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Social Networking Karma!

Check out this week's Giveaway featuring Mama's Little Monkeys!

What is Social Networking Karma? Why am I talking about it? First let's back up and examine the idea of Karma...

Karma, the Golden Rule, "What goes around comes around," - whatever you call it, it's a concept that has been around for for a long time. When you do nice things for other's, it often comes back to you in wonderful and unexpected ways. Right?

Now let me ask you a question. Do you ever get tired of promoting yourself? I know I do! There have definitely been times when I get tired of tooting my own horn and where I feel like I'm just blabbing to the universe with no feedback. The various social networking sites were starting to feel pointless. That's when I started thinking about Social Networking Karma.

Green Kabbalah Jasper Pendant

Now, I don't want you to think I came upon this idea on my own, this has been a long process and I know that there have been a lot of different artists who've given me individual ideas that I eventually pulled together into a whole!

How it works:

Social Networking Karma happens when you promote artists (authors, bloggers, etc), other than yourself. You can do this in a lot of ways! See something you like? Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Plurk, or your blog! Then, and this is key, tell that person where you've shared it and send them a link. You'll be amazed at the results!

Since I've started practicing this habit the results have blown me away. I've had people e-mail me and tell me that I've made their day because they had a horrible day and having someone do something nice just totally floored them. I've had people tell me that they were considering shutting down their shop, then I promoted them, and it made them think that maybe there is some value to their work. I've also had a lot of people return the favor and promote me in one way or another.

There's no feeling like it! When they return the promotion, it's great, but it's the people who's day's I make, or who I end up building a relationship with them as a result, that I love :)

Damask Pin Cushion by Destash City

One of our featured giveaway artist's shops!

I'm going to be talking about some different approaches to practice Social Networking Karma over the next few weeks. Specifically we'll be talking about Twitter, Facebook, and Blogging. I may add to that list as I continue to explore the topic!

Bloggy Promotions - and a Challenge

Sweet Hearts Ring

In Wednesday's Mish-Mash blog post I put a question out there. What do you do to promote your blog? Now I was planning on posting this yesterday and I spaced (bad Ruthie) but it gave me time to digest what I was really thinking about when I asked that question. I realized that what I should have asked was: What do you do to promote your work?

I know a lot of my readers are fellow artists and we have these blogs so we can share about our creations, promote ourselves, and talk about the creative process. So, really, promoting our blogs is a part of our over all promotions process, not independent of it. In that vein, I'm going to do a series of blogs about promotions, because it's something we all do, and something we can always learn more about! If your not an artist - rest assured I'll post about other things as well!

Here's Where I Promote my Blog Posts:

(Click to find me on these sites!)

Social Media Sites:

1. Twitter

2. Plurk

3. Facebook

Each of my Etsy Teams

If it's a giveaway there's a list of giveaway blogs I'll go to on Giveaway days, that's new and the list is developing. So what do you do? Can you think of some great sites I'm missing? Or am I doing more than you are? I want feedback!

Ok - my questions asked, and my promotion places shared - now a challenge! One thing I've worked hard to do is always respond to my comments. I've noticed a lot of other people don't do that, but I challenge you to think about it! Why?

Making sales are about two things: Great Product, and Building Relationships. Even big stores will tell you this, they stay in business because they have developed a relationship of with their customers. However, the tactics a mega-company uses and the tactics a one-man band company uses are necessarily totally different!

Responding to your blog comments is a great way to build that relationship! The easiest way to do that? Click on the link that takes you to their blog, read their latest post, and comment yourself! Some of these people will be your old and dear friends you would have visited anyway, but you'll also find new people that you just love! So - go out there and give it a try!

Sport - yes, sport!

So, it's the rugby season again. Hubbie is watching Wales playing, I am passively listening to the commentary. Occasionally, if it sounds like a really good match, I go over and watch. Mostly, making jewellery and being on the PC are more interesting!!

So, this reminds me to give a shout out for my friend and neighbour's football blog. Rishi has been busy blogging about the end of the transfer season. Check it out:

http://footballfussballvoetbal.blogspot.com/
Us bloggers need to stick together!

Sport - yes, sport!

I'm Back!

Smile - It's a Jewelry Set

Last time I blogged it was to say that I was taking a break for awhile from blogging and my jewelry business. The good news is . . . I'm back! I was gone for longer than I thought I was going to be, but sometimes life hits you that way. I'm not even sure at this point I could go back and trace the nitty gritty details of the last few months, but that's ok, because life is moving on, and that's what matters right?

