Designing Hilary

Dusting the cobwebs ...

2011-01-27T11:52:00.003-06:00

...because I may restart a push for business. Or maybe just for sharing. Although, after FINALLY taking a look at my un-moderated comments, I find some "anonymous" person told me people find fin my misspelling in the post below offensive because I accidentally spelled "jewelry" as "jewerly." OK. Sorry for anyone finding that offensive. But next time you care to offer some constructive criticism, Mr, or Ms. Anonymous, why not do it under your ID/name/whatever? Just sayin' ...

Anyhow, rather than fix the misspelling or delete the comments from Anonymous, I'll just beg forgiveness from anyone who is offended. Paint me Ms. Imperfect. ;)

Short Survery of Jewerly Preference

2009-07-23T06:53:00.002-05:00

Gold or silver?

And if you have time ... why?

Thanks!

It's a total blank ...

2009-07-17T12:20:00.007-05:00

... but first things first. Back on track (hopefully) and Creative Bloggers is going around again. Macaroni and Glue is up in the spotlight and I'm seriously liking the banner! I don't recall seeing this, but it has been a while since I paid Kelly a visit. I'll blame the Texas heat and I'm sure she'll understand! Check out her Facebook fan page too!

Another artist being featured is Susy of Earth Expressions. Susy creates exquisite jewelry. But she also is creative with her blog and I loved her post about with packing and shipping tips. I can imagine a new customer of hers receiving a package and thinking: "What a class act!"

If you head over to Facebook, please take a look at my fan page. I set it up a while ago, didn't quite know what to do with it, but I've been learning. There is no documentation from Facebook about how to fully use the application, but there are some giving souls out there who are sharing what they know. It's a learning curve, but learning is great for keeping the gray matter within the skull nimble and functioning!

And I've been slowly building my Twitter following. Twitter is like the wild, wild west of the internet. All sorts of colorful folks. And all sorts of nuts too. All sorts of lazy people amassing huge followings by using automated applications, but it's only about quantity, not quality. So I'm doing it the old fashioned way. One by one with absolutely NO AUTOMATION, not even an automatic welcoming message.

A friend of mine has developed a new application for social media. It just launched so take a look at TipDrop. I signed up, but haven't authored a tip sheet yet. Jon gives us 255 characters which beats Twitter's 140, but 255 is not always enough. My plan is to blog tips here and link to this blog from the tip sheets. Hopefully Jon has programmed the application for follow through links.

I've created some new handcrafted jewelry pieces for the summer, but every single last piece has sold. Sold without pictures too. I'm a dunce. o_O Beautiful pieces, too, using "Candy Jade" which has become a new favorite of mine, and some shell/pearl/crystal pieces. Ooooh, even writing about them is making my fingers itch to make more!

Oh, and another thing, I've been making a ton of paper craft bookmarks and cards for a friend of mine to take to a special international convention (worship related) to pass out as gifts to all she meets. I've so enjoyed my monthly workshops I take from my local StampinUp representative that I've decided to sign up as a demonstrator myself! Since it will be about handcrafted paper goods, I figured it would be a nice fit with my existing creative business and I will keep it under my '57 Design Studio business umbrella.

Now, I must remember to take pictures!

Creative Bloggers

2009-05-29T12:14:00.004-05:00

Oh my, how could I miss last week's blog! Chainmaille by MBOI is written by one of my favorite handcrafting peeps in this world! Not only is Andrew a talented jewelry artist, but he is a most enthusiastic supporter of all handcrafting artisans.

This week's featured artisan is Carol of The Blue Cat. I am a huge fan of all things whimsical and Carol's artwork is whimsical in a really large way. This picture looks a lot like it came from my house.

If you are a Creative Blogger, please visit our Ning forum and join us. The third blog ring group is forming. Each week we focus on one of our incredibly talented bloggers and give them some highly valued links.

Hope this is Really Muscovite

2009-05-25T10:27:00.006-05:00

I bought this particularly lovely stone at a local bead wholesale shop and it was labeled "muscavite" which actually is a native from Muscovy, an ancient region in Russia (probably where the name "Moscow" comes from). There is a mineral called muscovite (with the letter o, not a) but almost every picture I pulled up showed a pinkish red stone, with somewhat of a schiller effect.

So I have a dilemma as to what to put on the label for this piece, which is now completed. Perhaps it's the metallic flecks on the stone that is the "muscavite" although it looks more like pyrite to me than mica. If that is the case, I would love to know what to call the resident stone since it is the majority of the composition.

Is it a granite? A basalt? A gneiss?? It is beautiful, especially in person. The color is a deep charcoal with a slight hint of green. It looks like biotite, except it doesn't easily break into sheets like typical mica.

I'm stumped. Any rockhounds or petrologists visiting here, please weigh in what you think this may be.

In the mean time I will have to come up with something creative for the tag. At the moment, it only has the $72 price on it. I used 14k gold-fill wire for both the wrapping and the linking of the beads. I used 8mm Swarovski crystals, black diamond color, and the combination is stunning. I'll put up a picture of the completed necklace as soon as I get to photographing it.

Will the Real Competition Please Stand Up!

2009-05-11T06:49:00.007-05:00

I've been asked, time again by many people, why I share my space and hard-learned information with other jewelry designers. Even my Project Wonderful and Entrecard ad spaces are typically occupied by other jewelry artists.

Most people cannot grasp the idea that jewelry designers, while in a black-and-white world are competitors, don't view each other as such because we are first and foremost artists and artists rarely deal in black-and-white. Even using a black/white color palette, there are so many shades of gray.

Artists feel a connection with other artists, even if we are using the same medium ... even when our art is our business. At every event I attend jewelry artists are drawn to each other and we compare and share notes (and wine, too!). At every on-line community I belong, jewelry artists form their own groups to compare and share information.

It is my pleasure to feature another jewelry artist, Jill of Liv'nGood Jewelry, who is also a fellow chainmailler! The latest post on her blog hits a note in me because we both seem to be having trouble getting caught up on the photography that is necessary to get our art listed on our various on-line selling venues.

I have my eye on a pair of her earrings! I need to sell some of mine so I can buy them. Yes, I said "buy them" because copycats are not playing fair, even if one is copying for their own use.

Jill is also a member of Creative Bloggers and I invite every creative type reading this blog who also blogs to come and join us!

So, there is real competition for jewelry artists, but it is not from other jewelry artists. I'll leave it to the reader to figure it out. I've made a promise to myself not to market me by stomping on others. Besides, there is plenty of room in this wide world for everything under the sun.

Creative Bloggers

2009-05-05T06:44:00.004-05:00

I belong to this wonderful group of creative bloggers on the Ning network. Each week we focus on one blog, make a comment if so moved, and feature the blog of the week in our blogs. We give each other linky-love and SEO juice.

This week's blog is beautiful! Marie-Michele is a very talented jewelry artist and she writes in her native language of French. Fortunately for the English-only reading world, she translates Mademoiselle M for us.

Her latest post is featuring another blogger and I suggest you follow the link because you'll be in for another treat! I had to leave a comment expressing my thanks ... the comment box was in French, but I think I recalled enough of my high-school study of the language (decades ago) to put the appropriate information in the data boxes.

Finding these beautiful gems on the world wide net is a delightful spending of a few of today's moments.

Renovation Part 1 ... or "Why I Was AWOL"

2009-05-04T16:37:00.006-05:00

It's hard to imagine the house as it was at the beginning of the year, but I found the camera's battery charger, spare battery and the USB cord to download photos. I just went through a heap of work-in-progress photos and it brought back the memories.

We lived in this place for 13 years before deciding to put our own personal stamp on the thing. I guess it took that long to determine our sense of "style." I knew it was going to be a lot of work; I've watched friends renovate their homes. Whatever we did, I wanted to do it when we knew it would stick with us for a long, long time.

I had "discovered" the Arts and Crafts style quite a number of years ago and it slowly took root in my mind as what I'd like to have in my home. Even having the style in mind, picking and choosing the color palette and textures and everything else that goes into home decor design was an arduous process. Most of the standard palettes for the Arts and Crafts interiors were very warm in tone. Both hubby and I prefer the cool tones. But with the help of a good friend who has a very keen eye for interior design (she really oughta hang a shingle, she could make a fortune!) the color palette was finally decided.

I'll post pictures of the walls, etc later on. I need to tidy the house a bit before taking some "after" shots. :o)

So here is the first part of what will be a series. The renovation is by no means over. There are still plenty of details to finish up, but all the major, back-breaking, arm-aching work is done ... for now. There is still bedrooms, bathrooms, family room and the dreaded kitchen. Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Anyone having too much money is more than welcome to send some this way!

This first photo is the dining room. I believe the color is up on the walls. I chose Olympic Paint's "Camel" for the dining/living room walls. It's not a huge statement of color, but it's much prettier than the basic off-white we lived with for all those years. By the way, Olympic is a nice brand of paint. It's relatively inexpensive, and therefore doesn't have the coverage the more expensive brands may have, but there is absolutely NO ODOR! I believe the VOC registers a big, fat 0 (zero) when tested. If you hate the smell of fresh paint, consider this brand. We bought all our paint at Lowes.

This is still quite early in our process. Eventually, all the furniture you see was moved out into the garage where it was stored for about a month. Our cars were NOT happy.

What I want you to notice is the dining room light. I believe it is original to the house. This house was built in 1979 by a firm that used to be known as Fox and Jacobs (now called Centennial Homes). When we bought the home, I liked the lighting. I still, to this day, could live with it if I had to, but it's definitely not Arts and Crafts.

The dining room light was probably the toughest choice out of all the possible choices we had to make. I looked long and hard for a light that I liked. For whatever reason, I avoided Home Depot's lighting department. Since most of our purchases were made at Lowes, I hardly went into Home Depot. But I made a trip to find something not available at Lowes. While there, I thought: "Why not check out the lighting." That's when I saw this:

It was love at first sight! Of everything that changed in our world, this is my absolute favorite. Four-square in traditional stained glass style of the Arts and Crafts movement. My artisan heart still skips beats when I look at this light ... the details are amazing. And burnished bronze ... I'm seriously into burnished bronze now. I got all new switch and outlet plates in "Venetian Bronze" to coordinate. There is even a choice of the lamps pointing up or down. I choose up so when I sit at the dining table and gaze up to the lighting, I see the beautiful stained glass rather than the screwy looking "green" bulbs.

Click on the photo to get the larger version and see more of the detail. This is really a gorgeous lamp. I didn't expect this sort of find at any of the big box stores that we all see in throughout the United States. I searched endlessly on the internet, but never found anything I truly wanted. Even when looking at things I knew I could never begin to afford, I never saw anything as beautiful as this.

This shot is the entry way and stairs. Again, it's the lighting on which I'd like you to focus. It used to coordinate with the old dining room light, but one of the glass hoods broke and I couldn't find a replacement since the thing was already close to 20 years old at the time. So I took all the hoods off and went with bare naked bulbs, although I used the "frosted" version to give it a fraction of an ounce of style. The biggest problem with that light was the chain. The thing hung low enough that anyone over 6 feet tall had to duck or bob their head out of the way. Our contractor friend told us to be sure to change out that light!

The stairway is draped because the walls above the first landing was getting its coat of paint. "Timeless Taupe" is also by Olypmic Paints. The rustic wood of the stairs, and throughout the rest of the house was changed from a very dark brown to Lowe's Valspar brand of paint in a gorgeous color called "Oyster."

I found this when I found my dining room light. While not an exact match, it's very close (and an exact match isn't necessary anyway!). It's a semi-flush mount and the angle you think you see is really what it is. Our ceilings in this part of the house are at on slope of about 15 degrees. I was concerned that having any sort of flush mount would look weird, but it works. And all our tall friends are happy. And the hubby is happy. Even most of the NBA could enter our house now and not have to duck.

You may get a fair glimpse of the ceiling texture if you click on the photo to get the larger version. I did not save these photos as hi-res, but you may see the suede-effect on your monitor. The beam is the "Oyster" color I mentioned above. A lot of the wood trim in our house is that rough finished pine which drinks paint and tears up brushes. Rollers were out of the question since they don't make rollers for that rough of a texture. I bought every type of roller available. I ended up using cheap brushes, a ton of sheeting and just slapped the paint on thick.

And finally, the newest light. We bought new furniture to go with the new decor (when you see the rest of the "before" pictures in the next installments, you'll agree new furniture was needed) which included a huge "papa bear" chair for the hard-working hubby. But with it's logical and natural placement in the living room, there was no direct lighting for which he could read. I've had my eye on this lovely thing at JC Penney for over a year. When it went on sale at half off, I couldn't resist. I had to break out the credit card to get it ... something I was trying so hard to never use again. Backslides are no fun, but at least this light is pretty enough to cover the guilt with pleasure!

Stay tuned ...

I'm ba-aaaack!

2009-04-30T18:15:00.002-05:00

And it took the "swine flu" to do it!

One of my community's middle school has been closed due to one confirmed case of the new flu outbreak. One. The whole school closed for one. According to all the science stuff available, this is not a particularly deadly strain of flu. The seasonal flu that is making the rounds is supposed to be worse. So why don't schools close every time someone has the flu? Any flu????

Would some one PLEASE! ... tell me the reasoning behind this!

Other news: the house is almost done. I'll post pictures soon. New jewelry has been made. I'll be taking pictures soon. So much I need to do ... soon.

I'm holding my breath that my daughter's school doesn't close. Someone was sent home with a high fever today so I'm probably holding my breath in vain!

A quickie ...

2009-02-23T15:12:00.005-06:00

Because everything is still uprooted, and I've been away from my computer and blog and marketing etc ... I missed the start of Creative Bloggers Blog Ring!

Last week, I should have posted about Macaroni and Glue which is a wonderfully fabulous blog written by Kelly Drill. Her blog is well-written and beautifully done so be sure to visit!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth ...

2009-02-21T06:49:00.002-06:00

... but it sure feels like it!

We are updating our house. Our living room, dining room and entry way, along with the landing at the turn of the stairs AND the landing at the top of the stairs which is almost a room to itself, are all getting new floors and new paint. The ceilings in the living/dining/entry areas also are having the popcorn texture scraped off!

Ugh. I have been living in a construction zone for almost a month.

I do have pictures, but I don't know where I put my camera. Nor do I know where I put the cord to attach the camera to the computer. Come to think of it, I don't know where ANYTHING is. We even lost a cat for a couple of days.

The numbnuts who flipped this house back in '95 (from what I understand, this house was foreclosed by the VA and was left empty for a while so the neighborhood kids used it as a flop house!) decided to glue down the vinyl floor as if it were being tiled. This means every square inch of the vinyl in our entry way was glued. It took two solid days to remove the floor ... it was only about 50 square feet. I so dread pulling up my kitchen floor. My wrists still hurt and it's been more than a week.

Eventually we will get to the rest of the house ... 4 bedrooms, two baths and a kitchen/family room are that is open to each other. I am hoping that the updating process is like labor for childbirth. It's agony while in process, but after it's over, one is happy and content enough to do it again.

But for now, all I can say is "UGH!"

The jewelry business is basically on hold during the updating, but the economy sorta knocked it on its rear end anyway. I do have a home show next Saturday, however, and looking forward to it!

Anyone in the D/FW area who would like an invite, drop me a line.

Guess it's the computer ...

2009-01-28T22:08:00.001-06:00

I see the widget just fine on my laptop.

It's my desktop that the widget does not show. I wonder if it's the Verizon security. My FIOS service gives me all the typical internet security at a reduced fee which I use on the desktop, but not the laptop. I opted for the service after the desktop crashed, which wasn't too long ago. So now I need to troubleshoot the incompatibility between the widget and the security software.

I'm going to have a massive headache.

Something broke my Entrecard Widget

2009-01-28T15:23:00.005-06:00

And it wasn't me! For some bizarre reason, the widget is not showing even though it is there in the layout. I don't have a clue. Entrecard doesn't have a clue. If someone does have a clue, I would be grateful for a fix!

