ZenithJade Creations : The Blog

The Interview: Paasch E Pottery!

2011-07-12T20:30:00.008-05:00

Every once in a while, a seller on ArtFire REALLY strikes my fancy, and I decide I want to do an interview. Here's my interview with PaaschEPottery! Please share the love and visit her links! :)

Tell me a little bit about yourself- your inspiration, your life story, your passions...

My name is Erin Paasch. I'm 24, happily married to a man who swears he's not artistic (though I know better), and obsessed with pottery. Seriously. Obsessed. If I'm not drooling about another artist's work or making my own, you can tend to find me pawing disapprovingly at friends' and relatives' mass-produced work and talking about how their stuff is so much more likely to break because it's cast and the clay molecules aren't as compressed as they should be for functional work.

Also, I might be a horrible friend and/or relative to have.

Why did you select pottery as your artistic medium?

When I went into art school, my portfolio was filled with drawings and paintings. It was what I was certain I was going to do for the rest of my life.

I don't know if you know what it's like to be at a prestigious art school, but it's not easy. They make you try out several new mediums while still doing the medium you wanted the most. We were putting out paintings and small sculptures every 2-3 weeks. I quickly learned that although I enjoyed painting, it wasn't enough of a passion that I wanted to do it day-in and day-out like this. I got burnt out.

At the same time, I was planning and getting ready for my wedding. Because we were on a tight budget, the soon-to-be hubby and I ended up making a lot of our decorations: The flowers, the cake topper, even the wedding invitations. Unlike the painting, doing all of this work and making these small crafts thrilled me.

Here's a picture of him and me. You can see the bouquet in my hand and the boutineer on his suit that we made.
Anyway, when I returned to college the next year, I knew I wanted to work in 3D. I tried out different mediums, and settled from there on wheel throwing. I liked how responsive the clay was, it was almost as fluid as paint, and how challenging it was as a medium.

I love the colors you blend on your wares- how do you come up with the color combinations? Where do you draw inspiration from?

I actually have to credit this to my husband. Glaze is tough to control because when you put it on a form, it's just watered down minerals. It isn't until after it comes out of the kiln that you can actually see what those minerals turn into. Add the fact that several things can affect these glazes, like how you layer them, the type of firing you do, etc., and it becomes extremely challenging. I myself took a semester-long course just to understand how to use and test glazes effectively.

My husband was interested in learning, so I taught him the basics on how to test glazes, tweak recipes, and take good notes. Less than a month later he came up with a gorgeous glaze combination that I couldn't accomplish in 3 years. Maybe it's beginner's luck, maybe my hubby is just that damned good.

I see that you're making buttons! Why did you decide to try that? Are beads in the near future?

Sometimes I get really frustrated with the wheel. No matter how good you are at it, you're still going to have that day, or week, or month, that you're just off. Sometimes it's just a small thing and you can blow it off, but a short while ago I was having an off 2 weeks.

I've found that the best thing to do when I am in a rut like that is just to build by hand. By the end of a few days, I'm rearing to go on the wheel again. And yes, I am working on a few bead designs ;)

Why do you use a wheel? Tell me about the process! :)

I love how instant the wheel is. When you're hand-building, you're building something up little by little, layer by layer. But with the wheel you can make the main part of a form in as little as 20 minutes. Sure, there is more to it than that -- the wheel alterations, adding handles, glazing, and that adds up, but because the main form is pretty much done right away, I can make several of the same piece with just small differences. This allows me to be able to constantly evolve my work and make very good, functional pottery.

What other creative endevors do you enjoy doing? Do you scrapbook? Crochet? Bead?

Every year, my friend over at Naked Light Bulbs and I have a sale together. To help out, I help her crochet her simpler dolls -- like bees or bear heads, for her to put them together.

For the most part though, I keep to the pottery. Every now and again I'll catch a bug and have to draw, paint, or maybe even make jewelry, but in the end, I love clay most of all.

What new skill would you love to learn?

Carpentry would be nice. I need more shelves to hold all of my pots! Seriously though, I've always wanted to make large mosaics and being able to construct furniture to make them on would be an amazing skill to have.

Did you go to school to learn your art, did you take classes or are you self-taught? If someone helped you with your journey, please tell me about them!

Well, I think I mentioned this already, but I went to college. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago -- you know, the big art museum? That's where I spent 4 years.

Although it helped me discover what I wanted to make and where I wanted to go with my art, I was surprised to find that I learned a LOT more about pottery out of college. When you're in a class and not trying to sell your work, you don't think about how to make multiples of work or where to order glazes and materials from. I feel like after college I've pushed my work so much more and learned so much more just having to deal with the real world while making work.

Do you enjoy what you do?

If I didn't, I wouldn't be here.

What is your least favorite part of being an online arts seller on ArtFire?

This isn't just limited to ArtFire, but it's so frustrating to hear people say how much they love your work time and time again, but you don't make a sale for over a month. It starts to make you wonder if you're doing something wrong.

I've joked more than once that when I was in High School and college and making work that wasn't for sale, everyone wanted to buy it. But the moment I actually put a price tag on the stuff, everyone walked away.

What is your favorite part of being an online arts seller on ArtFire?

The community. Hearing from so many other artists, seeing people help each other out and promoting for others. It's amazing.

How do you balance work/making stuff/play/family/pets?

With plenty of naps throughout the day.

What's your favorite snack while you're working and why?

I've found it's best not to snack when your hands are full of clay. It makes everything taste chalky.

Any suggestions for other sellers out there?

Actually, if some sellers had any suggestions for me, I'd appreciate it! I'm so new at the whole online thing, I don't feel qualified!

Seriously though, I'd say to try and keep all of your options open. I'm not just selling work online, I'm also selling wholesale or through commission with local stores, submitting work to galleries, and selling at arts and crafts fairs. It's a lot of work, but I'm having a lot more success selling in several ways than just one.

Please link me up! Blog, twitter, facebook, myspace, etc!

(Shop) http://www.artfire.com/users/PaaschEPottery
(Blog) http://paaschepottery.blogspot.com/
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paasch-E-Pottery/145926675469995?sk=app_106171216118819
(Twitter) http://twitter.com/#!/PaaschEPottery

Special promotions for blog readers? Any specials you'd like to share?

Right now I'm running a sale as part of ArtFire's XMas In July Event. I have 25% off all of my inventory, and at the same time I'm running a contest to encourage people to help me advertise my sale.

Jewelry Show, PaaschEPottery, and MORE!

2011-07-06T05:03:00.004-05:00

One of my prints! -->

Well, another weekend has come and gone, and this one a HOLIDAY weekend for us in the USA! It was the 4th of July! Friends, family, could it get any better??? The BEST part was when one of our fireworks exploded ON THE GROUND. The pipe holding it just, well, blew up! I didn't manage to get any pictures of that happening, unfortunately. What a sight! The guys ran from it like their butts were on fire! (Maybe their butts WERE on fire! Who knows?!).

I just listed about 20 new Mother-of-Pearl rings in my ArtFire shop! And remember, I'm running a Christmas in July sale, (15% off everything!), until July 31st!

Up next are Mother-of-Pearl hair bobs with Swarovski crystal centers. If I'm ambitious, I'll do that this morning! *grins*

I really should make more hair flowers, too... and I need to make bracelets for my upcoming JEWELRY SHOW this Saturday, July 9th! (It starts at noon! Be here or be square!). As per usual, I will be discounting everything at my show. Plus, free gift with every purchase!!!

How's that for incentive??? Wootz!

Another ArtFire seller by the name of Paasch E Pottery is also running a FABULOUS sale. 25% off all items in her shop. And MAN, does she make some STUNNING pottery-ware. Here's a link to her blog if you, too, want to enter this contest of blogging, promoting, and sharing her fabu sale! Personally, I could resist the chance of winning one of her great mugs! (I NEED A NEW COFFEE MUG, darnit!)

Don't forget to follow me on twitter, facebook or visit my artfire shop!

Upcoming Jewelry Show!

2011-07-02T19:17:00.005-05:00

Moe in the bathroom sink --->

Yes, Moe is one of our cats! We found her sleeping in the bathroom sink a few days ago, and this was the result of my picture taking. *grins*

Isn't she just adorable???

UPCOMING JEWELRY SHOW!
This show is going to be a little different from the others, as I'm actually going to provide refreshments. Wootz! Soda, cheese and crackers, and maybe finger sandwiches, (sammiches). Should be delightful!

The show is scheduled for Saturday, July 9th, starting at NOON. There is no set end-time, but before midnight would be preferable. *winks*

It is taking place at my home at 205 Avon Street, La Crosse, WI 54603. Bring your friends!

We are DOWNSTAIRS, on the left side of the building. It's a white house with a huge picture window. *grins*

Refreshments + jewelry = great times!

As per usual, I will be around to answer any questions you might have, and to take custom orders!

If you can't make it, don't fret- I've got over 350 items in my artfire shop!

You can also find my jewelry at The New U in Onalaska, WI.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZenithJade
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations

A Little of This, A Little of That... BLOG HOP!

2011-06-30T03:36:00.000-05:00

Swap-Bot Goodness, ArtFire and MORE!

2011-06-30T00:30:00.003-05:00

So I'm finally getting back into the swing of things with Swap-Bot swaps. During and after the move, I took a break because mailing out packages while moving and organizing is HARD! LOL!

Anyways, I'm participating in three swaps now. One is all about the color PINK, and the other two are cat-related. (Are you really surprised by that?!).

I'm creating quite the collection of ATC's, (Artist Trading Cards). They're so nifty. I really want some more cat ones, (vertical), sun & moon ATC's, and celtic designs. I've got a binder full of them! (Some are ones I've created that haven't found new homes yet). I'll get up a picture of them post-haste.

TONS of new prints are now available in my ArtFire shop. They're all LIMITED EDITION runs of 10, and once they're sold, they're done! Many many many FLOWER portraits, one of piano keys (love this one!), a couple of guitar ones (these are pretty darn cool macro shots), and MORE FLOWERS. It's a great example of my photography prowress. *winks*

Also available in my ArtFire shop are over 300 pieces of jewelry! My new favorites are the large-hole bead necklaces and my latest pink, green and red collection pieces, which incidentally, are going really fast! *grins*

Visit my ArtFire shop here: http://ZenithJade.artfire.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ZenithJade

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations

Busy!!!

2011-06-23T02:52:00.005-05:00

So we've, (Eric and I), been very busy settling in to our new place! It's so exciting to move into a new apartment. I feel like I've been in West Salem forever. It feels surreal, or like a dream. I just hope I never awaken! ;)

<--- A daffodil I photographed this Spring, (March 2011).

So, with settling in comes the merging of two relatively complete households. That's always an adventure! Plus, the merging of CATS! *falls over* So far, so good, (MOSTLY!).

There have been some small kitty frays, but nothing too horribly serious. Although I AM looking for a new home for LuLu. She would be so much happier as an "ONLY" kitty. :(

Crabbi being cute! --->

At any rate, I have four new "collection" pieces up... only named "the red, pink and green collection". Three of the available necklaces are really SETS- earrings & a necklace. One is a lonely choker, no earrings. ;) The mysterious fifth piece of this set has already sold! And man, was it a beauty! (Not to say that the rest of them aren't, but it *was* my personal favorite!). You can view the collection by visiting my artfire shop by clicking here, or copying and pasting this link into your browser's url bar: http://ZenithJade.artfire.com/ .

I think you'll really enjoy seeing this new collection from yours truly!

I've also been invited to attend the Boston Fashion Show/Week in Boston... for a fee. Darn those fees! *shakes fist* And it costs a pretty penny, too. Oh well, maybe next year!

