The end of another year. Oh... and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

There are less than 5 days until Christmas as I write this. How did that happen!?

The end of a year always kind of gets me down. Maybe it's because the end of the year brings with it the rush of holiday shopping. Maybe it's because it means that I didn't get to some of the things on my to-do list. Maybe it's because it means I have to start over and build the momentum for another awesome year. Maybe it's just because I am exhausted from long days, no time off and a hectic schedule both in and out of the studio that would make Santa Claus cringe.

Don't get me wrong. I love creating fused glass goodness and I love everything about being a small, creative business owner, but the end of the year always kind of gets me down. Even over at my photography business, ALM Photo. It's kind of like the crash you experience after a sugar rush. Everything is all go-go-go and then it just stops. For about two weeks. While everyone takes their holiday vacation. And then it gets rolling again. The end of the year means Christmas is upon us and that is awesome because it means most folks are in a really good mood and are having a great time shopping for loved ones. It also means I get to share my fused glass goodness with shoppers both in my Etsy shop on-line and in person. I really love the in-person interaction.

This weekend is the last Market Square Holiday Market in Downtown Knoxville and I am really looking forward to seeing lots of my friends, helping shoppers choose the right gifts, doing my own shopping with my fellow vendors and just enjoying the hustle and bustle of this wonderful outdoor market. If you live in the Knoxville area and have never been to the Market Square Farmers' Market or Holiday Market, you need to put it on your list of things to do in 2014. It's amazing! And you are supporting local, small, handmade, handcrafted, homegrown and home-cooked businesses which is a fantastic and we love you for it!

So, back to the end of the year always kind of getting me down. I'm sitting here at my desk in my ALM Photo studio|office filling in my 2014 calendar with photo shoots and deadlines already looming for next year. It's looking like another crazy busy year, and I am totally fine with that. There's nothing like taking a few days off and getting right back into the swing of creating. And I mean right back into the swing. We're shooting the festivities for Gatlinburg, TN on New Year's Eve! Woo hoo!

So, if you're looking for something to do on Saturday, drop by the Holiday Market and say hello, but if you're already eyeball deep in the awesomeness of Christmas, I'm sending you a hug and invite you to join me on the amazing journey that will be 2014. I've got lots of cool stuff on tap, both personally and professionally and I'm going to do a better job of sharing all that here on the blog. Stay tuned!

If the end of the year is getting you down, just remember that the holidays will be over soon and you'l be right back to the hustle. {That didn't help, did it?} Well, just enjoy whatever life tosses your way. I know I will be!

Wishing you a very Sassy Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
XOXOXO
Lisa

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Sassy Shopping : handmade for holidays

Are you a procrastinator when it comes to holiday shopping?

It's not too late to place an order for a custom creation or Fusography for holiday gift giving, but you have to contact me soon! The last date to order Fusography pieces is December 9th. Images must be emailed to me by December 8th. The image below is an image file for a decal sheet. Some of the images are for custom orders and some are for new pieces that will be available at the Market Square Holiday Market. 

Read on to find out where you can shop with us during December and ideas for gifts for everyone on your shopping list.

There aren't many shopping days left before Christmas {visit this link for an up-to-the-second countdown}, but you can shop Sassy Glass Studio on Etsy or at the Market Square Holiday Market or the Ijams Holiday Marketplace and Fair. There are a lot of items that have not been added to the Etsy shop {yet!}, so you will want to take advantage of the Markets if you are in the area. Plus, you will be able to shop with my creative friends too! Be sure to pop over to our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Pinterest too!

