We had our (for real this time) last show of the season on Saturday! Zaphod’s in Ottawa hosted the Bizarre Bazaar and it was fun!
We got into the holiday spirit with some twinkling lights
The lights were low, music was playing, everyone was relaxed and having a great time!
There were so many items you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else (and I don’t just mean us) There was vintage clothing, custom buttons, love maps, vinyl records turned into art, and our good friend Maiden Star.
One of our feature necklaces from the show. This glass and copper snake has a stunning shimmer, even in low light.
I danced in the booth, finished my Christmas shopping, met some new people and caught up with old friends. This was a very fun and relaxed show!
Are you sorry you missed it? Rumour has it that there will be another show February 13th. It’ll be just in time to remember about Valentine’s Day.
Need your Drakestail Jewellery fix before then? Never fear! We’re still booking Home Jewellery Parties! We’ll set up a boutique your place, you’ll invite some friends, and we’ll all have a fabulous time!
Earrings, bookmarks, necklaces… So many shiny last minute gifts!
What do you think when I say “custom”? If you’re thinking of having something custom made, you may be thinking that it will cost a small fortune. That might be true when talking about mass produced items, but here at Drakestail Jewellery, we do things a little differently.
Baby shower gift – one of our beautiful Vintage by Drakestail Jewellery bracelets – sized down for a newborn. Lucky girl!
We do custom work. We LOVE custom work! There’s a great feeling knowing exactly where your hard work is going, and that it’s going to be PERFECT!
Customized leaves on a Tree of Life – peridot, malachite, and turquoise. A simple change can create perfection!
You probably know by now that everything we create is lovingly hand made. Very few pieces AREN’T one of a kind. So what’s the difference between what we’re selling and that perfect design floating around inside your head? Not much, really.
Opal and snowflake obsidian. This was to celebrate the end of chemo treatments. The instructions were “I think these stones look neat together”
So, the big question… how do we charge custom orders? Same way we charge everything else. If you found it in your head or in our booth, it’s the same. There’s no need for us to charge more because our basic process hasn’t changed.
Swarovski crystals and sterling silver – something special for a Maid of Honour.
Do you have a particular design in mind? Or just a half decided feel of what you want? We’ll work one on one with you to discover your personal style, and your budget, to create a piece that will make you feel fabulous! There’s really no reason not to find the perfect fit for you.
On the left, a gift of aquamarine & smoky quartz, with the recipient’s name stamping. On the right – pink Swarovski pearl hair elastics for a beautiful wedding party
Come find us at Rideau High’s Crafts for Christmas sale in Ottawa on Saturday December 12th. We’re there 10am-2pm. We can help you find the perfect piece for Christmas!
Can’t make it? We’ll come to you! There’s still time to book your very own Home Party before Christmas and New Year!
I’d like to start off by thanking the organizers of the All Saints craft show for putting on such a fun and well-organized event. I’d especially like to thank them for putting me between two awesome vendors: Totally Squared had some delicious dessert squares on my right (and I absolutely indulged and feel zero guilt about it), and Hali’s Essentials on my left, which meant I got to enjoy little wafts of scent from her homemade bath and beauty products all day. It’s a tough life, I tell ya.
A video posted by Robyn & Roxanne (@drakestail) on
My next upcoming show is the Home, Heart, and Handmade Indie Craft Fair. On November 22nd, this new-to-me show will be at the Glebe Community Centre, and I can’t wait to go. The vendor line-up is huge and quite varied and I have a sneaking suspicion that I’ll get a lot of my own Christmas shopping done there. I love shopping local and every vendor will have great handmade items to drool over.
In between shows, I’ve had a couple of custom orders to create. The first was a request for a necklace, meant to be a Christmas gift. It features soothing smoky quartz and an aquamarine cluster, as well as a stamped charm with the recipient’s name. This is only my second stamping project and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.
My other custom order was a set of beaded pearl hair elastics destined to be accessories for a wedding party. They are all matching in pale pink, and the elastics are in “blonde” and “brunette” colours to match the wearers’ hair. They’re going to look gorgeous!
-Robyn
A custom necklace with smoky quartz, aquamarine, and name charm, and a set of pink pearl hair elastics for a lovely wedding party!
Maybe it’s just us but the leaves seem to be changing colour a couple weeks early this year. Fall is definitely here. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to summer: the long, warm days, the fun vacations, lounging on the patio, there’s so much to love about summer. Now we’re trading it in for cool, cozy nights, snuggly sweaters, brilliant foliage, and pumpkin-flavoured everything. It’s not such a tough trade after all.
