“I still get
butterflies in
my stomach when I realize
that I actually won this
fabulous collection of
beads!” ~Carolyn-F
If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that I have recently given away a couple of really nice batches of my handmade polymer clay beads.
Wow! This is soooooo cool! Cindy, I can hardly wait to get your beads … I’m in a slight state of shock of winning these … I always hope to win, but until now I never have … I recognize most of these beads from the tutorials. It is going to be extra great to have the ‘real’ finished product to guide me in my attempts … I still get butterflies in my stomach when I realize that I actually won this fabulous collection of beads! ~Carolyn-F
| So far, the two lucky winners are Lupe-M (2010-02-26) and Carolyn-F (2010-06-10). They each received prizes that had cash values amounting to about what it would cost for a 2 year subscription at the members library. That’s a pretty good return on investment don’t ya think? I was very happy to have been able to give back to both of these deserving winners.
Phase 1 of my bead giveaway escapades was based on photo submissions of beads and jewelry projects inspired by the Vol-014 videos (Polymer Clay Library). Phase 2 switched gears a bit and focused on the Member Spotlight Articles that have been published weekly for the last few months. The following link will take you to a recent example of one of these special “Spot” feature presentations: Peeking Inside Your Puffy Beads Now it’s time to move into Phase 3. And I’d like to change things up again… just to keep everyone on their toes :-) One thing I’ve come to realize in managing these giveaway contests, is that they are a heck of a lot of work to pull off. And since it’s difficult to squeeze any more hours out the each day than what Doug and I are already accomplishing, I’d like to build on something that you guys have already started to do anyway. And that is posting your project pictures at your own blogs, and on Flickr as well as all of the other sites that make it easy to share photos. By having you guys upload your own stuff, to wherever, that will definitely help to address the back log issue that has been happening on my hard drive lately. You see… I did not even come close to being able to create Spotlight articles for everyone that submitted entries over the last couple of months. And I really don’t want this to end up becoming a bottle neck in the process of being able to give away more beads. So here’s how I see this working… 1) You guys upload your photos, descriptions and stories to the site of your choice. 2) Along with your photos, you would also include a link back to a page here at my blog, which shows the intro video clip for the technique your projects are based on, or inspired by. 3) After your photos are posted, you would simply let me know via email, where to find them. 4) Then on a regular basis here at my blog (probably weekly), I would publish a summary post with links back to all of your creative photo pages… so that everyone will be able to follow along. 5) The winner would be selected based on the number of visitors your links end up sending my way. So the more pictures, stories and links you publish, the greater will be your chances of winning. However, before proceeding with anything, I wanted to first throw the idea out there, to see if it is even something you guys would want to do. Let me know… |
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that’d work for me, I’d use my blog – I already put pictures of things I make from the videos with the link back often.
I think we should also have a Cindy Leitz flickr group so we can all post our images there to compare and contrast and be inspired. It would be difficult to do a contest from there I guess but would be a fun thing for us.
@Phaedrakat: “How will you know whose links are sending which “visitors” to you, Cindy?”
I assume Cindy’s using Google Analytics or a similar service to track visitors to this site, so that will give her a “referring link” for every visit, and numbers of how many people came from each link. I use GA to track visitors to my MISI shop, and I find that a good proportion of my visits come from this blog when people click on my name, for example.
@Cara: I like the Flickr group idea, but personally I’ve given up on Flickr because they only let you post 200 images altogether unless you pay a subscription. We could do a similar thing on Facebook – I know Cindy has a page where you can add “fan photos” – facebook.com/home.php?sk=app_2915120374#!/polymerclay?ref=ts
Maybe this will be the spur I need to start blogging again, after I’ve let it slide for so long.
@Silverleaf: thanks for the tip off I didn’t realise there was a limit in the number you could upload althogether – I am ok with the monthly limit but am heading towards to 200 total limit.
It seems like a good idea for the most part, especially since I didn’t realize there was a bottleneck (I thought people weren’t sending stuff in, and was worried about why people weren’t participating!) But I have some questions.
