Holidays Are Approaching Fast

Well the holidays are fast approaching with Thanksgiving just over a week away. While the house is ready and cleaned and even organized, still need to do the grocery part amidst work life and a bunch of other commitments like holiday special orders :o) And of course trying to find time to promote my Etsy Shop, list in my Etsy Shop, and of course make more new items. I guess its a good thing we don't do much Christmas Shopping in our family just kids, we chose to end that holiday madness a few years back when my niece was only 5 and pointed out that christmas wasn't about the presents you got but about Jesus, this came out of a 5 year olds mouth as we had been wrapping presents in my didning room after a shopping trip. It was on that shopping trip my niece watched 2 grown women fight literally for a toy at a store. The things that come out of a childs mouth!
I am sitting here at work reflecting on the past year and all of the changes it has brought to my life, and even though things aren't "perfect" by any means, I would definitely say things and myself are in a much better place than last year. I have much to be thankful for, and of course I even have a christmas wish I am hoping for too!
I am going to make an attempt to post as much as possible during this holiday season. SO watch for the upcoming fun stuff, and of course now I need to get back to my regularly scheduled work day, amidst planning my holiday sales for the Etsy shop.
Til next time :o)

A whole month

Wow, a whole month went by and I haven't done one blog post?! Oops. What started out as a great plan to keep updated has fallen apart on me. Tell me fellow bloggers how do you do it?

2 Days in a Row!! More undiscoverd on Etsy!

Wow, I impress even myself, 2 days in a row, and 2 updates! Maybe this will become a daily occurence, sure would love to gain more followers on here, any ideas on how to go about that?

So I perused Etsy all morning here at work, and still continue to be impressed by the talent in our midst, so here is my pick of the day!
Willa Mae's Marvelous Miniatures @ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7268393.
What wonderfully neat things!! Go check out this shop, peruse this listings and show some love!

Take Care :o)

Starting Somewhere

I was looking on Etsy this morning, at both of my shops, my Mom's shop, my friend's shops, and my favorites. And I realized something, we are all at different stages of development on Etsy, some have a following and a niche, some haven't quite gotten there yet, and some of us are kind of on the way. But at the root of all that is "everyone/everything has to start somewhere", I realized right after that, that statement is so true of many things in life.
I have found that the well on their way shops on Etsy draw much more attention, than those with less feedback and sales #'s. Many people blog and tweet and facebook promote about Etsy Best, or Top 10. I have decided I am going to promote undiscovered and little known shops on Etsy that have truly great items. I will blog, tweet, heart, and promote on FB until my hearts content. Going into the holiday season, I think this will be fun.

One such shop I have in mind is Stems of Stone
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7522359

Please go check out her beautiful art!!

:o) Catherine

September Already!

Its September already, and I am yet again asking myself where the time has gone.

Last month I made myself available in Etsys forums, to critique some shops. I never imagined the rsponse that I would get, so many people asked for critiques that I couldn't even get to everyone. So if you asked for one and didn't get it send me a convo on Etsy and I will do my best to find time to look at your shop. In the process of critiquing shops I chatted with some interesting shop owners from all over.
One shop that stood out amongst them was 'littlebirdtoo", so go check it out!http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5718525
There are some absolutely darling finds in this shop!!
Now if only there was a giftcard that was good for any store on Etsy, of course, that might be dangerous too. Perhaps someday!
For the upcoming holiday season I will be offering gift certificates to my Etsy shop, watch for the listing for those to appear soon!

Thanks for taking the time to read, and take care.
I promise to do a better job of updating :o)

Been awhile

Its been awhile hasn't it. Time flys, regardless of whether or not you are having fun, if you are busy, it just seems as if it goes even faster!

A few topics I have been mulling around: Etsy Hearts, Favorites and Favoriting- No matter what the site may be, Gift Registrys and Wish Lists, and lastly Gift Certificates.

I plan to blog about each of these in turn in the coming weeks, so if you have any ideas, comments, questions, or suggestions, please let me know... I am also planning to try and run a feature on shops and sites in my blog.

I look forward to spending more time on this as well as trying to finish my facebook fan page so that it can be published or posted or made public or whatever we want to call it. Let me tell you getting this going has been interesting.

