ZenithJade Creations Autumn Trunk Show 2009!

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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

Saturday, May 30th

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

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

Blogger Tutorial #1 - Adding Links to Text

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

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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!

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

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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/

Wisconsin Underwater

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!

Thoughts on Goals

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*).

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

MUAH!

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. =^.^=

Even More Cool Stuff!

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!

WIST

Hello fellow Wisconsinites! =^.^=

Let's see if we can't get this ball rolling, eh?

I've started a blogspot blog for us- here's the url: http://wist-etsy.blogspot.com/ . (WIST stands for WI Street Team- neat, huh?).

I've arbitrarily given us a nickname- "The Moo Crew." Hehehe, that just makes me chuckle.

All Wisconsinites who have a blogspot blog are more than welcome to contribute! Let me know, and I'll add you so you can post. *grins*

I'd like to start this blog rolling by having WI street team member features. =^.^= I need some guinea pigs for my questions- any volunteers?

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To also help move things along, I'm going to hold a CONTEST. Woo!

***Here are the nitty gritty details***
Theme: Cows and Cow Colors
Medium: Any! (Because we know we're a diverse group)
Start Date: Today!
End Date: April 1st (April Fool's Day)
Prizes: A mixed media supply pack like this: http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5074296 (but even better!)
Participation: Place a link to your entry in the comments of this blog post! Thanks!

Placing: There will be 1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes.

*If anyone would like to help me judge the entries, please convo me- first come, first judge!* Please be aware that if you help with judging, you can't enter the contest. =^.^;= It's only fair!

*If anyone would like to DONATE supplies for the supply packs, please convo me- the more goodies, the better!*

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I've been writing a whole bunch of ideas down for our Street Team, and I'd love to hear your ideas, too!

Please keep your eyes posted in the Street Team Forum for WI updates. =*^.^*= (I'll also be cross-posting updates to the blog).

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On a personal note, my "little" sister just had her first baby Saturday! I've been a little slow responding to convos, but hopefully things will settle down soon. *grins* I am a *very* pleased Auntie.

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<3, ~Andrea

* here's the original forum post *

Etsy Bead Street Team & Google Group Members

I thought I'd make a compiled list of all of our shops- it might be easier to find! =*^.^*=

In alphabetical order, here goes:

ajazwinski.etsy.com

alejbet.etsy.com

beaddreamercreations.etsy.com

beadree.etsy.com

beadsoutwest.etsy.com

cassowaryjewelry.etsy.com
www.cassowarybuttons.com
buttonmakersball.blogspot.com

cavanaghcraft.etsy.com

chatondesigns.etsy.com

crysalliscreations.etsy.com

dawnsbeadeddelights.etsy.com

delicatedesigns.etsy.com
www.emldesigns.com

dena.etsy.com

designsbyjenean.etsy.com

gallerialinda.etsy.com
www.gallerialinda.com

GreenEnvyDesigns.etsy.com
green-envy-designs.deviantart.com

intrepidsoulmate.etsy.com
mamatrepsdesigns.blogspot.com

jgbclay.etsy.com

juliery.etsy.com - founder
cervrok.livejournal.com

kaskaad.etsy.com
kaskaad.wordpress.com

katcrociante.etsy.com

katybdesigns.etsy.com

kjbeads.etsy.com

laurenamosdesigns.etsy.com

loribeads.etsy.com
www.loribeads.com

luna2005.etsy.com

modcustomjewelry.etsy.com

myfriendsandmedesign.etsy.com
www.myfriendsandmedesign.com

mytinybaubles.etsy.com

neccies.etsy.com

nonpareil.etsy.com

passementerie.etsy.com
www.passementeriejewelry.com

simplepleasuresbyms.etsy.com
www.simplepleasuresjewelry.com

sonitastreasures.etsy.com
www.sonitareasures.com
www.sonitastreasures.com/blog

steph1068.etsy.com
www.shortgirldesign.com

stitchingcrafts2.etsy.com

studiomarcy.etsy.com

TerisTreasures.etsy.com

time2cre8.etsy.com
www.time2cre8.com
time2cre8.blogspot.com

ZenithJade.etsy.com
zenithjade.blogspot.com
anjicle.deviantart.com

In addition to being in alphabetical order, the links/person are listed in the following order:
Etsy Shop (alphabetical by USER NAME)
Website
Blog
DeviantArt

Feel free to email me, comment here, or sent me a convo if you'd like to be added to the list, or have additional information added to the list. My email: zenithjade@yahoo.com. =*^.^*=

BEAD Street Team on Etsy! (NEW!!!)

Juliery (on Etsy), came up with a FABU idea--- get beaders, makers and addicts together for an Etsy Street Team! It's still in its' starting phases, but you can read about it in this forum thread.

You can *also* join the google group to join in on the beady fun!