How about a trip?

Back to 1987. Oh how I miss tapered leg jeans and leather jackets.

They like her, they really like her!

Another beautiful front page by my friend waysideviolet. She really has an amazing eye for making treasuries.

WOOT!

Thank you to my dear friend waysideviolet for rockin' another front page! Woohoo!

A bit of advice.

I was just reading in the etsy forums about an etsy seller that is being taken advantage of, and I have to admit, I have had the same thing happen to me in my shop.

A couple of months ago I had some contact me about one of my bracelets. She said she was looking for a gift for one of her family members, and really liked one that was in my sold items. She asked me to take apart the bracelet and make her a necklace which I did without problem. It was in my early days when sales were more sparse and I was happy for the potential sale.

So I took apart the bracelet and made it into the necklace. I took pics of it for her, and sent her a message. Needless to say, it wasn't what she wanted. So I took it apart again, and made it less asymmetrical as she requested. Took pics again, and posted them in a message to her. Once again she wasn't happy. She wanted the one I had sold a few weeks prior, but I just couldn't make that particular necklace for her because I didn't have enough supplies.

After nearly 10 convos back and forth she ended up getting rude with me about it, and telling me she didn't want the necklace after all. I was so upset, first that what I made wasn't good enough they way it was, and second because after trying so hard to get that sale, and literally spending about 3 hours trying to make it right, she had declined what I had made for her. Basically I had worked approximately 4 hours including convos, photos, editing, and messaging for nothing.

The moral of this story? Be sure to get you get at LEAST 50% (non-refundable) payment up front for your item before doing any custom order or custom work. Even if they don't end up buying the piece, your time is still valuable.

Above is the infamous bracelet. It really needs a good home!

YEA for weekend sales!

My weekend sale this week you ask?

In honor of earth day, I will refund 10% on any GREEN or BLUE (most items :)) item in my shop! Sale starts Friday morning at 10:00am est, and will end at 12:00am Sunday morning. Enter code "GOGREEN" at checkout.

Take advantage of this sale and buy something for the mother, or grad in your life! :)

It's Monday! New Earrings of the week!

Welcome my newest addition to the short lived yet affordable earrings of the week. I happen to love them so I of course HAD to make a pair for myself.

Make sure you get your pair soon - they are very limited, and if you buy them with any other piece in my shop I will refund the 2.00 shipping fee.

Yea for the Front Page!

Earlier today, I was messing around craftcult, and I decided to add their currently on the FP widget to my blog. As soon as I pasted it and went to view it, I got the shock of the month! I was on the front page. Boy is it fun, I think I *might* be able to handle it everyday. :P

Wow what a wonderful Saturday!

I had a really great day today.

Usually on the weekends my husband lets me sleep in which is so wonderful of him. Today I was able to sleep in until 10 with just a couple on interruptions from little "G". I am a total night owl, I am usually up thinking up new creations, or chatting with the chatters, so I am usually not in bed before 2am. I consider it my "me" time.

Anyhow when I woke up, Josh was putting up our new umbrella we had gotten the night before, so me and "G" sat on the front porch and admired the lake and blew some bubbles. He of course wanted to play in the dirt, so we did a little digging too.

At 5pm we went over to my BIL's for a cook out. Josh played cornhole and really kicked butt-that my man- while I played with "G" and his cousin "C".

Right before we left BIL's house I checked my IPhone and YES, I had 2 sales which is awesome for me because normally I don't have any sales on the weekend. I got a little suspicious and wondered why I got 2 sales when normally I either just have 1 all weekend or none at all, and I found out I am in a gift guide! YES, YES, YES, I am finally feeling some etsy love!

Say hello to my new best friend, Pretty Bird. :)

Be sure to enter!

I am being featured and giving away a 20.00 credit to my shop! Check it out here!

BUY A POSTAL SCALE!

Yes, I am shouting, and I will keep shouting. :P

I love my postal scale. I can't even begin to tell you how much money I have saved by not having to drive into town to mail my packages, not to mention all the money saved on Delivery Confirmation (which I feel is a MUST at 18 cents). If you buy delivery confirmation at the post office, it is going to cost you 75 cents! Maybe not much on 1 package, but do that on 50 packages, and you would be paying an extra 28.50. OUCH!

If you have a postal scale you can weigh your item and enter the weight and type of shipment in paypal, print your label and leave your item in your mailbox or at your doorstep for USPS pickup. This also, in my opinion, looks much more professional than just writing names on the package.

Did you know you can pick up an awesome postal scale on royalmailers.com for about 20.00 shipped? I got mine there 2 years ago and it is still working like brand new.

