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!!!

Do You Know Craft Gawker?

I ran across some information a couple of weeks ago about Craft Gawker. A great place to showcase your work, and now, even link back to your blog!

and - FREE!!

It is a great way to get your work out there, and drive traffic to your blog or site.


Taken from their About page -

Craftgawker is a gallery where anyone can showcase their art, crafting and photography skills. It's a place for you to discover new artists and handmade goods to inspire your own creations. Anyone can submit pictures, if they follow our simple site rules...

1. Attribution is MANDATORY! Do not steal other people's pictures!
2. Do not violate anyone's copyright! Any post with violations will be removed immediately. Let us know if your photo was mistakenly posted.
3. Registration is required to post pictures.
4. Post beautiful, well-balanced, craft related photos.
5. Photos are cropped to 250 pixels by 250 pixels.
6. We reserve the right to remove posts at any time.
7. Submissions are moderated.

Right now, we're accepting images from select websites, such as blogs and flickr, as long as there is some content associated with the image, i.e. no photo only pages.

craftgawker is a spin-off of our food gallery, foodgawker. Come visit foodgawker if you want some cooking inspiration. If you have any questions, please use the contact form to get in touch or leave us a comment with your thoughts, ideas, recommendations. Thanks!

I can't get my pictures right - that is something I have never been good at, so alas all of my submissions have been declined. But I will continue to submit and I will prevail!!

Good luck kids!

Share your Wares - Not gonna let a good thing die

Back in Feb I had an idea an posted it on my blog - I called it "Share your Wares"

I got some response but not what I wanted. I had high hopes for this taking off and beaders around the world trading with others for fun stuffs!

Not just beaders - what if you did other crafts - what if you were a scrap booker and you wanted some beads for a new idea and you had some great scrap booking things to trade. Why not!??!

I know we all 'cross craft' :)

So I am going to throw it out there again - Share your Wares - why not? Coming into the holiday season, I know we are all working feverishly getting all of our hand crafted gifts together and finished. Is there something in particular you are looking for? Why not offer to trade something you have for something you need? This blog community that I have come to know and love is a generous lot - I bet this would not only be great networking for everyone, but it would build new friendships as well.

Go back, read the post and tell me what you think. I'll be adding pictures later of things I have that I would love to trade. Facebook it - Tweet it - Blog it. The more the merrier!!!!

What do you have to trade?

Supporting local artists and promoting yourself.

When I pack and order and get it ready, I like to ad that "extra touch" to the order. I wrap the item in a little pouch, add a thank you card with a personal note, ya know.. just the little things.

I was buying hand made note cards from a little store that featured local artists. I like to keep note cards handy for when I take a notion to sit down and scribble out a hello to someone I have had on my mind for a few days. It is a good feeling to promote other artists, isn't that why we have our wares out there? For others to buy? That little store closed *sniff* and I got lazy. I was out buying groceries one day, and found an assorted box of blank note cards and threw them in the cart and was on my merry way.

I needed to get back into that 'Buy Handmade' mode and not take the short cuts, but I didn't know what I wanted. I wanted a note card, but I didn't want anything big. I wanted something cute that set apart the order from any others that customer may have received. Honestly, it isn't that I couldn't have done it myself, I could. But Why? I have so much going on, to take the time to buy all of the supplies to make the cards I want, to take the time to sit down and make the cards I want, I would not have the time to make the jewelry I want. That make sense? How was I going to find what I wanted for cards. How was I going to find that perfect accent to all of my orders? So I took a bit of inspiration from items I had received in the past.

Here is an example:
I won a wonderful crocheted necklace from Be~Jeweled by Jana back in April and blogged about it here. Here is this simple, yet elegant card, a small gift box wrapped in a bow and including a signature sticker. Inside was a cute little printed thank you card and a little bit about the item. Brilliant!! Jana's hand writing is art in itself.


Or how about:
I ordered a pair of earrings from Ahtee's Designs. I had had my eye on them after see them on her blog and just had to have them. I blogged about them here. I loved her little box wrapped with a ribbon and the store logo sticker on the top.



And then there is:
In April I also won a pair of earrings for Pearl and Pebble and blogged about them here. Her packaging was simple, but so beautiful, and her hand writing - Oy, to die for! April was a lucky month for me :)


I stopped in a few local stores that offer a schmattering of products from local artists and didn't really find what I wanted. Then I headed to ArtFire.com. Isn't that what it really is about? Promoting artists, hand made items, artist community and a sense of belonging? That is where I found Peculiar Parchment. What a fun store!!! Tons of cute little card offerings for all occasions.

I got this great assortment of mini thank you cards. They are about the size of a business card folded in half.


These are the perfect size. Not too small, so I can get a personalized note in there, and not too big where I feel I need to write more to fill up the space.

Have you seen my hand writing? *rolls eyes* I really don't want to write anymore than I have to. I have worked on computers too long, and believe I have lost the gene that allows me to control a pen and push it on a piece of paper. I am really embarrassed to write thank you notes with orders, but at the same time, it is part of me so I should embrace it......right???
This is a sample of my writing.


Can you read it? It is very frustrating to my mother, who had penmanship in school to see my scrawling.

Buying these little accents from other artists is a great way to support their craft and a great way to set you apart. Taking the time to add that personal touch, is a great way to promote yourself and your craft by having the same quality of customer service as the quality of your product.

What are your ideas on packaging and personal notes with your orders? Do you feel it is necessary or is it overkill?


Oh yeah, and Jana's necklace...... goes GREAT with my tie dyed overalls :)



Have a great weekend kids!!!!

