Here's what I Didn't do Today!

It's time I should put up a new post, but I actually spent most of my day today working on jewelry--something it seems like I haven't done in quite a while--a day of jewelry-making!

With all the holiday and after-holiday and new year's and destash sales, I'm afraid I'm over budget, but finally have a nice collection of beads (including artisan-made lampwork), findings, etc., to keep me busy for quite a while!   

(I imagine I drove the artists and shop-owners nuts with my 1 or 2-of-this, 4-of-something-else orders, but they kindly obliged me.)   

I may take you on a "virtual shopping" tour soon so you can do some "window shopping" too!   There are some of my favorites and some new favorites too!

But, no time right now...instead, I thought I'd do something different.   I'll update you on what I DIDN'T do today!

1)  I didn't even look at e-mail.   Not any of the (way-too-many) email boxes I regularly check.   Nada.  (I'll pay tomorrow!)

2) FaceBook time = about 5 minutes.  Don't even ask me how I did that!

3) I didn't fix the letter "m."  I dropped a jumpring yesterday and it fell in between the keys on my laptop right before my workshift.   My "m" was stuck, so I tried to lift the key up, as I've done in the past, to get the offending matter out of the way, except this time, the letter "m" and 2 other pieces went flying in the air.  Saved the jumpring.  Not so sure if "m" can be saved.   Worked my 3 hour shift again tonight minus the letter "m."   

4) No blogging until the last hour, then catching up on reading and leaving messages, and finally, posting my own...until the computer crash just a moment ago, which has slowed me down a bit.  

5) Checked Etsy and ArtFire for messages, but didn't buy anything online today.   Whew!   Good thing.   The plumber came over this morning to look at our leaky pipes, and does he have a deal for us!   (Yikes!)

6)  I didn't do a thing with these....

 ...which I started so long ago, I don't even recall what they were meant to be for any more!   Nor did I finish any of the "sets" of earrings that currently only have one finished.   (Do you know how some people end up with a lot of unmatched socks?   I have more than my share of earrings with no match.  Love doing the first one.  The second sort of loses it's charm sometimes.)   

What I DID, I have no photos to prove yet...must wait until daylight for that!   

1) Made one pair of earrings using new beads from several different orders.  (Mix-and-match...what fun!)

2) Worked on a necklace I started months ago.   Got it from about 1/4 done to 3/4 done, but still have a bit more to go.  Not sure it's a "hit" either, so may have to give it one more go.

3) Designed and redesigned and redesigned an earring that I plan to submit to the January Art Bead Scene Challenge.  (I don't want to give too much away yet, but the earrings will feature the blue-gray pair of lampwork by SueBeads that you see in the photo at the top of the page.)  I finally have a design I'm content with and  now have one earring made.   Hmmmm...   sounds familiar....

So please share!    What didn't YOU do recently?!

Sharyl

P.S. More on this next time, but if you visit the

"Sharyl's Jewelry" Facebook page, 

would you please consider clicking "Like" at the top of the page?   I  need 25 "likes" to rename the page something more memorable than that string of numbers!    The number of "Likes" are climbing--up to 11 now--so my thanks to you who have already done so!  

i heart macro: Can it Get More RANDOM?

This week's 
"i heart macro" photos seem 
reflective of my week... a bit flighty, 
any focus attempted lost by 
bigger, random happenings that got in the way,
demanding attention, 
or smaller ones that just seemed more interesting.  


Good stuff:  I was shooting some jewelry of my own and some of my newest beads orders that have come in recently.   These new headpins made by Susan Kennedy at SueBeads were nearby, and I decided they "needed" their picture taken!"   

For me, a random-happy moment!

And the "not-so-good":

After the jewelry, I started snapping other things 

around the room.

This next one may seem happy, but it's a bad sign.

When I start taking photos of artificial flowers, 

you know it's time for a mid-winter tropical get-away!

(But wait, one clogged drain and a call to the plummer later, and ....

I think I might be getting a wall torn out and some 

new plumbing instead!  

Oh, joy.)

...And that's really just the "mediocre" bad news, 

we'll fast-forward through the rest of the bad news stuff and move on to the end of the week, where I was back photographing jewelry again:      (Whew!)

...some "Destash" beads that went on sale yesterday

#21:  It Gets Better

and rephotographing some winter jewelry 

in the  Clearance Sale for the Studio.

Ahhh... much better!

Visit 

Lori Plyer's "Studio Waterstone" blog. 

You are sure to find

more weeks chronicled

macrophotographically for:

"i heart macro!"

Sharyl / Sharyl's Jewelry

Shop/Blog Destash Hop--Starting Jan. 7!

**  Today is the day!  **  

Copper Diem is hosting the 

Shop/Blog Destash Hop!   

Makers of jewelry are cleaning out  bins, drawers, bags, and boxes (wherever we store our beads) to offer YOU great savings on beads and jewelry supplies.   Why do we do it?  To share the fun and make more room in our storage space for MORE new beads!  


You can find mine at "Sharyl's Jewelry" Artfire Studio in the "Bead Extras - Destash" section. 


