I'VE MOVED!!! Please come and visit

Hey everybody (that means probably 1 person) I've moved from Etsy over to 1000 Markets. It's a cool place to shop and to set up shop. I also have a blog there.

Thanks for checking me out!

http://twistedjules.1000markets.com

HandmadeFusion Begins

I now have a store on the new website Handmadefusion. It's just one month old and I'm hopeful that it will take off. I like Etsy, but am happy to have another outlet to sell my jewelry. It's a bit different than Etsy in that you have to apply with a couple of pictures of your goods. I was obviously accepted and have listed approximately 10 items so far. They have a lot of good features, and like any new site, some things that need work. I'm willing to keep listing, though, and give it a try.

Here's my store's address:
http://handmadefusion.com/stores/TwistedJules

I do like the store fronts much better on Etsy. The pictures on handmadefusion are a bit small and the stores are rather plain at this point. But with Etsy being so over run with sellers, it's nice to be in on the beginning of something new.

So please, take a moment and check it out. Lots of creative people selling their wares.

Happy shopping or window shopping!

Lipitor Brings Me To My Knees!

It's been so long since I've written anything! I have had no energy at all to do much of anything but keep my house clean. Have had a few other problems also and it turns out all this was caused by a medication I was taking! That medication is Lipitor. I've been off of it for 10 days now and feel like a new person.

For two weeks I've had plans to go to Michael's, Lowe's and Target. My assignment: Find cool backgrounds for photographing my jewelry; different lights for my light box; and some shrubs to plant in the backyard. Every day I found some excuse not to go, but this was during my Lipitor-induced funk. So TODAY is the day!

TAKING GREAT PHOTOS
Isn't this a major problem for most of us that sell items online? I've tried so many different ways to take photos and have finally discovered what works for me. Mainly, it's having a light box that was very simple to build. I used a cardboard box, tracing paper and tape. That's it! Then the lights. They are very important and it takes some experimenting to really get that great picture. So I'm going to get a couple of stronger lights and go to work.

PHOTO BACKGROUNDS
This, of course, is most important. I want to have cohesive photos of my jewelry but one background does not look good with every piece of jewelry. I'm hoping I can find something at Michaels in the scrapbooking aisle; if not, off to Lowe's to look at slate and tiles!

Please post your success stories here or your photography tips!

Let's get it out, People: Pet Peeves

Sometimes I think It would be so nice to be oblivious. Just let the world revolve around myself with no thoughts toward others. Wow, I'd probably never get frustrated. Yet, as tempting as it sounds to be sans frustration, I can't become that oblivious bimbo. I believe you have to be born with this, ummm, quality.

So here are a few of my top Pet peeves:

California Hands-Free Law

The new California law now requires "hands free" driving if you're going to talk on your cell phone. So you have to wear one of those little alien device things in your ear. I know the day will come when babies will be born with these devices already attached.

The thinking behind this law (that's got to be an oxymoron) is that people will be better able to pay attention to their driving and not their phone. Yeah, right! Good thinking law makers!

At first thought, this "hands-free" law seems like a good thing but, unfortunately, what it has done now is freed up their hands to do other things! Yes, putting on makeup for one. I can barely put makeup on standing flat footed in front of a mirror. At least they have some talent, I suppose. I guess you could say they are good multi-taskers; driving, talking on the phone and putting on makeup while drinking their double low fat soy half caff mocha grande latte in between bites of a blueberry scone!

Normally I would applaud multi-tasking; however, when you're barreling down the highway in your 2000 pound hunk of steel talking, eating, knitting, reading, clipping your toenails and supposedly paying attention to your driving, it would be nice if you would just steer yourself right over a cliff careful not to take anybody else out with you! Happy landing!

Well, I've barely skimmed the surface here. Don't think I'm bitter; I'm really not. (Well, maybe a little.) Just one frustrated broad when it comes to the very happy oblivious people.

Next Pet Peeve..............you'll have to check back.

Please leave a comment with your top pet peeve!

