October Project Countdown

Hi everyone,

I hope you are having a marvellous month of October! Here, it is vey busy and I hope you all took the time to stop by and enter my exclusive Bath Tea Giveaway from Pretty Momma Beauty, it is ending tomorrow. So, meanwhile, what is up with Kirameku you are asking? Well, many, many things! :)

Good Shepherd School's 4th Annual Holiday Craft Fair : On November 7, I will be attending for the fist time this craft show, I can't wait to see how it will go...! My table will be filled with new colors in the Swarovski Earrings and as well as new Berry Necklaces and Berry Gift Sets. Mark your calendars and get all the info here, I can't wait to meet you there!

The lovely short Swarovski Earrings for my next craft show!

Bridesmaids Gift Sets : Finally, this long-awaited project will see the light! :) I've just got my beautiful pearlescent tags from the printer this week, I hope you like them as much as I do! I will be listing about 2 to 4 sets before the end of the year, depending on how busy I will be processing Holidays orders. For now, I must finish two lovely custom necklaces before tending to this long-awaited and exciting project.

The lovely pearl tags for my new bridesmaids gift sets!

New Gift Sets : As you all know, the Holidays are getting closer every day. Kirameku is getting ready as well and I wanted to introduce some new and glamorous set, as this lovely Midnight BlueBerry Necklace & Crystal Set! With my new packing, it is ready for gift giving, may it be for your best friend or to treat yourself! :) Stay tuned for more beautiful and elegant gift sets!

Love this new glamorous Berry Necklace & Crystal Earrings set! Buy it here!

Flash Sale on Facebook : Before listing some exclusive items on my Etsy shop, I want to give you the chance to pre-order them at a reduced price before doing so. It is a great way to get a quick rebate on limited editions and start your Holiday shopping without breaking your budget! Simply follow my Facebook page to get all the info and get access to these special sales!

Working on an exciting Holiday promotion : I love to spoil you as often as I can, and usually, I can do a bit more by the end of the year! I'm working on a new sale concept for Black Friday and I will be announcing it through my newsletter and my Facebook page. Stay posted, it will be epic! :)

For those of you who are already shopping for the Holidays, here are my deadlines for shipping your orders in 2015. 

** HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES **
Here are the shipping deadlines for 2015 as provided by Canada Post for REGULAR shipping :

CANADA : December 17
USA : December 9
EUROPE : December 1st
ASIA : December 1st
AUSTRALIA : December 1st
CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA : December 1st
MIDDLE EAST : December 1st

On this everyone, I hope you will have a great weekend and are almost done getting Halloween ready! :) See you all soon!
* M *

Giveaway and interview : Pretty Momma Beauty

Hi everyone!

I have a wonderful surprise for you today, a beauty giveaway!
I met Ekatrina in the Etsy forum and she was very kind in offering to send one set of her amazing Raspberry Black Bath Tea. I was very curious about her product, especially when she mentioned it is real tea mixed with magnesium, salts. The tea bad holds the leaves together so it will be an easy clean up after a relaxing, skin rejuvenating and soothing bath.

RaspBerry Black Tea Bath Giveaway by Pretty Momma Beauty

But, as amazing are her products, I wanted you to learn more about this impressive lady behind the small natural shop of Pretty Momma Beauty.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Ekatrina

Tell us about yourself and how all your Etsy adventure started :

I am a cell biology PhD student in the process of graduating and beginning my career as a professor. I started my first Etsy shop about halfway through my graduate career as a birthday present to myself. It has been a nice outlet for my creative energies in the midst of a demanding school load.

What pushed you to start your own beauty product line?

This shop began when I wanted to make bath salts for myself. I grew up in a home invested in natural and healthy products, so it was a short jump to combine that expertise with my scientific skills. The very first product I made was the mustard milk bath salts, which I formulated to combat muscle pain and tension. Once I got started, I just couldn’t stop, and I eventually opened this shop in order to share my products with a wider audience.

From the start, my products have been about providing tools to create a naturally healthy, beautiful you. Because of the demands on my time, I have been terrible about daily beauty upkeep. Once I started making my own products, I began to research and concoct products to help restore and repair my appearance. I formulated products that I found worked well, and so had to share those too. Because I need good value from the time I spend on myself, all my products are carefully formulated with high concentrations of active ingredients to maximize their effectiveness.

What inspires your collections?

My collections begin with an idea. For instance, I began my mud mask line in response to my search for something to reduce the appearance of my pores. Once I have an idea for a product type, my next question is “What other problems could this medium solve?”. So, in the mud mask example, I began expanding the concept to products that help maintain skin firmness, deal with inflammation, and provide deep-cleaning and detoxification benefits to help provide clear skin.

What is your process for your products?

When I start out to create a product, I begin by reading as much as I can about the process that produces the problem I want to solve and about how modern and traditional products go about addressing the problem. From that reading, I create a list of potential ingredients annotated with the mechanism of action of each. Then I research each ingredient intensively for safety and effectiveness, as well as to get an idea of which products would work well together. I create a prototype recipe designed to incorporate a diverse and synergistic ingredient list, then I go through repeated rounds of testing (on myself) and refinement for function and usability. The final product is what ends up in my shop. 

Are your products sold in boutiques or craft shows?

