THIS BLOGGING LIFE...

I received a blog award yesterday which got me to thinking about this blogging life. Before I started a blog, I didn't even know what one was. I might have stumbled upon a few in my net surfing while researching different topics, but never thought much about how much a person's heart and soul is poured into it. Blogging is its own little world, a social network of people who link their lives through their daily writings that I had no idea existed. I think that's why we bloggers treasure your comments so much. We like to know that we are providing interesting, relevant content and most of all to be acknowledged that someone is actually reading it!

When I started selling my jewelry online, I kept hearing, "You need to start a blog to drive people to your shop and so they can get to know the artist behind the product". Well, since then I believe it has become more than that to me. I've met some wonderful people, some of them who faithfully read my blog and leave comments. I look forward to their posts and seeing what is going on in their lives. When I started, I vowed to never post pictures of my child, my husband or myself, and I haven't done much of it yet, but I may dare to venture into that territory just because all of the people I've met so far are so sincere.

Now, for the "Love ya "award. GinabeeCreations and Musings gave this to me saying that my blog is interesting to read, thanks Ginabee!

Now I'll pass it on to two fellow bloggers who have blogs that are a great read and always leave me with a smile on my face:

1. Sharla of Beaded Tail

2. Beki of Pampering Beki

One more thing...A Photo Meme:

A while back I was tagged with a photo meme by Beaded Tail and Sally's Cards. I was to go to the sixth picture folder and find the six picture. This is what I found and actually blogged about it before, but it's worth posting again. When I lived in Kansas City for a year and half, the weather really intrigued me and I frequently shot pictures of the sky. This was a day in June around 5 pm when all of a sudden a beautiful sunny day turned into a very nasty rain storm. You can read about it if you click here. This is one is a series of photos I took of the deteriorating weather.

Here's to happy blogging, whether you're a reader or a writer!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY, CATS & FINISHING PROJECTS

Today, since it's Motivational Monday I thought I'd show you a knitting project that I finally finished after 2 1/2 months! I finished steam blocking it yesterday and laid it out in the dining room to dry. This morning I went to take a photo of it for my post and surprise, surprise a naughty cat was sitting smack dab in the center of the table! Thanks Ace for making my photo more interesting. Now, shoo!

Here it is below, sans Cat, and the original photo from the book shown in blue. The pattern book is by Norah Gaughan Collection Vol.3 for Berrocco Yarns. I used Berocco Pure Merino which is so soft you wouldn't even think it is wool. I did make the sweater 2" longer than the pattern and had to resize it between a small and a medium because of my yarn tension but that's a whole other story (and why it took so long!).

And now, I'm going to sew on the buttons and wear it because look at what it's doing outside!

I know finishing a knitting project is not going to "save the world" but hopefully you'll be inspired to pick up something that you haven't quite got around to finishing yet.

Here's some quotes on Persistence:

B.G. Jett: "If the word quit is part of your vocabulary, then the word finish is likely not."

James Whitcomb Riley: " the most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come."

THINKING ABOUT SPRING

As the snow is gently falling outside and we are getting ready for Spring forward on our clocks tonight, something just doesn't seem right! It should feel like Spring! It's time to put our turtleneck and sweaters away and put on some short sleeves already.

In anticipation of warmer days ahead, I was inspired to incorporate leaves and flowery blooms into some new necklace designs. I noticed that I had three times as many earrings in my shop, Beadin By The Sea, as necklaces. I do sell more earrings online and a lot more necklaces in person. I'm still not sure why this is so, but I do know that I wear more necklaces in the spring and summer because I'm not so covered up.

Since I enjoy digital scrapbooking so much, I thought I'd share some new necklace designs I've been working on in a scrapbook page format. I'm still having fun fusing fine silver wire and since I have a fascination with leaves I've stamped them as well. All of these necklaces feature either a petal shape or some sort of leaf in my anticipation of warmer, greener and more flowery days ahead!

Enjoy the longer days, and Spring will be here before we know it!

FINGERPRINT FRIDAY

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post on the ups and downs of online selling. I'm not sure what prompted me to write it because I've been pretty happy with the way things are going lately in my online shops. Selling jewelry, helps me fulfill this "need" in me for creative expression.

My very wise sister in law wrote me an email in response to my post that had so much truth in it and made me think a little further about how creativity is God's Fingerprint.

The desire to create IS a God given passion. He gave ALL of us the freedom of expression and different talents for bringing ideas about as a tangible thing for the world to see. Wherever we look, there is evidence of this creative expression that God gave us. Some of us paint, write, dance, sculpt, sing, craft; I could go on and on. As creative people we feel so conceited to say, "I have a God-given talent" but really it is about bringing glory to our Creator when we use it. God's fingerprint is on all the creative work we do, not ours.

PS. This is a photo I took of my son, 8 years ago before the days of digital cameras. I forgot how cute he was and so creative. Wonder where he got that from ;)

So look around you and see where YOU can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Where do you see them?Thank you to Pampering Beki for hosting this each week! Everyone is welcome to join. To see how to join, as well as find links to other Fingerprint Friday posts, visit Pampering Beki's blog.

MAKING IT ALL WORTHWHILE

Just a quick thought today about selling online. As most online sellers will tell you, this sort of small business definitely has its ups and downs. A sale can come at any moment, anytime of the day and the only sign of it is a message in your inbox. How do you keep your emotions on an even keel when you may have a flurry of activity and then nothing?
There are days that you have a sale or two and you are ecstatic with excitement that someone actually likes your "stuff" enough to pay money for it. Then there are days when you think you may never sell another thing and you keep checking your shop to make sure it's not invisible and the worst part, start doubting your talent! How do you keep going when you are always on this roller coaster ride?

Here's how I handle it:

1. I've always had a need to create things since I was a small child. If I don't have a project going I feel like something is missing or "off". I will keep creating whether my jewelry sells or not. I love to explore different jewelry techniques and mediums and I'm always trying something new. The main reason I sell is because I just don't have enough arms, ears and necks to wear it all at once!
   
   
2. The second thing is Customer Feedback and this is a BIG deal for me. I usually fret when I send a package off, hoping that my customer will love it as much as I do. I was so excited last Monday, when my Etsy friend and talented jewelry artist, Shi, of Shijewels, loved the ring so much that I made for her, shown above, that she raved about it on her blog. You can read about it here. That one really made my day. And then, I found out that earrings I sold to a gal on Friday are going to be for her wedding. How cool is that? She even said she is going to send me a picture of herself with the earrings and the dress.

So that's it, that's what makes it all worthwhile for me. How about you?

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

I thought I'd let my cat Ace make another appearance today to show us what DETERMINATION looks like. No matter how many times I tell him "NO!" or place him back down on the floor he just can't get enough of trying to grab a bite of my yarn while I'm knitting. It gets to the point where I place myself in a very awkward position and then I wake up with a pain in my shoulder like I did this morning. I am so close to finishing my sweater I am DETERMINED to finish it no matter how much he torments me!

Ok, this is what finally GIVING UP looks like, thanks Ace!

Alexander Graham Bell:
What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists...and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want...and are fully determined not to quit until you get it.

Have a great Monday!