we still need a few more vendors, so if you're a local crafter and have items you want to get rid of, fill out the vendor application on the website.)
11 March
Our electric company is doing some repairs in the neighborhood tomorrow, Thursday March 12, and so we've been warned that our electricity will go out anytime between 9:00 and 4:00 pm. Yikes! We'll have our non-electric phone plugged in so you can always call us with questions, but we probably can't process and send orders. (Oy, we're so dependant on technology...) Keep your fingers crossed for a short blackout!
9 February
Check out Blue Buddha Boutique on Facebook. Become a fan, write a review, submit your photos—we'd love to hear from you. Our page is a great way for us to connect with our customers all across the world. We may periodically feature polls (we have one going right now) and we'll also have photos that you won't find on our website. Check out Rebeca's Work in Progress album! We'll eventually have short videos about chainmaille and our products.
Come follow BlueBuddhaBtq on Twitter! Our tweets will give you a glimpse into life at our studio. Additionally, we'll have special sales that we'll only announce via Twitter (call our toll-free number, or email us to take advantage of the sale). Starting in March, we'll have a Tweet of the Week with questions about chainmaille, crafting and general culture.
2 February
Kat, Vanessa and I are calendar ladies (July) in the Femaillers 2009 calendar. Yeah, we know it's already February, but there were some snafus getting the calendar finished. However, we're sure there are some of you who have been meaning to get a calendar, and haven't done it yet. So now's your chance! And even if you already have a calendar, consider buying an extra one to support a good cause—proceeds from the femaillers calendar will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
7 January
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading!
6 January
We're back! We had a great holiday and are now refreshed and ready to get back to tackling orders, creating new products, improving customer service and making fabulous jewelry.
It is with mixed emotions that I annouce that our Inventory Manager, Artie, is moving out of state and his last day with Blue Buddha is Friday, January 9. The move is the beginning of a new chapter in his life, and I am very excited for him. At the same time, I'm sad because he's really helped the company grow over the past year and a half. His humor, organizing skills and artistic talent will be sorely missed. Please join me in wishing him the best as he moves north. Thanks for all your hard work, Artie!
2008
24 December
It's about 4:00 on Christmas Eve, and we are now officially on limited shipping. (See the post below for details.) Before I leave the studio, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season, and all the best for 2009. It has been an amazing year for Blue Buddha, and I've been honored to get to know so many fabulous chainmaille-loving people. Thank you so much for all your support.
I can't wait for you to see what we have in store for you next year—new products and services, an overhaul to the shopping cart, new classes and lots more. Stay tuned; it's going to be an exciting year!
17 December Limited Ordering/Shipping During Holidays! We will have limited shipping and no phone orders from Thursday, December 25 through Monday, January 5. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, January 6. During our break, we'll be spending time with family, and also tending to end-of-the-year inventory counting. Some Internet orders are expected to ship during this time, but we're not promising anything. We will also be answering some email, but expect long delays. We're sorry to keep eager chainmaillers waiting, but remember that we're human, too, and we need a bit of a break sometimes. But we'll be back in full force on the 6th! Thanks for your patience.
12 December
Thanks to everyone who came out to support our holiday show last night. We've posted photos and the winning name from our drawing in our shows archive.
1 December
Congratulations to Jen H, the winner of the Guess How Many Rings contest at the DIY Trunk Show. Full contest details, and a couple of photos have been posted to our shows archive page.
26 November
Our latest creation is now available: Snowflakes Greeting Cards. Yes, that's right, we've started to sell cards! Why settle for a mass-produced card, when you can have a Blue Buddha Boutique original design? It's perfect for maillers and those they love!
20 November
We're really gearing up for the holiday season and are already hard at work creating custom pieces for some of our out-of-state customers. This year, we'll be doing two shows in the Chicago area— the DIY Trunk Show this weekend, and our studio show on December 11th. We hope you'll join us for one of both shows.
If you are too far away to attend, but would still like to purchase jewelry, please let us know as soon as possible what you would like. Note that jewelry orders placed after December 5th are not guaranteed to arrive by Hanukkah or Christmas. We will certainly try our hardest to accommodate the late orders, but it's our busiest season of the year, so we just can't promise it. There's only so many rings we can link in a day! We encourage you to place supplies orders as soon as possible, but we keep a large amount of inventory in stock, so we can usually accommodate orders placed up until December 15th in time for the holidays. (Many smaller orders can easily be filled past that date, but if you need your order in a rush, please call our toll-free number first to see about stock availability and shipping times.) Have a great holiday season!
12 November
If you live in Chicago (or can at least get to Blue Buddha studios once a week or more) and you would like to earn free jump rings, you might want to consider applying for our internship. We've decided that we want to create a page on our website that lists supplies/size conversions for recently published chainmaille projects in magazines. We need some help tesing out all the patterns! Additionally, we're looking to take some sample weaves with us on the road when we do shows, and need help creating dozens of patterns in a jillion sizes. We currently have two interns, but more fingers are always welcome. So, if you're interested, check out the description!
27 October
We've opened a new Persian series at our studios, since the class at Lillstreet sold out. Hope to see you there!