On another note, I have been busy with work, and family, and life, and learning. Its true we learn something new all the time, I have recently been helping someone with the fun job of fixing a computer mess, and although I am not real technical and in the know about computers, just the mere basics and what I know from trial and error as well as just plain experimentation, I can say I have learned alot in a short time! Long story, too long too tell here! So maybe my newfound computer confidence(which still lacks at moments) will inspire me to finally finish that fanpage on facebook.

For now...

10 days!? Where did time go?

Sadly I realize it has been 10 days since my last blog post! Wow where did time go? I started out with the best intention on the first of this month to try to update this daily, or at the very least every other day, guess I wasn't so successful at it.
I started back to school deals in my shop and extended the earring special thru the 14th, buy one get one 1/2 off. Things are slowing down some, and I am looking for a few new and creative ways to draw business. I am also toying with the idea of some fun new blog topics and features, so if anyone has any ideas feel free to let me know... they would sure be appreciated. I would like to make this fun and something that poeple look forward to wantng to read and come visit!
Happy Monday!

Back to School Sale

Back to school sale starts August 1st! August 1st-August 7:All Earrings Buy one get one half off. Free shipping US and Canada the entire month of August. Shopping everywhere else is offered at half of normal shipping cost. Spend $10 and receive a free gift with purchase. Watch for weekly specials and updates.

I am planning to run a sale of some variety on something all month long in my Etsy Shop. I am also planning to throw in a few surprises and contests/giveaways. So keep checking back for further details!

:o)

Another week...

Here we are Thursday already and another week of summer almost gone! It seems like my days just bet busier and I have less and less free time, some days I hardly slow down and feel like I am stuck on auto-pilot! I took my handmade jewelry out to the flea market on Sunday but found a different buying market than what I am used to, took my best friend Jess along for the trip so I would have some help and not be out there alone all day. What a early morning, I picked her up at ten to 5 in the morning and we were there by 5:20 or so, and got a good spot, watched everyone else set up and it soon looked like a small city, watched the sun come up, got a tiny bit of color to the skin, got some exercise walked around and looked at what all the sellers had, and done by noon and off to DQ for some lunch and then the half hour ride back. Unloaded the truck and it all sat in the living room until last night, now its been relocatoed to my bedroom/office/workspace where I can deal with it later. Now that that is over I can begin listing many of the new designs and items that my mother and I have made over the past month or so. So keep an eye on my Etsy shop for new things. I am also planning to pick thru my horde of beads and other art and craft supplies so that they can be listed as well, there is just so much stuff, and some of it that we don't even need or will have a use for. Hopefully I will get that done before the next TnS. Other than that not much new, Mom is still recuperating and hopefully will be off the vac pump in 2-3 weeks. Dog shows coming up at Lake Elmo, kind of excited for that even though I don't have a dog entered still will be fun to go. And the best part will be my vacation over Labor Day Week, when I hope to have some "me time" and be able to relax and go do what I want, maybe get away for a couple days with friends or something like that. Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

List of Trade Friendly Etsy Shops

As promised here is the list of trade friendly Etsy Shops that have replied to me, thanks everyone for taking the time to do so. I will try my best to keep this list updated periodically, and once figured out would like to find a way to put it in my sidebar(I am still learning how all this blog business works on here, so bear with me). Please if you haven't, take a moment if you can to visit the following shops even if you aren't interested in trading, we have some very talented people in our midst.

Please contact individual shop owners regarding trade details.


