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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Refresh and Reorganize | a mini studio makeover

{ Organized + Refreshed = Increased Productivity + Inspired Creativity }

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of cleaning, moving and tossing stuff in the trash. The glass studio is a work in progress, but I wanted to share a short video {kind of like a moving portrait} of the refresh and reorganization. All that's really left is some painting and then I can hang some shelves, a cork board and some art on the walls and be done with it. For now. Eventually I will paint the floor, but that will involve removing everything from the studio and I don't have time for that now. Maybe next January!

The area I have been reorganizing is my main workspace. We boxed in an area about 10 feet X 10 feet when we started working on the "Great ALM Photo Office|Studio Project" about 6 years ago and outfitted it with items we already had, like shelves, a desk, tables and even the wainscoting and window were things kicking around the garage. Yes, my glass studio is in what was once a boring detached two-car garage/workshop. During the "Project" we built up on top of it and out the sides to add another garage bay and a large porch. What I love most about my entire glass studio space is that I can open the overhead door in the gallery/classroom area and work pretty much outside. I will be sharing photos and updates on that area when I get it finished up. All of my reorg/refresh has to be done in time for the Dogwood Art DeTour on April 12th and 13th when my studio is open to the public. Who wants to see that I usually work in a messy, unorganized space?!

Here is a "before" photo:

Yeah, it was a mess. It's a happier space now!

Here is the short "after" video:

Here are some photos I found of the glass studio being constructed. Wow! Looking back on these photos, I really wish I had painted the walls before moving everything into the space so I could get working. The walls still look like this. Gross!

I'll share more photos and/or video as I work my way through this project. The gallery/classroom area will have a nice comfy couch so my mom can wander down to the glass studio and watch me work. {We moved my mom in almost a year ago and she has a hard time getting around so it will be nice for her to have a place to sit and hang out with me.}

Don't miss out on the fun of  celebrating National Craft Month in Sassy Style! March will be a fun month of crafty awesomeness!

{ON A SIDE NOTE}
There are still a few days left in the Warm up with the Hot Winter Sale going on through February 28, 2014 in the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop! Save 20% with coupon code HOTWINTERSALE.

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Celebrate National Craft Month in Sassy Style

Did you know March is National Craft Month?

Yes, I know there is a month or a day for just about every interest, but let's be honest, who doesn't love to craft? Over here at Sassy Glass Studio we are celebrating National Craft Month in several of ways. Pick one or two and join in the fun!

Fused glass class discount: Save $50 off Beginner or Intermediate Fused Glass Class

Beginner Fused Glass Class is a fabulous opportunity to learn more about fused glass and expand your artistic skills, plus you create a set of fused glass coasters in the process. How cool is that? Intermediate Fused Glass Class if offered to students who have taken the Beginner class. Call me at 865-406-3870 or email me at lisa@sassyglassstudio.com to schedule your class today. Just mention you want to take advantage of the National Craft Month special!

Share your National Craft Month photos with Sassy Glass Studio on Instagram and Twitter

Post your crafting photos on Instagram and Twitter during March and tag @AllThingsSassy and #SGSCraftMonth. I'll retweet, share or comment on your photos and choose someone and their craft to be featured on this blog. Fun! I love being inspired by other creative people!

Sign up for the Creative Business Mentor Program and grow your creative/craft business

The Creative Business Mentor Program is perfect for artists, craftisans and other creative folks who want to launch their own business. Whether you want to venture into your creative biz part-time or full-time, there is never a better time than now! Enroll in the Creative Business Mentor Program during the month of March and receive a bonus hour of mentoring, a $50 value. Call me at 865-406-3870 or email me at lisa@sassyglassstudio.com to schedule your class today. Just mention you want to take advantage of the National Craft Month special!

So there you go, three different ways to celebrate National Craft Month in Sassy Style!

Click this link to find out more about my crafting journey!

{ON A SIDE NOTE}
Wow! It's warm in Knoxville, Tennessee today and tomorrow will be 70 degrees! But don't worry, that doesn't mean the Hot Winter Sale is over yet! Warm up with the Hot Winter Sale going on through February 28, 2014 in the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop! Save 20% with coupon code HOTWINTERSALE.