We are also doing a call for entries for our December 11 Holiday Show. So, all you local chainmaillers, it's time to roll up your sleeves and show us what you can do! We look forward to selecting one or two artists to join Rebeca, Vanessa, Kat and Jen in presenting the best of Chicago chainmaille!
19 October
Our very talented intern Sky Cubacub is the costume designer for The Gurney, playing at the Strawdog Theatre Nov 3 - Dec 7. And yes, you'll see some of our rings used in the costumes! For tickets, call 773.329.1088 or email info@thegurney.org.
15 October
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading!
10 October
The Persian Maille series at Lillstreet is full. We are considering running the class again (immediately following the Lillstreet session) at Blue Buddha studios. The class would run November 5, 12 and 19. Please give us a call at 773.478.3767 if you are interested in attending.
6 October
We are now stocking the rubber rings used in Susan Thomas' book, Link It. She uses a few anodized sizes and etched aluminum rings that we don't yet have, but we're working on getting those stocked for you. Please check out our supply list for the book that details exactly what rings you'll need for each project and clarifies a handful of published typos.
29 September We'll be closed on Thursday, October 2 for a staff retreat. Orders placed Wednesday afternoon (Oct 1) and all day Thursday will ship beginning Friday, October 3. Thanks for your patience. We look forward to returning to work rejuvenated, re-inspired and ready to serve you better!
22 September
Since we're mainly an Internet company, and many of you only "see" us via our website or over the phone, we updated our About page to include our headshots. Now you can put a face to a name!
21 September
Next Saturday, you can find Blue Buddha Boutique at the North Park University Homecoming Block Party (see shows page for more info). We're always looking for ways to be more involved in our local community, so we thought this would be a great chance to meet some of our neighbors. We'll also have a raffle where you can win jewelry or a jewelry-making class for you and your friends. Stop on by!
16 September
We updated our class schedule for the next few months. If you're taking classes from Caravan Beads, you can now sign up via their new website. Nifty!
12 September
We're have copies of Link It!, the new chainmaille book featuring aluminum and rubber rings. We'll be stocking the rubber rings (along with a few additional anodized aluminum sizes) soon, so you'll be able to purchase what you need to complete every project in the book. In the meantime, grab a copy of the book, flip through it, and decide what pieces you want to tackle first. The photography in the book is great, and I myself can't wait to get started with some of these projects!
And don't forget, if you're in the Chicago area, you can learn rubber ring techniques (including a few projects not featured in this book) from the author/artist herself on October 18 and 19.
2 September
Just updated the class calendar for September. Should have October and possibly some of November and December posted next week. Enjoy!
22 August
Just a heads up to let you know that we will be closed for Labor Day weekend (August 30 - September 1) and will re-open Tuesday morning (September 2) at 10. Orders placed Friday August 29 at noon or later will begin shipping on Tuesday, in the order in which they were received. This means that orders placed late Monday might not ship until Wednesday or even Thursday. Keep this in mind when placing your order. We'll try our hardest to catch up as quickly as possible! We appreciate your patience, as we need a long weekend off sometimes, too!
We'll be updating our class schedule for September and October shortly after we're back, so check back then for some new class listings. Enjoy your holiday; do lots of weaving if you can!
20 August
We are pleased to welcome Blue Buddha Boutique's first-ever guest instructor! For the weekend of October 18-19, Susan C Thomas will come to Chicago to teach three workshops combining rubber O-rings with anodized aluminum. She'll have copies of her new book, Link It! Colorful Chain Mail Jewelry With Rubber O-Rings, a Lark Book publication scheduled for release in October. I can't wait! For more info and to register>>
23 July
We just moved our website to a new server. If you experience any issues with the site—pages look funny (ie, super wide, like the enameled copper page, which is kind of out of control right now!), PDF downloads are troublesome, or any other problems—please let us know by sending email to orders@bluebuddhaboutique.com.
22 July
I just found out that someone raved about Kat on yelp.com. Though Kat is an avid chainmailler, she is also passionate about beading and has worked part-time at Caravan Beads. A Caravan customer praised Kat in her review: "Caravan offered warm and welcoming people who were eager to assist in every way, especially from one star employee: Kat. She offered to show us how to complete our projects and ... she made sure we left the store satisfied with everything." Yay, Kat!
17 July
We've just added enameled copper jump rings to our inventory. These rings come in 26 gorgeous colors, and we look forward to selling using them in new designs and kits. Enjoy!
3 July
Yesterday was a crazy technology day, with our phones and Internet/email going down at various points during the day. Everything seems to be mostly working, but the phone may still cut out periodically. We hope everything will be fixed soon, but in the meantime, we are off to enjoy the holiday weekend! We will have someone here to process Internet orders over the weekend (assuming our Internet is stable), so we don't expect to fall behind in shipping orders. We'll post here if anything changes.
In the meantime, you can check out our announcement for more details on our weekend schedule. Have a good holiday!
24 June
Hmmm, it seems as though PayPal's site is having trouble. Or more specifically, folks trying to check out on our site using the PayPal shopping cart can't check out. My apologies for this. If you're looking to place an order and have trouble with PayPal, please give us a call on our toll-free number and we'll process your order over the phone: 866.602.RING (7464). Sorry for any inconvenience, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that the error is fixed quickly!
