CATELOGUES UP!

It's taken more than four months but I'm finally able to announce that MY CATALOGUES ARE ONLINE.

Look left for the BUY BLING icon. Click on it to go to the separate Catablog site where you can browse the collections -- necklaces, bracelets &other accessories -- to your heart's content. And if you feel like shopping, hopefully you'll find it easy.

But not to worry if you don't. I chose to segregate the two sites for that reason alone. Some people would just prefer to read the content and have a look at what I've been up to. Now that Buy Bling is launched, I trust I'll be able to get back to a more regular schedule of posting.

Please note that my email address has also changed. You can now reach me directly at imc accessories

Serendipity

It's been a beautiful last weekend of summer.While the nights and mornings are now cool, the days can still be warm and sunny. Took advantage of the good weather today to move around some lilies and peonies, tidy the vegetable beds and tie up the tomato plants that still need to give up fully ripe fruit. Yesterday I picked the first monster tomato I've ever seen -- weighed a full kilogram! (For those interested, the variety was Hawaiian Pineapple, an heirloom variety that I've grown from seed before but never with this type of result.) Picked it partially green since it looked to heavy for the rest of the plant. Expect it will be ready for a taste test by week's end.

Took a well-earned coffee break about noon and decided to finally take a picture of my patio buddy. This blue butterly was an early experiment in garden accessories. It's been floating in part shade over top of a hydrangea bush for the last few months -- love the way it sparkles when it catches the sun. Thought you'd enjoy it as well.

Silversmithing

I rarely take holidays but last week I treated myself to a "staycation".

I took a five-day course in "Basic Silver Jewelery" offered by our local community college so from 9-4 I sawed, soldered, filed, sanded, set stones and learned about finishing techniques.

At the end of 35 hours I'd made several rings, pendants, earrings and a pin plus had a new respect for the skill and patience it takes to work with metal. Enjoyed it tremendously but I doubt if my nails will ever come clean again.

Here are a few of my class projects.

Good intentions

So much for posting on time. Over the last weeks I've been busy creating a series of new catelogues (see more on this later). I've been doing some experimenting with a new wire tool I picked up early May and photographing my collection for future display. But I wanted to share this project with you now.

I picked up the pendant focal piece at a local bead fair this past weekend. The fact that it's not real amber doesn't matter to me -- I thought it was striking. Trust you'll agree. It will be added to the necklace catelogue when it's ready to be posted.

Here's the commercial message: I'll be setting up separate bracelet, necklace and other accessories catelogues to make it easier for you to review my work. Once payment mechanics are in place, everything will be published so you can start shopping. If you have any suggestions while the system is being built, please feel free to pass them along. Feeback is always good.

Learning curve

Well that was less than successful. There were only three responses to the poll I posted last week concerning online purchasing. Guess I have to take partial responsibility for the lack of results -- anyone who's part of the "blog feed" process only sees the latest posting, not the full blog. To get access to the survey, they would have had to go to the url. Live and learn.

Bottom line, I think I'll have to keep researching. If you have any suggestions, I'd welcome your feedback. Feel free to email me directly if you don't want to post a comment on the blog. BTW, I've completed a few projects using a new tool I picked up several weeks ago. Should be able to post some new pics within the next few days. Enjoy the warmer weather.

Feedback time

I'm looking at different ways to make it easier for everyone to buy my accessories. To help with the research process, I've added a simple survey --- please scroll to the bottom of the page. Would love to get the feedback of the people who have been visiting my blog. Response is anonymous so don't worry that participating in the survey means you've made a purchasing commitment. The survey will be up for a week until May 22 and I'll definately share the results with you. The questions are pretty basic but if you have additional remarks you'd like to make, please feel free to either to comment on this posting or email me privately.

Thanks in advance for your help. Look forward to hearing your views. Enjoy the Victoria Day holiday weekend if you're in Canada.

Lessons learned

Haven't done any posts for more than a week since I've been busy a) writing an exam, b) finishing 2008 tax prep, and c) on the Bead Bop tour. The last activity was definately the most interesting: five local (Ottawa Valley) independent bead shops worked together for a nine-day event to generate new traffic for their businesses. For a nominal fee, partipants each got a "passport" a map, various free gifts, and the chance to participate in door prize draws as they visited each location. Most of the shops had "make & take" activities or special visiting artisans as an attraction. The two pics I've included today are what I made from the bags of beads each location gave to this year's boppers. My Bead Bop bracelet has about 100 grams of beads -- and I only got to four out of five locations.

This was a great idea, actually, and as a hobbyist, I hope they plan to repeat the exercise next year. Not only was it a good opportunity for exposure to some new ideas, it was also a learning tool about smart ways to do business -- or not. While price is a consideration, it's not the only factor that determines where someone shops. Treat a customer with respect and they'll likely be back. Treat them with contempt -- what do you think?

What impressed me most was how one shop used the opportunity to earn my business. I've already been back once after the initial visit and will continue to do so in future. On the flip side, I'll probably avoid the location where staff was cold and the bead giveaway was "inappropriate". (Tip for the organizers: It's better to give nothing at all than something that leaves an negative impression. Filling a bag with wire scrap, broken beads and other trash says something about your attitude to potential customers.)

That's all for now. Happy Mother's Day to all.