Time to Focus

Over the last 7+ years I have created lots of different styles of fused glass goodness at Sassy Glass Studio and I've finally decided to focus on five different styles starting this year. These styles may change in the future, but I am going to concentrate on these designs for the year. As many of you may know I recently (re)launched Pink Spark Creative, my mentoring and consulting business for creative entrepreneurs, and I want to grow it as well as continue to expand my photography business, ALM Photo. It's time to focus on everything I am doing and concentrate on the things that are most important to me and my clients.

I've been documenting, OK... keeping track of in my head, the items that have been selling best and the ones I love creating the most and came up with the list of five styles. Some of the styles will have a collection of pieces in them, which I am also listing. Please know that if you are a fan of Sassy Glass Studio's work and you have seen pieces in styles that you love that are not on this list, I will still create them. This list is just an attempt to keep me focused and we'll see how that works out!

1. Fusography
1. Jewelry- rings, pendants, and earrings
2. Cocktail theme - swizzle sticks & coasters
3. Coasters - flowers, quotes, animals & pretty much anything you love
4. Dry erase boards - see above
5. Decor collections - sets of 4 6-inch plates, 12 inch platters and 8 inch plates, as well as large trays and coasters featuring coordinating patterns to make almost any decor.
2. Folk Art - this is the style shown below the list. It's so much fun and the color combinations are endless!
3. Geometric - lots of geometric shapes in all the colors of the rainbow!
4. Puddles (new) - this is a new technique I will be working on that features layers of color and it is perfect for jewelry as well as to incorporate into larger pieces.
5. Suncatchers - from small to large pieces, there will be something for everyone to beautify their favorite window or open space.

I'll continue to take custom orders for and produce pieces that aren't on this list, just ask! I'll also be focusing my sales efforts on my Etsy shop and scaling back the number of Saturdays I participate in the Market Square Farmers' Market. One thing I have learned is that most people interested in taking a fused glass class would prefer to take a class on Saturday and that's been a challenge with me at the MFSM nearly every weekend. So, there will be more opportunities for you to take a glass class in 2015! I'll be offering classes for 2015 beginning in March, but now is the time to book in order to secure your date.

Psst...Instagram is where you will find the freshest fused glass goodness! And don't forget to check the blog for new posts! And be sure to visit Pinterest to see what is inspiring me.
One last thing...
Pink Spark Creative has announced the first workshop of 2015! Planning Your Way to Success is on January 24th. Planning Your Way to Success is a three hour workshop focusing on four areas most creative/small business owners consider as barriers to their success- setting and achieving goals, time management, work/life balance and focusing on business building tasks. To find out more or to register, click here! 

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Last-Minute Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas!

Still looking for a few unique gifts?
Haven't started your holiday shopping?
Decided you deserve something special too?

We've got you covered!

Some of you may still have some holiday shopping to do and we want you to know we can help you out! This is just a quick note to remind you of our shopping and shipping deadlines.
December 15 is the last date for Knoxville area custom orders (excluding Fusography) that will be picked up.
December 19 is the last date for shipping out orders via USPS Priority Mail so they may arrive by December 24.

We'll be at the Market Square Holiday Market on Saturday, December 13 and 20 from noon to 7pm along with lots of other artists and craftisans for your holiday shopping enjoyment. It is always fun to meet the folks who subscribe to the newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; so come by and say hello! And, there are far more items available if you shop in person than in our Etsy shop. As usual, this time of year is so busy we don't have time to add all the new pieces to the Etsy shop or feature them on the blog or Facebook, but you can give an Etsy gift card to shop Sassy Glass Studio after the holidays!

Thank you for being a part of the Sassy Glass Studio community and for your continued support of my creativity!

 

Psst...Instagram is where you will find the freshest fused glass goodness! And don't forget to check the blog for new posts! And be sure to visit Pinterest to see what is inspiring me.

One last thing...
Did you know I offer one-on-one and small group consulting and mentoring for creative business owners, artists and well, anyone else who is launching their own business? And did you also know I teach workshops on social media and how to turn your passion into a successful business?
Contact me for more information!

Next workshop is Planning Your Way to Success on January 24th. Planning Your Way to Success is a three hour workshop focusing on four areas most creative/small business owners consider as barriers to their success- setting and achieving goals, time management, work/life balance and focusing on business building tasks. Email me for more info or to register.

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Three Ways to Save on Your Handmade Holiday Shopping

Shop handmade for the holidays and save in Sassy Glass Studio's Etsy shop!

