Hi!
I don't know about you but I find the sound of ocean waves very calming. I just put together a collection of jewelry by various designers on ArtFire that reminds me of the ocean...
So soothing all those beautiful shades of blue aren't they? Hopefully they'll soothe me right to sleep....time to go to bed :)
~ Debi
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
So, does "Murphy" follow you around, too?!?
Who's Murphy? Well, that's how I refer to Murphy's Law...ya know the whole everything-that-can-go-wrong-will thing... Murphy and I are on a first name basis. As a matter of fact I often feel like Murphy runs my life! And I reeeeeeally wish he'd go run someone else's...lol. I set up a couple tables of my jewelry last weekend at a prom dress sale being held to benefit the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. The event was hosted by my next-door-neighbor, Laura...who did a fabulous job and raised lots of money. She asked me to show my jewelry thinking the girls would find it helpful to choose jewelry to match their gowns when they bought them and could match the color. Well, they did and it went well. And, of course, I appreciated the invite :)
Well, once I was home and started carrying things downstairs to put them away, didn't I just stumble landing sideways on my foot. It hurt, but I figured I just twisted it and it would go away. Well, it didn't...it got worse...my foot ended up looking like a little balloon! It ends up that I sprained my ankle. Well, at least we hope that's all...my doctor sent me for x-rays to make sure there aren't any fractures! Damn Murphy...again!!
So, I'm curious...does Murphy follow you around, too? I hope not.
Well, once I was home and started carrying things downstairs to put them away, didn't I just stumble landing sideways on my foot. It hurt, but I figured I just twisted it and it would go away. Well, it didn't...it got worse...my foot ended up looking like a little balloon! It ends up that I sprained my ankle. Well, at least we hope that's all...my doctor sent me for x-rays to make sure there aren't any fractures! Damn Murphy...again!!
So, I'm curious...does Murphy follow you around, too? I hope not.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Why I Love Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads
I mentioned my addiction to lampwork glass beads the other day...well what an addiction it is! I don't dare tell you how many tackle boxes full of them are in my bead closet! These beads are handmade by glass artists and each one is a special little work of art. I absolutely love them and use them all the time, especially when I'm designing one-of-a-kind pieces. They're lovingly handmade one at a time by winding molten glass around a metal mandrel to form a bead and then decorating it. There are so many different glass types, glass colors, embellishement methods, etc. that the possibilities seem to be endless. I love looking to see all the newest ones, but then of course looking leads to buying...and buying...and buying. See how I ended up filling those boxes?!? It's so easy!
Well, I've been wanting to share information about these beads and the artists who create them and I've finally gotten around to it! I put up a page about Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads on my website. And I've started extending invitations to some of my favorite glass artists to come over and put up a page telling us about themselves and their work. I thought that would make things more interesting. Check 'em out! I think you'll enjoy them.
Two glass artists already have pages up...
Susan Elliot of Doodletart Glass who makes some of the most gorgeous hibiscus beads you'll ever find...
and
Kimberly Nicole of Bastille Bleu Lampwork whose beads are just beautiful and so much fun to work with...
I love hibiscus, flags and hearts so I can't even tell you how hard it was for me not to keep these for myself! I didn't though...I actually used these beads in a couple of my Jewelry for Charity pieces. That heart of Susan's was used in my Valentine Hearts for Haiti piece to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake via Yele Haiti...
and Nikki's awesome flag beads (from the set pictured above and another set she made) were used in my Fourth of July Fireworks in Honor of Those Who Serve piece to raise money for Soldiers' Angels...
I try to put their beautiful beads to good use! They spark my creativity that's for sure :) Thanks ladies!!
~ Debi
Well, I've been wanting to share information about these beads and the artists who create them and I've finally gotten around to it! I put up a page about Artisan Lampwork Glass Beads on my website. And I've started extending invitations to some of my favorite glass artists to come over and put up a page telling us about themselves and their work. I thought that would make things more interesting. Check 'em out! I think you'll enjoy them.
