Nativebeads' Giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by Nativebeads. Make sure to check out her feature right here on this blog, just click here!

The prize is terrific, and so much fun! Theresa from Nativebeads is giving away a a kit to make a gourd doll. Here is how she describes it:This is a bead kit that teaches you how to add horizontal bead netting to embellish a gourd doll. The kits includes step by step instructions, illustrations, a painted gourd doll, beads, needle and thread. It also includes instructions on how to make a beaded basket that is glued onto the top of the doll head when you are finished with her beaded skirt. The kit contains all the materials in a ziplock baggie. The photo shows the finished doll. The kits normally sells for $10 in my shop.





Entering is easy. Visit Theresa's shop Nativebeads, then come back here and leave a comment with a link your favorite item from her shop!

Earn Bonus Entries!
*Earn 5 bonus entries: Make a purchase from Nativebeads. Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your transaction. Please tell her in check out that Raevyn sent you :D

*Earn 1 bonus entry: Sign up for my newsletter and come back here and leave a comment that you signed up. If you have already signed up for it, just leave a comment here letting me know and you will get the bonus entry.

*Earn 1 bonus entry: Follow this blog! Leave a post here letting me know you are a follower.

*Earn 2 bonus entries: Blog about this giveaway! Then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

Please make sure to leave a way to contact you on your entries. If I can't contact you, you can't win! This contest is open to everyone, you do not have to be in the US to enter. October 6th will be the last day to enter, and I will draw the winner on October 7th.

Etsy Featured Artist - Nativebeads

When I first became active with the Trade-A-Holics, I was lucky enough to meet Theresa, the owner of Nativebeads. When I first looked at her shop, I recognized right away that this is a beader after my own heart. Her work with seed beads, and her native style, is the kind of thing that attracted me to beading. And then I saw that she wrote the book on beads - literally! Not only is she amazingly talented, but she is a published author on the subject of beading! I am lucky enough to own two of her books, and I love them! The Illustrated Bead Bible is my favorite. I am a completely self taught beader, and this book has gone a long way in educating me about beads, materials, and techniques.


Her bead work is also quite amazing. Her love for her craft shows through in everything she does. If you love beads, you are going to love her! Her work is diverse and never boring! Take a look at her shop, and if you are looking for beading books, you will not go wrong with hers.





Theresa took time to answer a few of my pesky questions recently. Here is what she had to say:

Name: Theresa Flores Geary
Age (if you don't mind): 58
Where do you live? Moriarty, New Mexico

How did you get started working with beads? My dear mother invited me to a bead class with her “old lady” friends when I was 14. I was surprised to be included in such a group and had NO IDEA how much fun she was having. I got hooked immediately. Now I hang out with MY “old lady friends” who act a lot like teenagers.

What inspires you most?
My friends and other artists are so inspirational when they share their artwork and techniques, where they get their supplies, information on sales opportunities, etc. We teach each other new techniques. The social aspects like laughter and sharing make the pursuit of artwork even more delightful. I spent way too many years as a solitary beader, all by myself into the wee hours of night.

What do you do in your spare time?
Well, I grow gourds, vegetables, fruit trees and chickens for eggs. I have two cats and two dogs as well. My kids are grown and living independently so my husband and I share a quiet life in the country with our animal friends.

Tell us a little known fact about you.
I am a retired clinical psychologist. My career was very rewarding and interesting but I am so happy to be doing what I am doing now – much less stress too!

What are you working on now?
Right now, I am finishing up an order for a bead store that is doing a display for Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos. It is a fascinating Hispanic and Native cultural celebration to honor people’s deceased relatives. The folk art that has developed along with the ceremony is delightful in its own right. Part of the tradition is to make arts and crafts to leave as an offering on an altar or at the gravesite of their loved ones. The five senses are emphasized to help guide their ancestors to join the celebration. As such, there is music, colorful flowers like marigolds and roses, rattles or noise makers, food, costumes, jewelry and various arts. Our family did not celebrate this particular ceremony but now that I am older, I find it intriguing. Etsy has it listed as one of its most popular holidays. Do a search to see a huge variety of artwork mediums.

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy?
Yes.
Where?
I have my own website www.beadbible.com. I also do occasional shows, maybe 1-3 a year, plus have a few local connections like a farmer’s market and bead stores where I sell my beadwork, bead kits, books, dried gourds and gourd art.