How will you know whose links are sending which “visitors” to you, Cindy? Does the visitor have to say, “I just found your site on Cara’s blog,” (for example)…?
Also, it seems like people will have to be careful about which pictures they show on their blogs, so they aren’t “giving away” steps to your tutorials, or other important info to non-members.
Will the Spotlights continue, and still be part of the ongoing process? You mentioned in Phase 2 that it would be a perpetual contest, with a new winner every 30 days. That makes sense, especially since the more recent Spotlights only had a week to get people to comment on their page. But it they continue, will there still be a Spotlight contest winner after each 30 posts?
Last Question: How often will there be a Phase 3 contest winner?
Like Cara, I’d like to see a flickr group. That would be almost as good as a spotlight feature and it could include a lot more people seeing what everyone is doing.
I’ve actually been thinking recently that I should systematically work my way through all Cindy’s videos, even the ones for techniques I’m not immediately attracted to, and document the results. Maybe doing two a week until I’m all up-to-date and then once a week as each new video is published.
@Silverleaf: I keep thinking that cause I have been surprised with a few tutorials that I didn’t think I would like but did when I tried them – zebra cane and spliced flower cane now being 2 of my favourite canes!
@Cara: Yes I know what you mean – I wouldn’t have tried the watercolour beads if it hadn’t been for the competition, and I love those now.
Works for me as well. I didn’t even think of how many submissions Cindy must get each week. I have both Fickr and Facebook although I haven’t used either for a while. And, exposure is everything to selling. Sounds like a plan! (And especially not to reveal the steps to each lesson plan. That means I need to not talk too much and that will really be hard!!!)
Wow this is way over my head. As I have said often computers and I just are not the best of friends. I would definitely have to get my husband involved. I am sure what ever is decided other members , Cindy and Doug will be more than happy to walk any of us through this that need help. I do not have a blog and would not know how to begin to get one either. I am definitely for making things easier for you and Doug Cindy. So if there is anyway we can help do this and keep your contests going I vote YES YES YES.
Thanks for doing all you have done both of you, Cindy and Doug the dream team who does it all for us.
Many Uuuugggs, Peggy
Other thought: now that I’m all moved into another home I now need to set up a photo area. Have not had much time for that. This is a good reason to do take some time and make some space. That brings up a question: where do you folks tend to set up for photos?
I wouldn’t even begin to know how to do the links and and all that, that’s why I didn’t enter phase 1, but I would be willing to learn to make it easier on you and your family, and it might just give me the KICK I need to finish registering with Etsy and start selling.
I’m with Peggy and ken. I do have Facebook but don’t do too much on it. All these link things seems way over my head too. But i would be willing to learn to help make it easy for you and Doug. Is Picasa the same as Flickr? I have Picasa to organize our family photos.
Maybe Silverleaf or others who are so willing could “coach” folks on the intricasies of FB (pleeeeeeease), Silverleaf’s site/page whatever they’re called for her store on FB is wonderful, and she seems to have a knowledge of FB that I don’t.
I am not to bad on the computer but all this other stuff is beyond me.I set up Face book about a week ago but could not get to grips with it so I deleted it I thought the security was not to good on it I have no clue on flickr never really heard of it; O K I wear the dunces cap looks like I have to learn more skills oh well.
Oh, I’m so glad I wasn’t among the first to post today so that I can now comfortably admit that I am one of those who does not know how to do the links and stuff. (At least I don’t think I know how to do it–or maybe I do but don’t know that I know how to-no, in my case, that’s not likely.)LOL It’s interesting that I spent the greater part of the week-end getting ready to launch my fledgeling web site that includes a blog, and I am more than willing to learn anything I need to about links etc. if this will make your life easier, Cindy.
I, too, have FB but really don’t like it much and so to date I haven’t done much on it. I don’t have Flikr. I think it would be so much fun to have a community locale for photos of everyone’s work. Count my vote for the consensus, but I need to stress that whatever is decided I will need some teaching to get up to speed. I would really love to be part of whatever happens.