Don't forget I'm on twitter at http://twitter.com/ZenithJade and facebook at http://facebook.com/ZenithJadeCreations . :D

What I LOVE About ArtFire

2011-05-20T15:57:00.002-05:00

I absolutely adore ArtFire, and now I'll tell you why-

1) ArtFire is a FLAT FEE per MONTH, instead of paying PER LISTING. I can't tell you how much money that's saved me vs. Etsy! But I can give you a round figure- $80 for about 200 listings. And I've got over 300 items in my ArtFire shop! This gives me the ability to list when I want to and at a price I can afford.
2) You don't need an account to shop ArtFire stores. The only drawback I've been able to come up with is that if you don't have an account, you can't leave feedback. I could be wrong! But you can shop and go!
3) Everything is streamlined for sellers. YAY! All the information you need to list is on ONE PAGE. That is so darn wonderful.
4) COLLECTIONS are a community effort, and anyone with an account can make one, buyers and sellers alike. You don't have to compete for a "Collection" spot, which is great! There are a LOT of fabu collections. You should check them out! (I always try to post links to collections I make or am in, but I may have missed a few).
5) ArtFire is community-based. I LOVE THIS ARTIST'S COMMUNITY. Yes, there may be trolls and snarking, but overall, it is THE best place to get input, answer questions about selling, get more input, stay on top of ArtFire news, and MORE. You should totally visit the FORUMS, they're a blast!
6) ArtFire is an equal opportunity feature creature. I went Pro, and two months later I was a featured Artisan on the site. Anyone with a Pro account can get featured, and can apply to be featured.
7) I RECCOMMEND GOING PRO, BUT! Basic is just as good! You don't NEED a pro account to start selling on ArtFire. What a way to test the waters!
8) Have I mentioned the forums yet???
9) GUILDS are pretty easy to join, you can be basic or Pro, and it's a GREAT way to connect with other artisans/sellers.
10) Whew! Man, do I ever LOVE ArtFire. The other reason I love ArtFire is that they encourage and REWARD you for coming up with reasons why you LOVE ArtFire.

ArtFire ArtFire ArtFire!!! Three cheers!

Love,

Andrea

MOVING DAY!

2011-05-20T13:53:00.007-05:00

So I took time out today to take some flower pictures. :) And man, did they turn out great! LOTS of tulips, (YUMMY), bleeding hearts, a dandelion, and more. You can view them on my ZJC Business facebook page here, (click!).

Packing is pretty much done, thank goodness. But here's a picture of all the boxes and tubs! I have more beads and craft supplies that is humanely necessary! The fish bowl is my ROCK collection. There are some pretty cool rocks in there, if I may say so myself. :)

Eric, my BF, called the net/tv/phone services today, and we should be all set up next Tuesday for service, which is great. I called the electric company on Monday, and had them turn on the electric for this week, which was good, because Eric has been slowly moving his stuff into our new apartment already! (He only lives a few blocks away from OUR new place!).

I am sooooooo stoked! It should be grand!

I'm getting a TON of help from friends and family to move. Bless their hearts! It might have helped that I'm bribing them with pizza and beer. LOL!

Random picture of Crabbi, my miraculous kitty! Isn't she cute all curled up?

Business news: my spectacular 50% off sale is lasting until tonight, so if you want to cash in on this, NOW IS THE TIME! *winks*

Happy shopping, and wish me luck!

Well, well!

2011-05-14T23:00:00.003-05:00

This time it isn't titled, "and more". *laughs*

I'm getting ready to move, and my beadboard looks so lonely without all of the beads on it. :( The good news is that I'm moving the 28th of May, into a beautiful and lovely 3-bedroom house!!! Plus, I'm moving in with my boyfriend, (WOOTZ!), which should surely be an adventure! :)

As I prepare and pack everything away, you should be aware that I'm having a MOVING SALE in my artfire shop. At LEAST 50% off everything, (more in the "SALE" section). Follow me on twitter, and get an additional 25% off. (The coupon code is there!!!).

As per usual, moving is EXPENSIVE, so if you've got a few bucks to spare to buy some goodies from yours truly, that would ROCK MY SOCKS. *love*

We're also having a MOVING PARTY on the 28th, and you're more than welcome to join in on the fun. Click here to view the facebook event. OPEN TO TRADING FOR HOUSEHOLD GOODIES TOO! (Like soap!!! We can always use SOAP! And candles!)

In other news, I'm having to give up four of my babies (cats). Between the boyfriend and I, we have a total of eleven. And that's just too many, even for a house. *sad monkey* LuLu and Gabriel got rehomed already. Neko and Einstein will be rehomed this upcoming week. Tough, but it's gotta be done, I suppose. :( Luckily, I'm screening people rather vigorously, so I KNOW that they're going to good homes, thank goodness. I'm just as bad, if not worse, than the Humane Society in rehoming animals. Well, they're my BABIES, you know?!

Yes, I'm hanging on to Crabbi, (the one that almost died from liver failure and miraculously recovered), Piggy and Hunni. They're seniors now, and have been with me the longest. And I'm keeping a total of two of my Manx babies- AlleyC and Meoweh. Choosing which ones to keep was nearly impossible.

I could ramble on about my cats for way too long! I'm sure you pet lovers out there understand what I'm going through.

So moving, giving up four babies, SALE SALE SALE, ebay sales, and boyfriend= a very busy me! Not to mention all of our combined doctors' appointments. *falls over* Another busy week!

I'll try to not keep you all in the dark for this long again. ;) And I'll do my best to keep you all posted (with PICTURES!) of our new place and move. *love*

*hugs*
Andrea

ArtFire // Twitter

For LadyHawk (Jean), Christmas and Crabbi

2010-12-26T22:10:00.004-06:00

One of my fellow ArtFire sellers has stage 4 lung cancer. Needless to say, the prognosis is bleak. :( The only good news is that this tragedy is bringing together ArtFire sellers in support of LadyHawk, (Jean). We are banding together to raise funds for Jean through paypal donations and percentages of sales. Personally, I'm offering 10% of all profits to help with Jean's medical bills and care. You can view participating shops by clicking here, or by doing a search on ArtFire with the keyword: jeanlove. Please note that an account is NOT REQUIRED to buy from sellers on ArtFire.

Here are some collections that have been made using items from participating member's shops:

Collection 1
Collection 2
Collection 3
Collection 4
Collection 5
Collection 6

I've been busy during the holiday season. Christmas was a wonderful time for me. I got to spend it with my family. *love* They all came over here, we ate too much food, and watched the kids open presents in a mad frenzy. Santa spoiled me this year, and brought me the comfiest fuzzy slippers known to man. I also made out like a bandit with three febreeze candles, a couple pair of socks, a promise from Mom that she'd take me out for lunch, and a family portrait. *more love* The presents are wonderful, of course!, but the time spent with family was even better. I wouldn't trade that for the world. I'm truly blessed!

The week before Christmas, I got awful news. I took Crabbi, (one of my many cats), into the vet because she hadn't eaten or drank in 24 hours. She was diagnosed with liver failure, a liver infection, low white & red blood cell counts and anemia. :( Because of the prayers, thoughts and good juju of friends, family and complete strangers, it appears that Crabbi has made an astonishing recovery! She is no longer jaundiced, (caused by the liver failure- it is a discoloration of the skin to a yellow color), she has been happily eating tuna and a little bit of hard food, drinking, and using the litter box. It is nothing short of a miracle. My best guess is that against all odds, her liver function is returning. !!! (The liver failure was caused by a thyroid medication she was taking. She is no longer on that medication!). Now I just have to hope and pray that the medication didn't affect the way her bone marrow produces white and red blood cells. Please pray for us. I truly appreciate it!

twitter//facebook//ArtFire

GIVEAWAY, Jewelry Updates, Mailing List and More!

2010-12-19T22:58:00.006-06:00

It's kind of funny how I always end my blog post titles with "and More!". LOL! But there's always so much to talk about!

Look to your right for my new mailing list sign-up. I plan on offering special deals and steals and new news in my newsletter. I'm hoping to only send one once per week, so I don't spam anyone. :) --------------------->

I've decided to have a Jewelry Show Saturday, January 15th, noon to six pm, and Sunday, January 16th, two to four pm. You can see the flyer by clicking here. LOTS OF NEW JEWELRY to choose from. I've been making jewelry like a mad woman, so please come and check it out! You can RSVP by clicking here, (it's a facebook event!). I do hope to see tons of you here! I'm also hoping to offer some sort of refreshments, but we'll see. (Maybe apple cider and cheese and crackers? Any ideas would be appreciated!).

THE GREAT BLOG CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!
Win a $25 Gift Certificate to my shop!

*Comment below with your email, get an entry.
*Tweet this blog post, get an entry. (Link to your tweet!)
*Blog about this giveaway, get an entry. (Link to your blog post!)
*Mention on facebook, get an entry. (Link to it, please!)
*Follow my blog, get an entry. (I WILL CHECK THESE!)
*BUY SOMETHING FROM MY SHOP, get TWO entries! (Cool, huh?)

Seven CHANCES PER PERSON TO WIN. I'm going to be throwing names into a hat, and drawing out a name to win the gift certificate on DECEMBER 25th, at 9pm CST.

Yes, a hat. ;) I will take a picture of said hat for everyone to view!

It's the best Christmas present I could think to give. SO! Enjoy the giveaway, and post post post!
Because it's an emailed gift certificate, this giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. *love*

Follow me on:

twitter // facebook // artfire // RSVP to jewelry show

Jewelry Show Time!

2010-12-17T23:36:00.001-06:00

Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the beauties that I'll have out.

Bring a friend, and recieve a special gift. :)

First ArtFire Sale, Collections, and More!

2010-12-14T07:36:00.005-06:00

Beautiful Blues Collection - CLICK HERE! And it is BEAUTIFUL. =^.^= One of my pendants is included! WOOT!

Plus, I made my very first ArtFire sale! I had been selling on Etsy for quite a while but their fees were killing me. (Especially since I LIST soooooo much!). I'm excited for Joy's order to arrive. I can't wait for her feedback! (She bought this bead!). Of course I had to spoil her a little! Included in her order are a couple other polymer clay creations, and a kitty cell phone charm!

I've been listing on ArtFire like a crazy woman, and I'm pleased as punch with my delicate flower earrings in a variety of colors. (See picture for an example!). They're only $5.00 + shipping. Not a bad deal for earrings!

Included in this post is another snow picture. =^.^;= This one has the pretty tree in our front yard, with a sunset behind it.

In other news, the Giles County Humane Association's facebook auction has ended, and I'm happy to report that ALL of my scrabble tile pendants got bids! They'll be going to their new homes over the next couple of days. One is making its' way to Canada and another one is going to England! Exciting to have my jewelry start crossing borders... and oceans!!!

A small reminder that you can find some of my prints on deviantART by clicking here, including one kick-ass fractal birthstone calendar. Hopefully next year, I'll put up a floral calendar. *grins* Wouldn't that just be the bee's knees?

And I've still been making Tree of Life Pendants. Watch for them in my ArtFire shop soon! Between listing, making, and commenting, there's hardly time for anything else... like cleaning. *winks*

Well, I'm off for now! Have a wonderful day everyone!

facebook // twitter // artfire

Snow! Plus other bits and news!

2010-12-12T19:17:00.004-06:00

So we got about 16" of snow this weekend. It's beautiful, but it certainly manages to keep a person inside! Luckily, I have a TON of jewelry projects to keep me busy. I've been making Tree of Life pendants made from gemstone chips and copper wire. *love* They're to die for!

I've also been making beads, (my nephew helped make some!), lately. It's been a while since I played with polymer clay. I've come to the decision that I need to make my rondelle beads smaller. They're big and beautiful, but they just might be *too* big. =O.o= I'm not sure how a person could incorporate beads of this size into a project. Talk about a bummer. But one lives and learns! I also think I'll start making round beads, as well. We'll see if I can get them to stay round once I punch a hole through them though! That's going to be the tricky part.

