For Mother's Day

Need a new gift idea for Mother's Day?

These are perfect, especially if her kids/grandkids live in different cities.

Order as many as you need....1, 3, 12, whatever. I can package them individually, or up to 12 in a pack.

On Etsy, they are listed as a set of 4 ($15), so if you need a different quantity, contact me and we can get you what you need.

I have a tremendous selection of Vintage maps, so I'm certain to have exactly what you need.

Just remember, these are custom made, so you need to order by May 1 to receive them in time for her big day!

Enjoy!

(don't have an Etsy account? No problem. I also sell them on my personal website)

The Road to Philly

After 3 years hiatus, I've decided to return to Philadelphia for the Buyers Market of American Craft. I always loved this show, but decided to put my efforts into the Retail market, and scale back on Wholesale when the economy started to falter.

It proved to be a good decision for me, as I was able to work on some new ideas, and receive immediate feedback by showcasing them to the retail public. I do have some great wholesale accounts that found me on Etsy, and at various shows. They have been selling these new items for the last couple of years. It's given me the foundation I needed to dive back into the wholesale market with full steam.

Now it is time to officially introduce them to Wholesale buyers. Gift shops, galleries and craft stores from around the United States will converge in Philadelphia Feb 18-21 to buy for their stores.

One of the biggest challenges I've faced in preparing for this show is simplifying my designs. When I sell at retail shows, I can have a wide range of options. For wholesale buyers, it's best if I scale back, picking only the designs that I love, and that I feel are the most marketable.

Not easy!

In the long run, it makes the most sense (from a business standpoint) to offer a set number of choices. It helps with planning, budgeting and all that good stuff. So as I narrown down my choices, I'll post updates. This is quite exciting, as you are seeing these first.

Enjoy!

Guess and Win!!! A giveaway

Want to win something? Of course you do.

Tell me what you think my best selling item will be at the upcoming Guilford Expo (see this post to learn more about the show). At the end of the show, I will randomly draw a name from those that guessed the correct answer. Yup, it's that easy.

So, all you have to do is tell me what you think will be my top selling item in the Comment section. You will get a bonus entry if you tweet (use hash tag: #bestseller) or Facebook this, too!! Just make sure you tell me that you did so in the comment. And make sure I have a way of contacting you if you win!

Only one entry per person, please!!!!

What do you win?

The best selling item (you can pick the design)!!! Totally free. I promise.

I know, I make lots of different things, so let me give you some choices:

Magnets

Map magnets

Dog/Cat magnets

Bottlestoppers

Vases (all styles)

Hook (all styles)

You can see all these items in my Etsy shop

(I don't often list the Map Magnets in my Etsy shop, but trust me, I have lots of them).

Show Time

I love this show, plain and simple. This will be my 8th year exhibiting, and I am never disappointed. Of course, I expect this year to be a little different, as I will have to navigate on crutches. But, I couldn't let my broken foot stop me from being there.

If you're interested in attending, or know someone who is, please be so kind as to spread the word!!

When: July 15-17
Where: Guilford, CT
What: Super awesome craft show

Linkedy link: Guilford Expo

I must give a special mention to my friend KimV
Without her help, and her minivan, I don't think I could be there. Thanks a million Kim!!!

See you in Guilford!!!

I'm Broken

That's right. Broken.

My left foot. The 5th metatarsal to be exact. Today is my appointment with the Ortho, and I'm hoping for good news.

A broken foot doesn't work so well when you're a glassblower. It's an "on the feet all day" kind of craft.

Am I down? A little. This has been a heck of a year. And it seems that perhaps I should change this Blog title to "What life was like as a glassblower". Since March (and the floods), I have spent a total of 5 hrs making my work in the studio. All my energy was put into recovering what we could, and getting my good friend (and boss) back in business. I'm so proud of our efforts.

As an Artist, the need to create is vital. But, the need to rejuvinate, recharge and refocus is more vital. And that is what I intend to do while I have the opportunity. For those that know me well, know that I am a workaholic. Time off? A nice concept, I imagine.