Thanks & Hugs,
Elizabeth
That sounds pretty good Cindy. I like the idea of a Flickr group or you could also make a Facebook group as well. I already put my work on Flickr, FB, and on my blog. You can probably post more pics on the Facebook than you could on Flickr and we would have a chance to comment and share on FB. I just joined a group on FB, “Its Better Handmade” and everyone can comment, share and post their work on the group’s page. You get to see a lot of artist’s work that way…there’s a lot of talented/gifted artists out there. Whatever you decide will be ok with me, Cindy. I know it can be a lot of work for you and Doug and I am ok with whatever decreases your work load. =)
@Lupe Meter: Lupe, OK, here is my first attempt to learn some of this stuff. If I want to see the work you have posted on FB, how do I go about it? I’m assuming that I would have to send a request to add me as a friend, first, right?
@Elizabeth S.: That is right Elizabeth. Just send me a request!
@Lupe Meter: Thank you. I will!
I’m happy to help anyone with Facebook – I’m not an expert but I’ve been using it since before it was open to the public (when it was just for university students) so I can probably do everything you guys want to know how to do.
Would it be helpful if I was to blog about this, showing how to set up an account, how to add friends, post pictures, etc?
For anyone who’s worried about security the easiest thing to do is use a fake name like a nickname or your business name if you have one, and don’t reveal personal information like email, phone number, address, date of birth. There are ways to allow certain groups of people to access this kind of information which I can also explain.
If you don’t have me as a friend, my profile is at facebook.com/silverleaf79 and my jewellery page is facebook.com/silverleafshinystuff
@Silverleaf: YES!!! YES!!! PLEASE!!!
@Elizabeth S.: I’ll see what I can do then… :)
@Silverleaf: Thank you!
@Silverleaf: So you actually have two Fb accounts? A personal one and one for your jewelry? I guess I could create email account.
I’m good with either Facebook or Flickr, although I definitely prefer Flickr. It is easy to use and has some cool photo fixing tools available to crop, enlarge, reduce, lighten, darken, etc. pictures that up upload.
As for the picture limitation, that’s an easy one to overcome. If Cindy or any member who has the annual membership (which I think is $19.95 or something like that for unlimited photos)sets up a group, anyone can submit a photo to that group. The administrator has to approve the person submitting the picture the first time around but then they become a member of the group and can add pictures at will. For more specific information about how groups work, go to flickr.com/help/with/groups/
I am a member of PCAGOE (Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy) and we use a Flickr group to submit our challenge entries and another group to share our work. It works very well and, to me, for less than $20 a year, it’s well worth it. I can upload my photos at night, then clean them up during the day when I have “down” time.
It is also very easy to load pictures into my blog from Flickr.
Thanks for all the GREAT feedback guys. Please keep your comments, questions and suggestions coming. I’m going to address everything in a separate, follow up blog post.
@Cindy Lietz from Mitered Cane Video:Cindy & Doug,
I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are willing to learn anything you need us to learn to support you.
I really don’t want to do FB.. I share my Blog on there but haven’t got any hits off of it. I get more comments when uploading to FB.
I use Picasa web folders for my pictures. My web folders and blog and photo program are through google.com, so they all work together. When I upoad a photo to my web folder, I make my intro about it, then hit the blog button and it just shows on my blog. As long as I am signed in. I am new at blogging my self. I am a fast learner. I host a couple of websites and edit for my sister inlaw with her photography website. I know HTML .
I don’t know that it would be fare using the Blog because some have been blogging longer and have more followers than others.. Like I have three. Does that make sense? I don’t mind linking back when I post my projects. I hope I am not being a stick in the mudd :(
Oh” I forgot, Picasa is a free software. picasa.google.com/
I agree with Brenda, using the number of clicks on the links as the measure would favor those with more followers. Using the blogs as a spot to host the pictures is a great idea, though. I agree with those who said they were willing to do what’s needed to give you and your husband a break.
