Summer Round-Up and an Upcoming Show!

Kits Beach, Vancouver, BC

Well hello there! Once again, it has been quite some time since I last wrote, but I have a pretty good excuse. Remember that whole work/life balance thingy I was talking about? Well, I have been trying to get better at it, which means some of my work things have been getting pushed down the To Do List.....namely, this blog:-/

I didn't want to see another summer go by as a complete blur so I made sure that I took a few actual WHOLE days off to float around in the ocean, lay on the beach with friends, lolly gag at Lost Lagoon and one of my fave past times, go SKIM BOARDING! It's not surfing, but the next best thing when one lives by a waveless ocean! 

My friend Kevin and I skimmin' at Spanish Banks, Vancouver, BC

Duck Moon, Lost Lagoon, Vancouver, BC

I have continued to focus on wholesaling my products to retailers and ramping up my online sales whilst participating less in markets. I did do a few markets however: Car Free on Main St, Carnaval del Sol and Viva Vancouver on Granville as well as Khatsalano Festival, where I met lovely people - some of which are now receiving this email - and thoroughly enjoyed being out and about. Human contact yay! 

Traffic in my online store, www.huggerofseas.com has picked up due to being featured in a couple of Etsy Fashion Newsletters: 

Style Studies 

Yelling Timber

And I am currently in the following retail stores: 

Kimprints, Gastown 

Kimprints, Denman St

Two of Hearts Clothing & Boutique, Main St 

Two of Hearts Clothing & Boutique, Kitsilano

Migration Boutique, Victoria, BC 

Copper Sky Gallery, Madeira Park, BC

And in the 2 art collectives I belong to:

Giving Gifts, Main St, Vancouver, BC

Favourite Gifts, Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver, BC

And soon at House of Jewels in the West End (ma 'hood) as well as Sansara Surf and Yoga Resort in Cambutal, PANAMA! 

EEEEE! 

It has been a nice and steady growth as my production team aka 'myself' (and at times Sigurd above), needs to be able to keep up with the demand of making the jewels. I am very grateful to have these lovely outlets to sell my work in and look forward to expanding further!

If you are around Vancouver this Thursday, in collaboration with Vancouver Fashion Week and Shop West 4th, myself, Cici Clothing, Sarah Mulder Jewelry and MeiKu Designs are introducing our Fall collections at Two of Hearts Clothing & Boutique on 4th and Maple from 6-9PM. Event info here.  

Enjoy the simultaneous in-store soirees and promotions at any of the 20+ participating boutiques on 4th Ave. 

Here are a few pics of what I have been makin' lately! 

Much more to update you on, but must get bk to hammering metal for the show! Be in touch again soon:) Thanks for reading and hope your summer was most stupendously awesome!

Til next time, 

TT 

P.S. If you would like to stay in touch more regularly (along with my completely random, sporadic and inconsistent posts here), I am much more better at updating Instagram and Facebook, in case you'd like to follow me:)

Kits Beach, Vancouver, BC

How AWESOME is Your Mom?

It is that time of year again...Mother's Day! And for the third year in a row, I am holding my annual How Awesome is Your Mom? Mother's Day Contest!

My Mom is no longer here in body, but is definitely here in spirit. She was a kind and giving soul that sparkled wherever she went. I still get sprinkled with her sparkles every once in awhile and feel so blessed to have had such a great relationship with her for 36 years of my life. I know not everyone is so lucky.

This contest is for any of you who still have your Moms on this earth plane and those who do not. Maybe you never met your Mom and have someone in your life that has become an adopted or faux Mama?

Regardless, I wanna know why she is so bloody awesome! Leave a comment on the FB posting here or on my blog or if reading in your inbox, respond to this email.

Now. For the prizzzzes!!

I have made 3 necklaces special for Mother's Day but you are not ltd to these. If none appeal, you may choose any jewelry (handstamped or photo) in my Etsy shop: www.huggerofseas.com!  

Hand Stamped German Silver and Copper

Hand Stamped Wood and Naturally Aged Brass

Hand Stamped Wood and Naturally Aged Brass 

I will announce the winners on my FB page Sunday night!

In other news..the Art World Expo at Telus World of Science went quite swimmingly aside from a 30x40 wood print of Stubby the Pigeon getting knocked over (I didn't see the damage until I packed up) and a 24x24 metal print of Cherry Blossoms falling backwards off my table. ACK! A reminder as to why I stopped bringing big pieces to shows! Bollocks!

I had to leave my apt by 3:45 to pick up my friend Kevin who (bless him) was going to help me load everything in to the venue and also to pick up some of my stock at Giving Gifts & Co., the collective I sell at. Of course, this would be the time that my cat, Pusskin, would choose to disappear. 

