What Was I Thinking!!

 I have been at this a long time! 20 years in fact. I have had a lot of fun over the years and had my share of recognition when this medium was new.  Last year things changed. All of this that I loved turned into a grind and I entertained the idea of retiring.  I dumped most of my social media, didn't renew any of my items on Etsy, didn't apply to any shows and I got a job!!

That lasted about five months and I got the itch again. I have a studio full of tie dye, jewelry, crochet and I just couldn't let it sit there. I didn't know what to do with it all. I crept back on to social media, but at a different pace this time, on my terms, where I wasn't in a grind. I think all the social media pressure is what pushed me over the edge. I was already in burn out from family care and loss and I didn't let myself grieve, I just kept pushing, kept creating. 

So here I am, back at my blog, dusting off the keyboard and settling back in to where it all started. Does anyone blog anymore? Let's bring it back shall we!

I want to use my blog to share with you my latest projects, where I am showing, what is the newest items in my stores (yes plural, I have three), vacations, ups and downs, just all of it. 

Back to the title, "What was I Thinking" I have accepted the challenge of separating my Etsy store into three stores of my work. My original store JustATish Designs for jewelry will stay the same. I have also added JustATish Tie Dye and JustATish Crochets. I found having all of my items in one store was just to cluttered and hard to navigate. I also got feedback from shoppers that conveyed the same.  I honestly feel like I can breathe a little easier and I am not as overwhelmed by doing this. (Well overwhelmed re posting all of the items, but it is a labor of love, right??)

Here is the first of many posts that may take a minute for me to get into a rhythm on when to post, but I am excited again, and that feels good. While I am working out my schedule, check the links to the right for links to my store, my social media and where I will be showing. 

In the meantime, check out my latest "Tie Dye Along With Me" upload to my YouTube Channel!

And remember. Be peaceful. Be kind. It's important!

Talk to you soon!!! 

What Is This Funnel and Am I Stuck in It?

I keep hearing it, over and over from online marketing gurus "funnel" "funnel".

Good God, another new term I need to learn. A new online, social networking vernacular that is ever changing requiring a person to live online.

I just want to create!

I dug into this 'funnel', I had to know what it was, what this buzz word was all about.

Well it appears that I am exactly who they are talking to when the are talking about this 'funnel'.

The way I understand it, the 'funnel' is all of the online tools you use to get people to one place. That one place that makes you money. That one place that has your product/service whatever, available for these people to buy/join, so you can make money, and keep doing what you do.

I have so many funnels, trying to get people to my Etsy store. That is the ultimate goal, right. Get people to my Etsy store, so they can buy things, so I can continue to create. But how much time do I actually have to create if I am posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, YouTube, Newsletters AND Blogging. I have to come up with content for each of these platforms AND check in on them several times a day, so I can interact with anyone who has liked or commented, so I can be respectful and polite and grateful. Not to mention, it takes me several hours to post my art to my Etsy store because photography and photo editing are not my thing.

Breath Tish........

"Work smart" I hear

"Once your back gives out, you'll learn to work with your brain" my dad tells me

I just want to create, damnit why is it so hard?

I read about each of these different 'funnels' and either I am just drawn to the same articles over and over or maybe somethings have remained constant on the internet - blogging and newsletters.

I used to blog daily, and I loved it. Talking about everything jewelry, fashion, the components of the jewelry I made and maybe just a sprinkle of what what happening in my life, ya know, that personal touch. Then I fell out of it as more and more platforms became available. That, "Let's just take a picture and put a caption" that is easier! So I did, and I am caught in that instant gratification world, that scrolling lifestyle, that I need as much input as I can get in 1 minute.  That 'instant' has made it more difficult for me to blog. Now when I sit down to blog I hear a lot more of me slurping coffee than the tap tap tap of keys.

I keep saying I just want to create, and I just realized that blogging is creating. It does satisfy that need to create. I just scrolled up through this entry and realized I am creating, I am communicating and it feels good.

Now it is time to re think my path, re think this 'funnel' thing and focus on the creating. Focus on where I want my energy to go.

Create it and they will come


Thanks for stopping by, and remember - be peaceful, be kind it is important!!!

Tips For Getting Back Into Blogging

Getting back into blogging can be hard after a hiatus. What do I blog about? How to I find my flow? How do I prevent the "sit and stare", you know, when you type two words and sit and stare at your screen hoping for the words to just pour out of you?

I am in this same boat. I used to be a consistent blogger. 5 days a week. Exploring different techniques, show casing different artists, how tos', DIY's, product reviews. I had a great formula. Then I chose a different career path, and found I had less time to blog. So instead of making myself stressed by worrying about where my next blog post was coming from, I just put it on hold. I may want to come back to it, I may be inspired and have a great topic to share. 