I'm back to working on things, but no promises about how consistent I'll be in the near future. I'm anticipating it's going to take some time to get back into my routine and really get things back to where I want them to be. But I'm still back :)

I am really excited about connecting with everyone again! One of the best part about being a jewelry artist on the internet has been that I've met some wonderful people through Etsy, Artfire, and blogging. I can hardly wait to see what you all have been up to and be a part of your lives again!

Adding Email Subscription to Your Blog

I think this is a very important feature of a blog. I will admit, I don't always look through the list of blogs I follow looking for updates. I do have the best intentions, but I don't have the time in the day to do that. BUT! I never miss an email though. Anymore, when I follow a blog, this is the first thing I do after I subscribe...look for the email subscription box. Very few take advantage of this free and easy to set up feature for your blog. I want to walk you through it.

Maybe you don't like to have your email flooded, but I'm more likely to read your blog update and comment if it's emailed right to me. This was handy when I was working full time and even more so now that I'm unemployed and glued to my email. Slowly, I'm going back through the blogs I follow and subscribing to emails to whoever has it set up.

When someone signs up for an email subscription to your blog, they are receiving an email when you have updated it - added something new. How fab is that? Instant gratification. Here's how you add the email subscription. I suggest putting it at the top of your blog in very close proximity to your followers box. (Side note: your followers box should be at the top of your blog, not buried below.)

First you will need to set up an account with Google Feedburner. You can do this through your Blogger Settings tab and then click on Site Feed.

Once you have set up your account, you will need to burn a feed. Here, you will add your blog URL. You will need to title your blog feed. This should be the name of your blog.

After you get your success page, you will want to customize your options. You will then be presented with a Dashboard. Click the tab that says Publicize.

On the left handside, you will see a column of links to various topics. Click on Email Subscriptions.

Choose Feedburner and activate.

You will then be on a screen that's titled Subscription Management or go to Email Subscription again on the left (doing this from memory).

You will see a box of code. Don't copy it just yet! You will see a drop down box just under the code box. Be sure to change it to your blog format - Typepad, Google, language etc to your liking. Then go back and copy the code.

You will then come back to Blogger and in the Design mode you will add an HTML gadget. Remember to put the gadget toward the top of your blog!

Save changes and you're done!

Hope this helps you out in increasing your blog traffic and comments.

Handmade and fabulous...

I've been lucky enough to have my items featured on the Handmade and Fabulous blog twice, thanks to nominations from other Folksy sellers. The blog choices are made from the Handmade and Fabulous Flickr group, which you can find here. This week is even better, because I was honoured to be asked to make my own three choices - here they are:

http://fabulouslyhandmade.blogspot.com/2010/08/fabulous-three-on-flickr_11.html

three great handmade sellers there (Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics ,Girly Revolution and Topaz Turtle).

Susie from Lynwood Jewels works so hard on this blog and in featuring other artists that I think her work deserves a bit of a shout too. I've added links to Lynwood Jewellry on Folksy here even thought Susie and her colleague sell from a number of other venues which you can find out about on their blog.

This is my favourite piece from the shop at the moment - a tribute to Anglo Saxon jewellry, it would make a stunning present for someone with a passion for the past.

These earrings too remind me of something from another time and place. You can see the craftmanship in all the Lynwood Jewellery treasures.

Not really a surprise to learn the their creations have been featured in Vogue. This necklace could easily grace the catwalk, I think.

I think it's the sense of flow and movement, and the appeal of the simple geometic shapes in all these pieces which really cross the line between art and jewellery. What do you think?

Handmade and fabulous...

I think it's the sense of flow and movement, and the appeal of the simple geometic shapes in all these pieces which really cross the line between art and jewellery. What do you think?

Beautiful Blogger Award

I was surprised to learn that I have received the Beautiful Blogger Award from Honor Crowned Creativity. I think this is a creative award because it's not just about the blog, but about the person who blogs.

I get to pass the Beautiful Blogger Award on to other fabulous bloggers. There are two rules when given the award. I tell you 7 things about me & choose 7 blogs to receive the award.

7 Things about me!

1. I love cars. I think they're an expression of who we are. With that, I name all of my cars. When I was sixteen I shared the family car which was blue, so I called her Blue Belle. Then I got a maroon car I called Cherry Blossom. Then I had a jade colored car, named her the obvious, Jade. And then my latest is Gus. I drive a black Pontiac Aztec and it took me a few weeks, and all of a sudden, it stuck. I call it the identity crisis car. I thought they were ugly, still do, but when you get inside you forget that ugly box you're driving. I refer to him as a person. I'll tell someone "I'm taking Gus to the shop for an oil change." A little odd I know. But sometimes cars have personalities too! Please don't report me to the loony bin!