20 June
We've added a few new products for supplies customers over the past few days (see supplies updates for details), and by far what we are most excited about are the anodized niobium rings. These rings come from Spiderchain, who has discontinued packs of 250 and is only selling niobium by the ounce. So, if you just want to make a pack of earrings and don't need 700 B20s, then hop on over to our niobium section and get a small pack. Lots of beautiful colors and mixes available in packs of 50, 100 and 250. Enjoy!
11 June
We're back! The Bead&Button show was great! Vanessa, Kat and I are still a bit exhausted, but we had a great time. We met so many people, and have a few new chainmaille converts. One person at a time, the whole world will be converted. *grin*
Back at the studio, I've got about 300 non-spam emails to sort through, so if you sent me email while I was gone, please know it'll take a few days for me to get back to everyone...but I will try to get it done as soon as possible. We'll also be posting photos and getting some new products (like niobium jump rings!) online very soon. We are pretty much all caught up with orders, and expect to be completely caught up by Friday. Thanks for your patience!
2 June
And we're off to the Bead&Button show! We hope to see some of you there.
Chicago folk - note that the Amtrak stops just a few blocks from the show...so if you're thinking about going, but are dreading the drive (and the gas price!), consider the train. A $21 ticket takes you from downtown Chicago to Milwaukee. Bring some friends, and chainmaille or play cards on the train. :-)
29 May
The final stretch toward Bead&Button!
We are now closed until June 4. We'll check email and voicemail periodically, but will not be processing any new orders. Most orders placed by midnight, May 28, should ship by Friday, May 30, thought a few of the larger ones ($100+) may not ship until Monday, June 2.
We'll resume order processing and shipping on Wednesday, June 4, and will begin shipping the earliest-placed orders first. Please allow several extra days for order processing, as Rebeca, Kat and Vanessa will all be at the show, taking a great deal of inventory with them. Most of our silver inventory will be at the show, so if you order sterling, please note that shipping of your order could be delayed until June 11 or later. If you want to know if the items you would like to order are in stock, please send an email to orders@bluebuddhaboutique.com BEFORE you order, and we'll let you know as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience!
We're looking forward to meeting some of you at the show! And now...back to endless bagging of loose rings and kits.... :-)
22 May
More email woes! Yesterday, I destroyed my email client by trying to send too many large files in a short period of time. (You know it's bad, when your IT guy checks out your computer, raises his eyebrows and says, "Wow. When you crash a program, you really crash a program!" Yikes!) This only affects my computer, a.k.a. "rebeca@blueb...". The general email, "orders@blueb...", works just fine. At any rate, I can still check my email from the web, but it is extremely slow, awkward, and difficult to flag and file emails, so a few emails might fall through the cracks. If you've sent me an email and haven't heard back, please try resending. Everything should be back to normal by late tonight.
18 May
Our mail server went down for a bit over the weekend (we think mostly Sunday). We have retrieved all the online/PayPal orders, but if you sent us an email with an address or item change, please call our toll-free number as soon as possible: 866.602.RING (7464). If you sent a non-urgent email, but don't hear back from us by the end of Monday, please send your email again, because it was probably lost in cyberspace. So sorry for any inconvenience!
16 May
I make a living doing what I love, and want others to do the same. (Or at least have a hobby that brings in some extra income!) As a member of the Chicago Craft Mafia, I'm pleased to help present the Craft Racket, a networking night for crafters. Whether you've been making maille for only a few weeks, or for a few years, (or if you have other crafty passions), the Mafia would love for you to join us at our quarterly informal gathering. Meet fellow crafters, ask questions, network, snack, and of course, have fun!
12 May
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading! The Classes section has also been updated to include our upcoming classes.
Supplies customers will want to read the update to the March 25 entry in the Latest Changes section. We'll keep you posted on the size standardization progress!
7 May
Supplies customers: We will soon be selling anodized niobium from Spiderchain. Spider has restructured her niobium packs and will be selling them by the ounce. Here at Blue Buddha Boutique, we'll offer packs of 50, 100 and 250 for those who don't necessarily want a full ounce at once. Our price for 250 will be just about exactly what Spider's price for 250 was. We will start with Spider's sizes 6:20 and 8:20 (our B20 and D20) and will gradually add the new sizes she's just added in 18 and 16g. We expect to have rings available for sale shortly after the Bead&Button show ends in mid-June. However, if there's a particular size/color you absolutely need right away, give us a call and we'll see if we have it bagged and ready to go for you.
Additionally, we are also looking into carrying Enameled Copper rings, especially in 20g, since the anodized aluminum is so finicky at such a thin gauge. Stay tuned!
29 April
Yesterday, I did a presentation for a group of girls at a local public high school. The event was coordinated by Women in Leadership at Loyola (WILL), an organization that strives to improve the economic, political and social status of women everywhere, especially underprivileged women. I worked with 15 students and helped them make a couple of pairs of chainmaille earrings. After the presentation, we spoke a little about women entrepreneurs and how I got into business. But mostly, the gals wanted to make more chainmaile!