This is the code:

< script id="ecard_widget" src="http://entrecard.s3.amazonaws.com/widget.js?user_id=21950&type=standard_200" type="text/javascript" >< /script >

Without the space after the < and before the >, which I had to insert to show the code.

Tweet, Tweet

2009-01-07T09:55:00.006-06:00

Twitter is quite the animal. I recall seeing a prediction a while back that Twitter would prove to be a major component in a fundamental shift in how the internet will be used. I'm not 100% convinced of that, but it definitely is a movement that keeps growing. Not everyone understands it, but they'll still play with it. Those that do understand it do more than play with it.

I'm not going to bother defining Twitter ... if you're reading this blog, you've probably already have it in your head what Twitter is all about. I find some opinions about how to use Twitter to be very interesting. I've read several comments for very web-savvy folks that if someone uses Twitter only for promotion, they would tune out (stop following) that person. They want to see some of the personal behind the person. But I'm not too sure about that ... most of us are living in the moment (even though we are aware of our past and planning our future, we still live in this moment) and most of our moments are rather mundane. No matter how exciting life can be, most moments are still mundane. I couldn't care less if you just washed and dried 3 loads of laundry. Even if you're my mother (Hi Mom!) or a good friend (Hi Jenn!) I couldn't care less. Now if your washer or dryer broke down and you found a great service guy who came to your house in less than two hours and charged you an unbelievably low price for an excellent repair job ... THAT I would care to hear about, IF you can talk about it in 140 characters or less.

So I won't bore my followers with my mundane life stuff. I will tweet, when I remember, about going to a local network meeting. I will tweet when I find something intriguing on the web. I will tweet when I made an amazing discovery (that hasn't happened in a while). But my usual forms of tweets are promotion and they happen automatically because of the beauty of TwitterFeed. You can feed anything that has an RSS feed to your Twitter account. Both my blog and my Etsy shop have RSS feeds. Blogger makes setting up an RSS feed really easy, nearly automatic, just be sure you have your "Site Feed" which you will find in your SETTINGS section turned on to either "Full" or "Short" ... not "None."

After you set up your account with Twitterfeed, you can add any number of feeds to automatically post to Twitter. All you need is the URL of your feed, and each one is different. That was the most confusing part for me, but I fumbled around and found out what they are.

After you click "Create new twitter feed" you'll be given a new page with a form to fill out. The user name and password are where you will enter your Twitter info, and be sure to click the "test twitter authentification" to make sure you've entered the correct data.

If you are a Blogger/Blogspot user, your RSS feed URL is as follows:

http://yourusername.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

You'll need to replace your actual user name before the .blogspot part.

I found my Etsy RSS feed URL by clicking on the RSS widget, as if I were going to subscribe the the feed. The URL displays on the browser, just copy and paste the address in appropriate box in the Twitterfeed set up. You can find any of your RSS feed URLs this way.

Another way to determine the RSS feed URL is to right-click the link and select "Properties" from the right-click menu (this is how it works with Windows, I don't have a clue about Macs!) and find the link address (NOT the image address!) which you can then copy and paste.

Go ahead and hit the "test RSS feed" to make sure it's going to work.

You'll have a few more things that are preferences you'll need to fill out to finish up the feed set-up. Give some thought to the update frequency. If you do a lot of listing in your Etsy shop at any given time, you may want to experiment with the frequency so that you don't send a feed for every single listing which could be considered spam by the Twitter community and your followers. You do not want to lose any of those precious followers! Keep in mind that this feed cannot tell the difference between a new listing and a relist.

Also give some thought as to what you want in the "prefix each tweet with:" box. I simply say "Just listed:" for my Etsy feed and "Blog update:" for my blog. The form only allows up to 20 characters, but each one counts towards the 140 maximum allowed. I use the "Tiny URL" option.

The tiny URL link generated for the Twitter feed is a "no follow" so don't get your hopes up that this will help in search engine optimization. In fact, it appears that all links in Twitter are "no follow." Oh well. Guess we still need to get our coveted links the old-fashioned way ... beg or buy.

Hope this is clear and understandable. Let me know your thoughts.

*************

Now for the LinkyLuv for those taking the time to read and comment:
Getpalmd * Storybeader * Leah * Anna * Meekiyu * FeeFiFoto * CassieMarie * BlackFeatherFarm * Kerri Slade * Lynne * Abigail * Leslie * Angie * Michelle {{hug}} * Laurie B * Casto Creations * Avenue 7 * Shinade * Zen Ventures * Fidget * Swapna * Terrie * Raymond * Lois Lane * Jenn {{{{big hug}}}} * Petula * Lily * Elizabeth * Annette {man, I miss Skwiggazine!} * KML * Rachel (I hope I got the name right!! Memory ain't what it used to be...) * Tammy * Duni * Michelle * iWalk (love the cow graphic! How y'all manage to draw pictures with a keyboard amazes me.) * And last but NEVER least, Leet!

Whew ... this post took forever!! But may all your page ranks rise because y'all helped my bounce rate to fall. I should take a lesson from The Turnip and concentrate on getting the bounce rate down. Which could mean "bye bye" Entrecard. But that's another meditation. My eyes are really tired now.

Just a quickie ...

2008-12-18T16:24:00.000-06:00

... because I haven't updated in, like, forever!

My page rank rose back to a 3! Woo hoo!

Been super busy, which is why I haven't updated. Jewelry business is not paying the bills so I got a part-time, flexible "day" job to help make the ends meet. So I'm back to dabbling in bookkeeping which has always been my forte. I like working with numbers. Clear, concise, honest ... well, in the hands of an honest person, that is.

I'll still be working the jewelry business, but now I can relax a bit. Not getting enough to make the ends meet was making me a tad uptight. Uptightness stifles creativity. Juices are flowing better now.

My next post will be about using Twitterfeed. And I'll give some much deserved link luv to all my commentators from the prior post.

Everyone be safe!

Not bad for an amateur

2008-12-02T05:15:00.003-06:00

Running an on-line jewelry shop on a shoe-string budget forces a person to stretch their limits in many avenues. The starving artists that we are, we cannot afford professional photography, and yet quality photos that are inviting, compelling and functional are essential. So we read and apply, read more and try, and practice and read even more. There is so much that goes into the making of a good photo. I've worked with enough professional photographers in my many decades to know that they discard 90% of their photos because they don't measure up to the photographers standards of "good."

Unfortunately for jewelry artists, we don't have the time to shoot and re-shoot a piece 100 times to get those 5 "good" shots. But with enough trial and error we find a method that works for us so we can get our decent entries to use in our shops somewhat expediently.

Every once in a while though, it's fun to push the boundaries. I'm a wee bit proud of this photo ... the focus on the lovely bead and all the wonderful "bokeh" in the background to take the mundane out of the photo of a simple necklace.

You'll find this listed in my Etsy shop here.

On another front ... I got my Etsy shop's RSS feed linked to my Twitter! So now when I list something, it'll get tweeted with a link. Happy dance!

I'd like to thank a couple of recent folks who left comments, UniqueNurseGranny and Kim, with some link luv!

It's Sunday ...

2008-11-30T09:48:00.004-06:00

... and time to feature a good buddy from Skwiggazine! This week's featured artist is Corinne Sullivan of Daydream Art Studios! Corrine also has the sweetest blog. While you're checking out her Etsy shop, be sure to visit mine, too.

I'll be providing FREE SHIPPING for all Cyber Monday sales! I'll be furiously stocking overnight. Here's a sample of available prettiness:

Oh, and some linky luv for my recent commenters!
Storybeader Take a stroll through her lovely blog.
Beadsme aka Mandy Harvery, a very talented jewelry artist.
Savey Spender ... you'll save a buck or two!
Leslie of Unique Charm and another fellow Estian!
Always Amy ... always da bomb! (BTW, I signed up for ArtFire and mentioned you as the referral, but I signed up with the wtong e-mail so I have to get my registration straightened out! Here's to our mutual success!)
Anna of A Rose By Name and one of the phenomenal beadweavers. I so admire your skill, patience and talent.
Viv of Creative Minds is another fellow talented Estian. Etsy is stuffed full of talented people!
Kala Pohi Studio ... another talented Estian ... I'm feeling extraordinarily humbled.
And last, but never least, my two partners in the Skwiggazine madness, Michelle of Michabella Creations and Annette of Under the Loupe.

May all your page ranks rise!

Oh boy ...

2008-11-28T16:43:00.007-06:00

Two back to back shows.
One major computer crash.
One nasty cold virus.

The last thing I've felt like doing is blogging.

I had an on-line show scheduled for today, my first ever, but the thing got canceled by the organizer because of lack of support by other vendors. We are trying again this Wednesday evening. But I got lots of new items posted to my Etsy shop and more to come in the next couple of days. I figured a way to more efficiently take photos, prep them and list.

Here's some of the latest entries:

These are listed here.

This is listed here.

Good Morning, Autumn!

2008-11-16T07:00:00.005-06:00

It's about time! Crisp and cool weather that is hopefully saying bye bye to the buggies that bug our poor pooch.

As I am welcoming Fall, my friend from down under is welcoming Spring! Annette Piper, who I have featured before, is enjoying her spring although she is quite busy down there!

Annette's blog, Under the Loupe, is back in rotation for our Skwiggazine Blog-Ring. I always enjoy featuring Annette, her work is stunning! Her craftsmanship is exceptional and because of her knowledge of minerals, I always learn something from her.

Speaking of the need to wear earrings, check out Annette's latest earring entry:

Copyright Annette Piper.

She featured them here. Aren't they gorgeous? Did you know amethyst comes in green? I didn't! These lovelies would work in any setting.

Why Business Women Should Wear Earrings

2008-11-13T08:43:00.004-06:00

The following is a true story. It happened to me. It came back to the forefront of my memory because of my recent networking experience. When networking, one has anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds to give a "commercial" about their business. It's also known as the "elevator speech" in some networking circles.

When one does a lot of networking, one recognizes the need to change things up in order to sound interesting. I attended a meeting a couple of months ago where Jeff Klein, a local network marketing guru, gave us a presentation on making our elevator speeches more memorable. Most people give their name, company name, what it does, what they do, and ask for your business. After a few of these, the yawn factor sets in. The collective mind of the room begins to wander. Hence the need of giving an effective elevator speech and that often begins with a story.

Here's my story that I used the other day (although 30 seconds is simply NOT long enough to use this story effectively ... I needed 60!):

Once upon a time in a land far away, I was the manager of information systems at a Beverly Hills CPA firm. It was April, a busy time for CPAs, a very, very busy time. Not only are the 1040 tax returns due on the 15th, the first quarter payroll tax returns are due by the end of the month. Needless to say, workers in CPA firms put in a lot of long hours during the month of April. And because of the long hours, workers at CPA firms dress for comfort during that time.

We're talking jeans and t-shirt comfortable. There are some periods of time when even appropriate business casual has to fly away in the face for the need of comfort. Comfort = productivity, productivity is the single most important goal for CPA firms in April. But I digress (which I did NOT do in my elevator speech).

A guy comes in to sell us a computer thingmabob. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it was something in which the firm was interested enough that I took the time to talk to the guy. Unfortunately, he spent his entire elevator speech time, which was much longer than 60 seconds, talking to my boobs.

He did not make the sale.

There are two lessons to learn from this real-life story:

#1. Gentlemen, if you want to sell to a lady, look her in the face! Don't talk to her boobs. And trust me, guys, I was NOT provocatively dressed.

#2. Ladies, no matter what the setting, no matter what is going on in the office, dress in a way to focus attention to your FACE. And of course, the single best tool you have is a pair of noticeable earrings. Noticeable, not extravagant. But even with jeans and t-shirt, there are earrings that are appropriate that will keep the focus where it belongs.

These particular earrings sold a long time ago, but they are a good example of what you can wear with business casual. They are understated but pretty. And they will do the job of keeping the focus on your beautiful, intelligent face.

A Proud, Indulgent Moment

2008-11-12T09:40:00.003-06:00

I have a very beautiful woman for a daughter-in-law ... she truly is, both inside and out. And what's really amazing is that with her gorgeous looks and personality, she's extremely smart AND creatively talented. She has launched her own photography business, Sprinkles Photography, and I am beyond myself with excitement and pride!

Visit her blog and see that two most beautiful grandchildren in the world. Not that I'm biased or anything. Visit the website to see more.

Art as Legacy

2008-11-06T05:13:00.005-06:00

Every once in a while, I'll see something that makes me stop and look. Michelle Ruschman's work is one of the once in a whiles. She makes jewelry, very simple jewelry, but it packs a punch when it comes to meaning and purpose. Her jewelry transcends the mundane and even art because it has a deeper purpose ... preservation of a culture.

I "met" Michelle on the Ning social network Sta.rtUp.Biz when taking some time to meet and greet new members. She's a Filipina living here in the United States. I suppose it was on a journey of self-discovery that she stumbled upon the ancient Philippine script called baybayin. It developed into a full-scale passion and a legacy she is handing down to her daughter. Her work touched something deep inside of me and I felt compelled to share her art with my readers.

You can read her story on her profile page ... doesn't she have a beautiful face?!? She has one of the $1 million dollar smiles that lights the place up. Her website is here.

I wish you much success in all you set out to achieve, Michelle!

What on Earth??

2008-11-02T06:04:00.007-06:00

Or should I say: "What in Earth?"

Image is from the US Geological Survey agency.

Earthquakes in the Dallas area. Eight of them! The biggest was a puny 3.0 so on the scale, it's barely a blip ... although a lot of folks in the areas around the airport felt them and were talking about them. I live in Plano, too far away, so my world didn't seem to move at all. Unlike the years I lived in southern California. During those years, my world moved a lot. In fact, it was two back-to-back earthquakes in 1992 ... Landers and Big Bear ... that made us decide to pack up and get out of there. (To be honest, the earthquakes wouldn't have been nearly enough to cause us to make a huge changed in the lives of our boys, but these earthquakes followed on the heels of the Rodney King verdict riots.)

There's not a whole lot of information regarding intercontinental earthquakes, except for those occurring in the large river valleys ... Mississippi, Ohio, Wabash, etc ... so I can't find any answers as to what, exactly, caused the rumbling in our Mid-Cities area. But it is certainly weird. And eight of them ... not aftershocks, 8 individual quakes. So I'm really, really curious to know what is going on under our feet!

HOUSEKEEPING
I've received some tags and awards so I'd like to extend my gratitude to my blogging friends. The award was the one bestowed on me earlier, but I want to thank the two lovely ladies who though enough of me to nominate me again:

Leet: She's a wonderful artist. Really! To prove it, check out her gallery. This is one of my favorite blogs, I make sure to check in every time I sit to blog surf.

Cheryl: I love her blog ... it's all about card making and scrapbooking utilizing Stampin' Up, The Angel Company and Studio G products. Card making is one of my hobbies, and in fact, I use some of the items in my business such as packaging and thank you cards. I enjoy seeing the work of others, and Cheryl's work is beautiful. This is another favorite blog of mine I check on every time I surf.

I've been tagged twice:
Glitzy Gallery Gals and Silver Canyons... both fellow Etsians who make lovely handcrafted jewelry. I always feel honored to promote other jewelry artists. While it may seem to the rest of the world that we are competitors, and I suppose we really are when you look at it from a purely business standpoint, the fact is that we are first and foremost artists. Our styles are unique and there's a huge world out there with billions of differences in regards to taste and preference. It's a big enough world for all of us!

The tag is to list 7 little known facts about myself ... but that would kill off 7 future blog posts! But the first fact can be discerned from the beginning of this post. I am an armchair scientist (and I believe there is a Creator). And geology is one of my favorite subjects which explains my love affair with rocks. Being fascinated by earthquakes and volcanoes is just an extension on the scale of macro.

