As promised, this post is going to be positive! And there’s no way it could be anything but after you read on! Last year, I vended at MinnCon and had a very unsettling experience. It was a clash of the … Continue reading
Has it really been SIX MONTHS??? Wow oh wow…so what happened in the past 6 months can be properly summarized as: I came, I saw, my ass has been thoroughly kicked.
Education is THE toughest field I’ve ever worked in. So tough that I needed to end that last sentence with a preposition and to not give a shit. At least I balanced the previous sentence. And I’m not even teaching English, I’m teaching math.
So all of you who know me can stop laughing RIGHT NOW. Yup, I’m teaching math, so what? It gets better. I’m teaching 5th grade math. And 6th grade math. And I co-teach 7th grade math. Now for those of you who are not dead on the floor of side-splitting laughter, I’ll continue my bitching.
Now most of you know I used to teach at a homeless shelter. That was a CAKEWALK compared to what I’m dealing with. My students come from very harsh realities that no one should ever have to face. It’s heart-wrenching to see how children at the age of 10 are already so disillusioned with the world that they have built up callousness and ambivalence I’ve never encountered before in many of the adults I’ve taught.
Now take the teaching factor into consideration and what have you got? A whole lot of heartache, self-doubt, and an emotional roller coaster from hell.
Add in the masters degree I was pursuing, a family, a husband who is disabled, and what have you got NOW? Way too much on your plate.
I’ve learned so much about myself in the past six months and I’ve grown. I learned that I don’t have to be the hero all the time, that I do need to recognize my limitations, and that it’s OK to walk away from something that isn’t right for me.
The results? I’ve decided to not pursue my masters degree, which means that at the end of my two year commitment with Teach for America I most likely won’t be able to teach anymore since the licensure rules are changing for special education.
I don’t feel guilty, which was unexpected. I feel liberated. I spent over 20 years in corporate America living with a heavy heart, feeling like I had no choice, no options. I will not do that to myself again.
I don’t regret moving down to Tennessee, I’m extremely happy down here. I don’t regret teaching either, I just wish it was something that I felt better about. They say the first year is always the hardest and I sure as shit believe it. But it’s more than first year jitters. I know myself well enough to know when something isn’t sitting well with me. I can’t live my life striving to please those that will never be pleased. I have to do what’s best for me.
So what does that mean for me after Teach for America? No idea. But I’ve been branching out a bit more with my jewelry, including partnering up with my best friend, Shannon Price to introduce a brand new line of t-shirts that we’re extremely proud of. Yup, ended that one with a preposition too. (How sad is it that my personal affront to education is only as severe as bad grammar?)
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Eldwenne?section_id=16377137&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2
Come check out our Supernatural Inspired t-shirts! These babies can be purchased online now or I will be taking orders for them in person at SFCon in January!
Are you a Deanmon Girl??
I know I sure as shit would too!
Try not to cry while wearing this one
I know it definitely had an impact on mine – tell us about how it saved yours!
This line is the epitome of the bond between the boys
Well, do you?
How many times in our lives would it have been awesome to hear this? Well, the “for the right reasons” part. Heard plenty of the “you were stupid”….
Now back to my crankiness – I’ve been getting some flack about the names I choose for my Supernatural inspired jewelry.
I get messages on etsy, even people approaching me at conventions, telling me my names are wrong, they don’t agree with them, I mustn’t watch the show, blah blah blah.
I thought maybe it’d be helpful to articulate exactly what I do when I work on a Supernatural Inspired piece of jewelry.
Please note that I call these pieces ‘Supernatural Inspired.’
Each of the characters on the show affect me in some way, as I assume they do most fans. Each piece takes an extraordinary amount of time to develop, design, and fine tune before it’s something I considered to be finished.
So exactly what am I doing when I’m developing, designing and fine-tuning? I’m taking a character that I’m connecting with and thinking about an aspect of that character that’s resonating with me. For example, let’s talk about The Tenacity of Dean Winchester – the first Dean piece I ever created.
Dean Winchester radiates with courage, perseverance, and true grit. The one word that pulls these words together for me is tenacity.
I chose the color green for Dean not because of his eyes, like so many people assume, it’s much deeper than that. For me, the color green represents bravery, steadfastness, and truth. Qualities that I associate with the character.
Dean’s weapon of choice is his gun, thus to pay homage to the character I chose to include a pistol. Dean would never go anywhere without it and neither would this piece.
The one common thread that most of my pieces have is the wrapped strands that appear to be chaotic but are actually controlled.
The reason for that? While each of the characters have their set ways and personalities, as we’ve all learned over the years about these characters is that nothing is ever static, everything can change. The variety in the lines; their appearance of being random, is actually quite deliberate on my part.
Back to my point – for someone to come up to me and say that I shouldn’t name a piece what I’ve named it – well, that’s the same as walking up to someone and telling them you don’t agree with what they’ve named their kid. They have their reasons, personal or not so personal as to why they chose the name they did. As do I.
Each piece is made with my heart and so much intention to represent MY interpretation of the characters. Hey, don’t get me wrong – I’m always up for healthy debates. There have been fans who approach me at cons and ASK me why I named a piece what I did and we talk about it. But then there are people who just outright TELL me I’m “wrong”, “don’t you watch the show” or have a snarky “if you watched episode 6.2 and freeze framed it at precisely 32.5 minutes in, you’ll clearly see that you’re wrong.” The shoot first and maybe if I feel like it I’ll ask questions later attitude. It’s hurtful, uncalled for, and definitely not what the SPN Family is all about.
Everyone is entitled to their own interpretation, so let’s please show each other respect. I’m not saying don’t ever ask me about my work – I am HONORED to be asked about it – nothing warms me more than having people care enough to ask me about my process, why did I make the piece, etc. What I am saying is that if you don’t like strangers approaching you and telling you something that’s dear to you is wrong, please don’t do it to someone else.
I’m happy to say that 99% of my encounters with fans are wonderful, amazing, and I’ve made lifelong friends of many of them. The 1% that were hurtful were pretty damn hurtful, and one was as recent as yesterday, hence my post.
Lastly, my best friend, Shannon, (designer of the amazing t-shirts!) said this to me, “bc you are an artist, the negativity is a catalyst to create more beautiful work. Name your next piece ‘go fuck yourself’” – ok, I MIGHT not use that title, but she’s absolutely right and I’ve been taking this to heart and have been creating MANY new pieces!
Come say hi to the newest in my Supernatural Inspired series:
The Initiation of Sheriff Donna
The Guile of Rowena
The Fortitude of Jo Harvelle
The Devotion of Ellen Harvelle
The Propriety of Death
The Soul of Sam Winchester Earrings!
The Soul of Sam Winchester Ring
Sam and Dean Winchester Brotherly Bond
I’ll be in San Francisco next month and I hope to see you! Sigh…so good to be back!
DCCon. Far from the final frontier, but these are the voyages of Jodi and her son, Jaden. It all started out on a Thursday morning on Amtrak, trekking it down from Jersey to DC.
