Are you alone out there???

Ok there's so many people I saw and talked to and learned so many interesting things from this weekend, I just don't know where to start. It's like a huge fuzzy screened T.V. in my head. I hope that by tomorrow everything will be clearer so I can start focusing in on what needs to be done and what I want to do in correspondance with what I learned this weekend.

The biggest thing I learned this weekend?? No matter what you think, if you look a round a little bit there are people JUST LIKE YOU out there wondering if their the only ones that think the way you do, act the way you do or just plain are like memebers of a family you think you have lost along the way of life.

Tomorrow starts a brand new week with brand new goals. Make the up, list them out and see where you end up on Sunday next week. Maybe that's the best way to do it.

Don (my husband) thought he found a way to finally get a lot more house work out of me. I cleaned the kitchen up, cleaned the laundry room (our only door into the house right now) and the frontroom up a bit Friday. WHY cause we might have had company... Hmm Will it work??

Advertising anyone??

Tomorrow I get to go get some bricks and 4 inch pipe in order to create a storage area for my metal. WOO HOO that means it won't be all over the shop floor still too!! I might even be able to sneak in a can of paint to finish painting the walls. I am thinking as to if I could sneak in 2 can's of paint in order to start on the cabinet's when I get to it too (instead of putting it off till I can get paint sort of thing...)

I am really trying little by little to have things together and ready to open up the shop to classes Oct 1st. I figure by then the kids should all be in school, settled into a schedule so people will feel like they have the time to do it. I sure hope this isn't a pipe dream that never works out.

Once I am sure I can open doors October 1, it's all about making sure I have class outlines, class descriptions, supplies and all those things ready. Then it's update the webpage with current available classes and start figuring out where and how to advertise.

Last spring I have out 6 classes to be auctioned off or raffled off ( I think they were raffled before we in WA decided Raffles were gambling) and people were really excited and receptive.. How about NONE of them have followed through and used them. I had one of the ladies call and ask when she had to use it by, but haven't heard from her and that was like 6 months ago. Is that a common thing?? Why offer them up if no one follows through?? What are ways to do advertising that doesn't break your budget and are actually effective? I have watched my Mom do things that not one person has responded to so it's obviouse it was a waste of money.. I don't want to do the same. I guess it's off to the internet in a little bit to see if I do a search and find out any good tips..

How about you?? Are you maximizing your advertising dollars??

Don'tcha Wish Your Torch Was Hot Like Mine??

I saw my friend Holly post a new bead on Facebook.

Aren't the stringer contol on this amazing. I have 2 of her little bitty beads that people look at and the common comment is HOLY !!! how can she do that?? and it's on a Hot Head too. So she qualifies for the G-Force song quote "Dontcha wish your torch was hot like mine??"

You can check her out here

http://www.hollycooper.com/AvailableWork

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7282428

or even

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5268008

for further examples of her amazing work and if you like it don't put of getting it cause a lot of it's gone before you can click and pick....

People who drift for a reason

I have this lady I met several years ago.. We chatted a lot. She helped me get focus'd a bit at times etc..

You have people who drift into your life and make a major impact then because their job is done for whatever be the reason you suddenly realize you haven't spoken to them in ages. You still think about them a lot, just for one reason or another you haven't talked... But when you do talk to them again usually it's juts like the converstation picked back up after an hours drop rather than months..

I love to make friends I am always sad when I realize I have lost one. Recently though I have started to wonder if their really lost, or if its more like they had a brief brush with your life and created a new view, outlook or even perspective on their way to another point in their life.

I LOVE Teri's jewelry it always seems so cheerful and it suites her personality..

See more at http://www.terisallwasser.com/

I'm a picture saver how about you??

How many of you save pictures of stuff you like. You don't plan on recreating it, copying it or anything. You just feel good sometimes looking at it, or the color's grab you and say something special??

I do this all the time. I am sure that it's not legal in every sense of the word copy write, but I admit to doing it where as I am sure other's do not. I always save with the picture or try to at least who I downloaded the picture from so that I can refer back to them if I wanted to ask questions or something and at times I have..

Here's a prime example. I have always, always wanted one of JMC Art Glass's bracelets. I think she's stopped doing them though and what a pity and loss to the community... If I hadn't saved a photo some of my inspiration or what ever you want to call it would have been lost. I occasionally because I see the photo troll through eBay to see if she's put anything else back up.

I have been here http://www.glassartists.org/Gal3767_JMC_Glass_Art_Jewelry.asp

but I can't find anything showing she's done recent work. Which is sad. It's just goes to show that all that lovely art would be lost if I hadn't kept it. Do you think that's a good justification to keep such things?? LOL

I hope that mayhe this shows that there is another side of people keeping your photo's and NOT using them illegally to advertise their work, copy detail for detail your work to sell on their own, and all those other sleezy actions that can happen due to it. One of the reasons I love the ability to blog now is that if I find people's work I like and I show you all here??? Now I have a photo link to it and the weblink to contact them via again..

I am wondering though due to a converstaion I recently saw, how artists feel about their work being linked to or what ever in blogs. Do they all think any advertising is good advertisting and are they flattered to no end that something of theirs, so tickled someone else that they felt the need to share it with anyone who might look??