(Of course, do feel free to shop the rest of the store while you are there!)   In addition to the savings on these bead packets, the shipping and handling for these items is reduced from that of other items in my shop.  So please shop to your heart's content, then visit these other fine Destashers next!...  

List of participating destashers:






GreenBead


Kit and Caboodle


Sharyls Jewelry


Beads 2 Die 4


Gem Crazie

Finally, you very well may want to hop on over to Lori Anderson's "Pretty Things" blog to register for a chance to participate in the 5th Bead Soup Blog Party!   Sign-ups are Jan 7-9, then participants will be selected by lottery from those who registered.   See "Pretty Things" for the latest details on signing up!  

Have a great Saturday all!   Happy Hopping and Shopping!  --Sharyl


Sharyl's Jewelry


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Graphics:
shopping basket:  http://www.wpclipart.com/tools/miscellaneous/household/.cache/shopping_basket.png

Jewelry Destash Sale--Jan. 7

There will be a special event Jan. 7 I'll be participating in. Any of you are welcome to be a part of it!   I'll be posting beads from my personal collection I'm moving from my storage to make room for new ones.   That means YOU get a really good deal and I get more space!  We call those items "destash" and it's like Spring Cleaning for beads and findings used in jewelry-making.      Prices and shipping are low-low because the idea is make my former bead treasures your new ones as quickly as possible!

If you make jewelry, or would like to give it a try, keep your eye on the new section!   It's called "Bead Extras -- Destash" on my “Sharyl’s Jewelry” Artfire Studio.   On Jan. 7 you will see the items "magically" appear and go on sale!     Hopefully you’ll also see them disappear in a hurry too!  Hope you enjoy! 

 --Sharyl

P.S.  There should be others joining in this Destash Blog/Shop Hop.   Hopefully I'll have a list of participants to post for you Jan. 7 so you can check out everyone participating!   

Studio Section Changes

Sometimes no sooner do we make a plan than we find we need to change it.  No worries, but it's happened to me.   Yesterday, I announced on my Studio blog that  I had just set up  "Kids" and "Teens" sections for jewelry in my studio to assist shoppers in selecting items for people in these age groups. 
  

Luckily, no one even viewed that page from the time I posted until a moment ago when I retracted that statement.   There were only a few items in those categories and those items were pulled last night and the categories removed.  No items were purchased.   

The reason for my sudden change of heart is a set of federal regulations I was unaware of, protecting children from harmful substances. And I'm all for that! (One of you kind readers brought this to my attention yesterday, and I thank you kindly for help keeping me out of trouble!)

While I make every effort to avoid lead and nickel in the beads and metals I purchase for all of my jewelry, the regulations require that "all manufacturers of children's products must have their children's products third party tested and certified as compliant with applicable children's product safety rules."   

At any rate, that is more than I'm able to take on at the moment, so I will not attempt to sell jewelry targeted to young people   As I indicated yesterday, adults may enjoy the jewelry I had placed in the "kids" and 'teens" sections too, so I will resume categorizing by types of jewelry (necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings.)

I'm grateful for the tip!  And my thanks to all  for understanding!   

Now there's been another change to the Studio Sections that just happened yesterday, and I'm unsure if it will be temporary or permanent.  I've put up a section for "Bead Extras--Destash."   It's there at the moment because I've signed up for an event sponsored by "Copper Diem," a "Shop/Blog Destash Hop" that will take place Jan. 7.  Jan. 4 is the last day to enter if you want to offer destash.  Jan. 7 is the day to "hop" to shop!

My items will be located in my "Sharyl's Jewelry" Artfire Studio in the "Bead Extras --Destash" section.  Please drop by!   I'll post again on Jan. 7.   

Reminder:

And as long as I'm posting reminders...that long-awaited event of the 5th Annual Bead Soup Blog Hop, hosted by Lori Anderson has registration Jan. 7-9th.  Remember to drop by her site if you want to register to get in.  Space is limited this year.  See Lori's blog for details!

--Sharyl

Goals for first quarter 2012

Short term/long term plans/goals...

     It's that time of year again.   


If I've learned anything about myself over time, it's that I don't enjoy long-term goals--anything approaching a 5-year plan gives me chills.  In my world at least, time has proven that life (and the world around me) changes too much over a 5-year period to predict that far ahead.  10-year plans are even worse, an exercise in futility, as far as I'm concerned.  For a large institution, 3-year goals are a necessity, but on an individual level are still troublesome.

Ever-changing computer technology began as I was starting my library career and has been another factor in my distaste for planning too much too far down the road.   Plan ahead, for heaven sake's, yes!   Please do!   But plan too far and you miss a lot of opportunities for things that are constantly changing in the meantime.   The following saying is attributed to John Lennon, 

"Life is what happens to you

 while you're busy making other plans." * 

Little did you know you would get my "philosophy of planning" along with my plan when we started!   


As always, I do have an Annual Plan.   But it floats in my head and is constantly updated. I'll mention that again later.


What works best for me is a Quarterly Plan.   So mine follows:

1. Complete my launch of Facebook.     I have Facebook up, but need to get links from blog, website, and Artfire site up and running, and promote FB site to reach at least "25 Likes."


