Summertime Creating and Giving New Life to Things of the Past

This Summer I have focused my creative tendencies toward my collections of vintage pieces.  From brooches to earrings, I have held them in my hands and stroked them into ideas for new repurposed designs that are worthy of today and any day.

The fun to combine items and embellish them to be interesting and sometimes a bit funky has been a ball.  Some have sold and others are available at http://www.diannearnettedesigns.etsy.com/, where my collection lives until someone purchases it either online or from me directly.

The piece to the left is a drop dead, jaw-dropper!  It is going to make itself important.............and you importantly accessorized...
It is great on a tee....or on a gown.  Anyway you like it, it likes you.

As you can see, it has multi-layers of stones and chains and many outstanding elements........just fun and it was so much fun to construct.




The next piece is a bit more subdued....It is more demure and is pearls and enameled pieces to make a more symetrical design. You will see that I like it alone or layered with pieces that you probably have in your jewelry collection.  Very pretty, and feminine...

The blue colors are clean and classic.  The white makes it a natural to use with business suits to little black dresses.......

Wear it alone or in layers as you see to the right in the next photo.

The other two designs are examples of pretty vintage items that were just too pretty to discard.  They are no longer worn as they were orginally....but now they are enjoying new life.  Take a look on my etsy site and see what you think.  They love company!

DiAnneArnetteDesigns on Etsy.com

I JUST LOVE FORT WORTH...AND FUNKY FINDS WAS FABULOUS!

What a great day we had in Fort Worth at the Will Rogers Complex on Saturday.  The Funky Finds Spring Fling show was hosted by FunkyFinds.com and Etsy Fort Worth and it was a big hit. I am not sure how many people came through the show, but it was a lot.  There were groups of people constantly up and down the isles of booths and impossible to see from one end to the other for the people milling around and shopping at the neat....no...NEAT, artisan's displays.

I was a participant and had a great day of meeting people, showing my hobby/business (I am really a REALTOR, disguised as an artist.) and selling my work.  Since I am a people person, meeting the people is the number one priority for me.  I just love to visit and hear what they are doing, what they like and just intereact.  I always learn so much and make several new friends.

You may want to know what I sold........Well...a little of this and a little of that........

This black with pink flowers tee was a big hit.  And after I sold all of it, I took orders for black and also for white.  I like either pink or white blossoms on the black one. And on the white, I like pink or black blossoms.

I also sold 4 pieces of jewelry to a Gallery that will be representing my jewelry designs.  This is one of the pieces the Gallery selected.  The others were pretty too.  The Olive Tree Gallery in Keller will be showing this and other pieces in their new gallery which will open soon in Old Town Keller.

Of course.......I sold earrings which you can see at http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ and soon on Funky Finds.com when I can get my shop opened.

My other good sellers were necklaces to layer one on the other and to mix to make the look you like.  Since the trend is "mix it all up" and "the more the merrier"..........I have beautiful beadery that alone is conservative, but when you add something to it, it pops and is bold and fabulous.

That is enough about me...........the other shops at Spring Fling that I though were great were Bob Collett's woodturnnings..........He shows at Stanley Korshack and is a wonderful artisan.  His website is

http://www.intothewoodswithbob.com/  and the vessel here is only a taste of what he does.  Check it out and also look at Korshack's store online in the gift department.  He will have more on both places soon.

Thank you to all of my wonderful friends and shoppers who stopped by to see me on Saturday.  I will be emailing each of you a thank you and for those who placed special orders, I will contact you this week to work out the details of your order.

I will be doing other shows all Spring.......always new creations on my websites..........

http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ jewelry   (I am gradually moving that to http://www.diannearnettedesigns.etsy.com/)

http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/ headbands, tees, clutches, and whatever other accessory that I want to add

and of course..........my REAL business http://www.diannearnette.com/  is where I am working daily!

Fall 2009 Brings lots of Excitement with Design and Art Shows

Fall Brings excitement and new energy to my Jewelry designs and my ideas are flowing...from early morning to late evening. I think the mix of accessories for Fall will be light mixed with heavy, open mixed with solids and lots of deeper colors....from metals to magical beads.

I also love the idea of heavy gold scrolls and heavier pearls with dark grays and earthtones. My days as a Designer ladies' retailer put my mind's eye in tune with juxtopositioning light, dark,light,heavy and other opposites to create interest. Look at Fall collections and you will see heavy chains and charms mixed with ribbons and sparkles..... I will be participating in several ART Shows in the DFW Metroplex this Fall...

Currently I will be at the Southwest Airlines Show on Nov. 23 at Love Field and am also scheduled for the Senior Citizen's Show and Sale in October at the Will Rogers Colluseum in Fort Worth...I will post more as I know the schedules.