Don’t let this pic fool you – he was excited as hell to be going to DCCon
This trip to DCCon was not only another leg of my traveling jewelry tour, it was a chance to try to give my son, Jaden a decent memory from 2014.
Jaden went through quite a lot from 2013 up until recently. He was bullied all throughout last year of school. We were not aware of exactly what was happening, but we knew something was wrong. Finally, during the summer, we were able to figure it out – another child was brutally bullying Jaden. Psychologically. This kid had Jaden terrorized and afraid to speak up for himself.
Long story short, we pressed charges, the bully got what amounted to a slap on the wrist, but the act of standing up to this bully really empowered him.
But it wasn’t enough. Jaden has spent the past school year guarded, defensive, suspicious, and hurt. He was withdrawn. We basically lost the outgoing, chatty, vibrant young man we once knew.
I thought taking him to DCCon would be a welcome distraction for him, especially because he truly loves Supernatural, devours the novels, and finds a welcome escape watching the episodes.
Upon arrival in DC, we rushed to our hotel. Unfortunately we were staying in the spillover hotel, not the actual event hotel, but it wasn’t far away.
We settled in, unpacked, ate, and then went to the Con to start setting up Eldwenne’s Fantasy and Clifhangers tables.
Thursday was a loooong day for us and by the time the vendor room closed for the night it was after 10:45pm – we had been on the go since 3am!
Friday was going to be a cinch – the vendor’s room was going to be open from 9:30 – 6:30. Not bad.
When I did VegasCon, I had a raffle to vote for your fave – Crowley vs. Abaddon. It was wildly successful and the fans had a blast voting for their favorite. Will there be a King of Hell or a Queen of Hell? The fans chose Crowley (as did Supernatural, as per this past episode!)
I wanted to give the fans some more fun so I held a raffle to win the companion bracelet to Castiel’s Grace necklace:
The companion bracelet to my original necklace design: Castiel’s Grace!
In addition to trying to win the bracelet, it was also a chance to vote for your favorite version of Cas – Angel or Human!
Most importantly – half of the proceeds from the raffle were donated to Random Acts of Kindness! Everyone wins!
A chance to win my bracelet, vote for your fave version of Cas, and donate to Random Acts of Kindness!
What were the results? You’ll find out at the end of this post!
So what makes Fridays special at any Salute to Supernatural Con? KARAOKE PARTY!!! Jaden was up to going. So we went. And oh. My. GOD! This event really solidified to me how wonderful Supernatural fans are.
I can’t count how many lovely people saw Jaden and me and shooed us up to the front of the crowd so that he could see. We didn’t ask anyone, we didn’t complain, people just went out of their way to give Jaden an amazing experience. I cannot thank all of you enough for that! It really epitomizes the generous and giving spirit Supernatural fans have. I’m so proud to be a part of the SPN Family.
Here are some pics from the evening:
Matt Cohen channeling his inner Keanu
Richard Speight Jr – a man and his wig.
Osric – always a knight in shining armor
Father and son karaoke – the first time John and Henry Winchester are onstage together!
The beautiful Kim Rhodes rocking out on stage!
Some angel and prophet love – Sebastian Roche happy to see Rob Benedict!
VERY lucky to snap this one of Dr. Badass himself – Chad Lindberg!
The Rock Goddess – Stephanie with Richard Speight Jr – if you haven’t heard her rendition of “Time Warp” you have not lived!! You also need to check out her frigging amazing band – Samurai Fish!
The true highlight of the evening for Jaden:
Jade getting to meet Rob Benedict at Karaoke. Rob is AMAZING – thank you!!
We stayed until the lights went on – and the next day was going to be a long one for us in the vendor’s room – 11 hours!! Jaden decided to ease into his morning:
Jaden – life after karaoke
Saturday is always the long day for us vendors – it’s usually an 11 hour day. Jaden slept under the Clifhanger table for a bit, lol! Then he went off to some panels.
Saturday was the big day where a lot of people began to notice my Supernatural Inspired necklaces – it was quite an amazing reaction and I’m so pleased with how many of you came by to admire my work!
I always say that the biggest compliment I could ever receive is to see someone wearing a piece of mine. I was floored for the entire weekend!!
ALL seventeen of my designs were snatched up by you guys – THANK YOU!! It was such an amazing response to my work that I decided to mark down the necklace in my online shop: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com – from now through midnight May 12, you can buy these necklaces at the same low prices I was offering at the convention! You can get the following:
The Impetuousness of Balthazar
The Sacrifice of Mary WInchester
The Soul of Sam Winchester
The Wisdom of Bobby Singer
The Complexity of Meg Masters
The Fire of Abaddon
The Genius of Charlie Bradbury
The Loyalty of Benny LaFitte
The Heart of Castiel II
The Purification of Sam Winchester
The Tenacity of Dean Winchester
The Deception of Crowley
Castiel’s Grace is still the all-time favorite!
Castiel’s Grace
For the Love of Supernatural
The Integrity of Dean Winchester
The Legacy of Henry Winchester
We Are All Team Free Will
ALL of these pieces are currently at their low convention prices at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com
If you happened to buy a piece from me at the convention – send me a pic!! I’d love to feature you – like these beautiful ladies!
Sporting some Dean earrings!
Wearing The Impetuousness of Balthazar!
This young lady bought my pride and joy – The Winchester Family Tree necklace!
The Winchester Family Tree went to a good home!
This cutie loved my Sacrifice of Mary Winchester necklace!
Some other amazing people strolled into the vendor’s room:
Dr. Badass! Wearing his Dr. Badass bracelet I made him!
Jaden was touched by an angel
This whole weekend was so incredible for both Jaden and me. I finally saw Jaden smile for the first time in months. And who put that smile there? Not just the amazing cast of Supernatural, but YOU! The fans treated him so well and restored his faith that there are genuine, good people out there!
Kim Rhodes was super amazing and tweeted this pic of her beautiful daughter wearing a necklace I made for her!
Kim Rhodes’ daughter, wearing the necklace that matches the one I made for her mommy at VegasCon!
So without further ado, I’d be remiss in not including my Wormstache Brigade!
And I also want to highight some pretty frigging amazing cosplay by Mel!
And lastly – the memories my son will have for a lifetime!
Jared and Jensen got Jade to smile!
The results of the vote: Human Cas got 14% of the vote. Angel Cas received a whopping 84%!
Thank you Creation, Kim Rhodes, Chad Lindberg, Gil McKinney, Rob Benedict, Osric Chau, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and all of you amazing human beings who made DCCon the best experience for Jaden!
Remember to stop by online at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com and come say hi to Clif at http://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers
The next few weeks will be intense as I prepare for a six week stint in Nashville, preparing for my Teach for America training. Wish me luck and I’ll talk to ya’ll soon!
I’m writing this post to you from the home of my family out in Santa Monica, California. My daughter Raven and I came in to spend some time with my cousin. It’s been an amazing time. Great weather, lovely company, Disney, the Santa Monica Pier, visits with dear friends and a trip to Universal Studios coming up next week.
