Ballard NW Senior Center Fundraising BBQ & Craft Show...

Here's the flyer for the next craft show I'll be participating in with my Etsy Street Team: Team EtsyRain. Megan of Baubles by Hand created it and I think she did a really good job. Great colors and graphics. She one of the many talented artists of EtsyRain. Hopefully, we'll have a good turn out and it will be a profitable show for us and fundraiser for the Ballard NW Senior Center. I know that I, for one, will be partaking of their BBQ (just doing my part to make their fundraiser a success).

If you should find yourself in the Ballard neighborhood on Saturday you should drop on in. You can get lunch, do a little shopping (think of it as helping to stimulate the economy) and when your done you can spend sometime at the Ballard Locks. It supposed to be a lovely day on Saturday. After the show I'll be heading over to the Locks with my camera in hand. It will be a well deserved side trip after the show.

And I thought one blog was a lot of work...

So, I've been helping to organize an art show that will be happening this summer (Saturday, July 26th) called Bella Faire - Art in the Garden. I volunteered to create the blog (or web-site) for the group, http://www.bellafaire.blogspot.com/. I also volunteered to create the post cards were sending out to promote the show. Plus, I took it upon myself to list the show on a few web-sites:

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/events/tacoma-bella-faire---art-in-the-garden-art-show-and-market

FeedTacoma.org: http://www.feedtacoma.com/events/event.php?e=1266

I've submitted notices to the

Seattle Times - NW Source events column - www.seattletimes.com

Urban Fashion Network- http://www.urbanfashionnetwork.com/

and on the Seattle's EtsyRain - (http://craftsellers.meetup.com/82/ )-message board - a group that I belong to that promotes western Washington artists who have shops on Etsy.com.

There are other artist's who will be promoting the show - but I just wanted to do my part.

I'm hoping that we get some sort of exposure and at the very least we get our name out there and people will come check us out at the very least. Sales would just be the cherry on the top of the Sunday.

So, if you live in the South Puget Sound region and find some extra time on your hands, please come visit us.

Yeah! I did it and survived to tell the tale!!!!

What did I do? I paid my 1st quarter taxes last night (nothing like waiting for the last moment). Thank god, for electronic filing and e-checks. I have a sneaking suspicion that I might have over paid my taxes - only because my records weren't as "organized" as they should be - but I'd rather over pay then under pay - it's just more pleasant to find out that you erred in your favor. My biggest worry is that I didn't complete the forms correctly - but the silver lining to this dark cloud is that I'm sure I'll find out sooner rather than later if I made any mistakes (That is if the Department of Revenue notices).

Because I haven't had any sales in the first month of the second quarter, I'm going to use this time to organize my financial paper work - just in case I get audited. According to the fine folks from the Department of Revenue - it's not if you get audited, it's when - so I want to be prepared. Sounds pretty ominous - doesn't it?

And finally, next week I'll get a taste of what it's like to be a full time artisan/business owner. I'll be at home all next week getting ready for my next jewelry show sponsored by my Etsy Street Team: EtsyRain in Edmonds. I'm excited about this show for two reasons: 1. It's an opportunity to make more money (my checking account is looking a little anemic) and 2. I'll get to meet more members of the team - some of them I know through the groups I belong to on Flickr and Etsy, and some that I've actually met at other shows like "I Heart Rummage" and classes. I'm hoping it's fun, I'm hoping it's profitable, I'm hoping to meet lots of cool people - I'm hoping that next week is productive and I walk away with a feeling of being satisfied with what I was able to accomplish.

So, my goals for next week are:

1. Take more photos of my jewelry.

2. Post more inventory on Etsy.

3. Have more productive sessions at my jewelry bench.

4. Organize my financial paperwork.

5. Get ready for my next show.

6. Meet with my co-organizers of my Bella Faire art show in Tacoma.

7. Design and get the web-site for the Bella Faire up and running.

8. Take Bruce for a walk every day next week.

9. Set up a routine for me to follow through out the week.

10. Start a feature on my blog dedicated to the artist's who's own web-sites drive lots of traffic to my web-site (Whew! That was a mouth full!). I'm also thinking of hosting a give-away once a month - maybe.

It's good to have goals. Better if you meet them.

Triple Treat Earrings

Triple Treat
Originally uploaded by Dancing Monkey Jewelry

More jewelry that I am planning on posting in my Etsy shop.

Three white freshwater pearls are stack neatly one upon another. They are dangling from hand formed French ear wires and have been oxidized - which contrasts nicely with the whiteness of the pearls.

What I've been learning...

I'm one of those "Ready, Fire, Aim!" kind of people. If I weren't I'd probably woudn't get anything done. Reason being, the more I know the more likely I would get mired down in the details which might help me become overwhelmed and then become paralyzed by inaction. Besides - it more exciting flying by the seat of pants. However, that does make for a very steep learning curve sometimes - you can't live in ignorance forever (but it's nice to visit sometimes). So, I decided to do a little internet research and in the brower bar I typed in "How to promote to your web-site" - lots of possibilities popped up - and I did check some of them out. Nothing really resonated with me. However, with the help of one of the members(sycamorebaby: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5136129) of my Etsy Street Team: EtsyRain (http://craftsellers.meetup.com/82/) I've found another excellent web-site that I would like to share with you: eMoms At Home - The Blog That Started It All. The target audience is for parents with a home-business. If you don't fall into that category - don't let that stop you from checking out this blog - it's an excellent resource for anyone who has a home business. This site has a little something for everyone. My favorite channels are:

CraftBoom - Marketing an Art & Craft Business Online

Freelance Parent - Running a Home Based Freelance Business

I can't wait until I have the time to fully explore this website. The more I learn about selling on the on-line the more I learn what I don't know. In short - I haven't a clue.

Also, I've been learning how to write HTML code and for those of you with slightly sophisticated computer skills probably have noticed that in this posting. So, please excuse any of the strange formatting you see in this blog for a while - it's probably me and my learning curve.

I've been featured in a Treasury on Etsy!!!

I joined this on-line Etsy street team - EtsyRain. So far my involvement has strictly been on line. I hope I'll get a chance to meet this creative group in person soon.

What's really exciting is that one of the members of the street team included me in her treasury. What is a Treasury? Here is a description that is taken directly off the Etsy web-site ( so don't accuse me of plagarism - I've already given Etsy credit):

"The Treasury is a member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked items each (plus four alternates). It functions as a high-demand (and pretty!) promotional tool that many devoted Etsians fight to get. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme, or just however they like. The Treasury is not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool things for sale on Etsy. Admin often choose an exceptional Treasury list to promote on the home page and occasionally make them to tie into Storque articles or special events and occasions."

So the name of the Treasury I'm featured on is: Adorn Your Ears...EtsyRain Style.

Here is the link:

www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=24354

And here is the link of the EtsyRain team member who chose me:

www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5202322

By the way, the store's name on Etsy is: Woven Chains Jewelry

Please take a look at both links to see all the beautiful jewelry that is being created by artist who make up EtsyRain.