Taking a break -- Giving you one too!

There's lots going on. I can hardly decide where to begin!

#1:  Break & Sale!

First, I'll let you know that I'll be taking a bit of a break from the Etsy store soon. In anticipation of that, and because I have quite a few items expiring April 1st and shortly afterward, I'm having a SPECIAL SALE with one of the biggest discounts I've ever offered! 

   

 

A  few of the items about to expire:

• metal components oxidated & patinated
• copper, 
• brass, 
• and sterling silver; 
• polymer clay; 
• jewelry!

  

Coupon code is:   

SPECIAL30

I have a lot of NEW items to load when I return and I'd rather not relist all of these you've already seen.  

So please help yourself to  30% off all items while helping me clean out the current inventory!






#2: Graphics Updates:

Etsy will be reformatting our stores effective 4/5.  As part of that redo, I've created a new banner...

...and icon for my Metapolies™ store on Etsy! 

I'll begin using these graphics for branding else where too, so I hope you like them and continue to associate those colorful dots with my store! (While I've not figured out how to make all the graphic changes I'd like on blogger, I have changed the header font to match at least!)

And soon, I'll update the header on my Metapolies.com website too! (If you want to see the previous banner, it's still there for a little bit longer.)

(Please note:  While I'm happy with my new graphics, the Etsy store layout plans have been controversial to say the least.  If you have comments you would like shared, I hope you will offer them to Etsy or share in a note with me.) 

As always, I thank you for your support of all types!   Best wishes to you all!   ~Sharyl

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Graphics Credits:

• "30% off" and butterfly clip art by wpclipart.com
• All other graphics and photos by Sharyl    

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Taking a Winter Break!

I hope you are enjoying the Winter holidays!

Photo of a snowflake cutout by my niece and nephew several years ago.
One of my favorite holiday images!

Dec. 28 will be the last day for orders at my Etsy store for 2015! All purchases will be mailed before the end of the year.

   

The Metapolies™ store will be on Winter Break through part of January. It's time for me to relax, rethink, rejuvenate!

Polymer clay beads I made last year.
 It seems too long since I played with polymer!

I thank you for your patronage and moral support during 2015. I'm greatly appreciative!

Embossed copper piece from some years back.

Wishing each of you a very Happy New Year and hoping for some Peace on Earth for 2016!

~Sharyl

Polymer clay candy cane twists beads.

Photos by Sharyl.

Graphic images from wpclipart.com

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Metapolies™ Store Restructuring

I'm doing some restructuring of the Metapolies™ store on  Etsy in the next day or two, and I'll be refreshing the collections too!   

I'm planning to leave the store open while I make changes, so if you have questions or are looking for something and can't find it, please leave me a note on Etsy.   I'll be happy to help!

I'll make an announcement when I've got everything in place and will encourage you will come take a look!   I hope you will like the changes and new, more focused collections!


As always, thanks for your support during this time!

~Sharyl

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images by wpclipart.com
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Metapolies™ Store Update -- And then there was one...

Is it with sadness that I announce I have closed my Metapolies ™ store on the Artisan Component Marketplace.   I started with the project before the site opened last year and was honored to have been selected by Marla James to be even a small part of its development.   I think ACM  provides a terrific opportunity for artisans selling their handmade beads and components, and sincerely wish I could continue with it.  


...I encourage you to continue shopping there and if you haven't taken a look yet, please do!     (Shop ACM here.)  There are beautiful hand-made art beads from around the world!   I'll feature some of them in future blog posts.

I'm finding that in addition to other commitments, trying to keep up multiple stores at once is not currently feasible for me, so I'm going back to having just one online store, for a while at least.   Because I need to be able to sell both my components and jewelry, I decided to keep the Metapolies™ store on Etsy I opened last year.  



The store on Etsy is now much better stocked with jewelry, polymer clay beads, and metal components.  I have many more items (especially jewelry) ready to list and hope to get those added in the near future.

My thanks to you all who have visited my stores as I've added, subtracted, and experimented with store venues this past year.   It has been a great learning experience for me, and I hope you have benefited by it in some ways also.  
  