What went from blogging 5 days a week turned into 2 times or less a month. 

And you know what? That is OK!

Since I am beginning again, I thought I would share some tips I have used to put myself back out there. 

 

1. Just do it! Seriously, sit down and do it. Make your first post - "I'm Back!." Don't pick up from where you left off. You are a different person now than what you were before. Grow your blog again, just as you have grown. 

2. Be consistent. Start small or go big, it is up to you, but be consistent. For example, commit to blogging two days a week to start. Give yourself time to jot down and flesh out ideas. As you gain momentum add and extra day. 

3. Rearrange your office. Get a new perspective.

4. Get a sketch book, composition book, note cards, keep them with you at all times. When inspiration hits, jot it down. That could be your next blog post!

5. Get back in touch with your favorite bloggers, find out what they have been blogging about. Let someone inspire you. 

6. Brain dump, brain dump, brain dump. As crazy as it sounds, it works. Just start writing. Let the words fall out, even if they are nonsense and are not on topic, let them out. Go back and clean it up later. You may have three topics going on at once and don't know it until you get all the words out. 

7. Have fun!

Below is my brain dump. Below is what my first blog post after hiatus was going to be about. As I wrote, I got a different idea, and now this post has become a post on getting back into the swing of things. 

See how it works!

"I would love to have a dog but I just can't afford one" 

I hear this a lot, and huge kudos to you for knowing that having pets is a big expense to give proper care. 

That being said, let's find a way for you to have the love and companionship of a dog or a cat with little to no expense! 

why is it expensive, how can it be free

I am talking about fostering for local rescues and shelters.

i need coffee

First you have to ask yourself, am I strong enough to do this. This is a very important question, because if you become a foster failure (i have 3 times now) then you have just done what you said you can't do - afford a pet. jldlskdflskdfjlksdlkjsldkjfsldkfjslkdjflskjfdakljdfowiegoaskjdfkasjdflksjdflksjdflksj You have to be strong because some rescue groups don't understand the damage they are doing by pushing people to adopt pets. 

fosters can be desperate and pushy. be kind with these words

You hear it all the time from fosters "he is up for adoption!" "don't you think he is cute! you should adopt him!" and when you tell them "no, I can't afford a dog, or no, I already have a dog" they keep after you. desperate to place that dog in a home, so they can pull another dog from a shelter. 

adopt don't shop

desperate can be the death of that animal - because that foster may find a home that the person was not strong enough to say no and now has a pet they can't afford, and that pet just went back to the shelter. 

don't forget to call about my sewing machine, get the car from the shop

So I am strong enough, what do you I do?

Contact local shelters and rescue groups to inquire about becoming a foster

what am i doing? how am i gonna start blogging again?

Foster for your local county shelter

ASPCA 

Local rescue groups

1.

2.

3.

There is an example of my process. I hope it inspires you get back into your groove and share your thoughts with the world.

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind

All of my creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit.

Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry made with love!

Rings & Things Loves ME!!!!

Back, oh, a week or so ago, Rings & Things posted on their facebook fan page, that if you posted a picture of your newest Rings & Things creation you could win a prize!!!

So I did :)

And I got this!




These are two awesome publications! Margot Potters book, Bead Chic is beautifully photographed with excellent step by step instructions for some fun designs.

Glass Art Magazine made my jaw drop. I don't know anything about glass art, other than I like looking at it, but this magazine has made me what to know more!

Rings & Things has a great online community full of support, information and just plain fun.
Look them up on Facebook, or Twitter, or their Blog, and see what they are up to.

You'll be glad you did :)

Sharing a re purpose idea from Beading Daily

I signed up a while back with Beading Daily and get great email updates with wonderful tips and project ideas. They have a great blogging team sure to keep you interested and right now they are offering a free download of 5 patterns. The patterns rotate with the refreshing of the page so if you are not into bead stitching, refresh till you see the style of work you want to learn and click!

This one I wanted to share with you. I have seen a trend lately in the blogs I follow on 're purposing' jewelry. I thought it would be a great addition to the blogosphere as people are "googleing" for more information on this.


Don't miss out on Beading Daily emails - you can sign up here

7 Tips for Redesigning Jewelry

Second Chances

As part of my "get organized" resolution, I've been cleaning my studio (a.k.a. "unfinished basement"). One cardboard box in the corner held my first necklaces. Some were badly made, but others were just no longer me. And some, like the necklace with spiky rubber neon green beads, fell into the "What was I thinking?" category.

