Show Schedule

Find out what Oracle Gem Designs handmade jewelry is all about.  We're planning to exhibit new work this holiday season at these upcoming Toronto area shows:

•  Sat.Nov. 21: Orchard Villa Christmas Bazaar, 1955 Valley Farm Road, Pickering, ON, L1V1X6 10-4pm Free Admission
• Sat.Nov. 28: Brooks Road P.S. Christmas Craft Sale, Brooks P.S., 85 Keeler Boulevard, West Hill, M1E4K6 10-2pm Free Admission
• Sat.Dec. 5: Not Your Granny's Craft Sale & 21st Annual Christmas Artists' Market @ Beach United Church West, 2002 Queen Street East Toronto 11-4pm Free Admission
• Sat.Dec. 12: R.H. McGregor Holiday Art & Craft Sale, R.H. McGregor P.S. 555 Mortimer Avenue East York/Toronto 10-3pm Free Admission
• Sat.Dec. 19: Not Your Granny's Craft Sale & 21st Annual Christmas Artists' Market @ Beach United Church West, 2002 Queen Street East Toronto 11-4pm Free Admission

Drop by and say hi! 

We've been extremely busy at the Ga'Hoole Tree! Our workshop has spun out hundreds of interesting new pieces all designed and created with holiday gift giving in mind. With this new collection there's something for everyone: Girls bracelets, earrings & necklaces, youths & unisex necklaces, mens vintage & gemstone collars and a large assortment of affordable womens pieces have been rapid sellers so far this season.

At our booth you'll find versions of our best sellers as well as a Sale Bin chock full of amazing values -- so shop early! And we've scoured the globe for the past year to find some incredible deals on materials so pricing is more affordable than ever before :) This is our most fashion forward collection and our best pricing ever!

Personal versus online shopping:

• Free bonuses or other online promotions are not available when shopping in person.
• At personal appearances/exhibits items currently available for sale in our online shops will NOT be on display! So if you are planning to attend one of my shows in order to examine a particular creation, kindly email me in advance and I'll bring along whatever you're interested in viewing.
• Sometimes purchasing online via custom request is faster, easier and even cheaper.  Drop me a line for a prompt quote.   
• To avoid the crowds and get your shopping done from home, just email me with your ideas.  I can usually replicate any design within a day or so (both current and sold items if the materials are still available in our inventory).  I'll reply with a prompt quote and your goodies can be on their way to you in no time.
• Using our PayPal payment gateway a PayPal account is NOT required.  You may bypass PayPal login.  Payment with any major credit card is fast, easy and totally secure.
• Buy with confidence because with us no sale is ever final!  This means if you require an adjustment, repair, replacement, exchange or refund just contact me. 

"Jewelry Business Key Success Factor - Teaming With Social Marketing Pals"

Looking to take your online shop(s) to the next level? At eSMArts a key success factor for many of us has been learning how to properly apply Social Marketing concepts within our unique team concept.

Looking to share your marketing skills with like minded souls? Well, we've been building our repertoire of social networking skills and the results are vibrant and prosperous online shops... but we're looking for a few more good people :)

Join our social marketing group for artists!!! eSMArts (originally meant Etsy Social Marketing Artisans) sends you an open invitation to take part in a unique networking and creative process.

We are a global collaborative of mixed media artisans who discuss social networking principles and how to apply them in our online indie shops. A major goal for our group is cross promoting our team mates, but we've also formed good friendships in the process and we even have a hoot of a good time every now and then too!

Contrary to the name, social marketing does not mean 'socializing', so our group is not about chit chat. Social marketing involves building online relationships and endorsing those within a reference group. These activities are FREE but they involve elbow grease and a small but regular time commitment.

Using our main discussion forum (based in Yahoo Groups finance section) we've crossed boundaries of selling platforms and global constraints. We've recently opened a second chapter called "Social Marketing Artisans/eSMArts on ArtFire" and many of our members now have established shops on other emerging sales venues as well.

