A Sale and a New Family Member

Hello all! In case you haven't been to my shop lately, I'm having a rockin' sale to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Simply Wired Custom Jewelry. Discounts range from 15-50%, so get 'em while they're going on!

In other news, we have acquired a new family member, as shown here. Ain't he just the cutest thing? His name is Dexter and he is a Manx--meaning he has no tail. I had not heard of this type of cat before, until my mom told me about them when I told her I was going to get the little guy. My girlfriend actually showed up with him at my house; his previous home was a farm and they didn't mind if a few of the kittens could be taken to official homes. Of course I decided to adopt him ASAP! He's a little fragile...only 1.5 lbs, and he had some young kitty health problems, including round worms and a bad cold. But, we got him all fixed up, tested for everything, and he seems to be in good health. My big dogs, as well as my other kitty, seem to be adapting. Dexter likes to crawl on top of the dogs and sleep on them; sometimes, they let him. The size difference is really a site; I'll post more pics soon!

Not Slacking, I Swear!

Nope, I've just been a really, really busy girl. My day job keeps me occupied and sometimes it exercises my brain so much that I run out of creativity (not to mention, energy)!

Over the past month or so, I've been slowly building up some stock, working on some new pieces, and fulfilling custom orders. Earlier this week I also got sick and had to shut down the shop for a few days, but I think I really made some progress this weekend. It's a relief, I tell you.

To prove I'm not lying, here's a little peak at what I've been working on...freshly oxidized and laid out to dry, but not yet tumbled or polished. Some you'll see in my Etsy shop, and some you'll just see on my Flickr when they're done, since they're based on orders (especially that super-sweet piece with the Egyptian Coils at the top left!). I plan to get them photographed and listed over the next month, so stay tuned. A couple pieces will also be listed at a really awesome price because they just didn't come out how I wanted them. LOL.

For all of you wondering about the pieces and the types of stones in the pic...I'll describe as best I can...here goes:

• Top left: As mentioned, Egyptian Coils and turquoise nuggets.
• Top right: Some lavender chalcedony faceted briolettes.
• To the left of the lavender chalcedony: All of those ear wires contain a different bead, wrapped or with a bead cap. Includes sterling silver with prehnite, smoky quartz, or a spiral design. Some copper ones are included as well, and feature prehnite as well as carnelian wrapped teardrop beads.
• Below the lavender chalcedony: A new piece that incorporates labradorite and garnet, as well as another new piece that includes vintage lucite beads (purchased from blacksheepbeads; awesome shop!).
• Right: Wire wrapped focal pendants.
• Bottom: A peak at a remake of my Egyptian Goddess necklace, a custom order from a customer.

So...keep your eye on the shop and you'll see most of these pretty soon. Thanks for looking!

Computer Woes

Over the past few weeks, my computer has not liked me. My CD-ROM player decided to not let me open it up anymore (even when I use the "paper clip in the hole" magic trick), and Photoshop decided not to run due to insufficient RAM.

Both of these issues were mind-boggling to me, as my computer is only about a year old. So, since it is still under warranty, I was able to score a new CD-ROM drive at no cost to me. I also upgraded my RAM and bought 2GB extra from Crucial. I installed both of them over the last two weeks.

The CD-ROM drive was fine. Photoshop? Not so much. I'm running version 7, and after I installed the new RAM, it still wouldn't work. So, on a whim, I decided to Google the error, and sure enough, I found the solution: A teensy, weensy, tiny bit of code found in my settings for Photoshop (see Response Number 8). And that was all it took. I couldn't believe it. On a lighter note, my computer is now, as my friend calls it, "Wicked Fast!"

Anyway, now everything is up and running again, I have my camera back from my husband (who had it on a kayak trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Maine for about 15 days), and I'm slowly but surely creating some new pieces for fall. I'll keep you posted on new creations, dear readers. Thank you for your patience.

Endicia: Do I Love It? Maybe

So, about a week or so ago, I signed up for a free trial of Endicia. What is it, you ask? It's a service that enables you to perform just about any and all mail services from your home/business...from printing postage to ordering supplies. The reason I was attracted to it is because it allows you to print postage for First Class International directly from your home (customs forms and all!), which saves me a trip to the Post Office. Given that I've had a recent influx of international orders, I decided to give it a try. Here's a summary of what I've learned so far:

• Once you learn to use it, it's quite easy; however, it's definitely not an intuitive program. You have to muddle your way through how to set up a label; once you learn it, it becomes second nature. I like how you can copy/paste an address directly from Etsy, without having to enter items in separate fields like you do with PayPal. In case you're considering giving it a try, here's the general steps I follow:

1. Create a new address
2. Choose the layout (you can skip this step once you create your first label of the session [and you don't switch to international mail])
3. Print postage
4. Print customs forms (if international)

• Apparently not compatible with Vista (which is what I [unfortunately] have). I have not witnessed these incompatibilities yet; however, one thing that irked me was that you don't know about them until after you sign up. Given that I'm fairly astute at doing my own research in troubleshooting compatibility issues, this didn't bother me so much. However, someone who is not very tech-savvy may have problems. Also, since Vista has been around for at least a year now, I think it's bad form for software companies and services to ignore the fact that they need to perform an upgrade. That's just my opinion. I'm dealing with it, though. Take it for what it's worth.


• The management of previous orders is a plus. Endicia saves a postage log for you, which I like. If someone needs to know where their order is, or you need to track something for yourself, all orders are available within the postage log. If you included Delivery Confirmation, that information is available as well.


• First Class International is a time-saver. I love not having to go to the Post Office. This is by far my favorite feature, and is probably the main reason why I'll stick with Endicia and pay the monthly access fee.

So there you have it. I'm not going to start a Forum thread claiming "I Love Endicia!" or put their banner on my blog, but for now I appreciate the convenience and availability of Endicia's services. Who knows? Maybe sometime in the near future, they'll make the software Vista-friendly, and incorporate the use of "wizards" (to us Instructional Design nerds -- "Electronic Performance Support") to guide us through the process of making labels. Until something better comes along, I think I'll stick with it for a while. If nothing else, I assure you that I'm saving fuel costs.

Playing Catch Up

Good morning dear readers. This week's post brings a general update on the shopfront. I'm staying in the background a bit when it comes to promoting, as I have a number of custom orders to catch up with (at least six of them, to be exact). I hope to get back on track with those this week. I'm also in the process of making new creations for the fall, and reorganizing my store a little bit.

Look out for many a necklace coming your way, as well as matching earrings. Colors will include the soft, translucent shades of chalcedony -- greens and blues and pinks and lavenders -- plus bright, rich contrasting colors to set them off. I'll also be offering sets at discounted prices; when you buy items that coordinate, you can save some extra cash!

I plan to continue my exploration of metalsmithing, with hopes to have some more items by September; probably pendants. Finally come October, expect a rockin' sale to coordinate with my one-year anniversary as a seller on Etsy.

Have a great week, dear readers. I hope to post progress updates as I move along in completing these custom orders.

Smooches,
Chelsea

Bare Feet and Wet Grass

Hello readers, I made it back from my trip, safe and sound. Displayed below is my latest Treasury, scored earlier today. Yay! I happened across Treasury West and there were about 200+ lists open, so I made one. Since summertime is one of my favorite times, I put this collection together. You can see it live and leave a comment at:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=20019

The link will be active for the next few days. Enjoy!

Rest in Peace, Ernest P. Bigcat (03/01/00 - 07/18/08)

Baddest news today, dear readers, as I just recently received word from our vet that our 8-year old cat has passed away.

We adopted Ernest from my Uncle; he's put in a long shift with us. He's been through three different dogs (Knute [also no longer with us]), Betza, and Gus, and one cat who he was especially fond of, Shammer.

As you're aware from previous posts, all of my pets live in harmony together, and I couldn't have asked for a cooler cat. He was a tough dude...he would get very big in the winter and then skinny in the summer. He had some missing teeth because they went bad. He also only had a half of an ear because it got ripped off in a fight.

Yesterday morning as I was standing out on my deck, Ernest emerged from the woods crying very loudly. He walked up slowly to my husband's truck and hid underneath it. Upon trying to pull him out, I noticed that his stomach was covered in blood. We rushed him to the vet's office, and they found two puncture wounds, though they do not know what from. It didn't look like teeth marks (they weren't close enough), and there was no bullet to be found. X-ray results showed five broken ribs and no damaged organs; however, his blood pressure and temperature were low, he was anemic, and he was in shock. They kept him overnight and tried to get his temperature to come up, but it did not improve. When I checked in this afternoon, he was still anemic and with low blood pressure. They also said he was breathing through his mouth, which apparently isn't very good. Shortly after that my vet called personally to let me know that Ernest had passed.

So now I'm sad. It just wasn't Ernest's time, given all that he's been through with us. He was young, and had many cat lives ahead of him. But I am glad, however, that he made it home. Some way, some how, with broken ribs and a bleeding belly, he got back here to let me know that he wasn't OK. And we were able to get him to a place where he could be given proper care, and upon moving on, he was made as comfortable as he could possibly be.