I see that you are a published author! What books have you written, and where can people purchase them?
The first two books are project books, mainly emphasizing Native American beadwork. The books include information on cultural traditions and symbolism used with designs, colors and ceremonies. The first book is called Native American Beadwork – Projects and Techniques of the Southwest.
The second book is called Creative Native Beading. They both categorize projects according to skill level, such as beginner, intermediate and advanced. The third book, published just this year is called Illustrated Bead Bible – terms, tips and techniques. It is more of a reference book on everything you ever wanted to know about beads including gemstones. It has over 500 color photographs to help you learn bead names, stitches and bead types plus reference charts on things like needle size, bead size and threads. It was designed to help people learn about many facets of beading, including how beads are made, different cultural and historical information and samples of beadwork from around the world. I carry my own books to sell on Etsy but run out from time to time. They are also generally available in many fine bookstores, museums and gift shops throughout the world and online, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

You have several types of bead art that you do. From gourds to jewelry...what is your favorite thing to do with beads?
Since I was intrigued with beads at a young age, I first learned how to make jewelry and after so many years of that, I wanted to branch out to discover different uses of beads and different types of techniques. So now, the challenge is to continue discovering all the ways to use beads in a variety of projects besides jewelry, which is why I started doing beadwork on gourds. I still make jewelry too because it is simply delightful to handle so many beautiful beads and gemstones.


Do you twitter, flickr, facebook, blog..or anything else where people can follow you? Please feel free to list all of you "social networking" addresses.
I am on Face book and
http://tradeaholics.ning.com/ , a social networking site for artists who enjoying trading with each other. I just joined this site: http://busymitts.com which is a group of crafters, many of whom are from the UK and Ireland. My profile name is NativeBeads. It is more of a place for “Show and Tell” rather than a market place.
I do NOT do twitter or blog seriously, although I do have a blog with Amazon.com. People can reach me there by searching under my name (Theresa Flores Geary) and leave comments. However, I seriously do not have the time to sit in front of the computer all day. I have chickens and veggies and gourds to tend to!!!

jerseymaid's Giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by jerseymaids. Make sure to check out her feature right here on this blog, just click here!

The prize is awesome! It is an Interchangeable Polaroid Ring from jerseymaids. You can choose your ring from the rings she has available at her shop.


Details:
Typically sold for: $30

*A lead and nickel-free adjustable ring base (approx. 6 1/2 - 8 US sizes) available in silver plated, gunmetal black, or antiqued bronze
*5 interchangeable glass Polaroid snap-on charms (shown in the first 2 photographs.) These are interchangeable by a magnetic mechanism using Earth Magnets, some of the strongest magnets known to man. And perfect for jewelry!

Each charm measures approximately 5/8" x 3/4" (17mm x 19mm). Though they are sealed with many coats of waterproof sealant, I would still try to avoid submerging these rings in water (i.e. washing dishes, showering, swimming, etc.)

Entering is easy. Visit Lauren's shop, then come back here and leave a comment with a link your favorite item from her shop!

Earn Bonus Entries!
*Earn 3 bonus entries: Make a purchase from jerseymaids. Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your transaction. Please tell her in check out that Raevyn sent you :D

*Earn 1 bonus entry: Sign up for my newsletter and come back here and leave a comment that you signed up. If you have already signed up for it, just leave a comment here letting me know and you will get the bonus entry.

*Earn 1 bonus entry: Follow this blog! Leave a post here letting me know you are a follower.

*Earn 2 bonus entries: Blog about this giveaway! Then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

Please make sure to leave a way to contact you on your entries. If I can't contact you, you can't win! This contest is open to everyone, you do not have to be in the US to enter. September 21st will be the last day to enter, and I will draw the winner on September 22nd.

Etsy Featured Artist - jerseymaids

I love photography. Both taking pictures and looking at pictures. At a very young age I fell in love with snapping my own shots, and in high school I took a few photography classes where I developed my love even further. And as long as I can remember I have loved looking at photographs. I love seeing an artist's point of view through their pictures, but I also love just looking through family photo albums and seeing the moments of people's lives captured.

Today's featured artist is a shining example of all that I love about photography. It is jerseymaids. She is a Polaroid photographer that I met during my travels on Etsy. To be sure, her work is passionate. Her absolute love for her medium comes through in all of her pieces. Here is one of my favorites:

Cherry Blossoms Polaroid

Her subject matter is extensive! I encourage you all to click on over to jerseymaids and take a look.

Besides her amazing prints, Lauren also has several other ways to show off her passion for Polaroids. She has Totes and Shirts, Polaroid Night Lights, Polaroid Jewelry, and Cards.