Raven enjoying Disney
I’ll be back just in time to catch a flight down to Nashville to see more family and attend the Teach for America hiring fair – very exciting!
Then it’s back home for a few days and then OFF TO DCCon! More about that later in this post…
I have to say that my Supernatural Inspired Necklace series exploded into much more than I thought it ever could be.
It all started out with me wanting to design pieces that captured the essence of Sam and Dean Winchester. Oh, then there’s Cas, right? And then wait, I want to do another Cas piece too. And then what about the extended family like Bobby, Benny, Charlie…and bad guys need love too! So of course you gotta represent Crowley, Abaddon, Meg…sigh…
So without further ado, here is a Supernatural Inspired Necklace Series 101 for ya’ll!
The Tenacity of Dean Winchester: A necklace to commemorate our hero, Dean Winchester and his never-ending need to do what’s best for everyone, risking his own life, and being ‘The Righteous Man”
The Tenacity of Dean Winchester
The Purification of Sam Winchester: The end of Season 8 – Sam Winchester ready to sacrifice himself by curing Crowley; the third and final trial. Each trial purified Sam’s soul. The beautiful clear glass cabochon with magnification qualities represents his soul, the silver wire woven around it being the trials purifying him.
The Purification of Sam Winchester
Castiel’s Grace: I wanted to create a piece that celebrated the essence of one of the most amazing characters in the Supernatural universe – Castiel.
Castiel’s Grace
The Heart of Castiel II: I wish you could see this in person. It’s a stunning glass oval of sky blue with white and black inclusions swirling inside it.
The Heart of Castiel II
The Loyalty of Benny LaFitte: Benny Lafitte was the one creature that managed to convince Dean Winchester that hunting was more than just about killing. Benny became almost like a brother, who ultimately gave his own life to save Sam Winchester.
The Loyalty of Benny LaFitte
The Genius of Charlie Bradbury: Charlie Bradbury has come to the rescue on several occasions for the boys – each time using her intelligence and wit.
The Genius of Charlie Bradbury
The Deception of Crowley: A piece that hopefully Mark Sheppard would agree captures the personality of our favorite King of Hell!
The Deception of Crowley
The Fire of Abaddon: A necklace inspired by the hottest Knight of Hell! A red glass cabochon is wrapped in coils of woven silver, with a pentagram at its top.
The Fire of Abaddon
The Complexity of Meg Masters: Meg Masters is quite a complicated character, isn’t she? A demon who is in love with an angel? Wow. A demon who went from making it her mission to destroy the Winchesters to sacrificing herself more than once to help them.
The Complexity of Meg Masters
The Wisdom of Bobby Singer: Bobby Singer was always the go to guy for everything. Not just lore on whatever creature was being hunted at the moment, but for life in general.
The Wisdom of Bobby Singer
The Soul of Sam Winchester: I wanted to capture the intricacies of Sam Winchester in this piece – an opalescent glass cabochon is framed in silver, which has been wrapped with silver beads
The Soul of Sam Winchester
The Sacrifice of Mary Winchester: Mary Winchester is a woman of sacrifice. While she was alive she made a deal to save her soon to be husband, John Winchester. In death, she sacrificed her spirit to protect her sons, Sam and Dean. This piece was designed to capture the protectiveness, the maternal instinct, and the fierce love for John Winchester.
The Sacrifice of Mary WInchester
The Impetuousness of Balthazar: An angel who has authority issues but would drop everything to help Castiel, who in fact described Balthazar as ‘impetuous.’ Sebastian Roche brings such personality to our favorite bad boy angel.
The Impetuousness of Balthazar
Other pieces that are in development are: Kevin Tran, Henry Winchester, John Winchester, Jody Mills, Garth, Ellen, and Jo.
These are all currently for sale at Eldwenne’s Fantasy Supernatural Jewelry Section
And wait until you see the surprise piece I’m working on. It’ll be ready in time for DCCon and I’ll unveil it there!
Sooo excited to be going to DCCon! I’ll be bringing my eleven year old son, Jaden with me –it’s gonna be a total blast! Originally it was going to be the whole clan, but life gets in the way sometimes, so it’s just gonna be Jaden and me this time around.
And what kind of fun can you expect at my table at DCCon? Well, for one thing – wormstaches, of course!
Osric Chau doin’ the ‘stache at my table
Everyone’s favorite Executive Producer – Jim Michaels doing the ‘stache! Thanks, Jim!
And I’ll be having another great contest! This time you’ll have the chance to participate in a raffle for a chance to win the companion bracelet to my Castiel’s Grace necklace!
The companion bracelet to my original necklace design: Castiel’s Grace! You can win this AND donate to Random Acts at the same time!
In this raffle, vote for your favorite Cas – angel Cas or human Cas! It’ll be great and I’m trying to get Misha Collins in on the fun too! I’ll be donating half the proceeds to Random Acts – it’s for a great cause!
Can’t wait to see ya’ll in DC!! Come stop by and say hi!
Before I delve into my Sin City experience, I want to announce that from this post forward, I will be having a contest for my readers to win a free piece of jewelry each week! Wait until you hear which piece is up for grabs this week – whoo hoo!
VIVA LAS VEGAS – Whew! I arrived in Vegas early Wednesday evening. Wow was it hot. As my friend Ana Marie said to me via text, “You’re in the desert, baby.” Um, yeah. That would be a good reason why I was a tad uncomfortable. I took her advice to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and then set up shop in the vendors room.
I was selling both my wares as well as the best t-shirts and beanies you will ever own – incredibly awesome Clifhager gear!
The Clifhanger table – GET THE GEAR – check out their FB Page!
https://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers
Thursday morning was amazing. Before we opened the vendor’s room, Kat Sloan had a meet and greet with some fans. Kat Sloan is an author whose book ‘Half Blood’ is a MUST READ. It’s been very well-received and I will be designing jewelry based on this epic saga!
The first in the Lycanthropire Saga
You can reach Kat and grab her novel here at http://www.katsloan.com/ – check it out and you won’t be able to put this book down!
After the meet and greet, Kat and I went to our respective tables. Now Kat’s table was so amazing and beautiful and I wish I had a pic of it! Please check her out and see if she posts one – it was like being in a gorgeous Victorian living room!
I thought it would be great fun to have a couple of things going on at my table besides the constant hammering of me making new pieces. So I decided to give everyone that visited my table a memorable moment. I bought gummi worms and offered everyone “FREE WORMSTACHES”
Free Wormstaches! As you can see, I was refilling the bowl QUITE a bit!
It was a huge hit and I got tons of people coming over to do the ‘stache – including a couple of recognizable faces…the Brigade of the Wormstaches will be at the end of this post – if you did a ‘stache for me, come see!
I also thought it would be fun to get the visitors at my table involved in a mock election for their choice for the ruler of Hell. Should Crowley remain as King? Or do we need a woman’s touch via a knight to remember – Abaddon?
Who would YOU have voted for?
