New Store in Town!

Local artists, farmers and musicians unite at Rare Earth Goods in Ishpeming!  A unique artists co-op, the store carries a variety of jewelry, hand knit wear, homemade soaps, organic foods and produce.  Owner Pam has created a warm, welcome space and invites musicians for open mike every Tuesday 6-9 pm.  She even provides snacks, last night I heard she made an awesome chili!  Stop in and explore this treasure at 200 E. Division St. in downtown Ishpeming.

For the Fall

Matte metallic gold and "root beer" beads surround this gorgeous cracked agate stone. Now at Garden Bouquet and Design in Marquette.

Garden Bouquet and Design - Flowers, Plants and Gifts "Beyond the Ordinary"

Stop in and check out this shop for unusual gifts and plants. Lots of local artists on consignment, exquisite floral arrangements and great staff.

Closet up of Artistic Jasper Stone

I purchased some of these stones from the Silver Rae Bead Shop in Houghton, MI. This one is perfect with these Delicas! Already starting the next necklace with Delicas - Matte Luster Khaki.

Waterfall Necklace

Inspired by local waterfalls I've posted about recently. This necklace is on sterling silver chain and has a pair of matching earrings. Brand new at Mary's Closet, downtown Marquette!

Silver Rae: worth the time to find.

So, I was on my home from a road trip and didn't need to be home for awhile. I was already about 15 minutes down the road (of a two hour trip), when I tried a trick my son taught me. Text "bead store" and the zip code to 466453 (Google) and hit send. A few seconds later an incoming text provided me with the name "Silver Rae" and the address and phone number. I called - by now I was on a mission and pulled off the side of the road. The store was open and I turned around!
It was a little hard to find, not having a store front, but a well placed sandwich sign on the sidewalk guided me to the second floor rooms where the beads awaited. Ah, a new selection of stones I'd never heard of! Kambaba jasper, Artistic jasper and gorgeous specimens of Rhyolite beads.
I spent a few hours pouring over the treasures and left a happy beader indeed. Found out that the store is officially open just one day a week, the day I happened to turn around. Kismet?

Inside Mary's Closet, downtown Marquette

Mary says "My Store is Your Store! Let's make this a gathering place!" So she's scheduled live music events, poetry readings and fund raisers for the community. Of course there's also the newest in fashion trends and wardrobe consultants to help you choose your new outfit. From her website (post title will take you there), I learned about a very cool service - customers can receive a one-time complimentary 1-hour appointment to bring in clothes from their own closets for advice on fit, color, and style. And there's more! Kai perfume and body products, jewelry, books, wisdom cards and CDs from local artists and authors. Thanks Mary for creating and sharing your fun store with us.

Local gift shop supports area artists

Garden Bouquet and Design is so much more than a typical flower store. First of all, they rehab'd an old outboard motor repair shop that was in pretty bad shape and made it into a wonderful space where they exhibit all sorts of local artwork. It's where I go for gifts, especially for my mother-in-law, who enjoys something special and unique.

Thanks to Garden Bouquet and Design for consigning my jewelry. Fresh items were just delivered today and the shop looks great! My favorite part of visiting would have to be the birds. By the way, did I mention their incredible floral arrangements and plants? They also have classes educating the local community on plants, flowers, and the art of floral design.

To Bead, or to Knit?...that is the question.

I started making earrings about a year ago, inspired by a friend and our local bead shop. I was in between knitting projects and it didn't take long to get addicted. I don't like using that word, but I had this feeling of euphoria and couldn't stop. I guess I'm a "binge" crafter and have discovered that there's a lot of us out there.

So it's May and I just finished up a few sweaters and ready to get back to my long neglected beads. Since I work best under pressure, I've also put up an Etsy store and have been learning to use our digital camera, but that's another story.