And now for something completely different.........

I have several passions, one you all know is my jewelry, stones, and beads. Then there is the passion that consumes my soul. I have a soft spot for animals, especially rescue/shelter animals. I have 2 dogs and 3 cats and am in the process of adopting yet another dog. He is a hard luck story too. He is young, 6 mo old with a debilitating problem - Ununited Anconeal Process. Surgery is required to correct this problem, and it is expensive. The rescue foundation is willing to waive the adoption fee for me to take him due to the cost of the surgery.

I had a big pity party for myself when I found out the cost of the surgery, and nearly gave up on the idea of adopting due to the cost. A girlfriend of mine kicked me in my pants and told me it can be done - we will have a fun raiser. Hope began to grow again.

So I sucked it up, and put my energies toward fixing 'that dog'. I walk the dogs everyday. That is our quiet time. While walking them earlier this week, I found .50 on the road.



It hit me - all I need is .50 from 2000 people and this will be ok. So the campaign started. .50 from 2000 people "For a Chance to run".

I have put a donation button on my blog, and all proceeds from my jewelry sales from now till the end of June go toward not only his surgery but any money left over goes to a fund to help the next rescue dog who may suffer from this.

I posted on Facebook and Twitter, and it word is being reposted and spread at a mind boggling rate. I got an email this morning from a person in MA, whom I have never met, who wants to send me .50. *I cried when I read it* How AWESOME is that!

This is the sweet boi



me and 'the three' - I only have mobile pics - i am such a bad mom



the partners in crime - Newd and Rose




Here is the interview with the vet about what is going on with 'Chance'

Word has spread like wildfire around Facebook and Twitter bout that dog - Chance or Newd Og and his need for surgery. But what exactly is going on with him?

I have interviewed my vet in Fuquay for more information on this surgery that Newd Og is going to need. I wanted to know more, and I wanted you to know why I am so passionate about this that I am humbling myself asking for help, .50 at a time.

Let's meet Dr. Cotton first.
Dr. Cotton, always with a smile on her face and a kind and gentle hand, can be found at the Fuquay Veterinary Animal Hospital, in Fuquay, NC. Dr. Cotton graduated in 1987 from NC State and has been practicing veterinary medicine for 22 years.

I think people are born to be vets. Everyone I have known who is a vet, or wanted to be a vet has dreamed and worked toward that goal from their earliest memories. So, I asked Dr. Cotton - "Have you always wanted to be a vet? "

Dr. C: No, I didn't want to be a vet until I was about the age of 12. I wanted to be a cowboy before that. (we are kindred spirits!)

Dr. Cottons original practice included farm and small animals. After the birth of her daughter, she made the decision to leave the large/farm animals and concentrate on small animals/household pets.


So Dr. Cotton, with all of your experience, can you tell us, what really is Ununited Anconeal Process? At birth bones are not fused, in humans or animals. These bones over time, grow and fuse. In certain breeds (larger breeds most effected) the anconeal process (elbow) which is part of the ulna (arm bone) does not fuse. If not fused by a specific age this bone will never unite and it will cause pain and disability.

What causes it? Most common causes are genetic defect. It is passed down through the father and mother, making it a heredity trait. Other causes can include improper nutrition or abnormal mechanical stress. Although this is found commonly in the larger breeds, Dr. Cotton has not seen many cases. Diet and exercise play a very important part maintaining your dogs health, well being, and comfort with this condition. Keeping your pet active and trim is very important when dealing with Ununited Anconeal Process.

Is surgery the only option? Is there a form of P.T. that may help to strengthen the muscles that would help? For the best quality of life for the effected pet, surgery, although very expensive, is the only answer. If the elbow is not corrected by either removing the anconeal completely or by attaching it with screws, the joint will eventually fuse with arthritis, limiting the animals range of motion, and putting it in constant pain.

Can the dog be given anything for pain? Yes. There are over the counter human medicines that can be taken by your dog like aspirin or Tylenol. Other human prescriptions such as Ultram will even work. As always, before giving your pet something for pain, make sure you consult with your veterinarian for the proper choice and dosage.

After surgery, what are the recovery percentages? As always there are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, the surgery is always successful putting recovery at a very high percentage. Depending on the severity of the problem there may be a limp, but nothing that would jeopardize the pets health or be debilitating or painful.

Thank you Dr. Cotton for all your information. This gives me great hope that Chance/Newd Og will have a long, healthy, happy and pain free life.

Finding Support

I spend a good part of my day online searching for ways to improve my craft, my sales, my business, my approach, basically, my "all things business and who I am" search - I am an information junkie! In my searches I found these "inside(area-code)" networks. These little networking communities are popping up all over, and more than likely in an area code near you! They offer a springboard type platform for you to immerse yourself into your community, find out what is going on, and who it is happening with. All you have to do is create an account, log on and start your networking, it is that simple and best of all - IT'S FREE!!!!

Did I mention FREE!!!!

With casual posting, you can share about yourself and in turn find out the expertise, and experiences of others. One thing that holds true to most - people love to talk about who they are and what they do. General rule of thumb - People who are successful in what they do, love what they are doing. I am not saying to use this as a mentoring program. Actively search for answers, comment on posts, and ask questions. This is a great wealth of information. Help yourself, after all it is YOUR business.


This is also a great way to meet people in your community, help support your local businesses, and start new friendships.

O.K, I know this has to be coming across as a shameless promtion, and well, I guess I do mean it to be. It has helped me so much, that I want it to help you too!

Here is more information - I hope there is one in your area that you can benefit from!