Review of My New Website made on WIX.com

Flashy. But it doesn’t work. I am telling you now, stay away from WIX!!! What a load of crap!!! An E-commerce sight with no inventory control. I sold the same bead twice today. Problem is, there is only 1 of them. I just called WIX. They said there is no inventory management system on WIX right now, but they are working on it. REALLY????? So, what happens when someone buys a product? It stays there until you remove it manually. So, I either babysit the site or close it down. So much for my exciting new web store. I’m leaving the site up, but closing down the shop part. 4 days of migraines and frustration……and a paid premium for an E-Commerce website. Don’t make my mistake!!!!!

TGIF!!!!

Lord, I love Fridays!!!  Heads up readers!!!  I have some VERY exciting BIG changes coming soon!!!!!  I am launching a brand new website, with a STORE!!!!!!  And it’s really pretty, I like it A Lot!!!  Of course, there will be a sale to launch the new site.  That’s why I haven’t listed any new glass on Etsy.  Be patient, a few more days!  Everything is still on sale in the Etsy shop at 20% off with the coupon code “SPRING”.  And it’s almost time to draw a winner for The Bead of The Month!!!!  Stay tuned!!!!!

Technology is not my thing!!!

Hello again.  If anyone ever wonders why I am not very diligent about writing, updating, etc…allow me to explain.  I HATE the computer.  Plain and simple.  And it Hates me, too.  It takes me ALL Day to make changes to my blog and website, and I still don’t understand Facebook.  But even worse, after all day, half a bottle of Excedrin and more frustration than I can stand, whatever I think I have accomplished, seems to undue itself in the next few days.  Let me give you some examples.  My etsy widget, that use to be on the right side of the very page you’re reading.  Took me half a day of research to find how to write the script and install it.  Some days it’s there, most days it’s not.  Same as my homepage on the website.  And without the Etsy flash, my poor website looks like poop.  And my Welcome page on Facebook.  And I PAID for that.    It seems to me to be a full time job just to keep the stuff all working and looking right.  And, as I said, even when I pay a “professional”, it doesn’t seem to work, so I just give up.  And there was a point in time when I could post my blog to Facebook.  But it doesn’t work anymore, either, boo-hoo.  If anyone reading this has any help or advice to offer, please don’t hesitate to jump in and give me some tips!!!!

I did a wonderful show last weekend at the Adam Thoroughgood House.  It was a really nice little venue, I LOVED it.  The only drawback was being under a magnificent tree, that was filled with some type of little ants that ate me up.  I am COVERED in bites and now Calamine lotion.  I look like a pasty pink Alien.  But it was really a good show and I would happily do it again next year(but would be armed with several cans of Off!) .  Everything in the shop is on sale now, 20% off with coupon code ‘SPRING”.  I am not going to be listing anything new this week, I am using the time to play catch up, try and iron out the kinks in all my web pages, work on some custom orders and get back on track.  My yard and garden are done, greenhouse is empty and I am sort off caught up on all my dogs.  My Snow Bird Babies are back on the books for May, and my Grooming shop is re-modeled, re-stocked and I am really loving that!!  The new floor is amazing and my hubby even custom made new iron gates and they are really sweet!  Ok, I’m off to try and work on widgets, pages and flash, wish me luck!!!

Pandora Infringement Post Update

I am still amazed by the number of contacts and questions I still keep getting in regards to this subject!!! But I really need to put this out there to save some trouble for everyone….if you are on Etsy, a handmade marketplace, selling mass produced chinese glass beads….I am not going to help you. In fact, I am going to try and do everything I can to get you booted. Please, give me break. Seriously????? There is a place and a market for everything. Try Ebay. But when you are dishonestly listing toxic trash for 3.99 as handmade in direct competition to me, I really have no desire to answer your questions or offer you any help. That really should come as no surprise, c’mon, give me a break. I have no issue with mass produced beads, really. They have a market, as long as the consumer is aware, and looking for that. But not listed as handmade on Etsy. I make beads, by hand, in the flame of a 2000 degree torch. I can tell the difference, believe me. It’s like McDonald’s and Prime Rib. Can you tell the difference? So, for all the ignored, unapproved comments and questions….there’s your sign.