Jules

Starting A New Career at 50

Years ago after playing a softball game, all of us met up over at our favorite Pizza place ... well, maybe we liked the beer also. I met a gal there that read palms. So what the heck, I let her check mine out. I can't even remember most of the stuff she told me, though I know it rang true. What was most intriguing to me, though, was when she looked at the section at the base of my thumb and said, "Oh, my goodness." Oh, no, what could it be, I thought? She says, "You have so much untapped potential." She gave me this look that I'll never forget. I kept thinking to myself, what could it be? Is it golf; music, what?

I suppose I forgot about it for years, or shoved it somewhere deep not wanting to think about what I should or could be doing.

It wasn't until just recently when I had one of those lightbulb moments and remembered the words this woman had said to me. I now knew what she was talking about. Since I discovered my talent and love for making jewelry, my creative side has been running full force. I'm constantly learning something and actually yearning to discover all the different ways to make a piece of jewelry. It's a driving passion and is so exciting. I can't wait to get up in the morning!

All of this came about the year I turned 50. It's never too late to pursue your passion. We can keep putting it off thinking we're too old or we're scared to try something new. Whatever the reason may be. Truth be told, if you start today, you're going to be damn good at whatever it is in a few years.

At times I do get a panicky feeling thinking there is so much to learn and here I am 50! I am not going to have enough time!!! But then I take a deep breath, calm myself, and take it one step at a time. Figure out a project, gather the materials, tools at the ready, and plunge in!

Make it an excellent week

Marketing On Etsy

Since opening my shop on Etsy in March '08, I have learned that making the jewelry plays a little part in the beginning. The most important thing to have a successful shop is to Promote, Promote, and then promote some more. You can make the most beautiful, unique items ever and never sell a thing because people can't find you. Opening up a store or shop does not automatically mean the customers will start flocking to it.
It's rather overwhelming thinking about and doing all the things necessary to get your name and items out there for people to see. It's exhausting really. First it was, "you have to start a blog." Okay. I'll do it, but not an easy task. But then I have to promote my dang blog because who in the heck is going to read it? So Now I'm promoting my blog to promote my shop. And this is just the beginning.

Flickr? Okay. Whatever.

Next I'm told, "You must have a Flickr acct." What is that? What's the purpose? So I checked it out and decided to sign up. Of course, there is more promoting necessary once again to get the people to come and see my pictures. That's what it is, pictures and groups and all sorts of things. At least they make it easy to upload my pictures. Now I have to search for groups that are a good mix and promote within those groups. It actually seems to be working.

Twitter, I thought that was something that happened to old people

Next is the Twitter acct, which can lead to your Flickr acct, my blog and my website. What twitter does exactly is a bit strange. Just a way to tell your "followers" what you're up to in 140 characters or less. Same thing with Flickr, you hook up with people with similar interests.

Post in the Etsy Forums

I kept reading about this so I started checking them out. So once in awhile I would go to an interesting topic and maybe even post something. Seems I am quite the thread killer. I'm getting better at it though and it is a good way to network. Again, more promotion.
Etsy Showcases

Are they worth it? I'm not convinced. I have advertised several times and I did obtain some great repeat customers. Most times, though, no hits as far as sales. Lots of hearts. I'll keep doing it from time to time. Perhaps money is better spent on renewing items.
Overall, word of mouth is the best. Good luck to all of us starting out!
Pictures above; same piece before and after oxidization

Oxidizing Sterling Silver using Eggs

I recently decided to try oxidizing some silver jewelry. I'd been thinking about it awhile, but was a bit anxious about trying it. I had bought some Liver of Sulphur, but after reading about what you had to do, I decided to try the hardboiled egg method I had just learned.

I boiled up a few eggs, prepared my pendant by cleaning it well, and stuck it in a freezer bag. Once the eggs were hardboiled, I used some tongs to transfer them to the baggie and then crushed up the eggs. It worked very well. I put the pendant right in the middle of the crushed eggs and turned the bag every once in awhile. Once it had reached the desired color, I took it out and rinsed it off well. Using a toothbrush to get out the egg particles.

Once clean, I prepared the tumbler and placed it in there for 1 1/2 hrs. It came out amazing! I decided later to make a chain to go with it. I followed the same process for oxidizing. I love how it shows off the detail. The shine is unbelievable!

Check out other pieces at http://twistedjules.etsy.com

Please add any comments. Have a wonderful week!