Wonder Woman

I've been wearing my cuff bracelet all week, I put it on whenever I need to feel like Wonder Woman. Jewelry can have that effect, can't it? It can give the wearer an extra dose of inner calm, strength, a reminder that we are not alone in the world but connected to many others.

My mom taught me how to bead embroider a few years ago. Mine is on the left, her design is on the right. It's fun to see how different the same beads behave under the direction of two artists.

Feeling a little better today. We packed up a major pile of orders. Maybe it was the bracelet! Now, if only I could find my invisible jet.

Uncle!

There is only so much stress one can handle in a week and I think I've reached my quota! So many behind the scenes things to deal with and finish. I have 7 days until I leave for New Orleans. I'm trying to think of fun things like bead shopping, dinner in the French Quarter, a week with my beloved mom and auntie. Meeting new/old friends, visiting tropical beaches, getting dressed up for dinner, having someone make my bed and clean my room each day. Come on, that has to be the best part of the whole trip. A whole week of beads, friends and all sorts of pampering. It's much nicer to focus on those things and not my ever-growing list of tasks.

So I have decided tomorrow is the last day for orders from my etsy shop. With the help of my assistant I plan to have all orders shipped by Monday. And then I can focus on work to take on the cruise, preparing for my classes and actually enjoying a few relaxing evenings with my family before I run off to parts unknown.

I wish I could pack you all up in my suitcase and bring you along for the fun!

Shop Update

Just thought I'd post a little update about my shops. Humblebeads.com is officially closed now until March 9th. So now I just need to work through the mountain of orders as quickly as possible, thank goodness for my speedy new assistant!

For those who need Humblebeads, you have until February 24th to shop in my Etsy shop. As items sell out though I will not be relisting them until I return. So once they are gone, that's is it for now. I added a few extra sets to the shop of beads I have here in the studio. Including some of the very popular disk sets that are on the new cover of Stringing and matching lentil beads.

And once I am gone, you can also order online at Bello Modo. They carry a small stock of Humblebeads, if you can't wait until I return! Pam ships super fast and offers free shipping.

10 days until I leave. A sense of panic and pure joy swarm in my head!

Blogging Tips, Part 2

So once you have your blog set up, what next?

Keep your blog posts short and sweet to start out.

Make 5 posts before you start spreading the word and asking people to stop by your blog. This is called a launch and you should have something for readers to come see before you launch your blog into the world.

You can also invite your friends and family to view your new blog after those first 5 introductory posts. Someone sent me an invite to their new blog the other day, it was very sweet.

After you have those 5 posts on your blog, leave thoughtful and heartfelt comments on 5 different blogs a day for the first week. Comments are the best part of blogging, blogging is more enjoyable when it's interactive! This is the best way to have new readers visit your blog.

Do you know it's a faux pas to ask other bloggers to add you to their blog roll? The best thing is to leave comments and if they like your blog, they will add you. If you like a blog and read it daily, add it to your blog roll.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself when you start blogging. First, no one is reading it when you start out, so don't stress! And you'll learn more tips and tricks as you go along, don't expect to be an expert before you publish your first post. The most important thing is to get into the habit of posting regularly.

A great example is new blogger, Marcia Decoster. She keeps her posts short, filled with eye-candy photos, inspiration and a peek into her creative world. Everything I look for in a good blog! She has even kept up with it despite a busy traveling schedule.

For more tips and inspiration pick up a copy of Artful Blogging.

Here was my first blog post, a to-do list. Which is funny, because my current to-do list is almost the same. Ah, the pre-Bead Cruise flurry of tasks!

Blogging Tips, Part 1

My interview in the upcoming issue of Stringing is all about blogging. You'll have to wait and read it for some tips on writing a successful blog. I've had a few people ask, how do I start a blog, so I thought I'd share some basic tips.

Go to blogger.com. There is a big orange button that says "create a blog". Follow along the simple steps to have your blog up and running in minutes. There is also a tour and videos you can watch on creating your blog. Don't worry about any techie stuff right now, just opt for the basic settings.

Some things to think about:

Your blog name - keep it short and simple. If you have a business already, use that name or something close to it.

A tag line - this can help you keep your content on track and let's your reader know what they can expect to find on your blog. My tag line for this blog is: "Art beads, jewelry-making and handcrafting a business." And that pretty much sums up every post you'll find on here. For the Art Bead Scene our tag is "Celebrating art beads, inspiring those who use them." Again, helps to keep us focused on what we write about each day.

Banner - that's the image along the top of your blog. You can do a simple text banner, using the blogger template. You can create one with photo editing software or you can purchase one from a designer. I like the ones created by Thompson Designs. A banner is like a welcome mat, it can instantly let your readers know a little bit about your style.

Design - keep your blog easy to read, like black on a light background or a black background, with white text. Don't add anything with animation or sound, this will slow down your blog and isn't appreciated by readers. You can add a fancy background later or change the color or your blog border for a little flair.

A word of warning about ads, you can have ads from google ads, project wonderful and other sources added to you blog. Make sure if you go that route, you have more content than ads. I don't visit blogs to read ads, I visit them for inspiration!

Join me tomorrow for tips on those first few posts.