My primary outlet is online, although I have taken my products to a craft fair. I enjoyed the face to face interaction and direct feedback of the craft fair, so I hope to be able to do more of them after graduation. My products are not in a brick and mortar yet, but I am on the look-out for locations that would be a good fit. I’ve also been refining my packaging to reflect the professionalism and quality of my product, which is important in brick-and-mortar sales.

Can you tell us more about your Bath Tea Collection?

My bath tea collection is extensive, and primarily off-menu at this point. I have a wide variety of herbal and black teas, as well as a few more unusual options. My Roobios bath tea is especially refreshing, and my lavender mint bath tea is a favorite among returning customers. All of my bath teas are pre-packaged for easy clean-up and also contain magnesium salts to promote well-being. I will be working on bringing more of these teas into my regular offering once the craziness of my current transition period has passed. In the meantime, I am delighted to accommodate requests!

How long does it take you to develop a new serie of product?

The time it takes for me to develop a new product is directly proportional to how busy I am! :) Some products require minimal rounds of refinement and are ready to meet customers quickly. Other products, such as one particularly luscious conditioning treatment I have developed, require significant research to translate into a shelf-stable, easy-to-use product. (It’s been over a year since I made my first batch of that particular product, and it still isn’t ready to go to market. My hair, however, has greatly benefited from the research process.)

What’s next for PrettyMommaBeauty in 2015?

I have an extensive list of products to roll out in the next year. I have a very nice deep-conditioning moisturizer that is ready to go to market. It just needs final packaging decisions and photographs. I also want to elaborate on the idea and create a lighter moisturizer for those who live in warmer climates or who have more naturally moist skin. I also have an herbal detangling spray that has passed all my usage tests and needs to make its way into my shop. I have vegetable-based blush that will be ready once I standardize shades, and have initial recipes for complimenting lip products. I want to create liquid shampoos and bath gels from my bar soap recipes, which should be a fairly quick process once I obtain the necessary supplies. I also want to develop a magnesium-based deodorant, as I think that would work better than the salt crystal I currently use. What would you like to see in my shop??

If you weren’t making beauty products, what would you be making :

If I wasn’t running Etsy shops in my spare time, I’d be reading, embroidering, or tutoring. In addition to making bath and beauty products, I love doing graphic design and creating jewelry. I’m also an avid treasure-hunter at resale shops.

If you could live anywhere in the world...?

If I could live anywhere in the world….I don’t know. I like my current home, but would love to go someplace warmer in the winter. My favorite European country is Italy, but I want to visit China, and Spain, and Russia, and the Italian Alps, and see more of France… Home is where the heart is, but I love to learn about other cultures and meet new people too.


You can follow Ekatrina on Twitter here or on Tumblr

And, you can enter the giveaway at the top of the article! :)

Fall mood board

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great week!

Here the leaves have started to fall down the trees as September just got here. The air is a bit chilly and soon our trees will be transformed with a fiery palette in every leaf. I figured it was time for a Fall mood board, working my way between Henryville craft show (coming up next week) and a wonderful surprise that has put my shop in full production mode. I will be back to share with you all pictures of the show, the surprise and very soon, apple Orchards from Quebec.

On this everyone I wish you a great end of day!
And if you ever stop by Henryville on September 12 or 13, mention this post to have a free goodie! :)
*M*

Posted via Blogaway

Crystal Earrings Giveaway!!!

Hello there! :)

I hope you are all as excited as I am about this sparkling giveaway....! 

It is very simple, there are many ways for you to gain extra entry points with this giveaway and one easy mandatory question : How would you describe your personal style?

Contest ends on August 9th and is open internationally, you only need to be 18 years and older to enter it.

It is my first time using the Gleam app for a giveaway, hoping to make it all easy for you!

Feel free to leave feedback on your experience...!

So without further introductions, here is the Giveaway, click below to get to the contest page :

Swarovski Dangle Earring Giveaway

Swarovski Dangle Earring Giveaway

Can't wait to have your own pair of dangling crystal earrings? You can find the entire collection here, including a custom option!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and best of luck! :)

* Maxime * 

Late Summer 2015 at Kirameku

Hi everyone!

Summer has been a has been quite a handful with us moving to our new apartment but never the less, Summer 2015 will have a few surprises in stock for you! :)

So here is what Summer 2015 has in stock for Kirameku!

Giveaway - Dangleling Swarosvki Earrings : Why not start with the most exciting news...?! I'll be giving away a pair of Bermuda Blue Swarovski crystal earrings on August 1st! All the details will be posted here and on my Facebook page.


I will be giving away a pair of these lovely dangling earrings made with Swarovski crystals!

Craft shows : I'm busy as a bee stocking up the tables for my Henryville craft show. I am proud to have been selected to participate to this lovely fair this year again! Write it down on your calendar : September 12 and 13, it' a rendez-vous! :) And here's how to get there.

Bridal bouquet accessories : Yes, you read right! I believe those cute little Berries would be a lovely, sparkling addition to your bouquet. Plus, it's a part you will be able keep forever! Check out the photoshoot sneak peek on my Instagram.

New packaging : Due to many wonderful comments and the cuteness of my current gift wrapping option, I will be now offering a silk ribbon on every order...! So even a gift to treat yourself will be wrapped up like at Christmas! :) The gift tag option is always free whenever you mention me it is a gift. And it will be back with every order for the Holidays 2015 as well!