Skwiggazine Featured Artist
It's Sunday! My time for participation in this wonderful blog love exchange. This week we're focusing on Michelle Harvey of Michabella Creations. Be sure to check out her "Shop for a Cure" post. While October is over, cancer of all sorts is something which we should all be consistently aware.

I hope every single one of my readers has a fabulous time this upcoming week!

Dressing for Success

2008-10-29T06:44:00.004-05:00

I attended a networking event last Friday late afternoon. I was one of 15 vendors to have a show and tell table and it went very well. Over 100 business people attended the event.

I came home rather puzzled, though. I was somewhat surprised at the way some people dressed, especially those representing their businesses at the show and tell tables. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I did not understand why someone would come to a late afternoon event representing their businesses wearing the clothing one would wear to a picnic or to watch their kiddo play soccer on a Saturday morning.

What really made this strange was that last Friday was the day after the news broke about Sarah Palin's $150k image makeover price tag. Whether one agrees campaign funds should have been spent or not, or whether that much should have been spent or not, whatever ... the bottom line was that there was a perceived need to have Ms. Palin look more vice-presidential. Unique thought? I don't think so.

Personally, when I heard the news, I secretly was clicking my heels with excitement. It was bringing to national focus the concept that image dressing does matter and for someone like myself, who designs accessories for the businesswoman, that is a good thing.

I know business attire has changed over the decades, "business casual" dominates the scene in a lot of arenas, but business casual does not equal jeans + t-shirt + sneakers.

There seems to be three basic categories of business attire: casual, conservative or formal, and cocktail. In my line, I have different pieces for the different settings. And there are pieces that could fit in any of the settings, like the necklace above. Because it is made of fire-polished Czech glass faceted roundel beads, there is enough bling it could stand up to any cocktail setting. But when worn under a tailored blouse that has a collar with the three strands peeking out from the v-line of the blouse opening, it would look fabulous with a jacketed suit that is the conservative assemble, or the blouse that is worn with casual slacks in the casual setting.

Any way you slice it, what we wear to any situation says a lot about how we feel about that situation. Being well-dressed and groomed for business says "I am confident" and gives the impression of authority and validity, which are critical for success. When someone comes to me in a business setting well-dressed and groomed, not only are they making that statement about themselves, they are also telling ME that I am worthy of their respect. That's a good feeling.

Featured Artist

2008-10-26T18:09:00.002-05:00

Artist and Blogger of the Week for Skwiggazine is Lily Wray of Tulip's Treasure Box. Click the link and check her out.

I've been laying low this weekend ... I had a networking event Friday afternoon to early evening and it sorta wipe me out! I made some nice sales, though, and treated the hubby to dinner at the restaurant where the event was held. The earrings below went to someone who won my gift certificate. Another pair is still available so I didn't take the Etsy listing down.

Now I gotta go and do the Entrecard surf thing.

Pearly Crystal Earrings

2008-10-22T09:52:00.004-05:00

Just listed in my Etsy shop.

As I state in the description, Swarovski pearls are the best "fake" pearls in the world! Their luster is second to none, except for the real deal. And even then, it takes an exceptional real pearl to out-luster these.

I love to make these sort of earrings. They are simple and elegant, quick and easy to make, and they can be customized to the color preference of the buyer.

One of my blog-buddies from Entrecard (visit her blog ... she's a very talented artist!) asked me in a comment left on the preceding post about where I get my design inspiration. Most of the time, I get it from the components themselves. Whether crystals, pearls, stones or metal findings ... the shape, texture, color, size "speaks" to me. Sometimes a particular object remains mute until another time, but all the things I gather eventually tell me what to do.

I was blog-hopping last week and stumbled across a blog by another jewelry artist who wrote about a book he appreciates and refers to quite a bit. I do not remember his name, the name of the book or the author but he mentioned 6 principles of jewelry design which I copied into a Word document. I found them compelling and a good metaphor for life in general, not just for design. I'll be discussing each point in the future, as soon as I find that blog again so I can give proper credit to all involved.

I was pleased to see that I instinctually follow all 6 principles!

My target market is the business woman so all of my designs are geared towards her whether "formal" or "casual" or "cocktail." So design inspiration is never lacking.

I do see things in my wanderings that inspire. I saw a painting of Queen Elizabeth I once in a book that inspired a gorgeous necklace, the prototype which I kept for myself and often wear to my networking events.

I am always looking at fashion magazines and internet sites/blogs for inspiration. I avoid looking at jewelry specifically, but look to the clothing to see if I could make something that would harmonize and complete the look.

I realize I need to count myself fortunate in that the medium I chose to express my art is never lacking for inspiration! However, it is a struggle to avoid the mundane and the mediocre.

Holie Molie

2008-10-21T08:46:00.004-05:00

So just what, exactly, does $700 billion dollars look like? Better yet, what does it feel like?

Think on this, dear Reader:

If you were to sit in the most comfortable chair you can find, you get hooked up to a feeding tube, catheter and colon bag to take care of bodily necessities and you were endowed with endless life, and proceeded to count out each and every dollar in $1 increments per 1 second non-stop, it will take 22,197 years for you to complete the task.

Have some fun doing more of the math. Wrap your mind around this and wonder about the future our grandchildren will enjoy.

Good thing money is easily printed on paper. Hope there are enough trees in the world. If our monetary system isn't based on cash, hope there is enough ... what? Confidence? Good feelings? Smiles? Pixels? Widgets? Spa treatments?

How about beads?!!? ;-)

I'll donate 111 beads to the effort. While I seriously doubt the history I was fed as a child, they did tell us New York was purchased from the natives for beads. This necklace should be able to secure me a parking spot on Manhatten, adjusted for inflation.

BTW --- I've been tagged. Actually, twice this month, but I haven't had the opportunity to do my duty. I will work on that this week!

Some more cubic zirconia

2008-10-18T10:37:00.004-05:00

Lovely handcrafted earrings with a lot of bling. Swarovski calls the color of this ctystal "Silk" and the rectangle cubic zirconia bead hanging in the middle of the 14k gold-filled hammered ring is almost identical. These are gorgeous and pictures truly do little justice to the sparkle these beauty reflect.

They are listed in my Etsy shop here.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. We're attending a wedding this afternoon so I'm off to handcraft both the card and the gift card holder.

Why Can't I Be a Joe ...

2008-10-16T10:26:00.005-05:00

... and got into plumbing? I have a feeling every entrepreneur in America woke up this morning wishing he or she was Joe the Plumber. Not for the sake of politics, but exposure is everything and this fortunate guy got more than his share of exposure! Talk about free advertising. Sheesh!

Oh well. Such is life. I'll have to settle for making these things. I may not make the money Joe makes ... and I'm sure he'll be getting a LOT more business with his global exposure ... at least my choice of career isn't as stinky and slimy and sludgy.

I really like bling. And cubic zirconia provides a lot of bling for the buck. Isn't the color luscious? Combined with the gleam of the hammered gold rings and ovals, dangling at 2.5 inches, this pair of earrings is perfect when glam is needed.

These will be listed on my Etsy shop later today. I'll be back to update with the link.

ETA: Almost forgot the link!

Happy dance!

2008-10-13T09:21:00.004-05:00

I've never, ever done two posts in one day, but I just couldn't wait!

I got my Page Rank back!

Well, now it's only a "2" and I was "3" before the slap, but hey, tomorrow is another day. In the meantime, thank you to whoever from Google reconsidered my blog. You may be nameless and faceless, but you got a wee spot of my heart.

Playing Catch-Up

2008-10-13T07:27:00.004-05:00

SOLD!

My Handcrafted Jewelry Open House all done and it went great! I don't have pictures of the rest that sold. Taking pictures of everything is something I need to work on, even if I have no plans to list or post them anywhere.

Now I get to play catch up on everything else that fell by the wayside. One of which is very important to me ... my Skiwggazine Network Featured Blog Group!

I missed posting about Debi and her family blog: Who Says 8 Is Enough? Eleven. Children. Amazing! Check it out! I feel so "not worthy"!

Last week was Karen from Cherished Dreams. She makes beautiful quilts! Really, really beautiful quilts. It's been quite a while since I've done any quilting. Must not let the quilt bug bite ... not enough time! I'm running away now ...

Next Open House date: November 15. Plenty of time to create and make and get all the details taken care of on schedule. It's not fun running around in the last minutes. I hope to be taking lots of new pictures this week!

Wandering Minds Wonder ...

2008-10-09T09:48:00.004-05:00

A lot of my activity directly related to my business is both creative and repetitious. And even though the brain is involved, quite a bit involved, in the creative process, for a designer of handcrafted jewelry it's the repetitious that dominates. Yet, creative brains are active brains, so while performing the repetitions, our brains keep churning and whirling and grinding.

Personally, when my brain is churning and whirling and grinding I try NOT to think about the design of the next piece. Otherwise, I would stop what I was working on and perhaps never complete it. For hobbyists and crafters, having a whole bunch of UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) lying around may not present much of a problem, other than storage, but for some one trying to pay some bills with her craft, UFO's are waste of precious things like time and materials.

So while performing my repetitious tasks, like the actual making of a piece of handcrafted jewelry, I block the creative thoughts and let my mind wander. I have a very well-traveled mind!

Today my mind was fixated on the economic mess, as it's becoming a huge, HUGE, global problem. I heard on NPR this morning Britain is considering a lawsuit against Iceland? I didn't get a chance to hear and comprehend exactly why, but I found that rather odd, and perhaps a bit scary. Since I don't have any details, I won't express an opinion other than I find it odd. Perhaps my wandering mind will stumble across the details.

So now my wandering mind is wondering, did the American mortgage crises cause all this mess that's going on all over the world? No, can't be ... the rest of the world has its issues that it gets to own and accept responsibility. But it got me thinking that there was an earlier problem, a HUGE problem, that led to sub-prime credit and the whole mess that Americans, at least, are facing.

Outsourcing.

Perhaps if American employers kept the jobs here in the states, the whole need for sub-prime credit wouldn't have come about. Outsourcing started a long time ago, back in the early 80's if not before. Before my adult children were born. I'm beginning to feel really sorry for my adult children. I'm even more sorry for what my teen-aged daughter may be facing.

Can it all be so simple? That greed for huge bonuses on behalf of the privileged few at the top, and huge dividends and return on investments for the few who had more than ten nickels to rub together to invest was more important than our collective offspring's future quality of life? Well, thank you very much all you greedy people. But I realize you don't care one hair of your chinny-chin-chin about my childrens' future.

I'd tell y'all to bite me, but you already have.

My wandering mind is also wondering why and when the production that drives economy got away from actual things ... things you can eat, wear, hold in your hand and enjoy ... and became ethereal and pixelated. But I haven't got a firm grasp on those thoughts, so I'm off to my work bench.

Before I go, update on the Open House ... I got a free trial subscription to iContact to send out e-mail invitations to a bunch of people I've met networking over the last 5 months. iContact is a nice, easy-to-use program and very reasonably priced. I'll be converting my free trial as it's only $9.95 a month and I plan to use it monthly. But when stopping to think, isn't that ethereal and pixelated? I guess I have my own part in the larger problems facing our world.

Bless our collective hearts ...

Busy in Preparations

2008-10-06T17:17:00.005-05:00

Hostessing my first Open House this Saturday, the 11th, and I've been swamped with all the collateral issues. I'm feeling very, very nervous. My home is clean and decent, but humble in comparison with many of the households here. I happen to live in what is considered to be in the top ten most affluent suburbs in America.

We live in the older part, much more middle-low of the middle class.

The house needs updating. It needs a fresh coat of paint. It needs a lot of things, but then, all these things cost money. Hopefully I'll make some pocket change to help along those lines, but the public is being welcomed into my humble home as it is.

I hope they'll see comfort and contentment. After all, when it came to our decision of what and where to buy, we stayed in our budget. We bought no more of a house than what we could afford in a place where the public schools are excellent.

I hope what they see and appreciate is a family who is not burdening them by being part of a $7 billion dollar "rescue" plan. So no, it ain't fancy, but it ain't costing any American taxpayer a single penny, either.

Prototype of New Product Packaging

2008-09-30T10:31:00.005-05:00

I'm still not over Google's spanking, but one can only take one's licks and move on. I have followed their instructions by submitting a sitemap, which was very confusing for a non-geek person like myself. But I muddled through the lack of clear, concise documentation and figured out how to use my RSS feed as the sitemap. Blogger doesn't allow for a user-generated XML ... or whatever ... sitemap to be plunked somewhere in the template. I've submitted my blog for reconsideration so now it's a exercise in patience. I've also asked them about the "duplicate title tags" since I don't have a clue how to fix that. Blogger is THEIR product so it should be usable without creating havoc with another of THEIR products.

I did say something about moving on, didn't I? No more mention of PageRank unless or until I've been bailed out of search engine jail.

Today I took the mess you see on my dining room table in the opening photo and turned it into this:

I didn't use the boxed flower components in the first picture because after I opened it up, I realized there wasn't enough for duplication (there's that baaaad word again!). I need to make oodles of these packages so I opted to use cardstock, a couple of punches, and brads of which I have plenty. Not bad, don't you think?

I learned this technique last week when I attended a local stamp club that is run by a talented and creative Stampin' Up demonstrator here in the Plano area. If you'd like her contact information, contact me. She'll humbly tell you that she's just following the directions of other talented and creative people, but she has a gift for teaching.

In her class, we used double-sided paper so that the inside looks as good as the outside, but in the interest of not driving the prices of my handcrafted jewelry too far to the roof, I've opted for one-sided. I couldn't find any that matched my branding image, but I think this is close enough to work for now.

I'm having an open house in my house starting October 11th and continuing until further notice on the second Saturday of every month. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and are interested in coming, drop me a line with your e-mail address and I'll add you to the e-vite list. Just about everyone who I have met personally through the various network events I attend will be getting an invite. I'll be using my new product packaging at the open house ... or I HOPE to that is!

Trying to get people to commit to a home show has been virtually impossible, even with a generous hostess package in the offering. I've asked those I know very well, and those who are in the Mastermind group with me "Why?" and the answer is what I expected. Hostessing is a LOT of work. I know that because I've played hostess myself plenty of times.

So for now, I'll play hostess and invite the fashion jewelry loving women in my circles to come over to my house and play. And the entrepreneurial women are more than welcome to bring their business cards for networking.

I should have listened ...

2008-09-29T04:56:00.004-05:00

Google slapped me silly.

I've read some great geek blogs I've found since joining Entrecard. And I've even attended a MeetUp meeting of a group of geeks. I learned Google penalized duplicate content (but I OWN the content). When I found out duplicating items from a blog was a huge no-no, I stopped doing what I was doing. But I guess I should have done more.

I belong to various social networks using the Ning platform. These networks are nice because they are topically focused, which helps in marketing because one knows they are reaching a targeted audience. All these networks give members their own profile page which also includes a blog. So I thought "Cool!" and I could duplicate blog posts among my Ning networks and reach a wider audience.

Live and learn. My rank went from a sweet little 3 to a basement bottom N/A. With great sadness I removed my PR rank button from my "Techies" sidebar section.

I contacted Google for advice and surprisingly, they responded within one hour! The responder gave me the suggestion to use the Google Webmaster tools, particularly the "sitemap" and wait. I had already deleted all duplicate content before contacting them.

The sitemap tool is giving me a report of "duplicate title tags" for 20 of my posts. I wonder how penalizing that could be? There is truly nothing new under the sun and with however many million of blogs out there, duplicate titles are going to happen. What does one do when a particular title is already used, but it's perfect for the post?

What a bummer. And to top it off, my nearby Starbucks was out of Kenya coffee so I had to settle for Ethiopia Sidamo. There's nothing better than a nice, hot cup of Kenya java first thing in the morning.

Stumble It!

I'm so confused!

2008-09-25T11:09:00.005-05:00

"A person who is acting out self destructively has no reason to change if they do not ever suffer major consequences for their behavior. If they are rescued from consequences, they are enabled to continue practicing their addiction."

