Poll Winner

Ok, the kids are already back to school which means it's time for me to announce the winner of our poll.

The listing that got the most votes is the bright colored bracelets by FriendlyBanter:

Congratulations, FriendlyBanter! Well done!!

And here is the prize you'll be receiving - my Tree of Life pendant. Enjoy!

Tutorial Sale

So I complained yesterday about how long it took me to make the Anemone Bracelet Tutorial. Well, hopefully the effort will pay off - I sold my first copy of it last night! I was so excited.. Today I changed the cover page on the listing because the one I had yesterday was kind of busy. Here is the new look:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14501486

Anemone Bracelet Tutorial

Had I known how much work that tutorial is going to be, I would probably not have done it! Taking all the pictures and formatting them right, and then writing the explanations was a pretty formidable task.. But it's over now. I did it! Finally!

Here it is:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14477962

And here are some preview pictures of it:

Back To School Contest

Ok, it's that time of the year again when the kids are going back to school and we have to get them ready. Some moms are veterans in that - they've done it for many a time. But it's my first time - my 5 year old is just starting kindergarten. It is a bittersweet feeling - looking at how she is gradually becoming more and more independent and feeling pride that my husband and I have brought this wonderful girl to this world is certainly very fulfilling. But it's kind of sad as well to think how quickly time flies..


Anyway, I should not to digress from my main idea. This idea came to me as I was browsing through the stores of gifted etsy sellers with the back-to-school theme in mind. I saw so many beautiful things that I felt compelled to show at least a small number of them on my blog and create a poll so people can vote for their favorite item (the items are clickable so you can actually go and browse the entire shop of a particular seller). The seller who gets the most votes would receive a small present from me - a version of my Tree of Life Pendant. Here it is:



And here are the beautiful pieces that I hand-picked. I know the voting will be hard:)

The poll will stay on the rightmost part of my blog. It's the honor system - you can vote for more than one item but only one vote per item please.

The voting will close on August 31, 11 pm EST.

So let the fun begin!!!

Taking pictures

I wonder if taking good pictures is a talent, like having superior math skills, or a beautiful voice, or what have you. And I am beginning to think that it is. I've struggled with taking pictures of my jewelry for about 2 months now. I really enjoy making the piece, I am enthusiastic, passionate about it and once it's done and I know I have to take some pictures, my enthusiasm kind of fades away.. And that is because I know I'm not going to be able to do justice to my creation.

Ok, my first pictures were awful - no question about that! I had to insert a text probably to say what was on the picture. Then I read a little bit here and there, actually opened the camera's manual (both mine and my husband's even though his was truly discouraging) and the quality went up a little bit. But it was still difficult to make them crisp, to let the light through if you know what I mean.

I made a light box only to find that I must have done something wrong because the pictures were even darker! I experimented with what not, I found out that I could not take a decent picture on a white background for the life of me, that fabric works better than paper as a background, that taking them inside (close to the window) works far better than outside, that I should have majored in Photography in school, etc.

Now, I've found a set-up that I believe is decent. My pictures are still far from magazine quality but at least I can live with them. And I don't dread the moment of taking them. So going back to the original question - is picture taking a talent - I believe yes. After many trials one finds a decent set-up but choosing that particular angle that will make your piece stand out and let the light through is something that you either have or you don't. Or at least that's what I believe - any takers?

My latest creation - Tree of Life Bracelet - check it out:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14080776

Wire Creations

I keep working on my wire animal collection. After the cat and elephant pieces, I came up with a snail drawing (have to admit it - my 5 year old's drawing books come in really handy those days:) . For the cat and the elephant, I first made the drawing on paper and then tried to replicate it with wire. I had to adjust the paper drawing the first few times until I got the proportions right. But for the snail, I thought confident enough to start with the wire right away. I made "something" and had to run it by someone at home to see what they thought. Now, my husband is a very patient guy but he has his limits:). My five-year old, however, is always happy to express an opinion. And she is quick too - sometimes she expresses one even if she hasn't been asked. This time though she had to think hard - evidently my snail was kinda of unconventional.. Finally she settled on a pig! So I figured I'd better start again. I made the drawing this time, adjusted it here and there and then replicated the design with wire. This time she was quick to say - snail! Here it is, my new snail bracelet, part of my wire creations series.

Check it out in my etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13992078

Been Busy

I've been really busy these days, I wanted to do so many things, I did not know where to start from. First, I wanted to redesign my etsy shop - I thought my banner was too lame, my pictures stink, no sales - all pretty discouraging. I also wanted to work on my wire animal collection, make a pair of earrings the design for which I've carried in my mind for a long time, play more with my kids - my 5-year old had her b-day this week, and my 2-year old is growing like a mushroom! Oh, and did I mention find the manual for my camera and start reading it - my pictures would always stink otherwise..

Well, I am still going down my list, but my elephant wire bracelet is ready and so are my earrings. Here, take a peek:

And my new earrings:

Now back to my list:)