Before I wrote the "Take 2" article for the spring issue of Stringing, I would have tucked these beading disasters away forever. But now that I've seen the spectacular redesign results of designers Danielle Fox, Andrew Thornton, Molly Schaller, and Denise Yezbak Moore, I firmly believe that almost every piece of unworn jewelry (except perhaps neon necklaces) deserves a second chance.

If you have jewelry that you never wear or pieces that just won't sell, maybe it's time to give them another look. Here are some tips I've uncovered:

7 Tips for Redesigning Jewelry

1: Be open to possibilities. Just because you start with one idea doesn't mean you need to stick with it. I intended just to restring my bracelet (shown below), but as I worked, I realized that I'd prefer a necklace. (Bracelets make such a racket when you're typing at the computer!)

2: Ask for feedback. Get opinions from someone you trust. Sometimes it's easier for others to spot problems than it is to see them ourselves.

3: Seek inspiration. Page through copies of Stringing, study reader galleries on the Beading Daily forums, and paw through your bead stash or local bead shop. What catches your eye?

4: Start small. While a necklace might need a total overhaul, often changing just one element, such as a focal or clasp, will be enough to make it work.

5: Take a photo. If you're nervous about taking a piece apart, take a photo of it first. This will give you a security blanket. You can always reconstruct the original piece if you don't like the new results.

6: Go back to Square One. If you're unhappy with a piece of jewelry, but don't know what to do to improve it, think back to why you were inspired to make the piece in the first place. If it was a color combination that you loved, for instance, make that your springboard for another design.

7: Wear it. Some flaws––a faulty clasp, a too-short necklace––only become apparent with the piece on. Figure out why your piece doesn't fit comfortably, then fix it.

	My "Before" Bracelet and "After" Necklace I enjoyed this redesign process so much that I redid a second piece in addition to the one in Stringing. I'm sharing it exclusively on Beading Daily.		After: The redesigned necklace has an edgier, more modern look with gunmetal chain and an enamel clasp.
	Before: This bracelet was too sweet for my personal taste.

Be sure to check out all five sets of before and after photos in the spring issue of Stringing, along with nearly 100 new necklace, bracelet, and earring designs (including some with great floral ceramic beads!), tips on how to sell your jewelry at outdoor shows, and where to get the latest woodland creature beads and the cutest little raku house beads I've ever seen.

While we wait for our copies of Stringing to arrive, tell us your tales of redesign. Have you ever redesigned a piece? Why or why not?

Share your ideas here on Beading Daily.

Artist Exchange Official Participation Rules

Welcome to the Artist Exchange!


The purpose of the Artist Exchange is to cross-promote other artists by trading your art with another artist, preferably outside of your craft or style.

We all see the badges, "Buy local", "Buy hand made", this is one avenue to make it happen. Artist Exchange's concept is to be a community support group of artists that encourage and cross promote other artists.

But what is the point of the Artist Exchange? Am glad you asked. The whole point of this exchange is to review, blog, and cross promote another artist. This is an oppurtunity for you to trade with another artist and have a hand made product that you may never have received or bought before. You blogging about your 'gift' is a way to showcase what you have just received. Then review it, and point others to this artists site in hopes of helping to raise awareness of a new artist and the ultimate goal, to create sales. The traffic that stops by your blog are the people who love your work. Introduce your regulars to someone else. This may just be the item that they are looking for as well.

How do I participate in the Artist Exchange? It's simple. First you must be able to comply to the simple guidelines listed below. If these guidelines are reasonable, leave a comment on this blog, saying that you want to participate and what your craft is. Sept 1st., everyone will be notified who their partner is for this session, and I will leave it up to you to exchange addresses and other information. Do your best, your absolute best, to have your piece mailed to your partner in two weeks time. After you receive your new item, make sure to inform your partner that you have blogged about their piece so they can stop by and read and comment for themselves. Review your product in a timely matter. All blogs should be posted by Sept 21st.

The Guidelines:

1. You must blog. Blogging is required as a way to 'promote' the other artist

2. You must have a store. You can't have people promote your wares if there is no way for them to be bought. Etsy, ArtFire are considered a store if you do not have your own domain.

3. If you commit, then commit.

4. Do your best work. Remember you are being promoted. It is free advertising. Show off your stuff.

5. Items priced between $5 and $10 dollars - your cost, not your retail cost. (This will vary from session to session)

6. Be honest and supportive

Get ready for a lot of fun. I can't wait! Spread the word, you can repost this blog, tweet bout it, or link back to it from your facebook page.

Let's get a big group!

See you on Sept 1st!