The government needs to spend 6 months in a Tough Love group.

So, if I understand it, all those folks in those white buildings in DC are planning to write a 700 billion dollar check to bail out banks/businesses that made really bad decisions/choices about extending credit causing them to be on the verge of collapse so that they will extend more credit to consumers and businesses. Do I have that right?

If so ... I am so sorry. I'm still confused. Wouldn't it make more sense for the government to directly loan responsible consumers and businesses the money to keep the economy afloat, earn revenue on the interest and let the shipwrecks sink?

Needless to say, I'm no economist and it's been more than enough decades since I sat in a lecture hall for economics and finance that were core requirements for the degree I was working on. But something tells me the same can be said for all those folks in those white buildings in DC.

Well, so I've a feeling I'll be confused for a long, long time.

At least I have my craft. It doesn't confuse me. I love working with rings, weaving them into patterns and links. One of my favorite is this "mobius" weave, based on the never-ending circle.

And no, this is not an attempt at heavy-handed metaphor.

I just love that line the Wilberforce character says to the Pitt the Younger character in Amazing Grace.

Fall is here and it's time to put this handcrafted necklace of blue and brass out for the world to see.

It has earrings too. The stone is a blue onyx. I'd love to know how they dye rock, since it didn't come out of the ground this color. It's an amazing color and I think it's perfect with brassy metals.

I haven't come up with a price yet. I'm taking the advice of all those who responded to my earlier post about pricing. The majority said "raise them!" and that is the same advice I received when I posed the problem to my mastermind group I attend here locally. So we shall see.

But for all my readers, any time you purchase from me, whether on Etsy or directly from me, please give me the code DHBlog and you will receive a 15% discount AND free shipping.

WARNING! INVASION!!

2008-09-23T08:36:00.016-05:00

They came from the sky!
Dogs were jumping out of their skins all weekend long!

One even landed in the field outside our backyard!

Then it proceeded to die!

Big dude trying to help the dying creature.

What it takes to land one of these things!

"Smile! You're on Candid Camera."

Awww ... I think this is a mother and son moment!

My neighbor.
He has a bigger camera than me!
I blurred his face.
He works for one of those government contracted companies.
Top secret sort of stuff.
So I blurred him.
Otherwise we'd have to shoot y'all.

It's kinda cool to live a couple of miles away from a balloon festival!

Stumble It!

Need Your Input, Please!

2008-09-19T10:27:00.007-05:00

I posted these earrings in an earlier blog post and received some great comments. I always appreciate my commentators!

Interestingly is that a couple comments mentioned that it's a steal. One even suggested the earrings would sell quicker for me if I raised my price from the listed $8.00.

This is where I need input from my readers. How do you feel about prices of items that interest you? Do you avoid prices you may feel are low? Would you be more interested in buying those earrings if they were priced at $10? $15?? $20???

Because I'm able to buy wholesale, the materials used to make this pair of earrings cost me $1.75. It cost me $.20 to list in my Etsy shop. If and when they sell on Etsy, I'll pay a total of 7% in commissions totalling $.56. That brings my cost of goods sold to $2.51. That's a gross profit of $5.49. The overhead that normally comes into the accounting play is extremely negligible because I work from the home. The percentage of overhead "spent" directly on this small pair of earrings is too tiny to account, but for the sake of argument and a nice round number to work with, let's give it a value of $.49 which also includes self-employment taxes. Profit is now $5.00 which pays for my time spent making the earrings. The earrings took 2 minutes to fashion (I've been doing this for years, speed comes with experience). That would give me the equivalent pay of $150/hour!

Not a bad wage, huh? Yet this well-meaning critique that my prices are too low has come to me from more than one place. "Under pricing" is a frequent topic on the Etsy forums. So now I'm asking you, dear reader, should I raise my prices?

Do you personally want to pay $13 for something when the designer is offering it to you for $8 while still making a comfortable profit margin?

When I started making my own line of jewelry, I had it in mind to have a Mission Statement for my business. I've never put it in writing, so I guess I'll do so now.

The Mission of '57 Design Studio is to provide quality handcrafted jewelry made of quality materials direct to the customer at prices that are friendly to the budget.

However, I would really like my business to succeed so I'm beginning to feel the pressure to raise prices, even in an economy that is on a roller-coaster of confidence. To be honest, I've already increased my prices ... two years ago I would have priced those earrings at $5.00.

As for the necklace, that IS a steal. That pea-pickin' thing took me three hours, but I seriously doubt anybody would pay $528 for a piece that is basically costume jewelry (no semi-precious material was used so I can't classify it as "bridge").

I welcome and appreciate any and all input. If someone would kindly Stumble this post, I'd appreciate that, too, since I'd like to get input from a variety of sources. I'm too "shy" to Stumble my own post!

Oh, and has anybody else been glued to a financial news network these past few days? I think I'm happy to hear of the possibility of mutual funds being insured by the government, especially since the major insurer of securities has defaulted and is in the process of being bailed out only to get sliced up into a gazillion pieces.

No short sells for 30 days, that's interesting too. I was wishing I had some spare change yesterday when the market opened with a huge plunge. Not only did it end on an up note, it opened up and is currently soaring. Time to raise 6 flags over Wall Street!

Stumble It!

Sob

2008-09-17T16:17:00.011-05:00

Proposed House Bill 568 of the 127th General Assembly of the State of Ohio:

Sec. 955.111. (A) Beginning ninety days after the effective date of this section, no person shall own, keep, or harbor a dog that belongs to a breed that is commonly known as a pit bull dog.

(B) Not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, a person who owns, keeps, or harbors a pit bull dog on the effective date of this section shall surrender the dog to the dog warden. Not later than ten days after receiving the dog, the dog warden shall euthanize the dog.

(C)(1) Beginning ninety days after the effective date of this section, if an officer has probable cause to believe that a dog is a pit bull dog, the officer may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for a search warrant. The court shall issue a search warrant for the purposes requested if there is probable cause to believe that a dog is a pit bull dog.

(2) After obtaining a search warrant, an officer shall seize the pit bull dog and surrender the dog to the dog warden. Not later than ten days after receiving the dog, the dog warden shall euthanize the dog.

(D) As used in this section, "officer" has the same meaning as in section 959.132 of the Revised Code.

Please ... no. Even if this doesn't pass, I am thankful I DO NOT live in Ohio, but I fear that Ohio's actions will set a precedent for other states to follow.

This is not a vicious dog. He's a much loved family pet. I contend he has a right to life as any living thing.

I know pit bulls have attacked and killed. I know some of the victims have been children. The fault lays in the human animal, not the canine. Any dog, ANY dog of any breed, that turns vicious should be humanely euthanized. Any human owner must accept responsibility for the actions of his/her pet and be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. If the law of the community and/or state doesn't have sharp enough teeth to punish the human, change it.

But to irrationally mandate the wholesale slaughter of pets because of the chance of their genetics is cruel and inhuman.

I've poked around the worldwide web on this subject. I read a portion of a forum of concerned parents who want to enact all sorts of Breed Specific Legislation against Pit Bulls because they believe they endanger children. But take a look at some real statistics.

What is the leading cause of death of children in America? Car accidents. So if you're advocating the slaughter of family pets, then ban the automobile. It's only logical.

I better stop now before I break my keyboard. I'm POUNDING here.

Stumble It!

Back to Business

2008-09-16T16:27:00.009-05:00

I need to remember why I'm doing this blog!

Handcrafted jewelry! Yeah, that's what this is all about. These earrings are made out of simple cream-colored "river rock" and brass-colored pewter. River Rock is what the supplier called the stone beads and it works for me. The price works for me too. These earrings will be listed on Etsy for $8. The ear wires are 14k gold-filled. I only use gold-filled or sterling for ear wires because, personally, my ears are bothered by plated and base metals. Because gold-fill has an actual layer of gold around the base, my ears have not had an allergic reaction. If anyone is concerned as to whether gold-fill will react in their sensitive ears, I'm always willing to send them an ear wire to test. I can also switch to solid gold ear wires at cost, which last time I checked was around $9 for one pair of 14k gold french wires.

This handcrafted necklace is all done! I wrote about it here a while back. Loading the rings with the cream-colored glass bugle beads and brass-colored daisy spacers was a time-consuming chore, but I like how it turned out. I've already taken this to some of my local networking meetings where it has attracted a LOT of attention. And the listing price is only $28 so that should attract a LOT of attention, too.

While fall and winter is coming upon us, I love offering what I call "the winter whites." Cream-colored stones and beads paired with gold or brassy metals exudes warmth and works with a lot of business attire for women. This necklace would look great with tweed tailored jackets in camel, cream, even some reds and blues. It's long enough to be doubled for a choker, or worn long to lengthen the torso, depending upon what the wearer's body type requires to look its best.

Here's the detail shot of the double beaded rings. Since most of my photos are prepared for listing on Etsy, they are rather large files. Blogger scales them down for posting on the blog page, but the photos are clickable if you'd like to see a nice, large version.

Sometimes I think the photos show too much detail! I often see flaws after taking the digital photos and detailing them in Photoshop ... flaws I don't catch when either working on the piece, or displaying them. I guess the digital camera sees more than our eyes do. One can let anything slip by. I've taken many a piece back to the design table to be reworked. There's another necklace that goes with this part of my line that had a design flaw I didn't catch until the photos were taken. It may not even be a true "flaw" because the necklace looks fine in person. But exposed to digital scrutiny, it doesn't look right and therefore it wouldn't likely sell.

Handcrafted jewelry! Yeah, those are the keywords. Eat 'em up spider 'bots.

Stumble It!

"This Town Needs an Enema!"

2008-09-15T08:24:00.005-05:00

[Rant mode on]
After dropping off dear daughter at her middle school this morning, I headed home my usual route which takes me to the street on the backside of the school. This street has a driveway leading to the school, one used by the parents of 6th graders to drop them off at their special entrance.

Smack-dab in the middle of the entry to the driveway was someone's pet kitty cat, dead, run over. Not only run over, but flattened like a pancake. The only way a critter gets that flat upon being struck is if multiple people ran over the poor thing.

What on earth is WRONG with some people! I realize that accidents happen, I've had critter-related accidents myself although fortunately never involving someone's beloved pet. But even if this started as an accident, it appears to have ended in something more intentionally cruel.

Is it some sort of sadistic pleasure that people get from running over creatures? Is it a matter that they're not paying attention to the road?? Do people just not CARE about anything anymore? Imagine how upsetting the view has to be for some of the kids getting dropped off at school. I'm grateful my critter-loving daughter gets dropped off at the front entrance. Her day would have been spoiled by seeing the carnage.

The real scary thought is that those who've chosen to flatten the poor creature have reproduced.
[rant mode off]

Okay, that's off my chest. This morning serves to remind me why I don't let my cats explore the great outdoors.

On a much lighter note, I'll leave y'all with Roady on my neighbor's Jeep getting ready for some suburban surfing:

Stumble It!

Ike Update

2008-09-13T19:12:00.004-05:00

Just a quickie ... here in the Dallas area, we are unscathed. It's still raining and windy, but the only tree limbs I've seen downed have been dead branches. We have been fortunate. The eye of Ike got pushed to our east by a trough coming through our area.

I hope we hear from all our blogging friends soon ... both those who have been affected, and those who have families living in the affected area. But our blogging friends who took direct hits may not be back on-line for a while.

It looks like we will be having gorgeous weather starting Monday! Maybe Ike is taking away the summer. I still don't like Ike, but I'm glad for cooler weather.

Oh, and a word to the National Weather Bureau. Next time you issue a warning, watch the words you use! If you haven't already been told by all the English teachers across America, the word "may" in your warning combined with the word "certain" doesn't jive. Either something is certain or it isn't. If it's a matter of "maybe" then there is NO certainty. Statements issued like this make folks ignore you in the future, and that MAY not be a good thing.

I Don't Like Ike

2008-09-12T10:04:00.002-05:00

My word, it's HUGE! Like, Texas-size huge.

"Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family, one- or two-story homes may face certain death."

I don't think I've ever, EVER, heard such a warning. Certain death? Sheesh.

I expect wind and rain tomorrow, but at the moment, they're predicting the storm to track east of us here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. But even with 30 mph sustained wind, I can only hope my fence stays put. I should get the trash bins up against the house.

I'm also anticipating the call for volunteers to head south in the aftermath to take part in what will be a massive clean-up effort. I definitely have a closet full of gently used clothing that can be donated, at the very least.

Remembering

2008-09-11T07:52:00.012-05:00

Renee's story

Serena's story

(I'm seeking blogs posts of NY residents who have posted their personal story to link here. If you or someone you know has a "survivor" story, please leave a comment and link.)

My Favorite Flower

2008-09-10T09:17:00.004-05:00

From my favorite finds on Etsy ...

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
hiljohn.etsy.com

Stumble It!

Honeycomb Calcite ... All Dressed Up and Ready to Go

2008-09-08T14:30:00.009-05:00

Last week I posted about the new (new to me, that is) find of honeycomb calcite. The half-barrel pendant is freshly outfitted and ready to make its debut, both on the worldwide super highway and in the local shop that sells this rock. Without any further ado:

Because I'm new to the craft of wire-wrapping in the making of my handcrafted jewelry, I used a brass craft wire instead of the more expensive 14k gold-filled wire. The faceted beads are fire-polished Czech glass roundels; the color is called "French Rose." There is a subtle copper coloring around the bead hole. Not easy to see in the photos, but it lends a depth and richness to the bead.

The chain is all handcrafted, including the jump rings. The ready-made jump rings I had in my studio were either 4mm (too small) or 6mm (too big) so I made my own 5mm out of the same wire I used for both the wire-wrapping of the pendant and the scrolling chain links. The clasp I used was a 14k gold-filled hook-and-eye which I purchased ready-made. The pictures are clickable so you can see a larger view of the detail.

The necklace measures about 23.5 inches long. It will be at Tuscan Lights in downtown Plano by the end of the week. The address is 1018 E. 15th Street.

This makes it all worth the while!

2008-09-04T06:00:00.004-05:00

Bestowed on me by Claire of The House that Koen & Claire (re)Built

Brazoscowgirl also bestowed this on August 31, but I didn't realize it until yesterday when I was reading through her last several blog posts when I landed on her site during my Entrecard surf.

Anyhow! You both are the TOPS in my book too, and in my "Favorites" in my toolbar. I'm beginning to really appreciate the Entrecard Toolbar.

Here are the rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours, and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you've nominated

And my really cool blog nominees are:
1. Oh Fer Cryin' Out Loud
2. A Painting A Day by Veronica Escudero
3. Three Fates Design
4. Lets Jump Together (KML has more than one ... it was a tough choice!)
5. StudioJewel - Journey of a Jeweler
6. My Pictures of Montana (Even though I get homesick every day I visit)
7. Twisted Thicket

Does Bouncing Hurt?

2008-09-03T12:21:00.005-05:00

I have to wonder. I ran Google Analytics and have a "bounce" rate of 92.46% and I'm not sure if I should feel pain or not.

I realize that a vast portion of the bounce rate is Entercard folks landing to drop their cards, collect their 1ec and moving on. I don't have a problem with that, especially since I get a 1ec as well. But I have been working on the "stickiness" of this blog.

I know, this is a niche blog. Not every one dancing the Entrecard 300-step will be interested in my niche. I am very happy to see, however, that there are those who do stick around to read and perhaps even comment. And advertise! I hope those who have been advertising on this blog are getting new hits from my widget.

But the bounce rate is one of the reasons I've decided NOT to put up a "top 10" list of Entrecard droppers. I'm going to stay with what I did the other day and list/link those who comment. And I plan to list/link those who advertise on my blog.

Another problem I have with the Entrecard Top Ten is that if you're looking at your list and all 10 have dropped one each day for each day of the month, there may be 11 or 12 or 13 or more droppers who also dropped each day of the month, but because the list is limited to 10, you won't see the rest. It boils down to the luck of timing as to whether a particular blogger shows up on your top 10 list. I'm not comfortable with that.

