well it may have taken me like 10days to complete the task for day 5, but here they are!

the new banner:
(click to see full size)

and the new avatar:

which may be changed to be closer related to the banner, at some point.

ok here is my new avatar.  i have no idea if i like it, but i think it’s better.
new
old

clicky to see the invite.

Not a great day at work, I left early because I felt a bit pukey.  Working 40 hours a week retail can make one pukey even without cramps & IBS.  Sigh.

anyways.  Day 5.

Christina Purdue wants me to redo my banner and avatar tonight.  We’ll see about that.  I looked through a bunch of samples and I agree that they are all nice, but I like mine and it’s already become part of my business identity.  I think I like the idea of having some more negative space in it, though… and maybe using the “frame” I used in my avatar in my banner as well.

There they are.

Now I am wating for my boyfriend to burn me the disk with all my graphics files from my hard drive on the desktop so I can have them on my new laptop

Think he’ll stop playing WoW to do it?

For now I will post some things I would like to draw inspiration from…

this one especially caught my eye.  i like that the edges are rounded.  colors is nice, grassy stuff is nice… mostly i will use the shape for inspiration.

definitely liking the floral/gothy/nouveau look of these.  plus the bottom one is my favorite colors

i really like these designs by krystan S, who sells her banners on etsy (which gets me thinking… gee… i could sell graphics on here for sure.)

i like the illustration/cartoony feel of them.

these all seem a little busy to me, but i think they are pretty.  i really like the “eclectic chaos created” one.
i like the idea of having my jewelry IN my banner and my avatar, tastefully, like the georgia varidakis one.

To be continued…

yay i got 3 hearts so far this month!

haha i’m never going to get to 100.

i hearted about a billion people today and i joined some street teams.  hopefully i will get accepted to them all, and be able to make the time every night to devote myself to them.  and get hearts back.  and sell some stuff.

i bought a laptop on friday.  :D  so now i have my own computer and don’t have to fight dan over using it!

as for now.  bedtime.

<3 raven

PS I relisted some old items tonight, and most of them are my favorites!  It’s kind of sad they are still around… long enough to expire…

Cuz I had to work all day, then I went shopping, then I went to a party.  Boo hoo.

Yesterday was day 3, and the assignment was to update my shop sections.  Well my shop sections are already pretty good, I don’t think I can expand them any further than they already are…. so I guess day 3 was a good day to slack off on.

I’ve got:
-earrings     (12)
-bracelets     (3)
-necklaces     (0)
-non-jewelry beady things     (1)

looks like i need to post some necklaces, eh!
i updated the items that were not sorted, too. there. day 3.

---

Day 4

I’m supposed to update my public profile… this one’s going to be tough.

Christina Purdue says :

1.) Make a quick list of what you want to include.

• college info (place and major)
• what inspires me ( the worlds beauty)
• about my photography (mostly infrared and black and white)

2.) Break it down into paragraphs so it looks better, is easier to read, and flows well.

3.) Proofread multiple times – nothing looks worse than a bunch of grammar/spelling mistakes.

4.) Get a second opinion. Have a family member or fellow Estian read through it and give feedback.

5.) Revise as many times as needed and keep this up to date.

Okay.

I would like to include:

• college info (copycat)
• job information (bead store and freelance stuff)
• about my jewelry (incl. custom order stuff)

here’s my old profile.

Jewelry making and beading is my passion. I work at a bead/jewelry making supply store, and it really only fuels my addiction.   But it also helps me to continue learning at a rate much faster than I would have ever anticipated.  My coworkers and I joke about the ridiculous amount of knowledge we have about making jewelry.  I’ve been doing this for a while… I can remember visiting a bead shop, “the bead lady,” in the town I grew up in, and I guess I fell in love with beads at an early age. It didn’t quite mature into the jewelry I am currently making, though, until about 3 years ago.  Now I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve got too much stuff and I need to sell!  I am happy to do custom pieces, as well as re-create things you see listed in larger and smaller sizes, different colors, or metals. One of my favorite things to do is copy jewelry from those fancy schmancy jewelry catalogs that charge $350 for a piece of leather with a stone on it.  The point is:  I’m flexible!   Lately I’ve been trying to be really creative and original and I’m getting more into polymer clay.  I guess I am coming out of my “burnt-out from college” phase.  I can do lots of different kinds of beading, including wire working and earring making, bead stringing, bead weaving (a few different kinds including peyote and herringbone/ndbele) and multi-strand bracelets/necklaces.  I also do jewelry repair.  Contact me by email if you have any questions or if you want me to do “a little somethin’ special.”

kind of long, and not broken up.

she wrote hers in third person, let’s give that a try, though it’s not my favorite, it seems more professional.

Meredith Steele is a Graphic Design graduate from the Art program at The University of Wisconsin in Madison.

it took me like 15 minutes just to write that.  ugh.

ok.