2. I'm originally from Kansas City, Mo. About a year and a half ago, I moved down to Dallas, Tx. I came by myself and knowing no one. I moved for a job. I'm told all the time that I was brave to do that. I'm a little too independent for my own good sometimes. I love Dallas, and I'm glad I finally got the chance to live here. But I know I'll end up back home. Miss the Midwest and their way of life.

3. I am enamored with the sea. Went sailing once with what I now call the renegade cowboy sailor. Sailed from Miami heading to Nantucket. Only made it to Savannah, GA. The steering broke and I was not happy with the guy taking us out over 250 miles into the gulf stream. Huge Freighter radioed us and cussed us out for being on such a small boat too far out to sea. I knew then, I was in trouble. Didn't help that I got tossed around the cabin and went head first into the stove and split my nose open the first 2 minutes out to sea. Now I have the scar to remind me of my crazy adventure every day.

4. I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since late grade school. I wanted to help people like my dad who had trouble with their joints and back. But then I couldn't get through my first month of physics in highschool. At the same time, I was excelling in a position on the school newspaper as advertising director. I was recommended for the job. I won an award at the Missouri State Competition. So before I knew it. I dropped Physics and added more journalism courses and switched to advertising/marketing as my profession. I even won a scholarship in a late students name. What an honor and I think of it often. So here I am now, a marketing manager.

5. I love to read. Some of my fun reads are John Grisham and Patricia Cornwell. Like a good mystery. Makes me think and I like that. My shameless obsession is Danielle Steel. So much fun. And yes, I even cry sometimes. I've been known to throw a book too when I was done. But my literary favorite is Edith Wharton. She wrote the Age of Innocence and Ethan Fromme. Her writing is full of symbolism and expressing the dynamics of women and men. She's a classic and I recommend her. She's a 1900's turn of the century author.

6. I was a nanny for 6 kids for 11 years. I was brought on board when baby number 4 was to be born. The oldest siblings were 3, 2, 1. I stuck around for 3 more babies! I'm extremely close to all of them. I think since I was able to get my bluff in them at such an early age I'm not exactly a babysitter. They have said I'm like a mom, but much cooler. I thought that was funny. Veronica 15, Sean 14, Molly 13, Jack 11, Jamie 9, and Vaughn 7. I would say I'm a patient person. And what's important to me is that they still talk to me and now it's the bigger important things in life for the older ones, but they feel comfortable enough because "I remember what it was like to be a kid." That means a lot to me. The 3 younger ones are so attached to me. When I go up for visits there's a big fight on who spends time with me first. It's so nice to feel loved. I adore each and every one of them and they keep me grounded.

7. I'll keep this one short because I can go on and on with details. I went sailing once from Miami to Nantucket. But the steering broke some 250 miles off the coast of Georgia. We were able to jimmy rig an elbow like thing to the main steering column below the floor. I steered that boat 250 miles to Georgia, while the "skipper" slept down below. Took us 2 days to get to shore. We anchored in Savannah, and I got on the first plane out.

The Seven Bloggers I am awarding the Beautiful Blogger Award to Are:

1. The Frugal Designer

2. Dean Designs

3. Do-rah! Designs

4. Elle's Beads

5. The Sassy Pack Rat

6. PepperPi

7. Sugarberry Sensations

Folksy Friday – What a good idea!

This week’s picks are things you never thought you needed until you see them. And I don’t mean the sort of gadgets you see in the Betterware catalogue!

Let’s start with organising jewellery. Which of you doesn’t have jewellery everywhere? How many necklaces are tangled in the bottom of your jewellery boxes? You need a lovely necklace hanger like this one from maxineveronica13

Now to another concern of mine – how to keep warm on endless winter-y dog walks. Without getting ‘hat hair.’ All that’s needed is an ear warmer like this from GingerNutKnits:

If you’re not a pink person, other colours are available.

If your other half is Welsh (mine is), you might feel obliged to fill your home and your wardrobe with red. But what if, like me, you prefer blue? Simple, just visit helkatdesign and purchase something lovely like this:

And, if you’re frequently out and about, how about this working telescope pendant by Zara Taylor, just in case the sun sets as you walk and you need to navigate by the stars?

There’s a ship’s wheel included too.

Sorted!

Folksy Friday – What a good idea!