Trade Friendly Etsy Shops
funnyface12345.etsy.com
nativebaby.etsy.com
ixtlicouture.etsy.com
alteredbeauty.etsy.com
gloriasjewelrybox.etsy.com
butterflydesign1.etsy.com
candlewhiz.etsy.com
jewelrywhiz.etsy.com
BooBooMonsters.etsy.com
TYEJ.etsy.com
angiehandmade.etsy.com
GeckoJewelry.etsy.com
muffintopdesigns.etsy.com
thoughtfulexpression.etsy.com
peculiarparchment.etsy.com
Raevyn77.etsy.com
love2embellish.etsy.com
gratefulgoods.etsy.com
gratefulsupplies.etsy.com
Mopsical.etsy.com
craftychris.etsy.com
redbracelet.etsy.com
smutopia.etsy.com
JanineMarieJewelry.etsy.com
SuperCuteJewelry.etsy.com
JMBridalJewelry.etsy.com
Indiethrift.etsy.com
dinolover77.etsy.com
EuniceNeedlecraft.etsy.com
delights.etsy.com
TheGirlyTutu.etsy.com
JollyJennifer.etsy.com
MartiArtstudio.etsy.com
theglasswillow.etsy.com
hazelhoney.etsy.com
LittlePreciousThings.etsy.com
Sharnemainiaknits.etsy.com
FuzzyWuzzysoaps.etsy.com
PnsNNedls.etsy.com
RanaMuck.etsy.com
luvmymonkeys@etsy.com
beckynot@etsy.com
RubysUniqueBoutique.etsy.com
jewelryinfusions.etsy.com
jewelryinfusions2.etsy.com
marinebiochic07.etsy.com
charmingmittens.etsy.com
pennyspug.etsy.com
MamaJBoutique.etsy.com
iiinventory.etsy.com
overloadednoggin.etsy.com
LDCraftSupplies.etsy.com
Genevive.etsy.com
yjja123.etsy.com
AmeGem.etsy.com
funkyluke.etsy.com
MelissasMagicSpot.etsy.com


If there are any errors, please feel free to let me know so that it can be corrected. While I strived for perfection, I am only human! If you are not included on this list and would like to be please let me know...

Thanks Again :o)

Trading

Happy Monday to all, it has been about a week since I have posted last. Last week I decided to try a new venture, I wanted to learn more about trading on Etsy, and posted in forums looking to make a list of trade friendly shops on Etsy, because I know if I was curious, I imagined others would be as well. I had completed a trade with another etsy shop real close to that time, and I thought what a neat idea, from so many standpoints: you get a sale(the trade), feedback-which is what can make or break many a online business, you get something you need or want without spending $ in this tough economic time, you get the opportunity to chat with great other sellers, amongst a host of other benefits. So I posted that, and to my surprise received convos and replys to my posting. At the same time I also stumbled into a thread on the forums that was for a Trade n Stay event hosted by the Etsy Tradeaholics Team. So I also put a posting on there, to which I got many nice replies and found myself welcomed in to a community of other trade friendly shops. I felt so welcomed by this group of people, and had so much fun trading with other shops, I only wish I had known about it sooner. I felt for awhile now like I hadn't found my niche on Etsy yet, and now I feel as though I have.
If you have never traded before, or are considering trading, I encourage you to do so, and to check out the following links some are articles about trading, and two are links for Etsy Tradeaholics which have some helpful info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade
http://www.livescience.com/history/080218-hs-trade.html
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/141653/trading/history_of_trade.html
http://tradeaholics.ning.com/
http://etsytradeaholics.blogspot.com

As always have a great day!
~Catherine :o)

P.S. List of fabulous trade friendly shops to follow this post!

Happy Monday(or not?!)

Monday, where did the weekend go? Better yet where did summer weather in MN go? I must say it has been nice to have windows open and AC off, I don't mind at all.
I started working on a project last night with pale purple pearls and swarovski crystals, I have yet to finish it as I realized I don't have enough of what I need to finish, bummer! Oh well, I guess that means its time to shop for something to complete it. Maybe after work :o) I need to work on listings again too, as well as various projects regarding, my blog, Facebook Fan Page and all that fun sort of stuff, hope I can fine the time tonight. I was very productive yesterday in getting other stuff done around home, so I hope that I can stay focused on that. I was supposed to be at Hamel Flea Market on Sunday morning, but that did not work as planned as my helper had something come up. So hopefully next Sunday. In the end it actually worked out better for me and my schedule anyways. Back to my regular programmed workday. Counting the minutes until I can leave the confines of this office and enjoy the nice day!

Why I like making things...

Someone asked me yesterday why I liked making things, which led me to think why do I like making things. Not just beading and jewlery, but actually creating something. I thought this would be a good topic worth writing about here, but I know that I can't possibly cover it all in a single posting.