For now,  a sigh of relief for me, as I settle down to my remaining store.  I look for many good things to come from this!  I'm hopeful the additional time will allow me to keep the store full of interesting items for you, and I'll be able to refocus my attention on:

•  creating new designs, 
• blogging, and 
• marketing.

My sincere thanks and best wishes to all,

~Sharyl

P.S.  To recap:  

• "Sharyl's Jewelry" on Artfire = closed
• "Metapolies" on ACM = closed
• "Metapolies™" on ETSY = open
• "Metapolies.com" website = open

I'll be working on updating whatever links I've not yet changed in the next day or two.   
      
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Most and Least Favorites

I think we all have our favorite parts of the jewelry business.  In addition to actually making the jewelry, learning about new tools, and techniques, and getting to meet nice people with similar interests, I've had one part of it I never expected to enjoy.   Photography!

My, how awful my photos were in the beginning! I've written multiple bog posts about it and my progress along the way.  (I had a period where all photos looked yellow, and another when they all looked blue.)  

For quite a long while I was in a macrophotography group and we shared our close-up photos each Sunday.  

I really enjoyed from that and learned a lot.  (I love taking photos of flowers, but also practiced on jewelry photos, furniture, buttons, all kinds of objects!)  And I've learned a lot from Facebook groups, blogs, books, and more.   There's always room for improvement and hopefully, I'll keep improving at photography as well as my jewelry and bead making skills!

My light tent for indoor jewelry photos.
Most of my photos are taken this way
so I can photograph in the night and all kinds of weather!

I'd love to hear hear what YOU enjoy most!   The feel of clay between your fingers?   Getting to pound on metal?    Jewelry displays and shows?  

I have 2 "least favorites"  too.   One is listing items ready to sell in my stores.  

My laptop stops smiling at me... 

and looks more like this during listing times.  I have piles of beads and jewelry that need listing.  I'll be trying to do more of that soon!    I am liking "copy" feature in Etsy rather than having to recreate every entry from scratch!   If any of you have other special tricks, procedures, or routines for listing products in your store, I hope you will share!


Finally, my absolute least favorite thing about the business is figuring TAXES.  I don't mind paying them nearly as much as I dislike preparing them!   UGH...   In fact, that is the task I've been working on lately and finished today... just in time to meet with the accountant.  




Now if any of you have found a way to keep good records throughout the year so you don't have an annual (or quarterly) nightmare, I would FOR SURE love to hear your secrets! For now, the good news for me is that hard part about doing my taxes this year is done--Oh happy day!

Please drop and line and share your most and least favorites and any tips you'd like to add!  I love hearing from you!

~Sharyl

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Images:
Photograph of Light Tent by Sharyl
Clip art:   wpclipart.com

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Sale ends tonight! Then what?!

As I recently announced, I'm closing my "Sharyl's Jewelry" Artfire store soon.

2/12/2015 at midnight in some time zone... :-)   .... the 35% off all items sale will end. Until then, please use code:  CLOSING35 if you make a purchase!

You may be wondering, "What happens next?"

• I'll be moving some items to my other two stores.

• Keeping some for event inventory

• And having one last quick sale on remaining items before closing the store for good.

Hope you'll stay tuned for updates here and on my Metapolies.com website.  You can easily link to my stores, get latest info on sales, leave me a comment, and more there!  

I greatly appreciate all of you who have shopped my Artfire store over the years.  You have my sincere thanks!    A reminder to all that my two Metapolies™ (Etsy and ACM)  will remain open. Hope you continue to visit me there!   

--Sharyl

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Images:

 Sale poster by Sharyl.
 Question graphic by wpclipart.com

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Getting my (Business) Act together + Give-away!

Just as 2014 is about to come to a screeching halt, I've managed to meet one more of my goals for the year!   (No need to add comments such as "It's about time!" or "Cutting it mighty close there!"  ha!)  




I've long wanted to get my own business domain name again.  I had one back in 2011 and let it go with the website I had.   I started on Artfire then, and went with theirs.