Not only is Lauren's work beautiful, but she is a really wonderful person. She goes out of her way to make her customers happy and she is very easy to contact and talk to. When I decided to do this feature on her, she was nice enough to take the time to answer a few questions for me.

Name: Lauren Beacham
Age (if you don't mind): 23
Where do you live?: Shepherdstown, WV but soon to be Frederick, MD

How did you get started with photography?
I started off in high school somewhat by accident. A teacher of mine had been a photo journalist at a Baltimore newspaper and had secretly created a makeshift darkroom in the back closet of her classroom. She pulled me aside one day and asked if I wanted to learn how to develop black and white photographs. I immediately fell in love and spent every spare second I had in that teeny dark little room with expired papers, chemicals, and really bad negatives. But the magic of it all was completely addictive, so I went on to study it more thoroughly in college. I got my degree in Photography and Computer Imaging and, also by somewhat of a happy accident, was introduced to the delight of alternative processes (particularly Polaroids.) I haven't looked back since and have been working almost exclusively in Polaroids and other alternative processes since 2007.

You use Polaroids, why did you choose that particular medium?
Polaroid has a magic to it that really is unmatched by anything I've experienced. It paints with light and romance, and it wraps up heightened anticipation and instant gratification into one little package. The colors and glow aren't found anywhere else, and no matter how well you know your film and camera...you are never in complete control. It's always a big adventure.

What inspires you most?
Moments. People and places, music, nature, romance. Color. Light.

What do you do in your spare time?
What spare time?! Haha. I spend most of my time that isn't at work (I'm an art gallery director in Frederick) creating new things, working on jewelry and expanding my artwork, networking with other Etsians and Polaroid fanatics, and sometimes I'll be able to squeeze in some down time with my guy and our Scottish terrier pup.

Tell us a little known fact about you.
I have a strange fascination with hot air balloons (to the extent that one is permanently etched onto my wrist) but have a horrible fear of heights and have never taken a ride in one...nor do I ever plan to.

Do you have a favorite subject to photograph?
Though most of my photographs are done of flowers and nature, I really love photographing people. Absolutely love it.

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy? Where?
I sell in a number of galleries and shops and have also taken a try at shophandmade.com I only made one sale and felt it wasn't worth my while for now. You'll also find me at various craft shows, and hopefully more shops to come! But for now, Etsy is my number one home.


What advice do you have for anyone that would like to start selling their own
photography?
Well firstly, don't give up. There are TONS of photographers out there trying to make their way. Secondly, shoot what you absolutely love. People can tell if you're shooting to make money or if you're doing something you adore. Passion needs to run everything you do. And thirdly, do something different. Separate yourself from the norm! Don't be afraid to jump into the unknown because you never know what you'll find...and it may hold the answers you're looking for.

Do you twitter, flickr, facebook, blog..or anything else where people can follow you?
Please feel free to list all of you "social networking" addresses.
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jerseymaids
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/jerseymaids/77302554915
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerseymaids
blog: http://jerseymaids.livejournal.com
website (under construction): http://www.laurenbeacham.com

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Make sure to enter the newest giveaway, featuring jerseymaids. Just click here!

Glassredefined Giveaway

This giveaway is sponsored by the fantastic artist, Kim Novak of Glassredefined and KimCreative.

Kim has designed three beautiful pieces as prizes for this contest. Here are they are!

1st Place: Painted sea glass with Sterling Silver wire wrapping

2nd Place: Glass and Sterling Silver pendant

3rd Place: Glass and Sterling Silver earrings

Entering is easy. Visit both of Kim's shops, then come back here and leave a comment with your favorite item from each shop. If you comment on 1 shop, you get 1 entry. If you comment on both shops, you will get two entries.

Earn Bonus Entries!
*Earn 1 bonus entry: Sign up for my newsletter. If you have already signed up for it, just leave a comment here letting me know and you will get the bonus entry.

*Earn 1 bonus entry: Follow this blog! Leave a post here letting me know you are a follower.

*Earn 2 bonus entries: Blog about this giveaway! Then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

*Earn 3 bonus entries: Make a purchase from Glassredefined and/or KimCreative. Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your transaction. Please tell her in check out that Raevyn sent you :D

This contest is open to everyone, you do not have to be in the US to enter. June 30th will be the last day to enter, and I will draw the winner on July 1st.

Etsy Featured Artist - glassredefined and KimCreative

Well I think it is about time for me to once again feature a fantastic Etsy artist. I actually met this artist on my Etsy Trade-a-holics team. Glassredefined is the name of her shop, and she specializes in hand painted and wire wrapped sea glass jewelry. Here are just two examples of her fantastic work!





