DeLong Designs Metalworking

Big thanks to @detailseventstudio for their help with the new booth design! You like?

Ballot box is full!!! I was going to draw one name, but I think I better draw at least three! I'm at Saltscapes East Coast Expo until 5pm, so come down and get your name in the draw.

What do you think of my new booth display? We're having a great weekend at Saltscapes Expo! See you there!

I'm getting geared up for Saltscapes East Coast Expo next week. It's been a couple months since the hustle and bustle of Christmas, so I'm feeling out of practice. Wish me luck. Maybe I'll see you there!

I follow organ printing research pretty closely. This is a really big step! It sounds like there are a lot of trials needed yet, and my intuition tells me that the researchers' estimate of organ printers being available in hospitals within 10 years is pretty ambitious, but it's still COOL as-all-get-out!

Experiment time! Please leave a one-word comment with a verb that you think describes my business and the work I do. An entrepreneur friend shared this exercise with me the other day and it was surprising what people came back with. I know what I think my business is about, but I'm interested to know what other people think. I'll leave my answer later on after I've seen what other people write. ... EDIT: okay, i really didn't think this through. This post totally just looks like I was fishing for compliments. You're all so sweet. My word was going to be "hope"

Implied consent for organ donation is a big deal! It's coming down the line right now in Nova Scotia (where I live) and it's got loads of people talking. We're the first place in North America doing this! I've had multiple people get in touch to ask if I'm excited about this. I wish I could say 100% that I am. I'm definitely onboard with it, but I have a few reservations.... If it means that recipients spend less time on waiting lists, I think that it is definitely in the best interest of the public. I think that there are going to be cases in which it creates difficult conversations between doctors and the families of people who have just lost a loved one, but those already happen under the current system. There are worries about cultural differences and people with legitimate reasons not to donate. I hope that there will be no pressure to be a donor in those situations. This has the potential to harm some people... That said, it will help so many people who are currently suffering and waiting in hope.

I want to share something personal. It's strange that I spend so much time talking about illness and how it touched our lives, but I'm still reticent to talk about it in the moment when we're hit with illness. We've had a rough month and a host of issues with healthcare and visits to the ER thrown in. It's just now starting to let up (although Thomas is still struggling to bounce back) but when I talk about it, I feel like I'm complaining. So, wow, if I have trouble with the... stigma of talking about illness and yet a big part of my job involves normalizing talking about illness, that means it must be a crazy, uphill battle to get people to want to share and be okay with how we relate to the subject. It's so important to be able to communicate with each other about our personal struggles. We all have them, they aren't the same, but they tie us together. See more

Different experience this year at this show. I can actually move around my booth without knocking everything over with a giant pregnant belly.

This is great! Having childcare means I'm responding to messages in a timely manner today! ...now I just need to get back to all the messages that have been piling up over the last few weeks.

Good grief but it's hard to get anything done with a crawling baby to watch! Hats off to all the other self-employed stay-at-homes!

Time to reflect. I'm so proud that as a new mother I was not only able to keep the momentum in my business, but I was also able to grow my business this year! It was a lot of work, but it's been so worth it. Big thanks to everyone who helped me along this path! What are you thankful for in 2018?

Happy New Year!!! Seems like a great day to resolve to empty out my inbox and find the top of my desk. It's a crummy job, but someone should do it. When you're a one-person operation, pretty sure it can't get delegated to someone else.

Last event of the year! ... and what a year!!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a big THANK YOU for a wonderful third season!!!

Last Minute Pop-Up Shop! Come visit us and all the other amazing vendors at the Bridgewater Farmers' Market on Sunday at 10am, the Eve of Christmas Eve! What a wonderful way to cap off the Christmas season.

Let's have a Last Minute Christmas Photo Contest! I LOVE this shot of the Anchor Star. I want to see some more pictures of DeLong Designs ornaments in action! Submit a picture in the comments and we'll pick our favorite. Winner gets to pick a friend who they want to receive their favorite design in the mail. Contest closes on Friday. #Christmas #contest #giveaway This image is from our giveaway winner, Costana Hornbaker! Thanks for sharing it.

Congratulations to Brenda Miller for winning our final giveaway of the year! Merry Christmas!

We're having our last Giveaway of the season! Like the image below to be entered into this week's draw for one of our brooches. The winner may pick which design they like best; choose from the Maple Key, the Starfish, or the Seagull. Please Like, Love & Share, and make sure you like our page if you like our work! Best of luck! Winner will be announced on Monday. #Christmas #Giveaway #Contest

Big congratulations to Angela Rhodenizer-Joudrey for winning our Sea of Life! Stay tuned tomorrow for our final giveaway contest of the season.

I can't decide which I love more! Anchor Star or Whale Tail Tree, what's your favourite?

We're having our second Ornament Giveaway! Like the image below to be entered into this week's draw for one of our new designs, the Sea of Life. Mine says "Baby's First" (Awww! <3 ) but I'll engrave the winner's ornament with whatever they want. Please Like, Love & Share! Best of luck! Make sure you return again next week for our final giveaway of the year! #Christmas #Giveaway #Contest

Big congratulations to Costana Hornbaker, winner of our Anchor Star ornament giveaway! Thank you to everyone who joined in the contest! Stay tuned for our next giveaway. <3

We're having an Ornament Giveaway! Like the image below to be entered into this week's draw for our new design for 2018, the Anchor Star. Make sure you return again next week for another giveaway. Please Like, Love & Share! Best of luck! Winner will be announced on Monday. #Christmas #Giveaway #Contest *** Contest is now closed, but stay tuned for our next giveaway on Wednesday! ***

Thanks for sharing this picture, Heather Knight Clothing & Gifts!

Snow Day!!! Wow! This is some weather! We decided not to risk the roads this morning, so we aren't at Acadia Christmas Craft Expo for Friday. ... Hope to see you there tomorrow! It's such a fun show!

Thomas and I are attending this dinner tonight as the honourary chair family. Thank you very much for hosting this event, Keri! Looking forward to it! The Kidney Foundation of Canada - Nova Scotia

My website got a makeover! Please check it out, let me know what you think.

It's Saltscapes Weekend!!! I love attending this market. It's such a fun time. It's well worth the trip to Masstown even if you aren't nearby. Hope to see you at Harvest Greets the Holidays Expo 2018!!!

Found the last of the roadside daisies and a great new way to use the Wreath Brooches as well! They're fantastic bottoniers!

Today I'd like to profile the Sea of Life. I'm really excited to say that I already have a few orders for engraving to get done this week. If you'd like to place an order to have one engraved, please let me know. This service will be available right up until Dec 12th if you'd like it before Christmas. (If you'd like it mailed out rather than local pick-up, probably best to get it ordered by the beginning of December :) ) This ornament received its name in our 2018 naming contest. Sea of Life was the most popular choice amongst the many we received. It fits so well with its theme of new life. Congrats once more to our winner, Bernice Williams!

We had a wonderful day at the Bridgewater Christmas Craft Show. We're there tomorrow as well, so come visit us at the Michelin Social Club from 10-3.

Happy Halloween! Image credit to Tara Joe Collie

Savvy Business Builders Ladies Luncheon was such a great event. So nice to have been asked to be a speaker! Thanks Bernice!