So forgive me if I don't follow the pack in recognizing the top-10 droppers.

Now I really got to get some new pictures done! I have some new things. Stay tuned.

Thank You!!

2008-09-01T10:41:00.004-05:00

As promised, here is a list, with backlinks, of all the wonderful people who have left comments on my blog this past month! There are a couple who have chosen not to make their profiles public so I'm not able to link back to your blogs, but I do appreciate your interest in what I write.

Comments mean so much to bloggers!

Bonoriau: http://bonotravel.blogspot.com/
Connie: http://mickeyfanatic.com/
Lidian: http://kitchenretro.wordpress.com/
Rayne: http://thoughts.marascreations.com/mambo/
Thyme2dream: http://thyme2dream.blogspot.com/
Three Fates: http://threefatesdesign.blogspot.com/
Jennifer: http://redbooksandchairs.blogspot.com/
Tina: http://treasuresbytina.blogspot.com/
Bagladee: http://emma-bagladee.blogspot.com/
Lux (a real cool cat!): http://awhitecat.blogspot.com/
Frostygirl: http://frostygirl.bundublog.com/
Silver Canyons: http://silvercanyons.blogspot.com/
Helen: http://neferiti-thesearchforself.blogspot.com/
Liz: http://craftfrommyheart.blogspot.com/
Petula: http://petulaw.blogspot.com/
Quartz Crystals: http://www.heqr.com/quartz/crystals/
Harmony: http://sweetdaisy.blogspot.com/
Wendy: http://wenlopred.blogspot.com/
Margie and Edna: http://margieandednasbasement.blogspot.com/
Leet: http://leet-gallery.blogspot.com/
Jacqueline: http://myideas1.podbean.com/
Claire: http://thehousethatkoenclairerebuilt.blogspot.com/
Zyriana: http://www.zyriana.com/
BeadedTail: http://beadedtail.blogspot.com/
Betty: http://amomslife.slashbe.com/
Pam Hoffman: http://seminarlist.blogspot.com/
LizzyT: http://lizzytdesigns.blogspot.com/
RandomCatGirl: http://randomcatgirl.wordpress.com/
Cathy James: http://houstonwahms.blogspot.com/
Jack: http://travelreviews.today.com/
Deb Disalvo: http://artisticflairbydebdisalvo.blogspot.com/
Lucky Girl: http://luckygirltrading.blogspot.com/
Susan Helene: http://blueribbonbloggers.blogspot.com/
Happy Panda: http://happypandababy.blogspot.com/
Mike Golch: http://mjgolch.blogspot.com/
Lynne: http://sewingmom.com/
Kelly: http://theneuroticmom.blogspot.com/
Bintang4: http://snapshotcap.blogspot.com/
Sara: http://newsfromnola.blogspot.com/
Craft Junkie: http://craft-therapy.blogspot.com/
Tammy: http://tammywarren.typepad.com/adaytoshare/
Rebecca: http://freakyfrugalite.com/
Doug: http://www.dougsmissoulablog.com/
Lonestar 818: http://3runningincircles.blogspot.com/
Purrprints: http://purrprints.blogspot.com/
Miss Cat: http://4300bourbondrive.com/ (I hope you got out of Gustav’s path, dahling!)
Money, Love and Change: http://www.moneyloveandchange.com/
BeaderJoJo: http://beaderjojo.blogspot.com/
Taher: http://taherbharmal.blogspot.com/
Patricia: http://communicationexchange.blogspot.com/
Janet: http://folkartbycampbelljane.blogspot.com/
Meg: http://plushdesignspa.blogspot.com/
Leah: http://www.michondesign.com/jewelry-blog/
FeeFiFoto: http://blog.feefifoto.com/
Tiffany: http://jrgoddessdesigns.blogspot.com/
Christis: http://christis-blahblahblog.blogspot.com/
JenniBeanV: http://jiggetyjigg.blogspot.com/
KentuckyGal: http://backporchervations.blogspot.com/
FurKidsMom: http://friendsfurevercatblog.blogspot.com/
Sue: http://momoftwounder18.blogspot.com/
Elle: http://elle3belle.blogspot.com/ (Hope ya’ll are OK too!)
Melissa: http://www.melissashomeschool.blogspot.com/
My Bug Life: http://foodientravelbug.blogspot.com/
Shiny: http://shinyadornments.blogspot.com/
Lady Language: http://www.ladylanguage.com/blog/
Liza: http://mlizcochico.blogspot.com/
Desert Rose Door: http://desertrosedoorrefinishing.blogspot.com/
MekhisMom: http://cutiebootycakes.blogspot.com/
A.: http://travellingspouse.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Robin: http://byjenniferrobin.blogspot.com/
Jennifer: http://thedirtyshirt.typepad.com/
Yoshiko: http://crystallizedbyyoshiko.blogspot.com/
Ashley: http://myashleyleigh.blogspot.com/

May all your page ranks rise!

Run! Don't Walk ...

2008-08-31T10:17:00.004-05:00

... to Corrine's Daydream Art Studios and take a look at the fun one can have with spray paint! I mean need to "borrow" some ideas!

And to all those in the path of Gustav ... please RUN!

I'll be working on a special post of link-love to all those who have commented on my blog during the month of August. I'll get it posted tomorrow. It may not be fancy (I doubt I'll be nabbing all the graphics) but I really want to show my deep appreciation to everyone who took time to read and comment and what is better for a blogger than a BACKLINK?

After tomorrow, I plan to make this a weekly exercise. And I'll be sure to recognize the top Entrecard droppers too, shortly. Y'all have been so generous and kind! Also to all who have advertised ... I need to find if there's a history of advertisers somewhere in the Entrecard website.

Working From Home

2008-08-29T13:08:00.004-05:00

It has its pros and cons.

The pros are fairly evident ... no commute, no worry about wardrobe and make-up, no need for fast food/take out, no time constraints, etc.

The cons are not quite as evident ... for me it's mainly about space. I used to work on the dining room table, but the need to use our dining room table for, well, actually dining, kept rearing its troubling head.

To alleviate the mess and clutter from the dining room, and to free it up for its intended use, I moved everything into our bedroom. So now my studio is on a 4-foot Costco-purchased table piled with shelving and drawer units and containers. The actual working space is adequate. But the con is my dear companion and husband of going on 30 years; he hates the studio being in the bedroom up against the window. It's on "his" side of the room. Personally, I don't see why it can't be considered "our" side of the room, but I suppose that's picking nits.

There is a spare room upstairs currently being used as storage/junk/scaredy-cat's sanctuary/guest-room when needed after a thorough clean out. I could use that room and would gladly do so except for one very important necessity lacking in that room.

It's not wired for cable TV.

I need noise to work. And music simply won't do because the music I like to listen makes me get up and dance. While that may help in burning a few 100 of my excess calories, I can't handcraft jewelry while dancing.

Nope, the TV ... the proverbial "boob tube" is what I need. Strange, because I don't actually watch TV while handcrafting jewelry, but listen to it. Occasionally something I hears piques my interest enough that I'll stop and look, but I'm still very productive.

I'm a rather eclectic TV viewer. While we are taking full advantage of the house having Verizon's FIOS, my channel selection pretty much stays in a very narrow range of Discover/National Geographic/History network. Fortunately they are all next to each other on the channel line-up. Sometimes I'll "go across the pond" and have BBC America playing. And sometimes, rarely, I'll listen to a documentary on one of the premium channels.

Like today, I had on the Sundance channel. I am not a fan of reality TV shows. I generally run out of the room when Son #2 is watching one of his several dozen favorites (although I have to admit to enjoying "So You Think You Can Dance" every once in a while). But today I discovered a reality TV show that totally floats my boat called "On the Road in America." After watching the first episode, I ran to the computer (which is NOT in the bedroom) and Googled the show, found the air dates of the next episodes and cleared my calendar accordingly. I'm really looking forward to the episode where they take in some of my favorite Montana stomping grounds.

I've always had a sneaking suspicion that people were pretty much the same all over the world, if not in terms of culture, at least in terms of what gives joy and laughter and what causes sadness and pain.

Honeycomb Calcite

2008-08-28T12:06:00.013-05:00

It's the latest on my work bench. Honey-colored calcite with the crystals in tubular cells outlined by predominately white membranes gives this stone a definite look of honeycomb. It is exclusively mined in Utah. It's luster is vitreous, but it does accept a gleaming high polish. Unlike other forms of calcite, its color doesn't readily fade in sunlight. Because of its structure, it's solid and sturdy and is used in both architectural and artistic applications. I've seen pictures of its use in bathrooms, entryways, bars and wine cellars ... absolutely spectacular! I discovered this pleasing rock in a local store in the historic area of downtown Plano called Tuscan Lights. Scott doesn't have his website live as of yet, otherwise I would gladly provide the link! But if you're in my area, do yourself a favor and visit his shop at 1018 E. 15th Street.

Scott's store features this stone used for lighting, especially cylinders of various heights placed on stone slabs with a tealight candle or wired with a mini-bulb in the center. The light glows from within the honeycomb translucence to provide a warm, beautiful and inviting affect. Scott also builds wine cellars, and he has used honeycomb calcite slabs for tiling and other purposes. I've seen his portfolio and it's amazing!

When I first encountered his store and this pretty rock, I inquired about jewelry applications. He wasn't familiar with this stone being used in jewelry making, but with just a bit of research, he found that there are some uses, especially with the stone being cut and polished for cabochons. I don't use a lot of cabochons, so I asked about beads and other shapes with holes drilled for wire and jump ring insertions. He found that beads are possible, but I'd have to order a quantity that only a bead shop would use! Since I can't possibly use 10,000 beads of any given size, I've had to satisfy myself with what little already being offered. At least we have these pretty carved and highly polished hearts! I already have one necklace completed and it's in Scott's store on consignment.

This half barrel pendent has slanted grooves carved into the face for wire-wrapping. I'm looking forward to experimenting with brass or copper wire and various beads. Some of the stone comes with the reddish streak you see here which I suppose is caused by the presence of iron. There are various shapes and sizes available. I'm hoping we can get the smaller discs cut thin enough to be used for earrings. If this stone is slice too thin, however, the color will looked "washed out."

I also hope that some bead supplier will discover this stone and start making honeycomb beads available to the jewelry artist industry at large. I would love to see lots of different sizes, both smooth and faceted, along with puffed coin, square and rectangular shapes.

Here is a close up of the carved heart. If you click on the photos, you can see larger versions. You should be able to see the difference in the luster between this heart which is highly polished, and the "happy coin" disc in the first photo. The firm that distributes this stone for the mine has been experimenting with acid etching and I've seen some awesome results. For additional information, check out the main US distributor here. If you're in the Dallas area, be sure to stop by Scott's shop at the address noted above. Tell him Hilary sent you!

What a Self-Representing Jewelry Artist Does For Fun!

2008-08-26T16:10:00.008-05:00

I bet you didn't know that we have fun, did you?

Honestly, we have fun doing our jobs. We really do. Most of us are probably deep into the "starving artist" category, but we really do have fun staying hungry on account of our work. Many jewelry artists have "day jobs." Many of us who devote ourselves full-time to the effort are in a relationship with someone who brings home a paycheck that buys our daily bread. And anyway you slice it, we really do enjoy what we do. But it is not what we do for fun. It is NOT our hobby.

As creative as we all may be, we need another outlet of some sort in our lives. This is mine:

Cross stitch! I don't have a lot of free time to devote to my hobby, but I do try, at the very least, to devote several hours on Sunday to my hobby which both relaxes and refreshes me. Or at least, I'd like it to relax and refresh me! My problem? I pick impossibly beautiful and complicated projects. This current one is called "Delphiniums" designed by an amazingly talented Marc I. Saastad and it is copyrighted 2001 by The Silver Lining.

This little piece I've already finished (and took me over two hours!) using 1 strand of floss over 1 cross thread of 25 count antique white Laguna linen. So far, just two 10 x 10 stitch squares of a pattern.

The pattern has 13 pages of 63 squares each.

I've completed two out of 819 squares. This will be the project of a lifetime.

Now, to be honest, some of the pages are full of a lot of white space, but still, this pattern is DENSE to say the least.

And would you look at all those blues! The ring you see over here to the right has 22 of the 48 colors I will eventually use, almost all the rest are various shades of blue. Probably at least 35 shades of blue. Can your computer monitor even "see" all those shades of blue? I can certainly see the difference in the 19 bobbins shown in this picture, but I have to wonder if my monitor would show the difference if all of them were on the ring ... assuming I got a bigger ring, of course. A much bigger ring.

Photo is copyright 2001 by The Silver Lining.

This is what the final product will look like. Without the scrolling frame ... that's not part of the pattern. What's really interesting about this pattern is that there is no outlining (or backstitching) at all. The artist wanted to preserve the softness of the flowers. He says the colors speak for themselves ... all 48 of them! How many shades of blue? Yeah, they speak all right. So loud and clear they make my half-century old eyes weep.

But I am having fun!!

Marc Saastad ... a viking dude! Your intricate artistry impresses me almost beyond expression.

Sunday's Feature

2008-08-24T09:37:00.002-05:00

Today it's Teresa of InspiredDesign! Check out this beautiful pendant on her Etsy site. There's a lot of work in that sort of design and the price is incredible!!

(I'd post the picture, but I didn't have a chance to get her permission, and I needed to get my post done at this moment as all other moments of this day are promised elsewhere. So on that note, y'all have a wonderful day!!)

Making Product Labels

2008-08-23T07:56:00.004-05:00

This was a great idea I found somewhere along my travels on the big WorldWide Web. I'm on a serious shoe-string budget and cannot afford professionally printed labels. But I wanted something other than the teeny-tiny threaded labels available at both hobby shops and office supply depots.

I took my business card, shrunk it to 1/4 of it's size and made a new "business card" with my logo/info repeated 4 times. Print out the new card, cut, punch and thread with either pearl cotton or fancy metallic thread and voila! It's a bit laborious, but it can be done whilst watching a movie or favorite TV show.

The back is blank leaving room for price and product information.

I'll be showing today at an open house hosted by a lovely lady I met through one of my local networks. If you're an artist seeking new opportunities to market your wares, joining local networks is a great way to meet new people and find new outlets. A good place to start in finding network groups in your area is here at Meetup.com

Just a Year Ago

2008-08-20T08:54:00.006-05:00

Time does fly! A year ago my daughter and I went to Montana to care for my mother who had emergency surgery. After a week of recuperating at home, we did what we always do ... get out to explore, shop and have fun. This picture was taken at Skalkaho Falls, between Phillipsburg and Hamilton. We had gone to Phillipsburg for a day of sightseeing, shopping and panning for sapphires (what else does a designer of handcrafted jewelry do when she finds herself surrounded by huge mountains of the rocky kind?) when we decided to head home on a route that is off the beaten path. Well, *I* decided since I was doing all the driving!

I asked my Mom about the road and she said: "It's beautiful, very scenic, but it can be a bit hairy," with a touch of nonchalance in her voice.

Now, mind you, my Mom is afraid of heights, very, very afraid. Her idea of hairy and my idea of hairy are totally different. Besides, I figure if it was white-knuckle hairy she'd have insisted we go back to the interstate.

Traveling from Phillipsburg on this route, you start by following a lovely Rocky Mountain creek through a verdant forest of lodge pole pines. Slowly you notice the elevation change, especially with the ears requiring the hard swallow to pop and relieve the building pressure. Eventually, the pavement stops and you pass a sign that states when the road is seasonally closed. The road is a mountain pass with all the switchbacks that are typical in western Montana.

