Friday, October 30, 2009

Sooo good it's scary! Halloween BOGO Sale!

I'm in the Etsy Weekend Deals! Wooo-Hooo!!! It's Buy-One-Get-One Weekend!

I'm offering BOGO on all earrings in my -- Earring Section --

Come take a look! Earrings make great stocking stuffers! ...and you can get two items off of your list at once!! ;D

Happy Halloween!!!

Yummy Halloween Treat Recipes!!!

Wooo-Hooo. Halloween is tomorrow!!!!! Are you ready? I'm not, but I'm excited anyway :D

I've found some really cool recipes for some scarily cute treats.

Check out some pics and get the links on Handmade Unique. (sorry I didn't put them up here too -- lots to do today...)

In brief:
Rice Treat Mummy Heads
Stained Glass Cookies
Oreo Spider Cookies
Classic Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Pie Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Is it possible to be active online and still get some creating done? --EART Blog Ring Post


This week's EART Team blog ring post is about what our how we find time to create while being an active EART team member, keeping up our shop, and actually having an off-line life!

Well, I have to say that I do struggle with this.

I've recently started giving myself until noon to get all my online things done. I then get off of the computer and create (I work from home - I honestly don't know how people with 9-5s manage everything!).

I do still find myself sometimes surfing and dawdling too much and sometimes not getting big things done online that I'd like to do (such as looking up craft information, reading industry articles, checking out other blogs that I can be involved with, etc) Things that might ultimately help me and my craft but aren't imperative. But, you have to make choices and sometimes I choose to spend more time online and do some of them and sometimes I choose to get off of the computer and create!


Mostly, I wish that there were about 30 hours in a day and I only had to sleep about 4 hours. Then I could spend the equivalent of an entire day with my son and husband, an entire day creating, and still have plenty of time to be online (oh, and eat and shower and stuff ;)!

______________________
Read about how other Team members' manage by reading everyone's blog ring post starting here: Michelle's Charm World blog

~ciao for now

Thursday, October 22, 2009

EART Blog Ring Post : What's My Favorite Item in My Shop?


This week's EART Team blog ring post is about what our favorite item in our shop is.

wow... It actually changes so often, but I'd say – right now – my favorite items are my etched rings.

Etching on copper is done (one of several ways, really) by drawing a design onto the metal with a permanent marker that acts as a resist and then dipping the piece into an acid etching liquid. After it's etched to the desired depth, it's taken out and finished in whatever way is required for the piece being made. I do rings, bracelets, earrings, and pendants like this.


It's awesome because it's like illustration and jewelry design at the same time!


Here's a couple of examples:


Etched wide band ring

Etched Pendant
Etched Cuff Bracelet

______________________
Read what other Team members' favorite items are by reading everyone's blog ring post starting here: Michelle's Charm World blog

~ciao for now

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What to do, what to do...

So, I have several shows coming up for the holidays, which is fine, they are normal 1 day shows. A couple are juried (which means you have to be selected to participate) and a couple are not. Besides the ramping up and making sure I make enough jewelry to show, they are no big deal...

Now, I just received some information from a 5 day show in Pennsylvania that I'm sort of thinking of attending! But 5 days...

It is a huge holiday show with some 35,000 shoppers coming from all over! It would be awesome to participate, but I'm not really sure if I'm ready for it. This is my first year doing shows and I've only done small ones so far. They've been great, but nothing really scary.

...But a 5 day show? How do you prepare for that? How much stock do you need to bring? It's a bit of a drive away, so I'd probably need to stay in a hotel, so that means being away from home for 6ish days!

...But it would be great, tons of exposure, lots of sales, meeting lots of other crafters. hmmm...

...what to do... what to do...

If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears! :D

Monday, October 12, 2009

When your Computer goes Kaput!

I've woken up to bad days before, actually plenty of times. But never so bad as when you sit down with your yummy cup of joe and discover that your computer is dead...

just dead...

no warning, no reason, no sense. It just doesn't turn on. SIGH!!!!!

The one redeeming fact is that I had actually backed up just 2 days before (after putting it off for a month) OMG... that would have been disastrous and would've taken me much longer to recover - mentally and work-wise!

Well, after my husband, who's a REAL computer guy, took it apart and couldn't fix it (of course, it's just out of the 3 year extended warranty) I resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to be $2000 in the hole... I LOVE Macs but they are expensive! (but, btw, way worth the extra $1200 over a PC, no question, no doubts, no regrets!)

Ok, on with life and work (on my son's tiny, old, hand-me-down Mac until my new faster, stronger, better Mac arrives ;)

ciao for now...
deb.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

EART Blog Ring Post: My Next Big Purchase!


This week's EART Team blog ring post is about what our next big purchase for our business is going to be.

hmmm... that's a tough one. There are several things that I really need and wish I could get. The two topmost are:

1. a GOOD soldering system (instead of my dinky creme brulee style torch :)
2. a REAL jeweler's bench (the kind made for jewelers so you can hook on clamps, flexshaft drills, catch metal filings and cuttings, store hammers and files, etc.) mmm...

I did finally just get a good flexshaft drill, my dremel just wasn't cutting it (literally :) anymore!

Basically most of my profit from sales at this stage go back into buying better equipment, it really does make a difference in the ease and to a point quality of your work (it's much harder to obtain excellent quality with inferior tools).

Now, I just have to decide which item I need/want most! ...and have a good Christmas selling season!

...anyone wanna buy some beautiful, excellently made jewelry for holiday gifts and help support my craft ;)

______________________
Read what other Team members' goals are by reading everyone's blog ring post starting here: the EART blog

~ciao for now

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I FINALLY have my Newsletter put together! Yay!! Come get on the List!

Finally, I've finished formatting my newsletter that I've been meaning to put together for months and months! I have tons of jewelry info that I've gathered and have ready to fill the pages monthly. Things like Materials 101, Gemstones FYI, How I Make It, exclusive promos and more!

I'm super excited to finally have it out there, hope it goes over well! It's always a challenge keeping something interesting w/o overloading people! We'll see how the sign-ups go (and the unsubscribes! LOL)

I invite you to sign up and check it out! and let me know what you think ;D

A.W.E. Newsletter Sign-Up Form

ttys,
deb.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Beautiful Treasury with Silver and Reds

Take a look at this great treasury that emmarts was kind enough to feature my new Sterling Riveted Rings in!

Wood & Copper! My jewelry display at the Weekend Boutique trunk show.

Display views from the Weekend Boutique! I love designing my display almost as much as I love designing jewelry! What do you think? Do you...