The way the contest worked was that at the end of the election, I would take a random name from the Crowley voters and a random name from the Abaddon voters. The Crowley name would receive a King of Hell necklace. The Abaddon name would receive a Queen of Hell necklace.
Alaina Huffman and Mark Sheppard were fantastically supportive of the fun and I updated them with the statistics via Twitter every evening over the course of the convention.
The results? In the beginning of the eletion it was looking like quite a slam dunk for Crowley, however, girl power began to resonate and Abaddon started to gain in popularity.
The tally went from 78%/22%, then 80%/20%, then finally, 77%/23%. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to overthrow the King, but it did demonstrate that the fans are definitely interested in seeing where Abaddon could take things! Congrats to both Mark and Alaina for being their awesome selves!
And a HUGE congrats to the winners of the King of Hell and Queen of Hell Necklaces!
The proud winners of my King/Queen of Hell contest!
There were a couple of really REALLY great Abaddon cosplayers:
The lovely proprietor of The Bone Closet dressed as the Knight of Hell!
I sent this one to Alaina Huffman with the question: “I thought you said you weren’t here?!?”
Free Necklace Op!
I made Mark a King of Hell leather cuff bracelet that I gave him on Sunday. He seemed, well, very Crowley about it – Mark – if you’re reading this, I’d absolutely love a pic of you wearing the bracelet! If anyone can make that happen I will give you a very special gift:
The Deception of Crowley – blood red glass framed in silver, complemented by a pentagram and skull! Available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com
That’s right. If anyone has the divine influence to get Mark to snap a pic of himself wearing the King of Hell bracelet I made him – I will GIVE you my smash hit necklace, “The Deception of Crowley” for free. This necklace was hot as hell at the con (puns always intended).
My entire series of Supernatural-inspired pieces did very well – especially my Castiel’s Grace piece:
Castiel’s Grace neckace. This was a HUGE hit – I couldn’t make them fast enough! Also available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com
The entire series is available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com. For a limited time, I will be selling them at the special Convention price of $35 each along with FREE US SHIPPING! This will be ending on April 15th or while supplies last, so come get ’em!
My Supernatural-Inspired Necklace series! Available at my marked down convention price and FREE US SHIPPING!
From top left across:
Castiel’s Grace (which Osric Chau laughed his rear end over for some reason…)
The Deception of Crowley
The Purification of Sam WinchesterThe Tenacity of Dean Winchester
The Heart of Castiel
Here are some of the lovelies wearing theirs!
These gorgeous ladies told me I could call them both Kiki to avoid confusion – the ROCK it!
Angels and Demons – a couple of beauties representing Crowley and Cas!
Cosplaying Crowley – right down to the Deception of Crowley necklace and a glass of…not iced tea
Rocking my “Hello Boys” leather stamped cuff!
One of my fave people from Creation wearing one of my pieces! THANK YOU!
I’ve said this before but I have to say it again – there is no bigger compliment than seeing people adorn themselves with my jewelry.
Like this lady you may recognize – the stunning Kim Rhodes!
The beautiful Kim Rhodes!
I had designed a necklace specifically for Kim. Kim had sent out a tweet asking if anyone had bubble bath. So I tweeted back, “Kim – I’ll give you a GALLON of bubble bath if you come to the vendors room and pick up the jewelry I made you.” SHE SHOWED UP!
Kim immediately put the necklace on and kept it on the entire time she was on stage and in her photo ops. So for those who had a photo op with Kim – the necklace she was wearing was my gift to her – unreal!
Not only did she just run over, grab the necklace and go. She took the time to talk to me. Kim was extremely gracious and we talked about education and kids. She’s extremely dynamic and her energy is infectious, like her beautiful smile!
Thank you for being utterly amazing, Kim! And I think I still owe you a gallon of bubble bath, so for now, please accept this virtual one until the next convention!
My IOU to Kim Rhodes
Talking about how people wearing my jewelry blows my mind, let’s talk about the lovely Jenna. Jenna was one of my first customers EVER at a convention back at NJCon, almost a year ago. She had bought a woven pentagram necklace that she actually had with her in Vegas! She brought it down and wore it to show me she still appreciates my work – how amazing is that??
Jenna wearing one of my first convention sales ever – my woven pentagram neck;ace!
And there’s Adina – Adina is one of those souls that you just connect with and it seems like you’ve been friends with forever, you know? I’m doing a feature on her next week – just watch this space for an amazing post! She’s a woman of talent, drive, and also has some pretty good taste in jewelry, I must say…
Adina wearing the “Today is Tuesday, but Yesterday was Tuesday Too!” necklace which goes smashingly with her Mystery Spot shirt!
Adina introduced me to her friend Ally – another wonderful human being! Ally – I’m coming after you for a guest post too, so if you’re reading this – send me your email address!
Adina and Ally! Wonder Twin Powers ACTIVATE! Form of…TWO AWESOME SPN bracelets!
There are sooooo many people that I’ve met starting with my very first con back in NJ last year to my most current con in Vegas last week. I have to honestly say that I’ve never met a better bunch of people. Ever.
They are all a bunch of generous souls. Here’s an example of random goodness. I was chowing down on some mints the hotel had left by the water cooler in the vendors room.
A woman, Lynn, was also a vendor there and had stopped by my table. She asked how I was and I had a mouthful of mint, so I apologized for eating my ‘lunch’ while talking to her. She couldn’t believe that the mints were my ‘lunch’.
Do you know what Lynn did? This woman went back to her hotel room and MADE me a sandwich with her own two hands. AND gave me a cheese stick as well.
The lovely Lynn! She fed a starving jewelry designer who is ever grateful to her kindness!
Talk about your random acts of kindness – this really epitomized the spirit of the Supernatural fandom. Lynn – if you’re reading this, I need your contact info so that I can do a feature on you!
There was a very important table right next to me – Legacy X. Legacy X is about anti-bullying and building yourself up. I met a bunch of fantastic women, including Brittany.
Brittany warmed my heart. It was honor to meet you!
I met a lot of great women such as Brittany, Luvina (Brittany’s awesome mom), Kim, and other amazing women who worked diligently to collect as many anti-bullying messages as possible. Hardcore, dedicated women who each have heart-wrenching stories to share.
Kim’s enthusiasm was catchy to say the least and I was really pleased that she asked me to make pieces related to their cause, such as a Legacy X bracelet and a Recycled Percussion bracelet as gifts for others in their amazing organization like Justin Spencer!
I will be doing a feature on the beautiful Brittany very soon! In the meantime, please check out Legacy X’s site: http://www.legacyx.com/
What Makes Supernatural Fans so Amazing?
I had the honor of being interviewed by Mitch Kosterman for a documentary he is making about the fans of Supernatural. I was asked what it was about the fans of Supernatural that I thought was different than other fandoms.
Supernatural fans are people who go out of their way to support each other. Even total strangers. Everyone looks out for each other. There is such a sense of community, support, and the willingness to do kind things for others without expecting (or wanting) anything in return. There is no other place I’ve experienced people like this, especially all under one roof.