There are over 200 items in my ArtFire shop, now!!! Talk about AWESOME! You should come by and visit. :)

Twitter // Facebook // ArtFire Shop!

Christmas Shopping!

2010-12-08T22:54:00.002-06:00

If I had the money, I'd totally buy this scarf from CricketsHandKnits on ArtFire! I absolutely ADORE rainbows, and this fits that bill perfectly.

Don't forget to shop handmade this holiday season!!!

:)

Tutorial, DeviantART, Crafting and more!

2010-12-08T15:18:00.005-06:00

So peeps, I've got over 160 items in my ArtFire shop now! That's quite an accomplishment, I think. In fact, I listed 19 pairs of earrings last night. *grins* There are some really special earrings that I collaborated with Sharon Kat on- she embroidered little diamonds using a special technique called Kogin, which originates from Northern Japan, (she spent about five years there).

I've also signed up to participate in The Best Little Bead Box. I'm really hoping that I'll get accepted to participate! I'd love to donate to Beads of Courage!!! I might (probably, LOL!) donate to Beads of Courage anyway. But I've got to get crackin' on making more polymer clay flower beads before I do. I'm thinking that instead of marbled backgrounds, I'll focus on solid colors to really show off the tiny flowers, but we'll see.

I updated my "journal" on DeviantArt, finally. You can view some of my older jewelry designs and digital art and photography there. You can also purchase prints and a calendar. :) It's been a while since I've uploaded anything new there. I suppose when I make something really special, I will. *blush*

Click here for a simple chainmaille tutorial. It's REALLY COOL. I'm probably going to try it myself, but I might need more jumprings first. LOL! Chainmaille really uses up the jumprings. You can see a simple chainmaille necklace I made for my brother by clicking here. It used steel and niobium jumprings. And I tell ya, steel is a PAIN to work with. So stiff! But it's pretty durable.

Click here to "like" me on facebook.
Click here to follow me on twitter.
Visit my ArtFire shop!

New Collections, Cats, new Listings and MORE!

2010-12-07T20:02:00.003-06:00

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to XOCC for making this beautiful bangle bracelet. Perfect for that woman who has everything, (plus it's on SALE for $16.00!!!). Time to shop on ArtFire for the holidays! *grins*

I had a minor kitty scare a couple of days ago... Hunni's eye was all gunky! Luckily it cleared up in a couple of days, otherwise it would have meant another trip to the vet this year. I've had a LOT of those. AlleyC had a bladderstone and Crabbi has a thyroid condition. It means a special diet for AlleyC and meds for Crabbi. And when Crabbi was diagnosed with her thyroid condition, I had to pill her one-handed because I managed to break my finger. *falls over* That was truly an adventure.

I've made two collections, (like Etsy's treasuries), on ArtFire. Red & Green Love & Rainbow Bright. I'd absolutely LOVE some comments and input from people about the two collections I've made so far. :)

I have 166 items in my ArtFire shop now! MORE TONIGHT! And yes, it's more EARRINGS. Never hurts to have a great selection, right? ;) I've also been making jewelry like a fiend- copper and gemstone and swarovski crystal earrings. They are gorgeous. Plus some lovely acrylic flower & freshwater pearl earrings on copper. Remember, if you want stainless/surgical steel earwires, all you have to do is ask!

I'd also like to give a shout out to the Giles County Humane Association. They're having a December auction on facebook to raise funds. LOTS and LOTS of great stuff. PLUS, I've donated ten scrabble tile pendants for the auction. (This is the second auction I've donated to). This is YOUR chance to get some of my handmade goodness on the cheap while donating to a great cause!

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Visit me on ArtFire.

New Collection up designed by me. :) RAINBOW BRIGHT!

2010-12-07T19:59:00.000-06:00

Rainbow Bright

Curated By: ZenithJade

ArtFire.com

Jewelry Supplies

Handmade Gifts - Rainbow Colors Bracelet

2010-12-05T20:26:00.004-06:00

This beautiful bracelet on ArtFire would make such an awesome Holiday Gift. Honestly, if I had the moolaa, I'd buy myself a Christmas present in this bracelet! ;)

From the seller's description: Handmade Rainbow Bracelet in Swarovski Crystal & Sterling Silver, Angelie
There's something magic about a rainbow. They just make me smile. Whether they spring from a cluster of clouds or appear in a blue sky after a stray shower, the colors are so lovely, the feeling so happy, that I always feel lucky to have seen one. Oh, and that mythical pot of gold? Still looking.
This bracelet features Swarovski Cosmic Crystals in a rainbow of hues, separated by sterling silver textured rondelles. I've used a sterling silver lobster clasp and a generous extension chain so you can find your most comfortable fit. The pretty sterling angel charm on the end just adds a little extra something. If you prefer your bracelet with a more simple charm, please send me a message after you pay and I'll change it out with a more "neutral" shape.
This piece measures about 7 & 3/4 at the smallest link all the way up to 8 & 3/4 on my bracelet sizer. If you have a small wrist and want a smaller minimum size, I can remove one crystal & restring for you at no extra cost.

Necklace & Earring Set Inspired by: The Storm, John Anster Fitzgerald

2010-12-05T18:16:00.003-06:00

So I decided to make the second Necklace (& Earrings!) for the Art Bead Scene December Challenge. =^.^= This one also has my own polymer clay and gemstone bead as a focal point.

I focused on the ice blues and purples in this painting for my jewelry design. I used amethyst cubes and rounds, blue opalite, and sodalite. The focal has a mother of pearl cabochon, which to me represents the lacy wings in the painting. Copper findings.

The focal bead is handmade by myself from polymer clay using my fingers and a ton of patience. Each petal and leaf is formed by hand, and gently placed. Vines are hand-rolled. The mother of pearl cabochon is held in place by vines and leaves. Then the entire bead was coated with polymer clay sealant. =^.^=

If you're interested in custom flower beads with or without cabochons, you can contact me at zenithjade@yahoo.com or zenithjade@gmail.com . While you're at it, visit my ArtFire shop. LOTS of handmade goodies, with the current emphasis on earrings of all descriptions. Plus, everything is on SALE this weekend! Time to stock up for the holidays! ;)

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NECKLACE, Inspired by: The Captive Robin, John Anster Fitzgerald, c.1864

2010-12-04T02:51:00.006-06:00

So I made the jewelry for the Art Bead Monthly Challenge using one of my own polymer clay and gemstone beads! This painting was one of two that we could choose for our inspiration. As you'll see below, I chose a red, orange and yellow color palette using Red Jasper, orange Serpentine, yellow Swarovski (citrine), and lustrous red freshwater pearls. Copper findings. The focal bead is handmade by myself from polymer clay using my fingers and a ton of patience. Each petal and leaf is formed by hand, and gently placed. Vines are hand-rolled. The carnelian cabochon is held in place by vines and leaves. Then the entire bead was coated with polymer clay sealant. =^.^= I was seriously tempted to add blue to this design, but to be honest... while I was stringing I forgot all about the blues. *laughs* Regardless, I think this necklace turned out great!

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Regretsy, FIV and More.

2010-12-03T01:47:00.002-06:00

Aidan is on CNN! He's a charming little boy who draws monsters and then sells his work in his Etsy shop to help pay for his cancer care. Featured on Regretsy, and now CNN, it's an amazing story. :) My prayers are with Aidan for a speedy recovery.

In cat news, the TRUTH ABOUT FIV, (Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus), can be found HERE. In all honesty, I hadn't realized that FIV was NOT spread easily. Since I'm a cat crazy person, this came as news to me. Now I'm sharing, because I think it's important because:
1) FIV positive kitties deserve good homes
and
2) it's no good to be ignorant of the facts about FIV.
So if you're thinking of adopting, why not give one of these lovely FIV+ cats a try? They need your love and compassion, too!

I think I might participate in the Art Bead Scene Bead Challenge this December. :) It would be pretty cool to use one of my own polymer clay beads in a jewelry design. *grins* I'll keep ya'll posted about it all, and of course, will post pictures if I actually make something for the challenge.

Wowser!

2010-12-01T21:51:00.004-06:00

Crabbi wanting her desk back.

First off, a Crabbi update: I took her to the vet today, and the thyroid medication is working! She's gained almost a pound in three weeks! (She had lost almost four pounds since June). YAY! This calls for a celebration, cat-style. *breaks out the kitty treats* Tomorrow, I'll hear back about her bloodwork that was taken and about any adjustments to her medication that are needed. =^.^=

AlleyC helping with product photography.

AlleyC has been quite helpful with product photography. She keeps swatting at all my finished inventory as I'm trying to photograph it! *rolls eyes* Kitty lurve comes with every item, free of charge.

In other news, I've been listing on ArtFire like a mad woman! TONS of new earrings. TONS I tell you. A good chunk of them are on SALE. Bracelets are also VERY reasonably priced. NEW CHRISTMAS EARRINGS @ $7.00/pair. Red, gold, silver and blue. Also brand spanking new: sterling silver earrings with Bali-style sterling silver beads. (They're not really from Bali). Only six pairs of those available, and man, they might be more expensive, but they sure are gorgeous! Basically, price ranges to fit every budget. So, why don't you hop over on to my ArtFire shop and take a look? You just might find that perfect gift... for you or for someone you love.

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It's been almost a year...

2010-11-25T21:52:00.002-06:00

Since I last wrote. =O.o= I've been keeping insanely busy! (As I'm sure most of you are). :)

Cats are doing well. Found out recently that Crabbi has a thyroid condition- she's now on medication for it. AlleyC is doing really well with her special diet- no more bladder stones!!! =^.^=

I've been making earrings and pendants like a mad woman. You can view a decent chunk of them HERE. Gemstones, Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls. YUM!

Off to list more on ArtFire, then play some Lord of the Rings Online. (Psst- it's free to play!). <3

Some New Etsy Forum Links

2010-01-30T01:12:00.004-06:00

Everything you ever wanted to know about buying FACEBOOK ads - a great run through on how facebook ads work, and how to make them work for YOU.

EVERYTHING you need to know about the CPSIA - a post containing links to CPSIA information. All in one post, no hassle.

Is this considered fee avoidance? - A great question. Chime in with your thoughts!

U.S. Customs Forms Now Track Packages - Great to know. Read up!

The Studio is a MESS!

2010-01-26T18:41:00.005-06:00

You heard it right, my studio is a disaster. ;) I've got too many art and craft supplies! I can't believe I'd admit something like that! Pictures forthcoming, I promise.

So I've had a few interesting months with my cats. In October, (on my birthday, no less!), I acquired a kitten. For a while it was touch and go. I wasn't sure he was going to make it. But he did! His name is Maneki Neko Bones. He's the cutest kitten you've ever seen. Lovely blue-gray coat, bright eyes, and the best attitude. In late October, AlleyC had to go in for a UTI, (urinary tract infection). Pilling a cat is an adventure- one I don't care to repeat by the way! She kept spitting out the pill, so I'd have to patiently try again... and again... and again... December was thankfully quiet. January saw Gabriel to his first vet visit. He was so scared! He's due for his second round of Distemper shots. In mid-January, Hunni got sick. He wouldn't stop wheezing, so another vet visit was in order. (They're getting to know me rather well!). Hunni got an anti-biotic shot, and is thankfully doing much better.

My health has been kinda interesting lately too. I've currently got a heart monitor in my pocket, so it's handy when I start to experience chest pain. Luckily, I haven't had any chest pains lately! I've also, (FINALLY), got medication for acid reflux. I've had that problem since grade school. I guess this is what happens when you don't visit a doctor for ten plus years!

So I haven't been making much lately- I'm too busy listing on Etsy! 350+ items in my Etsy shop now. Talk about crazy! I've got much much more to list. Earrings, scrabble tile pendants, bookmarks, necklaces, earrings, beads and more. On my list of things to make are more rings and shoulder-duster earrings. (Those lovely uber-long earrings that are just to die for). I haven't made those in quite a while, so it should be great!