My Etsy shop is open, wholesale orders are coming in (and shipping out), and I'm still in business. Just not at my usual pace. And that's okay.

So, excuse me while I crutch my way to the backyard, sit in the sun and read my book.

Molly the Owl

I'm addicted. I admit it. I can't get enough of Molly the Barn Owl. I first heard of her on twitter a couple of days ago, and have been watching her ever since.

The first owlet has pipped (look at me, speaking "owl" talk! See, this is educational, too), so all 5 of her owlets should be hatched within a week. Exciting stuff.

Watch her here

(warning, this is a live, unedited stream of Molly, so be prepared to see her eat).

That lovely watercolor at the top of the post? I found it on Etsy, of course.

Enjoy!

Big Fan

Little fans are good, too.

If you would take a moment to be MY fan, I'd appreciate it. A little button to the right (and also at the bottom of the blog) will take you to the Tanner Glass fan page.

Once a fan, you will be privy to things that you don't often see here, or on Etsy! It's a first glance as to what is happening in my world. It's an opportunity to participate, too!

Thanks!

Spring Fever

Spring Fever.
I have it. You have it. Everyone has it.
It's inevitable this time of year. The days start to get a bit longer, the temps a *little* warmer, and if you look closely, bulbs start to show themselves.

I am a winter buff, I admit. But, this time of year is great. Really great. I love the anticipation of Spring. It is my most inspirational season, the colors, themes and designs are filled with color, and happiness.

It's only March 6th, which means we can still get hit with a snow storm, and run of cold days. And it will make people regress a bit, and get grumpy. But not me, as I know that my studio space is filled with flower themed, Spring themed colors and designs.

Welcome Spring!

Two Years

It's hard to believe it has been 2 years since I joined Etsy.


To celebrate, I'm having a SALE!!

22% OFF

Why 22%, you ask? Well, I joined on 2.22 (so it only seemed fitting).

This is a great opportunity to get some things at a great price! Stock up for Mother's Day, Birthdays, Holidays or Anydays!

Lots of great things will be added all week, so keep checking for new items!

See my Etsy Shop Announcement for more information!

Thank you for making Tanner Glass a success on Etsy!

Standing Out

Let's face it. I'm not the first to glue paper to the back of glass gems and turn them into magnets and paperweights. In fact, I am one of hundreds of sellers on Etsy that do this.

A simple google search will yield dozens of "how to's"......and that's how I learned.

You may think I'm a little nutty for telling you this. After all, now you all will click to google and search. And then you will create your own, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

I knew when I started making them that there were plenty of other sellers making them, too. But, I also knew I had ideas, resources and the ingenuity to make mine different.

After all, for the past 7 years, different was the key to my success as a glassblower. I didn't want to make what everyone else made. So I didn't. I saw a lack of smaller, affordable glass gifts in the marketplace, and quickly made that my niche market. I built my business on Bottlestoppers and Oil Candles, Bud Vases and Pocket Coins. To date, I have sold well over 5000 bottlestoppers. Crazy.

(what is even crazier is that I still enjoy making them. And I constantly add new designs and colors to the line).

Back to the glass gems......

When I began, I did what everyone else does. I went to the big Craft stores, sifted through scrapbook paper, bought my glass gems, and started creating. And they looked like everyone elses.

And then, the light bulb moment......I could make the glass gems. So I did. I don't make the little ones, but I do make all the larger ones. Now, I not only make them for my own use, but I sell them to one of the top Supply sellers on Etsy.

Thanks to a scanner, copier and photo editing program, I was able to execute some designs.....like the Fortune paperweights, and dog/cat themed magnets. The Hooks quickly followed.

Okay, quickly is not quite right. The learning curve was huge. I had many failures. MANY. But, I loved the idea, so I perservered until the kinks had been worked out.

It's always a challenge as an artist, crafter or designer to stay inspired, to stay original, and most important, to stay true to yourself. Etsy is a constant reminder of the amazing talent and diversity that exists, and I have found much inspiration on that site. Unfortunately it is also a reminder that many people will copy others. Being inspired by others and copying others are entirely different things. It's up to us (as artists/crafters to know the difference).

