Exciting Announcement

Today I am excited to share a new listing http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1187282  and a new friend.  The pendant in my new piece was created by Brad Peterson whose work I discovered while browsing Bonanzle.com a while ago.  Brad works with fused glass and stained glass and does a myriad of pieces ranging from jewelry to wall art and each one is prettier than the next.  I am looking forward to using more of Brad's pieces in the future and am delighted to be able to introduce him to you.

Where to Find Followers

I love the "idea" of blogging and have enjoyed reading others blogs.  I would like my blog to be interactive though.  How do you folks with all the followers get them?  Do you promote shop and blog separately?  Both together?  Do I need gimmicks to attract people - giveaways, etc.?  Please consider giving me some feedback here so this issue can be more fun than struggle.

Here's one of my newer listings!

Coming Along in Business

Well, I still have questions everyday about this business.  I still question myself far too often and rely on others for affirmation.  But what is truly exciting is that I am finding more creativity within me than I knew I had.  Sometimes my mind is just churning with ideas for new pieces and I have to sit down and make some sketches so my mind can rest and actually do something.  I have started to carry a small sketchbook in my purse and have been known to stop in strange places to quickly add something that is churning in my mind (like the stationary department in Target??!!).  Oh, well, each day is a learning situation and I have no regrets - yet!

Kathie

Help!

18 posts and not even one comment - help!  What do I need to do?  While you're thinking about it, here's a new watch I just finished and listed:

Struggle, struggle, struggle

Not sure there are enough hours in the day and not always sure what constitutes "necessary".  Everyone says "you must blog" and believe me, I have tried.  I tried being just friendly, witty, questioning and inviting responses.  Not much happens.  Now there is this blog and the Artfire blog and I don't know what to say or why to say it.  All I know is that I love making "spirit reflections" for myself and others and want everyone to know!

Kathie

Which ones? How many? When is it too much?

Well, those are my questions of the day.  There are so many possibilities online for joining groups, selling on different sites and different kinds of sites, etc.  I am presently on Etsy and Artfire.  I love Artfire, thinking about leaving Etsy - takes up too much of my money for too few sales.  But the bottom line is, I wonder how many sites one could manage effectively?  I could spend many hours at the two I have and actually I do.  I keep improving my pictures, adding new tags, adding new listings, moving things around and changing my announcements.  I'd kind of like to add a third shop, but not sure and have overstretched myself in other areas of my life before.  Anyone else dealing with or have dealt with this before?  Got any advice?

Here's one of my newer pieces.  I love using materials from nature.

Back Again!

Didn't realize it had been so long since I was here.  Still moving back and forth between overwhelmed by how selling online and managing sites can be a 24/7 job and forcing myself to stop working and relax.  Does this ever end?  When does the panic cease?  Anybody out there have some expertise?  I did stop and making something neat this week.  I love cinnabar but always have trouble figuring out how to use it.  This one worked out.

Oh, I have to add a picture of this little guy - he's too wonderful.  He's called a smiling monkey!

Big Day!

Wandered in and out of things for the last 3 days and just catching up.  Got one new sale (Etsy)!  Won a candle from Asia Lee Candles - so cool - visit them at http://www.asialeecandles.artfire.com/ - lots of yummy and beautiful things. 

Today I came face to face with another issue.  While trying to enter my sale in QuickBooks, I realized that I had not entered my inventory.  That reverts back to a question I still haven't had answered.  Is my inventory the jewelry that I have for sale, or the supplies I keep to make more, or both?  Need to get this answered and complete that part of the job!

Blue??? Monday

Not sure "blue" is the right word, but a little discouraged maybe.  I have been getting hundreds of views on my sites and that has kept me high and feeling good.  But suddenly it hit me that all these views are not making sales.  I am blogging, Tweeting, paying for advertising, bugging my friends and family, etc. I get lots of verbal kudos on my pieces, but not sales.  What do you think?

Surprises on the Journey

It always amazes me what the surprises are on any particular journey.  They are not always what you expect.  This week I was extremely surprised to find myself being very spontaneously creative.  The old process was, think about what to make (or be inspired by something), spend many minutes pouring through supplies to decide which beads and findings to use for it, use a bead board and lay it out, then make changes until satisfied and put it all together.  It was very time consuming.  This week I found myself having a quick clear idea of what I wanted to do, whether inspired by something in particular or just having an idea.  When I chose materials, it was a pretty quick thing, just opening the right drawers to get out what I wanted.  Finally, with all that together, I just began to assemble and the piece turned out.  It felt so strange the first time and yet it was fun.  Check out this link on my artfire studio to see the first item it occurred on:  http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=551976.  Since then I've made maybe 6-7 new items with the process being so much easier and quicker.