My Giveaway Winners!

Yes, that was winners. There are two of them! I love it :)

Now who wins the bracelet from me?

And that is...

You can see her blog at Bead Dreams and Moonlit Fantasies:

And guess what? We live within half an hour of each other! What do you say...meet up?

I'll let you know if we are able to do it - and post pictures!

Now who won Meri's earring? 

And that is...

I love Tilt Creations! She's been one of my friends online for a long time now. 

You can catch her blog (one of them) at TiltCreations:

Congrats to both our winners!

I just wanted to note something for all of you. Do you see that both of our winners had multiple entries? Each week there are multiple ways to enter the contest, and often the winner put in two or three entries at least! So if you really want to win - take that extra minute and give yourself that extra edge :) Check back on Monday for the next giveaway, and don't forget everything is 15% off at Rose Works Jewelry right now! 

Tilt Creation's Giveaway Winner!

I like announcing the winner's on Saturday - but gee - I'm having a hard time waking up in the morning! So announcing the winner "in the morning" might be a loose estimate - lol.

We had 34 entries this week - 4 more than last week! My goal was to get at least one more entry than last week, and we got 4 more! That may not be that exciting to you - but it is to me :) So here's what happened when I went to the random number generator!

So who's number 12?

Congrats Nancy!

So who's Nancy? Well I went to her blog and saw...

I love it! That's both an incredible blog header - I love the piece she show cases in the lower right corner :)

You really should check out her blog - I'm going to go do some more reading later :)

Edit: I misunderstood what I was looking at when I originally posted some of her links.
BUT the following is now correct :)

A direct link to some of Nancy's work is here.

Congrats again Nancy!

Stay tuned everyone - there's another giveaway next week - and more specials offered all the time!

Giveaway Feature - TILTCreations

1. Where can we find your work and what do you create?

Tilt Creations on Etsy 

and on ArtFire: 

My main focus is on handbags but recently I have been dipping into home accessories like pillows, table runners, coasters and soon quilts.

Tilt Too on Etsy (destash patterns & fabric)

Are you seeing stuff you like?  Use the code ROSE15 for 15% off your order - good during the duration of the giveaway!

2. What's your favorite part about being an independent artist?

I like being able to just go in whatever direction I feel I am being carried with no one to tell me otherwise. Although, sometimes that nudge in a direction could come in handy when your mind is too full of ideas.

3. Where do you find your inspiration?

I really do not have a concrete answer for this. I know many people that look to nature or geometrics or texture - I just go with the flow. I never know what will trigger an idea.

4. What advice would you give to other artists?

Do not give up. I have been on the verge too many times to count. Am I super successful? No. Do I make enough to help support my family. Not yet. But I am always working at it, tweeking it, finding new ways to, as Tim Gunn would say, "make it work".

Now the fun part - ready to win???

Janet Handbag

You will find all the relevant information on etsy

How can you win?

1. Comment on this entry
2. Share their favorite item from her shop(s) (scroll up for links)
3. Plurk or twitter about it and leave a comment with link.
4. Blog about it and leave a comment with link
5. Purchase an item from her shop (for 5 entries) (links above)

Important: All entries must be submitted by comments on this blog post.

I'm keeping track of the entries, so telling Tilt about them won't help :P

Winner will be announced Saturday morning!

June's Contest WINNERS!!!

Now I have to admit - I'm laughing a little bit! I had a lot of fun with this month's contest, but the results look sorta, eh, familiar?

WINNERS!!!

1. Beaded Tail - 39

2. Memories for Life - 38

3. TiLT Creations - 28

www.beadedtail.etsy.com

www.memoriesforlifeb.etsy.com

www.tiltcreations.etsy.com

Familiar eh? Yes, that's right, that's last month's winners in a different order! So guess what? I love you ladies - but you are ALL disqualified for next month's contest! We're going to give some of my other readers a chance - k? Please keep commenting though - because I love hearing from all three of you!

I'd like to give a special mention to the two people who tied for 4th place this month with 27 comments each. A big thanks go to Splendid Little Stars and Little Studio Photography and Jewelry for your ongoing encouragement and bloggy dialogue!

Now for the round up of numbers :D I goofed up slightly on this >_> When I decided to give double entries for anyone who commented on their favorite items when I do my 9 item spotlights...well I didn't think to keep track of the extra points seperately >_> So that means this month's total comments are artificially inflated. I'll fix that next month! Don't worry!

Top Commentator: This Month - 39. Last Month - 35

Total Commentators: This Month - 68. Last Month - 71

Total Comments: This Month - 374. Last Month - 277

Just a reminder - this is what our winners won - and what you could win next month!

Top 3 Commentators - Write up on this blog :)

1st Place - $20 Gift Certificate to my Shops

2nd Place - $10 Gift Certificate to my Shops

3rd Place - $5 Gift Certificate to my Shops

Have a great day - and don't forget to check out my Artfire Sale!