Rest in peace, Ernest. May you find an ever-stretching land full of green grass, catnip, and many animals to chase. May you find other cuddly cats to comfort you and clean your 1.5 ears, and may you find other giant dogs to rub up against and then run from as soon as they bark. May you be fed as soon as you start talking in your ErnieCat voice, and may you be pet as soon as you demand it. You deserve all of these things. You were a wonderful friend. I will miss you.

Love,
Chelsea

Back from Vacation, Off Again for Another Work Trip

Hello readers! Long time, no hear from me. My apologies. I've been swamped! Much work to do in the studio, plus very busy with my job, creating online learning courseware.

I've been trying to stock up as necessary on some of my items; it's a slow process. August will be tremendously busy, as I plan to get ready for the holidays. My supplier once again ran out of the beads I use for my Santa Fe Teardrops earrings and all of their different variations in Red and in Copper (available at Simply Wired Custom Jewelry on Etsy!), so I'll be making more and re-photographing with different beads, yet again. Why not give up? Because they are some of my best sellers. So, I don't want to ruin a good thing.

Amongst all of this activity, I have a show with the band next Saturday. You can see details on The Simple Groove web site. Or, you can certainly be our friend on The Simple Groove MySpace page. We welcome all of you!

Finally, as mentioned in the title of this post, I have another trip for work coming up...this time to Kansas City, MO. I'll be posting an announcement in my shop, and I'll be filling orders when I return on 7/26 (oh, how I wish Etsy would establish Vacation Mode for us!).

As promised in my previous post, I do have some pictures from vacation, but I still need to get the large amount of them off of my camera. That will come soon, but not tonight, as I have many things to get done over the next few days. You may not hear from me until I get back from Kansas City, so have a great 1.5 weeks!

Found Moss Pendant

Found Moss 1
Originally uploaded by Simply Wired Custom Jewelry

Hello readers...a quick post and a photo to let you know of what's to come...

I'm getting ready for a much needed vacation. A much, MUCH needed vacation, so my shop will be closed for the rest of the week through Sunday. Orders will be completed/fulfilled upon my return on June 30th.

This beauty here is called "Found Moss," named after all things earthy that I hope to uncover during my upcoming stay in the woods. I hope to get it listed today before I leave. The pendant is a type of gemstone called "Chinese 'Chrysoprase'" (at least that's what I think it is based upon my research). The blend of colors is quite lovely, and it coordinates nicely with the oxidized sterling silver wire that's wrapped around it.

I'll share some vacation photos upon my return...scenes from campsites and canoes. Cheers!

Etsy Purchases for My Home

Hello readers...as you all may or may not know, occasionally I enjoy sharing my Etsy purchases with you by babbling about them on my blog.

Today's post is related to some of the things I've been buying for my home. Art, pottery/ceramics, and home decor are the biggest categories I shop from, so I thought I'd give these sellers some recognition for their beautiful work.

One of my latest is from ArzuMusa. See this lovely little candle holder? Yep, she created this "Trio of Shamans" piece all by herself, and shipped it to *ME* all the way from Fethiye, Turkey. I absolutely adore it, and it coordinates perfectly with the colors of my home. The glow is beautiful, the craftsmanship is superb, and I've received many compliments on it already! Thank you, ArzuMusa!

Another item that I purchased...in fact, purchased multiples of, are kokopelli prints from Etsy seller kathatart. I have my favorite displayed below. Much of my living room is done in a southwest theme, so these are perfect accompaniments! I also love kokopelli, so whenever I see something that captures its magic, I snag it immediately. Beautifully done, Kathy.

Yet another purchase that will coordinate perfectly with the colors of my home is this beautiful painting by treeartist. Stunning! It is an original, so I'm very excited about that. The warm oranges and yellows are stunning, and will be a fabulous addition to my kitchen or my office. Thank you, Jordanka!
Last but not least, you may have remembered me talking about khphillips a while back, during the holiday season. I had my eye on his chip and queso dip set, and I finally snagged one for me! This is going to be perfect for my summer parties, indeed. Keith also sends his recipe for black bean and chorizo queso with this set. Keith--have I told you lately that you ROCK!!??

That's all for now dear readers...some upcoming items I'll be looking for is place settings. I'm going out with the old and in with the new, and I'd like to have them all be handmade. I like rich, earthy colors, but they have to be unique. If you're a seller of pottery/ceramics and you'd like me to check out your shop, by all means leave me a comment. I'll be happy to look!