I was at a Christmas in July show on July 24 and it was great! Lots of sales and compliments....and comments that I am priced too low! I continue to try to produce pieces that are more than "worth what you pay"..........They are downright pretty. Visit my online stores at www.wantzit.etsy.com and www.wantzit2.etsy.com

MARKETING YOURSELF & YOUR STUFF

The business of doing business is not easy for the small business. It takes lots of time, imagination, and thought to do it well. I don't want to be pushy or sound like a "broken record, but it is my job to somehow continue to keep my name in front of my public. I have most recently been "tweeting" and updating my Facebook, and My Space for developing a networking system. I hope that those are worthy ways of not being so much "in someone's Space" whiletrying to keep them in "my space(s)".

This Turquois Cuff is at http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/

My REAL ESTATE LISTINGS CAN BE SEEN AT http://www.diannearnette.com/

My real estate busines has some organizational ways that it is marketed.

First and foremost, to other agents all across the local areas, and then also across the Nation.

Locally the MLS and my Board of Realtors memberships keeps my listings showing to other

agents so that they can tell their clients about those listings. This is a professional to professional system and it is really good. In fact, if a homeowner wants to sell a home, it will sell much quicker than any other way and this can be proven statistically. In addition, it will sell for more money to the seller when sold this way. Lots of homeowners believe they will "pocket" the professional fees and save money...that is not correct according to the stats. FSBOs as they are known, sell for less, and the seller makes less. This is also true for Minimal service agencies who list for the owner at a flat fee. 90% of those either do not sell at all or they finally list with an agent who offers all services for the fees charged.

THIS NECKLACE IS FROM MY EXTREME BEADED COLLECTION AND WAS ACCEPTED IN A RECENT JEWELRY SHOW IN NEW ORLEANS.

It has a mix of Vintage pieces and seed beading designs and it is hanging on chain with multiple chain accents to give it the look of...well something that you want to see again and continue looking at.

Now....my challenge of how to market my jewelry is much more puzzleing to me.

So...here is is: http://www.wantzit.etsy.com/ and http://www.wantzit2.etsy.com/

These Earrings are Peruvian turquois ovals set into sterling silver twisted wires. They are very neat.

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and tell me what you think...I am interested.

Entering Jurored Art Shows is Scarey!

With creative urges sometimes taking over my life, I yearn to see what others think of my artwork. I do things that range from just putting some very nice stones and metals together to the WoW pieces...that can only be described as "You better not think you are Shy" pieces.

Those are the pieces that I find interesting to work on...as my art profs all said, the art is in the creative process, and not necessarily the result. But, people seem to like my results. So, with the encouragement of a fellow artist, I entered a show in New Orleans. I didn't know how long until I would hear whether they liked my "stuff" ...but, before the end of the day, I got an email telling me that all my things were nice, but my Art Pieces, "blew them away"! Wow...were they talking to me?

So...peruse my etsy shop and see what you think. I am considering the show, but the best part is knowing that I can if I want to!

Finding Other Artist is Part of the fun of being One!

I am a proud member of Etsy, Team Fort Worth and although it is a new Etsy team, it is full of talent and enthusiasm. I am so impressed with the knowledge and talent in this group and I am just a new member...as I said before. They know how to blog, post, network, and I hope they are going to teach me how to market my neat designs.

I also visited the Cattle Barn Flea Market last week and found some very talented people there too. The Cattle Barn Flea Market it turning into a much more "polished" venue than it was only a short time ago. The booths are taking on a "Little Specialty Shop" look and they are getting to be attractively arranged and it just looks like progress is happening. I still am sometimes amazed that some of the "oldies" will sit there with real junk...did I say junk...yes and price it as though it is going to be grabbed up immediately.....Don't get me wrong, some things are definitely nice and should be priced accordingly....but don't try to fool a veteran of shopper's annoynomous....I know! And, if I were sitting there, I would be encouraging offers....and some do.

Back...to who I have met: I met a lady that has a degree in metal smithing and she sells beading supplies and is going to make jewelry to sell in a magazine this Summer...She had lots of information to share. I love sharing knowledge and admiring the works of others.

I also met a lady who calls herself the FunkyGypsy, and she is extremely creative. She makes beautiful beaded (tiny beads) necklaces and also sells darling Children's Clothing. She travels and sells her things to stores and to individuals. I had lots of fun chatting and hope to see both of them again soon.

If you are an artist at heart...no matter the level of success, you usually see the neat sides of people and "things"....the creative mind is a miracle!

Now see what I did this week..........on by the way, My real job is REAL ESTATE....and I believe real estate is picking up!

Wow...Look what I did last night!

If you know me, www.diannearnette.com ,or have seen my work at www.wantzit.etsy.com , then you know that I really like to create, whether it is marketing my real estate listings, my marketing mailings, or making jewelry in my spare time.

I feel watching most TV shows is a big time spender, so I try to "multi-task" while I watch a Dancing with the Stars or 24 episode. Last night, I didn't really have anything in mind, I just started creating....and oh la la, this is what I came out with. I could hardly put it down ....I stayed up much too late, and then this morning early, I posted all the photos to www.wantzit.etsy.com. It is COOL....I had fun doing it too.