Alternate pics

Edited to add an explanation for posting random photos for no apparent reason:

I couldn't decide which was my best pic, so I lazily posted them here and took a survey in an Etsy forum thread. Thanks to all who let me borrow their brains while mine was on vacation drinking martini's and flirting with the bartender. Stupid brain never takes me anywhere. You can see this bracelet in my shop here.

Edited yet again:

The bracelet sold! But never fear, if you want one, I can make it for ya! Just contact me through my etsy shop: LookingGlassJewels!

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Understanding Your Crafty Spouse

10 Things Etsian Spouses* Should Know:

1. Meals are no longer a priority, if you wanna eat, you'll have to make it yourself. Sorry, honey. Oh, and bring me a sandwich?
2. Spending 14 hours a day on Etsy is totally acceptable, anything else shows lack of commitment.
3. Wondering why there are no sales? So are we. Let's post in the forums.
4. Reacting to the lack of sales by spending more money on supplies is normal and quit making those faces about it.
5. Holding your head in your hands when your significant other wants to open a second shop will not prevent the second shop from being opened.
6. A good hand massage after hours spent crafting/typing is always appreciated. (Butt massages can't hurt either.)
7. Sometimes we will forget to bathe. A gentle reminder to wash may lead to us wailing, "But I need to upload more pictures!"
8. Saturday nights will be spent promoting sales in the forums. Plan on watching TV. We are with you in spirit. (Please TiVo anything interesting. Not that we'll ever make time to watch it.)
9. The only room in the house we will keep clean is our studio/office/craft area. The vacuum is in the closet.
10. We love you and love your support. Please continue to love us as we slowly go off or rocker and start babbling about views and hearts in our sleep. Eventually we will shower.

And now, pics of my latest project that left my poor sweet husband deserted until the wee hours of the morning:

Other earth-shattering news:
A few days ago BendingPeak and I met to go shopping, and although all the stores were closed, (wtf?) we consoled ourselves with margaritas and had a wonderfully tipsy time. And she gave me one of her fabulous pockets! You should be so jealous! Mwahahaha!

And if you haven't seen it yet, please go check out my spectacular new banner, created by the multi-talented and super-sexay BecharmedStudio!

I feel so lurved. :)

*Dedicated to my ever-patient, always-supportive, sometimes-frustrated, super-understanding, sexy-hot-hunk-of-man, truly darling husband. Thank you for feeding me and making me shower. We should totally get busy.

I luvs me some good deals

My day has been pretty hectic, so instead of a carefully thought out post, you are going to get something completely random. Even I don't know what all I am going to say - but hey, that means I'll be just as surprised as you are! Surprise, self!

A few days ago I read this awesome thread in the forums about business cards, and lo and behold, I was sucked into the Vistaprint Vortex of DOOOOOOOOM. Well, doom insofar as it ATE MY DAY. I am not kidding you, people, I was on that website for 7 straight hours. I even turned down fried chicken because I was too preoccupied to stop and eat. I NEVER turn down fried chicken. Unless it's soggy fried chicken, but I digress.

Why would I do such a crazy thing, you ask? Only because I got the most AMAZING free stuff! Yup, FREE! (Are you learning that I am fond of the caps key? I am. The caps key is my FRIEND. I am also prone to run-on sentences. You've been warned.) Anyway, back to the free part - here's the loot I scored:

• 250 LookingGlassJewels business cards
• 250 VarmitsAttic business cards (my other shop)
• 100 postcards
• 10 magnet calenders
• 10 note cards
• 1 rubber stamp
• 1 sticky note pad
• 1 customized pen

ALL TOTALLY FREE!! The only items I paid for were return address labels for my two shops and shipping!
Grand Total: $25.24 (!!!)
Price before discount -$103.91 + $16.26 freight
That's $94.93 that I saved!
Do you know how much I can buy with $94.93? I sure do!

I am so freakin' proud of myself. Read the forum thread here, and then dig around on the Vistaprint website. Check out the "Free Products" section on the left hand side. There's a bunch of great offers there. I found more hidden deals just messing around looking at other stuff. (Hopefully it won't take you 7 hours, I spent a lot of time designing my layouts and kept changing my mind and had to start all over. It's an issue I have.)

I've never ordered from Vistaprint before, so I can't vouch for their product, but this is a killer deal and I just had to share it with ya. And I had to brag. I am a bragger.

(And now for more randomness.) (And parenthesis.) (Parenthesii?)

While I originally planned to share photos of my studio, someone came in and completely trashed it today, and I am too embarrassed to share it with you. (It was NOT me, shut up.) (OK, it was me.) (Shut up anyway.) Instead, I will show you my latest project! So new that it's not even in my shop yet! Because I am here writing instead of listing and THAT IS JUST HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU PEOPLE. Behold:

Fun and Funky necklace and earrings made out of beautiful iridescent pressed glass beads and antiqued brass!
UPDATE: They are now available in my shop! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Free Gift from Featured Seller: beatblack

I love to get gifts, I love to give gifts, and I love helping to promote some of my favorite Esty shops!

I have been very fortunate to receive some awesome samples from beatblack's shop, which I can't wait to share with my customers!

The next ten customers who order from my shop will receive one of beatblack's completely adorable Truffle Charms as a free gift with purchase!

The detail on these tiny truffles is truly amazing - I can't stop looking at them! They look so real, you can almost smell the chocolate.

(So real, in fact, they kinda made me mess up my diet yesterday, because I started craving chocolate and finally I could no longer resist the bag of M&M's I had stashed in the pantry.)

I'm gonna have a hard time not keeping all these charms for myself, so I have to blog about it to keep myself honest!

(Not really.)

(Ok, really.)

I love beatblack's shop, it's hard to imagine how much time it must take to make such perfectly detailed pieces. One of my fav's is her Striped Tie Necklace:


How cool is that?!
Even my husband said,
"Oooooooo - that's really neat! I like it! It's cute!"
(Don't tell him I told you.)

I am excited to give a Truffle Charm to my next ten awesome customers!
I love my customers, and I know they will adore these charms as much as I do! (Hide your M&M's so you will have a backup stash prepared in advance.)

Just buy anything from my shop and a Truffle Charm will be included with your shipment as a free gift! :)

Or go straight to beatblack's shop*, since I guarantee you will fall in love with her work!

(Just don't forget about little ol' me. Hint, hint.) ;)

*See my sidebar for more items from beatblack!