If you look on the right sidebar towards the bottom you will see "Modified by Blogcrowds". That is where I got the 3-column template, when I embarked on the HTML hell post. Since I did that - I have been posting on their forum with the bits and pieces I still needed to fix. Stavanger, the guy who the site belongs to - has answered all my posts and been most helpful! Tonight he gave me the code to fix the last problem I was having where the color on the right side wasn't reaching the edge - and it worked! I mean - I was able to exchange the old code for the new - and it worked! And believe me - I don't know anything about HTML!! So I wanted to say THANKS to Stavanger for being out there and being available for assistance with his templates - and for creating templates that give people the layouts and options they want for their blogs! If you have your own blog, you might want to check out his site for new templates and or help!
I realized today, that blogging makes me happy. Not because I'm touting my shop, selling my jewelry, not because it's a good online business decision - but because I love to write! I write like I breathe - it is effortless for me. I don't necessarily mean I write well like I breathe, just that I can write the way I speak and sometimes better. I enjoy it. So picture a little girl stepping onto a stage, onto a small raised platform all dressed in dance clothes and quivering with anticipation! There is a spotlight and it's ONLY on her - she is the STAR - no one else exists on her little platform. The light from the spotlight is in her eyes so while she believes there is an audience out there - she can't see them - so she imagines them all watching her dance and loving every bit of her performance. And in the end - it doesn't really matter if there is an audience to her, it is the performance that means the most.
Me, and my blog. :)
Also today, in Etsy forums, there was a thread posted about a guy named Mike who has his own website, kind of like Craigs list - and he is accepting free ad submissions. Woo hoo! I love that all the people (most) on Etsy are so encouraging and helpful to each other! Of course giving out Mike's website helps HIM too - I think he's just getting started - but we all need new places to get our names out there so I am happy to give his site a plug! It is called Tuningin.com - and I will put a link under "shops, sites, etc". Not only is the ad free - but you can load up to 5 very good quality and fairly large images along with your ad. For the life of me I can't locate the thread or I would mention the Etsian (sp?) who posted it! Good thing though, it all helps! Every place you can get your name, shop name - or even Etsy.com. Ads are good! Take a look at my ad! http://www.tuningin.com/?view=showad&adid=1337&cityid=16&lang=en
SWEET!
Loading these pictures on here that have nothing to do with anything is a total indulgence for me - but like I titled the flower pics - upper right - you can never have too much beauty. Enjoy!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Blogging makes me happy!
Babbled by BetteJo at 10:08 PM 0 Comments
Labels: ballerina, bead, beaded, blogcrowds, etsy, handcrafted, handmade, html, jewelry, pictures, stavanger, tuningin
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
I thought last night was fast!
Tonight - just a pretty picture from Hawaii. Kauai actually, really beautiful there. Just incredibly sleepy tonight. Going to get my tea ready for the morning, take my makeup off and the like. Early night for me. Very early. :) Sigh-h-h-h .....
Babbled by BetteJo at 9:55 PM 4 Comments
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Quick post
Just a quick post tonight - wanted to post pics of 2 things I made last night. The first is a bracelet made with green aventurine and smoky quartz. Yay! Makes me happy!! Worked on connecting beads together by making loops - this bracelet was not "strung" so to speak. :)
Next is a necklace, made with pink quartz, blue glass, and smokey quartz. Made the same way as the bracelet - just different beads. Again - makes me happy!
Not ready to list these - haven't taken real photos yet or anything, but hey - this is a start towards the direction I'd like to go. Need a whole lot of practice which I plan to get. I want to feel that what I am asking people to pay money for is unique and strong and all my own.
I need to go and do some other stuff with the rest of my evening, so I will pick a nice landscape pic to close with. It's a good day!
Ah - I found a nice one. Talk about water like glass - so nice.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Need to improve!
Anything is possible. That's what this picture says.
