Etsy logo

Etsy logo
Visit my Etsy shop for beautiful handmade jewellery.

Saturday, 28 June 2014

Strange week

My youngest child had her last A level exam this week.  Bizarrely, I burst into tears after I'd dropped her off.  Why?  What will I do when she leaves for uni?  I then spent the whole time that she was taking the exam (Mechanics 2 - 2 hours I think) trying to thread two beads onto some knotting cord.  Before you start to think "poor old bat, she must be really past it" I need to point out that in fact the hole through the centre of the bead was silted up.  After I'd poked all sorts of things through it, breaking a yellow plastic taper in the process, I researched on line (was a bit worried what I might get if I put "enlarge holes" into google) and discovered that there is a tool called a bead reamer, a tiny little file, that you can use for this purpose.  Even better, Amazon had a pack of them for sale at a ridiculously small price, so I bought them.

Meanwhile, I'd emailed the beads manufacturers, Jesse James beads, about the beads, and eventually got a very helpful reply about how to deal with the other bead that was giving me problems.
 They even offered to replace the beads if I couldn't get them sorted - how nice is that?
Things started to go downhill from there though.  I discovered that my bank hadn't cancelled a standing order, and when I complained, I found myself dealing with some really unhelpful people.  However, being a stroppy individual ("feisty" if you are American) I complained, and eventually got through to some lovely people who understood my problem and resolved it. So all told, a massive "thanks" to Barclays Bank (especially the CRT team).

So the week progressed, I paid my car tax, took no orders on etsy, put up lots more listings on etsy, got invited to a webinar (apparently that's a seminar but it's on-line) on how to increase my sales - maybe I need the stage before that - how to get ANY sales - read through loads of stuff on search engine optimization (most of which contradicted itself at least twice), made some very pretty elasticated bracelets, learnt how to make a sliding knot clasp - youtube where would I be without you? and best of all went back to the gym for the first time since having my gallstones removed.  (Closely followed by shocking realisation that I am now so much less fit than I was a month ago.)

So, all in all, a strange week. Oh, before I forget, my beloved has acquired lots of gorgeous young lady followers on Facebook.  Hmmm.   

Friday, 20 June 2014

Tired, but happy

Well, it has been a long week.  At the start of it, my partner gave me a target of getting 25 items in total made and online in my Etsy shop.  At the time I thought, well I won't tell him, but I think that's a bit easy.
So here we are on Friday afternoon at 15:16.  I have just managed to get the 25th item posted.  Maybe he had a point!  I'm not sure what I should set myself as a target for next week - I want to experiment with spiral rope bangles, and I got hold of some very pretty lampwork beads that are screaming out to be made into something (I'm just not sure what!).  
More importantly, it's now only ten days until I'm allowed to go back to the gym and discover how unfit I've managed to become thanks to the op and a month recovering. I am so looking forward to swimming again.  And the jacuzzi, of course!

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Listed at last (see previous post!)

Well, I finally got the items up on Etsy. Now all I have to do is wait for the hundreds of people trying to buy (spot the slight exaggeration if you can).  As a bit of shameless self-promotion, here are a few pictures:




If you think these are gorgeous, or even OK, please comment on my blog, or even better, follow my Etsy shop banner and have a look!

Monday, 16 June 2014

Utterly frustrating day...

I was shattered over the weekend (doing too much too soon after an operation).  So, I put off taking photos of my packaging until this morning.  Big mistake.

Briefly:

  • My camera wasn't working.  Took 5 minutes to work out that the battery needed recharging.  Then it took 3 hours to charge it.
  • Uploaded photos.  Went to use free photoshop online.  Site was down.
  • Decided to use photoshop by downloading (legally) from an intermediate site.   Also acquired malware.
  • Spent 45 minutes removing malware.
  • Finally, at 1845, have just managed to edit my photos.  Am now too tired to put up listings on Etsy.

Wonder what's the longest time that anyone's ever taken to list an item on Etsy? 

Sunday, 15 June 2014

World cup woes...

I am not a football fan.  I do like sport (some sport, well OK just the one ... NFL), but football as played here in England is not the game for me.  But at the moment, the whole country seems to have gone mad over it.  

It began last week.  Lots of surprisingly clean looking red and white flags started appearing draped out of houses, flying on the occasional flagpole and attached to cars.  Then the drivel (sorry, "build-up")  began in the media, with far too much information about the venues all over the news.  Then I received an email from one of my bead suppliers, telling me that the "trending item" was wristbands woven out of rubber bands in World Cup team colours.  OK, I thought, tenuous, but you have to promote your wares somehow...

It got worse.  Every time I turn on the news channel, there is a picture of that beach in Rio, with someone drivelling on.  My daughter (19, no previous interest in football) has watched at least two matches so far.  I'm not as concerned as I might be though, she did say that she was more interested in the players' .. um .. physiques (or at least specific aspects thereof that we definitely don't need to go into).  

And then, this afternoon, the final straw.  I threw open the windows (it's hot here - well what passes for hot in deepest Derbyshire).  The first conversation I heard - the people round here shout in the street a lot - you guessed, it was all about the England game last night.  On a plus side, one of the people taking part in the conversation admitted to having gone to bed at half time because it was boring. 

How many more days of this?  Will it be better or worse if England crash out ignominiously after the first bit (group stages?).  Thank goodness it's only once every 4 years.  Maybe I could bribe FIFA to make it every 8 years?

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Slow progress...

Well, I have made some progress today.  I have ordered gift boxes and ribbon, cleared space to use for photographs, taken photographs (much improved) and managed to link my shop banner on this blog  to my Etsy shop.  I have also added one whole listing to Etsy.  (OK, the target was for 10 by the end of the week - only 9 more to go).

Unfortunately, seeing how good the new photos are means that I will now have to redo all the previous ones.  So that's more like, well, negative progress.  And I cannot master the art of tags.  I mean, how can I guess what people might type in to try to find a pair of earrings?   I usually find things when I'm looking for something else, or by accident.  Or because someone else sent me a link...

So, to meet targets, I need to spend all day tomorrow taking (or retaking) photos and listing.  I will definitely need alcohol or chocolate by tomorrow evening.  Or both.  Now there's a thought.

Tuesday, 10 June 2014

Who am I, and why am I blogging?

Let's start with the big questions.  I am (depending on your point of view) in the prime of life, or completely over the hill.  I'm a fifty something female, who has (unexpectedly) hit a complete life crisis of: what should I do now?

I've had lots of jobs in the past.  Most recently, teaching.  I left for complex reasons.  I don't really want to go back to teaching, the idea makes me wake up screaming.  So I need to do something else.  I've also just had an operation, which I'm recovering from: if I had a job, I 'd be signed off sick at the moment.

So, I decided to set up making jewellery to sell on Etsy and Ebay.  I've been making jewellery for over twenty years, so it seemed a logical choice.  I also like photography, which helps.  So far, so good.  I'm intending to post as and when, regarding my trials and tribulations of changing career, setting up my own business and generally running a chaotic life.  Either you think: boooring, or maybe you'll read about my journey.

Rhiannon.