From this past Saturday to this coming Sunday I am involved from morning to night with an amazing event that kicks off the holiday season in Knoxville, Tennessee. Fantasy of Trees is an annual celebration to benefit East Tennessee Children's Hospital that features hundred of decorated trees (most of which are available for sale and delivered to you after the event), a gingerbread house village, children's activities and even a carousel! I am honored to be one of the co-chairs of this event and I love being a part of it, but it does take me away from the every day operation of my fused glass business during one of the busiest times of the year.

It is because of this that I am offering three different opportunities to save by shopping on-line in the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. I will be back at the Market Square Holiday Market on December 6, 13 and 20 as well as the Ijams Handmade Holiday Marketplace on December 7 for those of you who love to shop with me in person. 

A word to the on-line shoppers...I have a lot of new items, specifically pendants and coasters featuring new Fusography designs (see below), that have not made their way into the shop yet. I apologize for them not being available as part of the sale, but they will be available very soon! And don't forget that you can custom order fused glass goodness with your own photos or graphic designs too! Check out this post for five creative ways you can share your Instagram photos.

Here is how you can save:

Shop the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop and save 20% off your order each time you shop with these coupon codes!

Black Friday, November 28th : BLACKFRIDAY
Small Business Saturday, November 29th : SMALLBIZSAT2014
Cyber Monday, November 30th : CYBERMONDAY2014

The coupon code is only good for purchases made on the date shown above. TN sales tax will be added to orders shipped in TN.

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{MARK YOUR CALENDAR}

Market Square Holiday Market
12pm to 7pm
December 6
December 13
December 20

Ijams Holiday Marketplace
December 7

ORDER & SHIPPING DEADLINES

December 8
last day for Fusography {full-color images fused to glass} orders.  

December 15
last day for Knoxville area custom orders. These orders will be for pick-up only.

December 19
last shipping day for USPS Priority Mail orders shipping in the US. Note: there is no guarantee of delivery before Christmas for shipments on this date.

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ON A SIDE NOTE:

Market Square Holiday Market is December 6, 13 & 20 from 12pm to 7pm!

Shop local, handmade and fresh at the Holiday Market. Located on and around Market Square in Downtown Knoxville, the Holiday Market is the place to shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for everyone on your shopping list, plus winter harvest produce, baked goods and canned and jarred goods are available. Support your local vendors!

Now is the time to book your Fused Glass Classes for the spring and summer! My weekends and evenings fill up fast, but a deposit will secure your date and time. Classes are still available in the winter, but it can be chilly in the studio! Click the links to find out more information on Beginner Fused Glass Class and Intermediate Fused Glass Class!

Classes are all four hours so you can even schedule them in the early evening during the week. Pack your dinner before work or grab some food before class. The first hour or more is class time so you can have a snack or dinner while you learn!

Now booking speaking engagements! I am available to speak to your small or creative business group on the topics of social media and turning your passion into a successful business. Contact me for details on these topics, cost and scheduling.

Creative business consulting is available one-on-one and in small groups. I will work with you to overcome obstacles, help guide you to reach your small/creative business goals and lead you to success. NEW: Planning Your Way to Success workshop on January 10th, 2015. Details and registration will be available soon!

______________________________________

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Five Creative Ways to Share Instagram Photos

Today's big question: What should you do with all your Instagram photos?

OK, I may be a little biased about what you should do with your Instagram photos, but I really think these are the best ways to share your Instagram photos! Sassy Glass Studio can put your beautiful photographs {Instagram squares or regular old rectangles} on just about any fused glass piece of art we create. 

Here are five creative ways to share your Instagram photos:

1. Set of coasters featuring photos from your families favorite vacation or the kids, Perfect for the office, home or the grandparents who don't have any wall space left for hanging prints. Bonus: Pick up some mini easels, set the coaster on one and they become little masterpieces for your desk or table.

2. Pendants and rings showcasing your favorite grandchild {or your child to give to grandma}, beloved pet or that perfect sunset that your friend found so beautiful,

3. Larger pieces, such as plates, platters and bowls, and can feature well, larger images, or a collage of your favorites. We offer a set of four or more 6 inch square plates that, paired with a platter, can show off your favorite images to coordinate with your decor.

4. Wall hangings or sun catchers go to next level awesome when they are your stunning images. That perfect sunset would look amazing with the sun shining behind it. Replace the glass in a shadowbox with a Fusography piece on white glass, put some light behind it and boom, you've got a one-of-a-kind piece of art for your wall.

5. Love making lists or doodling? A dry erase board is a fun way to incorporate images while being a very functional work of art. Dry erase boards can be created in any size from 4 inches square to 20 inches square. Rectangles and circles are available too! 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to Fusography. Need a unique for someone who is difficult to find just the right gift for? Give them Fusography. We'll work with you to find the perfect pieces for everyone on your holiday gift giving list. 