My young son runs my server and he says using Piccasa is by far the best way of posting photos because it is fast – and free (and doesn’t clog up his server!). It is easy to upload pictures – picasa resizes them, and you can link back to any website you like. I have even got a carousel of my other son’s picasa filed photos on my google main page – he updates frequently so I have a constant supply of pictures of him and his family and their most recent activities.
Modern technology is fun. Not really relevant here but my younger son has an application called ‘location’ on his iphone – he has given me access to this and I can, on my Google page, track where he is at any time. So if I can’t get hold of him on line through GTalk then I look on Location and know he is at the supermarket, or driving to see a friend etc…..I don’t know how healthy it is, mind you, a mother constantly knowing where his 35 year old son is!
This seems like it could be fun, and if it helps Cindy and Doug free up some of their time, I’m all for it. I have a website and I’m on FB, although I find it terribly confusing. Silverleaf, I’d love it if you could help us understand FB better.
I’ve been thinking about starting a blog on my website for a while now. I was going to wait until I got my Etsy store going…make the first blog my Etsy announcement. This is the push I needed to get both of them started!
Oops, I forgot one thing. Not only is there Flickr and Picasa, but also PhotoBucket and PictureTrail…and lots of other photo-sharing sites as well.
I’ve had a PictureTrail membership for several years and that’s the only one I know about. Until I created my website and linked it to my PictureTrail, it was not possible for anyone to get to my PT without me giving them the exact address. Googling it didn’t work.
I don’t know if other photo-sharing sites are more accessible, but if not, then posting our photos to those sites isn’t going to generate much traffic to Cindy’s site. Just a thought. Maybe someone else knows more about how this works on Flickr and Picasa.
I just looked at Flickr and Picassa and they both seem to have lots of great features. I have to agree with Penny, that Picasa is the best. I’m going to start switching over to Picasa, so that I can cancel my PictureTrail when I get the bill next February.
I read through as many details as I could on both Flickr and Picasa. Unless I misunderstood, it looks like you can allow your photos to be searchable from either of them. I still couldn’t find anything that said we could add a link that would bring people to Cindy’s site, though.
@Linda K.: Your able to do that on your Blog page. When you upload your picture to picasa you edit the intro and add the link there. Then click the Blog button. You have to be signed into your blog page before it will post. Google offers all types of great tools for free. I use Chrome, maps, picasa, and blog all through google. I edit all my pictures before I upload them with the picasa. I love it. It is really easy to understand too.
@brenda: Brenda, I was planning to blog on my website, but maybe this blog will be better. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the info.
@Linda K.: I just looked at your site and noticed that you paint as well.. I love painting too.. I wish I didn’t have to work. I would be a full time artist. LOL My Grandmother painted. I have one of her paintings on my wall that she done. The frame that it is in, is very very old. 16 x 20 the frame itself has many layers. Just beautiful! I think she was inspired by Ross. He is so easy to follow. BTW… did I say” I love your work……
@brenda: Thanks for looking at my paintings, Brenda. Now that I’m retired I thought I would be a full-time artist as well, but with tennis, golf, and skiing, I’m still having a hard time finding enough hours in the day to create!
You must have inherited your talents from your Grandmother. You’re so lucky to have her painting.
@brenda: Aha! I was planning to do my blog on my own website, but this will work as well. I’ll just link from my webpage to the Google Blog. Thanks for the info.
Well you have all lost me ,i have neither a web site or a blog or anything else at all.I also had never been on a blog until i joined Cindy’s site.As i only do this as a hobby for myself and do not sell anything i have not needed any of this technical stuff .Until reading this i had no idea that if i clicked your names it would take me to your blogs or whatever.
I would still like to add my comments now and then but it all seems beyond me to understand how to do anything else.