I looked for her for 15 minutes before I had to hand it over to my wicked awesome neighbours (Pusskin has about 18 aunties and uncles in my building) who continued the search and kept watch for her while updating me via text. Meanwhile, I am already my usual basket case self when trying to get to a show in time, unload everything and set up! 

FINALLY at 7:30...over 3 hours later, she just appeared out of thin air. A week later, and none of us still have a clue where she was!

When I got the text...I sat down and said to my friend Delaney who was helping me, that all was right with the world now. The stress of the show seemed very minuscule compared to the possibility that I wouldn't be able to find my beloved pet. Sometimes one needs this sort of drama to put everything into perspective.

Every dreamer knows that it's entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than familiar ground. - Judith Thurman

The show was really busy and I met a tonne of really cool people. This was the first time I have sold metal jewelry at a show or market and it seemed quite popular! This made me so happy as making these pieces has really brought contentment and peace to my life.

Stamping out words like, 'Believe, Strength, Fearless, Survivor, Do Epic Shit' etc. must affect me on some energetic level. Kind of like Emoto's Water Experiment - writing loving words on water bottles to change its molecules into pretty crystalline structures or just simply the marvelous impact of repeating positive affirmations has on one's life. I hope that anyone who wears these pieces has a similar experience:)

Til next time, wishing you a SPLENDID Mother's Day Weekend! I will be thinking about and feeling grateful for the many memories I have of mine!  

Made as part of a donation package to a silent auction for
The Assoc. for the Protection of Fur Bearing Animals

P.S. Professional photographer, Rachel Lando of Lando Images and Portrait Photography will be at Giving Gifts & Company at 4570 Main St (Main and 30th, the artisan collective I am a part of) doing mini photo sessions of moms and their kids (or just kids) for Mother's Day. Stop by the store on Sunday, May 11th between 2 and 4pm.

The photo shoot will be short and fun, so feel free to just stop by! You'll get one free digital image.

Rachel will be doing the photo shoot by donation to Cherish our Children. A $15 donation is suggested. Cherish Our Children International funds programs and projects that provide a brighter future for the world’s most vulnerable children. They work in countries such as Israel, Bosnia, Kenya, Mexico, Romania and Serbia to protect and nurture children so they have a solid foundation for healthy physical, intellectual and emotional development.

I'd love to see you at the store tomorrow between 2 and 4pm with your kids (and/or moms) and get your picture taken. We'll have flowers and tea for moms too:) 

Long lost hello!

Inukshuk, English Bay, Vancouver, BC

The last I wrote, I was freezing my tookus off in Alberta! And now the cherry blossoms are bursting in their full glory all over Vangroovy! It has  been AWHILE...

I wish I could say that I haven't written because I was busy shooting my way through some far off land but alas, no. January to March were a bit of a struggle. Straight to the point, I was feeling like hot garbage (if you've been reading blog for awhile - similar to what was happening post SE Asia). But have been working very hard at feeling better and definitely having more good days than bad! 

We don't grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges. And I believe everything happens to set us upon our right paths (even if it seems ridiculously unfair and difficult at the time). BELIEVE. TRUST.

Don't be pushed by your problems. Be lead by your dreams.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson 

So here's some good things that have been happening...

I had a credit for some classes at the The Crow's Nest Art Studio in Ladner and decided to finally take a metal stamping class I'd been meaning to for so long to possibly incorporate into my photo jewelry designs. I ended up falling completely in love with the process as well as the outcome. My first design was this copper cuff with one of my favourite quotes on it.

I then stamped this one out and added one of my photo charms (photo taken at the North Shore, Oahu) and a starfish.

That was it. I was hooked. Two of my favourite things melded together: photos and prose. Not to mention hammering away on a piece of metal - very THERAPEUTIC! Since then, I have made several more designs - you can check more of 'em out in my Etsy shop here: Hand Stamped Jewelry.

Any design can be customized and personalized with any word or phrase.

Do Epic Shit, Seas the Day, Gypsy Soul, Born to Run

I have also joined two artisan collectives as well as a couple of stores! With an art collective, one rents out a space as well as minds the store periodically. It's quite fabulous because you get to hobnob with your customers and also meet other local designers and artisans.

I have been at Giving Gifts and Co. since January now! We just had a one year anniversary event this April and raised several hundred dollars so far for the Somaly Mam Foundation, an organization that supports victims of human trafficking to start new lives as artists and entrepreneurs in Cambodia. Each of the vendors donated an item as a prize to win in the raffle and help raise funds. This was my contribution...