Our group mandate: To foster friendship, creativity, connection, inspiration, discussion and plenty of cross promotion via implementing social marketing principles in order to drive traffic to our storefronts/online shops.

If you think that partnering with us (we're mainly jewelry artisans) to learn more about the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social marketing (or social networking) venues is right for you, then what are you waiting for? Please email or use the link provided and join us!

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/eSMArts/

Turkey Day Follow Up

This year David prepared our Thanksgiving meal! whoo hoo! and as I mentioned earlier we had opted to roast commercially prepared turkey breasts in lieu of a complete stuffed turkey.  This is a whole new territory for me - totally uncharted waters!

I can count on the fingers of one hand the times when we did NOT roast a fully stuffed turkey bird for Thanksgiving over the past 30 years.  I suppose Thanksgiving is the one western festival that we celebrate religiously!  LOL   David and I openly admit being hedonistic AND food motivated!

So I purchased two frozen turkey meats, a stuffed breast by Maple Leaf (below right) and the light and dark meat Butterball offering (below left and the package is pictured at the bottom of this article).  Both of these cuts are easy and straight forward to prepare ~ you just pop 'em in the oven!

Neither offering produces much in the way of pan juices, so if you're thinking of choosing these convenient cuts plan on canned gravy or my favourite is the powdered Bisto gravy maker that turns boiled carrot water and 1 tsp of butter into a delicious gravy. We just love that stuff!

The stuffed Maple Leaf offering (approx. $15 CAD) turned out to be formed around the breast bone and it contained way more bones, fat and waste than we expected.  The included prepared stuffing was not to my liking at all and I wouldn't purchase this product again.

The Butterball (above left) was totally boneless with zero waste so at roughtly $21 CAD it proved to be the best value overall.  If we absolutely must work with a convenience cut in the future, we would seriously consider a totally boneless choice such as the Butterball offering.

Lots of folks simply won't eat homemade stuffing that has been roasted inside the turkey carcass... and if your family is the same, bake lots of of homemade stuffing in a covered buttered baking dish or there's always the stove top brands of commercially prepared stuffing mixes... they're fast and rather tasty especially given the fact that they require only a few minutes to toss together. 

David whipped us up stovetop stuffing, canned gravy, roasted sweet potatoes, prepared mashed potatoes, and a ton of nutritious and delicious steamed vegetables, canned jellied cranberries and finally warmed purchased pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream .

The feast was fabulous and if you're in a hurry consider a convenience cut of frozen turkey breast... but to be honest nothing can compare in taste, texture and presentation with a fully stuffed roast bird.

ISIS Handmade Set - Apatite and Hessonite Garnet on 14k Gold Fill

Water and Sun inspired and perfect for your cruise, these unique one of a kind pieces are currently available for immediate shipping!

Visit http://gahooletree.etsy.com/ for more of my special gemstone creations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Harvest is my favourite time of the year. Warm sunny days with cool, crisp nights, colourful leaves, and an abundance of health giving and tasty produce. It's really no wonder then that we choose beautiful autumn to pause & celebrate with loved ones, to take stock of our blessings and appropriately, to give thanks.

Today our daughter came home to share in the traditional harvest feast. This year we've opted for boneless turkey roasts in lieu of the full roasted stuffed bird. More on that to follow.

I've never viewed Thanksgiving as being a particularly religious event. To me Thanksgiving is an opportunity to meditate and reflect while enjoying, savouring & appreciating earth's bounty. By so doing I somehow feel at one with and in harmony with the universe.

Above: my hand cross stitch from 2006. This is a free pattern that I found online and amended. Some day I'll get it professionally framed.

Albeit primitive, all civilizations and cultures have celebrated earth's gifts in one way or another. I suggest that humans are inextricably linked to Mother Earth and her cycles - that we're organically and spiritually a part of this beautiful orb and without Earth we won't survive...

Do something today to invest in the future of the planet.

