Not much good to say, you may want to skip this!

This is certainly going to be one jumbled blog of mix-mash. Last night we met with the girls in the Handmade Dayton group, nice group of ladies.

It's no surprise that Jewelry is a OVERSATURATED on Etsy, Artfire and the world as we know it. I don't feel I have a nitch. Maybe it's my depression that is coming on the upswing. Maybe it is the fact that we are not making it $ as a family. My husband is pulling out his 401K to pay for past medical bills, present. Many of my dr.s visits are a 50.00 copay. I have cancelled all pain dr. / physcially therapy / endocrinologist appts. I don't see any point anymore. So to say that the fact is that as much as I love making Jewelry, as it is a wonderful expression, and as much as I love wearing it, as it makes me feel better, it's a tough market. Some people have such great sucess so something is wrong. Everyone practicaly dips into making and selling jewelry and there are so many *copy cats* that having something unique is hard to come by.

HOWEVER...with saying all that, I am now into making Polymer beads..something possibly unable to copycat and I have some ideas, which I'm sure in no time will be copied or I will find that . THAT nitch is oversaturated to.

I love to make quilts, but the fact is they don't sell well and they are time consuming and getting money out of them is non exsistant. I would rather keep giving them away. And as soon as I get the 5 finished (about a week) I am going to Childrens Hospital and passing them out, solo, uninvited, and possibly agasint regulations. So arrest me, I honestly don't care.

I make fantastic Body Butter, but again, it's one of those things that don't sell well online.

I have another idea for a childs toy, and maybe I will focus on that for a bit and see how that goes.

Have a great day, I certainly hope it's better then mine.

Paralyzed in Pain

I went to bed last night quite sore. This morning I woke up "stuck", that means my mobility was gone, pain overshadowed any chance that this morning would be even remotely pain free. I'm always "stiff", but this is horrid. I tell myself that others have it far worse than me, so I honestly try not to whine, but this is my blog, right? A place to let loose. I just can't imagine living the rest of my life "like this", so I hope that they find some type of treatment or pain relief soon.

I sold 8 starfish keyrings, 2 plain starfish to a bride that is using them for her nautical themed wedding as bridal gifts. The first keyring(s) I sold.

I got my Clear Quartz in yesterday, rondells, and I must say, they are indeed EXQUISITE, and are more dynamic then the clear class. I don't want to keep doing the same "bridal necklace" pattern, but I would like to keep it similar as they are indeed beautiful.

My youngest son has his First Communion this year, my oldest has his confirmation, so I am hoping (and assuming) the school they go to (which is catholic) will let me set up a table the night they have the First Communion dresses and items come to the school and also set up flyers as well to pass out for necklaces for girls. Yesterday at the store they are liquidating the bead section because they are RE-DOING the entire bead area, making it much larger and buying single beads. I got some class briolettes at a fantastic shade of opal blue, green, pink, opal, and some clear stones to go with. They will make fantastic necklaces for small girls! So let's just hope they let me advertise what I have to offer to the school and kids celebrating First Communion and Confirmation.

I'm in the Canyon

The piece below reminds me of Arizona in the Canyon, the way the sun goes down and the canyons scream of multi shades of orange and auburn. At least in my dreams they do. I have never been to Arizona! I hope to some day. This is a Red Banded Agate. Very pretty

Today will be hectic, I go to visit my grandma with the boys then go visit Cameron's grave site. Cameron passed away at just 5 mths old from SIDS. Not a day goes by I don't think of my cousins son. Isn't it funny how when your little you think your life will all be butterfly's, dreams and flowers, and although yes it may be sprinkled that way, it's not. I have had high school friends lose their child, my cousin lost his infant, my junior high best friend battled breast cancer at 34 years old. I think of these things often, the people, the places I have met and traveled. Everything in life inspires me, sad or happy, it all unfolds when I start beading, it reminds me of something or someone, or a dream.

I was wondering how I could get quality pictures of my clear jewelry, bridal or other, and I would love to do a bridal line (overdone yes) , I think I will drag my friend Heidi to David's bridal try on dresses with jewelry and have her take pictures. We would just tell the lady's working I am a bride and my mom lives in Florida so we need to take pics to send and get her opinion, that way I have the bridal thing going on! hahahahahhahahaha...sounds fun to.

See ya!

