Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

We've all heard the old saying, "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained." Today, I'm repeating it to myself because I have scary butterflies in my stomach about a new line of jewelry I'm determined to pursue.

While I'm scared, I'm also excited. Why? My mother taught me to sew at a young age. First, I learned to sew hems with a needle and thread. Then Mom was actually brave enough to set me in front of a sewing machine. I fell in love with needles and thread, fabrics and scissors way back then and while I put this love on the back burner for several years, it's been poking my conscious mind for quite a while now and finally I am listening.

My sister from South Dakota makes beautiful quilts. While visiting my family there recently I went with her to her quilt group and a fellow quilter had some beautiful batik fabrics for sale. Well, how could I resist? She also gave away some awesome quilting magazines where I saw true art created from fabric, beads and buttons. My imagination took over and the next thing I knew I was designing jewelry made from fabric, beads and buttons!

Here is the first fabric cuff I've created. I call it Nostalgia. Not only has it brought back so many fond memories, it's inspired me to get out the sewing machine once again. I hope it's the first of many new fabric creations. My sister gave me the beautiful vintage button.




So I've come full circle (funny how that happens in life)! To be able to create with fabric, beads and buttons - it doesn't get much better than that. I'm so thankful for the gifts God has given me and for the ability and opportunity to use them!

Obsessed with Cuffs

If you are a bracelet lover, you'll enjoy checking out the fashion blog by Terry Mulligan, an owner of two shops on Etsy, who did a series of posts on cuffs on her fashion blog. My Striped Rose Cuff was featured in Part IV of her series.

Terry has two shops on Etsy. Her Raw Leather Gallery Shop features handcrafted items cut from raw leather from Italy. Here are two items from her shop. The first is a genuine python leather cuff she made and the second is a pair of striking geometric shaped leather earrings.



Her other shop on Etsy is called Original Treasures and features art and handmade treasures in many different mediums.

Thanks, Terry, for your kind gesture in featuring my cuff in with so many other unique and beautiful cuffs.

All My Time is Spent on the Computer!!

It seems like my designing and creating time has taken a backseat to working on the computer these past few weeks. But I did accomplish a lot!

I opened a second Etsy Shop for all my non-beaded creations called "Dangles By Linda." You can look at it by clicking here. I have lots of work to do yet taking pictures and uploading all the info to the site.

I also opened a website on eCRATER (it's free!) and you can look at my pages by clicking here. Again, lots of work yet to be done, but it's a start.

I also signed up for Google Checkout. I've always (and still do) use PayPal, but didn't think adding another option would be a bad thing.

I spent time yesterday in one of the Virtual Labs on Etsy. Chatted with lots of fellow Etsians, got questions answered by an Esty person, and learned how to fling hearts and paper airplanes across the virtual room. I also learned how to do "show and tell" in the virtual lab.

I learned how to do an Etsy-mini and posted it here on my blog. I also learned more about widgets and how to add them to my sites. I also learned how to add a picture of one of my products to Google Base (don't ask).

I did get one more bracelet finished (I know, I said I needed to stop making bracelets and work on my challenge piece). You can find a picture of it here.

I have made a promise to myself that tomorrow is going to be spent on creating - no more computer work! My husband is off on a fishing trip to Mexico, so I can really make a mess!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Stay Safe.