Holiday Greetings...

Hope this works...

Life lessons, multi-tasking and beading...

Recently a very good friend of mine excitedly pointed out to me that I had a sale over the weekend, and deep down inside I thought it was too good to be true. And as I checked my inbox for the notice of payment, I also emailed the customer with a nice, courteous reply thanking them for the purchase and asked if they would like a pair of the rubber thingies/nubbins that go on the earring posts.

No reply.

I emailed them again a day or two later, wondering about the status, ie were they still interested in purchasing the earrings, etc.

No reply.

I'm kind of bummed that tonight, I had to email the admin. at Etsy to inform them that this buyer went over the 3 day grace period for payment, and that I was putting the items back up for sale again.

I'm not sure what happened...maybe they never intended to buy the earrings but wanted to list them as a favorite, who knows? I just don't want any negative feedback...still, I'm bummed out. I was ready to ship off the earrings at a moments notice and include both the rubber nubs and a nice wee gift box as well.

Lesson learned.

Another lesson learned? Wire wrapping. The image won't upload for some reason tonight, and right now I'm too tired to try and figure out why. All I now is I'm still working full time, getting ready for a craft show on the 30th, cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the in-laws, belly dancing, and somewhere in there still finding time to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and cell phone charms.

Go me, I friggin' rule. *grins*

Belly wire dancing wrapping

Or more like I fought the wire wrap but the wire wrap won.



I tried to making something different tonight so I could post it on my Etsy site, and I should known that when I rush, things always turn out looking sloppy and I end up feeling stressed and unhappy.

But have I learned my lesson? Probably note...*grins*



I can't decide if I'm going to sell this piece or not... I see so many things that could have been done better.



I love the bead cap on this, and I like the concept, but I'm still not 100% satisfied with this so...I procrastinate. I'll play a few games, watch the Amazing Race [season premier!], and when I come back after a few hours, perhaps I'll have the fate of this piece of jewelry decided.

ps - I forgot to explain the odd title of this post - I have my first belly dance class this past Friday night to a group of girls who were taking the bride-to-be out for a girl's night out. The idea was to have a Moroccan [sp?] theme, complete with a lesson of Belly Dancing Basics 101 from me, Henna tattoos, and dinner in a Moroccan restaurant across the river.

I had a blast and I believe I taught them everything they needed to know, and then some. I warned them that I was going to give them a workout, and by the end of the class, I know they believed me.

Too bad I couldn't give them the Henna tattoos, they were a little clueless about Henna, and were worried that the designs would still be visible after two weeks.

Well, I'm prattling so I need to go sit down and wait for Phil...ha hah

The woman with a thousand hobbies...

Is it possible to have to many hobbies?

I think I do...besides beading, I also belly dance, write Oded Fehr based/Ardeth Bay fanfic [although I haven't been able to write in a long time. *sad sigh*], manage a fanfic site and a message board with my partners and friends, read, dabble in pixel art, and try to answer my emails on a timely basis.

I also work full time, I'm trying to get a site started for little or no cash, register my business, and try to squeeze in time to create some pieces for my business that I know will turn out lovely if...I only had the time. *chuckles*

But I digress as I often do, and the good news I'm able to access this blog again after I made a boo boo in register and got stymied for a few weeks. Thanks for the help, The Blooger Team, and your timely email. *smiles*

As for beading - I have some great ideas for some new pieces but I was wondering - where do others like myself go for inspiration? Do they see something on another site, and create their own version? Or do they boldly copy the design? And is there such a thing as a copyright on a certain style for a pair of earrings?

I wonder...and will probably ponder this for a few days more. *smiles* It's what I do...

And finally, on to the topic of beading...I found these beauties at Jubili Friday night prior to my belly dance lesson, and aren't they GOR-GEOUS? *smiles* I have no idea why I was drawn to them, but let me tell ya at approximately $7 a pop, or should I say cap since they're bead caps, I can't afford to be 'drawn' too much.

What will I use them for? Possibly the focal point of a necklace that could very well match these earring...how to make the necklace hasn't hit me yet.

Ah, the delicious irony

Greeting and salutations to whoever is bored enough to read this...

My first entry into what I hope will become a very active, and enthralling blog will simply be this observation:

that for an amateur writer like myself, creating another blog to ramble on about my journey into selling my bead jewelry online is like trying to stick a giraffe into a shot glass.

Don’t misunderstand me, I love to write…when I have the time.

However, in all fairness to my business partner, and since it seems to be ‘the thing to do’, I decided to start this little online journal that will house my thoughts, musings, fears, contemplations, and idea’s for world dominance as the days/weeks/months pass by.

Be afraid…be very afraid. I know I am.

First observation of the day?

Unless I read through the various online articles about how to become a small business owner way too fast, and should have passed on that forth cuppatea, it isn’t easy doing this.

There’s no one telling you that it’s okay to spend mucho dinero for marketing your sight, finding creative ways to advertise without mortgaging the house, or offering the culinary skills of your DH. Although he does make a mean London broil for Sunday dinners, and hey…he does do some of the laundry.

Sorry, I digress of which I have a habit of doing.

I guess my point of this is – am I doing it right?

Am I utilizing the right avenues to promote, generate and ultimately gain a sale?

Or am I simply doggie paddling in the water, too tired to notice that the water level is slowly rising and will eventually be over my head?

I’ll leave y’all with that lovely thought…me drowning. And yes, I do tease…a lot.