I take it back, I have been "making" something... I've been editing pictures to put up as prints. I've been having a blast looking through all of my older pictures. It's quite a task, though!

In additional cat news, I re-homed two kittens in November. My cat AlleyC had two lovely white kittens in July. It was time for them to go to new homes. If I could have kept them, I would have! But I already have several cat puddles worth of cats!

That's it for now! More crafty news later!
<3,
Andrea

PS- I'm currently running a sale- Buy a print, get 50% off another item in my store! Not too shabby. :) PLUS! One of my good friends just hatched a baby duck! Here's a photo, (click me!).

ZenithJade Creations Autumn Trunk Show 2009!

2009-09-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

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ZenithJade Creations Autumn Trunk Show 2009!
Friday, October 9th from 3-7pm
Saturday, October 10th from 12-5pm
544 West Garland Street, West Salem, WI 54669
Bring a friend and get 50% off one item!

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ZenithJade Creations' SPRING TRUNK SHOW

2009-05-01T23:50:00.004-05:00

Saturday, May 30th

Noon-6 p.m.
(click image to view larger on flickr)

FREE: wine, soda, juice & lemonade
FREE: finger sandwiches, dip & crackers

YAY!

2009-04-27T08:27:00.001-05:00

My banner & avatar tutorial is mentioned on a website!!! WHEEEE!

Blogger Tutorial #1 - Adding Links to Text

2009-04-27T07:19:00.003-05:00

Note: You can click any image for a larger, more readable, version. :)

So adding links to text is pretty easy- and I'm going to walk you through it step by step. ;)

1) When you have an Etsy shop that you'd like to link to like mine, ZenithJade Creations, highlight the text that you'd like clickable.

2) After highlighting, click blogger's handy link icon from the above editing bar.

3) By clicking, it will bring up a pop-up window. Enter the url, or address, of the site you want your link to go to. Then press "OK" in the pop-up window.

Voila! You've made a working link! :)

New Upcycled Project, new listings on Etsy plus+++ facebook & links

2009-04-25T14:52:00.003-05:00

---------------------->

New upcycled project!
Recycled, (or upcycled!), vintage stamps on mother-of-pearl open coins. Stamps are sealed using liquid laminate for a beautiful shine!

These will be available in my Etsy shop soon!

---------------------->

Gorgeous necklaces & earrings NOW AVAILABLE in my Etsy shop. PLUS I'm destashing some gorgeous supplies, like these lovely smokey quartz oval briolettes. <3

<----------------------

I've also joined the Facebook hordes. :) If you'd like to be a fan of my shop & stay current on special projects like custom orders & my amazing seasonal collections, join me over there!

http://artist.to/zenithjade/

Firefox + EtsyHacks = Etsy Lurve

2009-03-31T03:19:00.002-05:00

I really hope that I can truly delve into the wonders of EtsyHacks and how to use it one of these days.

For those of you who are already familiar with Firefox and GreaseMonkey, AND have an Etsy Shop... then EtsyHacks are really, truly, just what the doctor ordered. ehax.etsy.com has created some lovely hacks to make your selling++ experiences easier and more fun. He's got: copy listing hacks, forum hacks, receipt hacks, convo hacks... I think you get the idea.

I promise- one of these days, I'll post a tutorial for newbies on how to get started. ;)
(If you know of a newbie faq already in existence, please let me know! I'll post it!).

<3,
Andrea

ZenithJade Creation's First Easter Egg Hunt!

2009-03-30T14:29:00.007-05:00

Why should the kids get all the fun hunting for Easter Eggs? ;)

Announcing ZJC's first Easter Egg Hunt!
Interspersed throughout my Etsy shop are Easter Eggs-->

Find one image, get 10% off,
find two, get 20% off,
find three, get 30% off,
find four, get 40% off,
find five (!!!), get 50% off...

your TOTAL ORDER.
(not including shipping)

How to play:
* Find as many Easter Egg images as you can/want to.
* Buy as much as you'd like... and in the "Notes to Seller," list the links of the items where you found the eggs. Don't pay yet!
* I'll send you a revised invoice to your email with your new total, and then you can pay, (a lot less than what was listed!). :)

This % off is in ADDITION to the many items that are already 25% off!

Happy Holidays, Happy Easter...
And...
Have fun searching for Easter Eggs!

<3,
Andrea

PS- many thanks to WonderCliparts.com for providing such a cute image!
PPS- the Easter Egg Hunt only lasts until Easter day!

Mineral Oil & Polymer Clay

2009-03-30T12:34:00.003-05:00

Click here for "6 Uses for Mineral Oil". Plus, in the comments there are some additional GREAT ideas. :)

This was prompted by a search on Google. (I LOVE GOOGLE!). Might be able to find some other nifty bits!

Books!

2009-03-27T08:04:00.002-05:00

I've decided that it's high time that I created a wonderful book, (or books!), from the thousands and thousands and thousands of flowers I've photographed... I'm also going to enter a competition! =^.^;=

It's funny just how addicted I am to photographing flowers. They each have their own personality that shows through.

In other news, my Etsy shop is pretty darn full again. 50+ items and growing on a regular basis. I've got a huge backlog of inventory, (because I just can't stop creating!), so much of what's in my shop is on sale. Woohoo!

And I really am making a concentrated effort to do some Spring Cleaning around my studio, so destash supplies are also going to end up in my shop.

Swing by! I promise you won't be disappointed. =~.^=

<3,
Andrea

**Valuable Links not found via Etsy - Updated 6-11-08

2008-07-05T00:39:00.002-05:00

from loosewirestudio, (via this Etsy forum post):

Here's the updated list of links that are used by many Etsians, but cannot be found (or not easily) on Etsy.

Full list always maintained here:
http://loosewirestudio.blogspot.com/2005/06/etsy-helpful-links-not-found-via-etsy.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to all of you who contributed to the original list. Have more? I'll add them and keep it running. :)

-----LINK LIST ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://etsywiki.com/ Accumulated wisdom from seasoned sellers.
http://etsytreasurydemo.blogspot.com/ Treasury tutorial.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_west.php Test Treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/poster_sketch.php Prepare a treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/tag_fractal.php Tag Fractal Etsy Search. Cool!
http://team.etsy.com/downloads.html The old Resources page, which has the postcards.
http://fix.etsy.com/ Where to go if Etsy is down.

http://www.majaba.org/heartomatic.php See hearts and views in one place. By Juln.etsy.com.
http://bestysearch.com/ Lots of other ways to search Etsy.

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now Secret Paypal shipping link.
http://etsy.ppcalc.com/ Fees calculators.
http://checkout.google.com/ Alternate payment option.
http://www.propay.com/?refid=ETSYOLCM Propay discount link. Alternate payment and means to take credit cards at fairs.

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage
http://www.geocities.com/vlhester/index.html TheBeadingTree's international rate chart.
http://www.shelfmasters.com/InternationalRateChart.aspx International Postage rate chart. (Has not been updated.)

http://www.thumbalizr.com/ Cross platform means to screen shots.
http://tinyurl.com/ Make long links short.
http://tools.oratory.com/altcodes.html How to make those little characters.
http://www.onlineconversion.com/ Conversions.
http://picnik.com/ Pic site.
http://webresizer.com/
http://www.primopdf.com/ Convert any document to a PDF!
http://chris-parry.blogspot.com/search/label/Pricing
http://etsyforeveryone.typepad.com/my_weblog/graphics/index.html How to make your own banner. And lots more!

http://www.weloveetsy.com/shops We love etsy shops directory.
mini blogs:
http://etsymini.blogspot.com/
http://etsyminisupplies.blogspot.com/

Gift Certificate knowledge:
http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_financial_services/003889.html Consumer's Union
http://www.rimmkaufman.com/content/brannlawgiftcertchart.pdf PDF document chart
http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php You can also check out your attorney general's website

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, FAQs, non-offical Etsy style (my cheat sheet):
http://loosewirestudio.blogspot.com/2005/02/faqs.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I thought that *my* list of Etsy links was pretty good! LOL! =*^.^*= Thanks loosewirestudio!

Wisconsin Underwater

2008-06-13T04:05:00.005-05:00

There have been some incredible, (and severe), thunderstorms rolling throughout Wisconsin over the last couple of weeks. As a result, there's flooding all over the state. =O.o= La Crosse County, (the county in which I reside), is currently in a state of emergency. Plus, this past Saturday brought some twisters, (tornadoes), darn close to home- Barre Mills probably being the closest. (You can view DOT info by clicking here).

You can view some more pictures on flickr doing a "WI Flood" or "Wisconsin Flood" search. You can also look for more news by doing a google search for "Wisconsin Flooding."

I feel like one of the "lucky ones" right now- the power flickered, minor basement flooding, and the phone & 'net were gone for a while, but that's it.

Send up some good juju vibes for affected Wisconsinites- I'm sure that we'll all appreciate it!

Busy busy busy!

2008-06-02T04:51:00.004-05:00

I've said this too often, but I really didn't need to join another site, create another profile, ad infinitum! But I did it anyways. =^.^;=
Please give me a super-warm welcome to the world of Technorati! *grins* I know it's been around for quite a while, but I'm trying to cut *down* on all the places I'm at on the www, (for ease of organizing, updating, ++)... I finally caved. I figured that Technorati would be a pretty decent place to get some blog exposure. LOL! (Let me know if I'm waaaaay off base here!).

Since I'm a total "newb" to the site, does anyone have any advice/thoughts/suggestions on how to use the site? *curious* I'd also love to know how to get some of *my* photos into the Technorati photostream. =~.^=

And yes, FYI, I use that photo for my profiles A LOT.

I finally updated my site submissions to Bust.com... I can hardly believe that I've been a link supporter of that site for more years than I can remember. I HIGHLY recommend taking advantage of their very generous "Girl Wide Web" page to share your own links with their readership. (This can include blogs, online shops, etc. etc. etc!). They are also supporters of the Indie Movement, (viva handmade!).

I've spent wholly too much time over the past week and a half making polymer clay beads. I knew it would be addicting... but jeez! *falls over*

Of course, I had to turn some of them into pendants. Totally biased over here, but I think they seriously ROCK. =*^.^*=

I finally managed to list on Etsy some new POSTERS. (11x17" photography prints on cardstock). There are some wonderfully yummy flower posters. Ok, they're *mostly* yummy flower photos. I'm obsessed with flowers in nature! =~.^= (We can just add that to the current list of my obsessions... Etsy, making beads, photographing flowers, funny cat pictures...)

Speaking of funny cat pictures, I uploaded a new one to my flickr that I think is absolutely hilarious- click here & throw your two cents at me, (and my cat, Einstein). =^.^;=

300+ product photos Sunday. Do I even need to mention that that was the majority of my Sunday? To top it off, I got sunburnt taking all those pictures. I knew I should have worn sunblock! =^.^;= I really shouldn't complain- one really nice day & I can just zoom through catching up on photography for my Etsy shop- it's the editing that always takes me forever!

Random Fun-

2008-06-01T19:18:00.003-05:00

It all started with the question, "Who has the BIGGEST jewelry shop on Etsy?" (read that forum thread here)...

In that thread, quirke links to a wonderful page on Etsy.com that lists all sellers by the number of items in their stores. (The most is currently 2385!). Click here to see the shops with the most items on Etsy! =^.^;=

Blast from the past...

2008-05-30T11:12:00.004-05:00

Wow! I designed this way back in 2002, (I think!). I had no idea that some of these designs were still in circulation. =^.^;=

This design was/is a part of a much larger body of work done for a Pagan/alternative printing company on consignment, (that's now gone out of business). It's pretty neat to randomly find some of my older work(s) still floating around the great www!