She also just opened a supply shop called KimCreative. She really has some great things in the supply shop, and of course I am a total supply addict!

After spending a long time browsing through Kim's shops, I decided to ask her to answer a few questions for me, so I could do a feature on her. Here are the questions, and her answers.

Info
Name: Kim Novak
Age (if you don't mind): 44
Where do you live?: Pasadena, MD

You have two shops on Etsy. Please tell us about both of them:
My first and primary shop is Glassredefined.
Glassredefined is a creative glass jewelry business. Hand discovered seaglass is finely painted, then wrapped and designed in solid sterling silver or 14k gold filled wire. Handmade artisan glass is defined in quality wire as well.
Glassredefined recycles seaglass “gems” our local beaches deposit, promoting and supporting a clean environment .Recycled paper mailers are used in shipping these redefined works of art.

My secondary shop is KimCreative
KimCreative is a creative supplies shop, which at times will .also feature completed projects that a family member or myself have created, as well as the occasional antique. This shop was implemented to reduce, reuse and recycle, so that many may creatively express, both economically and responsibly. I recycle all shipping supplies from both shops back through this one.

What inspires you most?
Nature, I am in awe of the world around me, the textures, color, movement and abundance of life, which God created, deeply inspire me. Art is my passion.

What do you do in your spare time?
I paint in acrylics and watercolors, drink coffee, read and share pizza Goldfish with my Golden Retriever~Leo. I am also very active on the Creative Design Team of my local church .

Tell us a little known fact about you.
Green has ALWAYS been my favorite color. Even as a three year old, when other little girls liked pink and said green was yucky, it didn’t phase me. Always and forever a lover of the color green, that’s me!

Do you have a favorite piece? If you have pictures of it (or them), please show us!
I have two favorite pieces. This hand blown Peace Rondelle, and my Signature Waves piece, which is also my Avatar. I wear each of these around all the time, just not together :)








What are you working on now?
I am currently designing a Monochromatic Wave Series of pendants, to be introduced in my Etsy Shop, during the month of July. The designs will be painted on white seaglass and be similar to the piece featured in my Avatar. This line will showcase in the following four categories:
* Aqua ~ blues
* Mist ~ greens
*Coral ~ reds
*Twilight ~ black/grey
I am really excited about it!

Do you sell anywhere besides Etsy? Where?
In addition to Etsy, I sell locally at various art/music vendor events, and upscale home jewelry shows .


Do you twitter, flickr, facebook, blog..or anything else where people can follow you
or see more of you? Please feel free to list all of you "social networking" addresses
and websites.
I have a Glassredefined Facebook page, where I invite you to become a fan!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Glassredefined/55156566582?ref=ts
I do not twitter, flickr or have a blog as of yet, but a blog is something I hope to design in the near future!

I won!

I am so excited! I enter a lot of blog contests, although I have to admit my hopes are never high that I will win. But last week, I did win!! And the prize was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! I won a large bear hug cookie from lorisplace!



The cookie really was yummy, and who doesn't need a great big bear hug once in awhile? I wish I had a picture of the exact cookie I received, but I am afraid I had eaten an entire leg before I realized I should have taken a picture of the cookie for my blog. And I did not want to expose you all to that kind of carnage :p Although my cookie was very similar to the above cookie.

I am going to try more of the goodies from lorisplace, and I really think you all should to!

May Giveaway Winners Announced

Well that's it, my big May giveaway is over! The response was huge! I really want to take the time to thank all of the people that entered, and took the time to look at some of my favorite shops.

Now, what you have all been waiting for. The winners! All entries were written on a piece of paper and placed in a shoebox. Last night, my fiance Paul pulled the winners from the box. And here they are....

First place goes to Salad for Breakfast!

Second place goes to glassredefined!

Third place goes to Mia!

I will be contacting each winner about their prize package :) I am really excited about these prizes, the packages ended up much bigger and better than I had imagined.

Again, thank you to all that entered! I will be posting the next giveaway later on today.

Blog Giveaway for May

I decided to base this month's giveaway on my previous post, Some of my favorites - May Edition.

