Special Necklace: Breaking the Nexus

I was recently commissioned to do a special necklace for a giveaway by author Lindsay Avalon, for her upcoming debut paranormal romance novel, Breaking the Nexus (out today, 12/12/12, available to purchase on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback!).  You can visit her website here:  lindsayavalon.blogspot.com.  And, here's a synopsis:

Breaking the Nexus' cover

Throughout history, myths and legends of extraordinary creatures have been told and retold. Fantastic tales of demons and banshees, gryphons and dragons, and of course, magic. Stories that every child grows to learn are nothing more than fantasy…or are they?
Beyond the world you see lies a hidden realm, the Mythrian Realm, inhabited by all of the creatures you’ve been told are mere fiction. Only one thing lies between humans and the truth: the Nexus. A magical barrier erected millennia ago to separate the two realms, it has stood the test of time. Until now.
For Mythrian Sha Phoenix, magic is nothing new. But when she stumbles upon a portal on the verge of collapse, her fate will forever change. Pulled through the portal into the Human Realm, she lands in the middle of Detective Connor Flynn’s brutal murder scene. Soon it is obvious someone is using blood magic to try to bring down the Nexus. Together, Connor and Sha must work to unravel the secrets before the barrier falls and the realms collide.
The Nexus is breaking and all hell is about to unleash…literally.

And here's the necklace!:

I painted a continuation of the forest scene from the front cover, set in a bronze rectangular cabochon, and the blue pheonix (the series' symbol) is in the corner. It is strung on an 18" bronze chain.  Who will the lucky reciever of the prize be...?

It had to happen sooner or later...

I do my research from time to time, tentatively searching Google and Twitter for mentions of 'bookshelf necklaces', hoping that I only find links so mine (since for the last year and a half, that's all that existed!)

A couple days ago though, during a routine Etsy search, I came across something that looked very familiar:

Nope, that's not one of mine!  The second ever bookshelf necklace seller has appeared :(

Now I can't REALLY be all that sad or angry - I mean I can't have a copyright on a necklace that looks like an every day object (and even if I can I think it's a bit unfair...).  And it's a free world, right?  

They look remarkably like mine - three shelves (with an optional tall model), glued to a silver flat pad bail and strung from an 18" (or 19 in his case... I should switch to 20!) chain.  Even the photo shots, like above, seem remarkably like how I model my necklaces.  I think I've been copied the source of some inspiration.

There are some differences - these necklaces are made out of recycled leather, and have gold embossing on lots of the parts (which makes me wonder how durable it is?).  They're also conveniently priced just a few dollars less than mine are.  But I like mine better, I stand by their quality and their crafty creativeness, and... I do get defensive when I take a look at this site!

I don't know if this will mean big competition for my little bookshelves, as so far they haven't sold all that many, and it seems they've only been doing so for about a month.  But, they are located in the USA - and since most of my customers are in the US, it might be tempting to buy one of his instead of mine and wait for the longer shipping times, eep...!

But again, I'm telling myself not to worry.  Good luck to them as an Etsy seller, maybe we can form a bookshelf necklace makers guild or something.  There's plenty of people in the world that love reading and books and bookshelves.

...but if I see them featured on bookshelf porn I'll be green with jealousy!!!

Cory is a fan: MadeWithClayAndLove

These are really sweet... and useful too!  From MadeWithClayAndLove.

Literary Scarves

by Quotationmarks

by Lilia Vanini Boutique

by Zafran

by Dyeproservices

by EnigmaScarves

A New Saw!

The other day I bought a new saw for making bookshelf necklaces!  I thought I'd go and get something nice and professional, maybe spend quite a bit on something that looks beastly and serious - but what actually happened is I found exactly what it was looking for in the simplest of designs that only cost £2!

It turns out it works like a dream and cuts way nicer than my previous saw - it has a really thin sharp blade and is much more 'ergonomic'!  My hand was actually going numb from sawing with the other one, so this one should increase my productivity AND not give me carpal tunnel!  WOOHOO!