The presentation was suprizingly fun. I realize that I am one of the lucky few who is making a living doing something I love, and I want to inspire other folks to follow their dreams, too. In particular, I want to encourage young women to become finanically literate and be successful investors. I look forward to doing more events like this.
And lastly, just a quick reminder about my next art fair: the Chicago Craft Mafia's Hand May-ed show this Saturday, May 3rd. Hope to see you there!
21 April
Chicago supplies customers: Sadly, Caravan Beads and Briolette Beads are discontinuing jump ring packs (though they may bring them back at some point in the future). If you need to see/touch jump rings before you buy, or if you have questions, you can pick up rings from our studio. We are only open to the public by appointment, so give us a day's notice, and we'll be happy to pull together whatever items you need. For all pickup orders, we are now offering 5% off sterling rings & kits and 10% off base metal rings & kits.
18 April
New eye candy posted in the gallery: a bracelet, and a few pendants. Yummy!
17 April
Vanessa is going to begin teaching chainmaille classes at the Discovery Center in Chicago. I'll update the classes page here, but in the meantime, you can view her blog entry about the classes. Very exciting!
7 April
We're back and are able to process telephone orders again! Thanks for your patience. The sale items have also been restored. We'll be posting more updates and products as soon as we'll all settled in again.
25 March
Until April 7, we are only accepting standard PayPal orders. (Wholesale orders will need to wait until April 7 as well.) We will be checking messages periodically, but are not able to accept phone orders at this time. Allow 1-2 extra days for shipping of most orders. Thanks for your patience!
Additionally, supplies customers may want to check out the supplies updates for the latest information on the transition to our new, standardized base metal sizes.
21 March
For those of you local folk who have been asking about my next finished jewelry show, the wait is nearly over! I'll be showing new wares plus old favorites at the Chicago Craft Mafia's Hand May-ed show on Saturday May 3rd. There's something for everyone: in addition to some new high-end sterling silver designs, I will also have a sale bin of inventory that is more than 3 years old. My fellow Mafia sisters will have plenty of other crafty goodies to tickle your fancy. More info is available on the Shows page.
18 March
Half the staff will be away from the studio at various points from March 26 - April 6 (I'll actually be out of town that entire time), so we will only be processing standard PayPal orders. We will be checking messages periodically, but are not able to accept phone orders during this time. If you have a phone order you've been considering, please get your order in before March 26! Thanks for your patience!
17 March
I am excited to announce that we will be selling chainmaille supplies at the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this June. Last year, so many of my students commented that no one was selling jump rings on the show floor, so I decided to beg and plead with the show organizers to let Blue Buddha Boutique come on in and meet this need. It worked! We're in! We'll be in booth number #1254 (all the way at the end of the right-hand aisle). June will be here before we know it, so we've already started planning what we're going to be bringing.
18 February
Due to a growing waiting list for the Captive Zen class on February 23, we added another session that day. The first class runs from 11:00 - 2:00 and the second class from 2:30 - 5:30 at Briolette Beads. The Flowers class previously scheduled for that morning has been canceled. The class rings provided will be your choice of copper, aluminum or jewelry brass. I will have a limited number of sterling kits available for purchase; to ensure you get a sterling kit, please contact me ahead of time.
And, we are almost done catching up on the backlog of orders. Finally! It took a little longer than we thought, mostly because we were slammed with orders the day we re-opened after Tucson. It's a good thing, but just caught us a little off guard. We'll have a new person starting shortly to help keep our inventory well-stocked. Thanks again for your patience.
13 February
We're open again! Thanks to all those who stopped by the booth in Tucson. I had a fun time being able to put faces to names! My only regret is that I didn't have any time to wander around and see all the goodies the other vendors were selling.
We've started processing the orders that came in and should be back to normal shipping times by Tuesday of next week (Monday is a postal holiday). We intended to get the first batch of orders out today, but technical difficulties—not to mention the new snowfall—foiled our plans. Thanks for your patience while we catch up!
30 January
We're in the final stretches of preparing for Tucson. Whew! We are still catching up on orders (we actually had two sick folks, so we got even further behind).
Orders placed after 6 pm Central Standard Time on Thursday, January 31 will begin shipping on February 13th. Orders placed before this time will ship out as soon as possible—most will probably ship February 4-6.
When we re-open for business on the 13th, we hope to have a fresh inventory of rings and mixes, bagged and ready to go so orders can start shipping at our usual 1-2 business day speed again! Again, thanks for your patience while we recover from various maladies and try to stay warm in the sub-zero weather.
24 January
How exciting! Vanessa has been selected as a 2008 Gold Medal Winner in the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads Annual Beading Contest. She won in the Freeform Expression—Jewelry category for her Phoenix Reborn necklace. An absolutely stunning seed bead piece. Congratulations, Vanessa!
And now for the sad news: one of our employees has been out sick and possibly has pnemonia. We've gotten a bit behind on orders (most are now shipping in 2-3 business days). Please keep this in mind when placing your order, and send some healing vibes this way! We are very sorry for any inconvenience.
21 January
The Tuscon show is almost here! I'll be sharing a booth with Spiderchain at To Bead True Blue. Hope to see some of you there.