I was driving relatively slowly enjoying the breath-taking scenery. I, like my Mom, have a fear of heights, but not as bad. Besides, the direction we were traveling had me against the mountain. At one point, I was paying more attention to the sights than the road and found myself veering to my left, into what would have been on-coming traffic if it's a well-traveled road, which thankfully it isn't. I made my quick correction with a mental note to be more cautious. As I was making the correction, I glanced to my left and saw ... OMG, saw practically NOTHING. That's when it dawned on me the road has no guardrails and the drop was about 2,000 feet at about a 45 degree pitch. In other word, death-dealing if one makes a huge mistake.

My knuckles went white as I gripped the steering wheel and got back over to my side of the road, the side with the mountain which I hugged with all my life for the rest of the trip! My Mom and daughter continued their banter until my Mom finally realized I was quiet. When she inquired why I was mute, I confessed I was afraid, very, very afraid! I could have taken their lives with my inattention to the road! I had the anxiety attack under control, barely, but she sensed my disturbance and asked if I wanted her to drive. Less than two weeks after major surgery? With the fear of heights that was greater than mine?? That's OK, I'll get us off this mountain safely. Slowly to be sure ... I was creeping along about 20mph, but I'd get us off.

Once we started on the downhill portion, I felt myself relaxing. On certain portions, one can look across the canyon as see the road cut on the other side. To think that's where we were minutes ago. And would you look at the drop if we fell off the road!! Down, anxiety, down. Can't wait until dinner. I'll be having a double, if you please!

After the hairiest part of the drive was over, I was greeted with these beautiful falls! Absolutely wild, untamed and definitely off the beaten path. I stopped the car and we all got out for a half-hour of cool spray and beautiful mountain scenery. Daughter and I scrambled over the rocks and a very lovely lady with her daughters joined us. She took the picture posted.

Just a year ago, another time and definitely in another place from the same old, same old.

I miss Montana. I miss the mountains.

Dichroic Glass

2008-08-19T12:24:00.003-05:00

(photo is copyrighted by Lucky Girl Trading Co.)

Amazing that something originally developed for spacesuits and satellites can be so pretty as to be desirable to use in the making of handcrafted jewelry. The coating of glass with metal oxides produces pieces that absorb and reflect some wavelengths of light while allowing others to pass through, and the color produced shifts with the change of angle, creating an optical chameleon that is unique and one-of-a-kind. No two pieces are identical.

I love dichroic glass ... a piece of it has become part of my branding. While I'm not a glass artist, I've used artisan-produced dichroic glass pendants in a number of handcrafted jewelry pieces I've created and all of them sell very quickly.

In my wanderings through the Entrecard community, I found an excellent artist who works in this medium and you can visit her Lucky Girl Trading Company on Etsy. Also be sure to check out her blog. She's currently running a giveaway (the picture shown) and I hoping that a bit of her luck rubs off on me! I already know what I want to do with that gorgeous pendant!

Meet Flory ...

2008-08-17T08:22:00.004-05:00

Crafts
Poetry

Florence Brick is a fellow member of Skwiggazine and a very creative one at that. Take a pleasant stroll through her beautiful blogs.

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We're having wonderfully cooler weather in our lil' ole spot of Texas and have enjoyed some needed rain with the expectation of more. Maybe fall is around the corner after all! I was beginning to think we were in some sort of endless loop of hot, sticky summer vibrations.

School shopping is done! A new routine is around the corner. I'm looking forward to many creative hours ahead.

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Back to School!!!

2008-08-15T09:18:00.005-05:00

Yeeeee-hah! (Sorry, dear daughter!)

So we have a "no sales tax" weekend here in Texas. Meaning the stores will be crammed. But the stalwart among us shall field the crowds and buy the shoes and shirts and jeans and everything else our budding 13-year-old daughters think they need to start the new school year, and keep the 8.25% tax in the bank.

Poor dear, she is NOT ready. Summer isn't long enough ... for them. It's about long enough for Mom. Mom can finally have full access to the computer anytime of day starting August 25th!

For those of you who'd rather shop on-line, here's a couple of spots to visit for back-to-school wear (and help me pay for my darling daughter's shopping spree):

And for those with aspiring cheerleaders:

Whew! I think I'll head back over to Miss Catt's place for a cool one!

Wow! Tall Order!

2008-08-14T14:52:00.004-05:00

Check it out ... Million Blog List

I'm #2090 as of today and they've been compiling it since April 10th. That's a loooooooong way to go! (Yes, dear Firefox spellchecker ... typo intentional).

Ooh, and I have a new badge!

A Lilac Stone

2008-08-13T11:27:00.005-05:00

Lepidolite
(Potassium lithium aluminum silicate hydroxide fluoride)

"Lepidolite is an uncommon mica and has only in the past decade become available on the mineral market in large quantities. Lepidolite is an ore of lithium and forms in granitic masses that contain a substantial amount of lithium. The lithium content in lepidolite does vary greatly however and low lithium lepidolite is nearly useless as an ore of lithium. The typical violet to pink color of lepidolite is characteristic and is the only field test available to identify lepidolite from other micas. Pink muscovite or very pale lepidolite may confuse an identification." Quoted from Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery.

I guess its uncommoness is why the price tag had "limited" on it. Fortunately, it didn't set me back too much! I was intrigued by the color and the luster. It's both vitreous and pearly, and while it has a hardness index of 2.5, it has survived my handling.

In the this handcrafted necklace, I combined the pearly lilac with a pearly lime-green mother of pearl and the "watermelon" colored Swarovski crystal. The 14k gold-fill works well with this combination; I used copper in another necklace made from this stone, but pictures are not yet available.

I'll be listing this necklace in my Etsy shop by the weekend. These past few days of feeling slayed by the Yucks has put me way behind on my "must do" list. And cool of all coolness, I just now received a phone call about another networking opportunity to take place tomorrow! Must figure out a way to BUY more time!!

Case of the Yucks?

2008-08-12T09:15:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend, whilst dropping my card on some fellows of Entrecard, I read several posts about bloggers feeling the Yuck. I wondered the possibly of actual viruses, the biological sort, traveling over the net and infecting people through their keyboards. I know that sounds ridiculous, but now I'm feeling the same!

Yuck! I hate gastrointestinal viruses. But I'm on the mend. I'm still feeling shaky on my feet, but the fever is gone and hopefully for good.

My feature today:

Pyrite and Crystal Byzantine Chainmaille Choker, available here at my Etsy Shop. And again, if you read this and decide to purchase, put in the code DHBlog in a message to seller and you'll get a 10% discount refunded through PayPal. Convo me if you have any questions.

I must warn any potential buyer that this choker is a tad heavy. There's a lot of stone and metal in it, so if you have any neck problems, this choker isn't for you. But if your neck is healthy and strong, this stunner will get a lot of compliments!

The pyrite teardrop beads are exceptional with lots of gold-toned flecks gleaming on the polished surface. The chainmaille is the Byzantine weave made with oxidized silver-colored rings. The black diamond crystals give the piece just the right amount of bling. Click on the photo to get a larger view of the detail.

I really need to get some more items listed in my Etsy Shop! I just noticed it's a bit thin. Maybe I'll have a chance to get my newer items photoed and listed today ... after I've completed my card-making project. I have a friend who is launching her Arbonne business at a home showing this Friday at my house. I hope I feel 100% by tomorrow so I can get things situated.

The Loss of Masters

2008-08-11T11:06:00.002-05:00

Bernie Mac.

Issac Hayes.

Two amazing artists that made me laugh and dance. They will be missed.

(No photos ... I will not infringe on copyrights.)

Sunday's Feature

2008-08-10T09:00:00.005-05:00

"To inspire & promote each other, we build, imagine, dream & we deliver a magnificent online zine. "

The mission of Skwigga-zine Magazine, an on-line magazine that encourages and supports the starving artists among us created by Missy, a talented illustrator and designer. I have blogged about Skwiggazine before, and I'll blog about it again because I believe in its message and mission. Please drop by and spend some time with us!

_*_*_*_*_*_

My take on the red/turquoise color combination that was expected to be big this past spring, but I didn't see much of it in stores, only in the upscale fashion rags. But then again, that may mean we'll see it in our stores in the spring of 2009.

This handcrafted necklace is made of amazonite, red coral, and 14k gold-fill. It's a long piece which can be doubled, if desired. Feel free to click on the picture to get a larger, detailed version.

It's available here in my Etsy shop. If you decide to purchase, put "DHBlog" in your message to seller at checkout and I will give you a 10% discount. The discount will be refunded through PayPal. If you have any questions, feel free to convo me.

Fall 2008

2008-08-09T07:51:00.006-05:00

I've been avoiding thinking of the fall season. When the temps stay around the three digit levels, even looking at the upcoming fall fashion lines makes me break out in a sweat! But as a designer of handcrafted jewelry, my head keeps telling me to stop delaying! So this morning I went to the Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2008 and printed page 2. The ink is still wet on the paper. Good thing I installed a new color cartridge earlier this week!

What a pleasant surprise! I love the colors and it will be a joy to start designing pieces to suit ... once the temps outside dip below 95F. It looks like I'll be using a lot of amethyst and lapis lazuli and smokey quartz. I need to replenish my lapis supply.

The Pantone color reports are important for the small-time designers to consider. Fortunately for us, we can wait until the freebie report is released on the Pantone website. If you're a designer catering to the retail and boutique market and sell at the accessories shows in the major market areas, you need a head start. Pantone offers "membership" to obtain reports well in advance, but it's expensive. Since I sell direct to the wearer, I can afford to wait.

Pantone is the leading manufacturer of dyes in the world so if they say Blue Iris, Royal Lilac, Shady Glade, etc are the colors for this upcoming fall, they will be the colors you see in the stores for fall. Withered Rose is my personal favorite. It looks like a Dusty Rose which was the best matched color for my eyes, hair color and skin tone when I had my colors done all those decades ago. (I wish I was very html-savvy so I could use colored text for the color names I just typed!)

How about these handcrafted earrings? I think they "read" Withered Rose. They are red aventurine and Golden Shadow Swarovski crystals made with 14k gold-fill. I have more red aventurine in my supply so I'm looking forward to putting out new pieces featuring that stone. Aventurine isn't an expensive stone, but it's beautiful. Colors range in green, peach, reddish, brown and blue. It's a quartz with inclusion of mica so there is a subtle shimmering effect called aventurescence.

I'll need to be heading over to Elle.com and check out the runway shows for Fall 2008 (which happened in February 2008) to see what all the trends are showing. Hopefully there will be some Withered Rose!

What's on ...

2008-08-08T11:32:00.007-05:00

... my design table. Fairly straight forward and simple piece, but it's taking me forever! So many interruptions throughout the day.

I'm the sort of designer who needs to have blocks of time hours and hours long to get some serious work done. Even the piece that is quick and easy and completed in minutes doesn't get started unless I feel like a have a least 2 hours to devote to design.

I wonder why that is? I seriously dislike the feeling of being rushed, but I could get so much more done if I sat down to work even if I only had 1/2 an hour to spend. My brain needs some rewiring.

__________

P A T I E N C E

I consider myself a patient person. I'm halfway to the century mark, I've raised two fully functioning members of society and have one more halfway there. I have two of the most adorable grandsons a person could want. But when it comes to things on the www, my patience wears thin relatively quickly.

Case in point, Zenzuu. It's touted to be the social network that helps you make money. The premise it that it will share with its members a nice chunk of the advertising revenue. Cool. But I don't see any advertisements. Maybe because it's still in beta? But I could live with that if it wasn't for the loooooong page load time! Every single click takes too long to load ... the landing page, the login, navigating through the site. It's driving me nuts. Each member is supposed to log in at least 30 times each month in order to get paid, but with the slow response coming from the server, I may just be a great grandmother before I get my 30 logins accomplished.

It's not my computer. It's plenty fast. It's not my connection. It's fiber optic. Maybe it's Firefox. I dunno. I suppose I should call in on the regularly scheduled conference call, but I don't have the patience!

If you're endowed with exceptional patience, feel free to check it out. Feel free to sign up under me. We can grow grayer together!

On that note, take a closer look at some detail of my new piece that just may get done BEFORE I am a great grandmother!

Hard work pays off!

2008-08-06T14:02:00.006-05:00

This picture has nothing to do with this post. Sure, it was hard work (relatively speaking) to make these since it took three different variations before I was satisfied with the final results, but I'm not talking about hard work in regard to my handcrafted jewelry.

BTW ... before I go any further, these earrings are NOT for sale; they are a commissioned work. But I really like how they turned out so I wanted to show off the picture, and I know people who visit blogs like to see pictures.

Getting back to the hard work. It's all about Entrecard. I have been working the Entrecard system for two weeks now. The past several days, I have dropped 300 cards. The first two days of dropping 300 cards took quite a while (I have a tendency to READ a lot of the blogs) but I came up with a system and time budget that works for me. (So far!) Yesterday I had 192 cards dropped on me, a nice 64%. Thank you everybody who reciprocates. I do my utmost best to do the same.

Needless to say, the number of hits to my blog has skyrocketed. Even the few who actually pause for more than 1 minute to read and or look at photos have increased. It's very satisfying to see hard work pay off.

Even better, I have come across a number of blogs that appeal to me on a lot of different levels. I'm beginning to recognize their calling cards and I look forward to jumping back to their blogs for their latest photo, story, joke, pearl or bucket or boatload of wisdom, and of course, I always drop my card.

I haven't had any handcrafted jewelry sales as a result of this effort, but hopefully they will come over time. I do excellent work, I use quality components, but that's not as easy to see on the 'net as it is in the non-virtual world.

In the meantime, increasing the visitors to my 'lil ole spot of the www is an achievement all by itself.

Again, my deepest thanks to all who stop by, even if it's just to drop your card. I look forward to the end of the month when I shall publish my first Top 10 list.

In the meantime, if you need or like or want handcrafted jewelry and you like my style, please visit my Etsy shop. If you have any questions about Etsy, feel free to drop me a line.

Good Monday

2008-08-04T07:43:00.005-05:00

It promises to be another scorcher! Another good day for getting lots of work done, on-line, at the design table, with the digital camera, laundry and ironing ... or maybe a good day to just hang loose and watch a movie.

Even Nino says: "It's HOT!"

Under the Loupe

2008-08-03T09:29:00.003-05:00

A loupe is a magnifying device commonly used by jewelers to closely examine gemstones. It's under the loupe the gemstone reveals its quality.

Under the Loupe is also the name of an excellent blog owned and written by a fellow jewelry artist, Annette Piper, who is both talented and gracious. I met Annette on-line in my beginning days of using the WEB to promote my own jewelry business and she was very helpful to a newbie trying to keep her head above the wild waters of social/business networks.

If you like beautiful jewelry, a visit to her blog is a nice way to spend some time. From there you'll be able to jump to her website and Etsy store. Be sure to check this particular stunning piece featured on her blog!

Heatwave

2008-08-02T11:37:00.005-05:00

"An excessive heat warning is in effect for our area."

No kidding. It's so hot the silk plants are wilting.

While temps of 104F and higher may not seem like much to those living in the desert areas of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico, at least y'all cool off in the evenings. We wake up to 85F temps at 5:00 am.

I suppose I should take the forced indoor opportunity and get some photos of my new pieces done. I'll leave y'all with a photo of one of our neighborhood friends:

2008-08-01T07:07:00.006-05:00

I found this during my BlogHopping/Card Dropping morning session (see! I do read other peoples blogs!)

Sorta silly, not too profound, you'll be able to figure out how to answer if you want to score high, but I tried to be honest in my answers.

You Are 78% Creative

You are beyond creative. You are a true artist - even if it's not in the conventional sense of the word.

You love creating for its own sake, and you find yourself quite inspired at times.

How Creative Are You?

I've always had a thing for colored pencils! Especially the creamy ones that lay down their intense color thick and smooth.

Pretty Rock

2008-07-30T09:56:00.005-05:00

"Opal Fire Agate" is what this pretty is being called. Perhaps because it looks like a merging of Peruvian Opal and Fire Agate? Whatever ... I found it exceptionally intriguing. Between the coloration and the crackling of the stone, it brings to my mind a chrysanthemum captured by stone. I used pewter, brass and just a wee bit of Swarovski crystal to bring it together into a very gorgeous piece.