This beautiful young lady came by my table and gave me a lovely marble, wishing me “happy thoughts” – where else do people do that?? Thank you so much, sweetie!!
Some of the strong underlying themes of Supernatural that I get are: doing the best with what you have, putting your loved ones before yourself, helping others, and my personal favorite, ‘family don’t end with blood.’
Every fan I’ve ever spoken to seems to uphold these values to the fullest.
The show has helped me in so many ways it’s unfathomable for me to list them all here – but one thing I will say is that I’ve learned who to surround myself with and who to cut loose. It’s Team Free Will to the fullest, baby! Make the best of what we have, carve your own destiny, and well, CARRY ON!
I had so many amazing experiences and there will be a LOT of features coming out of this convention. So watch this space for much more!
And, as promised, the Wormstache Brigade is here! Look for your ‘stache moment below!!
You know what makes Osric Chau so effing cool? He did the ‘stache for me!
Osric (dressed as CAS!) doing the ‘stache! Thank you for being an amazing sport, Osric!
I bet I’m the only person on the planet who got Executive Producer Jim Michaels to do the ‘stache!
Everyone’s favorite Executive Producer – Jim Michaels doing the ‘stache! Thanks, Jim!
The Ladies of Legacy X Worstaches!
If anyone has pictures of yourselves wearing my jewelry, please feel free to send them along, I’d love to feature them in an upcoming post!!
So don’t forget – if anyone sends me a pic of Mark Sheppard wearing my King of Hell bracelet – you get The Deception of Crowley necklace FREE!
And for a limited time you can get each of my necklace series at the special convention price of $35 each and FREE US SHIPPING!
Watch for next week’s post – a feature on the lovely Adina!!
I leave you with the ONE pic of Elvis I managed to take while in Vegas:
Viva Las Vegas, baby!
Jodi here! Ana Marie and I met at VanCon last August. She is quite an amazing woman who is talented, driven, and inspiring as all hell! She shares my passion for giving time to charities, she’s an avid Supernatural fan and makes my jewelry sing when she wears it.
Ana Marie and Her Hubby/Best Friend, J!
Take it away, Ana!
Tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you’re comfortable sharing, family, work, philosophy, etc. also, if you have a website or brick and mortar business, please feel free to include that here!
What am I comfortable about sharing? Hmm… I have been married to my best buddy since 2006 – we got married in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator (my idea). That should give you a good idea about my personality. My husband is a local musician and we met on the local music scene when I reviewed his band for an online music magazine that I wrote for at the time. (They did a killer metal version of Billy Jean.) We knew each other for about 2 years before we started dating, because when we met he had a girlfriend and I had a boyfriend. But once we both figured out the other was single, we have been together since our first date. It really is true, you always know when it’s the right person (you just make sense).
I am a first generation Spanish-American and am bilingual. I speak with an authentic Castilian accent and visit my family in Spain as often as I can. I love Spain and it is my dream to retire there, so my hubby had better start learning to speak Spanish a little better than he does now (considering he has 20+ years to learn…)
I am a big believer in volunteering. When it comes to charity, I give them my time rather than my money. I don’t have a spare $25 or $35 to donate, but I do have my free time that I can give – and I encourage anyone who reads this to give up some free time too. Nothing is more rewarding. I have volunteered for the Special Olympics, Wounded Warrior and Make-A-Wish. It’s just something that makes my heart smile; there is no other way to put it.
The Lovely Couple – How Awesome are They??
Do you have creative outlets? Tell us about them and if you have photos of your work, please feel free to share!
I actually do have some creative outlets. I like to keep busy, so a lot of my creative outlets lend themselves to personal entertainment. I make jewelry (easy beaded necklaces, earrings and bracelets) for gifts; I am a firm believer in handmade gifts when I have time to do it. I crochet, not well but it helps me think and pass the time. Sometimes I draw – I used to be pretty good, now I am just out of practice. I enjoy it when I have the time and patience with myself to do it.
I also restore classic cars with my brother when we have time and money. We have had a love affair with the Ford Mustang since both of us could walk (we have 3 in this household alone). My brother has a ’66 Mustang that we will be working on hopefully during the Fall. He threw a rod, which is a perfect opportunity to revisit the original 289 block and see what we can coax out of it. I have a ’68 Mustang; her name is Stella (it’s because she is throaty and sexy). We took her apart and rebuilt her from 2008 through 2009, 13 months of Sundays – drinking beers and turning wrenches – it was a blast and I still work on her myself. Right now we would love to find a nice ’64 Falcon and do some fun stuff to it, but I don’t think we can talk our spouses into the expense (well that and the garage space is limited at both our houses).
The Throaty and Sexy ‘Stang – Stella
Ana Marie is also an avid runner – here she is at the Color Run – a well-known 5K – one of the many things I admire about her!
What draws you to handmade jewelry as opposed to store-bought, factory manufactured pieces?
Anyone can buy a ring or necklace at the big named stores that are machine made. Jewelry making is an art. I like to wear pieces that are one of a kind, that are unique and made with craftsmanship and care. I want something that when I wear it I remember who made it, that I found it and it was special treat to me; not something to match an outfit that I wear maybe twice a year.
What types of pieces stand out to you, for example, wire work, crystals, etc. and why?
I am in love (and have been for years) with Celtic knot work jewelry. For 12 years, I have worn a Celtic wheel cross made by a local artist. I bought a similar piece for my husband for our first anniversary. I am fascinated by the attention to detail the work requires and how simple it is – the beauty is in the simplicity of the work. I think that carries over to what I like about jewelry period – something that is beautiful and simple. It doesn’t have to have a big stone or be made of platinum, it has to be pretty and stand alone as being pretty.
Is there something specific about Eldwenne’s Fantasy – Quality Handmade Jewelry by Jodi Zulueta that stands out to you? (Don’t be afraid to say no, Lol!)
I met Jodi at a Supernatural convention in Vancouver in August 2013. I think I scoped out her table for a day and half until I found the perfect thing I could not live without. It was a deconstructed charm bracelet made with wire. Every single time I wear it, I get compliments. It is simple, understated but pretty and unique (and can stand alone). I have since made several more purchases, some for myself (I can’t help it) and for friends for birthdays and this past Christmas. Each piece was made with care, each piece was unique and each piece beautiful. I think what I like most about what Jodi does it that Jodi makes jewelry that makes sense to her – and those that buy from her get that.
Ana Marie with some guy…can’t QUITE place him. Looks familiar…
Jodi here again – THANK YOU ANA MARIE! What a great interview this was. Ana Marie and I are trying to figure out if we can get together at the next BurCon, so hopefully the planets will align properly and we can make that happen.
Ana Marie with Richard Speight Jr – lucky ladies!!
A couple of vamps with a vamp – Ty Olsson!
So I bet you’re wondering what the hell (pun always intended) I meant by ‘You can choose King or Queen of Hell.” I figured it would be fun to let us fans choose, so next week at VegasCon – let’s have some election action! (please note that this is an independent contest that has absolutely NO bearing on the show. This is strictly for fun and a chance to win a piece of my handmade jewelry).
