I've been up on Etsy for about a month now!  It's been a good experience and I'm learning a lot!  Promoting myself has been a really weird thing to do.  Myspace, facebook, flickr, twitter.  I have no idea what I'm doing!  Twitter is interesting, and I really like flickr.  Now myspace and facebook.  What in the world am I supposed to do with these!  I think I'll just keep plugging away and see what happens!

I loved making the bracelets and decided to branch out and sell them.  That was pretty scary!  I started posting my bracelets on eBay, using my husband's account.  I was pleasantly surprised at the response!  After a couple of years, I decided to start my own Seller ID Marysrosegarden.  Starting over with a new ID has been very stressful.  Worrying about feedback and sales and exposure...whew!  It's been going well, though, and I just received my 50th feedback on my new ID.

eBay has been an experience, and I've decided to branch out.  Etsy really appealed to me, with it's "only handmade" format.  I've opened my store on Etsy  www.marysrosegarden.etsy.com.  I've also had a good response there and have learned a lot!

Etsy is all about promotion and display.  I had to take stock of my photos and rework them to be more appealing or interesting.  Made a light box from instructions on Etsy.  That's made a big improvement!  Every day, something new!

Experimenting with different types and sizes of materials has been interesting, although a little hard on the pocketbook!  Who knew there were so many types of "rocks" in the world.  And different grades and cuts, and "is that a good price?".  I'm even picking up put some mineralogy!  And ask me about the life cycle of the pearl producing mussel! 

I amazed myself and my friends when we attended a gem faire recently.  We played "name that gemstone" and I was surprised at what I knew!  Learning about the materials that I use, as well as their metaphysical properties has been one of the most interesting parts of this whole process!

This is certainly a little daunting, but I'm going to give it a go! 

I've been making wire wrapped rosary bracelets and rosaries for about 3 years now.  I inadvertently got started when my son gave me a little pewter rosary bracelet as a gift.  I wore it until it fell to pieces.  Wanting to replace it with something more like jewelry, the search was on!  I found many beautiful bracelets out there and that got me thinking!  There were elements of each that I liked; sterling silver, gemstones, wire wrapped, etc., but not in the combinations that I wanted.  That's when I decided to make my own.

I've always done a little drawing and painting, but have never attempted anything like this.  After searching the Internet for "how-to" on wire-wrapping, I commandeered my daughter's bead set and craft wire and started practicing.  After a few false starts, I got the hang of it!