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Winter Warm Up!

Just when you thought it was warming up for Spring, good ole Punxatawney Phil sees his shadow and foretells six more weeks of Old Man Winter's visit. Sheesh! It's been too cold for me to comfortably work in the glass studio, so I've been focusing on what I consider to be the less creative side of my business. You know, exciting things like marketing, updating the Etsy shop and coloring. I might think they aren't creative, but they really are.

Do you need a winter warm up? I know I do!

Warm up with the Hot Winter Sale going on through February 28, 2014 in the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop! Save 20% with coupon code HOTWINTERSALE. Also, check out the all the heart pendants and rings available. Perfect for Valentine's Day!

A few of the heart pendants available in the Etsy shop

So, now that you are all warmed up, here's how I make marketing more creative:

1. Part of my marketing involves Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is, you've probably been hanging out in the ground with Punxatawney Phil. Pinterest is a cool tool for anyone who likes to pretend they know how to cook, thinks they can operate a screwdriver or sewing machine, or dreams about winning the lottery so they can afford a fantastic new wardrobe. Some folks think it is a waste of their time. I don't. It's an easy way for me to find creative inspiration, share my artwork, plan my glass studio redesign, grow my business and plan a garden. {Take a peek at my boards if you are interested!}

2. Another important aspect of my marketing is my Etsy shop. I love doing the Dogwood Arts Festival Market Square Art Fair in April as well as the Market Square Farmers' Market from May to December. Thist means I'm fortunate that I only have a couple of months each year I have to rely on my Etsy shop more than usual to attract potential shoppers and turn them into buyers. Keeping the shop fresh and stocked with new items is very important to me. Nobody wants to visit my shop hoping to find something new only to see the same old stuff. So even if it is really cold out there in the glass studio, I have to suck it up and get out there and create. I usually do this when we have a "heat wave" and it's over 30 degrees. I'm not crazy!

3. Two other ways I market my fused glass art are by using Twitter and Instagram. Twitter is a great way for me to share what I am doing in the glass studio or in my personal life. It's how I let you know more about me. Yes, I am on Facebook, but my page there is more about Sassy Glass Studio and less about me. I use Twitter to give you a glimpse behind the scenes. I use Instagram pretty much the same way. But it's more visual since it is all photos and videos. Instagram is perfect for sharing images of what I just put into the kiln and then again when I take it out.

So, there you go. There are three ways I market my business that allow me to be creative. I get to pin cool stuff over on Pinterest, make my Etsy shop look nice and share photos and video of what I am doing. Take a moment and give me a follow on the social media platform{s} of your choice and see what is going on!

Psst! Here's the latest newsletter! If you would like to subscribe, you can do so in the box on the right.

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It's a Sassy New Year! {part 2}

Can you believe the first month of 2014 is almost over? Time always seems to fly by when we have so many things we want to accomplish, doesn't it. The beginning of the year is always a little quiet business-wise and I've been taking advantage of the slowness of this time of year and working on expanding my creativity both in the glass studio and with my photography. But my creativity is not all that I am focusing on this year. As I mentioned in my first post of the new year, I am also working on being more active and social.

To me, this means spending more time doing physical activities I love like working out, bicycling, and taking hikes, as well as the activities I don't like such as working out really hard and getting better at riding my mountain bike in terrain that makes me a pretty much scared to death. I've decided that I'm not getting any younger and I need to do these things now before it is too late! Even if they scare me.

And I will be more social. {Maybe I will even be more social while doing things that scare me!} And I'm not talking about meeting friends for beers, dinner and a movie. Being more social is important to my business and to my sanity. So, for me, being more social will include spending more time with other creative business owners, preferably with coffee, sharing about our businesses and creating ways to grow our businesses. Although I operate my photography business with my husband, that is not the same social environment as working in a business with several other people. I like to talk with other people and learn about them and what they do. And I already know my husband. At least I think I do. I also want to meet more people in my community and around the world. Increasing my social footprint, so to speak. I love meeting people in person, but some of my socializing may be on-line through the use of social media, podcasts, webinars and meetings/conventions. 