We all know that Crowley and Abaddon are having a little tiff, so I figured let’s try to sort this out the democratic way.
For $1, you can buy a raffle ticket and cast your vote for either Crowley or Abaddon. This will go on during the entire weekend, starting on Wednesday night, for those who are VIP pre-registering, all through noon on Sunday.
An hour before the vendor room closes on Sunday, stop by and find out who the fans have chosen to reign over Hell. I will be selecting a random raffle ticket from the Crowley votes to win a King of Hell necklace and I’ll also be selecting a random raffle ticket from the Abaddon votes to win a Queen of Hell necklace. It’s going to be a ton of fun!
Ana Marie and Erin with Hell royalty – maybe! YOU decide at VegasCon!
At this time next week I’ll be in VegasCon! I can’t believe how quickly it’s approaching. I’ve been working nonstop with brand new designs being done daily. It’s been an amazingly prolific time and I do hope that if you’re going to VegasCon that you come by and see me, just to say hi.
And don’t forget that Kat Sloan and I are running some great promotions – including a meet and greet with the author herself! Come check her out at http://www.katsloan.com and follow her on Twitter via @katsloan7
Kat Sloan’s amazing book – Half Blood
If you can’t be there in person, you can always come say hi to me virtually through my shop www.eldwenne.etsy.com where you have 24/7 access to everything I make!
Looking forward to seeing all of you!!
One of the brand new designs you’ll see at VegasCon!
SPN Bookmarks made of galvanized steel and personalized for YOU at VegasCon!
Jodi: Judy is quite an amazing woman.
The Lovely Judy G!
I did an interview with her in May 2013 – you should check it out
https://jewelrybyjodizulueta.com/2013/05/31/featured-customer-of-the-month-judy-g/
I wanted to do a follow up interview with some fun questions this time around, so, without further ado, take it away, Judy!
What new and exciting ventures have you gotten involved with since your last feature? How did you get involved and what new things are on the horizon for you for 2014?For 30+ years (since I was a teenager) I have been overweight and in the last 15+ years I have been the unwilling recipient of various health problems (many of which are made worse because of being overweight). So last summer I made the decision to seek the help of a Bariatric Doctor. I met with the Doc last August and hopefully if all goes well, I will be having Gastric Bypass Surgery this March to be able to finally lose weight and keep it off. I am so excited about this new “adventure” in my life.2014 is going to be the year I take care of “ME”!!!!Judy after beginning her journey and losing 18 pounds! WHOO HOO!
If you could have a superpower for 24 hours, what would it be and why?To be able to pick the correct lottery numbers so to win lots of money to share with and help lots and lots of people. But really any superpower that allows me to help others would be awesome. (Jodi here – Judy – you already have that superpower!)The Winchesters knock on your door and tell you that you need to evacuate your home immediately because apparently that gorgeous vase you bought from the antique dealer is a cursed object – the last three owners of that vase wound up having an overwhelming urge to sing Barry Manilow songs off key until their eardrums exploded.Everything you own is completely accessible but you are only allowed to grab three things and they have to be completely shallow. What would they be and why? And Dean Winchester doesn’t count as one of them!My cell phone, my laptop and an extra pair of flip flops.Because:cell phone – I can’t seem to live without it (and need to have it ready for Dean and/or Sam when they call me)laptop – can’t live without it either (I need to stay in touch with the cyberworld and may need it to help look up info for Dean & Sam)flip flops – Cause my tootsies always look awesome in flip flops and I gotta look good when I go out on the town with Dean.Back to semi-serious – I’ve always found that humor has been a great way of getting me through some bumps in the road. What do you do to get through tough times?Laughter is def the best medicine. I do look for humor and sunshine when it’s dark and cloudy.I rely on my family & friends for the needed support –My hubs is good at holding me and wiping away the tears.My sister is my bestest friend – we’ve been through thick n thin together and boy the stories we could tell yah. Most would keep you rolling on the floor.My best friend Courtney is the much needed humor for any issue or problem. She can keep you laughing till your sides burst. (Like when she thought “Keyless Entry” meant her car didn’t come equipped with a key hole.What keeps,you coming back to Eldwenne’s Fantasy? (And will you come back even after that Barry Manilow question?)I have returned to Eldwenne’s Fantasy several times because your jewelry is WOWSOME!!! The pieces you make each have their own “spirit”. They can be statement pieces or pieces to compliment something else.And the compliments I receive on each item I wear lets me know that your jewelry speaks to everyone.YES!!! I will definitely come back again and again for more jewelry (Barry Manilow can’t keep me away from my fave jewelry lady.Wow – THANK YOU, JUDY!! We’re all so proud of you and look forward to more updates on your journey of doing something that’s incredibly difficult for all of us, but often neglected – taking care of OURSELVES! Kudos to you, m’lady!!VegasCon UpdateI am now officially in stress mode – I had a dream that I had a dream about VegasCon. Yes, you read that correctly. I dreamt that the vendors room was in some god-awful, dark, dank, basement the size of a closet and that my table consisted of a 3’x3′ desk. Then I woke up and realized, “Whew! It was only a dream.” Only to still be in a dream. And the vendor’s room was still in a god-awful, dark, dank basement the size of a closet with a 3’x3′ desk.Then I woke up. An hour late!! My boys had to stay home from school. I can tell you they were SO broken up about it. It took hours to console them.Ive been working my tail off with tons of cool new designs PLUS I’ve got some really cool new items that I’ll be selling, like my ode to Bobby Singer – an Idjit flask!All of my designs are available at http://www.eldwenne.etsy.comBobby? Is that you?
As well as some brand new coffin jewelry boxes and more bookmarks and keychains, oh my! And I’m going to be having a MEGA cool contest there! More details to come!Tastes Like Molecules…
Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet
Ultimate Castiel Bracelet
There’s Nothing, Past or Present, That I Would Put in Front of You
Are YOU going to VegasCon?? Come say hi to me and my friend, author Kat Sloan! She and I will be hosting some fun giveaways that weekend!! Come check out Kat’s site at http://www.katsloan.com – her brand new book, Half Blood, can be bought directly from her site and you can read all about her plans at VegasCon, including a meet and greet with her!
Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan
Come follow her on twitter @katsloan7 and see her FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLycanthropireSaga/Thanks again to the lovely Judy G and check back with me next week for yet another fabulous customer feature – Ana Marie S!! YES – two customer features in one month! Look out!Until next week, by ya’ll!
Better Late Than Never?
Well it certainly has been a long time. I’ve spent the better part of January and February preparing for the second Praxis exam I needed in order to satisfy requirements for Teach for America. I was almost sure that I wasn’t smarter than a fifth grader.
I’m happy to report that I passed the exam (with only a handful of meltdowns!) and am now putting my nose to the grindstone to prepare for the next big event I’ve got coming up – the Salute to Supernatural VegasCon!!
I’ll be arriving on March 12 and the convention will be on from March 13-March 16. This is the first time the Con will be 4 days long, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how it turns out for me!