What do you win?
I will be assembling 3 prize package featuring items from all of the shops featured in Some of my favorites - May Edition. I have not figured out exactly which items I will be ordering yet. I will order the items on the 20th, and I will post here exactly what each prize package will consist of. But here is what the prize packages will consist of:

First Place
- $20 gift certificate for SimplyRaevyn/Raevyn77/PeculiarParchment
- atleast $10 worth of items from CountryGirlSpices
- pouch from bagsbytracy
- atleast $10 worth of beads from fivesisters

Second Place
- $15 gift certificate for SimplyRaevyn/Raevyn77/PeculiarParchment
- atleast $5 worth of items from CountryGirlSpices
- pouch from bagsbytracy
- atleast $5 worth of beads from fivesisters

Third Place
- $10 gift certificate for SimplyRaevyn/Raevyn77/PeculiarParchment
- atleast $3 worth of items from CountryGirlSpices
- pouch from bagsbytracy
- atleast $3 worth of beads from fivesisters

How to Enter

Visit the shops featured in Some of my favorites - May Edition.
The shops are:
fivesisters
CountryGirlSpices
bagsbytracy
Then leave a comment here showing your favorite items from each shop. You can earn 1 entry for each shop you leave a comment about.

*Earn 1 bonus entry: Sign up for my newsletter. I use the newsletter to keep you aware of special sales going on, blog contests, etc. I will not abuse the list to spam you all of the time, and I will not share your email address with anyone. Just click here to sign up. You don't have to come back and comment that you joined the mailing list.

*Earn 2 bonus entries: Blog about this giveaway! Then come back here and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

*Earn 3 bonus entries: Make a purchase from any of the shops featured in theSome of my favorites - May Edition. Again, the shops are:
fivesisters
CountryGirlSpices
bagsbytracy
Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your transaction. You can do this once for each of the featured shops.

*Earn 5 bonus entries: Make a purchase from any of my three shops:
Raevyn77
SimplyRaevyn
PeculiarParchment
Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your transaction.

This contest is open to everyone, you do not have to be in the US to enter. May 31st will be the last day to enter, and I will draw the winner on June 1st.

*********

This is a big contest, with lots of chances to earn entries. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. Good luck everyone!

Some of my favorites - May Edition

So I was sitting here debating whether I should be blogging, or shopping. So I figured, why not do both! I shop A LOT on Etsy, and I want to share some of my favorite shops with you. So here goes!

fivesisters

Since I make so much jewelry, I spend a whole lot of time hunting for great beads. I recently came across fivesisters. I oohed and aahed over the inventory, but I have had enough experience to know that I need to check out the product before getting my hopes up. So I searched through the gorgeous selection and settled on one item to take a test drive with.

I decided to order the assortment of 14mm large, puffy Czech rondelles. Check them out in this picture, and I think that you will see why!

So I placed my order and eagerly awaited my goodies! And when they got here, WOW! They were absolutely gorgeous. Since then I have ordered a few other times from fivesisters, and I have never been disappointed. An amazing inventory and great prices make shopping at fivesisters fun, and I know I will be a long time customer of theirs!

Etsy Buy Handmade fivesisters

CountryGirlSpices

To be honest, CountryGirlSpices is not the type of shop I would think to look for online. I am a bit of a spur of the moment spice buyer. But I decided to try out CountryGirlSpices, and now I am hooked! The first thing that caught my eye was her cat nip. I also ordered quite a few other items such as her sea salt, steak seasoning, and cumin. I am totally addicted to her spices now, they really add something special to my recipes. And my cats...lets just say that if I do not keep up with their catnip supply from CountryGirlSpices, I am quite sure they will move up their plans to assassinate me in my sleep lol.

Etsy Buy Handmade CountryGirlSpices

bagsbytracy

To put it simply, I love this shop! A few months ago I had ordered messenger bag from Tracy. As a matter of fact, the bag that she ended up making was the exact one shown in the Messenger Bag listing. And I love it! I use it all of the time. It has very quickly become my mail bag. I pack orders and put them in the bag until I can get to the post office. It is very roomy, and if you have a custom bag made, Tracy has a huge selection of fabrics to choose from that really make the bag yours.

Etsy Buy Handmade bagsbytracy

Well those are a few of my favorite shops. I will be doing this feature once a month. Stay tuned!

New Blog Contest

Well it looks like it is time for a new blog contest! I have to admit, my brain is pretty fried this week. So I am going to go for a nice and easy one :) So here goes...

How to Enter
Entering is easy! Simply go to one of my three shops, and leave a comment here with a link to one of your favorite items and why you like it. My shops are:
Raevyn77
SimplyRaevyn
PeculiarParchment
You only need to pick one item, you don't have to pick one from each shop.