@Carole Holt: Hi Carole, don’t worry about all of that if you don’t want to bother with it. You have gorgeous polymer clay work, but if you’re not interested in selling it, and just want to give it as gifts and all that, it’s fine! You can have one of us walk you through how to set up a photo-sharing account if you like, but you don’t have to. The only reason you’d have to do the blog/photo-sharing/Facebook/website links is for the bead contests.
Cindy will probably still accept photos sent in via email once in awhile. She didn’t say she’s going to stop posting our pictures completely. She’ll probably still do a Spotlight article from time to time. Also, this blog will continue to be about polymer clay. Your comments will always be happily recieved! ~Kat
Facebook is easiest for me…and you can link back to Cindy.
~Lisa :)
You all just let me know what you are going to do :) I’ll try to follow. I am still trying to set up my store. I took everything down so that I can redo my pictures and such.
I’d like to take part but am afraid I can’t commit to very much these days…work , caring for my husband Dean and family take up a lot, this last year or so has been difficult. But I will gladly follow along, I just love all the inspiration and ideas that come from so many shared projects.
Great idea, having a kind of online gallery with everyone’s accomplishments. Hope to add my own stuff at some point too!
I like the idea of having a photo linked back to the intro video on our own FB, blog or website for a contest, but I’d also like to see those same photos on a special photo page so that we can gain inspiration from one another like we have with the spotlights. Since I was ill I’ve really let my FB and Blog go by the wayside. I’ll have to reactivate them, though I don’t think that I have many followers on either one. But then, I won the last contest so I guess I shouldn’t work too hard trying to win the next one … though Cindy’s beads are always tempting! BTW: I am writing this from my son’s home in Philly. It is great to be here!
@carolyn: I agree with Carolyn. It would be nice to be able to see photos of what we are all doing in the same place.
@Everyone: I’ve just posted an update article with more discussion about this Phase 3 of the Bead Giveaway contest. The link by my name will take you there.
@carolyn & Linda K: I’ll be doing regular posts here at my blog, with links to the individual photo page entries. But that doesn’t stop someone else from creating a “summary” of “gallery” photo page of your own (i.e. posting a collection of photos of other’s peoples work, with their permission of course, at a central page that you create). This would actually be a VERY smart way to get credit for lots of links and web traffic to help you win the big prize. Hint, hint :-)
@carolyn: Glad to hear you made it to Philly all safe and sound. Have a wonderful time… and say hi to Ken-H from me :-)
@Cindy Lietz from Bead Giveaway Contest More Discussion: Sounds like a great idea, Cindy, but I don’t have the time to do this. Maybe Kat will want to give it a try.
@Linda K.: I might be able to do something like that in a couple weeks, but I still have to set up my own blog. I was hoping to get some pieces done first, but I’m still trying to get organized after getting ready for pool construction (more like DEstruction on my end.) It’s been quite a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of working with my lovely PC…
@carolyn: It’s the quality of the followers, not the quantity, LOL…
I’m so glad you made it safely to Philly. I’ll bet the change of scenery feels good, especially after being stuck in bed for so long. I hope you’re feeling strong and much, much better. Have fun when you meet up with Ken!
Well learning to place links back to Cindy’s site and all that will have to wait till at least next week, I’ve got a “date” Saturday with a friend who just so happens to be visiting her family in Philadelphia and just so happens to follow a blog of this wildly creative Polymer Clay artist from Vancouver. I hope to send in a picture of us in front of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall or something just as iconic.
@Ken H: Sounds like fun, Ken. Hope you enjoy having your friend there. Don’t get carried away and forget Carolyn’s coming to town! I wonder, does your friend know anything about Cindy? I mean, she’s from the same city, into clay…WAIT! Just kidding. I can’t wait to see a pic of the two of you. Of course you’ll have plenty of “iconic” choices for your backdrop in Philly!
@Ken H:
Well the get together went great,Carolyn and I had a nice day (Carolyn has the pictures), a little on the hot side for us here in Philly in June. We Visited the Liberty Bell, the lines for Independence Hall were WAY to long to wait in, went down to South St. like planned, window shopped.
