Back to Life

Although my candle will shine until Nicholas comes home, it's time to get back to my hum-drum life. My thoughts and hope continue to be with Christine and her family. I still have the section set up in my shop for donations for her (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5491644&section_id=5326560). But, I've been disheartened by everything that's transpired through the search.

Persons on Etsy started to collect donations innocently enough. There were support threads and donation promo threads. Then the nastiness started. People started reading and posting on outside forums. Then, the Etsy community got bashed. It got ugly. Let's leave it at that.

Unfortunately, the bashing back and forth has left a really bad taste in my mouth for humanity. In a time of tragedy, instead of banding together, it pulled people apart. It left a lot of bad feelings in a good online community. Some even left that community because of it.

I have decided to rise above the animosity and continue to try to build my business on Etsy. I still hang out in the Etc. forum and try to have a good time. Usually, I do. And, usually, I have. I have made some friends on Etsy and I'd like to continue to foster those friendships. These people make me laugh. They make me feel welcome.

So, this will be my last blog entry regarding Nicholas and Christine; unless, of course, he comes home. From here on out, I will continue with my list of shops to feature. I will post entries about the various projects I'm working on. I'll even post about my boring little life once in a while. The Princess will be going to school in the fall, so that should yield some exciting ditties to blog about! :-)

Still Looking For Nicholas...

There is tons of support flying on Etsy. If you just go to http://www.etsy.com/ and do a search for "Christine", you will bring up over 100 items that the sales are being donated in her name.

I just wanted to post another picture...the picture of Nicholas' missing flyer. It has some important contact info on it.

Bringing Back Nicholas Francisco!

I have a heavy heart as I write this. A fellow Etsian's husband has been missing since Wednesday, February 13, 2008 from the Seattle area. I don't know this person from Eve, but since she is part of the Etsy community, I feel as though I have no choice but to write about it to get the word out as much as possible.


Many members of Etsy have started several prayer/positive energy/hope forum threads in the hopes that Nicholas will be found safe.


Nicholas and his wife, Christine, along with the two and-a-half children (she is pregnant with their third) live in Queen Anne, Washington, which is just outside of Seattle on the Puget Sound. He was last seen leaving his job in Sea-Tac; his destination was home.


Authorities have since found his car in Federal Way, Washington, about 30-45 minutes away from his home. They have impounded the car and have a lead, but no other information is available. Volunteer search teams have been pounding the pavement posting flyers, getting the word out and searching for Nicholas. They got another team together within a couple of hours and started their search all over in Federal Way.


For more updates, please go to this thread in Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5475232&page=1/. There are more updates on the local news stations at http://www.komotv.com/news/ and http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/. There is also a website dedicated to the search efforts at http://mailpen.net/.


I have dedicated an entire section in my shop for sales to be donated to the family at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5491644&section_id=5326560. There are also two entire threads for shops donating at http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5473832&page=1 and http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5474521. An account just for donations is being set up tomorrow at a local bank.


Please keep Christine and her family in your hearts and hope for a safe return home for Nicholas.

Curly Girl Glass Jewelry

OK. So...since we've been having laptop problems, I kinda lost the list of features that I had before. I reposted looking for shops and little did I know, I got some really neat and unusual ones! Same rules applied as the first post: whoever posted first got featured first and so on.

Curly Girl Glass Jewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5018068


Talk about a variety of really neat jewelry! She has something to adorn everything from ears to fingers. And each item is so unique!

Judi started enjoying art as a child. She followed this love throughout her life as she achieved a BFA degree in painting and drawing from the Tyler School of Art. She has made a living of being a graphic artist and illustrator. She has also done work with environmental matters. She started selling her artwork first in middle school beginning with hand-painted T-shirts, worked up to paintings, photographs and illustrations and landed on Etsy in December of 2006.

I've perused Judi's shop for some interesting pieces to showcase here. But, I ran into a problem in doing so; all the pieces she has are interesting! How do you choose just a few so as not to take up all the space on Blogspot?! After much thought, these are some I felt were good for here. I'll just tempt you to visiting her shop and showcase one of each of her jewelry categories...


<----- Naked Flourish Earrings http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9540323

It Could Have Been Necklace

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8953184

<-------

Ring Toss Bracelet Charcoal
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8755219

------->
Bright Star Bright Ring

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8644809

New Banner!

As I was perusing through the forums on Etsy one night, I saw a thread for a shop critique. It seems as though a fellow Etsian was offering her insight into helping others with their shops. So, always looking to better my look, I popped in, posted an offering and got critiqued.

One of the things she said was to shorten my shop announcement; put my payment and shipping terms into my profile and direct potential buyers there. Another was the banner of my shop.

I had just done a quick and free banner so that my shop had some kind of presence. I'll admit that it was pretty, but did nothing for my shop. It had no pizaze. It had no correlation to the items in my shop. I needed something edgier. Something that stood out more.

So, she offered to make me one.

Here is the design and the colors she gave me:

I'm using the pink one right now for my shop on Etsy. Check it out! http://www.jerz.etsy.com/


So, now if I may, I'd like to introduce you all to Bostonbaglady. Her name is Sandy and her Etsy shop is http://www.bostonbaglady.etsy.com/. She sells her vintage bags through Etsy. To find her graphic artistry, check her here: http://www.artgirlsrock.com/.

I can tell you that Sandy is a wonderful person! We had many great converstations while she worked on this project for me. We talked about familiar areas to both of us, our families, jobs, whatever. She's from the Boston area so that gave us a bit of a kinship.

I am so grateful to Sandy for making these beautiful banners for me! I'm going to use one on my business cards and will also put a small shout-out to her on the cards to let everyone know what a great artist she is!

So, please, show Sandy some love by visiting her Etsy store and her website. Who knows, maybe she has just what you're looking for!

Light Box!

So, my step-sis gave me a Michael's gift card for my birthday. Got a few beads (cuz I know I don't have enough) and got the foam board to create my light box.

I had seen that light boxes help make great pictures, so I added one to the mental wish list. Especially after I saw the prices of them. Having one quickly went to the bottom of the wish list.

Fast forward a year. I decided to bring the idea back to the forefront. Googled light boxes and found a website that gave instructions for creating a simple and inexpensive one (http://ourmedia.org/node/253481). I bought three pieces of foam board from Michael's (since I was only making my box 15" x 15"), and white duct tape and two $9 lights from Home Depot (another gift card).

Here's the box:









The pictures taken inside are phenominal!!!!

Here's the before:












And here's the after:

Sooooo much better!! Don't you think?

Well, signing off as I've lots of re-shooting and playing to do!