New business cards : I jumped on the summer sale at MOO and redesigned some more trendy mini-cards. I simply adore their cute size and the fact that they're printed on sustainable sourced paper.

Kirameku website : Last but not least, Kirameku's very own website will be launched by the end of September!

On this everyone, I hope you are looking forward to the end of summer! What are you most excited about? :)
*M*

The color dilemma and the glue adventure

Hi everyone! :)

I hope you all had a great week! Mine was off to a promising start, as when I opened up my mailbox Monday night, I had already received my Swarovski crystals and stainless steel earrings bases! I was super excited and I jumped on another suppliers website to order some more crystals. I wanted to do all the earrings at once, so that they would be all ready at the same time.

So here I was, switching and editing my cart all week, unable to decide which  Swarovskis were the most beautiful and the most unique. I have a set of 5 main colors that I haven't seen anywhere, and I'm quite happy about my finds since the lack of colors available is the whole point of me starting this earrings line anyways. I've finally sent out my order and I'm proud to announce that Vitrail Light and Rose Peach colors will be added to this collection! :)

On Thursday night, I simply had to try my newest findings! So I set up the earring bases, later out the crystals and took out my super-strong glue. What was not my surprise when I couldn't opened up the tube...! And once I did, my entire stock was completely dry....! I tested the glue on my own earrings to ensure I was pleased with the result. I carefully closed the lid and sealed everything. Why this happened? I have no idea! I'm currently asking my fellow etsians about this technical - and unfortunate - issue. So I'm sad to say we'll both have to wait a little bit longer before that collection launches....! I've reordered the glue, and hopefully I will have a solution by the time it gets here.

But, despite this downside to this week, I'm happy to say that I will be putting my smartphone to full use as I've now opened up an Instagram account! So I will be posting sneakpeeks and inspiration pictures more often! :)

I hope I will see you there!
On this, I have wish you a marvelous weekend! :)
*M*

Summer moodboard

Hi everyone!

We have a very late summer here in Quebec so I thought since the heat and the sun were finally here, I would share my summer mood board with you! :) I personally LOVE summer and one mood board is not enough to cover everything that inspires me for this season, so I picked my main 4 themes for summer 2015. I hope you'll like it! :)

Credits :

Watermelon Cake - Sprinkle Bakes
Lemon Sorbet - It all started with paint
Beautiful peaches - Say yes
Raspberry Cocktail - One sweet mess

On this everyone, cheers to summer! :)
*M*

Dreaming of Swarovski crystals

Hi everyone! :)

I hope you all had a marvelous week! What took me so long to blog again you may say? Well, I'm still setting up the apartment and been busy rearranging my atelier, trying to figure out the best way to optimize this new space of mine. It's only the second time I've moved and, silly me, I thought this time I would be able to set up and feel at home in no time since I had everything planned ahead. I didn't took into account that we were moving in a bigger space, and that in this case it meant a few furniture and light purchases. But before I will go shopping for some new bookcases and shelves, I had a very important and exciting task to take care of : shopping for some new Swarovski elements!

Did your eyes got a bit bigger and brighter? Mine sure did! :) I ordered a few new pieces last January, but as much as I love the new colors, that supplies order was meant to continue the existing Crystal Dangle Earrings Collection.

My last order of Swarosvki crystals Elements 

As much as I'm beaming to have now 12 different colors in stock - even if I keep postponing my photoshoot these days since its always raining - I wanted to create something new and dazzling for my upcoming craft fairs. As you may say the concept I'm currently working on is not unique and quite simple, but it is the type of earrings I've been craving for the past few months. I found myself disappointed with the color selection I found in stores, so I decided to create my own serie of Swarosvki Rivoli Crystal Post Earrings. I'll be wearing a pair at a friends wedding this weekend and I can't wait to show you the pictures…! My large supply order is on its way and I simply can't wait! :) What I love most about this new line? Those dazzling earrings will go perfectly with the Berry necklace collection and with the upcoming new Bridal necklace series.

The always expanding Crystal Dabgle Earrings made with Swarovski Elements

On this my friend, I can't say more for now! Stay tuned for more details, sneak peeks and what's in store for the end of summer. I have to run for now, got to get ready for the wedding!!! :)
*M*

Kirameku update

Hi everyone! :)

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and aren't buried in work! I just wanted to give you a quick update on Kirameku as I have finally reached 92 items in stock, yay! :)

Berry Necklaces : I have yet one more necklace to list. I find that my pictures from the last photoshoot were too dark and not bringing out the lovely details in the green shades of the Moss Berry Pendant Necklace. Although, I wanted to share with you my "coup de coeur" like we say in French, for this gorgeous new Silver & Green Berry Necklace. There's now 10 Berry Necklaces listed, yay! And don't worry, I'm still working on the Cobalt & Snow Bridal Necklace. My hope is to list it in May but we'll have to see how things goes with our moving schedule.

Love the Silver & Green Berry Necklace!