Seems I am not happy enough with my beading. Beading. Hmmm. I don't want to just string beads on wire and try to make pretty patterns. I enjoy what I do - but I really need to do more. I feel a bit like a fraud - I need to try something more. I'm repeating myself. Well - I'm going into my bead room. Maybe I should lock the door and not come out until I have accomplished something new!! :)
I'm not unhappy - just feel something is lacking in my jewelry - I need to make it more my own. Maybe that's it. I feel a bit like anyone can do what I do. I need to develop my talent. It's funny cause one of the big discussions on Etsy has been about underpricing. I tried to get it across that I am an amateur - and I cannot price the things that I make - like someone who wire wraps their stones, makes their own earwires or clasps.
There didn't seem to be any getting it across to some people - that they should be able to charge more because they are better than some of us who have just started. I would really feel like a fraud if I charged more than I do. Even tried to tell them that it was a compliment to them that some of us don't charge as much as they do.
So much concern about driving the market down - seems to have blinded some people to who they are comparing themselves to.
Do not misunderstand, I am not hopeless. LOL! Not by any means! There is a plan in my head to continue to move forward and keep getting better until I know about the different gauges of wire and how to use them. Till I know what a tumbler is for or what a burr is!!! Progress. I must make some. :)
Mostly I think I'm saying - I know I have a long way to go. What I make appeals to some people and I am very happy about that. But I want to make pieces that I am totally internally pleased with. Something that reflects the ability I hope to develop. There, THAT'S what I mean.
I always use more words than I need to get a thought across. Always.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Almost there!
I think I finally got this template as wide as I want it. Now I have an edge line going down the middle of the right side - it's the coloring at the edge of the template. If anybody knows how to adjust it and it's remedial - please let me know. If it's beyond remedial - I'll live with it!!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
HTML Hell!!
,So the results are in. I need to find someone who knows something about HTML to tweak my blog. I got the 3rd column but apparently people with smaller screens see it as rather squished. SO - I went in there and tried to adjust the width and padding and stuff I probably shouldn't touch, and I didn't help at all.
I'm thinking that on Monday I will ask one of the guys at work to look at it for me and see if he can make some minor adjustments to align things properly. Nobody wants to read a blog that's all over the place and unattractive. We'll see.
It's all rainy and ugly here in Illinois today, well, NW Illinois anyway. Wait, I live in the NE part of Illinois! I forget - because I live in the NW suburbs of Chicago so that's what sticks in my mind. What a dork. The pictures are the bowed heads of the peonies on the edge of my driveway, a bit dark but I took them at 8:00 o'clock at night.
I did manage to get one bracelet listed today, I think I will try to get a pair of earrings listed and then closet myself in my bead room and get something done. Looking forward to it actually. See what I can do. ..... After Flip This House is over. :)
Guess I'm not that smart. Monday? I'm not going to work on Monday! AND I have Tuesday off as well! How could I forget a 4 day weekend?
Done For Today
Friday, May 25, 2007
Right Now..
I just changed my template so I could have 3 columns. I tried to do it so I could save all my info that was in the left column I already had, but I don't know any HTML stuff so I finally decided that I was happy enough with the fact that I achieved 3 columns - to just add back the other stuff manually. So if you happen to pop in this evening and things are missing or look strange - I am probably working on it as we speak.
Hope you'll wait for me!
Babbled by BetteJo at 11:47 PM 1 Comments
Labels: bead, beaded, blogcrowds, etsy, handcrafted, handmade, html, jewelry, template
Thursday, May 24, 2007
TAGGED
Wow, I've been tagged by Artsy Clay! Haven't been tagged since I was in grade school! But apparently everybody else knows - this particular tag means I am supposed to write 7 little known things about myself and then tag someone else. Okay! This is hard because I have such a big mouth - everything IS known about me. Have to think.
1. I collect FireKing creamers and sugars.
2. I am afraid of my sock monkey!
3. I can still remember my favorite sunsuit from when I was 2 years old. Cornflower blue with white ric-rac (sp?) - and I do remember it - all the pictures are in black and white!