Below are photos showcasing some new Fusography designs now available for custom order and in the Etsy shop soon!

Here are some design collections currently available for custom order!

ON A SIDE NOTE:

Market Square Holiday Market is December 6, 13 & 20 from 12pm to 7pm!
Shop local, handmade and fresh at the Holiday Market. Located on and around Market Square in Downtown Knoxville, the Holiday Market is the place to shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for everyone on your shopping list, plus winter harvest produce, baked goods and canned and jarred goods are available. Support your local vendors!

Now is the time to book your Fused Glass Classes for the spring and summer! My weekends and evenings fill up fast, but a deposit will secure your date and time. Classes are still available in the winter, but it can be chilly in the studio! Click the links to find out more information on Beginner Fused Glass Class and Intermediate Fused Glass Class!
Classes are all four hours so you can even schedule them in the early evening during the week. Pack your dinner before work or grab some food before class. The first hour or more is class time so you can have a snack or dinner while you learn!

Now booking speaking engagements! I am available to speak to your small or creative business group on the topics of social media and turning your passion into a successful business. Contact me for details on these topics, cost and scheduling.

Creative business consulting is available one-on-one and in small groups. I will work with you to overcome obstacles, help guide you to reach your small/creative business goals and lead you to success. NEW: Planning Your Way to Success workshop on January 10th, 2015. Details and registration will be available soon!

______________________________________

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Planning the Way to My Success | Finding the Perfect Day Planner

This post started out as a way for me to share my frustration obsession with finding the perfect day planner. You see, I created a draft of this post a week or so ago, but never finished it. In the meantime, I not only designed my perfect planner, but found out it would be expensive to print and that Whitney English had already pretty much designed the perfect planner for me. So, yesterday I ordered my 2015 Day Designer from Whitney English's Etsy shop and printed out the free daily planner page she offers on her website so I could get up to speed by the time it arrives. Of course, the dates don't start until January 2015, but that won't stop me from writing in all the important stuff and getting my plans on paper.

For those of you who aren't big into planning or prefer to do it digitally, the big fuss over finding the perfect planner probably seems quite trivial. But for someone like me who has carried a planner for as long as I can remember, it's a big freaking deal. I need to know what is going on every minute of my day and what I have to accomplish, but more importantly I have discovered I need to be able to better plan, or as Whitney English says, design my day.

This is the daily planner page I designed for myself. I added the Social Media box because I have a bad habit of forgetting to write or post my blog posts and other social media updates. The Day Designer doesn't have this, but I think I found a workaround.

And this is the awesome Day Designer free daily planner page I downloaded. The actual planner I ordered will have all the dates filled in and it has a super fabulous floral cover {see below}.

This is the Day Designer cover I chose. Isn't it perfect for me?!

I'll be sharing more about my adventures with the new planner after it arrives, you can count on that. Sometimes I wonder how I manage two established businesses- ALM Photo and Sassy Glass Studio; my creative business mentoring biz; a household complete with a dog, a parrot, six cats and my mom; being co-chair of Fantasy of Trees; being Captain of the Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team; being a wife and friend, teaching fused glass classes and all about social media; and a lover of fitness and biking. I know it's a lot, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Here's my question for you: How do you manage your time and life? How do you create balance between your business/work and personal time? Share with a comment below or tweet me @AllThingsSassy. I'd love to have your suggestions!

Oh and be sure to pop over to the Pinterest board I created to document this planner adventure! I've been pinning some fun accessories and printables that may come in handy as I plan 2015 and beyond!

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ON A SIDE NOTE:
Now is the time to sign up for Fused Glass Classes! The weather is perfect to work in the studio and open the doors to cooler temperatures and the sounds of the birds. Click the links to find out more information on Beginner Fused Glass Class and Intermediate Fused Glass Class!

Mini Classes are here! Give the gift of handmade this holiday season and make your own fused glass goodness! The Holiday Ornament Class has three different ornaments you can choose to create and the Jewelry Class offers your choice of four pieces such as pendants, earrings or rings. Limited spaces, so don't wait to sign up!

Classes are all four hours so you can even schedule them in the early evening during the week. Pack your dinner before work or grab some fast food before class. The first hour or more is class time so you can have a snack or dinner while you learn!

Now booking speaking engagements! I am available to speak to your small or creative business group on the topics of social media and turning your passion into a successful business. Contact me for details on these topics, cost and scheduling.

Creative business mentoring is available one-on-one and in small groups. I will work with you to overcome obstacles, help guide you to reach your small/creative business goals and lead you to success. Let me show you how to unleash your inner superhero!

______________________________________

{Connect with us!}

Follow us on Twitter

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