Kirameku 1000 heart shop giveaway : I have drawn a number and contacted the winner during the Easter weekend. I have unfortunately never heard back from the winner. It really saddens me and I tried giving the winner more time to claim their prize because of the Holidays, but it didin't work out. I will be drawing a new number and contacting the new winner in the following days, so please check your convos! And best luck to all! :)

Swarovski earrings : I jumped on my camera as soon as there was a beautiful sun outside and shot 4 different pair of Swarovski cristal earrings. You can now enjoy 2 pairs that were listed a few days ago. I hope you will love them! Don't hesitate to share your thoughts on the new Swarovski earrings collection or request a particular color, I would love to hear them! :)

The gorgeous Bermuda Blue Swarovski Dangle Earrings!

Craft fairs : I'm sending many applications before the month of April ends. I will keep you posted on witch show Kirameku will attend. Etsy local/Facebook events and blog posts will be created when I'll have my confirmations. I hope to be able to meet you in person this year as well and I'm aiming at least 3 craft shows for 2015. Stay posted and don't hesitate to subscribe to Kirameku's newsletter to get all the details in your inbox! :)

Like always, your feedback is very appreciated and custom orders are more than welcomed so please, don't be shy and leave me a comment! :) Have a great week everyone!
*M*

Spring 2015 at Kirameku

Spring is finally I'm the air! :)
The birds are signing again, the sun has been finally dragged of under the snow clouds and the breeze has a wonderful soft and hot touch. It's still cold in Montreal, but we're slowly getting there, hurray!

Spring is the season of change, novelty and fresh colors. And you guessed it right, my inspiration has also been dragged to the sunlight and is fuelling up! I actually have some suspicions that I'm wired to  work on solar energy rather than food lol! So here's what's on the menu at Kirameku for this lovely spring season :

More Berry necklaces : The unique Berries will now be available in more necklaces editions then ever! And that includes limited editions as well as new bridal pieces. Take a peek at the 85th addition in store, the stunning BlackBerry necklace.

The gorgeous BlackBerry Necklace is now available at Kirameku!

Swarovski earrings big come back : The spring sun will make the crystals shine beautifully, that is why I'll be doing a photoshoot for the chic Swarovski earrings very soon! I have lots of mesmerizing colors in stock that I can't wait to show you! The earrings will also be sold by sets so it will be easy for you to order them for your bridesmaids for your big day! :)

One of the gorgeous colors that will soon be added to the new Swarovski earrings section! 

Kirameku's first newsletter : Stay tuned for the first issue of my newsletter! You will find exclusive sneak peaks for the upcoming collection as well as an exclusive goodie...! Got you all curious? :) Click here to subscribe!

1000 shop hearts giveaway : Oh yes! I just want to take a minute to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for their support and love...! :D 1000 shop hearts is a big milestone and it means a lot to me that 1002 of you love my Berries so much! I'm still pinching myself...! To celebrate, I'll be doing a giveaway in the next days among all you who have favourite my shop ever since Kirameku opened...! :)  I'll be sending an exclusive and ooak Berry Ring to the winner. How cool is that? :)

So many admirers...! It's amazing, thank you so so much!! :)

So on this everyone, I hope you are looking forward to all that I have in stock for you! :) As usual, please hesitate to post special requests or suggestions in the comments below! Tell me, what is your favorite color for Spring? :)
* M * 

2014 recap & new projects for 2015

Hi there everyone! :)

I hope you all had an awesome start for 2015!! I love this lovely euphoric feeling that all is fresh and new, and full of possibilities at the beginning of the year ! :) I wanted to take a minute to lay out my goals for 2014 and 2015 as well as my new projects. Here were the objectives I had fixed for 2014:

Reach 100 blog followers * 42 FB followers * 1000 favorites on my Etsy shop * 142 Twitter followers * Make 142 Etsy sales * Attend 3 craft shows * List 100 items by mid-november * Pick up blogging seriously.

I think we can say that with 40 blog post last year, I commited myself to serious blogging and I hope you all enjoyed my articles :) ! As for my shop hearts, I didn't reach my goal but it's not because I haven't tried! I can't wait for 1000 hearts as I have planned a special giveaway once I reach it for all those who hearted my Etsy shop through the years. I'm also super proud to say I ended 2014 while having overreached my goal for sales! :) Thank you so much everyone for making this possible...! :) The success of the Berries on both my Etsy shop and at craft shows made it so that I ran out of time (and I have to admit energy and sleep) to reach 100 items on Etsy by the end of the year. 2015 started with 78 items in stock but not to worry though, I jumped on Boxing day sales to buy some more supplies to fill up 2015 with fresh new colors and designs! ;)

Best business moves for 2014:

Investing in a smart phone - it allows me to be so much more organized and time efficient it completely changed the way I think about planning. It also makes it so much easier for me to connect with all of you when I'm on the road and believe me, I do a lot of traveling. I personally own a Motorolla Moto G LTE android phone and I love how user-friendly it is.

Open a Facebook page - As much as I'm not a fan of FB for my personal page, I simply love my Kirameku Facebook page. I love to be able to send you quick posts about my newest projects, sneak peaks, promos and live feed while I'm at events like craft shows.