We were hoping to be able to process orders while I'm gone, but due to some tech issues, it might not happen. We're hoping we'll be able to at least process some PayPal orders, but it's too early to guarantee it. Keep your fingers crossed, and we'll let you know if it turns out that we can stay open for Internet orders during the show!
15 January
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading! The Classes section has also been updated to include our upcoming classes.
We're also hiring again. We're looking for a part-time inventory assistant, as well as a contract-based weaver. (But, we would love it if one person was interested in and qualified for both jobs, in which case we would combine them into one full-time job.) Please see the job openings page to see the description and apply. Feel free to pass on the URL to anyone you know who might be interested.
07 January
We're back! Rebeca will be going through emails and sending PDFs today. Looks like most orders that came in by January 2 will go out today, and hopefully we can get the rest out by Thursday at the latest. Our new phone number is working (but the toll-free number won't be working for another day or so.) After the dust has settled a bit, we'll be updating the site, but in the meantime, note that new classes for January - April have been posted.
2007
27 December
The website has been moved to our new server. If you experience any issues with the site, please contact our webmaster, Craig Brozefsky at craig@red-bean.com
24 December
We are now closed until January 6 for end-of-the-year inventory and moving. We'll see you in 2008, with updated class listings, new anodized rings (F18 orange and violet, anyone?), a few new findings, and new contact information. Happy holidays!
6 December
It's official: we're moving! As of January 7th, our new contact info will be:
4533 N Kedzie
Chicago IL 60625
local phone: 773.478.3767
toll free phone: 866.602.7464 (602-RING)
We cant wait to move into our larger space! To celebrate, we're having a holiday party on Friday, December 14th. See shows for details.
We've posted photos of the new location and you can also check out our wish list in case there is anything you would like to donate (or trade for jewelry/supplies).
Finally, remember that we'll be closed from December 23 - January 6 for end-of-the-year inventory and moving.
5 December
Just in time for the holidays, we've got gift certificates! For now, there's a convenient button right on the homepage to purchase. That button will disappear after the holidays, but you'll still be able to buy gift certificates via buttons on the Supplies and Contact pages. Enjoy!
4 December
We had some email problems recently, and so some customers might not have received shipping confirmation emails. Additionally, some emails I received (and sent) between November 27th and December 3rd seem to have been lost completely. So, if you wrote to me and never received a reply, please send again, and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as I can. So sorry for any inconvenience!
The shop will be closed for two weeks from December 24 - January 6. During this time, we'll be counting end-of-the-year inventory, packing and moving! Please allow extra time for orders placed during that time and in the first few days of operating from our new space. We'll post a complete schedule on the contact page soon, as we'll also be closed in early February for the Tuscon Gem Show.
30 November
Congratulations to Blanca O, the winner of the guessing contest at the DIY Trunkshow. More info about the contest and photos from our recent shows have been posted to the shows archive page.
And finally, some exciting news: We're moving! We haven't yet signed a lease, but have found a few promising spots. We will remain mostly Internet-based (retail supplies are available at Caravan Beads and Briolette Beads & More). However, the new location would be open to the public on select dates, such as when we have classes or chainmaille gatherings. I have been dreaming of a perfect spot for casual chain crafting for years, and I'm thrilled to finally be able to offer that space myself! More information on the new location will be posted soon!
1 November
We've got two shows coming up this month: Ayla's Wonderful World of Beads, where you can shop for jump rings, clasps, beads and other item to create your own jewelry; and the DIY Trunkshow, featuring a wide variety of handcrafted items by local artisans (perfect for some early holiday shopping!).
Students and weavers of maille, take note that I just added several thousand rings to the Sale page. Enjoy!
15 October
Students, I've updated the classes section to include November & December classes. Hope to see you soon!
8 October
Attention, supplies customers: the Jewelry Brass is here! You can add the JBRS to your shopping cart in the base metal section. We're still transitioning, so bagging your order may take a day or two longer than usual, but most orders will still ship within 3 business days. Read more about the jewelry brass on the Supplies Updates page. During the next few weeks, we've got brass-colored clasps to add to the findings page, as well as a few holiday kits! Ah yes, it's that time of year again... *grin*
11 September
The Fall issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry, featuring one of my projects, is now on newsstands! Visit the Supplies section to purchase the magazine or the accompaning kits.
5 September
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading!
30 August
The Chicago Craft Mafia is in today's Chicago Tribune, on the cover of the At Play Section. The article features a photograph of me peeking over my black chainmaille scarf.
2 August
Students, new classes for August - October have been posted. Also, I finally got around to posting a few photos from the Bead&Button show.
11 July
Duty served! And I'll be catching up on orders during the next couple of days.....
10 July
I was on standby until last night, but I have been indeed summoned to Jury Duty, so orders won't ship today unless I am dismissed very early. I love the fact that I live in a democracy, and I think the Jury process is a very important aspect of our government....though part of me does wish I hadn't been summoned during a week when I have a zillion deadlines to meet! Keep your fingers crossed that I'll be able to put in my "duty" without too much disruption to the business!