My mother has always been a creative person and has made and tried her hand at making many different things. Some years back now she got me into beading, ar first it was just making some things for myself, that made me feel good about myself. I at the time was at a crossroads where my life had undergone some dramatic changes and I needed an outlet of sorts if you will... What happened instead was I developed a love for beads and beading, I found I could lose myself completely in a project or design. I felt like I had found therapy and peace in beading, and eventually this led to contentment in other areas and aspects of my life. There was just
something about the process from start to finish that I found soul soothing. I felt anxiety, stress, and worry just melt away. Of course what also developed was a passion for beads! And of course bead shopping! And I don't know many women who don't love shopping(a few guys too!).
What happened over time was that I (as well as my mother) had made so much more than we could ever wear, that we started selling it to family and friends, online and at shows/fairs
Now this little venture has grown, and I have grown as a person with it, it has in turn become a part of me. I have found my creative side, which has opened doors for me... Inlocked opportunities, taught me some lessons, and in a few ways has helped to make me who I am.

To be continued... I love this subject!!!

Til Next Time

~Catherine :o)

Where did the weekend go

Where did the weekend go? Here it is Monday again already. and I don't feel as if I accomplished a thing! Yesterday I had the best intentions of creating new things and had so many good ideas, but the washing machine and floor drain had other plans for me and my day, and of course the mess to go with it! The good news is the plumber will be here today and svc+ for the washer on Weds, so not so bad. Life of homeownership=unplanned work!
So maybe tonite I can finally sit down with the new items I bought at the bead show last month and finally make these ideas I have in my mind real!
Thanks for reading

Finally Friday :o)

Friday finally at long last. I have no set plan for this day beyond work today. Maybe I will go out, maybe I will stay home. I knwo one thing, after work I am for sure going to walk the dogs! Maybe I will go home and create new things. I have plenty of ideas, now only if I had the time...
Time:
Time management sure seems challenging nowadays with such a fast paced and ever changing lifestyle. Growing up when family dinners were still a common thing where everyone sat down at the table and talked about their day, I find todays trends of that being less common very concerning. It seemed when I grew up there was always time, now I never seem to have enough time. I find myself often saying "If only I had time".
Time is such a great gift, time for yourself, time for others, time is so important and precious.
I hope to make the most of my time.
With that said, have a great weekend!

Marketing and Networking

While I am not computer illiterate, I am no computer and tech guru either. So I am still trying to figure this blog thing out, it looks like you can a few things with it, guess I will just have to play trial and error here with it, and go from there. It will be a learning experience I am sure. I am learning all kinds of new things about marketing and networking and promoting using a number of different things. I kind of feel like a sponge in a way, just absorbing...
Hope you bear with me and I don't bore you with my ramblings...
Off to get some real work done now.

Productivity

Have you ever noticed how some days you seem and feel to be more productive than others. Some days I feel motivation is so lacking and others I have too much of it! How can this be... Somedays I detest those boring everyday things like laundry and checkbook balancing and wish I could play creator all day long, but alas I can't twitch my nose in order for it all to be done, so just try to make the best fo the daily grind. Like right now, I am at work, but would rather be home with my digital camera, laptop, and new items for listing and creating, or to simply even spend more time on promoting, which I don't do nearly enough of as it is. Oh well, at least I can work on my writing projects here during downtime... Grateful to be employed, only wishing I could employ myself! Someday maybe, the possibilities are so endless.

I am currently trying to play catch up, both on new designs and creating as well as listing. My mother has had a few health issues so I lost some of my creativity time for a bit.
Amazing how much you miss it when you don't have time for it isn't it. I am kicking around a few different promo ideas for upcoming sales and such, if you have any good ones feel free to shoot me a message, your thoughts are always appreciated.
I have also been fooling around with a couple of new projects, one is a design for notecards that I have been doodling and tweaking for awhile, I hope to have that to my Aunt who does printing very soon.
The other is writing, which I have always loved to do. I have a couple good stories I am working on, but what a daunting project, I am not sure if these will ever pan out into something more or not... Only time will tell.
Iwould love to hear from you, thoughts, ideas, etc....