If you make jewelry, you'll want to check out this web-site

I'm really excited to find this web site because it is a fantastic resource for those of us who create jewelry or those of you who want to create jewelry. I'm sitting here thinking I wish I knew of it's existence when I first started out. It would have made my life easier.

The name of the web site is: Jewelry and Beading.

This link will take you directly to my favorite page, "The Basics - information and tutorials to get you started. Now if I could only figure out to display some photos from this web site my life would be somewhat more complete.

Today...

I am sick. I've got a respiratory thing - so I'm not feeling so hot. I'm glad today was a holiday so I didn't have to go into work. Tomorrow should be interesting. I work for a university and tomorrow is the beginning of our Clerkship Lecture series and I conduct the orientation. Which should be really interesting as I have no voice - I can just barely manage a croak. I will be in charge of the whole orientation - talking about the course, the expectations, the assignments they will need to complete and most importantly, I will be assigning them their cases for the big project they need to complete in order to get a passing grade. Just to make it more interesting in the past it was the director (a medical doctor) who assigned the cases. I'm not the best public speaker - and I get to do this will no voice

At least with my business, at this point I can conduct all business without even speaking. I wish I could blog for a living.


P.S.
Hey! guess what??!! I just discovered the spell check button on this screen! I'm so happy - now I can use that instead of depending upon my proof reading. I'm usually writing this on the fly and I can type faster than I can think (I'm a fast typist - not a slow thinker, thank you very much)

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.

Some of My Favorite Web Sites...

I've spent a fair amount of time logged onto my Flickr account - posting pictures, reading the forums in the various groups I joined and making contacts with various people who are doing the same I'm trying to do - promote our shops, web-sites and/or blogs.

These are very talented people and my only regret is that I can't buy from all of them. What I can do is let you know about them and point you in their direction. I have linked a few of the web-sites for the contacts I've made through my Flickr account.

I hope you enjoy visiting these web-sites as much as I did and please remember to support your independent crafts person/artisan. In a world of the impersonal nation-wide big box stores, you'll be glad you did.

Best regards,

Martha

My web-site...

As part of my business plan I will be selling my jewelry at arts and crafts fairs in the Puget Sound Region and on my Etsy.com web-site. The plan is that within 5 years my studio will be generating enough income so that I will be able to quit my day job.

My web-site is set up and ready to go - all I need is to post pictures of my jewelry. Because my budget for photography is $0.00 - I'll be the photographer. My deadline is to get my website up an running 2/1/08. If your curious, why don't you take a look at my web-site: www.dancingmonkeyjewelry.etsy.com

I have a few arts and crafts fairs that I'm applying to - hopefully - they'll attract a crowd that has money to spend.