We found the bead store I had been trying to find and we brought a few items, had lunch at “Johnny Rocket’s” a 1950’s style hamburger joint (where we swapped beads), window shopped some more and on the way home visited “Christ Church” the oldest Episcopal Church in Philadelphia founded in 1695, which had as members Ben Franklin and several other signers of the US Constitution.
Went back to Carolyn’s sons beautiful home had some lovely conversation before I left to go home. All in all it was a great day with wonderful company. We both said numerous time how quickly we both would travel up to Vancouver should the opportunity present itself to meet Cindy!
And we also wandered through a craft fair at, I think it was called ‘Head House’ – an open sided but covered walkway. There we saw some actual jade beads and compared Ken’s to the real thing and really could not tell the difference! They are even better in person than they are in pictures. Then I wore the necklace he gave me when our little family went out last night to ‘City Tap House’ for Father’s Day dinner. It is really beautiful!
It sure is hot and humid here in Philly! In that regard I’ll be glad to get back to nice cool, dry Lake Tahoe!
Here are the photos of Ken’s and my time together in Philly. 1] Both of us on Jono’s street; 2] me at Liberty bell; 3] Ken on South Street – lots of Bohemian shops with some cool stones and jewelry; 4] Ken is 50s restaurant – fun and good place to eat – can’t remember the name – Ken?] 5] Ken holding bag of beads from Carolyn with his bead gifts to her on the table – notice the faux jade! Now you can all really be jealous. Ken and I really had a grand time … lots of walking and talking … not one dull moment. I will treasure this special day.
@Carolyn Fiene & Ken H.: Lovely people, lovely beads. I thinks it’s so cool you two got to meet up and swap beads. Sounds like you both had a great time!
Carolyn, I’m so glad you are feeling better! I hope you’re completely better by the time you go home!
Clay On,
~Lisa :)
@Carolyn & Ken: Wow, what fun! You guys really look happy in your photos — can’t fake that (well, Ken IS an actor, but…) The beads are gorgeous, and I have to say that I’m really happy for the closer look at the Faux Jade. Ken’s beads really DO rival the real thing. I love the “other” colors more now that I’ve seen these pictures. Thanks so much for sharing these pictures of your outing. I’ve had a really bad 36 hrs or so, seeing this cheered me up immensely! Thanks!
@Phaedrakat: One of the hardest things to “act” is laughter :D, most of the time it comes out as stilted and insincere, trust me, that was for real, at the hamburger shop the staff do a floor show to the oldies music that plays in the background and one of those “floor shows” had just happened. Carolyn is as nice in person as she is in her writtings, I look forward to the day that she returns so we can get together again.
@Ken H.: Oh, I do hope you know I was kidding! It’s obvious in the photos that the joy on your faces is real. Seeing that was genuinely uplifting to me. I’m truly happy you both had a great time; you’re wonderful people, nice, friendly, cool, and talented! You made lots of people happy today by detailing your meet for us with words & pictures. Not only that, but some of us have been looking forward to it for weeks! (Yeah, I have no life…) ;D
BTW, I agree it’s hard to “act” like you’re happy. Laughter that isn’t genuine definitely sounds fake. I’m guessing actors that “pull it off” onstage have to dig deep & really laugh at something that they find truly funny!
@Carolyn Fiene: Looks like you two had a wonderful time.. Those purple marble beads are beautiful on that necklace. Ken you really do great work! Carolyln I love your fishy… Too Cute!
Here are some better photos of the beads Ken and I shared … I’ll be making a bracelet and earrings from my new faux jade beads … they are so gorgeous! Thought you might like better photos of these … Love ya’, ~Carolyn
@Carolyn Fiene: I’ve got SO many options, the only thing I certain of is the crackled foil/inks butterfly and matching two beads to the lower right are going together into a necklace for mom, most likely on either the rubberized cording or on seude(sp) cording. The Zebra cane puffy fish is cute and needs a special treatment by it’s self to show it off, for the rest I’m certain something will hit me (most likely wake me up during the night with an AhHa moment).