And as per usual, you’ll find me there selling my handmade jewelry, my custom Supernatural pieces, as well as a pretty damn good supply of custom Walking Dead pieces too! I’ll be taking requests that I hammer out as you wait, as always!
You’ll find some goodies like:
Large Woven Green Glass Necklace
Lavender Crystal Ring
Pentagrams and Red Crystals Bracelet
And of course, brand-spankin’ new Supernatural and The Walking Dead designs!
Tastes Like Molecules…
People in Hell Want Slurpees…only Daryl Dixon can say things so eloquently…
If You’re Gonna Do a Thing…
Additionally, I’ll be manning the Clifhangers table. Clif is the bodyguard for Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Clif has an amazing fanbase, affectionately known as ‘Clifhangers.’ I’ll be selling the best t-shirts ever made, designed by the t-shirt goddess herself, Shannon Price. Come check out the Clifhangers FB page and show some love! https://www.facebook.com/Clifhangers
What is extremely exciting about this upcoming convention is that I will be partnering up with a very talented woman, Kat Sloan. Kat is an author who’s written an amazing book: Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga
Half Blood – The Lycanthropire Saga written by Kat Sloan
I am going to be designing jewelry based on her book as well as partnering with her at VegasCon to hand out some amazing promotions she and I have put together!
Kat and I will be hosting a meet and greet on the morning of the Con’s opening on Thursday, March 13 at 8:30am. For more information, please check her page: http://www.katsloan.com/upcoming-events.html – GREAT giveaways exclusively for our guests!
If you’re going to VegasCon and want to join in the fun at the VIP Party, just click on this link: http://www.katsloan.com/vegas-con-exclusive-vip-giveaway.html
Want a wild ride? Go buy Half Blood! It’s available for purchase on her beautifully-done website: http://www.katsloan.com/shop.html
Kat Sloan’s website where you can buy her book; Half Blood, as well as see all of her upcoming events!
Please follow Kat on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLycanthropireSaga/
Her Twitter is @KatSloan7
Please drop by and tell her I sent ya!
What’s After VegasCon?
After VegasCon, life will become quite a blur of activity. For about 11 or 12 days my daughter and I will be in Santa Monica visiting family, then after being home for about say, 2 days or so, I’m back on a plane going to Nashville for a job fair with various principals from the Nashville board of Education. Teach for America will have circulated my resume and this will be my chance to meet and hopefully get hired by one of the great school districts.
After several days of being home from the job fair, it’s back to the convention circuit and this time it will be Washington D.C. – very cool!
For five weeks starting on June 1 I’ll be in Nashville again beginning the “Institute” portion of my life with Teach for America. This time will not only be spent immersing myself in TFA philosophies and techniques, but it will also be my chance to search for a place for my family to settle in.
At the end of July, we’ll be officially moved into Nashville.
Saying Goodbye to The Hoboken Shelter
All of these upcoming events mean that I have to end something that has been a part of my life for a long time – teaching art at the Hoboken Shelter.
I handed in my resignation this past Monday with a very heavy heart. My last class will be taught on Monday, March 24. The people that I’ve met throughout my time at the Shelter have become an extended family to me. I have people who are no longer guests of the shelter and still hop on a bus from out of town and come into class every Monday night – that means more than you can possibly imagine.
Everyone I’ve met has wound up teaching me so much about life, about spirit, and how creativity really has no bounds. I’m taking these experiences with me to Nashville and will ensure that my students benefit from all of this.
If you’d like to volunteer at the Hoboken Shelter, please contact the shelter at http://www.hobokenshelter.org
Next week’s post is going to be another AWESOME feature with my customer Judy!! We’ve met her before, and you’re gonna love her even more after this next post!
See ya’ll then!
Today marks two days left before my Click Start Me campaign comes to an end. I’ve made $200 of my $5,000 goal…I want to thank all of you who have donated and supported my campaign.
The campaign is needed in order to grow my handmade jewelry business, Eldwenne’s Fantasy. Eldwenne’s Fantasy has two specific components; an online presence via my etsy shop: http://www.eldwenne.etsy.com and I travel all over the country (and to Canada) selling my jewelry at Salute to Supernatural conventions, where I specialize in making custom Supernatural-themed pieces for you.
Misha Collins shopping around at my table at a Salute to Supernatural convention – if it’s good enough for Misha…
I’m in good company here…
With just two days to go, I’m trying to rally the troops – if you could please share my link for my campaign – http://funding.clickstartme.com/project/help-fund-my-handmade-jewelry-traveling-business/
You’ll be helping me jumpstart my dream by providing the resources to grow Eldwenne’s Fantasy into a healthy, flourishing business where I can provide you with quality, handmade jewelry. My jewelry is original, one of a kind, and also inspired by the hit show Supernatural.
Inspired by the episode of the same name – Cas’ first episode as a human
Family Don’t End with Blood – Bobby Singer, you’ve never been more right.
I love working with wire and glass to create ethereal, one of a kind pieces
Making ordinary materials extraordinary
And now a new fandom has wormed its way into my life – The Walking Dead. SERIOUSLY?? Screw you Netflix, The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus, crossbows, the whole shebang! My husband and I have made it our mission to catch up on the entire series. We’re 4 episodes shy as of this writing. We only started watching it about a week and a half ago. Yup. This is serious, personal, and now the jewelry ideas are brimming. Watch this space for my The Walking Dead inspired pieces!! AMC – bunch of jerks. THANK YOU AMC AND FRANK DARABONT – WE LOVE YOU!
The Walking Dead – aka my new life-ruiner.
And now, as we all prepare to kiss (or kick) 2013 goodbye, I took some time to reflect on the year in general. As most of you know, my husband got sick in September 2012 (and still is.) I lost my job on January 23, 2013. I’ll never forget that day for as long as I live. It was quite literally the end of an era.
I spent the past 20+ years of my life on the corporate treadmill, terrified of jumping off. We couldn’t afford for me to not continue to work in the financial industry. But my former job took that choice away from me. As I left the human resources office, I called my husband, got into my car, and by the time I met up with him 20 minutes later, already had my plan formulated to start a new life for all of us.
So while losing my job was definitely not something I planned on, not something I was happy about, it was definitely something that needed to happen in order for me to take my life by the reins and move forward.
Within a short period of time I was able to start doing flea markets and eventually my first Salute to Supernatural convention. That was a life-changing event for me if there ever was one. The convention showed me that my jewelry is desired, wanted, even demanded! The wonderful people I met encouraged me to plow ahead and make a name for myself in the convention circuit.
This year I was able to sell my handmade jewelry at NJCon, VanCon, TorCon, and most recently, BurCon. Each of these events were a success for me and allowed me to learn how to do things better. If I can continue to do this, it would mean the world to me. Thank you all for being so incredibly supportive!
We had setbacks. My husband got sicker. Our 11 year old was so severely bullied we had to take it to court. Things spiraled out of control. The saying is to “roll with the punches.” Nope. I’m putting my arms up and swinging back. Rolling with the punches got me 20+ years of my life being thrown down a corporate toilet.
