Clean up, Clean up, Everybody Clean up!

Two different opportunities came up this week to enter to win some beads and other things by showing off (1) your messy workspace, and (2) how you organized your work area. I thought that definitely was a sign for me!!

I have been working my self crazy lately trying to find things so I took the pics of the extremely messy  workspace first and went about trying to organize and straighten my hugely complicated jewelry making world!

I think I’m in a happier place right now. So if you want to try to win some goodies for sharing your workspace organizing tips, head over to Lorelei’s blog and enter her giveaway as well as Cynthia of Ornamentea’s “show us your messy workspace” giveaway.

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Daffodils and Woodlands

I’m in a Treasury today. I know I shouldn’t get so excited, but I think it’s an honor! I am trying all forms of promotion lately, sales are just sooooo slow, so if I can get views by being in an Etsy Treasury, I’ll take ‘em!

And I still dream in colors. This week it’s daffodils and honey! Hope you like my created Treasury for the week!

Some bead show results!

While I’ve been trying to organize the new beads, I keep coming back and forth to my worktable and getting inspired. Here are a few of my new earrings to share in this quick post. I have so many ideas swimming around in my head. I wish I could DVR them to watch at a later date!!! :) 

Will work for Beads!!

I can’t help myself. I can’t look at a bead, be near a bead, think about a bead, touch a bead, or sell a bead without coveting them for myself! I try, try, try with all good intentions to not come home with all my earnings spent from working a weekend bead show but I just can’t do it! I’m weak, yes, but I sure am happy when I get home!

I worked the Durham Intergalactic Bead Show at the Durham Marriott this weekend and had so much fun! Watching women (and some men) touching, looking, ooohing and aahhhing over beads and pretty little things is so rewarding! I especially like sharing ideas with them when they pick up strands of beads and wonder what they can do with them.

I had so much fun with a couple of women who were new to jewelry making. They made my day! (If you’re reading this, you girls know who you are!) Headpins=Little hangy downy things!

So here’s all my loot. Most of it from Theodora’s Beautiful Beads. (The booth I work at.) Thanks Luke!

Remember to: Enjoy the beauty around you!

A Donation to the Arts!

I was proud to create this necklace to donate to my son’s high school’s (Athens Drive High School) art foundation. We had a silent auction on Mother’s Day along with a beautiful concert that the students performed for all the mothers in attendance.

The necklace was snapped up and money was donated to a good cause!

I like it so much I’m going to have to make another one. And maybe another one….(I see some good color combinations in my head as I type!)

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Remember to: Share your jewelry for a good cause!

I’m a winner!

So excited to see I was a featured winner on Ornamentea.com's monthly customer showcase! I didn’t even know. Was checking my Google Analytics and lo and behold, there was a significant increase for Thursday. Upon further investigation, I had a nice surprise!!

Treasury Crazy!

I have been making some cool Etsy Treasuries this week and really enjoyed it. First two that I made I included (of course) my own pieces of jewelry! In fact, that was how I got the inspiration for the themes! I was a little bummed to read in the Etsy forums that Etsy Admin. probably won’t pick them for the Front Page if you include your own items.  I think that is a little bit unfair, but I failed to research Treasury guidelines beforehand so, my bad! I do so want to be on the Front Page!

So anyway, I made up some fun Treasuries and really tried hard…I mean, hard,  to make them Front Page worthy…and now I’m thinking that I sure hope some of those people who I included will take pity on poor ol’ me and include me in Treasuries of their own (if they make any, that is!), since I can’t toot (I like to say, honk) my own horn!
So here they are. Take a look. Hope you enjoy.

Fruit Salad

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Copper Rose & Pink Delights Metallic in Blues
Remember to: support your local high school band! (my Sean is having his final concert for the year tonight! Can’t wait)

Lucky 50th!

I was very lucky to sell my 50th item to a wonderful repeat customer, GeoffBe, who makes his lucky lady or ladies (!) happy, I'm sure! He bought one of my favorite bracelets called Fruity Pebbles and picked out the pretty rose and copper earrings. Thanks, Geoff. It feels good to reach 50! Sales, that is!

It's Giveaway Time!!!!!

OK, so we're at the big 49!!!!!! Sales in my Etsy store, that is!! I will be glad to give away a beautiful pair of earring to my next customer! I thought that 2 of my newest pairs would be ready for you to chose from. So here they are and Good Luck! Thanks to all my customers, thus far! You are the best!

Fun & Inspiration

Oh how I love going to Elaine Ray’s trunk shows at Ornamentea. I get so inspired! Elaine had some new goodies that I hadn’t seen yet (even though I snuck a peek around her workshop a couple of weeks ago!). There were some great pieces of jewelry on display to inspire using her beads. I loved the hoops idea that, I think, Tracey of Ornamentea designed! I was also inspired by Art Bead Scene bird’s nest design using Elaine’s bead caps upside down as little nest!