I haven't listed it yet ... I plan to roll it out at an open house that I'll be showing at in August. I have only one upcoming show scheduled so I must work on getting more dates planned. Summer is very slow around here because it's just plain HOT and very little happens until the shorter days of fall give us a more bearable atmosphere. I'm always open to private home shows so if anyone is living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and would like an opportunity to receive FREE jewelry, much of it one-of-a-kind, drop me a line.

Here's a view of the entire necklace:

Duke Bloomed

2008-07-29T06:55:00.003-05:00

My cat's take on the favorite saying "Bloom where you're planted."

Cats settle down in the strangest places!

Some new designs are done, surprisingly so since I sit under a halogen lamp while designing. It's been climbing to 105F outside so sitting under a halogen lamp inside isn't the coolest idea I can come up with, but one's got to do what one's got to do. Pictures and listing will be forthcoming.

Yesterday I finally broke down and started to switch my favorite links over to Firefox Mozilla. I'm fed up with Internet Explorer. I'm fed up with Windows. I've heard of only headaches with Vista. My next computer will be a Mac. But for the time being, I found IE7 tangling up as I blogsurfed dropping my Entrecards, but Firefox has been a true trooper.

BTW ... for all you bloggers on whom I drop my cards, I do take time to actually LOOK and READ portions of your blogs. And I'll drop a comment in a heartbeat if I'm so moved. There's some great stuff out there, informative, beautiful, funny, inspiring ... y'all keep up the good work!

More interesting finds

2008-07-26T08:45:00.007-05:00

Marketing is tough. Especially when you have a product that bunches of people are selling. I have found that selling in person is much easier than over the internet because the purchaser gets to pick up a necklace, a bracelet, or a pair of earrings, put it up to her face or arm and see whether the colors will work. She can both see and feel the quality of materials and worksmanship. Nothing on the net even comes close to that in order to make selling easier.

But I know enough from marketing, a subject I studied a little in college, being that I was pursuing a degree in accounting, that it takes exposure, lots of exposure. And on the web, the "lots" is expotentially larger.

So in pursuit of exposure, I joined Entrecard the other day. There's been buzz about Entrecard on various social networks to which I belong, but frankly it befuddled me. However, because of the searing Texas heat, I had a bit more time on my hands indoors so I finally investigated Entrecard and its concept and signed up. I was pleasantly surprised ... it can be fun. Exploring other peoples' blogs and seeing my blog views jump has been a thrill. Whether that will translate into sales still needs to be seen, but at least there's additional exposure. If you haven't checked into Entrecard, and you're a blogger, the widget is somewhere to your left ... look for the picture of whoever is advertising on my blog for the day with the black outlined yellow banner that has an E followed by the words "GET ONE." If you're on Entrecard, please drop your card. I do investigate the blogs that drop cards on mine.

Of course, this exposure is causing me to wish I have "moderation" of comments turned on! I need to see if I can adjust my settings on Blogger.

Speaking of exposure, our weekly Skwigglezine blogger to be featured is Michelle of Michabella Creations. Check out both her blog and her website! She does beautiful work. And yes, while the world may take the view that she's competition to me, I know that there's room in any discerning woman's accessory wardrobe for more that ONE jewelry designer just as she buys various labels of clothing, shoes and handbags. Frankly, I'm proud of my association with other talented jewelry designers.

Picture for the day ... earrings! These lovelies are available here in my Etsy shop. They are only $12 and they are made from 14k gold-fill and genuine Swarovski (watermelon color ... not the official color name, but the one I know how to spell and they are the color of watermelons!). I haven't readjusted the price to take into the consideration the large increase of gold prices that has occurred since I bought the 14k gold-filled materials I used to make them! Back then, gold was selling around $750 an ounce. It's now around $930. My dollar isn't buying as much gold-fill chain as it did last year!

I've stumbled upon another interesting social/business site that I just signed up for today ... it's called Zenzuu and it's still in beta testing. But google it, check it out, and if you want to sign up, click here. It claims to kick back advertising revenue to it's members (80%) rather than pocket it all like other popular social networks. Sponsoring other members earns more for you ... yup, social networking gone MLM. It costs $0 to sign up, all commissions paid will come out of advertising revenue. I'm not sure of the exact business model ... it is a multi-level marketing entity, but hopefully I'll either figure it out or it's posted somewhere on their site.

Multi-level marketing often leaves a bad taste in people's mouth when they hear or say the phrase, so there's a more PC version: network marketing. Either way you say it, it is what it is, and it's not a bad thing. It's NOT a pryamid scheme because in MLMs there's a product or service being exchanged. Pyramids are entirely cash transfers with nothing to take out of them, and they are illegal just about everywhere. But the MLM business model is legitimate and is one of those things that you'll get out of it what you put into it. Nothing is free, nothing is gained by sitting on one's rear end. I liked Zenzuu's message in its terms that you'll have to actually do some work if you want to see results.

Well, hello Dolly!

2008-07-25T07:11:00.007-05:00

It fascinates me that the unseasonable clouding, and the humidity that comes along with it, over my little ole spot of Texas is brought to us by what remains of a hurricane many hundreds of miles away! I even got rained yesterday when going into my local grocery store. I came out after the rain stopped into a literal sauna. The temps were in the high 90's yesterday and all the rain did was create a huge bubble of water vapor ... so much that I found it hard to breathe when heading back to my car. Now I think I know what asthmatics are feeling when their air passages close up.

Ron Jackson, Channel Fox4 news weather meteorologist is on right now telling us to expect temps as high as 100F today. Woo hoo!

In keeping with the "rule" that blogs with pictures are appreciated more than text-only blogs, here's a detail photo from my Malachite Splendor necklace, still available at my Etsy shop. This piece gets a lot of attention, both on-line and at my local shows, but I still haven't found the one woman to whom this piece belongs!

I'm still enthralled with making chainmaille pieces and there will be a number of new items coming out for fall. I hope copper and brass are still the "hot" metals of fashion because I personally like the look they add to jewelry pieces. Even if they're not hot for fall, I'll still use them because they should be timeless! In our toughening economy, these "less precious" metals are more appealing than ever. I think they offer a rugged look to elegance ... hopefully that's not too oxymoronic!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday! I'm looking forward to the hubby's bar-b-qued ribs that will be cooked over at Son #1's house. Playtime with the grandbabies!

Do you know the three types of jewelry!

2008-07-24T07:56:00.003-05:00

Do you know what class this piece falls into? It's made of sterling silver, rhodonite and hematine (man-made version of hematite).

First of all, there is fine jewelry. Traditionally made from gold at puirty levels of at least 14k, often 18k or the solid gold 24k. Also platinum and sometimes titanium are used if a silver color is desired. I suggest you avoid white gold ... the silver color wears away over time and the piece needs to be redipped.

Fine jewelry also uses the precious gemstones, the crystal clear, non-occluded stones that are expertly cut to catch and refract light in a blazing display. Quality diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, topaz ... these are the glittering rocks that makes our hearts thump a little harder.

Fine jewelry usually costs in the $1,000s and $10,000s and will last many lifetimes. They are generally designed to stand the test of time, being fashionable in any season at any time in any era.

Then there's costume jewelry. Costume jewelry is made from base metal, generally nickel and alloys such as pewter and brass (these days without lead). The baubles are made from glass, paste, acryllic and plastics of all sorts.

Costume jewelry came to its own during the Depression Era, being designed and marked with a seal of approval by none other than the Grande Dame of fashion, Coco Chanel. While glass and paste of been used for centuries to make copies of precious pieces so the royals and the rich could wear their ornaments daily without concern of loss, Ms. Chanel catapulted the costume pieces into the forefront of fashion and made them entirely acceptable to wear with flair. Costume pieces are trendy ... they go with the fashions of the day. Which means they are outdated within a year. But that's OK, they usually cost well under $100 and eventually if they are cared for, they'll make a comeback. If they haven't fallen apart, that is!

Finally, there's bridge jewelry; so named because that is exactly what it is ... the "bridge" between fine and costume. Bridge jewelry is traditionally made with all the materials we label "semi-precious" such as sterling silver, 14k gold-fill, gemstones with occlusions (imperfections), quality glass, ceramic and crystals.

Bridge jewelry is designed to follow the trends, but has a tendency to keep its fashionability over several seasons, especially since it is made from better material than costume. With proper care, your bridge pieces should last you a lifetime, even though they are not classed as heirloom in quality. Prices run a wide range from the $10s to the $100s depending on material and workmanship.

Most of my pieces generally fall on the bridge. But I have to admit, with the economy headed in the direction its going, I've recently purchased components that will put some pieces square into the costume category, but what the hey ... we still want to look gorgeous no matter what the dollar is doing! Besides, if the price of crude keeps rising, plastic is going to become very precious.

Always Spring

2008-07-23T10:12:00.004-05:00

I found these lovely pearls at one of my local wholesale bead stores. There were only four strands remaining so I snapped them up. They are an exquiste color of yellow ... reminds me of our spring daffodils that brighten our Texas lawnscapes for an all-too-brief spring season. These pearls work surprisingly well with the oxidized sterling silver chain and the Bali-style extenders and S-clasp (not shown). This lovely piece is available at my Etsy shop here.

Being that we are in the dogged-days of summer --- our temperatures have been peaking at around 102F --- it's nice to remember more comfortable seasons. I should be working on the fall and winter line in order to be ready, but it's just too difficult to study the color palette and heavy fabric textures when the sun is blistering in its blaze.

I'm about to have a house full of kids ...

2008-07-22T06:50:00.003-05:00

Close-up of slider I used for the newer necklace I listed in my Etsy Shop last week. The chain was crafted from nickel jump rings in a double spiral weave. Ideally, this is a choker, but at the moment it's about 21 inches long. It can be easily altered to any length desired.

Chokers are my favorite pieces to design. They are ancient ... a beauty made of gold and lapis lazuli was excavated in the archaeological site of the ancient city of Ur dated between 2500-2400 BCE and can be seen at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This pretty slider has been in my stash for years. I found it in a small shop in Laramie, WY while vacationing a number of years ago. My son attended a technial school there to learn all about the ins and outs of the huge engines that power diesel trucks which carry just about anything and everything we purchase each and every day.

I could use another trip to Wyoming! It's blazing hot in Texas. Blistering hot. Some cool mountain evening air would be most welcomed. However, these dogged days are good for my business. Staying in to create and photo and list is a good way to beat the heat!

Gotta Love HOT Pink!

2008-07-16T08:40:00.002-05:00

Even if the color itself doesn't look good on you, when it comes to network marketing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, it's among the cream of the crop!

Check out the Hot Pink Mamas and see if there is a chapter in your area. If you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, feel free to contact me for information. My website has my contact information.

One of the benefits I appreciate with this group is the group health insurance it offers members. So many entrepreneurial women do not have coverage for themselves or their families, but it's something none of us should be without.

And the cost of business cards - $50 for 5,000? WOW! And they are NICE cards, too, printed on heavy glossy stock and includes 2-sided printing.

This has been one of my great finds in my foray into the networking scene of D/FW. More jewels to be revealed soon!

Tulip's Cooking

2008-07-14T07:55:00.003-05:00

Time for a new Skwiggzine Blogger's spotlight. I had to jump on this right away because this post has made me soooooooooooo hungry!!

Tulip's Talking.

Dinner at Tulip's house tonight! Yeah!! I can beat the Texas heat. Doesn't the final product look totally scrumptious?

Networking

2008-07-13T08:15:00.004-05:00

For the past several months, I've been engaged in exploring the various network marketing groups in my area. Because I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, I have a number of groups from which to choose. Because I am a jewelry designer, I focused on those that cater to women. Most I have found in a nice little site called MeetUp.

I have expanded my business horizons since joining various groups. Some have worked very well for me, some have not. But even those that haven't worked out for me because of various reasons still helped me grow as a business woman. I have met a large variety of women engaged in a wide variety of businesses, some of which offer services that I can benefit from.

The starring jewel of my finds has been Sharon Schierling, a life/business coach who is smart and wise and caring and giving. She offers a variety of services and I highly recommend her to anyone in need of a different perspective on life and/or work. In addition to being a certified life coach, she also has an MBA and a lot of experience both in the corporate world and as an entrepreneur. Visit her website, Refined Perspectives to learn more about her. And by exploring her site, you'll learn more about yourself.

While on the idea of refined, and to post the obligatory picture, here's a piece I designed a while ago that is one of my favorites and it's still in my case:

The pale pastel mother of pearl coin beads are joined to gold mobius knots made from 14k gold-fill rings I made myself. It's available on
Etsy.

Thank goodness for Skwiggazine!

2008-07-11T18:21:00.007-05:00

Say what? Go here: Skwiggazine. Cool place and I belong to a group within this network for bloggers. At the moment, it's the one thing that keeps me showing up here. I know, that's bad, but we all know how many hours there are in each day and we probably all feel there just isn't enough. But eventually, things get done ... we hope.

As part of this blogging group, we all visit each other's blogs and each week we post a link and a comment to the featured blog of the week. I missed last week (I'm hanging my head in shame) but I'll make it up to Stacy next time. This week is another Stacy, and ... well ... you all know the power of pictures. Get ready and say ahhhhhh!

And kudos to Stacy for being environmentally astute by using cloth diapers. They certainly have changed in the 13 years since I used cloth diapers!

OK, here's my obiglatory picture:
This piece was designed for a wonderful woman I met in one of my networking forays who is a director for Mary Kay. I'm told there are new Director's Suits out this year and they are brown. I was also told that bling is the thing for all things Mary Kay so I used all Swarovski, both crystals and pearls. And lots of 14k gold-fill metal things, too. Click on the photo to see the BIG picture.

The networking experience I've embarked on several months ago has been quite a ride! It's one of the main reasons my poor blog has been pushed under the proverbial couch. So has my Etsy store and my website. But I have met some amazing women these last few months and have learned quite a bit about lots of different things. I will be sharing some of the really cool things I've discovered along the way in the next couple of posts! And hopefully get some more photos worked up of all the new pieces I've been designing.

Glad I'm not the only one!

2008-06-17T09:26:00.005-05:00

... who is finding it difficult to keep up with all these related to internet marketing.

One of my Skwiggler buddies is feeling the same. Karen, writer of Cherished Dreams is sharing my blog-related doldrums. But it looks like she's had some distraction in her life on the order of new four-footed furry creatures that have a way of stealing our hearts. Congrats on the new addition to your family, Karen!! Be sure to visit her blog. There's a picture right on top that will put a smile on your face. I promise.

I wish I had some pictures of my own to post. I've been making new items, but I misplaced the cord I need to download my camera to the computer. Argh!

Dusting off ...

2008-04-06T09:17:00.007-05:00

It's been a while and a layer of dust is collecting on this poor thing.

You know the drill ... life interrupts. Things go off balance. Sometimes a huge step away helps refocus what is needed to keep on keeping on.

I'd like to introduce y'all to someone special: SkwiggleKreationz Missy is a talented, bright, beautiful Mom. I belong to her community, also we are neighbors on Indiepublic and Posh Mama which y'all should check out too.

I finally got started on ID badge holders. Here's a taste:

There are more that will get photoed and updated this coming week. They are all $15 each plus $2.50 shipping. Texas residents add 8.25% sales tax. Those living in the Dallas area can contact me through my website for additional information.

I've re-engineered my ID laynards because of earlier versions breaking at the stress point. These new ones should continue to perform.

I should be working on other things

2008-03-11T09:09:00.006-05:00

P1010706
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

... like ID badge laynards. So I'm forcing myself away from the computer, I'll finish the other project I have on my studio table, then knuckle down and do what I SUPPOSED to be doing.

Or maybe I should hide under a rock.

I did list this on Etsy yesterday and you can find it here at a great price ($16). It worked up easy and fast and the rings are gold plate, not gold fill, so the price is very reasonable.