What's new for Kirameku for 2015 :

I have a lot of new projects this year for Kirameku so here's a quick list. I'll give you more details later but on feel free to leave a comment if there's something here that interests you! :)

Customer spotlight : Show us how you Style your Berry jewelry and awake your inner fashionista! Send me a picture of your best outfit featuring your Kirameku jewelry and a short text on your inspiration and I'll post it on the blog and my Facebook page. I would love to see your personal twist on fashion! :)

New Swarovski earrings : Yes, the precious crystals will make a big come back for 2015! :) Short and long dangles as well post earrings are on the menu paired with gorgeous colors! :)  I promise they will be glamorous, sparkling and full of colors! Stay posted!

New limited edition Berries jewelry : I took a break from listing Berries these past few days because I was on a hunt for new colors for the limited edition series! :) I found some gorgeous black with a mesmerizing firepolish, vivid two-toned green drops, soft blue and much more....! New rings and necklaces will be added soon! :)

Giveaways : It's a new year and I'm happy to say that the giveaway budget has been refilled! :) Make sure you hearted Kirameku Etsy shop to enter the giveaway for 1000 hearts! I'll be also collaborating with various blogs for more giveaway. Stay posted and don't hesitate to leave suggestions on blogs or which Berries you would like to win :)

Kirameku website : The graphic designer in me could no longer resist the temptation of building a website for Kirameku. For starters, I'll be using the free features of Wix, as I prefer for now to leave more budget for giveaways :)

Bridesmaids collection : I realized that Berries could be a wonderful gift for bridesmaids while staying in a decent budget. I'm working on some special packaging while trying to stay as eco-friendly as possible. For now, silk ribbons and glittery paper are involved ;)

Last but not least, a newsletter! You want to know all the news and stay posted on our latest additions? You can sign up to Kirameku's mailing list on the top this blog, just under the social network icons on the left side of the page or simply click here. You'll also get exclusive promotions and no spamming I promise. The newsletter should be sent about once a month.

I hope you are all as excited as I am about all those projects! :) Feel free to leave comments or feedback below I would love to hear your thoughts on all this :)
On this everyone, have an awesome weekend!
*M*

Project countdown - October

Hi everyone! :)

I haven't been as active on my blog as I usually am, and as you can imagine it was because I was working on some new stuff for Kirameku! Are you curious on what has kept me far away? :) Here, let me tell you all about it!

La Grande Bijouterie Craft Show : my objective for this year was to make at least three craft shows and I'm happy to say I'm going to end my year with a bang! :)  I had confirmation last weekend that I was selected for La Grande Bijouterie Craft show, I am so excited! I had been working on some exclusive pieces for this craft show so that if ever you attended my three craft shows this year and you will always see something new. I also have to work on little holiday twist for my booth as it is my first holiday craft show. It will be my first show in Sherbrooke, yay I love Sherbrooke! :) I'll post a specific article with some more craft show tips and what new to expect for Kirameku at La Grande Bijouterie.  Mark your calendars for Saturday November 22nd and stay posted! :)

Adding Berry gift sets for the Holidays : maybe you have noticed the news section at Kirameku Etsy shop. I have created a new category for this upcoming holiday season, a gift section. I will be uploading some new gift sets that will suit all your needs, may it be your sister, your friend, your wife, your daughter, or simply as a gift from you to you, you will find some exclusive and exciting new colors in the section! :) Here's a little sneak peak of the next item to be listed there. Can you guess what it will be?

This gorgeous Iced Raspberry will become a cute necklace and matching earrings set! :) Want it now? Convo me to pre-order it!

Working on an exciting Holiday promotion : maybe you think it's a bit early for me to talk about the Holidays since Halloween is not here yet (and I agree), but with the shipping delays for online orders, it is best too early then too late. As you all know the holidays are a very busy for posts around the world. Make sure you check out our updated holiday policies to make sure your gift gets to you on time. Holidays also means many expenses, so I'll be launching a special holiday promotion so you can treat everyone on your list without having to break your budget. What what's best than handmade gift? :) You can also have custom orders made especially for those on your list if ever you can find exactly what you are looking for.

* ~** HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES **~ *
Here are the shipping deadlines for 2014 as provided by Canada Post for REGULAR shipping.
CANADA : December 11
USA : December 8
INTERNATIONAL : December 1

More wedding necklaces : I've had many ideas for wedding necklaces over the past few weeks and I barely had enough time to get to my atelier to work on those ideas. I find the most difficult part - beside finding enough time in my day to do everything I want to do - is to find a delicate and elegant way to link the chain and berry together so that your wedding necklace stands out with elegance. I found on the Etsy blog that white and cobalt blue are popular colors for this years weddings. I found the color mix so amazing and beautiful,  I had to have the berries in those shades! I was able to find some amazing cobalt beads at on one of my suppliers and I can't wait for my order to get to me so I can start this amazing piece with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls!  I'll be posting some pictures of this necklace on my Facebook page once I'll be able to work on this amazing piece! :)

Here's a sneak peak of the new colours that will be soon available in the Dangle & Drop Earrings Collection! :) Want it now? Convo me to pre-order it!

