How to not be a twitter quitter.

Sources tell us that the Lone Beader has been accepted to a Northeast Prize Show up north.

Will etsy be banned from twitter? Don't worry etsians, I just wanted to write an exciting headline. My twitter is filled with stuff, and I don't think my twitter feed has been working lately, so I'll have to check on that.

I made four items today as well.I wonder if I'll be able to take photos? Probably not if I don't get to sleep soon.

Girlscantell wonders whether it's better to create high expectations or low ones as far as business is concerned.

High expectations is a problem for etsy, I notice. Because they go with all this community rhetoric, all this making a living by doing handmade stuff, folks start expecting things from them that they wouldn't expect if they said, we have web space, and flash toys. You sell things. It's all in how you say stuff.

That's why I'm more of a you pays your money, you gets your jewelry type. I can deliver that. I can't deliver earrings that make you ten times hotter[I've never seen you, and the sort of earring that looks best on someone changes with face shape, skin tone,etc], or bobby pins that cure flyaway hair, but I can make jewelry the best that I can and ship it pretty fast.

Etsians learn that moral superiority points don't put 6 to 9 months of money in savings. It's good to save money, but on the other hand, there are tons of people with special needs out there. People with children often run into expenses that are unexpected. Some people have health problems and need medicine, doctors, and can't just eat rice and beans. And not to mention, some people can't get one job, let alone two or three, or don't have the physical ability or stamina to work more than one job.

Hey, flytie has a new $30 and below line! Clothing that even I can afford! My life rocks!

Oh, etsy fans! They are fun either way. Oh, either way.

fresh eggs
Originally uploaded by cassowaryjewelry

This is a picture of some eggs my mom got from a hen in South Memphis[an urban area considered to be 'the ghetto']. Small scale agriculture can pop up anywhere. It's the growing season now, so shop local and shop often.

Some groups want to protect endangered chicken breeds. Here is a place to get started raising endangered breeds of chicken

Hey, I have a 1000 followers on twitter. I hope to someday have as many on facebook.

Found on totally tutorials- make violet syrup, impress your friends!


I don't have any cool tutorials on this blog. The only tip I know is to buy one of these ringdexes[I guess you could use special paper,a tough cardstock if you can, punch holes in it using a hole puncher, and then use a ring to put it all together, but that seems like something you'd only do for a gift], and write down quotes like "I'll renovate your a__" from Persona 4 or "We're lifting up people's souls'[some random guy interviewed on NPR] on them, so you can always have a little quote book attached to your purse.

American Apparel makes unattractive clothing for pregnant women.



From etsy, we have a fetus t shirt.



Custom hospital gowns

and much much more without enriching some woman hating pervo.

I entered the etsy worthy photo contest. I usually don't enter contests because I think how can I stack up against people who have been crafting for 20 years? and of course, I'm not that confident about my photos- a good picture is quite difficult to create, but it was easy to enter, so there I am.

Often overlooked in finger shaking watch what you say, a customer might be watching threads is the aspect of diversity. I was listening to this segment on how coming up to a coworker and asking them what are you might not be the best course of action if you want to make friends and influence people not to want to kick you in the bits. Heck, I don't like being asked about my heritage and I'm 'mixed' with black,negro and colored! [and one white guy, maybe.]

I was reading this thread and the problem with the I can offend anyone I want, and everyone should just trust my good intentions idea is the underlying assumption that everyone is either not a member of any minority groups or doesn't know anyone from any minority groups, and therefore knows that you don't 'mean' to hurt 'anyone'[unless it's people who 'get offended too easily' and therefore don't count].

Seriously, on the internet, we don't know your intentions and can only go by what you say. It's like a business transaction. If your jewelry falls apart or your soap causes my skin to break out, I'm not going to care about your intentions. I want you to make it right. And in these discussions, a lot of people are fed up with your intentions. We've heard about so many other people's good intentions. They go back and do the same things time after time. So why are you special? Do right or shut up about it, I say.

Don't listen to the news? I find that depressing. I love the news. From funny stories such as 'pot smokers smoke pot in park' to uplifting stories, such as the story behind American Violet. The news has them all. I love to be informed. I want to know things.

Also, today is Earth Day. So waste not, and want not. You don't have to buy a lot of expensive products to be green. As I heard on the news yesterday, reuse, recycle, and reduce. Be inventive. The first people to say hey, vinegar makes a great cleaner, were making use out of necessary. Ask your elders for tips on how to do things. Make your local pears into delicious preserves, quilt, and revive old traditions and connect the generations.

