A New Newsletter from ZenithJade Creations

New news! There's several NEW blog posts up in my blog- most of them are about taking stellar photography! Here's the link: http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/ .

You probably don't know that I participated in several cool contests and blog hops. Their content is on my blog as well! My favorite, so far, is the Bead Soup Blog Hop run by Lori Anderson. It is wicked fun! In a nutshell, I was assigned a partner to send beads to, and my partner did the same for me. The next step was to design piece(s) from those beads! It is a HUGE bead and jewelry blog hop/party! I had so much fun designing for this one, that I'm going to do my level best to participate next year, as well. (The Bead Soup Blog Party post is currently the third post down, but in case you don't want to scroll for it, here's the link: http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/2013/04/bead-soup-blog-party-7-reveal.html .

Also recent news for all you beady types- I joined a wonderful site called Bead Swap USA. It is AMAZING. There are boxes full of beads to swap, as well as finished item swaps and person to person swaps, plus SO MUCH MORE. http://beadswap-usa.com/ . It's set up in a forum type format, with each section run by moderators. It is really nifty!

Have you noticed I've been trying to blog more? :) I'm doing my level best! My good friend Kerri says that I have interesting stories to tell, and I sure hope that's the case! I surely don't want to bore anyone! *winks* Maybe each time I write a blog post, I'll email it out. I'd love some feedback on that! I don't want to spam your inboxes. Opinions on the matter can be emailed to me at zenithjade@yahoo.com.

I also chat passionately about charitable causes I'm involved in. Here's an update from my ZJC Facebook page I posted fairly recently:

"You can join Jilly's Bead Posse, (it's a crazy group of crazy artists and jewelry designers who believe in fighting for the cause of Alzheimer's) by going here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JillysBeadPosse or here: http://www.jillysbeadposse.com/ . I made and donated 36 pairs of earrings to the cause. Others are making (even more) earrings, bracelets, keyrings/chains, necklaces and what-have-you. :) Another thing I'm doing is taking over 150 pictures of earrings & editing them for my friend Kerri, who is donating 163 pairs of earrings!!! (And I thought 36 pairs was a lot! LOL!). ANYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN. There are at least TWO fundraisers going on RIGHT NOW. Please check out the website for details. (It's under Fundraisers!).

I have several new blog posts up, two of which detail photography tips & tricks + editing. Mostly, I'm just linking to others blogs, eventually I'll write my own tutorial on how to get good pictures... but until I do, there are a couple of great ones that link from my blog! Here's the link to my blog: http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/ .

Tonight I made five new polymer clay hearts! Yes, the pretty rustic ones. I recently bought some LOVELY vintage cabochons from Lindsay, (a Bead Swap USA member: http://beadswap-usa.com/ ), and had so much fun incorporating them into my heart designs. I hope you'll like them! I promise to show some pictures tomorrow. And I don't think I'm done playing with polymer clay yet tonight! :) I am having WAY too much fun. You can view a rustic polymer clay heart component here, to see what I'm talking about: https://www.etsy.com/listing/123593014/rustic-polymer-clay-heart-set-with . Woot woot! Lots of new news!
PS- if you've read this far, I'm having another GIVEAWAY when I reach 400 fans! I only have 31 more peeps to "like" my page and we're good to go! If you'd like to help, please do so by "sharing" this page with your friends. I'm very rarely boring, I promise!"

So that's what I've been up to! :) Have a wonderful, fantastic day, and don't forget to give me feedback on whether or not I should email about blog posts! zenithjade@yahoo.com!

Love,
Andrea

Original Email:  http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2e39a3b8ab9b48f3cf3a22c14&id=1901fb711f

BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY 7 REVEAL!!!

Here is the lovely sea glass and pendant from Antelope Beads Andrea Trank sent me. :)

A big old pile of goodies!!!

Another shot of the goodies Andrea Trank sent me!

 This is the very first piece I made using the beads Andrea Trank sent me. The only bits I added in were some goldstone beads, some copper/brass beads and a touch of smoky quartz... plus all the findings minus the chain & clasp at the top!

I used both the clasp and the focal sent to me in this one piece... I really love how it turned out! And the earrings are just too cute! But this isn't the end.... I made even more! (See below...!!!)

This is the SECOND piece I made from the beads my partner sent me. :) Those are lovely sea glass spears she sent me, and some rounds (which I paired with stick pearls in shades of green), Swarovski baroque drop, Swarovski cubes, Czech glass rondelles which my partner also sent me... with a blend of baroque freshwater pearls at the very top mixed with peridot Swarovski crystal.

This is the whole necklace. And it's LONG. I thought it needed quite a bit of length to balance the weight of the "focal" I made. It's called a "Waterfall Pendant"... I used bits of copper tone chain between the  spacers. Incidentally, Andrea (my partner in crime for Bead Soup Blog Party), sent me all those lovely rondelles in the necklace & pendant... two different shades of green!

But no, that's not even all I made........ (See below!!!)

I made these GORGEOUS sea glass earrings. Andrea, I don't know how you matched two of the spears so well, but I thought they'd be PERFECT for dangly earrings! I wrapped the spears in copper, with all copper findings... those little rounds are even more sea glass she sent me... plus I ended the earrings with just a touch of purple Swarovski crystals. Yay! I absolutely adore Swarovski!

Now, not to toot my own horn, I did make one other thing using some of the beads that Andrea sent me- but I submitted it to a different contest. The Czech glass tubes were perfect to blend with the Zebra Jasper. (Andrea sent the Czech glass tubes). The other beads are vintage golden seed beads, crackle crystal quartz, baroque freshwater pearls and of course the large Zebra Jasper ovals and the Czech glass tubes.

I didn't think I'd be done making stuff yet, but I plumb ran out of time this time around to make anything else!

I hope you enjoy looking at the BSBP7 goodies!

Have a wonderful, spectacular day!

Love, Andrea G.

PS- here's Andrea Trank's blog- you can see what she made with the beads I sent her: http://www.heavenlanecreations.com/

You can also view the participant list for the 2nd reveal here: http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/ !!!

Jewelry Show, PaaschEPottery, and MORE!

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!

Well, well!

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

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

Tutorial, DeviantART, Crafting and more!

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!

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!

Like me on facebook.

Follow me on twitter.

Visit me on ArtFire.

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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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/

ZenithJade Creation's First Easter Egg Hunt!

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!

Books!

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

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!

Busy busy busy!

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-

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! =^.^;=

MyOhMy & More!

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!

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. =^.^=

New news, babble, prattle and jazz.

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!