Etsy Canada - belated review

Hi everyone!
It has been a while since my last post and I hope you all had a great time. I was super busy with Kirameku and as some of you have seen on my Facebook page, I'm currently working on another exciting project. I can't tell much more than that for now. But what I can tell you is my experience at the first Montreal Etsy Made in Canada craft show! :)

There was gorgeous weather on that Saturday and we happily head down to the shop Angus, me, my boyfriend and my Mom (who is also an Etsy artisan). Once at destination, we looked for the entrance with a bit of difficulty but then we were greeted by big orange and white pompoms and an Etsy banner inside the shop Angus. Ouf, we managed to find the place! We were surprised to see there was no list of artisans and the room was so huge we didn't know where to start. Here, let me show you the beautiful space the vendors had.

The wonderful shop Angus and Etsy Made in Canada!

The cute kiosque of Gredin! 

Henryville sneak peaks and craft show tips!

Hi everyone! :)

Like I've mentioned a few times in the last posts, my next and soon coming up craft show will be the one at Henryville. I thought I would share some insight and some sneak peaks! :)

All right! The show will be hosted at the beautiful church in Henryville (Église St-Georges-de-Henryville, 153 rue de l'Église, QC J0J 1E0) and you'll find from Kirameku many novelties and even a surprise! Kirameku is launching a new product at this craft show, I can't wait to see what you guys think!

Besides that, what's new? Well Kirameku will be adding lights to her kiosque this year so you can appreciate more in details the different colors and varnishes on the Berries. I'm also hoping to have enough space to hang my new beautiful banner that I had printed from Vista print earlier this year.

What about the Berries? Many original pieces have been added to the collection and you will find them - for now - exclusively at this craft show, just like the Mint Berry and Lilac Berry necklaces that you see below. And for the new goodies I've mentioned earlier I'm eager to post the final results! You can follow the steps on Kirameku Facebook page if ever you are too curious to wait! :)

The new Mint and Lilac Berry necklaces!

To top it all off with a bang, there's a new packing and I'm so proud to see how well it turned out! I have 8 different berry models for the tags on the bags but those 3 are my personal favorite! :) Which one is yours??

Kirameku's new packaging for her 2014 craft shows! :)

As for my Etsy shop, there has been a lot of renewal lately but some new pieces as well, like the gorgeous Cluster Berry Ring Green and Light Blue! I thought it was a perfect color match for this summer lingering heatwave. These cool hues are perfect to break the heat!

Our newest Berry ring in our summer collection! 

That sums it up for Kirameku this week! I said I'd share some insight for scraft shows well here it goes...! I hope many of you are doing craft shows right now (they are so much fun!) and that I'll be sharing some new tips you haven't heard of. I want to make a short serie of articles related to craft shows, but I'll start by saying this : here are my suggestions and my method to prepare for craft shows. There are many ways to get to the same result. The key is to find one method that works for you.

Planning a craft show - Part 1

So, you have found a craft show you are really excited about, you've made your research, found it to be a perfect match and you've sent out your application. Great! What next? Craft fairs are really fun, but they are a lot of work. Let's start.

Once you've applied to a craft show you should list all the things that you want to bring and/or make specifically for that show. I would suggest you divide your list in two sections : what you have in stock and what you want to make. In your ''to make'' section, be as specific as you can : what kind of material will you need, how much time will it take to create those pieces, how much will it cost you, if you need new packaging etc. This way, you'll be able to determine your goals for that craft show and see if your goals are too ambitious. Maybe you want to create way too many new necklaces for the time you have. Be realistic in your goals, it will save you a lot of stress and sleepless nights.

Most craft shows will let you know in advance if you have been selected or not to give you enough time to plan and market yourself. If you have doubt's about their reply deadline, don't hesitate to email the show organizers and ask them. But please, be nice! Those people are super busy making a show that will make you look good, the least you can do is to be polite. Why not ask them as well if you can help them promote the show? Promoting a craft show is always a good thing for everyone as you'll attract more traffic to this event, therefore more potential customers.

Once you've had the confirmation that you were selected for a show, clear your schedule and take out your plan and get busy! If you think the deadline from once you've been accepted to the actual show is too short, don't hesitate to start as soon as you've sent out your application. You're the boss of your schedule. Break down your ''to make'' section in a daily or weekly to-do list to ensure you'll meet your goals. Don't forget to include time for shopping if you need new material. Adding a bit more time to this task can be a good thing too as maybe you won't get lucky and the stock you need won't be available when you'll stop by the store. My suggestion is to purchase/go shopping for all the material you need as soon as you can, may it be business cards, lamps, new beads etc.

Make sure that you make your inventory before you start making some new pieces and also a second time about three weeks before the show. That way you know which pieces you need to make more of and you make sure that you have enough stock before the show. And if you don't, three weeks should give you enough time to double your efforts and make more stock. Include time to do a real size mock-up of your table to see how you want to fit all your goodies on your table. Dress a list of everything you need to bring to the craft show - from scotch tape to food and your goodies, write everything down. This will be your final checklist as you'll pack your stuff 2-3 days before the show so you can concentrate on having a good night of sleep and be full of energy on the day of the show. Don't forget to bring some business cards or some type of promotion tool so that your customers will remember you and will be able to find your Etsy shop if they want to shop from you again. Don't hesitate to be original but be consistent in everything you do, make sure it reflects your brand and your style.

On this everyone, I hope you found some tip that will be useful for your future craft show. I'll be back with more insights, no worries. And you, what's your favourite craft shows tip?
Have a lovely labor day everyone! :)
* M *

Etsy Canada : the results are in

Hi everyone!