Connect with me if you are in the Knoxville area and want to go for a bicycle ride! I love to ride the greenways on my pink cruiser if that appeals to you more than mountain biking. And if you want to meet for a coffee, give me a jingle! Check back next week for my next post sharing my 2014 plans for being more productive and awesome.

Here's to a Sassy New Year! 2014 is going to be awesome! Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events, classes, workshops, videos and behind-the-scenes goodies!

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It's a Sassy New Year!

Be more creative!

Be more active!

Be more social!

Be more productive!

Be more awesome!

Those were my objectives for 2012. And they are my objectives for 2013 too! I'm excited to embrace my objectives in some different ways this year!

On creativity...

My husband, Allan, and I spent Christmas in Colorado with our two young nieces who create a lot of art seated around their craft table coloring, painting, cutting and pasting. 

Each morning, I would join them at the table to work on a 'project'. I forgot how much fun coloring can be! Sometimes in the afternoon we'd work on something different, like painting and loom potholders. The girls assured me I did a good job. 

Here are a couple of my favorites!

I'll be sharing more about my other objectives over the next few weeks! Let me know how you get your creative juices flowing. I'm always looking for new and fresh ideas!

Here's to a Sassy New Year! 2014 is going to be awesome! Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events, classes, workshops, videos and behind-the-scenes goodies!

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Love Instagram? Share your photos on fused glass!

You're a photographer. I'm a photographer. 

My Instagram feed is a little bit of everything...

Well, aren't we all photographers capturing what interests us with our smartphones, DSLRs and point and shoots. How many photos do you take every day, week, month, year? I bet your answer is "a lot". Photos of your kids, cats, dogs, sunsets, thrift store clowns, cute outfits, vacation, shoes, stuff you want, people you find interesting...after they have been shared on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter they are just stored on your phone, computer or Dropbox. Am I right? Maybe some of these photos see the light of day as prints, but most of them are probably hiding out on a hard drive somewhere, never to be seen again.

It was the idea of all those awesome images you captured being hidden away that got me thinking. Instagram photos are square...coasters are square. Why not make some coasters with my Instagram photos! These images were all taken with my smartphone and shared via Instagram. How cool would it be to set out a set of coasters the next time you have friends or family over and they feature your awesome photos? As you can see from these samples the colors stay fairly true, with the exception of the bright pink/magenta. {I knew this color wouldn't print true on the decal, but needed to confirm how the color would shift.}

Here are my Instagram photos:

These are the bright pink azaleas that, as you can see below, turned a little more brick red.

This was a giant puffy flower, not a dandelion.
Interesting, but it needs a darker background to really be impressive.

I have to admit this is a pretty cool macro shot. Sometimes I get lucky!

This was a panorama and I cropped it down to an interesting square.

And here are photos of the coasters I created. These photos were taken with my smartphone, so they are not particularly awesome.

Notice the color change, but the image still looks pretty good.

This image looked about the same fired.

The pinks in this image stayed fairly true to the original. 

I was thrilled with how this image fired. The color is so vibrant. This photo doesn't so it justice.

Of course, I can fuse full-color images to anything I create, but coasters are something functional and decorative that everyone loves. They are a great choice for holiday gifts, a newlywed couple, parents, grandparents...well, pretty much anyone! Coasters are $15 each with a minimum order of 4. Design can be different for each and you can create a collage too. The coasters are 4 inches square and the image is 3 1/3 inches square. I will resize your image for you if you prefer. The image does not have to be square, I've made some with rectangular photos and they look great too. If you image has white in it, it will be fused to white glass, but you can opt to have a color border. Just like with a printed photo, white does not print.

JFG sign against a vivid blue sky makes for a neat graphic coaster design

Fusography is a great gift idea and if you are considering it for Christmas gift giving, please make sure you place your order by the end of November! Fusography orders take longer to create and the decals are only printed once a week, so be sure to plan accordingly. Call or email me if you have any questions!

PS Only 54 days until Christmas 2013...and counting.
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