Amazonite Eggs

2008-03-07T07:36:00.003-06:00

Amazonite on Champagne
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

This is one of my favorites of all the photos I've taken of my product. The birds seem perplexed. How did they get all those eggs? And what are those funny champagned-colored things littering the nest?

I feel the need for Spring. Actually, I feel the need for consistent weather. It's been a roller coaster here in north central Texas. We were up to 80 degrees less than a week ago. This week, two days of snow/sleet/ice and chilly weather.

My daughter was so hopeful for either a day off from school, or at least a delayed opening. Not this district! They are hardy folks.

I don't mind cold and snow. I grew up in Montana so I'm very familiar with cold and snow. But 50 degree shifts in temperature in a 24-hour period is a little crazy.

At least I have Spring in my studio. I'm working on ID laynards today. Oh, and if you want to see what this necklace looks like when it's displayed more like a necklace, it's in my Etsy shop here.

Contemplating ... shoes?

2008-03-05T10:46:00.004-06:00

Contemplating ... shoes?
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

I'm a fortunate woman! I took a few moments a long while ago and realized I am surrounded by some really good-looking men! And they are all related to me ... very closely related. Who needs a poster of the latest "It Boy" when I have real-life versions all around me?

Here you see my middle son and my oldest grandson. Even in profiles, I think y'all can see they are quite handsome.

Looks are only skin deep. But as I said, I am a fortunate woman. The good-looking men of my life also have gold hearts, quick wit, easy smiles and hearty laughs.

Artist type folks tend to see the beauty that surrounds their lives. Everyone has an artistic streak ... find it and give it some tender loving care! Then you'll see your world with new eyes and find some beauty every where you turn.

One of my "Every Swiggle" buddies knows this. Check out Michabella's blog and you'll see a picture of something very beautiful in her life! Chloe is beautiful! Look at those pretty pink cheeks, they are so kissable. And check out Michabella's beautiful jewelry while you're at it!

Amethyst Maille Mudfish

2008-03-03T10:56:00.003-06:00

Amethyst Maille Mudfish
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

Lookie at what I made this weekend! I had done another Mudfish and sold it to a boutique in west Texas. This one is a different chainmaille weave and I added the amethyst to compliment his purple eyes.

I got this mudfish from Bally Beads in Rockwall, Texas. The owner of Bally's owns the mold and all the midfish are signed on the inside.

I have a new favorite! I may make one to keep myself! And yes, Comptroller of the State of Texas, I will pay sales tax on the materials for the one I keep.

Carnelian and Agate Pendant Necklace

2008-03-02T09:33:00.003-06:00

Carnelian_Agate Pendant
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

I suppose this piece needs some loving. I need to reshoot this pretty to show it in a more favorable light. It's more of a fall piece because of the coloring, but I find that seasons don't really matter when selling ... if a woman sees something she really likes, she buys regardless of the season.

I found the agate geode in a little shop in Phillipsburg, Montana. Wonderful little town that's been spruced up and well worth the trek if you're in western Montana. There's a sapphire mine nearby to pan for your own sapphires.

The chain is handcrafted from 22 guage gold-fill wire and 4mm faceted carnelian beads. Carnelian is a form of chalcedony.

It's available on my website, and because we're heading into the seasons of spring and summer, I'll give anyone who orders this 20% off if they mention they saw it in this blog when ordering.

My website doesn't have a shopping cart yet. I'm trying to keep the cost of the website to a minimum in order to keep my prices very affordable. Email me and I'll get this out to you right away!

Close View - Cloisonne Bead

2008-03-01T06:52:00.002-06:00

Close View - Cloisonne Bead
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

Cloisonne is one of my favorite type of bead. Finding nice quality cloisonne isn't hard, but there's a LOT of junk out there. This is one of those things one gets what one pays for. You will not find quality cloisonne beads at $3.00 a strand.

But there are reasonable sources out there. One of my favorite sources is Bally Beads in Rockwall, Texas. If you're in the area, check them out. They used to be wholesale only, but they have now opened a portion of their shop to the public for both beads and finished jewelry. They are not the easiest to find, even with address in hand. They are located in a house near the shore of Lake Ray Hubbard, set back in the property from Ridge Road. It's easy to miss their driveway. But they are worth seeking out!

I like the vintage look of this bead. At the moment, this is in both a bracelet and a pair of earrings paired with the mobius chainmail florette.

Coming soon ...

2008-02-29T04:46:00.002-06:00

Amazonite and Coral chain
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

... to an Etsy store near you. Ha. Sorry for the droll humor. It's still early, around 4:30 am. I have a show today at an office building so I'm up early to tend to my on-line business duties.

Don't you think this combo is pretty? I saw the InStyle spread a couple months ago with turquoise and red featured together. We'll probably see it in our stores in a month or two. But I lean towards the softer side of life, so this is my version. Salmon-colored coral and pale aqua amazonite.

Amazonite ... another feldspar. Named for the Amazon River even though no deposits are found there. How did that happen? Maybe a speciman reminded the name-giver of the river. Who knows. It's pretty, though.

Well, hope today's show goes well. I've been in this building before. Last time, my handsome young son came to help out. I figured he'd charm the ladies. But 4 out of 5 people who walked by were men. He didn't charm the men, although he politely greeted everyone he saw. A few ladies stopped, some purchased, but one lady warned me that particular building is a dud for jewelry sales. She was right!

Oh well, I'm committed, therefore I go. Call me crazy, I need to be committed.

Labradorite Barrel Earrings

2008-02-28T10:42:00.003-06:00

Labradorite Barrel Earrings ... lead photo
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

Calcium sodium aluminum silicate.

Such a pretty mineral. It positively glows because of an effect known as "shiller." Also known as "labradorescence" the shiller needs to be seen in person to appreciate its beauty.

I usually pair labradorite with gold tones, because of the warmth the mineral expresses. For these earrings I have complemented the barrel beads of labradorite with champagne-colored freshwater pearls, Swarovski black diamond crystals and brass-plated pewter roundels. The French ear wires are 14k gold fill. The daisies under the barrell bead are gold vermeil.

These are available in my Etsy shop.

Mobius MOP of Beautiful Pastels

2008-02-27T09:12:00.006-06:00

Mobius MOP Bracelet
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

I loved working these bracelets up! The colors of these mother of pearl coin beads are so soft and pretty. For the Etsy listing, I used the pale mauve bracelet and earrings, but I like this photo the best from that shoot. I'm using this photo in both the bracelet and earring listing to show the color choices available.

The soft colors play against the hardness of the chainmaille florettes. I'm having fun with this mobius weave.

Bracelets and earrings available at my Etsy shop.

2008-02-26T09:02:00.008-06:00

I'm looking forward to Plano's Blackland Prairie Festival coming up this May. Because of the specific period featured in this festival ... 1880 through the 1920's ... I've been looking around at jewelry designs from that era. It's a broad span of time for fashion. Bustles were still being worn in the 1880's, but no longer in vogue in the 1890's. Of course, we all know of the "flapper" era of the boisterous 1920's. Jewelry had a range of styles too.

I'm showing images of the work-in-process of a vintage-inspired necklace I am making as part of a "heritage" line I'm developing to coincide with the festival. This particular piece is a festoon of white freshwater pearls wire-wrapped together for security. The pretty filigree clasp is meant to be worn in front. Click on the photos to see the full-sized, high definition versions.

I still need to get myself to our local library to study photos of the residents of our community during that time period. I doubt the average woman frosted herself with jewelry on a daily basis. Life on the prairie was not a life of luxury. The post-industrial revolution era meant work was becoming easier for the average housewife, but not a life of luxury. Still, they had their moments. They loved gathering together dressed in their finest for Sunday meetings, teas and gatherings organized to promote charitable endeavors.

There was a real sense of community back in that time. I often wish I was born back then. While I enjoy my shower and flushing toilet, I believe all our industrialization took a lot away from us, individually and as communities. Of course, my bi-racial marriage would be extraordinary back in that time, even despised and we wouldn't be welcomed everywhere ... hardly anywhere for that matter. So it's a good thing to be alive now!

If only we could take the manners and graciousness of a time-gone era and marry it to the acceptance we have today. Bring back the covered porches, encourage the bicycle as the primary source of transportation for daily life. Make and take every opportunity to know our neighbor.

A gal can dream! If you find yourself around these parts in the middle of May, please stop by to visit the Festival! If you're an artisan in the area, by all means contact the organization! Sharon Lloyd is the president and a very lovely, gracious lady.

Flickr Test

2008-02-25T07:44:00.003-06:00

3-Stranded Pearl
Originally uploaded by hiljohnqu

This is only a test ....

Well, actually, if it looks good, I'll keep is as my blog post for the day! I'm trying out the Flickr function of blogging directly from the Flickr site.

I picked this necklace because is really pretty and it needs a new home. It's perfect for spring. It would make a great gift for any of the women in your life! After all, how can you go wrong with a gift of a lovely pearl necklace.

I love the color of this freshwater pearl, but it's hard to describe. It's in the blue family, but there's a golden, bronzy, coppery cast to it, depending on what it's laying against. I accented here with copper and rose-colored quartz glass (man-made ... just fancy jewelry term for clear, tough glass beads). The clasp is a copper-plated toggle. It's available here in my Etsy shop.

Sometime you just feel like ....

2008-02-23T10:30:00.003-06:00

Model good behavior, ignore the bad.

That’s a saying a good friend of mine uses for keeping the level of exasperation down several notches when she sees behavior she doesn’t like.

I try to practice the adage as much as possible. Like today, for instance. On Etsy, on the “Site Help” forum, a newbie who is obviously a refugee from a HUGE on-line auction site posted a thread asking some questions. These questions were phrased in such a way you could tell right away the poster was fresh from the other site. The answers were given in a kind, knowledgeable manner by several of the denizens who’ve been around both selling venues. All I could do was offer my welcome, which I did.

I was holding my breath for a nasty comment to come along. I did not pass out because it didn't take long. Fortunately, usually, the nasties are very few and far between. But man, did I want to virtually slap someone into the next browser!

That’s when my friend’s saying popped into my mind. I'm off to do some ironing ... here's a sweet photo to leave you with:

That's our Snickers modelling a lovely necklace my daughter made.

Designing for Donation

2008-02-22T09:44:00.006-06:00

For the second year in a row, I've been asked to donate to my daughter's school silent auction to benefit the PTA. It's always a pleasure to do this! Education is such an important factor in life, and we are pleased that all our children have been getting a sterling education from Plano Independent School District.

When we were first looking into the opportunity to move to the Dallas area from Los Angeles, choosing the community in which to live was based on two crucial elements: 1) gang activity and 2) school performance. We found both our criteria met in Plano. It's not a cheap place to live, but we were willing to sacrifice in order to provide a safe place for our children to grow and thrive.

One would think that with the property taxes at the level they are in our community, no further infusion of money should be required for the schools. If only that were so! There are economic and political reasons why our individual schools need more money, and I'm determined to stay neutral in all things political. Suffice it to say, our schools need our support, both in time and money. I'm happy to offer what I can and I'm grateful that my contribution is always appreciated!

Whoo Hoo!

2008-02-20T07:11:00.003-06:00

You can teach an old dog new tricks! Check out my 125 x 125 ad that a lovely and talented Etsy artist made for me. Callista ... you're the best!

But it's one thing to have a beautiful spot ad to spread around the web, it's something else to actually get it to work right. All that beautiful art won't do anything if the correct html gobblety-gook isn't used so folks can click and go where you want. That's where the old dog needed to learn a new trick. Part of the work is already done by the Photobucket people. But their coding just brought the user back to my Photobucket page. I needed to figure out how to link to my Etsy shop.

I was confronted with two referrals, but I was able to figure out the right one to change.

Yeah, I know, y'all who've been doing this stuff for awhile are probably rolling your eyes, but give an old gal a break. I started in on the computer scene when CPM was the industry standard. I left the computer scene when the Intel 480 stopped frying eggs and was being used in business offices. That makes me a fossil in terms of computing.

Anybody ever heard of dBase?

Sometimes things work out!

2008-02-16T19:49:00.007-06:00

I had this show scheduled months ago. I was looking forward to it as it’s in my husband’s office building. Someone to bring me coffee in the mid-morning. Someone to help me break down in the afternoon!

But the day before, I get a call in the morning from the hubby:

“Hil, there’s another jewelry show here, right now.”

“Really? Anything like my stuff?”

“Yup.”

“How much are they asking?”

“$15 a set.”

“That’s not like mine. That sounds like the cheap stuff I saw in your building last year.”

“Yeah, it’s the cheap stuff they bring in from {name of country withheld for PC purposes}. And they’re selling purses too.”

“Well, I don’t make purses. Are they real or knock-offs?”

“They say they’re real, they say it’s illegal to sell knock-offs, but they’re only charging between $15 to $20.”

“Those are knock-offs.”

“I know. I’m upset this guy is here the day before you’re scheduled to show.”

“Doesn’t make me happy either. Are they getting a lot of interest?”

“Yeah, there are women all over their tables.”

“Oh well. That sucks. I really need to have a good show. Oh well …”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t even come tomorrow.”

“No, I said I’d be there. It’s been printed in the newsletter. If nothing else, I’ll be able to meet and talk with the women. They’ll know the difference between what’s there now and my stuff.”

“Well, I didn’t want to ruin your day, but I thought you needed to know.”

I love me husband! He was so indignant in my behalf. And I knew there was another jewelry designer just a week before me in the same building. But I felt compelled to honor my slot, so the next day I was up early and prepared for the show. I expected nothing to happen for me that day, other than hand out a ton of business cards for “future reference.”

I got there early to set up. First woman who stopped by actually bought something!! More women came and looked. I heard from quite a few that there was a jewelry seller the day before … but nothing like this(!). Women came, looked, some purchased, some promised, and while I still handed out a ton of business cards, I also had the best day at an office lobby ever!

So to all the wonderful, beautiful ladies that work in the same building as my husband, you made my day!! I’m looking forward to visiting you in a couple of months and I’ll be bringing along some wonderfully new, fresh and pretty things.

I received a compliment regarding my display. I know most itinerant sellers use simple draped table set-up; many just pile their wares in baskets or lay them out on the table. But I want to bring to boutique to the office lobby. It’s my way of honoring the hard-working woman who has just a few precious moments carved out of their workday for pampering in whatever form it takes. It’s more work on my part, a lot of work, but I think every single one of my customers is worth it!

Now, if only I could find table cloths that won’t show their creases!

You know it's Spring ...

2008-02-12T09:11:00.001-06:00

...when colors of soft pinks and greens fall together on your work bench! Photo is a work in progress of a necklace of pink (mauve) and green mother-of-pearl coins beads interspersed with little baubles of gold-filled chain maille.

You also know spring is coming when one is awakened at 2:00 in the morning with the loud, explosive claps of thunder, followed with additional flashes of light and more thunderous claps. The sound of rain outside the bedroom window is always a welcome night sound.

But when one arises in the morning, brews freshly ground Kenyan coffee beans in the ever trusty French press and turns on the local news and weather, one is reminded of the fury of the season as a late-breaking story of someone's home being consumed in a lightning-caused fire plays out on the television. Just a couple of suburbs west of me. The same storm that just went by me moments early caused a life-altering tragedy to someone not known to me, but I put them in my prayers.

I contemplated this morning why my favorite season, the one that brings birth to beauty, comes at us with the fury of angry herd of buffalo. The clash of warm, moist air with that which is cold and dry brings on the awesome force of nature unleashed. And sometimes people are hurt. What brings us beautiful Texas wildflowers next month takes away someone's home this morning.

It didn't help that the home was a couple miles away from the nearest fire hydrant! Very near the shore of one of our ubiquitous man-made lakes, yet the 5 different fire departments that responded had to go the two miles to fill their trucks with the needed water to fight the fire. The fire won the battle. Why couldn't they pump water from the lake??