PayPerPost, Proud Member!

2008-05-29T00:28:00.004-05:00

So after one false start, (I was declined membership the first time because I didn't have a blog archive visible on my blog, oops!), I've been approved for PayPerPost. Yay!

I figured that I'd give this whole PPP thing a shot, seeing as how often I usually blog. *winks* Here's a handy little list of the good things I've found out about the program, (and through the program!):
*** You can choose what you want to blog about, including charities. !!!
*** There isn't a deadline until you reserve a listing.
*** All the requirements for posties (bloggers) are clear-cut and easy to understand.
*** PPP offers suggestions & advice on how to increase blog traffic. (This is very handy for anyone who is selling anything online or trying to generate a customer base or wanting to reach a lot of readers, etc!).
*** PPP keeps members updated with site-specific changes & news.
*** The PPP site is really easy to navigate, and seems to be pretty darn user friendly!
*** They call their customer service, "Customer Love"!

Something worth mentioning, although I haven't tried this yet, is networking & meeting other PPP members. There's apparently quite the community out there! =^.^=

I learned about PayPerPost from a blog a lot like mine posting an introduction about PPP, (an Etsy seller's blog!). I really wish I could remember her blog url- I'd share it with everyone! (If I manage to find it, I'll link to it in another post!).

You can find more information about either becoming an advertiser to help drive traffic to your site/promotion or a blogger/writer through the PayPerPost website. *grins*

So far, so good! I'll keep posting updates about my PPP experiences as they happen. Woo!

More neat things from the 'net, (and Etsy, of course)!

2008-05-22T01:38:00.003-05:00

A snippet from Digital DIY, "Digital Marketing for Small Business":
"I Can Do That Myself" Syndrome

Over and over in the Etsy forums and in other places I hear artists and crafter complaining about incidents where people make rude comments about their arts and crafts and tell them,” I could make that myself, why should I pay you for it?” The artists and crafters defend themselves, like they should, saying that they have expertise and skills and use finer materials than most people would have access to. So why do artists and crafters then say “I can do that myself” when it comes to marketing and promotion?

Click HERE to read the full-length article. It's worth it! =*^.^*=
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If you're looking for daily cool bits to drool over, you can head on over to "Daily Candy". According to the website, Daily Candy is, "a free daily e-mail newsletter and website, is the insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel. As useful as it is entertaining, it’s like getting an e-mail from your clever, unpredictable, and totally in-the-know best friend. The one who knows about secret beauty treatments, must-have jeans, hot new restaurants — and always shares the scoop."

Take a look- I bet you'll find something you can't live without!
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Two worth-while reads about RME/RMX on the Etsy Forums...
How do I sign up for RME payment acceptance?
AskTripp from (Revolution) MoneyExchange
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Random fun on the Etsy Forums:
Come Play Isketch with Me!
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Come and give RobWhite (Etsy Admin) your two cents about "Feedback and non-paying buyers" here.
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You can also help RevolvingDork (Etsy Admin) about why "Shop Policies (are) being cleared out -- Help us with more info!"
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I dare say that's enough linkage for one night! =*^.^*=
<3!

Several AWESOME Etsy Forum Posts-

2008-05-19T13:56:00.004-05:00

Here's a simple way to figure out when an item for sale on Etsy is worth flagging, (by ScotiaMade); how Etsy crops pictures, (by sarahkinchelow); what to do when you've been flagged by accident (?!?), (by 1OnceUponARoom); and a brief question about how RME (revolution money exchange) works, (by lusterbunny).

Since I'm a compulsive lurker & clicker, through these posts I've found two shops that I think are just FABULOUS. =*^.^*= You should totally take a look at 1OnceUponARoom's Shop... here's a mini :::

And lusterbunny's shop mini:

Want your items to show up at the top of a google search?

2008-05-17T14:04:00.002-05:00

dingo says:
You know when you do a google search for something and you see the "Shopping results" at the top of the page with the little shopping bag icon and a few links to products?

Those are items listed in google's product search. Anyone can submit items to the product search directory, and it's FREE.

You can add your items one at a time using google's web site, but the easiest way is to upload a data file with the information for all your items at once.

"But creating a data file sounds like a lot of work, too," you may be thinking, and it would be if you were starting from scratch, but you aren't - Etsy has already done 80% of the work for you by creating an RSS feed for your shop.

BUT - there's one important thing missing from the information that Etsy puts in the data feed - the price. Google requires a title, description, link to the item, an ID and a price. Etsy's feed doesn't have the price.

If it did, it would be a simple thing to simply upload your Etsy feed directly to google and have all your items included in their product search for free. When a person clicked on the link in google's product directory, it would take them to your Etsy item page.

So how about it, Etsy - one little line of text added to each item would allow for a lot of free advertising for your sellers.

It's a special google tag:

25.00

Useful just to google and ignored by other readers.

Read the entire forum thread here. =*^.^*=

Is this REALLY how you want people to see you?

2008-05-09T11:15:00.003-05:00

TotusMel made a wonderful post- not only in the Etsy forums, but in her blog as well. I would HIGHLY recommend reading her blog post in particular. Then, you can also just check out her fabulous blog & Etsy shop!

Reminder: "Use your grown-up words, please!"

The Home Jewelry Business Success Resource

2008-05-08T19:49:00.001-05:00

I haven't had nearly enough time to look over this website, but it looks like an AMAZING resource for jewelry makers everywhere. =*^.^*= If you take a look, let me know what you think about this site on this post's comments! <3!

Tutorial: How to Etch Copper

2008-05-08T19:01:00.003-05:00

This links to a really fabulous tutorial by Copperheart. If you've ever wanted to learn how to etch copper, you should really read this tutorial. =*^.^*=

While you're at it, you can also check out Copperheart's etsy shop.

There's a LOT of new Etsy news !

2008-05-06T22:55:00.002-05:00

First off, there are some huge debates about graphic design flying around the forums. They were all over the front page of the Etsy forum main today, (it seems the debating has abated for this evening).

Secondly, and this is HOTHOTHOT- the changes to the Search & Category systems has been IMPLEMENTED! You can read a forum post about it here, and the Storque article here.

Etsy admin are also asking for your input about what you LOVE and HATE about PayPal. Chime in with your opinions by clicking here & commenting in this forum thread. (Ignore the "double post" information- there *was* a previous post, but the answers have been counted already & this new one started).

As per usual, there are some wonderful debates going on in the Etsy forums about another new change... "Report this post" link on each and every post in the Etsy forums. You can sign your name with a "yay" or "nay" on this forum thread, and read about the change straight from admin here.

Always something new going on over in EtsyLand. =~.^=

Convert inches & centimeters - A useful tool/link!

2008-05-06T15:51:00.002-05:00

Click here to access a super-simple cm-in or in-cm convertor!

"Your Top 3 Ideas for Etsy" by Rokali

2008-05-05T21:47:00.003-05:00

Rokali says:
This is a thread for listing your top 3 ideas. What do you most want? We'll use your input to help us prioritize development.

You can have two lists if you like: one for selling, one for buying.

Please keep your post to just a simple list. We can start other threads to discuss specific ideas.

So, here are my ideas. Please follow this format to help us collate everything on our end.

-------------------------------------

*Selling*

1. Shop stats for sellers (with a full referrer list)
2. A revamped Showcase system to help sellers promote (this would include stats on how promotions are working out)
3. A real Teams section, allowing for more free-form and topical groups to form inside Etsy

*Buying*

1. Organize your favorites
2. Show off purchases in a "Collection"
3. More seamless checkout experience
*************************************

Want to make a difference in the way Etsy works? This is your bonafide chance to chime in with your suggestions, and to be heard. =*^.^*=

Click here to add your thoughts to this forum thread on Etsy!
(Thread started April 15th, 2008)

Scam Warning!

2008-05-05T06:05:00.002-05:00

This particular scam has been floating around the 'net for quite a while, (I was "baptized" over a year ago).

Here's how it goes:
"Hello Seller,
Is this item still available for sale and in good condition? I will like to make an immediate purchase of the item if still available and will be making the payment by a Certified check, I am comfortable with the asking price for the item and will make the payment as soon as possible.

If you are willing to sell this item for me understand this condition, you should get back to me with your full name and address and also your phone so i can have the payment mailed to you. A pick up of the item will be schedule as soon as the payment process for item has been completed.
I await your response asap.

Name:
Address:
City:
state:
Zipcode:
phone

I await your reply. Hello,am can only pay via check at the moment. kindly get back if this is okay by you"

Please note that the words and grammar can possibly change, but the underlying message is always the same.

This is what this scam does:
"The problem with this scam is that the checks are fake or forged. They usually are for much more than the amount of the item purchased. They ask you to cash the check, take out what is owed (plus a little more for your trouble) then send them the balance. They don't care about the merchandise. It's a scam to get you to cash a counterfeit check or money order for them." (- dingo)

"The check will be made out in a much higher amount and the change will be asked for when they pick up the items. The check will take a few days to bounce, and then you'll owe the bank, and be out your item." (- naturallynatalies)

Whether you get this message on MySpace, Craigslist, Ebay, or elsewhere, REPORT IT.
DO NOT RESPOND WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION.

Things to remember:
1) A legitimate buyer will never pay more than the cost of the item + shipping. (If they offer, or ask to, BEWARE).
2) You can always say that you do not take certified checks. (Please note that this scam has also hit money orders!).
3) Most legitimate buyers will go to your online store and not contact you directly about payment options. THEY CAN ALWAYS READ ABOUT YOUR POLICIES AT YOUR SHOP.

This warning inspired by an Etsy forum thread started by borneodiva. Click here to read it.

MyOhMy & More!

2008-05-04T17:41:00.004-05:00

I finally fixed the code!!! When you click on it, (go ahead, try it!), it now takes you to my stats & voting page on MyOhMyShops! =*^.^*= I don't have any votes yet, and I sure would love yours!

This weekend, I've been obsessing about fixing up this blog & making it look pretty. (I've also been doing other neat things, but I'll fill you in on all that later!). It's organized! There's a handy nav in the top-left column, a search function in the middle column at the bottom, a new tag cloud (!!!), and probably some other things that I'm forgetting to mention. =^.^;= I'm totally digging the graphics I designed- swirls, mmmmm, swirls!

On Friday, (a day late), I put up the newest WIST contest! It's all about RAINBOWS. I find that extremely appropriate in the Springtime. *grins* I can't wait to see what all the WISTies are making for the contest! In more WIST news, there's now a tag cloud over there, too! =^.^;=

The really neat thing about these tag clouds is that they change over time, (and the bots used to generate the clouds get *smarter*), so the tags will eventually be much more defined. Sounds like fun to me!

As evidenced by the dandelion photo, I was out and about taking (mostly) flower photos outside. Flowers... they're just so lovely! Another obsession to add to the list. LOL! As per usual, I took a ton of cat pictures before going out, (& after coming in). Plus, I managed to squeeze in some serious product photography. I hope that the pictures turn out as well as they look on my viewfinder!!! *crosses toes* I think it's hilarious that I can take amazing product photography of *other people's merchandise* but I have so much trouble photographing my own! (At least, that's the way I perceive it! *winks*). Well, I'll post a teaser photo, (unedited), and how about you tell me what you think? *grins*

Another great idea, (but we'll see if I can find the time!), I had was to start shooting video tutorials on how to make cool crafty stuff. =*^.^*= I think it would be a TON of fun. (But I'd need to edit out the repetitive/boring/gwah stuff=even more time). =^.^=

Don't forget to vote for me on MyOhMy!
Woo!

All About Etsy!