It is definitely worth the small investment, so GO GET ONE! :)

Sneak peek of my weekend sale!

I thought I would let you all in on my little secret! My weekend sale for this coming Friday and Saturday. Take 10% off anything in my shop, and also take advantage of the free international shipping promotion before it ends 4/30/09.

Actually I am really sad to have to start charging for shipping, but I realized after fees, supplies, and shipping, I wasn't making much of anything. But, the good news is the cap on shipping will be 2.50, so it is still an excellent deal.

I love all my customers. I count it a blessing to send my jewelry to far away places like Spain, England, Germany, and Canada.

JUPITA...you have got to check out this shop!

I just have to inform you all of a super shop I found on etsy a few months ago. The shop owner is someone I am blessed to call a friend. Jenn is the shop owner of www.jupita.etsy.com, and www.dropsofjupita.etsy.com and she is seriously, seriously, talented. Not only that, but she has to be one of the sweetest people I have ever met. We met in the etsy chat rooms, and I am so lucky to call her a friend.

So more about her Jenn....she describes herself as a mommy, lover, wandered, doodler, drafter, activist, breast feeder, friend, journaler, jewelry maker, recycler, happy fun maker, and so much more.

She is 30 years old, a Florida native, and a stay at home mommy to four boys, Sebastian, Maynard, and Atreyu, and her angel Othello. She is a wife, and an Ex-Architect / Ex-mortuary assistant.

Organ donation is very close to her heart because her son Othello had to have a 5 organ transplant at 9 months old. You can read more about his story here - www.othellosmithfoundation.tk

Here are some of her pieces.

Hot Pocket!!!!!

You have to take 4.5 minutes out of you day and see this! It is so hilarious.

Week 2 of my Earrings of the Week!

I wanted to show you all my new earrings of the week! I think they are beautiful and they are an amazing value at only $6 bucks. Buy them while you can because there will only be 4 pairs made this week.

The Pendulum
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I want to share an amazing etsy shop...

Ok so am wanting to start sharing some of the most awesome shops I have found on etsy. So I am going to start with www.WickedlyGood.etsy.com . The shop owner (Madeline) is a chat-friend of mine, and she is amazingly talented.

I know she has been on etsy for more than a year as a buyer, but her work just HAD to be shared with the world.She creates ceramic pendants that are both bisque and fire glazed. Best of all they are lead free! Here is some of her work.

This necklace features a Queen Anne's Lace Pendant.

Mediterranean Tile Pendant

One to keep, one for your lover

Rustic Rocker no.4

I know I am planning on making a purchase soon, and I hope you will check her out too!

Can we say, "Earrings of the Week?"

Starting every Monday I will be offering "Earrings of the Week". They will be very limited, and they will be highly discounted. Shipping on the "Earrings of the week will be 2.00, but the kicker is, if you add them to any other purchase in my shop, I will refund the 2.00 and they will ship for free, even internationally!

Now, don't get the wrong idea here, just because these earrings are highly discounted, doesn't mean they aren't at least double what I am charging. But I really want you to have a pair of BlueNostalgia earrings, and if I have to offer them super cheap to gain you as a customer, I am NOT above that! I am willing to bet that once you have one pair, you will be back for more, it is inevitable.

Here are the earrings I am offering this week for only 6.00!

Ok so this is the deal!

I am offering 3 BIG promotions this weekend. (Fri-Sunday and 12am est)

*15% off any earrings in my shop including sale earrings! Enter promo code "April Showers" at check out and I will refund you through paypal.

**Buy any 2 coordinating pieces and receive a 5.00 refund. Go ahead and pay, and I will send the refund via paypal.

***And finally, free international shipping.

Happy Shopping! :)

Watch for a BIG sale this weekend!

Hey everyone! I am just so excited about spring aren't you?

In honor of the warmer weather, I am giving you all the heads up on my sale this weekend. Now, I am not going to give you all the JUICY details, but I will say that this weekend is the time to buy if you have ever thought about it because this is not something I do every weekend or even every month! It IS the best weekend sale I have ever held to date, and I am SOOOOO excited about it.

All the details will be posted in my shop announcements Friday so make sure you come by to check it out. :)

So I made the FP twice in March. Woohoo!

March has been VERY exciting. I am still loving what I do, and I am still thrilled with each and every sale. I feel very blessed with a total of 32 sales this month.

I was also featured of the front page 2 times (could have been 4 but that is another story). Here is a screen shot of one of the front pages. I couldn't find the other that was featured on the 16th.



So far my biggest pieces of advice would be to make connections with other etsians, and have great photos. Both have gotten me so much farther than I ever was my previous store. I am so blessed to have great etsy friends.