26 June
Today's orders delayed due to flooding—no way to get to the Post Office. Thankfully, I was spared serious damange, but sadly, I cannot say the same for some of my neighbors. An extremely narrow band of thunderstorms hit the the central part of Chicago, causing flash flooding. Apparently, we weren't alone in our perils. A search of online news articles posted in the last few hours showed there's been massive flooding all around the world in the last day and weeks (some of these coming in areas that had been experiencing record droughts).
Iran — Strongest and deadliest storm in Oman since 1977, when 500 people were killed — (news story no longer available from the Guardian UK)
Oklahoma — Residents in the area say they are getting very tired of this rain and these floods mdash; (news story no longer available from KSBI-TV)
Pakistan — Powerful cyclone lashes Pakistan's southern coast yesterday, killing at least 18 people, leaving dozens more missing and forcing thousands to flee their homes mdash; (news story no longer available from Gulf Daily News)
Texas — Storms Wreak Havoc Across North Texas mdash; (news story no longer available from CBS-channel 11)
22 June
You can catch me next Thursday at a very unusual venue: The Biograph Theatre. It's part of the Victory Gardens Theater's world premiere production of
Stuart Dybek's novelI Sailed with Magellan. The play opened earlier this week to critical acclaim, and is packed with references to Chicago's famous
Maxwell Street market. So, for its upcoming Theater Thursday event on June 28, Victory Gardens
is throwing a Maxwell Street-themed pre-show party.
Starting at 6 pm, Theater Thursday-goers will feast on free food from local restaurants, and beer courtesy of Goose Island Brewery. Cool blues music will fill the room as crowds meet members of the cast, and shop a fun selection of hot deals from local retailers, including Books in the City, Bunches, A Flower Shop, Uncle Dan's Outfitters, and of course, Blue Buddha Boutique. I'll have my "bargin bin" of 3-year-old inventory, as well as a few new pieces for eye candy. Fellow Craft Mafia member Lucky Penny Handmade will also be vending her wares. Hope to see some of you there, and if you know anyone going to the play, please ask them to stop by my table!
14 June
It seems as though more and more people are becoming addicted, er, um, I mean discovering the joys of chainmaille everyday. *grin* This is, of course, absolutely thrilling for me. It also means that business is booming, and I need to hire someone to help take care of the inventory procedures, so I have more time to create new designs, plan more classes, and develop kits. If this is something you're interested in, please go to the job openings page to see the description and apply. Feel free to pass on the URL to anyone you know who might be interested.
13 June
I'm back! Bead&Button was great—so much talent and so many wonderful products to buy. I had so much fun in all of my classes, and met some truly amazing people. I hope to be accepted to teach again next year, because I would love to see you guys again and help you create more lovely pieces of jewelry!
I've started going through my emails and processing orders. I think by now most orders placed before June 6th have shipped, and I'm hoping to completely catch up by the end of the week. (Keep your fingers crossed!)
31 May
Bead&Button, here we come! The shop is now closed while Vanessa & I head up to Milwaukee for a very intense week of teaching. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you in person, and I hope you'll enjoy the classes I have prepared. Those who aren't attending should be pleased to know that once I return, I'll have several new kits to add to the instructions page.
Orders placed while we're gone will begin shipping on Tuesday, June 12. We expect to be caught up with the backlog of orders by the end of that week. Thanks for your patience!
16 May
Less than three weeks 'til Bead&Button! Please note that I'll be super busy packing kits before the show, so Blue Buddha Boutique will be closed from Thursday May 31 - Monday June 11. If you get an order to me by May 30, it should ship before I leave.
If you're attending the Bead&Button show and would like to pick up an order from me during the Meet the Teachers reception, we can certainly arrange that. To encourage you to put together your orders in advance, I'm offering a special discount: for pick-up orders reserved AND PAID FOR before Wednesday May 30th, save 10% off all sterling rings and sterling kits, and 15% off base metal rings (but not base metal kits). If you pay via PayPal, we'll refund your savings back to you when we process your order.
I'm looking forward to seeing you in Wisconsin!
14 May
Added a lovely Cancer Awareness Dreamcatcher, with the proceeds going to support a local nonprofit as well as a fellow (fe)mailler with cancer.
Also, there are a few spots open for a Dragonscale Class at Briolette Beads next Sunday, May 20th from 1-5. The class was originally scheduled at Caravan, to accomodate the waiting list for March's Dragonscale class. However, we've had to move the class to Forest Park. For more information, and to register, please contact Caravan Beads at 773.248.9555.
3 May
The latest issue of the Mailler's Newsletter is now online, found in the Classes section. Happy reading!
23 April
I'm pleased to announce that I am one of four new members of the Chicago Craft Mafia, a collaborative and non-competitive organization of independent crafting business owners. Join us on May 5th for our Spring Loaded show, where a portion of sales will benefit local Rainbow House, a nonprofit agency that works to reduce domestic violence in Chicago. For more info, please see the shows page.
20 April
Added a few new classes; please check the class updates page for more info. I'm happy to announce that Vanessa Walilko, who has been a weaver here for nearly a year, will be teaching several classes starting in May. We hope that with two of us teaching, we'll be able to diversify the classes and timeslots.