2008-05-04T03:32:00.004-05:00

Etsy // About
Etsy // Bannerator
Etsy // Chat
Etsy // Do's & Don'ts
Etsy // Events
Etsy // FAQ
Etsy // Links
Etsy // Home
Etsy // Moo.com
Etsy // Resources
Etsy // Site Maintenance
Etsy // Teams Home
Etsy // The Labs
Etsy // The Storque
Etsy // wiki

Besty (Etsy.com) off-site search
Etsy for Everyone!
Unofficial Etsy News Site
All Things Handmade : The MiniBlog
Etsy on Wikipedia.org
Buried Treasury
Little Book of Etsy (LBOE)

Good Reads!

2008-05-04T03:23:00.007-05:00

Other blogs & websites worth checking out:

A Place To Bark & Meow
Art & Craft Questions Answered
Artsy Fartsy
Counterfeit Crochet Project
Critters 'n Kids
Cuteable
Fairy Duck Project
Field Notes from an Evolutionary Psychologist
FeltLikeStichin'
Ginger Cat Press
indiecontests
Jewelry Making
Moth to Flame
My Paper Crane
Needle Tatting & Other Nonsense
Re-Craft!
Smiles and Sunshine
sockpr0n
The Tiny Fig
time2cre8
Wickedly Chic
Wisconsin Street Team Adventures

ZenithJade Creations - Links Around The 'Net

2008-05-04T03:10:00.003-05:00

ETSY! ::: Where I sell my handcrafted goodies. Mostly jewelry & photography, but occasionally other cool bits too.

deviantART ::: Older art & photography. Click here to look at a spectacular Fractal Calendar I designed & that's for sale. (It's the only item I have for sale on DA).

ArtWanted ::: Selected photography by me that you can comment on.

Flickr ::: A TON of photos & graphic art. Many many photos of my cats, plus random creative bits, WIST goodness, and more. You can comment on everything here!

indiepublic ::: Profile & blog.

myspace ::: Profile & blog.

Thoughts on Goals

2008-05-02T13:06:00.002-05:00

Via indiepublic, I found a really swanky Etsy seller- The Tiny Fig. Her shop is amazing, but that's not what originally caught my eye- it was her blog! I feel that in reading her blog I've gotten a reminder I desperately needed. =^.^;=

Each month, she blogs about her goals for the month. I think that's an incredibly useful habit to get into to. You'll always know where you're at, and where you want your business to go.

Because jumping on the bandwagon can be so much fun, I think I'll give it a whirl.

Goals for May 2008
My Etsy shop:
--> List merchandise on Etsy more consistently.
--> Work on really nailing down my product photography style for my Etsy shop, (not including posters!). (I want those who see my work online to know through my photography how much I loved making it!).
--> Make more jewelry. (I've been overhauling my stock. *falls over*).
--> Give out more business cards and network more effectively.

Business goals:
--> Put together a comprehensive portfolio.
--> Research consignment & wholesale opportunities.
--> Look into entering contests & submitting work to galleries.

WIST goals:
--> Work on finishing the website.
--> At least TWO more newsletters this month.
--> Inspire more member involvement.

This might be too much for one month! *falls over* But we'll see how it goes. *grins*

I had a great idea tonight... I've been meaning (LOL) to join in on "Home of The Sampler" stuff for 6+ months, but I couldn't decide what samples to send in for it! I think I have a decent solution- how about ATCs (mini prints!) of some of my photography? It would take a lot of time to cut them all out of a sheet, but it could be sooooo worth it. (This is, incidentally, something I would like to have WIST participate in- but how to cover all the bases with such diverse artisans?! *wonders*).

----------------
Now playing: Koda Kumi - Real Emotion (DJ MSK Remix)
via FoxyTunes

Why Don't I Have Any Sales?

2008-05-02T11:14:00.004-05:00

Written by PussDaddy. The original post, (+44 pages of comments!), can be found here.

"
I see this question all the time, and if it is not written in those exact words, then I see it alluded to in many other ways.

I see people blaming mistagging, the search engine, whether or not they can get a treasury, or make the front page, pricing, vintage and supplies, the buyer to seller ratio, whether or not Etsy advertises, the way method of payment is laid out, and on and on and on.

I see people fretting over whether or not someone has copied them, used a rice krispie box to make a purse, whose stuff is really art and whose isn't, are they breaking copyright laws, how that persons' items are tagged, whether or not it even belongs here, is this persons' items hand sewn or machine sewn, do they sell for a hobby or to make a living, do they have help and if so is it ok, what country are they from, why is the other persons items priced so low or high, why does the other person even sell that kind of stuff and who would want it and who is buying it, why doesn't admin reprimand, castigate, or even cast out these law breakers or change the rules to fit their theory of how things should be done?

We have people convo'ing each other or other people telling them their item is mistagged, not allowed, not handmade, doesn't belong here, is distasteful, doesn't belong on Etsy, and they are going to flag them and run them out of town.

I see newbies come in here to ask for help, or ask why THEIR stuff isn't selling, and its' a whole new story then. They are rudely told "your post is in the wrong place, move it!" or "stop whining!" , and that whining thing strikes me as being hilarious, by the way, in retrospect as I see the same people doing it in here day after day, if not about one thing then another. Heck, even this post I made could be considered a whine.

Then I go to the time machine2, and I pick out a random item to buy, and that person will have 85, 139, 357, 575, or even over a 1000 feedback and I say to myself "wow, people DO sell here. And I look at their username and I see that I have never seen or heard of this person before, never seen them in the forum, and when I do mention it to them, some of them don't even know there IS a forum. They spend most of their time dedicating it to making stuff, listing it, taking care of their customers, and minding their own shop and their own business. They have plenty of sales and a following.

From this I can only conclude that the forum can make or break sales. Whether by causing you not have enough time to do anything but complain, point fingers and mind other peoples' business for them which causes you to neglect your own shop because you are so wrapped up in tagging and flagging and minding other peoples' business that you neglect your own and there is no time for anything else, the in-fighting that results because of all this, or maybe even the fact that someone just doesn't like you or anything that you have to say.

So that is why I do not sell yet, but still contribute to the forum. You learn a lot in here, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I feel I have learned quite a lot in here-not everything there is to know, mind you, but still quite a bit.

I feel I have picked up many pointers along the way about what to do and not what to do. I have learned how my time and effort may well better be spent, where to direct my time, energy and effort, and how and where I choose to do it may be to my benefit. What to worry about and what not to waste time and effort on. And how the forum can make and break you in general, because just as how people don't always like what I have to say or contribute, the sword slices both ways and I do not think people are really aware of that.

In the long run, I am pretty convinced it would be to my benefit to use another email address and make another username, and sell under that name, and keep this username for talking in the forum. I am still on the fence on that aspect. Start from scratch, if you will, just list my stuff, go about my business, and handle things as they come up one thing at a time.

I know this is longwinded, and I do apologize. I also know I am a pain in the butt in here a lot. But I just wanted to say my time here is not wasted, even though I am just a "buyer" and lots of people don't even think I have the right to chime in on many topics.
You do learn a lot in here, by reading, and also trying to contribute. I am however, going to try to cut down on my time in the forum and direct my attention elsewhere to things that will be more to my benefit, and I am sure that will make many very happy. I just wanted to throw out some food for though. Thanks, and have a nice day.
"

MUAH!

2008-05-01T17:54:00.002-05:00

I've finally given my blog a BRAND NEW LOOK. =*^.^*= What do you think? *grins*

To say that the last few months have been busy would be an understatement. I've had a lot of appointments, freelance work to finish, and WIST (Wisconsin Street Team) business to attend to. In fact, the WIST goodness has pretty much taken over my life! LOL!

Before I re-did my own blog, the WIST blog got a fabulous facelift. You should go take a look- it's pretty swanky! =^.^;= There's a shoutbox over there, too- so be sure to give us all a holla. Woo! The WIST website has temporarily taken a backseat while I work on some very important reorganizing, (and Spring Cleaning), of other WISTy goodness. The forums needed to be streamlined just a twitch, posts moved, &ccc. Plus, joining needed to be made easier.

Honestly, things are getting so organized, it's kind of scary! =^.^=

Oooo, if you live in Wisconsin, (or one of the surrounding states), you should check out our calendar. Members are doing so many awesome things! It's definitely the start of art & craft show season. *huge grins*

Finding the right balance between my own business / art needs & those of WIST's has been pretty difficult lately. =O.o= There just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything! (Is there ever?!). Regardless, I've somehow managed to list some new bits on Etsy.com. Some of my favorites are interspersed throughout this post!

And some of the best news ever- I got my copy of "Rubbish" by Kate Shoup! And you'll never guess who's in it, (pssst- it's me!). =*^.^*= MUAH!

I've been spending some time over on indiepublic lately too. *grins* Feel free to friend or send me a message over there. (I loves some awesome messages!).

There's a lot of new stuff coming soon to my Etsy shop- more awesome poster prints, (11x17"!), and some gorgeous gemstone & silver jewelry. *drools*

I'll also be updating this blog more frequently- with more Etsy goodness, (neat things found all over: tutorials, answering ?'s, random awesomeness); WIST adventures; and my creative journeys. =^.^=

Wonderful Etsy Artisans and Blog Readers...

2008-04-03T14:41:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone!
I found a heart-tug forum thread on Etsy yesterday, and thought I would share a little about it.
There's this beautiful little girl, Reagan Olivia, who's struggling and could use some warm fuzzy goodness and your prayers. Her parents could use a little dose of the same, plus hope & strength. =*^.^*= You can read about Reagan's progress by clicking here, (she's got her own blog, already!). Don't forget to leave a comment on her blog- comments have been a wonderful source of strength for all involved!
Thanks for spreading the love around!
~Andrea

Something Interesting!

2008-04-03T12:51:00.002-05:00

I heard about this from Crazy Times Candles & Bath Company. Drop me a comment with your email if you'd like me to send you an invitation to try it out. *grins*

(Click the link to see her comprehensive post about this new online service).

(Click here to see her kickbutt Etsy shop!)

New news, babble, prattle and jazz.

2008-02-12T04:49:00.000-06:00

I've joined yet another, (yes, ANOTHER), art site. It's called ArtWanted, and I'm only putting my best & fav photography up there. *grins* I'm not selling any prints of the photos shown directly from that site, but if you'd like a 16" x 10" poster print (one inch white border makes it 17" x 11"), they're only $13.50 (that includes shipping in the US & Canada). I'll even sign it for ya. *winks* Orders can be emailed to me at zenithjade AT gmail DOT com. Click here to see the goods!

You can vote for me & a kickbutt photograph of Einstein, (my fluffy furrball of love), on the Spay Day USA 2008 site. *huge grins* Click here, and do a search for Einstein. WOO! It's for a great cause, and it's put on by the Humane Society of the United States. =*^.^*= If you've got a pet of your own, join in the fun by uploading your favorite pet photo!

I can't believe how darn busy I've been over the past four months. I knew it would be insane, but YIKES! *falls over* Between the holidays, my sister's wedding, and a very long business trip/vacation, time has flown right by. I'd love to know where used time ends up, and whether or not it can be recycled. LOL!

Etsy Advice!!!

2007-10-08T05:17:00.000-05:00

Ok, I found this smattering of FABULOUS Etsy advice from another Etsyian, ChristineRenee. I'm copying it & pasting it here, but you should totally hop on over to her blog and say "hello!" (And maybe "Thanks!" too. =*^.^*=). Here's a direct link to the original blog post. *grins*

I got a message from someone on Etsy today, asking me for some advice about how to promote her shop. I was surprised to be asked, because I certainly don’t consider myself to be an expert. But the more I thought about it I realized that I HAVE learned a lot over the last 2 years on Etsy.

Here is what I told her:
1) The most obvious thing is to list on a regular basis. At least one thing per day if you can. The way the categories are set up and the searches work you’ll be viewed by more people if you have recently listed items.

2) If you don’t have enough stuff to list something new every day then renew a listing that has been up for a while. It will cost you another 20¢ to do it, but that item will show up as if you just listed it and you’ll get the same benefits of having a newly listed item.