I hope you are all enjoying the weekend! :) Mine has been quite busy (and a tad stressful) as you can imagine. I was waiting anxiously Friday night, as Etsy Canada was sending out their replies to the Montreal fair application.
And so… the results were in… And Kirameku didn't make it.... Snif snif. There's 60 spots for the artisans at the Montreal fair and Montreal is quite a creative town and is full of talent, although I was really surprised Kirameku wasn't selected. I'm still waiting on some feedback on this point but my guess is that there's a ton of great jewelry makers and those spots fill in fast as jewelry making is quite popular.

Our Frosted Blueberry necklace is finally out! It will be perfect for any occasion! 

I'm sorry guys, I really wanted a booth to an Etsy event and meet you all as well as my fellow crafter's. I keep my fingers crossed that the Etsy Made in Canada event will become a regular and yearly event. You can be sure that I'll do my best to go visit the show and will keep you posted with the details.

But if you wanted to stop by a Kirameku's exhibit,  no worries! My craft shows aren't done for this year! :) Next on the list is Henryville on September 13 and 14. Yep that's pretty much around the corner! I have plenty of ideas and I will be launching a new type of goodies exclusively for my craft shows. Also I've been working on some new packaging since those goodies will be bigger then what I usually sell at craft shows. I can't wait to post some pictures and have your feedback! :)

On this everyone, I'm leaving you on that suspense! I have to run for now but not before I wish you all a great week! :)

*M*

Ok, lets talk about prices

Hi everyone! :)

I don't know if you have heard but Etsy is launching a big event in Canada for September yay! I'm so excited about this event and I find the concept absolutely awesome!! Quickly for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about : Etsy Canada is having a massive event on September 27. There will be Etsy craft show hosted throughout Canada. I'm so glad Etsy Canada is making more events I think it is time that we get to know more about Etsy up here. As you can imagine I applied to the fair and I'm anxiously waiting for the answer as my application is getting reviewed. After 5 years on Etsy I just couldn't wait to be part of their event...!

It will be a bit weird for me as usually none of my customers in craft shows have heard from Kirameku before, and not a lot of them know about Etsy. I was super lucky and once met another crafter that had already purchased from my online store. I was so happy to meet her in person and get to know her! Unfortunately, that was a one time thing over the 3 years I've been attending craft shows.

Here's my latest addition! The Canary Berry Ring

I know this is a big intro for this post but I believe it gives you the right context. Bottom line is : now with the Etsy fair I hope it will be the opposite situation and that the people who will attend will have heard from my shop at least a little bit. And if you know my products from my online shop you might be surprised about the difference in prices. I really wanted to take a minute and elaborate on that part, after all it is the same product. For example the rainbow berry ring is sold online for 13.75USD$ (about 15CAN$) and it so sold at a fair for 11USD$ (12CAN$). The difference in USD$ isn't much but it is in CAN$ - well in my opinion at least.

I agree with you there's a price gap. Thing is, I spend 80% of Kirameku's time on Etsy and about 20% on craft shows. That means a bit less time marketing and less supplies for the show compared to all the expenses surrounding my Etsy shop. Also, there's no shipping costs and that allows me to cut down my prices. But one of the main factor is that there is no resin on most of my rings at a fair. This way, I was able more than once to accommodate my customers at the fair and unstrung the beads to transform my last piece of a limited edition ring into a custom necklace. Although I sell mostly rings, I have about 40% of my customers at fair who would rather purchase a necklace instead of a ring. I try to make necklaces in colors I believe my customers would like, to the best of my knowledge, but there are soooo many colors available it is not possible for me to make as many necklaces as rings simply because I don't have enough time. There's more resin at the back of the necklace and with the drying time, first thing you know two days went by.

But why add resin on the rings you might say? I find it helps keeping the beads together in a more "sturdy" shape rather than having a bit of "loose" between the teardrop beads. But even without the resin there's no worries about the solidity. I personally wore a peacock ring without resin non stop for a year and everything stayed in place as it was supposed to be. I eventually had to put the ring down as I had a contract job to clean and file a sample room and it was too risky to get the ring stuck somewhere and break it. The berries rings are not made for massive packing, after all they are made out of glass beads. I then decided to switch to the necklace version of the berries as it was more convenient for me.

Well then I think that sums it up pretty well! I hope I have enlighten you on my process and that you now have a better idea of the making process. I will definitely be back to give you some updates on the Etsy craft shows and my exclusive items for that fair. Meanwhile if there is anything you would like me to make for that particular show or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate. On this, have a lovely end of week everyone! :)

*M*

Necklace giveaway!

Hi everyone!

I promised some more Kirameku goodies for you in May and here it is...! :)

Since May 1st and until June 1st, you could win this Frosted Berry Necklace, exclusively drawn at the The Stilettosaurus Blog. 

But wait, you can win much more than that! Somdyuti (the Stilettosaurus blog owner) wanted to thank her blog followers so she's giving away much more than Kirameku necklaces. She's giving away 7 lovely piece of handmade jewelry. That is perfect for upgrading your jewelry drawer for this upcoming season! 

