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SOOO, WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?...
“LOOK WHAT I MADE! (LWIM!) – fab stuff created by you”... Is a space in my "Suzie Q Diary" Blog, at suzieqstudio.com, that showcases the immense creativity -- beady or non-beady stuff, jewellery and/or non-jewellery themed creations -- of my Suzie Q Friends!
SOOO, WHAT'S THE INSPIRATION BEHIND "LOOK WHAT I MADE!"?...
In case you don't already know, when I opened my biz in 2002, Suzie Q Studio was originally known as "Suzie Q Beads". My cute-as-a-button, bead boutique was located in a little chartreuse and orange house, which had been converted into a retail space, where I offered unusual beady stuff, jewellery-making classes and eventually, collectible, "you-design", ready-to-wear jewellery, for those who wanted unique jewellery, but didn't have the time or weren't inclined to be crafty.
By 2007, my shop had become super busy and bursting at the seams with activity, so I moved my store into a larger space, which marked the beginning of a few more moves, over the many years, along with a few business name variations and product-mix changes too.
Throughout the nearly two decades of various versions of my retail, bricks 'n' mortar store, the one constant was the joyous, creative energy, constantly whirling around from the Suzie Q beady friends who'd gather at my shop to purchase jewellery-making supplies, participate in the 100+ classes that were offered every year, and show off their latest creations.
And, what made me extra-happy was when someone, who had been told all her life that she wasn't "artistic", would take a class, only to be thrilled to discover that she was creative after all, and would proudly show me the fab piece of jewellery she'd made in the class!... Yup, such heart-warming, fun times, for sure!
In 2019, I decided to move my biz one more time to an "online only" format to the World-Wide-Inter-Web as Suzie Q Studio. I was so busy with the huge learning curve that's been involved with this dramatic change, that I didn't realize how much I was missing the hub of Suzie Q creative energy that was within the walls of my "physical" store UNTIL FEBRUARY 14, 2024, WHEN I WAS SURPRISED WITH THE FOLLOWING FACEBOOK MESSAGE:
As you can imagine, I was beyond thrilled to hear from Shawna, especially because of the number of years since my "physical" store had closed, and I responded to her Facebook message right away!
After receiving Shawna B.'s message on February 14, 2024, here's what we chatted about: (And you may notice that I'm a bit emoji-obssesed 😂)
SUZIE:
Hi Shawna… Happy Valentine’s Day! 💝
WOW! 🤩 I love your beaded flower… It’s gorgeous! 💖 I especially like the gold beaded edge around the petals… Amazing work, Shawna! 👍🏻 How many are you making?
And, Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials 🎉 When’s the big day?
SHAWNA:
June 15... numbers will be time and weight dependent lol. The plan is 3 full orchids as the focal of my bouquet, along with likely 3 roses and some buds, baby's breath and silver fern.
SUZIE:
That sounds like a wonderful plan. Please keep me posted with your progress, especially with the finished results… I’m sure your bouquet will be stunning 💖💐
SHAWNA:
Slow going, but hoping it will be a beautiful result that I will have for many years.
SUZIE:
Spectacular, Shawna, and such a fabulous idea! I love all of your flower designs… They’ll look gorgeous when they’re all together in your bouquet 💖
Thanks so much for thinking of sharing your beautiful, beady project with me, and once again, congratulations, Shawna! 🎊💕
Included with Shawna's note above, was a PIC of her gorgeous, French-beaded, wedding bouquet. I wasn't able to respond to Shawna's message until June 16th, which was probably a good thing, because her wedding day was June 15th and she was likely a very busy bride!
HERE'S MY NOTE TO SHAWNA >>>
Oh Shawna!!! 🤩 Your beaded bouquet is absolutely gorgeous and truly amazing!!! WOW 😮
And that you feel that my store and I are a small part of your beautiful creation is incredibly sweet of you to say, and I’m very happy to hear I provided a bit of inspiration 🥰
Congratulations on completing what I’m sure was an extremely challenging project, and with such extraordinary results… Simply stunning, Shawna! 🎉
Is the photo of your bouquet that you sent from your wedding? Or is it still coming up?
Also, would it be OK if I showed the PIC of your bouquet, along with a short blurb about it, in an upcoming Suzie Q eNewsletter?… I would only use your first name and first initial of your last name, but no worries if you’d rather I didn’t, but I think Suzie Q subscribers would enjoy seeing it 😊
Thanks very much for sharing your beady creativity with me… I absolutely love what you made!!!