Get a bonus entry! Sign up for my newsletter. I use the newsletter to keep you aware of special sales going on, blog contests, etc. I will not abuse the list to spam you all of the time, and I will not share your email address with anyone. Just click here to sign up. You don't have to come back and comment that you joined the mailing list.

What do you win?
The prize is a $20 gift certificate that can be used in any of my shops.

This contest is open to everyone, you do not have to be in the US to enter. April 30th will be the last day to enter, and I will draw the winner on May 1st.

April Blog Contest - MagicIsland Giveaway

I am going to change things up a bit this month, and do two contests! One will start now and be drawn on the 15th. The second one will be posted on the 15th.

This first contest is a great one. Mary of MagicIsland will be giving away a 5x7 print ($12 value) from her shop, and the winner can pick the print that they want!

So what are the rules? It's easy! Visit MagicIsland, then leave a comment here with the link to your favorite piece in her shop, and why you like it! Don't forget to leave your email address at all. If I can't contact you, you can't win.

Get a bonus entry! Sign up for my newsletter. I use the newsletter to keep you aware of special sales going on, blog contests, etc. I will not abuse the list to spam you all of the time, and I will not share your email address with anyone. Just click here to sign up.

The winner will be drawn on April 15th and will be announced on this blog, as well as being contacted by email. Good luck!

Footnote
Since I am in the process of switching my blog over to blogger, all entries on BOTH blogs will be counted. So if you enter here, you do not need to enter on the other blog.

Beading Ideas Part 2

Hello folks. It is a wicked hot day here in Lubbock, Texas. I have spent the day doing more online marketing, and I did manage to get a little bit of beading done a long the way.

This is part 2 of my series on Beading Ideas. I am hoping that I can help to inspire some of my fellow beaders, and maybe even encourage some of my own inspiration!

As I sit here working on a series of Patriotic necklaces, I would say my next idea for beading is pay attention to the season! If you are just beading for fun this of course is completely dependent on times of the year that you deem to be important. However if you are like me and you are attempting to sell your creations, you should consider the holidays and seasons of your desired audience.

Since I started my shop just about 3 months ago, I have really had a hard time catching up with seasons and holidays. For example, before spring I would have liked to list a lot of anklets. Since I didn't, I spent most of spring trying to catch up on anklet orders as well as get an established anklet inventory in my shop. If you are like me, and not exactly on top of what is in for which seasons, just do a search on the web. Or look at forums, people tend to express what they want.

Besides specific types of jewelry, also keep in mind colors and patterns that relate to the upcoming holiday or season. My heart and shamrock patterns displayed in the first part of this series are a prime example of this. I sold about 12 different versions of the heart pattern for Valentine's Day! And for spring, I listed a lot of new items made with pastel colors, and pinks and purples. Just colors that I have always considered "springy". I also used a lot of charms like butterflies and dragonflies. Now for summer I am using bolder colors, and lots of flip flop charms! With the 4th of July quickly approaching, I am designing a lot of red, white and blue items. I know it sounds like common sense, or maybe too simple to be true. But these seasonal items are fantastic sellers for me! I know that at the end of next winter I will stock a very large inventory of anklets!

My brick stitch earrings tend to run very long, usually over 3.5 inches. Recently I sold a customer a pair of earrings that I made when I first started brick stitching. They were very short, less than 2.5 inches long. For some reason I got it in my head that nobody would want a pair. I was very wrong. Someone ordered them from me, and as soon as she got them she sent me a message telling me how much she loved the short version! This led to my new line of earrings that I call my "Mini Series".

Let your materials inspire you! I have a very large collection of Swarovski Crystals. I love them. I love their colors, and the way they sparkle. But I am not always entirely sure how to use them. While going through my metal beads the other day, I had this idea:
Swarovski Butterfly Earrings
What better way to show off the beauty of Swarovski Crystals then to display them with a butterfly? For me this pairing just makes sense.

I hope that this has helped you with your beading ideas, and even inspired some beading ideas of your own. With the materials available to us, the possibilities are endless. And considering out medium, the possibilities are quite gorgeous as well. So get out there. Don’t be afraid to try something new, to learn a new technique, or to learn by watching others. Beading ideas come to us all in different ways. How you get yours is up to you. So go out there and bead! Talk to other beaders.

If you have ideas, leave a comment!! The best ideas come from each other. Beaders should support and inspire each other.

I know that I should be doing my featured Etsy sellers as well. I must admit I fell behind on that project. I already have my next seller in mind though, and I will either be doing a feature on them later this evening, or tomorrow morning.

:w