2. Consider advantages/disadvantages of adding Twitter.  If adding Twitter as a marketing tool, do it this quarter or integrate it into Annual Plan.  


3.  Build a small collection of jewelry for kids, tweens, and teens.  (I've just begun to work on this one.)   Once I have a few items listed in collection on ArtFire, begin marketing.


4.  Figure out how to do variety of types of sales on ArtFire so I can have various promotions throughout the year.  For instance, I would like to be able to have sales on specific items and would like to make coupon codes work properly.


5. Become more active in the ArtFire community by joining an ArtFire Guild and begin building "curated collections."


6. Continue attempts to create an interactive atmosphere on blog.   


7. Dedicate more time to making jewelry.


These are not in priority order.  If it's not obvious to you already, this blog and your interaction are very important to me.   So the fact it appears near the end is only a sign that it's an ongoing project rather than a "do one-time and check-off-the list" type item.   For further evidence, note that making jewelry appears last in the list!   

Regarding my Annual Goals, I will say that they include broad categories such as enhancing my jewelry-making skills and building my business.  In order to reach those goals here are a couple of My Objectives:  


1. Learn to make at least one type of jewelry component of my own. This is a very high priority.  I would like to be able to make a greater part of my jewelry by my own hands.  It might be a type of bead or focal or it might be a component (such as earwires or a wider variety of earring and bracelet clasps) that can be used by myself and/or others who make jewelry--but something more that I bring to my jewelry and possibly offer for sale to others.


2. Another item I would like to achieve this year is to take at least one class in jewelry-making of some type.

So there it is.  Like the last time, I share my plans with you so you know what I'll be working on and can give you progress reports to keep  me accountable.  And you might find me asking for advice at times.   I always appreciate your willingness to share your ideas.


If you would like to let us know your upcoming plans and dreams, I encourage you to add your comments on this page!   


Many Thanks and My Best Wishes for the New Year!


Sharyl
Sharyl's Jewelry Studio on ArtFire
Sharyl's Jewelry Website
Sharyl's Jewelry on Facebook  

If you are on FaceBook, 

please consider visiting my "Sharyl's Jewelry" FB page 

and clicking the "Like" button 

next to my name at the top of that page!

Thank you!

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P.S.  I may have my links to Facebook set now.   Please try them out and let me know if you find anything not working correctly.   Still need lots more "likes" though in order to rename my page!  Thanks for helping!


  
Graphics:


Writer:  http://www.wpclipart.com/world_history/old_devices/.cache/quill_writing.png


Columbus explaining his plan:  http://www.wpclipart.com/American_History/discovery/Columbus/Columbus_explaining_his_plan_to_the_monks_of_Burgos.jpg

Arrows:  http://www.wpclipart.com/signs_symbol/arrows/angled_arrows/.cache/arrow_action_blue_SE.png

Slow but sure:  http://www.wpclipart.com/education/proverbs_illustrated/proverbs_3/slow_but_sure_wins_the_race.jpg



Citation:
*The Quotations Page, http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/571.html from Michael Moncur's (Cynical) Quotations

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i heart macro: Australian tea sets

As we in the Northern Hemisphere head deeper into our Winter (although thankfully it's been relatively mild so far), isn't it pretty to see such a rose, even if just a painting of a rose?

I thought at first a peony, but think it's another rose.

A bouquet, or two?

I would love these in my yard or on my table

this time of year!

These photographs are actually from an Australian tea set.

Each set comes with a cup and a small tray.
I love how a small image from the illustration
is often included on the inside of the cup.

The set is actually from
"Felix Rosenstiel's Widow & Son, Limited," London.

This next set is dedicated to all our bird photographers.   It's the closest I've ever been able to come to a close up of a bird!   

Showing this grouping in reverse order from the last--
going from distance to more close-up.

#29: "My Best Birds"

This one included the artist's name on the plate.

This cup is from the Australian Wildflower Collection,
made in Australia.
Botanical Illustrations by Philippa Nikulinksy
for the Species Survival Trust.
The plant is Eucalyptus bennettiae.

Lovely illustrations, inside and out.

I'm not Australian, but wish I could be an "honorary Australian!"  I have a strong affinity for the people, culture,  and nature  there.   I long for the hot summer days that are happening while we are having long cold wintertime.   

My husband's mother was from Perth, Western Australia.  I've been to Australia only twice, but we keep in touch with family and they sometime come to visit us.  The tea sets were gifts from our family there.

 I'm delighted to have met some wonderful people from Australia through "i heart macro" who delight us with their photos of landscape, flora and fauna!  Though my work cannot begin to compare with her beautiful nature photography, I dedicate this week's entry in particular to Carole Meisenhelter of Carole's Creative Corner.

Please visit Carole's site and others for this week's entries entries at Lori Plyer's "i heart macro" site!

Click here for more "i heart macro!"

P.S.  It's a bit after the fact, but I posted close-ups from my Santa collection last week.  If you are interested, you can still take a peek at:  "i heart macro: Christmas Special with Santa."