Meredith Steele is a Graphic Design graduate from the Art program at The University of Wisconsin in Madison. She’s been dipping her fingers into different media her whole life, from painting, to writing poetry and short stories, sculpture, photography, printmaking, digital art, and jewelry design.

When Meredith got her dream job at a local bead store, during college, she realized her potential as a jewelry designer and beader.  It was a great place to let loose her creativity stores that were not being used up by her rigorous and demanding school projects.  When she isn’t working at the bead store, or at home creating jewelry, Meredith also does freelance graphic design and photography.  She is looking forward to buying her first digital camera this year.

Meredith remembers visiting a bead shop in the town that she grew up in, as young as 7 or 8 years old.  It all began there, and her knowledge of beading and jewelry making continues to grow at a pace much faster than she ever imagined. Meredith can do lots of different kinds of beading, including wire working and
earring making, bead stringing, bead knotting, multi-strand
bracelets/necklaces, and bead weaving (including peyote and herringbone/ndbele).

One of Meredith’s favorite things to do is to find a piece in an expensive jewelry catalog, one they are selling for hundreds to dollars, and make something even better for fractions of the price.  Some of her favorite jewelry pieces have sprung to life in that manner.

(store policy kinds of stuff)
I am happy to do custom pieces, as well as re-create things you see
listed in larger and smaller sizes, different colors, or metals.  I also do jewelry repair.  Contact me by convo or email if you have any questions or if you want me to do “a little somethin’ special.”

ok.  i think that gets rid of the excess and fluffs up the good stuff.

tomorrow -> banner and avatar.  i think i got it covered, but i will still post something

<3 raven

Okay kids.  Today is a half day for me at work and that’s about as close as I get to a day off.  I could rant about how I hate my job and how my coworker today needed to be slapped and/or fired, but I’m not gonna.  Instead, I’m going to talk about my 30 days thing.  And Today is Day Two.

According to Christina Purdue’s blog, I’m supposed to update my shop announcement.  So let’s do that.

She says:

• Keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to overload your customers
  with information. Leave in-depth information about your products to
  item descriptions.
• Use short paragraphs. There’s nothing I hate more then see one
  large block of text. Chopping it up into small sections makes it not
  only easier to read but it looks nicer.
• If you have a blog or website make sure you link to them. I’ve
  found that customers love to read blogs. They want to know what’s going
  on with you, how you made something, the design process, etc.
• If you have a local exhibit/craft fair coming up post the time,
  place, date, and link to the site if applicable. If I see something
  going on in my area I’m very likely to show up.
• If you have shop policies in your profile mention that so they can check them out.

My old announcement:

welcome to the raven’s craving, custom jewelry design by meredith
steele, and other shineys. for more information about custom work, see
my profile. thank you, and enjoy your stay!

well there’s nothing really wrong with it besides it might be TOO short and sweet.  let’s expand.

---

welcome to raven’s craving, beaded trinkets and handmade jewelry by meredith steele.  yes, i do custom work!  please check out my profile and convo me if you are interested in having anything made specially for you.  i do weddings and special events, too.

check out my blog, where i have been writing about my etsy, including a new “30 days to a better shop” plan that i’ve been following!

upcoming event: december 2nd.  a winter jewelry spectacular! located in madison, wisconsin, a party hosted by myself, jeanne rebman, and kayla costa.  more details and a flyer coming soon.

---

what do you think?

does it bother you that it’s in all lower case?  that was the running theme before, and it matches my logo and business cards, which are in all lower case.

well, that ones checked off the list for today anyways.  what else have i done to follow my goals?  i hearted a few people today, mostly from etsy’s picks on the main page…. thinking about buying some decals for the laptop i’m buying…

and i’m currently working on putting up some new earrings.  you’ll see them over —-> there later.

that’s it for now.

Day One.

Today I was looking around in the etsy forums and I saw a post called “30 Days to a better shop,” which obviously intrigued me.

http://www.christinaperdue.com/blog/

I’m going to follow along and every day post in here about it! 

So my task for today is to make a list of my goals, short term (for this month) and long term.

October’s Goals

1. Sell at least 1 more item this month. (2 sold so far)
2. 100 hearts total – sounds like a lot to me.  but i’ll try.
3. Keep up with the “30 Days to a Better Shop” series
4. Blog everyday
5. List at least 3 new items a week
6. Start making stuff for Holidays.

Long-Term Goals

1. Be able to support myself by selling my jewelry
2. Be a top seller on etsy!
3. Push myself always harder to be more creative and to spend more time on my craft.
4. Buy a studio space and open a gallery/gift shop in Madison, with friends.
5. Travel the world with my love.  Antarctica first!
6. Follow my 3-year plan, which starts next November in Antarctica.