Feeling the Love Today :)

I've had a migraine all day - which sucks - but I've had some great things to help balance it out! And yes, it's mostly gone by now, or I wouldn't be blogging :P I'm down to the dull ache, lethargic, grumpy stage. Although to be fair the grumpy pretty much starts with the headache and takes forever to go away. Working hard to combat it though! And like I said, these things helped :)

First, I found my "Set Me Free" bracelet in this lovely treasury! Isn't that wonderful? It's been awhile since I've found myself in a random treasury and it always makes me want to squeal! I didn't though...head pounding and all...

Then I found a blog post by my friend Teresa of TiLT Creations. She was one of the winners of my Top Commentators Contest for last month! So she blogged about what she bought with her gift certificate to my shop.

Not familiar with my contest? All you have to do is comment on my blogs! Each month the person with the most comments (and two runner ups) receive gift certificates! Last month was a blast and I can hardly wait to see who wins this month :)

Awww - I got an award!

This is what I woke up to this morning! 

Isn't it cute???

Gotta send out a huge THANK YOU to Splendid Little Stars

for passing this award on to me :D

Now there are NO rules for this one,

so I'm going to follow in Splendid's footsteps

and pick 5 people to pass this on to 

that make me smile with all their 

comments :D But don't worry, even if your name

isn't on this list - I still love you! I love all of you!

But that would take a LONG time to list ;)

1. Memories for Life

2. Beaded Tail

3. TiLT Creations

4. The Eclectic Element

5. Leather Made Nice

Make sure you check out their great blogs!

CONTEST WINNERS!!!

I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Ok, I'll stop screaming at you. But I AM really excited! Why? Because, this being the first day of June, I get to announce my contest winners! Woohoo! What contest is that you ask? Why who left the most comments on my blog this month! And don't worry if you didn't win, this is going to be a perpetual contest - so there's always this month, and the next, and the next! 

1st Place:

Edi - 35

 comments

2nd Place:

Sharla - 32 comments

3rd Place:

Theresa - 21 comments

Have I mentioned yet that these ladies rock my world? Before I tell you a little bit more about our winners let me tell you what they won :) 1st place - $15 off my shops, 2nd place - $5 off my shops, 3rd place - a write up on this blog! Now for you to meet our wonderful winners :)

EDI is the wonderful artist behind "Memories for Life Scrapbooks." She both creats incredible albums that you can buy to play with, and she also does scrap booking for you! I've seen some of those custom scrap books on her blog, and I can tell you that she does an incredible job, if I had the money I can think of one I'd like her to do! Or to help me with if she lived closer... *sigh* 

Edi is one of my fellow Etsy Bloggers, and I hadn't really gotten to know her very well before this last month. I knew she was cool, but that's about it! Through our comment exchanges this last month or so I feel like I've really made a friend, and I really look forward to her feedback on my newest projects! 

SHARLA is the artist behind Beaded 

Tail. She shares the shop with her Mom, so some of the work is her Mom's, which I think is just a ton of fun! She is, as you can see from the picture, a fellow jewelry artist, and I always have fun seeing her new creations! 

Sharla loves animals - and part of the fun of reading her blog is that you get to follow along on the adventures of her furbabies! Trust me, these babies are CuTE, and you'll have a lot of fun getting to know them!

Sharla is a fellow North Westerner and we actually only live about 2 hours apart! One of these days, if I can get just a wee bit stronger, we plan to actually meet up. I look forward to that day as Sharla has been a very dear and supportive friend to me here on-line! 

THERESA is another dear friend :) She is the artist behind TiLT Creations, and she's having a huge sale right now! So make sure you check her out :)

Theresa and I have had a lot of fun bonding over many different interests. Blogging, crafting in general, Firefly, vampires, geekery in general... Oh yes, we have way too much fun :P

She runs several blogs - because she's crazy like me! 

http://tiltcreations.blogspot.com

http://tilttreasures.blogspot.com
http://tiltcreationstoo.blogspot.com

Now for some geeky fun on my part....

When I first announced the contest on the 13th these were my currents stats:

~ Top Commentator: 9 comments

~ 70 Comments total

~ 35 Different Commentators

I was BLOWN away when I added up the entire month's stats today! Here they are:

~ Top Commentator: 35 comments

~ 277 Comments total

~ 71 Different Commentators

Can I just say you guys ROCK??? I've had a lot of fun tracking this, and getting to know all of you guys better! I know I don't always get a chance to respond to each and every comment, but I try to at least do a blog swing by for all of them, and your comments keep me going both as a blogger and as an artist. Thank you! 

Sweeting the pot: I had so much fun with this that next month's prizes are even better! All winners will receive a write up on this blog like I did this month. BUT the prize monies have gone up! 

June Winners will Receive:

1st Place - $20 Gift Certificate

2nd Place - $10 Gift Certificate

3rd Place - $5 Gift Certificate

Also remember, any posts that are spotlights of my most recent listings are worth TWO comments if you tell me your favorite piece out of that collection and why :)

Talk to you soon!