There was a Chain Maille necklace done with some kind of dark rings and either dark gray, tahitian color pearls that caught my eye, and knitted wire cuff with rice pearls most likely worked in while it was being knitted. One thing both Carolyn and I noticed was the frequency of Large chunky necklaces (one was comprised of hunks (they were too large to be called chunks) of amber about the size of my palm.
@Carolyn Fiene and Ken H: it looks and sounds like you both had a great time and having a bead swap too was a wonderful idea. Thank you for sharing this and showing off your photographs — you both look so happy!
Wow, it is so nice to see the two of you in those photos. You look like you’re having such a wonderful time and those are gorgeous beads you both made!
How wonderful for you Ken and Carolyn to be able to meet. Looks like you both had a really grand time. So happy for you and especially for Carolyn. The beads are gorgeous – i simply love your jade beads Ken.
@ Linda and brenda – I have FB. I tried posting my photos with the link to Cindy; not quite sure I did it right. going to find you on FB. Can you start a blog and link to a website. Linda did you get your website done or did you do it yourself. I’ve been struggling with it but have decided to get it done. I’ve got to write descriptions for my pieces; I wish I had more time as I’ve paid eup for the webpages and need to get it going soon.
@Cheryl Hodges: Hi , Yes you can link your blog or website even etsy to your FB account. under profile the profile page.
@Cheryl Hodges: Hey Cheryl I just found you on FB and sent you a friend request.
@Cheryl Hodges: Hi Cheryl, I am Linda Kropp on FB. I’ll try to find you and send you a friend request.
I created my own website at Webs.com…they have templates and you don’t need to know HTML. The editor is not as sophisticated as Microsoft Word, but it’s not too hard to use. They have levels of services: the free one puts ads on your pages and your web address is long and complicated; if you buy your domain name through them (that’s what I did) the ads go away and your domain name is your web address…the downside here is that you can only put 5 items at a time in your webstore…I’m opening an Etsy store to resolve that issue; you can pay more for more services. There are others who offer free websites, but I haven’t researched any of them.
I have my website linked to my new blog, but I don’t know what happened to the link from my blog to my website. I’m still in learning mode there. I haven’t yet put links on my FB, but hope to get to that this week.
@Linda K.: Hi Linda, I checked out your new blog, and was lucky enough to be your first follower – yay! I looked for you on facebook, but there are several Linda Kropps, but not enough info for me to determine which one you were. Could you friend me? (Gianna Spelling, same photo as my Gravatar icon here.) You guys are all making such good progress!
@Jocelyn: Cool info. I’ll definitely check this out!
@Cheryl Hodges: Hi Cheryl, I sent you a friend request on FB, too!
@Phaedrakat: What a pretty name! I was concerned about all the privacy issues that FB has had over the past year, so my FB is by invitation only (or whatever that setting is called). I’ll send you a friend request.
Hope you’re feeling better.
@Carolyn Fiene and @Ken H – great to see you two hooked up and sure hope you both had a fabulous time.
@all – love the information covered in this thread, thanks to all for sharing.
My contribution to the new age of computers is a phone number complements of GOOGLE:
1-800-GOOG-411
It’s simply the best way to find phone numbers and reach parties, all by digits, or voice. Try it. Takes a minute or two to get used to, but, once you do, you’ll never reach for a phone book online or off again.
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Ken & Carolyn,
I can’t tell you how much I have been hoping for pictures of your day together. I’m jealous of the bead swap but there aren’t two nicer people who deserve to benefit more from each other’s creativity. The beads are gorgeous!! Carolyn, the fact that you were able to keep your date with Ken gives me hope that you are moving forward toward complete recovery in the company of family and friends.
Hugs to you both,
Elizabeth S.
Ken and Carolyn,
It makes me so happy to see your smiling faces and to know that your friendship and creative outlets have been spawned right here at this blog… all because of Polymer Clay! How fun is that!
