Flickr account for KRDesigns11

I have been working on my flickr account. It seems to be a monumental task to photo edit pictures of my beaded jewelry. My eyes hurt! I have listed over 100 items on etsy, but now I want my work on flickr and also facebook. Oh, and I have approximately 400 items worthy of photographs. The excel spreadsheet inventory listing is also not up to date, but it does have columns for date photographed and location of item. And should I be working on my booth in case I'm called to be in my wait listed shows? Some times I think I'm in the business of everything but making jewelry!

My current emphasis has been to have sets of photos for the three locations I currently have items on consignment at. The Southern Illinois Artisan Shop has white pearl and light sapphire bracelets and earrings with one navy blue pearl necklace. They sold the lavender pearl bracelet! I had to photo edit those pictures and then fill in the flickr information which is completed.

The second set I worked on is better than half complete which is items at TLD Designs Center & Gallery, Westmont, Illinois. These items span the entire time, some from before I knew I needed to leave a trail of what date I took the picture. While working on these items, I decided it would be more fun to have a couple views of each item, so I'm not finished yet, but it's looking good, at least to me.

The Chicago Illinois Artisan Shop is the third location which changed work recently. All but one of these items was on etsy, so I have photos for all except one pair of earrings. I haven't taken pictures of every thing I've made jewelrywise yet.

So I am inviting you to check on my progress with my flickr account. If you view each set as a slide show, it shouldn't take much time.

Pictures

A few recent pictures. Angel earrings for Christmas in July. Lavender pearl earrings to match the single strand flat spiral bracelet; that's provence lavender crystal, too. Ruby with white pearl beaded bead earrings to match a necklace and bracelet in flat spiral weave that I may list in my shop later this fall.

Beads arrived today with the Margie Deeb colors. The maroon pearls definitely look chocolate. I worked on a dutch spiral necklace in white. The spiral portion is about 7.5 inches with white pearl seed beaded tubular peyote stitch for the remainder of the 20 inch necklace. I will add it to the bridal white section of my shop soon.

Update, Christmas in July

It has been a week since I have written a blog post. I spent two days in the Thompson Center in Chicago trying to sell my work at an Art Spree for Illinois Artisans. I spent the weekend relaxing afterward, removing items from my shop that are now in the Museum Shop in the Thompson Center, and organizing returns from that shop so I can list them on etsy. I am in process of setting up my Art Fair display in part of my home, so people will be able to see my work here, by appointment. Also I continued to work on Christmas in July with 20 items in that sale. So far, no one appears to have searched for "Christmas in July" in my shop...they are etsy tags, not search engine tags, that will help people find those items. Prices return to regular August 1.

If there is an item you would like that has become inactive on etsy, please contact me because it may be available for purchase. My work at the Artisan Shop is on consignment. I have been thinking about creating a flickr album of my work there.

Today I made earrings to coordinate with my necklaces and bracelets. It is easy to see which items I don't have earrings for when I am trying to sell, having items set out in front of me. At least this time I wasn't missing a desired color.

Speaking of color, I downloaded Margie Deeb's Fall Color Report and ordered beads in the new colors. I'm certain I'll like the purple ones, but there is a jonquil/peridot, chocolate, red lipstick, and others to look forward to working with. Usually I have already created items to go on consignment by the time the color report is available.

I have a new location for my work on consignment. It is TLD Designs Center and Gallery, Westmont, Illinois. Tammy Deck likes the cellini spiral bangle bracelets and has two of them in the assortment of items I left with her. I will set up a flickr album for those items, too.

New Treasury & Art Spree

I am participating in an Illinois Artisan Art Spree at the Thompson Center (State of Illinois building)in downtown Chicago Thursday and Friday. This is sponsored by the Illinois State Museum Society. Admission to the Museum is free as is the Art Spree. If you are in the area mid day, the artists will be in the Atrium Lobby, and we would love to have you stop and look at our Accessories show. The artists will be demonstrating. If you miss the spree, the Museum Shop is on the second floor, up the escalator (no security check in required), open week days, and has some of my work.

I now have some of my work at TLD Designs Center and Gallery in Westmont, Illinois. The collection includes two of my Cellini Spiral Bangle Bracelets, 3 Coins of Purple Fluorite Bracelet and Earrings and Cinderella, a blues/purples free form peyote bracelet(photos used for Art Fair application juries). You can find more information and directions to the gallery at http://www.tlddesigns.com


My lime lariat is in a new treasury. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c3b703108386d914939fa16

Thanks to the person who looked at every item in my shop today. This is the second time every one of my items was clicked on.

Latest Cellini Spiral Bangle Bracelet

I completed the cellini spiral bangle late this afternoon and also the beadwork for the earrings. I photographed them so you can see them before I take them for consignment at an artist friend's gallery. I also photographed the earrings for the cobalt blue and gold bracelet. If you click on each photo, you can click again to see it magnified to appreciate the details.

I went back to using nymo b thread instead of the One G by Toho and was much happier with the results. Now I need to organize for the art spree next week. I have lots of little things to finish.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite entry in Secret Garden at www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com Anyone can vote.

Etsy Beadweavers Team Challenge Voting Now

Please go to www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com to pick your favorite entry in the current monthly challenge, Secret Gardens and vote for it. The list below the grid of pictures has links to each entrants etsy shop so you can check out all the details. Voting is from July 9 thru July 15.

My entry is my cobalt blue and gold free form bracelet. I would appreciate your vote, but want you to vote for your favorite and there are many worthy choices. So have fun.

I have been working on a cellini spiral bangle which has not been working out as well as the others I've made. On a favorable recommendation, I tried Toho's One G thread. While it has many admirable qualities, I don't think it is strong enough as I've had the thread break a couple of times and not where I knotted. It doesn't fray unless it breaks and is much thinner making it easier to thread the needle. It is supposed to be as strong as fireline. If anyone has comments on One G thread or knows what I'm doing wrong, please comment to let me know. I switched to my old favorite, nymo so I can complete the bangle.

Supplies to complete things have arrived in the mail this week. I'm not sure how much I can work on because I need to prepare for the Art Spree next week.

Happy Fourth of July

I have been working on the Cellini spiral bangle bracelet and have almost 6 repeats completed. It will take at least 12 repeats before I can connect it. That's 16 beads times 16 for one repeat times at least 12 or 3072+ one at a time beads. If I worked on it continuously, that would take me at least 16 hours, at more than 3 beads per minute. My body could never take the repetitive stress of beading the same stitch that many times in a row, so it takes a while to complete. No sweat shop labor here! I'm a tough task master, but beading is FUN for me.

Some people mistake the stitch for bead crochet, but I could complete about 16 bracelets (slight exaggeration) in bead crochet in the same amount of time if I didn't get bored doing it. Crochet stitches require tiny movements in the hands. The needle thread movement in the Cellini spiral requires your arm extend the length of the thread you are working with (LONG)--sort of like practicing your tennis swing--plus the pattern in bead crochet is usually 3 same size beads which is much simpler than 16 beads in various sizes in the same order. Maybe I should create a bead crochet bracelet as part of my demonstrating what I do at the Art Sprees. I have one coming up July 15 and 16 at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago.

I ran out of beads for my July challenge entry and so did my supplier, even if they could get them here from Wednesday in time for me to finish by Monday's deadline. They are being shipped now since I called 9 shops to locate some. Also the button for the closure for my latest free form brick stitch bracelet should be in my mail box on Tuesday.

I've taken a little break from beading to work on Facebook, read magazines, and live life.