3) Diversify the stuff that you make so that you can list in more categories. The more your stuff is spread out across Etsy the better chance someone is going to find you.

4) Be part of the Etsy community. Post in the forums, visit the chat rooms, put together a treasury. Most sellers are buyers too, so make sure they know who you are (in a positive way).

5) Offer really great service so you’ll get repeat customers and they will recommend you to others. Also, they’ll mention how awesome you are in your feedback and that will result in more sales in the long run.

6) Promote yourself outside of Etsy. If you can afford it, take out some ads. But be very careful about where you spend your money. For me the top three crafty magazines are Adorn, Craft and Readymade. (So far I’ve only been in ReadyMade, but I’m hoping to advertise in the other two soon.) Also, carry business cards with you at all times so you’ll be prepared if someone asks you about your work. If possible, carry examples of your work with you. Leave flyers all over town in places where potential buyers shop and hang out.

7) Participate in the Sampler: http://www.homeofthesampler.com/ !! This may be the only truly valuable piece of advice. The way the sampler works is this: You send in samples of your work. Make it something small and inexpensive, but representative of what you do. Then all the samples that are sent in get divided into packages and sent out to other contributers and people who pay to get one.

All of that is great for getting your name out there, but what is REALLY amazing is there is a Media Only option. For $25 you can get your some of you samples sent to people in the media. Marie, the woman behind the Sampler, has tons of connections in the media. Basically, it’s like working with a crafty PR agency. And the more regular samples you send in the more samples she’ll send to the media for you. It is absolutely worth the $25.

8) Have a blog and try to get mentioned on other people’s blogs. It all comes up in google searches and you can lead people to your shop. (Plus it’s fun.)

9) Be part of the crafty community in general. Participate in the forums on sites like Craftster.org and GetCrafty.com. And try to get involved locally if there are any groups that get together in your town. Or start one. Also, participate in local craft shows. A lot of people who don’t buy from you at the show will visit your shop online if you hand out cards, and will buy from you later.

10) Join a street team (or two or three). This is something I have been meaning to do but haven’t yet…

Suggestions for those having problems loading images

2007-10-08T01:55:00.000-05:00

From our very own RevolvingDork! Click here to figure out what's going on. WOO!

Added by me- his reasons are pretty much universal, no matter *where* you're uploading the pictures to.

You can view my addition on Page 2. *grins*

Oh Noez! I've been tagged!

2007-10-06T07:28:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure who to tag in, er, retaliation- anyone is welcome to respond with 6 interesting things about yourself. =~.^= I love to read, so don't be shy!

1) I was an exchange student in High School- I went to Brazil. =*^.^*= And no, I am not fluent in speaking Portuguese anymore, although I can still *read* some!

2) I can't stand canned tomato soup! It makes me cringe. =o.O=

3) I'm allergic to onions in all its' wonderful forms, but I'm *not* allergic to garlic.

4) I volunteered at the Coulee Region Humane Society for 2 1/2 years- starting when I was 12.

5) My favorite ex-job was working in a Pet Store. Not only did I get to pet and love on all the critters there, I also *caught* them when they escaped. (It's inevitable. Really!). I taught a Ring Neck Dove to perch on my shoulder while I was working. =*^.^*=

6) When I was about eight, my Grandma taught me how to Etch glass. We used to go walking around the farm and find the coolest rocks and fossils! And we were almost always doing something together, or making something together while I was there. =^.^= (My Grandma sews the coolest crazy quilts! Hehehehe!).

I was tagged by MineFull- you can read a little more about her on her blog. =~.^=

Something worth using:

2007-10-06T07:23:00.000-05:00

dingo's *title only* google search for Etsy! (click here for the unveiling of the search)

USE IT HERE! (clicky)

Saving a listing to post later, a tutorial. by: littleputbooks

2007-10-06T07:18:00.000-05:00

Finally, another fabulous Etsy tutorial- this time by littleputbooks! =*^.^*= This walkthrough tutorial is wonderfully simple, and easy to do. If you were wondering how to start & stop in listing all that cool new handmade stuff for Christmas, this is for you! WOO!

Click here for the tutorial!

WOOHOO!

2007-08-17T03:52:00.000-05:00

My Ladybug Pendant has been featured on Cuteable! WOO! =*^.^*=

Here's a picture of my pendant! :::

Thank you soooo much Sion! You made my day! *huge grins*

YAY!

2007-08-06T23:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of WickedlyChic? It is, (and I quote), "...the hottest destination for shoppers seeking advice and product recommendations from the world of Indie design and fashion."

If you haven't checked them out yet, you should! It's all about great products, (no mass producing here!), great reviews, and great writing!

I might be biased, though...
I've been featured in their August 6th Daily Ditties! YAY!

(Can you tell I'm just a litttttle excited? =^.^;=).

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread!

2007-08-06T22:06:00.000-05:00

EtsyTools.com is run by two *anonymous* Etsyians who wanted to give back to the Etsy community. It provides updated STATS (graphs & numbers) on a variety of cool stuff like:

Sales per HOUR
Listings versus sales per hour &
Top Sellers

You can also visit their BLOG or FAQ.

Have I mentioned that this is the best thing since sliced bread?
This REALLY ROCKS!
Whomever these Etsyians are, I'd like to say THANK YOU!
Let me know who to send cookies to. =~.^=

Like We Need More Tips!

2007-07-14T03:21:00.001-05:00

But I've got 'um, so I'm going to share 'um! =~.^=

The New & Improved Ultimate Newbie Guide - Revised July 2007
You have questions? This guide has the answers!

Saving a Listing to post for later!!!!!
A tutorial written by littleputbooks, and it ROCKS. Check it out!

A Few More Great Tips & Tricks

2007-07-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

smilingsoul asked about "learning the promo techniques used by higher end jewelers." And she got some fabulous responses. =^.^= To read more, click here.

And more about jewelery...

soap asks us jewelery designers to do a few things. Here are her requests:
"please
-photograph your pieces(s) modeled (live person or facsimile)
-provide dimensions (too) in your listings (metric, imperial, i don't care)
- photograph your piece in its entirety
- at least one photo of your piece hanging

i buy jewel(lery) and even with the dimensions listed (i'm conversant in metric or imperial), it's hard to tell
(1) relative dimensions from just a close-up
(2) how a piece hangs without the above pics

also - if you say "silver," i'd like to know - are you talking fine, sterling (.925), plated or other?"

and a link to the original forum thread. =^.^=

And even MORE lovely advice from Etsyians...

2007-07-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

dottyral started an Etsy forum thread about ETSY ETIQUETTE. (And you will laugh at my caps when you visit this thread).

Next on the list is a forum message from one of our very beloved admins, RevolvingDork- and it has to do with our Etsy bills. !!! In a nutshell, (and the title of the thread, even): Autocharge not happening this month, check your balances.

Lastly, some wonderful advice from NormasBathandBody ... her thread is titled, "If something is not working for you.. Then Re-Vamp your shop." She's compiled a great list of new things for you to try to get some sales over these summer months, (and anytime!). A very handy resource for those looking for a shop-pick-me-up. =*^.^*=

I need some pointers please....

2007-07-01T04:11:00.000-05:00

TrashedClothing asked for some shop and photography pointers. And boy, did she get some great ones! (Srsly!). =*^.^*=

Check out this forum thread if you'd like some help yourself, or if you'd like a very quick & easy refresher course. =*^.^*=

Spreading the word about Etsy!

2007-06-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

FearlessFibers had this wonderful idea on how to spread the wonders of Etsy- we who have blogs should *write* about it! Now, I think that's a wonderful idea. =*^.^*=

However, since I write about Etsy, Etsy sellers, or Etsy Tutorials about every blog post, extolling on the virtues of Etsy might just get a little redundant in this blog 'o mine. =~.^=

If you don't write about everything Etsy all the time, this could be tons of fun for ya! You can see the Etsy Forum thread about this idea here... and you can read what FearlessFibers has to say in her blog, here.

LONG LIVE ETSY!!!

Pre-Christmas 'Pimp Your Store' checklist

2007-06-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

meringueshop wrote this LOVELY checklist for Etsy Sellers. =*^.^*= You can find the original forum thread by clicking here, (along with other wonderful bits of advice from more sellers!).

We're only a few short months away from the busy pre-Christmas period, so now is the perfect time to take a good, hard look at your store and give it an extreme makeover.
I've listed a few things below but there are plenty more things to consider, like business plans etc. But this is a good start......

1. Appearance
How's your shop looking? Is it a little tired? Could you do with a new banner? Are your photos the best you could do? Is your Shop Announcement too long/short/dull?
You only get one opportunity to make a first impression, so if you think your store looks mediocre, imagine what the fresh eyes of a potential buyer are seeing.
2. Profile
How long since you wrote it? Have you written one? Are you using it to connect to your customer or simply to offer information?
3. Automated Message
Are you using this? It's a great way to give your new customer any general information that may be important to the sale. It's also an immediate 'thank you' to your customer.
4. Descriptions & Titles
How's the spelling? How well are they written? Whether they're wordy or concise, are they clear? This is your chance to really 'sell' your item, you should make the most of it. A great description is even more important if your photos are not brilliant or the piece doesn't display well in 2D.
5. Terms & Conditions of sale
Do you have these listed anywhere in your shop? A good place to put them is in your Profile. Giving this information to your customers leads to less confusion and hopefully less non-payers. Take a look at some successful shops for good examples.
6. Sections
Have you set up sections? These make it easier for customers to navigate your shop.
7. Location
Have you listed your country? This is an international site, remember. Your state intials are not obvious to those of us from other parts of the world. Your state and country help a lot. You could be losing potential buyers by omitting this simple piece of information. Details are important.
8. Shipping
Have you sorted out your shipping costs? Do you ship internationally? Do you have EVERYWHERE ELSE or individual countries and the shipping costs listed? If you are asking potential buyers to convo you for a shipping price, are you aware that many of your competitors already have their act together and offer that information in their listings? Unless it's a large/fragile item there really is no reason not to know the shipping prices, there are loads of threads about it as well as information on the net.

The idea is to make your shop as appealing as possible. You should also be making it easy for customer to purchase, the more complicated you make it for someone to buy from you, the less chance there is that you will get their business.

Remember to check out meringueshop's shop + you can thank her in the forum thread, if you're so inclined! *grins*

And a LOT of Etsy Stuff.

2007-06-28T07:04:00.000-05:00

I just found a link to an older article about Etsy- you can read it here on 3pointD.com.

For Etsy sellers who ship internationally, RhinocerosRose commiserates in this forum post + she asks for & gets some wonderful advice from fellow Etsyians. If you're thinking about starting, (or venting), this is a good thread to hop into to. *grins*

Wondering where you can get your very own custom rubber stamps? I've wondered the same thing! littlenest asked that in this forum thread, and received some wonderful leads.

Here's a forum thread started by foundling where the woes of customs/duties tax is addressed. It also has some wonderful advice for those who ship internationally. (I'm one of them!).

An Etsy favorite, emckinstry asks, "Is Etsy Going to Support Popular Sellers in Expanding Their Businesses?" in a forum thread. It was started on June 27th, and guess what- it's already 13 pages long. Want a debate? Have a question about that? This is the forum thread to go to.

Lots and lots of Etsy News today! =*^.^*=

Ultimate guide to "Newbie" (or not so newbie) Questions

2007-06-27T02:02:00.000-05:00

sagittariusgallery put together this GIGANTIC FAQ to help all Etsy users- it's very big, but well organized. =*^.^*=

It is a definite MUST read for Etsyians!

On another note, I have links to many places of Etsy interest under my "Awesome Links" header. The Etsy Wiki is linked there, as well as the Etsy Blog, and the Etsy FAQ. (I just realized I need to put in a link to the D&D's [do's & don'ts] in my list- it'll be there shortly!). There are also many other cool sites & blogs of interest. *grins*

Time To Vote!

