I am the proud new member of the Etsy Chatters Team at Etsy.com. We are currently doing a giveaway, so go to http://etsychatters.blogspot.com/ to enter the contest. The post is down a bit, so just look for it. Our own VetrinaGirl is giving away a ring, and ShineYourHineySoap is giving away some Whip Your Hiney Bath Whip. Yes, you just read that right!
I also created a Spotlight at ByHand.me with some of my best Etsy chat friends, so go on over and check it out.
My mother posted a blog today that stated how proud she was of me (Kathryn here on mycraft.com). I would just like to say, "Back at ya, kid!" My mom has called me crying because her computer did something screwy, screaming because she thought we'd made a sale (she had accidentally deactivated one of my listings on Etsy), and been an all around cheerleader when I thought I was going to go insane from all the promoting I've been doing.
That's not to say it's perfect - we fuss like any other partnership - but we always manage to come back to agreement, even without saying "sorry", 'cause we know what makes the other one tick. So, I'm proud of ya, Mom! Love you! :) (Get her a box of tissues, someone, she's gonna start crying!)
Isn't it neat to look at stuff you did a year ago and to look at stuff you're doing now? The change in style, the growth you can see happening is sometimes just amazing. Plus, there are all the really cool beads you've accumulated in the last year's time! :) I find myself examining the stuff I've done over the last year and taking things apart to reuse the components in new pieces.
My newest pieces are light years away from the stuff I was doing last year, and it's so exciting. I hope you take the opportunity to photograph your things and really look at where you have improved. It helps me so much when I want to get down on myself about failing at something to look back at where I started. When I first started beading, I was using 17lb fishing line with cheap findings and beads from Wal-Mart. Now, I'm starting to buy sterling silver wire and really nice beads that I really love to use.
Have a great day, and enjoy the talent you've been given. It's a blessing to yourself and others!
I've just posted new earrings at my Etsy site, www.heartsabustin.etsy.com. They were so much fun to make. I always forget how much fun earrings are. There's not nearly the time investment that there is in bracelets and necklaces, and honestly, they're better money makers. We all know that, right? Or am I giving away trade secrets? lol :)
It's a gray day here on the Cape Fear Coast, so I think I'll go upstairs and do some more work on a quilt I'm working on for my mom. (Yes, Momma, I promise I'm working on it!)
On a completely different note, I ordered a bust for myself so I could take better pictures of my necklaces. The thing is on backorder until the end of February. I had the brilliant revelation last night that I could just use my dress form with fabric pinned to it. DUH moment! I can set the thing up next to a window, and presto, instant necklace hanger. Why, oh why, do these thoughts occur to me like that? I think I may continue with the bust, though. I can take that outside if I need to. The dress form is a little clunky to run up and down the stairs.
This may sound a little odd, but I just discovered how cool copper wire is. When I started with my wirework, I was using brass. I've been wanting to try copper, but didn't until just the other day. It's amazing how much fun it is! I'm making the same sort of stuff, but it's so cool that the same stuff I make in silver looks so different when it's made in copper! And it looks so great with turquoise! Well, actually, dyed magnesite and African "turquoise", both of which are substitutes, but they still look great.
It's so neat to work with new materials!
I get such a charge out of experimenting with new things. I haven't even gotten any pictures of my new stuff yet, but I can't wait to share it with you all. I'm even more excited to be able to post it on my Etsy site, but I really feel like I need to do some relisting instead. The other day, I opened up my site, and we had gone down from 50 items to 47. Needless to say, I nearly jumped up and down and screamed with joy. Until I thought, maybe I'd better go check this out. Anyway, three of our listings had expired. LOL. I know we've all been there - it was just too funny.
Ya'll have a great day, and be nice to yourself. Go buy some beads! Or scrapbook paper or whatever floats your particular crafty little boat! Bye!