With beadiest regards,
~ Suzie 😘💕💖✨
HERE'S SOME OF OUR CONVERSATION >>>
SUZIE:
BTW… The fairy lights woven in between your beaded flowers, absolutely brilliant! 😍
SHAWNA:
Thank you... the idea came to me one evening as I was thinking it would be dim / dark at the reception... kinda felt ingenious. Thank you for your kind words. And again, thank you for the encouragement and guidance that led me to be able to create this.
SUZIE:
SHAWNA:
Thank you. Our day was absolutely perfect and we are very happy.
SHAWNA THEN SENT THE WEDDING PHOTO OF HER AND HER NEW HUSBAND THAT'S SHOWN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THIS DIARY POST AND OUR CONVERSATION CONTINUED >>>
SUZIE:
What a fabulous photo… You both look deliriously happy! 🥰
And, your gorgeous bouquet looks almost as beautiful as you do!… You look positively stunning and glowing, Shawna! 🤩
Plus, is that a beaded boutonnière that your husband is wearing?
Thanks so much for sharing your special photo with me 💗
SHAWNA:
Oh yes, I did 3 boutonnières and my Matron of Honour's bouquet.
1st one was Mark's... an orchid for my mom who we lost just over 2 years ago, and a rose for me because he gets me a rose every Wednesday on our Date Night.
The 2nd one of a single rose, for our best man, and the 3rd one my dad's... all orchids in memory of my mom.
So, what do you think of Shawna's French-beaded flowers?
Back in the early years of my shop, when it was located in the little, bright orange and chartreuse house, we had a wonderful French-beaded flower instructor, Christine M. If you were one of the lucky Suzie Q friends to have taken any of her classes, I'm sure you can relate to how much time, energy and work was involved with Shawna's French-beaded wedding flowers project.
Can you imagine how many hours and how many seed beads it took? Trust me, it's a whole ton of both, AND, she accomplished this feat in ONLY four months!... WOW-za, or what?! Extremely impressive. I especially love that the blossoms Shawna created had such heart-felt meaning behind them. Suzie Q Studio's first "Look What I Made!" spotlight features beaded flowers made by Shawna B for her wedding . Here are the bridal flowers she made -- absolutely stunning!! 💖 🎊
I really enjoyed seeing Shawna T.'s beautiful beaded flowers and hearing the story about what inspired her wedding flowers project, and I'd love to hear more stories and see the creations of other Suzie Q Friends... How about you???
IDEA #1 >>> Do you have a creative, Suzie Q friend who's a bit shy, but you know others would enjoy seeing what they're making?
If so, please let me know your friend's name, a few details about how you know them, as well as how I can connect with them, by CLICKING on this >>> LINK
IDEA #2 >>> Even though you might not be into making stuff right now, do you have a favourite piece (or pieces) of jewellery that you made in past Suzie Q classes, which you still treasure and wear?
If so, I'd love to see what you created, along with the special memories you have from learning how to make it, so please get in touch to tell me about what you'd like to share by CLICKING on the following >>> LINK
IDEA #3 >>> Do you have a fond memory of a past Suzie Q CLASS INSTRUCTOR and you've been wondering what they're currently creating?
If so, please let me know the instructor's name and the class (or classes) that you took with them, along with any comments about your experiences with the instructor that you'd like to share. I'll do my best to track down the instructor to feature them in an upcoming "Look What I Made!" blog post. Please send me the INFO/DETAILS to this >>> LINK
IDEA #4 >>> Whether you're currently making jewellery or your jewellery-making days are in the past and you've moved onto making stuff in other mediums, would YOU like to share YOUR creations in an upcoming "LWIM!" SPOTLIGHT for other Suzie Q Peeps to enjoy???
If your answer is YES, please get in touch with me to provide the INITIAL INFO, as outlined BELOW, to the following >>> LINK
HERE'S THE INITIAL INFO TO SEND ME:
After we've made our first contact, we'll discuss more details about what you'll need to provide for me to create your "LWIM!" Spotlight such as: photos, a paragraph, or two, about you and your creation/s, etc.
BTW... If you're actively selling your pieces, I'd be happy to include your website or Etsy info in your Suzie Q "Look What I Made!" Spotlight!
IDEA #5 >>> Do you have an idea for an upcoming "LWIM!" SPOTLIGHT that you'd like to see and you think other Suzie Q Peeps would enjoy???
I'm open to any and all suggestions, so please let me know your thoughts by CLICKING on this >>> LINK
Since my online store took flight, I've been missing the beady buzz of the Suzie Q community – the laughter, the creativity, and the show-and-share sessions. I'm hoping to recreate that special vibe with my "LOOK WHAT I MADE! (LWIM!)" Spotlights. So, get ready for a treasure trove of inspiration... I hope to see what you're making these days. And, don't forget to check back often to see what other Suzie Q Peeps are up to! ~ xo Suzie 😘💕💖