First Craft Show Spring 2012!! Saturday, March 31st, Cox High School!!

Hooray!  I’m excited!  Shows are always fun, and this one will be great.  It’s at Cox High School in Va Beach on Great Neck Road.  It’s from 9-3, so any one who’s local, c’mon out!!!  I am booked for several this year, I’ll post those later.  I have been making … are you ready???  Garden Art.  Gnomies for my Homies.  Seriously.  My friend saw my plant stakes I got at Target and loved them, so I wanted to get some for her, but they were sold out.  Little Gnomes and Mushrooms.  Well, it’s said that Necessity is the mother of invention and it’s true.  They’re great, I’m gonna see how they go over at the show tommorow and then I might put some in my shop!!!  Gotta go get ready!

Not Enough Time in a Day!

I often wish there were 2 of me, or maybe 3, lol.  I’m not sure the world could handle it, but it sure would make my life easier!  Spring has sprung in the grooming world, which means fur babies are coming out of my ears!!!  Dogs I haven’t seen in MONTHS are suddenly desperate for an appointment.  I hate telling people no, so it’s kinda a ruff time for me.  My book is full with regular customers, and I am not taking on new clients, and if you are not on my books, you are not getting an appointment.  I’m just not answering the phone anymore, lol. And bless my hubby’s heart, he has decided I needed a new floor in my grooming shop.  It’s actually amazing, it’s an industrial non-slip cushioned “tile” of sorts.  I LOVE it.  However, it takes the right “conditions” to be installed.  No rain, low humidity, etc, so the adhesive sets up.  He decided this weekend is perfect.  Oh my goodness.  I am traumatized right now.  I just watched my hydraulic table get carted outside.  OUTSIDE.  Lord, help him.  I have a strange attachment to my very expensive equipment.  Not to mention a very full work week coming up.  Thankfully, I’m off on Monday.  If all doesn’t go as planned, I’ll be off on Tuesday as well, oh-oh.  Bright side, more time for the torch!  I have been experimenting, which is fun, but leaves me with a lot of interesting beads not really fit for my shop.  Some great things have come out of it though.  Some neat reactions with silver glass, some new designs.  I love the spring and summer color palette! Speaking of Spring, it’s also time for yard work.  My greenhouse is over-flowing and the occupants are begging to be free from their winter prison. And it’s time to commit Crepe Murder.  That is a fond description of what I do every year to my Crepe Myrtle trees, lol.  I think today might be that day, actually.  Geez, Spring Ahead, I lost an hour.  Spring has Sprung, watch out Myrtles, I’m coming for ya!!!

Etsy Malfunction, Just Contact Me For Purchase

Geez, I have taken my shop off of vacation mode 19 times today.  As usual, Administration is completely inept and downright rude.   On the bright side, thank you to the customers devoted enough to email me with your purchases! If anyone has any problems on Etsy making a purchase, please just email me and I will either invoice you thru Propay or you can pay me directly thru Paypal.  As of now, the Etsy Gallery view on my website home page still shows everything available, even when the shop goes down.  Ah, the final push to just load it all to my website and install the cart.  Believe me when I tell you, it is now a definite project in the works.  These strange events led me to the “help forums” on Etsy most of the evening and on one such trip, I strolled thru some of the older posts I had made.  As almost everyone knows, I am outspoken and generally say what I feel is the truth, regardless.  I then usually leave and go about my business(oh, you know, making beads, grooming dogs, packing and mailing SALES, lol). And it came to my attention that some view this as a “flounce”.  And then, unbeknownst to me(cuz I’m busy and not a board lizard) take the opportunity to say some really ridiculous things.  Unfortunately, months later is just not the time to respond. Ahh, but really no response is needed.  After clicking on their profiles and shops, and viewing the stats, well.  All I can say is Sales Much?    Lounging lizards don’t seem to make many!

There’s No Place Like Home!!!!