{Gift ideas}

The Fashionista >> pendants, earrings, hairpins and cocktail rings {$2 to $25}
The Organizer >> business card holders and dry erase boards {$20 to $50}
The Dude >> beer coasters, flattened bottle trays and plates {$10 to $40}
The Cook >> plates, platters, bottle trays/spoon rests, vases/utensil holders {$15 to $100}
The Beachcomber >> beach theme coasters, plates and platters; hairpins and beachy colored jewelry {$10 to $100}
The Entertainer >> plates, platters, bottle trays, vases, votive holders, napkin holders and swizzle/stir sticks {$5 to $100}
The Teacher >> business card/eyeglass/sticky note holders, small bowls, coasters {$10 to $30}
The Tiny Dancer >> nightlights, suncatchers and jewelry/soap dishes {$10 to $20}
The Modern Hipster >> 'Woodland Hipster' coasters and pendants, recycled bottle trays and Knoxville or coffee themed coasters {$15 to $25}
The Coffee Lover >> coffee themed coasters, swizzle/stir sticks and snack plates {$5 to $40}
The Gardener >> garden stakes, suncatchers, bird baths and coasters with floral images {$10 to $60}
The Beer Lover >> beer themed coasters, beer bottle trays and beer bottle wind chimes {$15 to $30}

Don't forget to shop small, shop local and shop handmade for the holidays! 

I'll love you forever!

Visit this link to locate me at the Market Square Holiday Market! Oh, and if you want to save on your Etsy purchase, use code SHOPEARLY2013 and save 20%!

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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Sassy Classes | Create one-of-a-kind fused glass jewelry with your friends

Summertime is the perfect time to learn something new! Sassy Glass Studio is now offering Sassy Classes for only $50! These classes are designed for small groups who wish to have some fun while creating simple projects like pendants, rings, earrings or mini-sun catchers. These classes can be tailored to youngsters 10 and older making Sassy Classes perfect for birthday parties or special celebrations!

Of course, we still offer the Beginner and Intermediate Classes, but we've had requests for shorter classes with the opportunity to make jewelry. Classes are limited to four students and can be booked to fit your busy summer schedule.

These classes will only be offered through the end of October, so don't wait to book your class!

Click on image to view full size or to print

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Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team | Etsy Craft Party

Do you love to create things? Do you have a craft room? Are you on Etsy?

If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, I have an event you will be interested in!

First, a little backstory...
I am the Captain of the local Etsy community-based team, Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team {KCHST}. Membership in KCHST is mainly Etsy shop owners, but there are some members who don't have an Etsy yet. We're a great resource for anyone who sells handmade or vintage goods. Lots of tenured Etsy sellers are on the Team and if you need a question answered or problem solved, this is the place to come. In addition to being an educational resource, we also get together to have fun and socialize, which brings me back to the topic of this post, the Etsy Craft Party. 

The year will be the 4th Etsy Craft Party and the third one the KCHST has celebrated. Last year we got together and created a glittery Sunsphere inspired centerpiece to display at our meetings and workshops. Here is a photo of the golden globe of awesomeness. 

The theme for this year's Etsy Craft Party is 'Crafting for Community' and we will be creating t-shirt market bags. The plan is for everyone to make at least one bag to be donated to the Market Square Farmers' Market so they can sell them. The event invitation has all of the information, but the project link is also below.

Project: T-shirt market bags

This is a FREE event, but please RSVP so we will know how many awesome crafty peeps to expect!

Bring a snack to share and the beverage of your choice. We'll have utensils, napkins and cups on hand, as well as a corkscrew if you would like to bring a bottle of wine.

Etsy Craft Party hashtag for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: #craftparty

Find us on Pinterest at pinterest.com/kchst

Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/KCHSTknoxEtsy 

Visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/KCHST

View us on Instagram @knoxvillecreativehands

>>> The Knoxville News ran an article by Ali James about what KCHST is and what we do as well as the Etsy Craft Party.

For more information on Etsy’s Craft Party, check out this article: https://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2013/save-the-date-for-etsy-craft-party-2013/

Let's get crafty!!

Please send any questions to Lisa Gifford Mueller, Captain of Knoxville Creative Hands Street Team, at KCHSTcraftparty@gmail.com.

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