Two glass artists already have pages up...
Susan Elliot of Doodletart Glass who makes some of the most gorgeous hibiscus beads you'll ever find...
and
Kimberly Nicole of Bastille Bleu Lampwork whose beads are just beautiful and so much fun to work with...
I love hibiscus, flags and hearts so I can't even tell you how hard it was for me not to keep these for myself! I didn't though...I actually used these beads in a couple of my Jewelry for Charity pieces. That heart of Susan's was used in my Valentine Hearts for Haiti piece to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake via Yele Haiti...
and Nikki's awesome flag beads (from the set pictured above and another set she made) were used in my Fourth of July Fireworks in Honor of Those Who Serve piece to raise money for Soldiers' Angels...
I try to put their beautiful beads to good use! They spark my creativity that's for sure :) Thanks ladies!!
~ Debi
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Attention Fellow Artisans: Keep More Money for Yourself by Selling on ArtFire
Hello!
I want to share an important opportunity with other artisans today. Things are so tough for everyone in this economy, we need to make every penny count...and every penny does count.
So, I want to make sure that all you guys know about ArtFire. It's a marketplace for Hancrafted, Fine Art, Vintage, Design and Media items as well as Craft Supplies. It's like Etsy, actually a direct competitor. One of the reasons I chose ArtFire over Etsy was fees. For a low monthly fee you can sell an unlimited number of items on ArtFire. They don't charge you to list items, don't charge a fee when you sell items...they just don't nickel and dime you (hello eBay...hello Etsy).
I know that most artisans sell on Etsy. I have an account, but I just use it to buy from artists who only sell their products on Etsy...mostly lampwork glass artists (my addiction to lampwork glass beads is a whole huge topic for another day...lol).
Anyway, the buzz is that many people are unhappy with Etsy's fees and a host of other things. I can't verify the complaints because I don't sell there. However, I do want to let everyone know they have other options.
I've been happy with ArtFire and everything they offer. I have a Pro account with a "locked-in-for-life" rate (another great thing they do to save you money). I must say I've been very impressed with the ranking my items get at the search engines (another reason I chose them)...most of the time first page. And I get great exposure on TheFind thanks to ArtFire, too.
I know that it's not as well known as Etsy and eBay and most people may have never heard of ArtFire, but the more of us who sell there, the better it will get because the word will spread. Look into it, compare it to where you're selling now and maybe add it to the mix to try it out.
Right now they're having a promotion. You can Become an ArtFire Pro with this link and get your 3rd month free! If you use this link to sign up, I also get a free month AND until March 15th, whenever a new member referred by a current member (hence the tracking link) signs up for an account they're both entered in ArtFire's Share the Love contest to each win a Canon Rebel DSLR Camera!!!
So if you've been contemplating trying other selling venues, this would be a great time for you to try ArtFire.
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the various selling venues...and one I just recently heard about...Zibbet. If you have ideas or thoughts that you think would be helpful to others, please do share :) Thanx!
~ Debi
I want to share an important opportunity with other artisans today. Things are so tough for everyone in this economy, we need to make every penny count...and every penny does count.
So, I want to make sure that all you guys know about ArtFire. It's a marketplace for Hancrafted, Fine Art, Vintage, Design and Media items as well as Craft Supplies. It's like Etsy, actually a direct competitor. One of the reasons I chose ArtFire over Etsy was fees. For a low monthly fee you can sell an unlimited number of items on ArtFire. They don't charge you to list items, don't charge a fee when you sell items...they just don't nickel and dime you (hello eBay...hello Etsy).
I know that most artisans sell on Etsy. I have an account, but I just use it to buy from artists who only sell their products on Etsy...mostly lampwork glass artists (my addiction to lampwork glass beads is a whole huge topic for another day...lol).