Seeing your pictures and hearing of your exploits makes me feel a tiny bit like I was right there along with you. Seeing the sites. Trading beads. Having a great time. A mini vacation so to speak!
This reminds me so much of when the UK -Cindy’s Girls (Silverleaf, Penny, Pam and Angela) got together. Click the link by my name if you would like to go see another group of clayers that got together, because of this blog. They swapped beads and stories, had lunch and toured the bead shops. Just like Ken and Carolyn just did.
One day I hope to get together with you all. I would be such a rewarding experience to finally meet with you face to face.
Thank you all for making this such a fantastic community of friends!!
Carolyn and Ken: saw your photos on Facebook yesterday and thought to check here today. You guys looked like you were having so much fun! Part of the fun is imagining what to do with all those beads.
So far, I’ve contacted Lisa and Phaedrakat on FB and Cindy and have accepted Cindy’s request to be “friends”, which is wicked cool. I may have Carolyn and Ken as well but it’s a bit overwhelming right now so maybe not. One fantastic point: after posting pics of some stamped beads, inspired by the Faux Ivory tutorial, someone asked for the link to the tute. It seems fairly easy to add the link for this blog; the thumbnail also shows up. And, just today, I found out that you can use FB’s page set-up app for your Etsy shop (haven’t done it yet but “they have an app for that”!!)
Hi Kat, Linda andBrenda- Just read your post. Haven’t been on FB a couple of days. My daughter has been ill with this viral thing too and she has her voice exam tomorrow. I think I’m still fighting it too though I have my voice back and the cold seems to have gone; just so very,very exhausted. I’ve also been teaching and attending choir practices for school year end grad Masses and church year end for choir too. took my piano students to a seniors home to play for them and have RCM exams coming up. I did manage to make a couple of canes, leopard and zebra but thats about it. Hope to do more this week. Thursday is my sons grad ceremony; it’s going to be tough getting there. All the students have been told to leave their cars home and use the subway becaus eof the G20 happening down town.
@Cheryl Hodges: Wow, sounds like a very busy week for you, and even more difficult since you & your daughter are ill! Is this the same virus you had for 11 days or so awhile back? If so, it sure is hard to shake! Let’s hope you guys can get rid of it soon. I also hope your daughter’s voice is fine by morning! It’s a busy week, but try to rest a bit so your body can fight this thing. I’ll be praying for you and your daughter to get better, and that you make it through all of these choir, piano, graduation, etc, etc, activities unscathed! Good luck, and get better! Congrat’s to your graduating son!
@ Cindy – I loveyour beads but I specially love the pink ones – i think its the 7th photo. Are they left over canes rolled into a bead?
@Cheryl Hodges: Those are ‘left overs’ from her Tribal Cane. Go to the search field and type in Arizona … this will take you to the blog where she talks about these very beads!
That style necklace dates from BC (before Cindy), that’s why I didn’t send in photos, it really doesn’t relate to any of Cindy’s tutorials. Thank you for the compliment.
I know you weren’t serious, that’s why I put the little smiley in, so no one would take it too seriously. With just straight acting it’s a little easier, but with singing, the laughter can interupt the voice, so laughing on pitch can come out phoney and adds a degree more of difficulty, but when it is done well, it is truly amazing. I hope to meet as many of you as possible someday, at some kind of get together with Cindy in what ever form that might take ( meeting at a bead show, seminar etc.)
@Ken H: I’m totally with you about laughing on pitch – I sang in Dido and Aeneas a few years ago, and there’s a movement where the Sorceress explains her plan to destroy Queen Dido to her minions, who laugh like maniacs afterwards. In four parts, actually singing Ha ha ha ha ha for several pages with overlapping rhythms and it was HARD. The hardest bit of the entire piece – it took me literally hours and hours of practising with my fellow altos just to get that bit right, and I normally pick things up fairly easily.
And I still think it sounded stupid in the end! ;)