4. I used to like to walk on foggy evenings. Used to - the last time I broke my ankle very badly.
5. I really enjoy my own company and no longer think it's weird that I don't need to be around people all of the time.
6. I have Flintstone feet - very wide with impossibly small toes!
7. I like talk radio!
Now - I am in search of someone else to tag!! :)
Babbled by BetteJo at 9:41 PM 1 Comments
Labels: bead, beaded, etsy, handcrafted, handmade, jewelry, tagged
Really Needs Some Work!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Nervous ..
Not sure if I want to do this! Last 2 posts all my pics sort of - fell out. I posted them, saved everything, went in and out and viewed the blog a couple times - but the next day - little red X's. I hate them.
This pic is of a bracelet I haven't offered in my shop yet - but I love it! I love these big chunky carved agates - the blue and the deep gold. If I could be in love with a bead - either of those would be it. Oh - maybe throw the red into those choices!
Exciting day yesterday! Introduced my daughter to Etsy through my shop - and the necklace she designed. Such a nice feeling! Such a great girlchild!! Love her writing too - might ask her to write my shop announcement and descriptions - she is so articulate and funny!!! Her necklace is so colorful and a totally different style from mine which is great! She's definitely her own person.
The other exciting part of yesterday was introducing the newest member of the family/shop - Roberta! As I say in my shop announcement - **Second - we are introducing - Roberta! Roberta arrived by mail today. Dani pronounced her "creepy" as she was pulling her out of the box but by the time she had her upright she was saying "I think we should call her - Roberta." So Roberta joins our shop as well, to model and to hopefully bring some adventure!** Poor Roberta looks a bit stiff in this picture but she is holding still because that is our evil kitty - Abby. I would be holding still too!
Dani and I have some plans for Roberta, some adventures hopefully. Hope we can work it out. Here is an example of what I am hoping Roberta will help with, displaying jewelry as it would be worn. Here is an earring - look how nice it looks hanging from an ear an opposed to laying flat or hanging from a cup.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
SO tired!!!
I think this is the 2nd one - but I'm not sure. ------------>
<------ This one is my fancy one - and that's being nice. I would probably say busy, gaudy, etc now. And since I really don't know what I'm doing - it takes me forever to get to the point where I can print it and sit back and look at it to decide whether or not I like it. No doubt about this one - all that work and I hate it!
This is the final copy of what I want. I think. I had better - cause I have made arrangements to have it printed as business cards and magnets!!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Ver-r-r-y-y-y Interesti-i-i-n-g!
Yesterday and today were very interesting to me. In my quest for Etsy knowledge I went into several forum threads, read, posted some, hate to be only a "lurker". I have a lot to learn - I think it's a good idea to just kind of keep my mouth shut about some things - I am forever conscious of being a seller. I know I can be turned off very easily by small things sometimes, and not want to buy from someone. Having been a long time buyer on ebay - I am very familiar with the way different people handle themselves as sellers, and what I respond to as a buyer. The difference is - on ebay I never went into any forums to see what the sellers were talking about behind the scenes.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Quick Note
On another subject - I made a few of the new bracelets I was thinking about, haven't quite made one I am entirely happy with - but I DO like the one's I've made. They are available in my shop now. I plan to keep on working toward the perfect BetteJo's chunky colorful bracelet!
Have a wonderful evening!
BetteJo
Babbled by BetteJo at 9:51 PM 0 Comments
Labels: bead, beaded, beading, bracelet, colorful, etsy, handcrafted, handmade, jewelry, pot holders, selling
Thursday, May 3, 2007
TOO Long!
Babbled by BetteJo at 11:55 PM 0 Comments
Labels: bead, beaded, beads, boychild, etsy, girlchild, handcrafted, handmade, ideas, jewelry, multiple personality, pot holders