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Can’t wait to show the bracelet I’m going to make with the large rectangular bead!!

Happy Sunday! Don’t forget to enjoy your Spring!

Photo Updates!

Been trying to redo some unattractive pictures in my Etsy Shop. Don't understand  why it's hit or miss for me in the photography department! Sometimes they come out looking soooooo good and other times I'll be pulling my hair out wondering why they're so grainy, fuzzy, off-color, or just plain BAD! I should know by now what settings work best in what conditions. It's a work in progress.

So here are some new with some old. I think I did a better job. What d'ya think?

“Baby Steps?”, you say. How about “snail steps”?

Sorry to be absent soooo long! I think the blogging bug will hit me this summer when I’m not working full time! I hope so, anyway!

Lots been going on. I feel attached by the hip to   my computer trying to promote my Etsy shop. I don’t know what to feel about 43 sales in 8 months. Some say it’s great. But I get a little disheartened when I see the shops with well over hundreds, and even thousands, of sales. I think I have a good marketable product that stands out somewhat. Standing out on Etsy is not an easy thing to do! I won’t give up. I’m trying, trying!

Anyway, I hope to reach that 50 mark soon. I would like to give a free pair of earrings away to the buyer of my 50th item! Shipped free as well. I am pondering which special pair to promote. So maybe I’ll go grab some pictures to post on here and decide once I see them on the blog!!

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 Remember to: Take care of the EARTH!

New Stuff

I’ve been delinquent! The holidays were a little hard. (Missing my darling Dad during the first Christmas without him.) And, a finger injury that set me back a few days or so. I’ve been keeping busy, though. Lots of new ideas just swimming around my head. Especially after working a local bead show! Ahhh…the temptation is so hard to resist. One of my new year resolutions is to create as soon as the ideas hit! Not later when I make a pile of those inspirational beads and forgot what I was gonna do with them!

Hope everyone is faring well in these turbulent times. All thoughts, these days, going to Haiti.

  So here’s a few to start with. Baby steps, you know.

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My Family!

Just love these little family members who so graciously signed up to follow my blog! There’s my Auntie Glo, Uncle Les, Auntie Joyce, Auntie Jo, Cousin Leslie and Cousin Jane!

We’ll hear from more family soon!

Thanks to itkupillishop for the graphics!

Remember to:  Stay in touch! xxx

Rain Rain Go Away

It seems like it’s been raining for years! I kind of like the sound of it outside my window. It relaxes me. The dogs won’t go out though and I have to go out with some treats to bribe them outside. Oh well. I do find I am more creative when it’s raining. What does that mean, I wonder?

I have been having a problem with my beautiful background on my blog. Seems it can’t be seen on some other computers, which makes me sad because it’s so pretty and just my style.  I want to share it!

Well, let me know if you see a pretty turquoise wallpaper background with pink ribbon by sending me a comment, please, and if possible what size your monitor is. I’m going to fix it one way or another!

Here is some new items I will be listing in the Etsy shop. I have been a little slack lately with getting new items on there and I can see from my Google Analytics that it makes a difference. So I must get busy!

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Remember to:  Say more, “I Love You’s”

Surprises and Sales!

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A big thanks to my friend Megan for buying a whopping 8 pairs of earrings from me today!  (Here is a few of them. I hope her friends are not looking!) And, for her company last night at our friend, John's, surprise 30th birthday party. We had so much fun. Even though we raced to get there in time to not spoil the surprise at breakneck speed, John had already come home early so we ended up being the ones surprised! The surprises didn't end there, either. But we promised John we wouldn't embarrass him online so you'll just have to imagine!
He had admired my copper bracelet a while back so I made him a more manly looking version which I think he really liked. (I say "think" because by the time I gave it to him last night, he was happy, happy, happy!)

It's back to routines again tomorrow. I have enjoyed my time off even though I didn't get as much done as I wanted to. Hope you all have a great week!

Remember to:  Love your animals as unconditionally as they love you!

A Season of Thanks (and clutter!)

I thought it appropriate that with my first blog I should mention how much I appreciate all the good things in my life, past, present, and still to come. It's not always easy to remember how wonderful the gift of life is on a daily basis, but with this wonderful season already upon us I wanted to make sure you know I am giving thanks!

That said, welcome to my blog. Today has been an experience in finding out how to blog, how to make my blog page attractive, how to link, how to draw interest, how to fix this darn layout and finally, to keep it short and sweet and to the subject! I have to give a big "shout out" thank you to Shabby Blogs for their inspiration, without whom I wouldn't have attempted to do this!

As you can see from the pictures, my work desk is definitely suffering from abandonment!

Look for more to come. I hope I can keep you interested.


Remember to:  DRINK MORE WATER!