Totally Tutorials – this is going to be fun!

Would you like to win FREE jewelry supplies – create a jewelry tutorial – and get your name out there? Keep reading!

One of the hats I wear is proprietor of Weekend Jewelry1 on Etsy – you already know I sell my extra supplies there, and some lovely vintage glass jewels, vintage chain, and other goodies that I find in my travels. Like these:


vintage glass octagon jewels in brass settings...at Weekendjewelry1 on Etsy vintage patina brass fine curb chain...at Weekendjewelry1 on Etsy
and
golden mother of pearl claws or spikes, by the strand...at Weekendjewelry1 on Etsy antiqued brass and amethyst glass cabochon pendant...at Weekendjewelry1 on Etsy

I just learned that a charming lady on Etsy has started a blog that is all tutorials – Totally Tutorials Blogspot. Her blog is full of techniques we can learn, and new goodies we can make ourselves!

Now this is a generous and lovely idea anyway, and then she came up with one even nicer – she’s asked some shops at Etsy if they’d supply goodies to make the creations in the tutorials. So – an artist gets to play with new (free!) supplies, AND teach us how she made her creation! And of course, the vendor gets credit too.

If you have a skill you’d like to share, and you’ve always wanted to make a tutorial and get your name out there – this is your chance! Go to Totally Tutorials to learn more about the tutorials. Or read this post to learn how you can win 🙂

Of course I couldn’t resist. Weekend Jewelry1 on Etsy is going to contribute FREE supplies to three winning artists!

How To Win!

There will be three, count ’em, three lucky winners!

You have a week to apply – all three winners will be chosen Thursday night, August 13, 2009. The only requirements for winning are that you make jewelry, can take clear photos of your work and create a tutorial, and that you have a blog or site (such as Craftster) where you can post the tutorial.

To be eligible, please post a comment on my blog here, or send me a convo through my Etsy shop telling me you want to be a Tutorial winner! Tell me what goodies you would like to win. You can select any supplies I have, up to a $12.00 retail value!

Please also include a link to the site where you will post your tutorial.

One note – if I’m almost out of something, I may ask you to make another selection. Or, if the winner before you selected exactly the same components, I’ll ask you to choose other pieces.

You don’t even have to pay for shipping. And yes, international artists are eligible!

I’ll contact the winners late Thursday night on August 13, 2009. If I don’t hear back from you by Saturday, August 15, I’ll pick another winner. So if you’re not going to be reachable, please tell me AHEAD OF TIME so I know why I haven’t heard back from you.

Please make your jewelry – and your tutorial – as soon as possible after receiving your supplies (no more than a couple of weeks, please). Post the tutorial, and include a link to my shop in the tutorial, letting people know where you got your supplies!

Send me the link to your new tutorial, so I can link to it from my shop – and show off the creation made with my supplies. 🙂

Please also send the link to Totally Tutorials Blogspot so she can post it too!

I think that’s it. Remember, there will be three winners – at no charge, even for the shipping. It’ll be easy peasy – and fun – and a cool way to get your name out there!

Still have questions? Visit Totally Tutorials Blogspot or my Weekend Jewelry Etsy shop and ask!

Reuse Rethink Recycle – Wall Art II (or is it 3?)

Talk about Do It Yourself – and original art ideas – and using low cost items to make a fabulous decorating statement! This is such a great inspiration!

It’s also made with paper coffee filters. Now that’s what I call DIY with style.

Giving credit where it’s due: this is from The Haystack Needle, and believe me there are tons more good ideas there.

Check this out!
Wall Art using coffee filters - reuse, rethink, recycle

I think it’s lovely – of course you can run with that idea and try all sorts of shapes and configurations… and it IS rethinking, it is low cost, it is truly DIY….. just a super idea!

Etsy Mini – my vintage jewels on Etsy

Thought I’d give a little peek at some of the yummy jewels (and brass, and pendants, and findings) I have in my Weekendjewelry1 Etsy Shop:

Always check your site!

Once a site is running, a lot of it’s automatic – and it’s a relief to have it be that way. You add new things sometimes, of course update your blog (hopefully!), add Twitter comments, and like that… but the site is good, it’s active, it’s running….

It pays to check through it once a week or so, anyway. It’d been an unusually quiet early July, but hey, that happens sometimes. People are out at the beach, not so much with the shopping, and people are broker these days, and that’s understandable, and…like that.

So thankfully my DH mentioned something that made me go in and doublecheck – and my shopping cart was gone! Well it was an easy fix, it was a silly glitch thingie (which was my fault), and it was fixed presto as soon as I took the time to look, and fix. But suppose I hadn’t? Suppose I had gone weeks and weeks, wondering why no sales, wondering what I’d done, wondering why… well, you get the idea.

An easy fix. I just had to go LOOK.

Check your site periodically! Pretend you’re a customer. Are things still working? Is it easy to use? Are there bad links? Go check!!