Friday, July 17, 2009
Our web store is still not live :( and we're hoping to get it open by the end of the month. In the meantime, Twitter followers can still get their discount on any item in our Esty Shop or our Artfire Studio.
Please let us know how you feel, what you like, what you dislike. We really need feedback from our customers and would like to make a piece specially for you.
Monday, July 6, 2009
I'm lucky enough to have a new sister-in-law who just started her residency in Radiology on Monday. Amma and my brother, Noel, came down to Florida for a visit for this 4th of July weekend. They live up in Boston and I'm lucky if I get to see them once a year if that much. I wanted to give her something special so I created a design inspired by their love. I've always liked the different "Tree of Life" pendants out there and decided to try my hand at making a pair of earrings. I call them Tree Heart because I used beautiful green and pink Tourmaline, the colors of the heart chakra.
Tourmalines are gems with an incomparable variety of colors. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the center of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all of it's colors and that is why it is still referred to as the 'gemstone of the rainbow' today. It is available in a wide variety of colors
Bi-colored and multicoloured tourmalines may be green at one end and pink at the other, watermelon tourmalines are green on the outside and pink on the inside. Some stones are dichroic meaning they appear to change color when viewed from different angles.
Tourmaline is believed to strengthen the body and spirit, especially the nervous system, blood, and lymphs, and enhance flexibility, happiness, objectivity, compassion, serenity, balance, positive transformation, healing, strength, tolerance, love, spirituality, joy, peace, and understanding. It is also thought to inspire creativity and was used extensively as a talisman by artists and writers.
The Heart Chakra is the center from which feelings of love emanate. It is also associated with other virtuous emotions, such as joy, happiness, honesty, respect, compassion, understanding, and generosity, and with loving oneself in a sincere, non-egotistic way. This is also the chakra through which we connect with others whom we love or have affection towards. Once forged, these links are very hard to break, which is why people suffer so much through the break-up of a relationship or the loss of a loved one.
I used a 20mm sterling silver square wire ring and tiny tourmaline chips. These aren't the most perfect earrings I've ever made but I love 'em. Wish I were a better photographer. I'll just have to make another pair and maybe I can get a better photo. Please, tell me what you think.
Miki
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Blogging isn't easy when you're not used to it. I think I'm too stiff and need to loosen up a bit. So I'm going to do something that seems against all the marketing rules, but to me, means community and sharing. I'm going to tell you about a wonderful designer I found. Theresa aka Studio618 started following me on Twitter, and, as I do when anyone starts to follow me, I check out their Twitter page too.. which led me to her blog, which led me to her Etsy and Artfire shops. Viewing her designs and reading her wonderful blog, I could only wish to achieve her ability with metals, wire, beads and stones. These are some of the most breathtaking designs I've seen and I am honored that she thinks me worthy of following. Not that I tweet about anything more than my upcoming webstore opening. LOL But I think many of you would be well served to take a looksee at what a wonderful artisan this woman is.
I can only aspire to such talent and will keep working hard to increase my knowledge and skills. It's such a joy to make jewelry. Definitely satisfying and I am so glad to be a part of such a large community of talented women.
Miki
Well, our Grand Opening for our online shop is scheduled for this 4th of July weekend. Let me tell you it's been a hectic month here. First with finding the right web designer who can not only design the website but program the shopping cart, help with marketing and all the other stuff involved with getting a presence on the Internet. It's not easy. But a little bit fun. I found a wonder, wonderful designer and knowledgeable marketer in Delia Cumming of AKMWebCo.com. She has a ton of patience and actually listens! I love her logo design for us, though it may need a bit more tweaking. Still, I realize now how hard it is to program and design a website for someone else.
I haven't been designing or making much jewelry this month either. Just trying to get good photos and get as much inventory put online as possible is taking up a lot of time. I will be adding more and more this entire month, but not quickly. I still have the Etsy shop and Artfire studio and will maintain them for those who like to wander. If you find anything on either of the shops that's already sold, please email me and I'll be happy to provide a custom piece for you if possible.
So get ready for something to happen. Right now just what that is, is anyone's guess. {chuckle}
Miki
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I've started a web ring at WebRing® for Chainmaille Artisans. Anyone who has a current and active website or blog is welcome to join. Doesn't matter if you're a professional or hobbyist, Web rings help us promote each other, share interesting new sites related to this passion and keeps the Internet turning. LOL
To join, simple go over to WebRing® or copy and paste http://www.webring.com/hub?ring=chainmailleartis into your browser. Then click on Join This Community in the upper right. Log in, follow directions for placing the navbar on your website or blog and approval should be forthcoming within 24 hours. Don't forget, you must place the navbar code into your website or blog or you won't be approved.
I hope to see many people joining me. And I promise to maintain this ring by making sure everyone keeps their site up and the navbar properly listed. I hate it when a web ring stalls. :)
Miki
07-02-09 Update: After promising to maintain this ring by making sure everyone keeps their navbar up and properly listed, here I go and screw it up during the makeover. I'm temporarily suspended myself from the ring and hope it'll be back up and running this weekend. Apparently, though, the page spewing forth validation errors because of the WebRing code.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Is there such a thing as a "perfect" web designer? I'm not sure, but perhaps we can come close. I've been looking for someone to re-design my website and blog, put up a shopping cart on my site and help me with SEO, search engine optiminzation. So, I found DesignQuote.net. There I listed my requirements, what I expect and my budget, which isn't very high. I really didn't expect much but imagine my surprise when I got 7 responses within 3 days!
So, I spent the next week or so talking to web designers. Many of whom insisted that I host on their servers. Those were eliminated immediately since I already have a host server and am not looking to change right now. Others were wonderful graphic designers, but didn't have the programming skills I needed to include my shopping cart. I'm good with graphics myself and am really just looking for someone to make my pages have style and consistency... my style, not theirs. As a jewelry designer and artist, I'm drawn to certain designs.
Some people had more experience in one area than another. Some tried to be everything to everybody. I found a wonderful woman I feel comfortable with and now, Delia of AKMWebCo, and I will work on getting my website looking pretty, easy to navigate, eCommerce plugged in and, this blog seamlessly integrated. At least that is my hope.
So, stay with me through this process and find out the ups and downs of working with a designer. With luck, I'll be able to have time to make more jewelry and photograph it as well.
Miki