Anyway, the buzz is that many people are unhappy with Etsy's fees and a host of other things. I can't verify the complaints because I don't sell there. However, I do want to let everyone know they have other options.
I've been happy with ArtFire and everything they offer. I have a Pro account with a "locked-in-for-life" rate (another great thing they do to save you money). I must say I've been very impressed with the ranking my items get at the search engines (another reason I chose them)...most of the time first page. And I get great exposure on TheFind thanks to ArtFire, too.
I know that it's not as well known as Etsy and eBay and most people may have never heard of ArtFire, but the more of us who sell there, the better it will get because the word will spread. Look into it, compare it to where you're selling now and maybe add it to the mix to try it out.
Right now they're having a promotion. You can Become an ArtFire Pro with this link and get your 3rd month free! If you use this link to sign up, I also get a free month AND until March 15th, whenever a new member referred by a current member (hence the tracking link) signs up for an account they're both entered in ArtFire's Share the Love contest to each win a Canon Rebel DSLR Camera!!!
So if you've been contemplating trying other selling venues, this would be a great time for you to try ArtFire.
I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the various selling venues...and one I just recently heard about...Zibbet. If you have ideas or thoughts that you think would be helpful to others, please do share :) Thanx!
~ Debi
Thursday, February 24, 2011
My First Squidoo Lens
Hello!!
Hope you're all having a good day. I published my first Squidoo Lens today!! I've been wanting to start writing lenses for quite awhile and never got around to it. Well, this morning...wide awake in the wee hours of the morning...lol...I decided to give it a shot. So I started my venture into lens writing by making my first lens about me...an introduction I guess...thought it was an appropriate place to start.
I figured I'd mention it here in case anyone is curious to learn a bit more about me and my company. Stop over and give it a read when you have some time... My First Squidoo Lens ~ Debi Auger ...and I hope you'll sign the guestbook I put at the end of it and introduce yourself :)
All the best,
Debi
Hope you're all having a good day. I published my first Squidoo Lens today!! I've been wanting to start writing lenses for quite awhile and never got around to it. Well, this morning...wide awake in the wee hours of the morning...lol...I decided to give it a shot. So I started my venture into lens writing by making my first lens about me...an introduction I guess...thought it was an appropriate place to start.
I figured I'd mention it here in case anyone is curious to learn a bit more about me and my company. Stop over and give it a read when you have some time... My First Squidoo Lens ~ Debi Auger ...and I hope you'll sign the guestbook I put at the end of it and introduce yourself :)
All the best,
Debi
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Loving You to Infinity Necklace Featured in Collection
My Loving You to Infinity Necklace has been featured in a Curated Collection by DustyPixiesCreations on ArtFire called "Curators." She chose items from the shops of each of the curators of her favorite collections. What a neat idea!
I don't usually do bead weaving, but the design just came to me so I went with it. That's one of the things about my jewelry... there's no particular "style" to it. I just let my artistic muse go and follow her wherever she takes me. The results are usually pretty good...LOL. I was happy with this one. Letting that pendant go though, not so much. It was made by Tom Heath of Sanctuary Glass and I had every intention of keeping that little work of art for myself! It's dichroic glass and the colors are amazing. Try as I might I could not get the beauty of this piece to come through in the photos. I think I took hundreds of them trying. Product photography...the thorn in my side. Ooooh, but that's a rant for another time :)
I don't usually do bead weaving, but the design just came to me so I went with it. That's one of the things about my jewelry... there's no particular "style" to it. I just let my artistic muse go and follow her wherever she takes me. The results are usually pretty good...LOL. I was happy with this one. Letting that pendant go though, not so much. It was made by Tom Heath of Sanctuary Glass and I had every intention of keeping that little work of art for myself! It's dichroic glass and the colors are amazing. Try as I might I could not get the beauty of this piece to come through in the photos. I think I took hundreds of them trying. Product photography...the thorn in my side. Ooooh, but that's a rant for another time :)
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