The universe has thrown some balance into my life and allowed me to pursue my other dream – to become a teacher. Through an extremely arduous application and interviewing process, I was proudly accepted into the Teach for America program!
Providing education equality and my passion for teaching!
The organization has made it possible for my family and me to have a brand new life. We will all be moving to Nashville, Tennessee by the end of July 2014! A brand new environment will help us all thrive.
Another eye-opener this year has been that I definitely needed to pare down the baggage in my life. You’ve heard the rant before – when things are going well, cheerleaders are in your face. When things start to fall apart, ‘friends’ and ‘family’ kind of take several (many?) steps back in the opposite direction. Run to the hills. Start judging and blaming. The few times you do wind up hearing from them is for them to have the balls to actually try to one up me on the crap things that happen scale.
Seriously, there are so many people, just in my life alone, that thrive on “wow, your husband’s sick? I had a nightmare and think I may have the same problem your husband does.” “You lost your job? Wow. Sucks. Sorry it took me so long to write, but I was busy working a full time job.” Yes, I’ve gotten emails like that. That last gem was written about a month after I lost my job.
As a result of these things (and many others that I really don’t think I’ll post here – yet!), I’ve decided to remove those people from my life equation. Wow, that felt GOOD!
This pretty much describes exactly how I feel!
2014 is a clean slate, a fresh start and any other cliche you can think of. It’s been liberating, honestly.
So to those of you who have screwed me over, went out of your way to kick me when I was down, to judge me, my family, I want to thank you. Without you all showing your true colors, I’d be jumping right back onto that corporate treadmill going nowhere exceptionally fast and setting myself up for continued failures. Thank you for revealing who you really are and I thank the universe my eyes were open enough to finally see things for what they really were.
In 2014, I will be doing the things that make me happy for the first time ever. I think I’ve earned that.
Goodbye 2013 and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Goodbye 2013 – Hello NEW LIFE!
Today marks the beginning of the 10 day countdown to the end of my Click Start Me campaign.
It will end at 4pm on December 30, 2013. My birthday, of all things. The campaign has been wildly popular in terms of views – Click Start Me has put me FIRST on their Featured Projects page – come look!! http://crowdfunding.clickstartme.com/projects/featured-projects
Misha Collins shopping around at my table at a Salute to Supernatural convention
VERY exciting! Not only that – my project was awarded the “Most Popular Projects” badge because it’s made it to the first page of the “Most Popular Projects” search results!
Two great honors from Click Start Me!
This is such a huge honor that so many people are interested in my dream of making my handmade jewelry on the convention route a success.
I’ve received a few donations from very generous people and I cannot thank you enough for that!
My goal is $5,000, of which I have raised $100. I have just ten days to try to achieve my goal and then my campaign will be closed by Click Start Me– if you can share my links in the hopes that it will reach someone that will make a donation, I would be greatly appreciative.
As a matter of fact, if you share my link with someone who donates, YOU will receive a gift certificate worth $20!
So far from my goal – help spread the word?
To get an idea of where the money will be used, the money is needed to go towards jewelry making supplies, traveling expenses, and materials that will allow me to develop new techniques and enhance my existing ones.
For every donation you make, you will receive a gift certificate equal to the amount of your donation – my way of thanking you for your generosity and believing in me!
You’ll receive this in the amount of your donation. If your donation is $25 or more – your gift certificate will have an extra $25 value!
If you donate $25 or more, I will add an ADDITIONAL $25 to the value of your gift certificate! So if you donate $25, your gift certificate will be worth $50! If you donate $50, it will be worth $75! There’s no limit!
So if you’re suffering from gift-givers block, the gift certificate comes in super handy! I guarantee that every gift certificate will be emailed to you within 2 hours of donating or if you purchase a gift certificate directly in my shop at www.eldwenne.etsy.com. Emailing is free, of course – no shipping charges!
But if you want more bang for your buck, donating via Click Start Me gets you more, since I’m adding $25 to every donation $25 or greater : )
If you want a hardcopy certificate, today is the last day to guarantee Christmas delivery within the US. I will mail to wherever you like via Priority mail (additional shipping charges will apply).
I can personalize with a message for free as well.
Like many others, I’m still working on my Christmas crunch – just when you think that list is finished, you remember someone else. It never ends!
Are you in the Christmas crunch?!?
I hope that I can help you out of your Christmas crunch – I’m ready, willing, able, (desperate?!?) to make your Christmas gifts a reality! Don’t hesitate to contact me!
Now an update on my impending move to Tennessee and Teach for America – I’ve recently learned that I will be expected to get an endorsement in English as a Second Language instruction for elementary school. This is incredibly exciting for me!
Providing education equality and my passion for teaching!
What this does mean, however, is that I need to cram 6 college credits of Spanish between now and May 2014 – which is going to be QUITE the challenge. And expensive as all hell. Gotta figure that one out.
I took Spanish in high school. 30 years ago. I remember one very important phrase, “Donde esta el cuarto de bano?” I’m sure I spelled most of it wrong, but the gist of it is, “Where is the bathroom?”
We’re in the process of looking at places to rent down in beautiful Murfreesboro, trying to figure out where Raven is going to be (mainstream versus auditory/oral program), and preparing for a trip to Nashville this coming April for a job fair.
Gorgeous shot of the Rutherford County Courthouse
The job fair is going to be super exciting because I’ll be meeting representatives from schools all over Nashville looking to hire.
A lot of new changes are coming up very fast for us. I’m trying to keep up with all of it!
And I hope that all of you try to keep up with me and my newest adventures in making my handmade jewelry accessible to the masses and bridging the gaps in education inequality through Teach for America!
Remember to come to www.eldwenne.etsy.com for all of your handmade jewelry needs, including some kick-ass Supernatural pieces that I will custom make just for you! I’ve created a contact form that you can use right from this post to get a hold of me also!
Red Glass Encased in Woven Silver Necklace
Silver Goddess Spiral Ring
Clear Glass Goddess Spiral Frame Necklace
My Eldwenne’s Fantasy Mystery Hex Bags are always a very fun gift option! Each bag is $16 and contains a fabulous piece of jewelry, keychain or bookmark! If you want it to be SPN-related, just let me know!
Let’s pay some respect to Kevin Tran – aka Kevin Fricking Solo!
Thanks everyone and have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS/YULE/WINTER SOLSTICE!!
SLAY = SELF LOVE/APPRECIATE YOU
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Stories, poems, prose and other mischief
one reading, of a divinatory sense, for each day of this year
Good feels and lofty ideals.
about women who do amazing things
Animals, Travel, Casinos, Sports, Gift Ideas, Mental Health and So Much More!
Indulge- Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences
Some say I was born high. Others say i'm just simple :)
Welcome to the official web page for Daughter Ads a solo design & advertising agency!
Just another WordPress.com weblog
Just another WordPress.com weblog
Crafting and shopping in one site
Down to the Wire - Jewelry by Jodi Zulueta 