Madeleine Pink Sapphire and 14k Gold Fill by GaHooleTree on Etsy

Madeleine Pink Sapphire and 14k Gold Fill by GaHooleTree on Etsy

• A new listing. 
• Pricing of $89 reflects a premium for pink sapphire.
• Pricing also includes FREE SHIPPING to Canada and continental USA. 
• This item is also available in sterling. 
• This style is available in other genuine gemstones including: sky blue topaz, yellow topaz, london blue topaz, ruby, blue sapphire, amethyst, peridot, pink tourmaline, green tourmaline, citrine, pearl, carnelian, clear crystal quartz, rose quartz, garnet, aquamarine, moonstone, emerald, white topaz, jade, turquoise and more.   Please email for availability and firm pricing on other gemstone/birthstone beads.    [email tiger_eye at rogers dot com] for a prompt firm quote. 
• Please allow 2 days for custom creations.

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CheapTweet - ON SALE!!! Check them out!! eSMArts Team Rocks - Twitter Deals, Coupons, Bargains, Sales and Discounts

CheapTweet - ON SALE!!! Check them out!! eSMArts Team Rocks - Twitter Deals, Coupons, Bargains, Sales and Discounts

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Our Travels to "The Rock"

These pictures were taken a few days ago inside Gros Morne National Park on the western shore of Newfoundland. The geological makeup of this area is at times other worldly.

'The Rock' is an incredibly beautiful but rugged place. I'm amazed by how unfamiliar the rock formations here actually are. Here's a view of the exposed mantle which is so prevalent in The Tablelands area of Gros Morne park.


The orange rocks contain a black mineral called peridosite that apparently is known to exist only in the earth’s mantle or crust. But we have learned that many minerals can be found in Newfoundland. Virginite is available on the Baie Verte Penninsula.

Yesterday I found an outcropping of this gorgeous green mineral along the sides of the TransCanada Highway. It might be serpentine but at this point I'm really not sure. It could also be Canadian Jade, or perhaps just more unakite.

Along the ocean I've found pretty unakite and red jasper specimens and marble and marble-like deposits are common. But I've been most intrigued by the lava, silica, grabbo, anorthocite, chert, granite etc. that is so unique and plentiful here. If you look closely you'll notice that these striated boulders along Newfoundland's west coast display molten rock patterns:

I've yet to find any labradorite in its natural state. I'm told that native labradorite deposits near Nain on the northern Labrador mainland yield high grade specimens, but I'm not going there (well not on this trip anyway!).

But artisans and galleries of handmade art are everywhere. We're seeing tons of labradorite jewelry for sale too but I question how much of these gems were sourced in Canada. A few renowned inuit stone carvers in the Nain area have shipped their work here for retail sales at the gallery level.

Some Newfoundland galleries and jewelers do import small quantities of labradorite from Nain, Labrador for use in jewelry and carving but these instances are rare and the finished artwork is of gallery quality and price (not the commonly priced labradorite so plentiful and on display at all souvenir outlets).

There's a soapstone outcropping/mine up on the northern tip of the Baie Verte penninsula (Fleur de Lys) so hopefully we'll head that way tomorrow. The soapstone mine is now operated by the provincial and federal governments as a heritage site and apparently no hammering is allowed. We'll see :)

NEW in our eSMArts Team Shop

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Please support our eSMArts Team Shop! This online store is a volunteer effort... Proceeds from your purchase will support a very worthy cause.

eSMArts stands for etsy Social Marketing Artisans. We're a global team of mixed media artisan designers who meet online to pool resources, share & inspire and discuss social networking techniques. Our team shop is located on etsy, a worldwide showcase of fine handmade art, crafts and related items.

This is my latest contribution to our eSMArts team shop. I designed the "Leila Necklace" using wonderful gem quality iolite and 14k gold fill. This dainty neck wrap measures 17 inches in total length.

ALL shop proceeds really are being donated to a very worthy cause. We really need your support too. Please consider making a purchase to help us out.

Like the style of one of our featured artists but don't see exactly what you need? Then please convo for info and we'll get a custom listing or commissioned piece under way per your specs and price range. Oh and again, proceeds from your purchase will still be donated to our cause!

BUY HANDMADE

Support an independant artisan

Handmade really IS better