So many ideas...and FEEDBACK

I've been on a "clear kick" and I made a OUTSTANDING necklace. I want to do 3 versions of clear stones at 3 prices, one LOW,,glass beading.... MEDIUM $..Swarovski Crystal...and HIGH...a perfect Clear Quartz....It's certainly not just for brides, but it is something I would be happy wearing as a neautral item. So here is my first picture... This one is in the Glass...$29.00

Okay, now onto my rant, which should be safe to say seeing how I have not a single follower! On Etsy, there is feedback, and to me, if an item is paid quickly with a smooth transaction (which is more then simple) the SELLER should leave postive feedback BEFORE the item is shipped. Now I have bought a LOT on Etsy and only a FEW (I think 2 or 3) left me feedback BEFORE they shipped..most wait until I leave feedback for them and only then they leave me feedback and many times I send a reminder. I'm sorry, that is bullshit. A seller should always post feedback first, not have to be reminded later. Now I realize it is a *safety net* so if the buyer leaves nasty or negative feedback then the seller can lash back out. But is that fair? I don't think so. This really bothers me, can you tell?

If you look on my etsy.... www.AngelaBradley.etsy.com and go to MY Favorites you will see the entire first page and 1/2 of second is ALL BLUE stones. Now everyone that knows me knows that blue is my FAVORITE COLOR because it represents my FAVORITE THING....WATER! I have another vision..lot's of blue droplets on a necklace in briolettes. LOVE IT.

On a personal note, my husbands job is still hanging by a thread, the thread is shredding and everyday I am grateful he goes into work. He works for the family tool & die business (my parents) and I watched my dad start that business in our 3rd bay garage when I was 3 years old. It's painful to watch my parents in such stress, the business taking a plunge towards a landside. I'm angry that we have lost SO MANY jobs to China. Why does our government see it fit to make it EASY for business to ship overseas? Is it to much to want our jobs to stay here in the USA? What the hell is happening to our country?

Broken Arrows & Multiple Weddings

Remember the wedding vision? Well I got my Clear Quartz in, (I will be highlighting her when I get more readers, lol) and I must have read the post on etsy wrong, or didn't read it much at all, as I was excited over the pictures! Well I only got 2 cut diamond quartz, they look like square pillows that are cushion cut. They are perfect, but for 2 of them, they aren't cheap. So I decided to make 2 or 3 versions of a clear bridal set, one in glass, one in swarovski and the other in all quartz, giving 3 similar looks at 3 different prices! I also think that you don't have to be a bride to wear this beauty that I imagine. I will finish one today.
So, yesterday I put together a perfection of smooth amythest arrow necklace, It is GORGEOUS, so I met my friend Heidi at the Coffee Shop and I was showing it off and all a sudden, it happend...the arrow tip is BROKE...and it is RIGHT in the middle! Soooo...today I will tear it all apart and replace the amythest and re-string it.
Here is a picture..it's blurry, best I could do.

I vision a wedding

I vision the Cut Quartz I have on order with sterling silver twists and Clear swarvoski cyrstal on a bride. I tell ya, it's funny, I wish when I got married I had done jewelry and scrapbooks, I could have saved a lot of money. I think all brides should do a scrapbook, themselves or a family member as a gift. I can't recall where my own wedding book is and in fact, I have always kept it up because it was so expensive!
I was just saying last week that business blogs don't interest me, most of them are like reading a LONG advertisment. I personally am not cut out for writing like that. As a reader it bores me , so I find myself surprised that so many etsy business have a zillion followers.
I've been on the "Anklet" making kit, a little late for summer time I know, what can I say.

I wake up each morning, nearly certain my back is broke..again, this is why I am not cut out for all ad talk. I see the Neurologist in 2 weeks, I pray something can be done. I hurt so bad, so I can safely say that it's great that I love crafts and jewelry making because it allows me to have joy in something without large amounts of pain...well unless you bead all day! hahahhaha



Have a lovely day!

Welcome to AngelaBradley

I really don't need another thing to do, I certainly don't need another social site or blog page, but I also feel maybe that my love of Jewelry and Quilts need it's own nitch for glory, since not everyone on the other sites will appreciate my over-joyous over a new design or item! So here I am.

I have been on Etsy for almost a year trying to find my name when it hit me...AngelaBradley...my first name and my sons first name. He saw it on a sign somewhere in the Marble Head Ohio area, that now I can't recall, he said it was the owner(s) of McDonalds where they have the plaque posted. That was about 4 years ago. We used that name for a bit but I never did anything more then gifts. So then it hit me on the old name.

If you have come here, you probably have done so via etsy, if not, here is my site...www.AngelaBradley.etsy.com and if by chance you found me, well use this code Until August 21st for FREE SHIPPING on anything, just convo me prior to purchase OR in the MEMO put in FREE SHIPPING and I will refund your shipping via PayPal.

So, enjoy :)