And I just joined Favourite Gifts over in North Vancouver at Lonsdale Quay! It is located on the 2nd floor of the public market. I am ecstatic to be a part of it as I know most of the other artisans who sell there and I think I am going to really LOVE working there once a month. Such a cool atmosphere!

As per the last year or so, Migration in Victoria, BC is still rockin' my photo wares and recently Two of Hearts Clothing and Boutique started selling in both their Kitsilano and Main Street locations. And within the next few weeks, Kimprints in Gastown and on Denman will be selling my metal jewelry!

If any of you all know some other stores that might be a good fit with my product line, drop me a line and let me know! One of my goals this year is to get more wares into brick and mortar shops (with less focus on arts and crafts markets). FYI, I'm not afraid to cross borders. Why not go GLOBAL:)

Also, I have decided to participate in ArtWorld Expo this year (Friday, May 2nd at Science World)! I was in it the first two years but couldn't make it last year. There are over 100 artists exhibiting (painters, sculptors, jewelry and fashion designers, photographers and installation artists) as well as live demos, body paint competitions, musical guests and a silent auction for Make and Break Arts Foundation. It's an amazing venue for me to show my large wood and metal prints at so I am pretty amped for the event! Tickets are almost sold out. So if you're keen to go, get your tix now!

I dropped my secrets in the ocean..Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver (metal print 30x40 - limited edition)

Speaking of prints, I am also having a print sale in my Etsy shop as posted on my FB Page! Could make a mother verrrrrry happy! And a good time to start being a collector at 25% off.

COUPON CODE: FACEBOOK25

NOTE: Promo does not apply to the photo transfer wood blocks that I make by hand.

Stubby, Empire State Building, NY (wood print 30x40 - limited edition)

Any of my images can be printed. Just send me a message if you don't see the one you like in my shop or portfolio and I can make it happen (I have the technology)! Sale ends on FB page on April 30th but am extending for newsletter subscribers til Sunday, May 4th. Just make sure you do it soon, so it comes in time for Mother's Day!

Well then, I think that is all for now. Next up will be my annual Mother's Day Contest, in memory of my Mama. Stay tuned for new metal jewelry I exclusively designed for both honouring and remembering our Moms:)

Until then, I hope you are enjoying spring (or fall) wherever you are in the big, bad beautiful world...counting your blessings and taking care of your health. Always put it first, for without it, everything else kinda sucks.

:)

TT

Happy Hols fr the Flatlands!

I am writing you from the little teeny town of Millet, Alberta (just outside Edmonton). We have been in the deep freeze (-30 C) since I got here but finally it has gone back up to -1 C...BRRRRR!!! Luckily the friends I am staying with, Sue and Garry, keep it warm and cozy no matter what the temp is!

No lack of Xmas Cheer here!

I have been taking myself on some BRISK walks for the first time in several weeks! Being an avid walker, I try to get one in each day but my Nov/Dec Schedule just wasn't allowing it. If there was an errand I needed to run within walking distance, THAT was my exercise for the day! So this going for a walk just to go for one has been awesome...despite not being able to feel my legs by the time I got back! 

A Sub-zero Jaunt 

Much of my time here has been spent attempting the art of...doing nothing! I was feeling myself getting pretty overwhelmed several times the last couple months and it scared me a little. Each day flew by so quickly because I was constantly in a rush and feeling behind, filling up every minute of the day with productiveness. Time passed so quickly and there were so many days that turned into a blur with no human contact! Not how I want to live my life. 

So far, I have laid on the couch and watched movies (sans iPhone, laptop and day timer), walked with no destination, hung out with friends for several hours in a row and taken a long, hot bath. This has not been an easy task for my Type A personality! Whenever I feel that panic that I should be doing something more productive, I tell it to SOD off and get back to enjoying it, while it lasts:) Next on the list...reading a book!

“Keep your best wishes, close to your heart and watch what happens.”    

- Tony DeLiso 

Had to bring my oceans with me!

Two of the reasons why I have always wanted to run my own business was to have freedom and independence but I feel like I don't have either mainly because I don't know when to just call it a day (passion!). This means I am not taking my camera out to shoot for the hell of it like I used to or making enough time to see friends, take road trips, volunteer and do yoga! 

I find myself seeking security and balance...dare I say, structure? Think there's some changes comin' round the bend!

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving." 

- Albert Einstein 

Fave Bridge, Millet, AB

Would love to hear what some of your new year's resolutions are. What changes do you want to see in your life? Are you nurturing your soul? And if not now...then WHEN?! What a perfect time to get the ball rolling. 2014 for me IS the year of BALANCE! 

I leave you with a wee video interview from the RAW Artists Showcase I did a few weeks ago. No comment except that I need to expand my repertoire of adjectives beyond "GREAT"! 