The truth is, as I've expanded this year from one store to three, I've found it rather clumsy trying to direct people to "where I am."    3 stores, 2 store names, all those urls!

                                                                     Metapolies
                                                          (Etsy)
   
Sharyl's Jewelry                                                                   Metapolies
(Art Fire)                                                                                            (ACM)

Having 3 online stores may be an odd thing to do in the first place, but it's an experiment of sorts, and I'm determined to play it out a little bit longer.   

 You might recall that in May of 2014, I did some branding work and redid my business cards, (and banners, virtual and physical table ones).  Of course I did that just before deciding I would like to change my business name and open more venues!   Well, as I've been in flux, I've continued to use those cards, adding stickers on the back with the two new store urls.   (Yes, yes.  Tacky, I suppose.   But think of it as moving to a new location.  You "make do" until you get settled in, right?)



The other evening, I finally decided to get the domain name and create a one-page landing site (home page) for all my business needs.

  The url is:   metapolies.com.  

I do hope you'll check it out 

and give me feedback!

From the one-page website, you can (hopefully) easily get to all my stores and my social media (Blog, Facebook, and Pinterest).
I've tried to optimize it so it works well with computers,  tablets, and phones.    That's made the layout a bit tricky and not quite what I had hoped for.  I'd really like it to be attractive/inviting AND intuitive/functional.   I'm not sure if I've made the mark yet, but I'm going to begin using it.

Some things I can change, but others I'm limited by what this simple system can do.  

Please, please, please...
If you have ideas, suggestions, complaints, do let me know! I'm very eager for feedback so that this works well for YOU and anyone one else trying to find their way to my stores and social media contacts.  How can I make it better for YOU to use?

My main goal is, instead of directing people to 3 sites, I now will direct them to one only. ONE on my business card, ONE on Facebook announcements, ONE when I run into friends and family.  All the same ONE!  

Just:   Metapolies.com

Hopefully, it's all easy after that!   

As always, thanks for helping me out and sticking by me as I evolve!

~Sharyl

GIVE-AWAY!!!

We just hit 175 participants on this blog! 

Miss Val's Creations

was the 175th person.

Welcome, Val!

I've sent her a small sample packet of Metapolies™ goodies, but want to give the other 174 a chance too!    A look at Metapolies.com and a comment on my blog here by 12/26/14 will get your name in the drawing!   (Please make sure I can find you again on Facebook or  email, store, etc.)   I'll announce the winner on 12/27 and attempt to notify the winner.  If the winner hasn't claimed the prize by 12/30, I'll draw again.

I'm hoping to renew my blogging efforts in 2015 and if you are not a member, I hope you will join us!   

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Graphics:   wpclipart.com
Business card/photo:  Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, 2014.

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A Mighty GRAND OPENING for Artisan Component Marketplace!

Although some of our stores have been open for several weeks, many new artisans have since joined us. So the time has come for the... 

GRAND OPENING EVENT!

Saturday, 11/8/14 

There will be sales, give-aways, and more! 

Please read on!

There are many great reasons to participate in this event!

~We have Artisan Kits to sell! 

~ We are having a giveaway!  

In fact, I currently see 10 prizes listed!

(See list of items on left side!  Info will be updated Sat!)  

Click here for Metapolies Give-Away Info

Handmade copper components by me,
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson

~We are having a Design Contest!

~AND... at least half of us are running special sales  for the weekend!

~You'll find my store, Metapolies™ on ACM too! 

Metapolies Discount Code: 

GRAND20OFF 

20% off all components

  Sat, Nov. 8th - Tue., Nov. 11th

(Metapolies™ ACM store only)

I've been adding new items and hope to continue through Friday night!

Winter holiday items included!    Below are new items in store and others that will appear there soon!    (Please, no reserves this sale.)

Reminder:  As always, if you shop more than one of my stores on the same day, I'll combine shipping and refund you additional amount! (Links to others stores on menu at top of this page!)

Many thanks for celebrating the ACM with us!

~Sharyl

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Images Credits:

Banner, ACM

Clip Art, wpclipart.com

Metapolies Giveaway & Collage, Sharyl

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