Our team...esMARts has taken off thanks to the wonderful talents of sheree and Anna Lee. They are planning many surprises for our team and promotional giveaways too. I am really excited to be part of this team, and proud that so many have taken on the part of making our team grow.

Here is the latest project that has been started, and please check it out when you get a chance. Don't forget our team store where we have items for sale. all the proceeds are used to help a team member artist who is in need. A very worthy cause for sure


eSMARts Team Hidden Santa Giveaway~!

eSMArts is spreading the love with a bundle of unique, handmade delights to warm your holiday! One lucky winner will receive a bagful of hand made artisan items donated by members of eSMArts Team~! For details visit http://www.hiddensantagiveaway.blogspot.com and join in the fun~! Enjoy and good luck to the winner!

Well its been many many moons since my last post, and I have had a long time to think, reflect and try to move to the next stage of my career. Unfortunately that has not happened as yet. I have been unemployed since January 2009 and still not able to find a job.

Of course this means that I have mucho free time to pursue what I really enjoy doing, but unfortunately, the days go by and I have accomplished nothing at all. So I decided it is now time that I get my butt in gear and start creating some items for the upcoming shows I have in the next few months. I have also gotten back to the torch and created quite a few "special beads", and more will be coming in the very very near future.

I worry about the coming holidays and how I am not able to provide my handicapped son with some special gifts from Santa, but we have discussed this and I hope he understands that "Santa" does not have any extra monies this year, and is worried about paying for the bills in December. I know that he and his smiling face will make a very joyous Holiday season for us, and I wish all my friends the same , even if it is a bit early....Happy Holidays to one and all.
Now how to find 1k to pay the bills in December!!!!

So till my next rambling, have a great Holiday Season, starting with the Tricks and Treats!

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Random Acts of Kindness

Give Away & Pass It On - Random Acts of Kindness Alert - my turn to pass this on after participating with John Rasmussen. The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:-I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.- What I pick will be just for you.- It'll be done this year (2009).- You have no clue what it's going to be, altho I will take request for bead sets if that is what you would like. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. And in return, all you need to do is post this text into a blog of your own and make 5 things for 5 others. Won't this be fun????
I signed up to Johns blog and posted. Not that I want him to make me something, but for me to get the chance to pass forward an act of kindness.
I have made many cyber friends through some of the wonderful groups that I belong to, and any time I have a down day, they are right there to pick me up. What better way to say Thank You then passing on something made by me to them.
So all I ask is for you to continue this Random Act of Kindness-Lets spread the LOVE!

Where Do I Go

I have often wondered where my "hobby" will take me, and can't seem to come up with any solid answers. So I started asking myself some questions. what do you like to do? Make lampwork beads. Anything else? Make jewelry from my creations. And? dabble in other forms of jewelry making such as wire wrapping, chainmalle, vikingknit, use gemstones in my creations. Thats as far as I got.

I love working with my hands and creating, but am not sure if I need to focus on one specific thing, or if I should just continue doing what I like best, which is all of the above. Decisions, decisions decisions! I know when I do create something I get overjoyed that "I made that", but when I look at other artists work, I wonder "how do my pieces fit in the scheme of things?

Each artists tries to compare themselves with other artists, and then the process begins...well their work is better than mine. Self doubts again. So since I can't decide which way to go or what to create any more, I think I will continue with what I am doing and hope that someone sees it and falls in love with it and wants to buy it. Ah the dream of an artist.

Even with asking myself the questions I still have not decided on a "signature" piece as yet, and decided to just keep creating what comes to my mind as I look at my leftover beads that are just begging for me to make them into something. So now I need to get busy making more lampwork beads to sell so that I can buy the supplies I need to create these ideas in my head. sounds like a plan to me. And again I am no further now with "what I want to create" then when I began this blog post.

My "creations " can be seen on my website http://www.wilmas-whimseys.com; and my beads can be bought from http://www.whimsey.etsy.com, or from my website where I always list them first. I may not be in the same league as the other artists I know, but I can say that I am happy with what I create. So back to the torch for me to make more beads and hope they sell so I can buy the items I need to create more!!!

Meet the Artist of the Month

I would like to introduce you to a very special artist and friend of mine. Her name is Jill Milan and her jewelry is just fantastic. I myself have yet to reach the level of expertise that Jill has when she creates a piece. Jill is currently retired and lived in Marietta, Georgia with her husband.

To quote Jill she says " A little bit of everything that might just catch your eye". Her jewelry is made as "eclectic jewelry styles ", styles that I find breathtaking and not at all eclectic. A lot of her work is done in copper and gold filled wire, beads and lots of wire wrapping and coils.

Jill is an active member of the eSmarts team (www.eSMArts@yahoo.com). This is where I first met Jill, and I have been following her blog where she offers insight to so many different ideas and topics. You can find Jill's blog at http://jewelryelegancebyjill.blogspot.com/

A wonderful etsy store just chocked full of goodies awaits you and has so much "eye candy" that you will be cleaning your keyboard off for weeks to come! Check her store at Jewelry elegance by Jill http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5292047. You will NOT be sorry you looked. You can also find Jewelery Elegance by Jill on 1000 Markets http://www.1000markets.com/users/1105/.