(stay tuned, as I will discuss why I think the Bandwagon is not always a bad thing).

I love that I have the inate desire to be a little different. Tanner Glass wouldn't be here without it.

Handmade Helps Haiti

Inspiration struck, and I created a new blog.

It's all about Helping Haiti, and is inspired by the countless artists, crafters and designers that are donating to various Relief efforts.

It's a win win.......by purchasing from these artists, you are helping a GREAT cause, and supporting the Handmade movement.

Take a look and spread the word!

Thank you!!!

Sharing No. 1

My blogolution for 2010......to share.

And I don't mean in the "you can have some of my french fries" kind of share.

I resolve to share some work from artists and crafters (on and off Etsy) that have motivated me, inspired me, and all that good stuff. They shared with me, so, I shall return the favor, and share them with you.

First up.....

Littleput Books

(visit her Etsy shop here)

When I first joined Etsy in Feb 2008, Ryan (aka Littleput) was one of the top sellers on Etsy, with over 10000 sales. I came across her shop while reading the Etsy forums (extremely helpful as a new Etsy seller).

I clicked on her avatar, taking me to her shop, and immediately, I was intrigued. Not only by her impressive sales, but by everything in her shop. Her photos, her items, her materials, and her packaging.

(if you remember, I am a bit of a packaging fanatic. So, I have the most utter respect for those than can design clever packaging).

I studied her shop (little did she know), and used it as a model for my own. That, combined with the great advice she doled out in the forums, made me believe that I, too could be successful on Etsy.

I am not ashamed to admit, I put her on a bit of a pedestal.

So, imagine my excitement when I discovered that she had not only hearted MY shop, but some of my items. My new, "I'm not so sure if people will like these" items.

It was validating. And, motivating.

Almost 2 years later, I am nowhere near 10000 sales, but I do consider myself successful. I pushed forward with those items (the hooks, if you're wondering). And to this day, have sold well over 500 (on and off Etsy). I have an Etsy shop full of items I am proud of. An aesthetic I am proud of. And I'm thankful.

Thank you, Ryan.

Again, check out Ryan's Etsy shop. Lots of good goods (and VERY clever packaging)!

Snow Day

That's me (in all black), competing in the A-Basin Enduro in 1998. It was a great day......10 hrs of skiing (black diamond, and double black diamond trails). The conditions were exceptional, and overall, we logged 55 runs (my partner, Portia, and I). I don't know what time that picture was taken, but based on my form (a little hunched over), I'm guessing it was many hours into the event.

I love to ski. I really love it.

Now that my Holiday season is over, I can focus on Winter. I awoke to 2 feet of snow this morning, happily donned my winter gear, and took Olivia (dog) for a "walk". It was really more a combination of shuffling on the plowed streets, and trudging through 3 ft drifts. It was a blast.

Now all I can think about is skiing. I don't know if I'm make a trek out West this year, but I will certainly be making a trek up North. And, I'll be doing it all with new Ski gear. Thanks to a hugely successful Holiday season, I will be treating myself to new skis and boots. It is long overdue, but much deserved.

It's easy to forget to treat myself to something this time of year. I spend so much time and energy on Tanner Glass, that I often lose sight of "me."

Today was the perfect reminder that:

1. Snow makes me happy

2. Olivia (dog) in the snow makes me happier

3. Treats are good.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Back in Business

There has been much concern expressed about the state of the furnace (thank you!)

The furnace (the source of all the glass) at the studio had to be shut down for maintenance.

In November? Yes. The worst possible time of year to have it turned off. This was unscheduled maintenance.

(Unfortunately, turning it off, and back on is not so simple. As you might recall from this blog post, it operates at 2100. So, it takes about 4 days for it to cool down. And another 4 days for it to get hot. All total, including the maintenance days, it will have been unuseable for about 12 days.)

As of now, the furnace is just about Hot, and we will resume working on Tuesday.