~ Ruthie ~

Time Managment Series - What YOU Have to Say Part 2

It's amusing to me, as I'm writing about time management, that I seem to have less time and energy than ever! So this series has been stretched out a little farther than I originally planned. I may end up weaving in some of my posts on promotion that I've been planning because I'm getting too excited about them! Maybe a bit of alternation between the two themes? You'll have to stay tuned to find out! Here's today's three featured artists.  Only three today because two of them are long and I don't want to take up too much of your time :P

LazyTCrochet said: I recently organized all my shipping supplies and set up an area where it's easy to package, weigh and label everything. I love having adhesive shipping labels also. It saves a lot of time and tape.

Opulent Oddities said: Buying in bulk. Multitasking online. (right now I'm also on ebay and flickr). Getting a stamp for my address. Having a workspace with my stuff all dragged out so I don't have to put everything away neatly when I'm done, to pull it out after every project. With my workspace, I can stay in the middle of something and walk away without putting it all up.

You asked for it ... this is my weekly schedule:

Time management is the key to any successful business venture. This is how I came up with a fairly even balance.

I figure on a 5 day working week with 24 hrs in each of those days. That's 120 hours. My crafting is my business so I only plot out 5-day weeks (soon to be 4-day weeks as I start to downsize my 'work'). Weekends are MINE -- catch-as-catch can and generally involve family, outings with grandkids, craft fairs, out to dinner and a show, etc.

Next, I deduct the hours for sleeping / eating / family relaxation / housework, etc. (i.e. 5 days @ 14 hrs per day). That leaves me with 50 hrs per 5-day week. There's just the 2 of us now so my housework is minimal throughout the week. I usually spend 2-4 hrs on the weekend doing heavy cleaning.

Lets say I can produce the basic knits for 10 scarves, bottle cozies, specialty bags or baskets in 2 hours (machine knit) x 5 days so I deduct 10 hrs from my week's hours leaving me with 40 hours and 50 items. This is my minimum I expect from me. I want to produce a AT LEAST 30 scarves / baskets / mittens / hats or whatever each week - or even up to the 50 possible items per week. There's room in that knitting time to experiment with various stitches, creating new items, testing out patterns I 'wrote' in my head, even cleaning the knitting machines. I don't count sewing up time, those are my 'take-along' projects when we travel, have appointments or just while we watch TV in the evening.

It may take me a total of 10 hours during the week to do any starching of baskets, embellishment of my knits, working on pictures for my catalog, sorting through various supplies. So now I'm down to 30 hrs for the week.

I spend approximately 1 hour, 3 x per day online in chat rooms, posting in forums, reading emails, reading newsgroups and just goofing around. So that's an additional 15 hours off my weekly schedule. I'm down to 15 now. A good part of this is promotional, but more often it's personal time.

I do some volunteer work once per week through the Hospice and that is a 5 hour shift including driving time. So now I'm down to 10 hours.

The balance is spread out doing SPECIFIC, TARGETED promotions online and locally.

I have the Speed-Up Alarm clock on my computer and when I'm getting online to do stuff either personal or business, I set it for my allotted time. When it goes off, I have to stop. Otherwise, I'd be on here all day every day! <big grin> And I'd never have a single basket, scarf or whatever to sell! heheheh

Marge in Reno

TiLT Creations said: Wow Marge! Wish I could make that much in one week...but there'd have to be more hours in the day ;)

Time management for me gets tricky (as it does for most people)...the toddler's schedule is only so concrete to work around.

Monthly: mark the calendar for appts and other family obligations - then mark days when my work will fit.

Weekly: Set the items I want to make & breakdown into cut, iron, sew & finalize days. It takes 2-4 hours per bag (less if I have made that style many times, more if I am drafting a new one), so only 5-10 max per week...usually ends up only 3-5 though.
I don't usually do a whole day off b/c each day I only get a handful of hours to work.

Daily: 3 hours of preschool = 1/2 hr online - multitabbed to get etsy, entrecard, project wonderful, craftster & email. Clean for 1/2 hour. Sew & such for the remaining 2. Repeat the same after 10pm when all the kids are in bed.

With the youngest being able to entertain himself for a while now, I try to fit in blog & extra computer time (including biz paperwork & home quicken and such) when he is eating lunch or napping.

With a smaller house, there is less room to keep things out, so that alone can be a time sucker. Plus, the toddler is oversensitive to sound, so no sewing when he is awake. Besides, the machine is in the family room - so if anyone is in there, sewing is kept to a minimum. And no ironing with tiny hands around.

I keep hoping for a "catch up" with sleep to avoid daytime resting, but my internal rhythm works best with a split. And like someone said earlier - everyone's body is different, so what works for one, can't for another.
And don't forget the to-do lists!!!!!!!! If you can find them :)