More about my 3 year plan:
November 2008 to February 2009 – MacMurdo station, Antarctica.
                         Working in Antarctica 6 days a week, 10 hours a day, to save up the money for:
March 2009 to September 2009 – The Appalacian Trail, USA
                         Hiking 2,168 Miles across the eastern US because I am a crazy person.
November 2009 to February 2010 – MacMurdo again
                      Working in Antarctica 6 days a week, 10 hours a day, to save up the money for:
2010 – Tour of the world!  Destinations to be decided.
2011 – Join the Peace Corps?

Okay I have to get ready for work

go look at my etsy website.
there’s a mini version of it in my blog somewhere.

it’s been a long time since i made a real blog post, and for any of you
who actually happen to READ this, you’ll get sick of reading my
messages to my boyfriend while he is at work.

today was a homeopathic kind of day.  went to get dan for lunch
with mom and sister and then went to magic mill and shopped a little…
got this new stuff called sinus rescue, it’s supposed to kill all the
bacteria and fungus that make mermer go sneezy achoo sniffle booger
bleh!  it’s ionic silver (>30ppm in purified water) which i
have read about and i suggest you do the same.  their website is
www.peacefulmountain.com if you want to learn about their products
(which have great testimonials) or you can just google ionic silver and
learn about it.  don’t pay attention to the stupidness about
people turning “grey” from silver poisoning, you have to like, eat a
chunk of pure silver in order for that to happen.  and yes, it’s
happened to people who tried to do ionic silver treatments for
themselves, but they were doing it in extremely high concentrations.
30ppm is 30.  parts of ionic silver, in 1 million parts of
water.  find me someone who says that’s a high
concentration.  i dare you.

anyways that’s enough ranting about that. 

my roommate, nathan, just got home from his new job, at cosi, this
restaraunt on state street…. sort of like a
noodles/panera/starbucksofsandwichesfoodstuff.  he was wearing his
uniform, and my sister, becky, and i all started laughing hysterically
at him…. he looks like a really big dweeb.  then he starts
telling us this story about how one of his female coworkers was hitting
on him… which is funny, because nathan is one of the gayest gay men
i’ve ever met.  it’s hard to miss.  but this girl missed
it.  must have been those super straightleg khakis… they make
you look like a manly man.  lol!

i cant help but imagine myself telling that story and sounding like a complete ditzy valleygirl abercrombie whore.  lol

and now he’s playing the same madonna cd as usual… *boogies*

latest rant in merland: my living situation for next year.  my
landlord sold our house and next year the rent is supposed to go up 500
dollars.  FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.  that’s $100 more for each
person per month.  that’s
bullshit!@$!@$@!#@#$!^&#*&@#)*^!#%^!#%)#$^%
</freakout>  so we were planning on living here again and
finding another person to move in, since dan will be moving in. (josh
and nathan are moving to chicago)  it was going to kick ass… and
not moving sounds like such a nice idea.  moving is a pain in the
ass.  but now, none of us can afford $100 more a month.  so
now there’s talk of everyone splitting up.

i am at odds with the whole situation because i really don’t want to
move, and i know things will really improve next year without nathan
and josh controlling the public spaces of the house… i will be able
to actually unpack… finally?  (i have an entire closet full of
decorations, and a whole dresser drawer packed with candles.) 
(nathan, who is now in his underwear ((grey tighty-whities)) just
yelled “if you girls dont stop leaving the curtain open i’m going to
chop off your clits!!”  do you see what i mean?)  plus with
dan moving in we’d have dan’s room for computer/entertainment purposes,
and i would be able to have more space in my room to BREATHE. 
plus i like having roommates, it’s more fun (even if you don’t get
along with some of them very well,) there’s always something going on,
someone to bitch to, and i hate being alone.  i lived with a
boyfriend/exboyfriend for a whole year and it got pretty lonely just
two people… i was either alone or avoiding jack (in the end). 
so i am wary to move in with just dan alone.  it’s not good for my
mental health… even though i know it would be radically different
than living with jack.  (read: enjoyable; not hell; not
stressful.) 

but on the other hand, i would like to have my own place where i can
put whatever i want wherever i want and i don’t have to worry about
what other people are going to think.  i can have my bath products
in the bathroom, not in my closet.  i’d like to have my own washer
and dryer again.  i’d pay $100 more a month for working plumbing
(as in not freezing, scalding, freezing, scalding…), a washer and
dryer in unit, and a parking space.  that would be worth $100 more
a month to me.  (and i can get 2 of those 3 from the apartments
that my coworker jeanne is living in with her boyfriend right now…
everything but the washer/dryer, all for the same rent, just pay
electric and cable.)

anyways i’d love to continue to rant, but this must be left where it is.. i have to go pick dan up from work

going to cheeseburger in paradise with craig and tiff, then i guess
verona? for some graduation party at a bar… i have no idea.