The most obvious question I was asked was:

What will you do? Two weeks with no glass?

And here is my answer.......

A lot!

Just about everything I make involves some type of Cold Work. Which means, it has to have additional thing(s) done to it when it is cold.

Bottlestoppers, Sea Stones and Oil Lights have to be ground (a process used to make things level or flat). Sea Stones and (some) vases have to be sandblasted (a process that gives the glass an etched appearance).

Bottlestoppers have to be glued (to cork or chrome plated stoppers)

And then there are the finishing touches.......

Ornaments have to be strung with ribbon, Chrome Bottlestoppers are packaged, gift boxes are stamped, Pocket Coins are packaged. There's a lot to do.

And then, of course, there are the Magnets and Hooks. Last Xmas season I sold over 400 sets (that's SETS, not individual) Magnets/Push Pins. I'm certain I would have sold more if I had the inventory. And this year alone, I have sold over 200 Hooks.

So, I've been busy. And in reality, have enjoyed this "cold" time. For, soon enough (10 days to be exact), I will begin my run of Holiday Craft Shows.......and will be grateful for all the Hot, and Cold time I've had at the studio.

Odd versus Even

(don't ask me what the photo means. I was not a math major. Or a science major. I was an Art History Major. So, if you'd like me to critique the photo, I can. As a matter of fact, I'm not really sure what this photo is all about. Answers are welcome).

Sooooooo. I made it to 500 sales in my Etsy shop *hooray*.

500

What a nice number. A nice, even number. When I reached 500, I did a little dance ("little" being the operative word), and relished in the joy of seeing that number next to my Items Sold.

I was happy.

No sooner had my little dance ended.....and the nice, even number was gone. I had sold another item, and was now at 501. *hooray again*

Now, this certainly isn't a complaint, as I do LOVE to sell things, but I also have a thing for even numbers. I like them. When I'm working, I have to make an even number of items.......20 bottlestoppers, for example. Not 19, not 21. Occasionally I will end on an odd number, and it always is a little unsettling. But, I move on.

And when I put gas in my car, I try to end on an even number......but that's more of a game, really. To see if I can let go of the trigger at the exact moment that the price changes to an even, whole number. Most of the time, I nail it *hooray*

So here's something to ponder......looking at the photo above, I actually prefer the Odd one. It's more interesting. Hmmmmm, odd=interesting.

I may have to rethink my ways.

Tweet Tweet

It has become obvious to me that I have a thing for birds. It's not that I every denied it, or even supressed it. I just didn't really think about it. But, a quick glance at my Etsy favorites will reveal the truth.

A bird house, a bird print, and a decorative bird take up the first 3 of my Favorites.

And a trip through my Etsy shop will yield 5 bird themed items......no, make that 6.

Let's not get started on twitter, and all the bird references there (who would have thought, that at 37 years old, I'd be using the word "tweet" as a verb on a daily basis?)

Birds are everywhere......including a nice little nest under my bedroom air conditioner. I had planned on removing the air conditioner last weekend, but got a little nervous about disturbing it's home (okay, okay....I got nervous that it might fly into my room). It's already been established that I like birds, but not under my AC. Even Olivia (dog) doesn't really care for them living there. She is not as kind as me, and tends to bark loudly at them.

But, the AC must come out of my window, as it is getting colder these days. Wish me luck, as I attempt to safely remove it. May no harm be done to me, Olivia or the little birds.

I think I'll wear safety glasses.

Harmony

Harmony: Adaptation of parts to each other, giving unity or a pleasing whole.

In August, my Etsy team challenged it's members to create a piece based on the word Harmony.

This was not a mandatory challenge, and at first, I did not think I would participate......

But, after giving it a little thought, I went back to the drawing board. Literally. You see, long before I was a glassblower, I loved to draw. And I still love to draw, but find that there is little time for that.

Charcoal was my favorite medium.....the more blurry the lines, the better. I loved shadows, fades and the little bit of structure I would achieve with charcoals.