Want to win this gorgeous Frosted Berry Necklace? Well don't wait till the end of the month! Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway :)

I would love your thoughts on this necklace, because there will be more in this series posted in a few days! So stay tuned! :) 

Want to see your favourite ring turned into a necklace? Contact me on my Etsy Shop to order a custom piece or simply leave a comment below! :)

On this everyone, have a lovely day!

* M * 

It's all about packaging

Hi everyone! : )

I'm super happy that I got to have two days off because of the Easter holiday at my new (and awesome) workplace.  My head is filled with new ideas for patterns and colour mixes for Spring and Summer and yesterday I got in my mailbox the new beads that I ordered, yay! I was all hyped this morning when I got up but since the sun never showed up, I won't be able to make my photoshoot today and show you some of my new designs…. :S I hope I'll have at least one day of sunshine, I can't wait to post new items, it has been way too long…! :) I have some delicious greens and luscious purple awaiting in my studio, I can't wait to share! :D

Since the time is gray and dull - but hopefully and slowly spring is getting warmer - I decided to focus on packaging. I'm always troubled on how to present Kirameku on a visual level for it's branding. This project is so dear to me, so close to my heart is seems I'm having a hard time making some basic decisions, compared with any of my customers where I always get a clear sense of which directions they are heading and have a clear idea of what they want. I guess Kirameku is really not black and white because of it's multitude of inspirations and that's very hard to depict all at once, especially since it's about both jewelry and artwork.

For now, this is the packaging I have for my earrings and rings. It's cute, but not quite where I want it yet. For my earrings I have some transparent plastic ring holders with a pearlescent sticker and a sturdy metallic box and bleu ribbon for my rings and necklaces.

I want to upgrade both my packaging for when I'll be shipping and on my table at my craft fairs this year. After all, it is all about presentation, therefore all about packaging.  I really want you guys to have a lovely experience when you'll open up the envelope from your order but I want to keep things ''simple'' if I may say, so to have as less waste as possible. I think goods are now way too over packaged. I've seen more then once two plastic bags plus a cardboard and a little foam for one simple item…! (And no it wasn't a precious and delicate item like a glass teacup that could break easily.) We have to think about our planet! I really wish I could have my thank you cards on plantable paper, but unfortunately I can't ship any seeds with Canada Post regulations - which also makes sense in a way. If ever you guys have some green ideas, please feel free to let me know! :)

Craft fair season might not be quite here yet, but it does take a little bit of planning ahead - depending on the size of the craft fair of course. My craft fairs for this year are of ''medium size'' (if I can put it that way) and I wish one day I could attend the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, but Kirameku is still too small to attends such an event. I wouldn't be able to fill their huge tables - for now. And believe me there is plenty of stock at home. I guess when you attend such shows you really need a big atelier, in any case much bigger than why I have right now. I keep my fingers crossed that temperature and time will be on our side this year as I really want to go see the event myself. It seems like a fabulous salon and I heard they have some great finds! :)

Here's a picture of my kiosque last year at Henryville at the end of the first day. As you can see there was a lot of improvement made from my first craft fair but I still have much to do! Last year I made some tiny displays out of upcycled wooden boxes and they turned out great. Next improvement : more levels! I think I need many improvements done on my presentation before I can thing about attending huge craft shows like the OOAK.

I'm hoping of having this great display for all my artwork as I want to triple my stock from last year (and it will feature the artwork I you saw in this blog post). And you can see that for now I can't really go bigger than an 8 feet table with my inventory. The tricky part is always to have something light and not too massive on your kiosque to block your client's view and with a dozen of 9x12 artowrk, it is going to be a big challenge. Oh well, let me start with the packaging and I'll get back to displays later as we go.

On this everyone, enough said about packaging and displays, it's time to go grab a bite.

On this, happy Easter everyone! :)

* M *

Artwork : Work in progress

Hi everyone! : )

I hope you all had a great week! On my side, it was a very busy week as I've started a job at a new place and it's simply awesome! I'm so in love with this job…!  I'm just a bit sad that spring seems to have pack up his things and left of for a few days… We had a snowstorm here - yes, again… sight - and kindda crappy temperature all week. Hopefully, Spring will be back in April. I can't wait to open up the door to my balcony in my atelier and have some fresh air and sunlight flowing in.

I'm still cleaning up my atelier, but if you guys are curious, I could try and take come pictures once we'll have a bit of sun here in Montreal and my spring clean up will be over. I've recently finished my complete inventory (beads, jewelry, supplies etc…) and I'm super glad that part is over…! It is very very tedious. I'm not too bad with numbers and I'm very organized, it's just that I really don't like doing inventory. But hey, it's part of the game and I usually treat myself with something sweet afterwards so it's worth it. Not to mention it's so much easier to see where you are heading once the inventory is done.

The main reason of my post today if to show you guys one piece I'm currently working on. I don't want to show too much to keep the mystery around that project, but here are some shots of the original drawing. ( I would so much prefer spending my day drawing than making inventory! ;) )

Images under copyright - All rights reserved  ©Kirameku

If you are curious about my artwork process, I create the original sketch with blue Col-Erase pencils. Why blue? Simply because it is an easy colour to touch up and easy to get rid of in photoshop if I ever need to make a digital copy of my artwork. I then use tracing paper to copy the original artwork on my media that will host the final illustration. It could be art boards, canvases, water-colour paper…. you name it.