While we may have been quiet for the past little while, we’ve been keeping busy! Roxy’s had some great business travel, including a trip to Ottawa. It was fantastic to catch up and we are both counting the days until her next visit back. Robyn started training for the Ottawa Zombie Run for Humanity, a 5K-ish run in support of Habitat for Humanity. She may not be the fastest runner yet but we are sure being chased by zombies will add some good incentive.
On the Drakestail front, we’ve been planning lots, too! In Winnipeg, the Exchange Uporium was such a great success over the summer it’s been extended through to the end of the Christmas season! After a few short days to move out old vendors and move in new ones, Exchange Uporium re-opens on Friday October 3rd from 5:30-9 PM for Winnipeg’s exchange district First Fridays event. Our vintage inspired Swarovski crystal pearls can still be purchase at The Foxy Shoppe, also in the exchange district in Winnipeg.
In Ottawa, Robyn is gearing up for the Christmas craft fair season. Yes, we said the “C” word, but it takes a fair amount of planning to be ready, and with three shows coming up, she has a lot to do between now and November! Drakestail will be at the All Saints Christmas Craft Fair on November 1, at the Heart, Home, & Handmade Indie Craft Fair on November 22, and the MAC Fair Christmas Craft Fair on December 6th. You can find all the details for each show by clicking on these links, by clicking in the Event Calendar to the right, or visiting us on Facebook. The All Saints and MAC Fair are perennial favourites of mine, and the Heart, Home & Handmade show is completely new. It is an exciting mix of shows!
Elsewhere in Canada, for our Alberta friends, Rowena, in Edmonton’s trendy Whyte Ave neighbourhood, still carries our line of vintage inspired Swarovski crystal pearl jewellery. We highly recommend you visit their store if you’re in the area, and if not you can order online via their webstore Retroglam. Heaven Scent Flowers in Gimli, Manitoba carries our tree of life pendants. If you find yourself near Gimli, stop in and say hello to Lenore.
On Etsy, we’ve got some gorgeous fall colours for you, including our Autumn Maple Tree of Life pendant. Favourite autumn gemstones include carnelian, citrine, amber, and tiger’s eye, which all capture the fire of fall. Browse our shop sections, and watch for lots of new items coming. Check back often!
-Robyn & Roxy
Drakestail is on the road now that Christmas craft fair season is in full swing. This past Saturday I took part in the annual craft fair at All Saints Catholic High School. I had a great time two years ago at this fair, and was thrilled to be back. This is a huge craft fair, spread throughout the school. The variety of crafters selling their wares was impressive too. My nearest neighbours were selling handmade bath and body goodies, baked treats, hand-sewn purses & tooth fairy pillows (too cute!), stained glass, woodworking art, clothes, knit hats & scarves, the list goes on. The volunteers were fantastic, and the whole sale had a great vibe. I definitely hope to be back next year.
I like to bring projects to work on during the quieter times of the day. I get to show off some of my techniques, let clients see my process, and add some new things to the table as well. Plus, I’m doing what I love while I hang out and talk to people about doing what I love. That’s what I call a win-win situation!
-Robyn
Drakestail at the All Saints Christmas Craft FairVendors and shoppersNew at the craft fair: olive green chandelier earringsNew at the fair: copper & crystal charm bracelet
We’ve both been extra busy these days. Here in Ottawa, it’s because Drakestail Jewellery has some upcoming appearances. I’ve been in my studio, working away on some exciting new pieces that will be coming to our two upcoming shows.
All Saints CHS Craft Fair & Fundraiser
First up, on Saturday, November 2nd, I’ll be at the All Saints Catholic High School’s annual craft fair. We were last there in 2011, and I’m excited to be going back and support some great causes. In the words of the organizer:
” This will be the 12th year that All Saints Catholic High School hosts this fundraiser with funds raised going toward the support of Grands & Friends, a group of local women who are raising funds for African Grandmothers who are taking care of millions of orphaned children due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. Funds and dry goods collected at the door will support the school’s Christmas Hamper project in conjunction with the Kanata Food Cupboard and Victoria’s Quilts for cancer patients. The fair features over 140 tables of treasures handmade by Crafters & Artisans from Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. A supervised child’s play area, café, musical performances and raffle tables are just some of the added features of this event.”
MAC Fair
Following a few weeks later, I’ll be sharing a table with Maiden Star Jewellery at the MAC Fair. The annual craft fair at Immaculata High School will be on Saturday, November 23rd, and features 120 handmade artists, door prizes, face painting, and more.
As I said before, I’ve been busy making some great designs for the fairs. Here’s a sneak peek of what will be available. Which one would you pick up? Would it be a gift for someone special, or a special gift for you?
-Robyn
New pieces for Fall 2013. Join us at either of our shows to snap up these beauties! Which would you pick?