This week’s picks are things you never thought you needed until you see them. And I don’t mean the sort of gadgets you see in the Betterware catalogue!

Now to another concern of mine – how to keep warm on endless winter-y dog walks. Without getting ‘hat hair.’ All that’s needed is an ear warmer like this from GingerNutKnits:

If you’re not a pink person, other colours are available.

And, if you’re frequently out and about, how about this working telescope pendant by Zara Taylor, just in case the sun sets as you walk and you need to navigate by the stars?

There’s a ship’s wheel included too.

Sorted!

Congrats to February's Winners!

It's March - and you know what that means - it's time to announce the winners for this month!

Just a reminder of how this works: I track every comment that I receive on my blog. Then, at the end of the month, the top three commentators win prizes! Whoever wins one month is not eligible the next month to win, so sometimes it's not actually the top commentator who wins that month, because I want to give everyone a chance!

Whenever I put up a collection of my latest works promoted I give people a chance to earn extra entry's towards my commentators contest. Those extra entries are in parenthesis. And now for our winners!

1. Beaded Tail 13 (2)

2. Memories for Life 9 (1)

3. Tilt Creations 7

Now here's a few things from their shops!

Beaded Tail

Fusion Purple Earrings

Memories for Life

Family Favorites Recipe Book

Tilt Creations

Zombie Worker Messenger Bag

And now for the fun numbers :)

Top Commentator: This Month - 13 Last Month - 15

Total Commentators: This Month 203 - Last Month - 142

Total Comments: This Month - 256- Last Month - 201

Now last months and this months numbers are totally inflated. I was part of two events that brought me extra readers during this time. First I participated in One World One Heart, and then the Bead Soup Blog party. Both were a lot of fun, and I wish I had more time to get to all the blogs because I missed quite a few of them! Oh well. There's always next time around.

I'm just hoping that this month I can blog consistently, and maybe even visit some other blogs! Trying to get off this medication is kicking my tail - and making it hard to get anything done! I have soooo many blogs and different things I'd visit if I had more energy!

Sunshine Blog Award

The Sunshine Award was passed on to me by Red Bird Jewellery, which really made my day – check out her lovely Etsy shop here

You might have heard of this already, but basically the Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world. So a huge thanks to Red Bird for nominating me.

There are some rules that come with the award which are as follows:

- Put the logo on your blog or within your post
- Pass the award onto 12 bloggers
- Link the nominees within your post
- Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
- Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

So here’s my list of nominees...

A View from the Furry Side

Alibalijewellery

Boo's Jewellery

Burning Moon

elunajewelry

Forbes Farm Gifts

Happy Cloud Moments

haptree and me

Lightkeeping

miss chevious designs

tizduster

veronicarstudio

Go check them out - I hope you enjoy reading these blogs as much as I do!

Sunshine Blog Award

The Sunshine Award was passed on to me by Red Bird Jewellery, which really made my day – check out her lovely Etsy shop here

There are some rules that come with the award which are as follows:

So here’s my list of nominees...

A View from the Furry Side

Alibalijewellery

Boo's Jewellery

Burning Moon

elunajewelry

Forbes Farm Gifts

Happy Cloud Moments

haptree and me

Lightkeeping

miss chevious designs

tizduster

veronicarstudio

Go check them out - I hope you enjoy reading these blogs as much as I do!

Interview with Every Day Living

Today's Feature is going to be a little different. For starters, I'm running it on Saturday! I ran a gazillion errands yesterday and then had a migraine in the evening so I wasn't home long enough to put this together and put it up!

I met Tim when a mutual friend of ours (Sharla of Beaded Tail) told me that he was featuring etsy sellers on his blog! I contacted him to be featured, and that got us talking. He agreed to be interviewed for my blog...and the rest is history!

Oh, and he did feature me a couple of days ago, you can find the post here: "Creative Gifts from Rose Works Jewelry."

RWJ: How about starting off by telling me a little bit about what you blog about and why you blog?

Tim: I guess the main reason I started blogging, was to try and maintain some semblance of sanity in my life. You see, I’m a stay at home dad and I also home school our kids, so you can guess how much outside contact I have with people…none. So, during one of my travels on the Internet, I came across and interesting site, which happened to be a blog. I had never even heard of the term before, but it sounded like something that would be fun to do, so I did a little more research and ended-up on Blogger (well, it IS free). I then got myself a book on html and css and taught myself just enough coding to get myself into trouble.