A very special lady and a good friend, I am so glad that I have the pleasure of knowing Jill from Jewelry elegance by Jill. Be sure to check her out.

I am so glad that I have had this opportunity to take a few minutes for you to get to know this wonderful artist. Please check her blog for more insight on this Jill Milan.

Found a site for Jump Rings

I have recently started doing chain malle,and was looking for the larger chunkier sized rings to make into a mans bracelet. Well I somehow mentioned my search to WWJ (Wire Wrapped Jewelry site) Shelly, a member and a moderator of the site, said that they have just started making rings for sale. Lo and behold, I told her what I wanted, and Shelly kept in touch with me while they were being made and then contacted me and told me when they were being shipped.I got such great service from her that I just had to share. They are also making rings in parawire so that we can get creative with our styles (WOO HOO) A sample of what they are making was included in my order, and they made SQUARE jump rings!!!! How cool is that. She sent enough that I made a pair of earrings out of them! Guess I have to say I highly rec commend them for buying jumprings and they are very accommodating to making what you want. I will be getting ALL my rings from Shelly (Tortoise Treasures )A special thank you Shelly and Don for such great service.
If you would like to buy from them, as they are expanding their line of what they carry, contact Shelly at tortoisetreasures@comcast.net; You won't be sorry!
After my project is created, I will show you what I made.....

Please Meet Kristina

Kristina, a fellow artist and member of the network team I belong to, eSMARts, is from Jackson MS. Kristina writes a wonderful blog which I have been following- http://www.washwhendirty.com/index2.html and also has a wonderful etsy shop where she displays her passion of making handbags. Here is an excerpt from her bio which is listed on her etsy shop http://washwhendirty.etsy.com/--- "i write lists and forget them on my desk. i bake. i cook. i read. i ponder. i take walks. i sing to myself. i sip tea. i listen. i notice. i sew. i doodle. i smile. i laugh. i cry. and i don't think artists become. i think they've always been. "

Quite an impressive list, and when I read that, I said to myself "Wow are all artists like this?" because I find that I do the same things and think that "artists have always been!"

Kristina makes and sell grocery bags (think green), totes, and recycled bags (again think green)on her etsy shop, which happens to be a fetish of mine. I love handbags and totes ..............I also love the fact that she is recycling materials to make into new and pretty reusable totes and bags. a few more things that Kristina said which impressed me were her list of "things that fascinate me", such as : adventure. camera. change .french movies. green apple. grass. hill tops. hot tea. Jane Austen. Japan. knitting. new and old friends. new places. rain showers. At least we now know where her inspiration comes from. pretty impressive her thoughts and her work. Please visit her shop to get a look at all her creations. Kristina's shop can be found at http://www.washwhendirty.etsy.com. I am pleased to have gotten to know a little more about her and her thoughts and fascinations.

Etsy to be Featured Locally

Through the Minnesota Etsy street team (teamMN) I've found out that a local TV Station, WCCO, is airing a news story this Friday night on their 10:00 pm news show about Etsy and the Handmade Movement. We are all hoping they mention teamMN, but even if she doesn't this will be great exposure for Etsy and the handmade community in Minnesota. If you are local to Minnesota, make sure you check out the story. You can also watch it on line after it airs at WCCO.com.
We are all looking for ways to promote ourselves in this slow economic times and are very proud that a Television station would be willing to promote Etsy. Even if teamMN is not personally mentioned, the group is now looking for more ways to promote and there are many ideas in the works.
We have a new member who has taken it upon herself to organize craft shows for all those who have not done a show and for those that would like to know about the upcoming shows, who would like to share a booth or those with tents for outdoor shows. We also have another member who is organizing a craft show for ALL teamMN members to hold in a central location featuring teamMN Etsy members. Looking forward to that as we are a large group, and never seem to be able to get together in one spot. What a grand idea this will be so that the people of Minnesota to see that there are many many handmade artists here and also a reminder to "shop locally".
For a listing of the teamMN artists and their etsy shops as well as blogspots and websites please visit http://tinyurl.com/b7ags4. Oh and please buy handmade.
to see my website, please check out www.wilmas-whimseys.com.
As a promotion for the upcoming airing on WCCO, if you buy one pair of ear rings, you can hoose another pair free. Buy two pairs, get two pairs free etc. Just let me know when you order put the words WCCO, or contact me directly at whimsey1947@hotmail.com.

I Have been Featured

Recently I sold a set of beads to a customer, and the day she received them she sent me a Thank You note and mentioned that she was going to write about me in her blog. I was very pleased that Lisa Crone would want to feature me in her blog. Much to my surprise she included her blog address for me to check out. On Friday I received another note from Lisa telling me she had made a bracelet from my beads and gave me her blog link again http://www.abeadaday.blogspot.com/

This is the finished bracelet she made for her friend who was on her way to Costa Rico. She really knows how to bring out the highlights of the colors of the bead that I made, and also she made me very happy that she choose to blog about her creation and mentioning whom she got the Universe Beads from. Lisa is a very talented artist, and has very interesting items on her blog as well as new items she is making daily. If you get a chance please pop over and read her blogs and leave her a comment. Thank you Lisa for "showcasing" my work. Read her blogs here http:/http://www.abeadaday.blogspot.com/. Definitely worth the read.