But, now, I find myself really enjoying structure. And getting a bit more abstract. I'm inspired by Indian prints, and simple designs. So, for this challenge, I decided to combine my past and present, and really challenge myself to try something new.

I really like the contrast of using a sharpie (bold, solid lines) with the soft tones of the colored pencils. And the white background, white wood block and magnifying element of the glass (handmade, too!) makes these colors more vibrant.

It's a little out of character for me, but I like it.

If you like it (enough to own it!), you can buy it here

Broken

The furnace is broken. And Mercury is in Retrograde.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of astrology. I like to read my horoscope (Scorpio, in case you were wondering) from time to time. But, since this furnace fiasco, many people have been telling me about Mercury in Retrograde. In a few short days, I have become a believer.

For a glassblower, there is no other piece of equipment that you'd like to see broken. The furnace is the core of our work. It keeps the glass molten, and without it, there is little that can be done.

Is it fixable? Yes.

Can we do it? No.

So, we must wait until our "furnace guy" is available to come to town to fix it. At this point, it looks like we won't be back to 100% for 5 weeks. (*gulp*)

I know what you're thinking......but Christmas is right around the corner!!!!! I know. I KNOW.

Fortunately, I live in the land of glassblowers. There are many studios in Rhode Island, and a good number of them will rent studio time. As best I can tell, I really only need a handful of days to keep my inventory in check.

It's not ideal, but it's the best I can do.......for at least 5 weeks.

Thankfully, Mercury will be long gone from Retrograde when that time comes.

(not soon enough for me).

Olivia

Olivia on the day I brought her home.

Just over 4 years ago, I adopted Olivia from the Warwick Shelter. I'll be honest, it was not a match made in Heaven......we had a rocky start, but with A LOT of patience, hard work, and a good dog trainer, we survived.



Now, she's not perfect.....she still likes to pull on the leash, eat stuff she's not supposed to, and *occasionally* ignore my commands, but I love her. Man, do I love her.



And we have some things in commom. Besides our mutual love of peanut butter, Olivia and I also share an affinity for Glass. As you know, I'm a glassblower.....I like to make things with it. Olivia seems to enjoy stepping on it, cutting her paws, and requiring emergency trips to the Vet.

(not at the glass studio.....no way is she allowed there! She *finds* it while running around some local parks).



Three times we have rushed to the vet. Twice she required sedation, many stitches, and 3+ weeks of recovery. Not fun. I repeat.....not fun. For either of us.

It was after the first Vet visit (and Vet bill) in 2006, that I looked at her, and told her "she needed to start earning her keep". She just stared at me, unresponsive.

As I stared back, my brain started turning with ideas........and the ideas quickly became products. Mostly centered around sandblasting Paw Prints on glass, I added those designs to Sea Stones, ornaments and magnets.



Now, 3 years later, Dog and Cat themed items are a major part of my work. Good Dog and Good Kitty magnets have become a top seller at my craft shows and in my Etsy shop. And as I continue to expand the designs available for the Leash hooks, they continue to sell well.



The moral of the story? There are two.
First, inspiration is everywhere.
Second, necessity is the mother of invention.



And it looks like Olivia has earned her keep. *phew*

A little Thank You

As I near 500 sales on Etsy, I decided I would do something extra special.

A giveaway!

*hooray*

Everyone that makes a purchase between now (450 sales), and sale #500 will be automatically entered to win an item from my shop...........and, here's the best part......you get to choose it.

The fine print:

~purchase(s) must be paid in full in order to be entered

~each item you buy will count as an individual entry (so the more you buy, the more chances you have to win).

~The winner will be randomly selected (not by me) the day I reach 500 sales.

~The winner gets to choose the item(s) of their choice (valued at $30 or less, including shipping). OR the winner may use the $30 towards a higher priced item.

~The winner will be contacted via an Etsy Conversation (you must be okay with being contacted this way).

I am so grateful for every sale.....and for all the friends I have made since joining the Etsy community in 2008.

Thank you!!!

Take a look at my Etsy shop