As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read my ramblings and all your support and feedback this past year. Means MUCHO! I hope you are surrounded by love and warmth and this is your happiest holiday ever! No matter what this season brings us, we always have something and someone to be grateful for. 

“We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better.”   

- C. JoyBell C. 

25% off Metal and Wood Prints!

I know it's short notice BUT have been selling my wares at a market (Make It!) for the last 4 days and unable to even fathom a sitting at my computer during this time!

ALAS, my metal and wood printers are having sales so I am extending the savings onto you!

Any image that you find on either my Etsy site (www.huggerofseas.com) or my Portfolio site (www.traceytomtene.com) can be printed on metal or wood.

In case you haven't seen what they look like yet, here are a few photos from images I have printed so far!

It is hard to convey in a photo what they look like in person but to describe the metal printing would be to say that the image looks like it is printed on glass. The depth is magnified and the colour pops making it a very bold piece of art. 

The wood warms up the image and where there is lighter areas, you can see the grain of the wood coming through. No print ever looks the same as the grain is different on every one.

If you would like to take advantage of this sale, click here for metal prints and here for wood prints! Then at checkout, enter 'CYBERMONDAY' to get 25% off!

This probably won't happen anytime soon again (or ever)! Offer expires midnight tonight Pacific Standard Time!

Thanks to all those who came out to Make It this past weekend and for supporting handmade, local artisans.

My last holiday market is at Portobello West at the Creekside Community Centre (Olympic Village) 11-5 Sat and Sun! See you there:)


Much-o gratitude,

Tracey

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” 

― Thích Nhất Hạnh

Just hours left to...

Get your tickets to Raw Artists Vancouver! See more info at bottom of posting:) 

My Studio (and me)...somewhat polished!

Welcome to all who signed up for my newsletter this past weekend at the Eastside Culture Crawl! Was great to see you there and what an amazing turn out...I don't think I ever could have fathomed that many people 'crawling' through my space, but it happened:)It was a rather nutty few weeks leading up to it..the usual mayhem that one experiences when preparing for a show! There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done nor hours in the night to SLEEP! I have to say that my fellow artists are some of the hardest working people I know...if it were only just creating the art, this would be enough, but one wears so many hats: entrepreneur, social media maven, tax expert, marketing genius, graphic designer, inventory & supply specialist, administrator, bookkeeper, publicist, sales rep..the list goes on!

That is why it is bloody awesome when The Georgia Straight, our local news and entertainment weekly, asks for your info so they can publish an article about your jewelry!

See it here. 

TRACEY TOMTENE 

1000 Parker Street, suite 204 

The local photographer’s oceanic imagery and other travel shots appear under domed glass on delicate, Old World–look jewellery. Behind every piece is the artist’s clear love of the sea, journeys around the world, and nature and its conservation. Even in tiny form, on pendants and earrings, her pictures of everything from sharks to surf to cherry blossoms and, yes, even Thai elephant bums, have a transportive magic.  

Must-Have Piece: You have to love the story behind the round, copper Boat Portal, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia ring, with its shot taken through a porthole (it comes on an antique-ish locket, too); for the local beach-lover, opt for the English Bay, Vancouver necklace, set in a teardrop of vintage-style copper-plated brass.  

Target Crawler: The Lonely Planet crowd, frequent fliers, and those who dream of joining them.

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Prior to that Make It Productions, interviewed me as their Designer of the Week! The full article is here. Come to Make It at the PNE November 28th-December 1! Event details here.

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So back to The Crawl...I sold 3 large pieces: ('Stubby the Pigeon' left, 'Shiny Waves, Hawaii' and 'Short Walk, Long Journey, New York' above), along with oodles of jewelry, wood blocks, prints and postcards!                                                                 
I had JUST received 'Stubby' the day before and this was the biggest I had ever printed him (30x40) and on wood, no less! 

I was so stoked to see him that large and what's more, that people wanted to take him home with them:) 

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So that's one event down, and 3 to go! Up next is RAW Artists Showcase!

I will have street, surf and travel photography from New York, Hawaii, SE Asia, New Zealand and Mexico printed on wood and metal as well as set in jewelry.

Just HOURS left to get your tix (deadline is  Tuesday, November 19th midnight)!

For tix (just $15) and more info, cruise over to this link: 

http://www.rawartists.org/traceytomtene

There will be 40 artists participating from several different genres: film, fashion, performing art, music, photography, art, hair and make-up! Feeling pretty lucky to be participating alongside such amazing local talent! 

I REALLY appreciate your support and hope I see you there:)))

And....

4th Floor, 1000 Parker Street, Vancouver, BC