Hi, I'm Karin

The Owner & Artist For Flicker Bug

It's a one woman show here, with lots of support from family & friends. Here is what you need to know about me, Flicker Bug & other FAQ:

 

What is Flicker Bug?

Flicker Bug is an art studio that sells beautiful & fun hand made:

-Jewellery

-Night Lights

-Yarn Buttons

Basically anything that plays & reflects (flickers) light in fun ways (or fills my crochet hobby lol). It's also a great way to procrastinate doing work/chores while you scroll through the countless one of a kind pieces on here, trying to decide which one fits your style best.

You can find my personal favourite collections here and here. My one-of-a-kind art goes through the kiln 3 to 5 times to achieve the finished product. Due to this process, no 2 pieces will ever be the same. They are truly one of a kind, so if you see one you like, don’t delay! Once they are gone, they are gone forever.

Who is Flicker Bug?

That would be me, Karin Lickers (and yes I married into that last name willingly). I'm the owner, artist, virtual assistant, customer service rep, shipper, and complaint department all rolled into one. I am lucky that I have a lot of family and friends willing to help, but if you see anything on social media, in my emails or on the website it's going to be me. I'm also a proud mom to a beautiful toddler and a crochet and baking addict in what little spare time I have (don't be surprised to see some of my projects on social).

How do I know you make quality stuff?

Well, my experience I hope speaks for itself. I have the credentials to show a BDes (Bachelor in Design), majoring in ceramics (ie pottery) and a minor in silver smithing from OCAD (now called OCADU) although I pretty much took every type of art class they offered while I was there (I'm talking wood, metal, plastics, fibre, silkscreening, encaustic, photography, etc.). I also have a BA in Visual Arts from York University majoring in drawing, painting and photography (ok I say I have a BA but I'm really just 1 elective course short and never quite completed it which my mother thinks is ludicrous and I say it's ludicrous to spend that much money to take one more course when it's not going to further my career 🤷‍♀️ ). And lastly (although it was my first) a Certificate from Sheridan College in Animation.

After school I sold my own pottery in craft shows & in stores until I decided to take on a fun little DIY pottery studio called Glaze Craze in 2008. It was through that studio that I became self taught with glass fusing, wood art & more. I continued to make my own stuff on the side over the 13 years I owned the studio but when Covid19 hit & closed the studio, Flicker Bug became it's own separate entity, and honestly I couldn't be happier. I get to be home all day with my daughter Rylee (who just started school) and my husband who also works from home most days. I get to create fun beautiful things instead of the 12+ hours I'd spend at Glaze Craze before helping others create (which were fun, but not a healthy balanced lifestyle fun).

I admit I have dreams of opening Glaze Craze again some day but likely under different circumstances & I have my hands full with Flicker Bug & a second side business (turned full time during Covid) called High Koalaty. Which is a ceramic smokeware line with my business partner Rachel that we sell wholesale to stores and online at www.highkoalaty.com . And well any of you that are parents, know life is already chaotic when you have kids.

How is everything made?

Everything is hand made by me currently in my small little apartment, until the day I can get my large production kilns out of storage and set up in a proper workspace again. All the ceramic items are hand sculpted and watch my social feeds (link below) to see videos & pictures of them in progress. Glass fusing is the art of stacking glass, but I've taken it a bit father by stacking, smashing, stacking, smashing, etc and firing them multiple times in the kiln to achieve the unique and one of a kind results in my float and strata jewellery. It's easy (once you know what your doing) but a lengthy process over all & sometimes monotonous (great if I want to catch up on some netflix while I work).  Not to mention with great power comes great electricity bills.

What kind of metal is used on the Jewellery?

It currently varies from piece to piece & I try to note it on each product. Generally the larger the bail (that's the metal loop at the top that connects the pendant to the cord), the more likely it is a base metal (like nickel, brass, etc), & the smaller it is the more likely it is base metal with sterling silver plating. I'm working towards pure stainless steel bails that will wear much better but they aren't easy to source so depending how things go I may start making my own (did I mention silver smithing was my minor at OCAD?).

How do you keep the jewellery looking new?

If your looking at my base metal bail jewellery wondering how to keep them looking new (and not turning your skin green), my best tip is to apply a layer or 2 of clear nail polish on the back where it touches your skin (for pieces I wear daily I apply on the sides too). It seals it so much more than plating ever does & also reduces the reaction for many people who are sensitive to the base metals. Just re-apply as it wears down over time to keep your jewellery looking new.

For the pieces with silver plating on them, make sure to keep them sealed in a ziploc bag (provided with every purchase) to avoid the need for tarnish removers.

*Fun fact: Did you know that your skin is a natural tarnish remover? The oils in your skin will naturally clean your silver jewellery just by wearing it.

Why are you not using gold of silver?

Have you seen the price of gold these days?!? I fully plan to switch to pure silver bails (and maybe even gold) as soon as I'm able but because I'm currently working out of my tiny little apartment that is currently overrun by my toddler... Flames & metal working are just so.... what's the word.... oh right, unsafe with toddlers typically and I don't have a safe workspace. I've gone from using a massive production kiln to a tiny box of a kiln that fits on top of my stove until I can get a workspace up and running again too so I'm trying to stay ahead of demand so the site is always stocked with such small production runs.

What kind of plug & bulbs do you have with the night lights?

Well, it depends on which style of night light you are looking at. The corded night lights use an LED bulb on a cord that fits under the ceramic piece and has a USB plug on the end. The plug to connect it to the wall is optional as most people already have these at home or have a wall plug that doesn't need one. I know I personally have a stash of those plugs since the wires to charge my phone never last as long, and I hate to include anything more than you need because well... the environment and volumes of plastic pollution don't need me adding to it.

The plug nightlights don't have a cord and go right into a standard North American wall outlet (I'm based in Toronto Canada incase you missed it). The bulb is a standard incandescent nightlight bulb which can easily be switched out for an LED bulb should you prefer it (sadly the incandescent come with the hardware to make it a nightlight & I haven't found anyone willing to trade large amounts of incandescent bulbs for led bulbs yet).

Are you a reseller? I have options for you too!