Our contest has ended with Cindi the winner. Here's her sense of style:

My sense of style is strictly my own. I used to sell designer clothing in a large department store chain.
I can't be constricted to one style or to wear clothing that isn't really me! Comfort is my style, but in a classic way!
Not baggy loose, but jeans with a classic shirt. The colors I enjoy wearing tend to be earthy! Sage greens, gray blues
and beige. I let the jewelry I wear be the colorful accents!

She wins the pictured jewelry!

Buy a game, get a subscription to a [really girly] magazine like Lucky or Bon Appetit? A sign of the feminization of casual games?

Of course, since I'm playing Persona 4, which has a boss like this[warning: stripper pole! but you can't see anything], and so I can see why there's a market for family friendly games that you can download easily and play fast, unlike Persona 4, which I'm 30 hours in, and probably am not to the half way point.

Amusingly I have more twitter followers than our local NPR station. I have 975, and wkno only had 574 My twitter. WKNO.

Earlier, a woman asked me why I thought I'd never be on the front page. I have good pictures. This sort of thing is why. I simply don't think like the front page makers. For example, today I made some jewelry. I looked in my bead box, saw what looked good, and made some jewelry. I didn't think 'graduations are coming up, so I'll make a certain style'. And my tags? I have a really hard time with tags. I usually put what color it is, what it is made of, what it is, and maybe some team tags.

I would never think of some of the tags that have been used to create front pages, simply because I don't think that way. When I buy I search for 'pink sterling silver dangle earrings' not 'rose sparkle mint julep earrings'

Advanced search? Could this be the answer to our etsy prayers?

Memphis farmers markets prepare to open. In the paper version, there was a fun bit about how when you do community supported agriculture, you sometimes end up with a whole bunch of zucchini in summer, and of course, the joy of tomatoes.

Odd things seen in Memphis today:

What appeared to be a school field trip to the public library. Poor kids.

A buttload of toddlers in a University of Memphis parking lot, escorted by police in a car and some older women, one of which who was wearing a cloth necklace made of geometric shapes.

CNN takes control of the cnnbrk account on twitter. Nearly a million followers. How did that account get so much reach? It provided a service that people wanted. Something they couldn't get anywhere else. Think of that when doing social networking,peeps!

Hey, I'm on cuteable today!

Man mixes politics with unusual food choice in 'coon supper'

Memphis historical group encourages recycling of door frames as art. It's garage sale season, and so I'll be finding old jewelry and deconstructing it. Watch this space for new experiments.

Win $25 worth of jewelry this week. Ending on Friday, the person with the best 100 word essay on their sense of style[as judged by me] gets their words published on this blog, and twenty five dollars worth of free jewelry! Write your message on my facebook fanpage wall!

Did the web kill the economy? It's nice to mention etsy here, but they forgot the big granddaddy of the microbusiness- ebay. Before etsy, we were all selling our old stereos, manga, and yes,handmade jewelry, on a low cost basis. Etsy only really allows people who can handmake things to grow their microbusiness- because that is their niche. I'm not saying that vintage and supplies aren't allowed, but the person who fixes old ipods wouldn't be able to thrive there.

As a microbusiness, I pump a lot of money into the economy, buying supplies and services. I'm not hoarding my cash- I'm spreading it around.

I had been reading about different generations in the workforce and that reminded me of this constant struggle on the etsy forums. Boomers are associated with a more rigid professionalism. Panty hose, pumps, no swears, ever! My generation 'Y' is more "I don't care if your hair is pink and green, I just want the work done'. You have to decide for yourself what your customer base is. I think mine is more of a 'that's all very nice, now give me my jewelry' type.

When we shop in a store, we don't know that the person at the front desk might swear, dress in terrible fashions, or write fanfiction full of underage sex. For all we know, the workers who make the outfits might do something we don't agree with. I don't think most people worry that deeply over something that's not a core ethical issue.

Expanding my clearance section. I'm hoping to bulk up my inventory, but I'm also branching out in new directions. Spring is certainly the time to learn new things.

Memphis area woman is in a battle to keep her goats. The chickens she owns were not an issue. This blog notes that Memphis allows laying hens. My aunt's neighbor used to have chickens, and code enforcement did not care. In our nicer area, down the street, a neighbor has horses and cows, but I think they may have been grandfathered in, as they hadn't sold their land for a long time, and no one has probably ever complained about their horses, cows,etc.

We nearly had a frost yesterday so I guess it was too early to plant after all.

People debate fur on etsy. Personally, I'm OK with the use of animal products in crafting. I use pearls myself. In my area, it's too warm to wear fur, so I don't wear it, but if other people want to wear it- it's their cash. Wool roving, leather wallets, all fine with me. It's a big world, and I don't want to regulate whether people can buy fur on etsy or not.

Updated my website with a where to find me on the webpage.

I should roll out my exciting contest soon.