2007-06-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

Did you know that there's a GLOBAL campaign to determine the *new* 7 wonders of the world? =^.^= It's quite a big deal! The results will be announced JULY 7th, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal. This is YOUR turn to be a part of making history! =^.^=

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Can I choose the items displayed on Etsy mini?

2007-06-26T07:51:00.000-05:00

Another great question about Etsy, (or in this case, EtsyMini). Thanks for asking chiquifrog!

Here's the answer from loosewirestudio:
"If you select your Featured items, it will bring them up in order.

To feature items, click the little grey star in Your Etsy. To order them, click on Featured Items in the left hand column."

(Click here for the Etsy Forum post).

Kitten LOVE Super Sale! 40% off everything!

2007-06-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

My darling cat, AlleyC, just had more beautiful babies. =^.^;= In honor of this event, I am offering 40% off *everything* in my store, including sale items. !!! (Don't you just love my desire to celebrate anything at the drop of a hat?). *grins* Please let me send you an *updated invoice* before you pay. Enjoy & happy shopping!

(psst- please note, this does not apply to shipping costs)

Here's a small preview:

An Easy Etsy Business Tutorial

2007-06-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

Written by meringueshop, and you can find it here, (in the Etsy Forums).

And a very brief excerpt...
"Many people have started threads recently about how they are not selling much at the moment.
Think for a second how that looks to potential customers...they don't want to hear that your pieces aren't selling, they want to hear the positives about why they should buy from you." (italics mine)

Now, don't be shy!

2007-06-22T02:05:00.000-05:00

Sign my picturesque guestbook/slideshow thingy. *points to blog entry below*

Ok, aside from the lonely guestbook, I read one of the saddest stories ever- a missing cat. And the owner is *still searching* for her little guy. Here's a picture:

Of course I heard about this story through Catster. (Which is also a very cool website for cat lovers. The counterpoint to Catster is Dogster!).

You can read all about one woman's search for her cat on her website. And if you KNOW ANYTHING, please don't hesitate to let her know!!!

So a double dose of "don't be shy!" tonight.

In other news, I have found a SWEET & SIMPLE tutorial on how to pretty your Etsy shop up- using Glyphs / Symbols. =^.^= It's written by the following lovely lady:

You should definitely check out imaginethatartstudio!

Oooo, guestbooks! =^.^=

2007-06-21T03:54:00.000-05:00

Feel free to add yourself & a picture! *grins*

(NanjoDogz started this trend- you can visit her blog here!).

mothtoflame's bleach paintings...

2007-06-21T02:36:00.000-05:00

mothtoflame's paintings seriously rock my socks- not only are they incredibly unique, but they are just gorgeous. She'll even tell you how to make your own via instructions on her website, (although she still has a couple of secret tricks up her sleeve. =~.^=).

If inhaling bleach fumes just doesn't sound attractive, I'm sure mothtoflame wouldn't mind if you bought one of hers. =*^.^*=

One.

2007-06-20T23:33:00.000-05:00

Here Be Dragons!

2007-06-18T15:28:00.001-05:00

I just listed this lovely Dragon Coin Pendant on Etsy last night. I'm not sure why, but this particular pendant just tickles my fancy! =*^.^*=

Some of my favorite things...

2007-06-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

Even More Cool Stuff!

2007-06-15T13:53:00.000-05:00

Well, and a giveaway! =*^.^*=

EJA of Etsy is GIVING AWAY some really swanky stuff- and all for just signing up for their mailing list! (Wow!). Talk about incentive. *grins* View the details in this forum post on Etsy.

JET of Etsy is holding a really cool contest- buy $15 worth of merchandise from crescentmooncreation, create some jewelry using only those beads, and enter it in! Easy, no? =^.^= Visit this forum thread to see all the nitty gritty details!

And, last but not least, EtsyBead is going to have a promo thread this upcoming Sunday- peeps who post on the thread are offering 25% (possibly, hopefully!) on jewelry! This promo thread is going to have a *theme*. So if you're looking for something jewelry-specific, this is definitely a thread that will be worth a look-through. Keep your eyes peeled!

Etsy Fun - Avatar Poster

2007-06-13T22:50:00.000-05:00

Did you know just how many cool things Etsy has hiding on their site? Well, here's another one: The Avatar Poster Lookup. Just type in your username, and see on the poster where you fall in joining the Etsy Movement!

More of EtsyEtsyEtsy!

2007-06-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

I've been busy like a mad woman in these here parts. =*^.^*= What with the Wisconsin Street Team (WIST) and a few fairs here & there, I've been rocking in my socks just trying to keep up! *grins*

But this post isn't about me, (really!), it's more about the wonders of Etsy!

Etsy has been getting some seriously AWESOME PR- one article that seriously impressed me was written by Kerry Miller of Business Week. To top things off on an already amazing article, they kindly included a slideshow of some of Etsy's best & well-known.

If you've ever wondered what kind of in-print press that Etsy has been getting, you can check it out on Etsy. See all the articles, (from Rolling Stone Mag to the New York Times!).

And there's MORE.

Doing a Google search on "Etsy," (about 4,370,000 results) or "Etsy Articles" (about 418,000) can be a hazard to getting any work done. (But so much fun!).

Imagekind - Fine Art Photography Prints

2007-05-25T01:44:00.000-05:00

"Brooklyn workshop helps creative types"

2007-04-22T04:57:00.000-05:00

An article written by ABC 7, Eyewitness News. *grins* WOOT!

Policies on (Etsy) shop suspensions?

2007-04-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

buttonempire asked that great question in the forums, here. It also delves into a shop's policies vs. Etsy's policies. Definitely worth a read if you have questions, (or would like some answers!).

These items are expiring-

2007-04-15T08:32:00.000-05:00

and WILL NOT be renewed. Last chance!

ON SALE:
Pink Jade, Swarovski, and Sterling Silver Cluster Earrings- Was $20, now $12!
Three Pewter SKATEBOARDS charms or pendants- only $2.50 for THREE.
Carnelian Turtle Pendant- Was $10, now $5!
Rose Quartz Butterfly Pendant- Was $8, now $4!
Bracelet or Anklet - Golden Yellow Miracle Glass, Freshwater Pearls- Was $6, now $3!

There are MORE Carnelian Turtle Pendants & Rose Quartz Butterfly Pendants- click HERE to view all items on SALE.

Gorgeous triplet bracelet sets, only $25/set!:
Beautiful BLUES - stretchy gemstone bracelet set of three
Tremendous TEALS - stretchy gemstone bracelet set of three
Peppy PURPLES - stretchy gemstone bracelet set of three
more Beautiful BLUES - stretchy gemstone bracelet set of three

Wild About Cherries Jewelry:
WILD CHERRY necklace- only $30!
CHERRY Drop Earrings- only $22!

BUY BOTH AND SAVE! --> $45 for the SET. Let me send you an updated invoice via PayPal. Thanks!
*******************************************************

Thank you for supporting independent artists!

*******************************************************

PS--> I will HEART you for ever and ever if you join Etsy and put my username in as your referral! =^.^= My username: ZenithJade ! <3 <3 <3!

Oppose the Killing of Cats!

2007-04-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

From their website:
In the U.S., more cats are intentionally killed than die of any other cause. But this doesn't have to be the case.

Virtually every feral cat that enters a shelter or animal control facility is killed. The very system that is supposed to care about the welfare of animals is, in fact, subjecting them to a ruthless policy of extermination.

Funded by taxpayer dollars, these inhumane programs do not effectively control cat population growth. Only one method - Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) - does.

Feral cats are born outdoors and have not been socialized. Uncomfortable around humans, they will never be comfortable living in human homes. They make homes in colonies wherever they can find food, be it in alleys or under a boardwalk. On their own without human intervention, breeding is not controlled, and their numbers steadily increase.

All cats, even those born outside and having never lived with a human family, should be allowed to live the lives they deserve - outdoors, happy, healthy and prevented from becoming part of an endless cycle of breeding.

Sign the petition showing that you want the killing of feral cats to stop. Then learn about the TNR method and how you can take personal action to help these cats.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION.

"Who Pays Anyways?"

2007-04-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

sweetcharlotte asks a very good question in the forums:
"
Do you guys pay taxes (sales or income) on your Etsy sales? Just wondering what the criteria is? I guess each shop is different, but I figure that I pay sales tax on the materials (fabric, etc) so the end product shouldn't have tax...is this right?
"

She's gotten a lot of great responses to that question. If you were wondering something similar, you should definitely check out this forum thread!

ThreadBanger!

2007-04-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

A super swanky video about Etsy & the Etsy Labs is available for viewing on ThreadBanger! See Thread Heads Episode 8 - Etsy & Make. =*^.^*=

Kudos to ellyzee for posting this awesome link in the Etsy forums!

Obsessed with WIST.

2007-04-08T11:09:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss updating my blog! =^.^;=

I have a good excuse, honest! I've been organizing the Wisconsin Street Team. *grins* It's been fabulous so far. If you're in Wisconsin & want to join, just let me know! I'll add you to our member list. =^.^= If nothing else, you should stop on by our blog- we've got a member list up in our navigation & we are a very diverse and artistic group! Woot!

Acronym and Odd Words Tutorial- Making Your Life Easier.

2007-04-04T19:07:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing a lot of questions about acronyms, and "odd" words, and what the meanings of things are on Etsy. I thought I'd start a list, and keep adding to it as I see more questions. =^.^= Each entry in the list is in alphabetical order.

ATC - Art Trading Card

ACEO - Art Cards, Editions & Originals

Blog/Blogging - "or weblog, an online journal or diary." (Source: Wikipedia; link).

"A blog is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order.

Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject, such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of most early blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual although some focus on photographs (photoblog), sketchblog, videos (vlog), or audio (podcasting), and are part of a wider network of social media.

The term "blog" is a portmanteau, or, in other words, a blend of the words web and log (Web log). "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog." (Source: Wikipedia; link).

CCCOE - meaning coming soon.

Convo / Conversations - A method of communication exclusive to the Etsy website. Similar to email, but run & hosted by Etsy. (Source: ZenithJade; image).

DA - deviantART

Etsy - "...is an on-line marketplace for artists and crafters to sell their works. Officially, it is "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade." Etsy is a venue, not a retailer; it is collection of independent shops, each run by a different artisan." (Source: EtsyWiki; link).

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

OOAK - One Of A Kind

PIF - Pass It Forward (Similar to RAK). (Source: Etsy Forums; link).

RAK - Random Act of Kindness

SASE - Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope

SRAJD - Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer (Source: BrackenDesigns; link).

Street Teams - Street Teams are forces of nature, (ok, really forces of Etsy =~.^=), where we work as a smaller group to promote Etsy & ourselves. Street Teams are also a great way to network, and meet new artsy people. *grins* It's really like a "Business Club," but a lot more fun. The Etsy site has a page for joining Street Teams, but it has been down for a while. Hopefully it will be back up soon! (Source: ZenithJade; link).

TRIF - TRade It Forward

WIST - Wisconsin Street Team (Source: Etsy Street Teams; WIST blog).

***
One of the best definitions & explanations of what Etsy is, and our terminology from Wikipedia.

Here's a link to the "Official Etsy Acronym List."
Community Resources on the Etsy Wiki.
The Etsy FAQ.
***

If you have an acronym or word that you'd like me to place in this FAQ, please comment and let me know! I'm a researching fiend so I'll also do my best to help you find out what things mean. =*^.^*=

OOAK ?!?

2007-04-04T18:58:00.000-05:00

lwelshrn asked a great question in the forums - What does OOAK stand for?

It means, "One of a kind." =*^.^*=

Thanks for asking, lwelshrn, and welcome to Etsy!