Time is running out to register for workshops from out-of-state mailler Scott David Plumlee. He'll be doing 2 workshops at Lillstreet on May 12 and 13. I'm signed up for the pendant class, and I hope to see some of you there! Class Photos and Registration Info >>
13 April
At long last, the moment many of you ring customers have been waiting for—you can now purchase anodized aluminum rings with the online shopping cart! Yay! Here's a tip: Save money by purchasing a pack of 1,000 and dividing it into mix 'n' match packs of 250, rather than buying each of the smaller packs à la carte.
30 March
I'm pleased to welcome Alison Carpenter to the Blue Buddha Boutique. She creates exquisite chainmaille dreamcatchers and windchimes, and I look forward to bringing you her work. By late spring, you'll be able to purchase her pieces on this website and at many of the retail outlets that carry Blue Buddha designs. Check out Alison's bio for more about her.
02 March
My Celtic Visions class at Ayla's show this weekend has been planned for some time, but we've just decided to make it more of an all-day affair. The class still runs from 12 - 3; before and after, I'll be doing demos and selling finished jewelry as well as kits. See Shows for more info.
If you would like to place an order for pickup during the show, please let me know. You'll save 10% off the price of loose rings, both base metal and silver! Note that the Celtic Visions class is sold out at the Bead&Button Show, so this may be your only other chance this year to take this particular class.
I've also posted internship openings. Whether you are new to chainmaille, or have experience and are looking to further refine your techniques, I'd love to hear from you.
01 March
One of the new weaves I've created, a simple variation of Celtic Visions, is in desperate need of a name, so I'm turning to you. Check it out, suggest a name, and you could win a free kit. Cool!
20 February
Woo-hoo! Computer woes are finally over. I still have a ton of work to catch up on, but I'm glad to be back in full force! To celebrate, there are some new sale items for those who make maille. Also, I'm planning another Mailler's Invasion at the Chicago Stitching Salon. Please see the Shows page for more info.
18 January
Only two days into registration for the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, WI and already classes are selling out. In fact, most classes are expected to fill capacity, so if you want to sign up for any of my classes, do so soon!
And, check it out, I'm in today's New York Times, in an article about verbal communication. The accompanying photo shows me working on the Sears Tower sculpture for next weekend's Stitching Salon.
2006
17 December
Attention, students! New classes have been posted for January - April. Happy holidays, and I hope to see you in the new year!
11 December
I'm excited to be a part of Chicago's Winter Delights Festival. On Saturday, January 20, I'll be doing a day-long demonstration at the Stitching Salon set up at the Chicago Tourism Center. If you're curious to see how I make chainmaille, or if you already make chainmaille and want to work on some projects with other maillers, this is the perfect time! First-time maillers are especially welcome—I'll have plenty of spare rings so you can make a patch of chainmaille, or put together a pair of earrings. I'll also have a cool new sculpture on display, specially made for this event.
29 November
If you're looking to do holiday shopping this weekend, please stop by one of my shows: Formed & Fabricated at LillStreet Art Center and Razor's Edge Boutique Artist of the Month.
7 November
The holiday season is here! I'll be doing several shows and art openings through the end of the year, please check the shows page for more details.
If you're more interested in making chainmaille, but haven't yet taken a class, stop by the stage of the DIYTrunkshow on November 18th. Vanessa and I will be teaching how to make a basic pair of earrings from 11 - 1 pm. There's a $1 fee for materials, but the workshop itself is free. Shop for a while, and then head back to the stage for a free knitting workshop by the Kelly Girls From 2 - 4 pm.
26 October
Blue Buddha designs are available at the newly opened Lower Hater in San Francisco, California. Located on Haight, this shop creates a collective that celebrates all aspects of lifestyle from Hip Hop to Punk Rock, and promotes fashion, art, and design. For the exact address and a map, please see the locations page.
17 October
I was one of three artists mentioned during a recent CLTV Metromix segment about the newly opened Razor's Edge Boutique. You can see a few screenshots on the press page.
9 October
I've received a ton of emails asking which classes I will be teaching at the Bead&Button show, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. :-) I'm glad so many of you are excited about the classes I will be doing, and I look forward to meeting some of my customers at the show! All classes use sterling silver rings unless otherwise noted.
29 September
The Blue Buddha Boutique will be closed on Thursday October 5th to participate in a nationwide day of mass resistance against the actions of our government. I normally would not use my business website as a vehicle to spread my personal beliefs. However, I've concluded that it would be far more damaging to America and the rest of the world to stay silent than to speak out against the wrongs that I see around me. Read more >>
28 September
I'm back from the Michigan Chainmaille Gathering. Being around so many wonderful maillers really got my creative juices flowing, and I'm excited to put together some new designs. I also had a wonderful time in Loren Damenwood's Prolong Knots Bracelet Workshop. He is an amazing artist; do check out his website, Golden Knots, if you have a moment. (Those rings, those fabulous rings!)
In other very cool news, I'm pleased to announce that I will be teaching six classes at the 2007 Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, WI. Stay tuned for more details!