As to what to blog about, well I started to write about my experiences as a stay at home dad, but after about a month I ran out of ideas, so I though it might be fun to post jokes and funny pictures. That lasted about another month before I got tired of posting other people’s work and not doing any writing. Besides, I started blogging to write, right? Now, although the main theme of my site is about my journey with losing weight, I usually just write about whatever is on my mind.

RWJ: Do you mind if I ask what lead to the decision to be a stay at home, homeschooling Dad?

Tim: This was a straight monetary decision. My wife and I had already decided that we wanted one of us to stay home with our children. When my wife found out she was expecting, we had a huge decision to make. I was currently working for the State and my wife was working for the Federal Government. Even though I had been in the position for over three years before my wife got pregnant, the insurance company considered it a pre-existing condition and would not cover it (They stated that any condition under five years is considered pre-existing. Please don’t ask me to try and explain this “logic”), which meant we would be stuck with the entire $4,000+ bill. On the other hand, my wife’s insurance, through the government, would cover 100% of the doctor and hospital bills. This decided the matter and, when our first daughter was born, I gave-up my job and have been home with them ever since.

As for the home schooling, our eldest had been in private school for four years (our youngest for three) and we could just no longer cover the costs. My wife and I asked them whether they wanted to go to public school or be home schooled. Well, they decided to learn at home, so I did some research and found that Virtual Academy is run through our local public school system. They supply the computers, books, and any supplies needed for the lessons. They also have teachers who conduct online classes in various subjects. Since this is affiliated with our public school system, our kids must meet State standards in attendance and they must pass State standardized testing.

RWJ: Very cool! I was home schooled so I'm well aware of some of the advantages that can go alone with the experience. What gave you the idea of featuring etsy sellers?

Tim: This last spring, my friend over at the BeadedTail gave me the idea when she began featuring the works of several sellers each Friday. I decided that since I have no talent, it might be nice to try and help those that do. The people in the Etsy community have tremendous talent and although it may sound strange in this day and age, I truly like to help people. Now, I know I don’t have the best site out there, but I figure that any extra exposure can be helpful.

RWJ: Is there anything you've learned about blogging that you'd like to share with other bloggers?

Tim: Beyond the usual SEO tricks and tips, I would say that if you are just starting out, blog because it is something YOU want to do. It can be very frustrating when you first start out, because more than likely, there will be very few people stopping by. I understand from personal experience that it can get pretty depressing when you pour your heart out on a post and nobody stops by to read it. Try not to get too discouraged and just keep writing, because the audience will eventually come. Also, just be yourself and let your personality seep into your writing. This will allow people a chance to get to know you better, which can also help you build a loyal reader base.

Next, enjoy yourself. Don't get frantic about posting every single day. Yes, it is important to update frequently, but don't let the blog take over your life. Don't lose sleep over not having anything to write about. The best thing to do in these situations is to walk away and do something else. Believe it or not, an idea will come.

Lastly, I would also suggest that you become involved in various social networking sites. Visit other blogs and leave relevant comments on posts that interest you. On those sites you find particularly interesting, leave your relevant comments and bookmark the site, so you can return to it later. Become involved in the blogging community, because you will meet some fantastic people.

RWJ: Thank you for sharing with us Tim!

Tuesday's Tips #4

Wild at Heart Necklace - $20

Last week I talked about building relationships through your blog. There's one more piece to this that I've found really helpful and want to share with you! It has two parts.

#1 Be consistent in checking your comments! I've found the easiest way to stay on top of this is to have the comment notifications sent to me. I don't moderate my comments because I've never had any problems with spammers. I do have the word verification set, and I think that helps weed out most problems.

~ To have your comments sent to you from Blogger start by clicking on "Settings".

~ Click on "Comments."

~ Scroll down to the very bottom.

~ There will be a box that says "Comment Notification E-mail." Simply input the e-mail you want them sent to there.

#2 Did you know that if your e-mail is active on your profile then people will be able to respond to you directly when you leave comments on their blog? This actually helps other people to build relationships with YOU! Now you may be hesitant to share your e-mail with the world, and I can understand that, but if your running your blog to support a business then you should have an e-mail that anyone can have. After all, the more reachable you are the more likely you are to make a sale!

~ To set your e-mail so that it's visable on your profile first go to your blogger dashboard.

~ In the upper left next to your profile icon it will say "Edit Profile" - click on this.

~ The third option box says "Show my e-mail adress." Make sure this box is checked. And that's all there is too it!

I hope that these tips help you as you build your relationships :)

Don't forget that I'm running a comment contest on my blog - check out this post for all the details!