Note the Tim Horton's mug in the corner of the photo... Canadian at work!

Marketing - Facebook ads

I've tried my hand at making a Facebook ad for Coryographies to see if that pulls in some fans that would love to get their hands on a bookshelf necklace.  So far this week my sales have been pretty normal, maybe a bit higher, but that could just be that Christmas is getting closer.  My shop views compared to listing views have definitly gone up though.   A new marketing thing to try out though, as I head into my second Christmas season with my beloved bookshelf necklaces!

Meanwhile I'll just sit here at the kitchen table sawing...

Eggnog Recipe

Every year around this time I start craving eggnog.  The trouble is, it’s hard to find in shops in England.  So I’ve become a bit of a pro at making my own!  And now that I’m a big kid, I even add a bit of brandy for a kick…

I’ll share my recipe for this deliciously Christmas-y drink with you all to try - and if you haven't had it before, it is absolutely delicious and doesn't taste like eggs!!  Give it a try and see for yourself:

Ingredients-

4 eggs (separated)

1/2 cup of sugar

2 cups of milk
2 or 3 cloves (don’t overdo these or it gets a bit gross)
Heaped teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of single cream
1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
*(Optional) A splash of brandy, whisky, rum or all three for extra jolliness!

Instructions-

In a great big bowl, whisk just the egg yolks until they are a bit lighter yellow (keep the egg whites to the side!).  Add the sugar bit by bit and keep whisking until they get fluffy.

In a saucepan, mix the milk with the cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon on heat on a low heat (don’t boil it, just get it a bit steamy)

Add a little bit by little bit of this milk mixture to the eggs to warm them up.  Then transfer it all back to the pan.-Stir the mixture well turn the heat up a little, where it should thicken a bit.  Don’t let it boil! 

Take it off the heat and pick out the cloves.  Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold it into the mixture with the cream and vanilla extract too.

Chill, then serve with a splash of brandy!

There are lots of eggnog recipes out there and they vary in the steps – there are ones that are a lot less complicated than this, but I think this one tastes the best and is worth the extra fuss.  Pour it into a nice sterilized pretty bottle tied with a Christmas ribbon and bring it as a gift when invited to a friend’s house!

November 3rd and 4th Christmas fairs in Woodstock!

It's time to start thinking about getting those Christmas presents! 

I'll be at the Woodstock Town Hall this Saturday (10-5) and Sunday (10-4) with lots of bookshelf necklaces and teapot earrings and Christmas-y extras! 

Come and visit if you want to browse around and say hi :)

In With The Old Christmas Sale

Coryographies sells some jewellery at In With The Old, the sweetest handmade and vintage craft shop in London!  Stop by if you are in London and want some great gift ideas – and until November 3rd (that's this weekend!!), you can use a 10% off voucher! 

Please print off the voucher below and get your Christmas shopping done early this year, and feel proud that you are much more organised than I am!!

Cory's Christmas Tour

The Christmas Season is upon us!  If that sounds cringy to your ears than I apologise.  But unfortunately in the world of crafting, Christmas season seems to start in September and end in January (nearly half a year long?  Phew!)

Anyway, this season you can catch me and Coryographies items at various craft fairs in the Berkshire and Oxfordshire area between now and December.  Please come by and say hello!

• October 28th (Sunday): Hungerford Town Hall, 10am - 4pm
• November 3rd (Saturday): Woodstock Town Hall (upstairs), 10am -5pm
• November 4th (Sunday): Woodstock Town Hall (upstairs), 10am - 4pm
• November 10th (Saturday): Burbage Village Hall, 11am - 3pm
• November 17th (Saturday): Malborough Town Hall, 10am - 4pm
• November 24th (Saturday): Newbury Congregation Hall, 10am - 4pm
• December 9th (Sunday): Hungerford Town Hall, 10am - 4pm