21 September
New, exciting pages on the site! There's now a sitemap to help you navigate this ever-growing site. Check out the guestbook where you can leave comments or subscribe to the newsletters. The Blue Buddha Boutique newsletter contains show and design announcements, and the Mailler's Newsletter is geared toward students and supplies customers (who will also be happy to see the newest items added to the supplies section.)
1 September
Join me next Friday as I help celebrate the grand opening of Razor's Edge Boutique in Lincoln Square. This new specialty boutique sells high end fine art in several forms: ceramics, glass, painting, jewelry (which is, of course, where Blue Buddha Boutique designs come in), photography, sculpture, and various types of wearable art. I'm excited to be a part of this shop, and look forward to seeing tons of creative art!
24 August
Students, I've updated the classes section with a slew of returning and new classes through the end of the year. Hope to see you soon!
26 July
Blue Buddha designs are now available at Dancing Loon Artisans in New Buffalo, Michigan. The gallery represents 25 artists in a variety of media, including pottery, glass work, paintings, sculpture and jewelry. For the exact address and a map, please see the locations page.
20 June
Thanks to everyone who attended the book release party. Photos and guessing contest info has been posted in the show archive.
06 June
I'm pleased to welcome Vanessa Walilko to the Blue Buddha Boutique as a weaver. Her creative eye and impeccable craftmanship make her a very welcome addition. You can read more about Vanessa on the new Artists page.
11 May
The Chain Mail Jewelry book featuring one of my bracelets is now available! This full-color book features 30 projects at all skill levels. The photos, illustrations and instructions are remarkably clear. I'm very pleased to have been part of this book. Chicagoans, don't forget about the book release party in June!
27 April
I've added a Press page with recent media mentions. Also tweaked the former Resources section. It's been divided into two parts: the FAQ section, which contains articles, and a links page.
24 April
Looking to create your own chainmaille? Several Kits and Instructions are available for purchase, and more will be added throughout the year.
21 April
I recently handcrafted 25 unique Byzantine Pendants for athlete VIP gift bags for The Billes. This inaugural event, hosted by The Women's Sports Foundation, honors media excellence in the portrayal of women in sports. The Billies benefit dinner gala, featuring Sir Elton John, took place April 20, 2006, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in California.
More info >>.
12 April Your Life! Magazine is giving away Blue Buddha Boutique jewelry. Subscribe to the free online magazine for your chance to win a blue Japanese Triad Necklace with matching earrings.
2 April
The Boutique is expanding, and I'm looking for weavers. Read the current job listings for more info.
1 April Save the Date! On Wednesday, June 14th, from 6 pm to 9 pm, I'll be hosting a Book Release party for Chain Mail Jewelry at Helio Massage and Bodywork Studios (near Clark and Diversey). You will be able to purchase the book—featuring projects by many chainmaille artists, including myself— as well as Blue Buddha Boutique jewelry and supplies. There will be a short chainmaille Q&A, complimentary massages, wine and snacks, a free raffle, and goody bags for the first 25 attendees! More info to come.
8 March
I've used the basis of the Flat Persian design to create a Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Bracelet. Twenty-five percent of sales will be donated to organizations researching this disease.
23 February
Students and weavers of chainmaille, take note: I've created a sale items page in the supplies section.
6 January
Many new ring sizes in both sterling and base metal added to the supplies section, and a change to the layout of that section. Read more about this update.
I've added seven articles to the FAQ section (formerly known as Resources): two were moved from the Supplies section, and the others are new. If you are one of my veteran students, you may remember some of the articles from previous newsletters. (And if you're a new student, now you can see what was mentioned in previous issues!) The articles are works in progress; as I do more research and experimenting, I'll definitely update the text). Happy reading!
1 January 2006
I'm happy to announce that my Quantum Rose pendant is now available at Airsources.com. A portion of the proceeds benefit Pulmonary Fibrosis research at the University of Chicago. I'll be adding more items throughout the year. This reasearch is close to my heart. My father, a big supporter of Blue Buddha Boutique, passed away from heart failure due to PF in early 2005. Learn more about PF on the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation website.
27 November
My work will be available for sale at DEPART-ment this weekend. DEPART-ment is a unique way to purchase handcrafted items, so please come out and support this event. (It's also open until 11 pm on Friday, which is perfect for late-night owls and people with busy weekends!). See shows for more info.
11 November
Posted info on a December show at Lincoln Square Pottery Studio.
Also, visit the show archives to find out how many rings were in the jar at the DIYTrunkshow.
10 November
I'm excited to let you know that I helped with the installation and did a wee bit of weaving for several chainmaille curtains now on display at the Omni Hotel's restaurant in downtown Chicago. I wove about 4 or 5 square feet, which normally I wouldn't consider a "wee bit," but the enormity of this project is astounding. Various artists from across the country worked on the curtains: 20 panels, 13 feet high by 2 feet wide. That's a lot of maille! Very, very impressive. (I'll try to post pictures.)
Other outstanding artwork (including stained glass and a hand-painted mural ceiling) is also featured in the restaurant. I encourage you to stop by for a drink or a meal.
676 Restaurant and Bar (located on the 4th floor)
Omni Hotel
676 Michigan Ave
Chicago IL