I am so glad to be home!  New Orleans is a beautiful city, but a little off the chain during Mardi Gras.  I think my choice in traveling companions had a lot to do with that, too.  I didn’t see nearly as much of the nice stuff as I wanted to, and way too much of Bourbon Street. I resigned myself to coming back when I turned around to see my friend knee deep in God knows what in the trash in the gutter rummaging for yet more beads.  UGH!  How Gross.   I thought we had a deal to only hit drunk alley once, but I guess the lure of cheap, liquid crack was too much for her.  Anyhoo, the French Quarter is amazing.  I bought handmade pralines, masks, and some art work in Jackson Square.  And of course, jewelry!  I bought a gorgeous sterling silver Fleur de Lis on Decatur Street (handmade, of course!)  The lady who made it loved my bracelet and when I told her I made the glass, she freaked out!  She wants to sell my beads in her store.  How cool is that?  I’m pretty excited about that, and can’t wait to get that going.  The Parades were neat, but you had to really be on guard for flying beads.  I got wacked a time or 2 because I was more interested in taking photos than trying to catch.  I got jiggy with it and put the camera up.  I can’t wait to go back and see more of the good stuff.  I really want to visit Metarie and the cemeteries there.  I saw them from the interstate and they are absolutely amazing.  I met a really nice film guy(director? sorry Phil, lol) Philip Braun, who’s from there and he gave me lot’s of good advice on where to go when I make it back.  I tried to post to Facebook a few times, but Sprint really sucks, they have absolutely no coverage, and that’s a fact.  Even on the interstates, it went in and out.  I suppose if you live in a metropolitan area and never plan to leave the city limits, they might be ok, but other than that, you’re gonna be screwed, atleast with 3G coverage.  At one point, we were in BFE on our way to Baton Rouge and the GPS Navigator politely says “Navigation failed, you’ve lost service” and went black.  That was fun. Really.  Extra fun because the person behind the wheel(NOT ME) was sucking on a 32 oz “go-cup” daiquiri that she snagged from a drive thru on the way.  Yippee.  What an adventure.  I’m glad to be home, safe, sound and back at the torch!!!!

Off to New Orleans!!

O My Goodness.  There is never enough time in a day, a week ,a month, even.  The past week has been so chaotic.  Trying to take a break around here is almost not worth all the struggle.  I am leaving 4 poor helpless creatures behind.  A man-child, a girl-child and 2 fur babies.  All 4 of which I do EVERYTHING for.  So… I had to water all the plants, get all the laundry done, get all the bills out,  plan 10 days worth of frozen meals, leave sticky notes everywhere reminding the man-child to feed and water my fur-babies and give Jax his joint pills every morning with cheese.  I am actually having a really hard time leaving my Jax.  Geez, I’m about to cry just typing this.  He’s 10 and I feel like our time may be shorter than it once was and every single second is precious.  Crap, now I don’t want to go.  Ugh!  Too late, I’m packed and committed.  My girlfriend would never forgive me.   She’d be calling me from Bourbon Street, “help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up, lol!”  I’m taking the laptop so I can video chat with my dog ( and my child and husband, of course) and I will try and post some photos to Facebook while I’m there.  I’m actually already having torch withdrawals, I just want to sit down, relax and make some beads.  I already made some super sweet frogs and a few other cute things that are ready to post in the shop when I return.  Yippee, it’s almost Spring, I love Spring and Summer beads!!!!

 

Surprise Sale!!! Get The Code!!!

One week only! How about 25% off everything in my shop!! It’s from now, Wednesday the 8th, through Tuesday the 14th. This will not include any custom orders. I am going to New Orleans and the shop will be closed from Feb 15th until the 25th. I considered leaving it open and letting the Hubby ship, but……ummmm….No. I think we are all safer if I just put it on vacation! I will post a public code on the shop, but for you guys, use coupon code ” MARDIGRAS25″. Well, I have been really busy with some neat new items, mainly the interchangeable cabochons. You can use them on a ring or a pendant. The system is really neat! I am not stocking the base products as of now, but I can easily direct you on where to purchase or even order one for you. They are very affordable and come in stainless steel or sterling silver. My ring is stainless, I got it last year in Germany. Yep, America’s behind, this stuff has been hot in Europe for a while! The system they use is called Sunset Blvd and also Rico Designs. The possibilities are endless! Okey Dokey, that’s all for now- it’s time for me to help some Fur Babies get their groom on!!