Tangible Tidbits 2011 #34: A Week of "Firsts!"

Hi, everybody! I started using Microsoft OneNote this week to help keep my thoughts/ideas organized, and one of the first things I put in there was a section for Blog Notes! This way, I can remember everything that happened during the week that I want to mention. Until now, I'd pretty much posted what I remembered, unless I specifically wrote myself a note. I have a paper cup FULL of notes that have piled up over time I now have to go through! Hopefully, OneNote will keep me much more focused. I've also set up Windows Live ID account so I can save OneNote notebooks on the web and access them remotely. :)

I'm super excited because I received my first affiliate marketing check from the Virtual Mall's social media activities this week! It wasn't a lot, but I was especially pleased because it was unexpected. :D Followers have been steadily growing on Twitter, and I have been following the companies we promote in the hopes that they will retweet some of their own promotions. It's taken a little more than a year, but I'm not really surprised it's taken this long. I think people needed to get comfortable with me and see what we have to offer. Hopefully, the activities will eventually bring in enough to hire someone to take over that function for me. It takes up a lot more time than I'd anticipated. So much for "passive" income! :\

BTW, I did sell the necklace I've been telling you about for the past couple of weeks. I'm so relieved she loved it! :D

In social media news, my Facebook profile hit 1,000+ friends (1,002) this week! I don't pay too close attention to that number, as I usually focus more on the page numbers -- which are more or less constant. I did gain a half dozen or so new "Likes" this week on the Something Tangible LLC page. I suspect that's because I recently tagged people who have purchased items on those Facebook product photos. I also tagged a few people whose kits I used...it couldn't hurt to show them what I've done with their concepts. ;)

And, finally, I created a Facebook photo album for people to upload pictures of themselves (or others) wearing my pieces this week, as part of Something Tangible's Strut Your Stuff Photo Contest. This is my first official "promotion." You can check out the details on the Facebook event page I created, and I will also be posting the information on the blog for those who don't have Facebook. There will be 12 winners, each of whom will receive 20% off an in-stock item if their photos are randomly selected to put in my wall mount jewelry case. The contest goes until midnight EST on September 30. Wish me luck that I get at least 12 photos submitted! :o

Stay tuned for the details on the contest, and have a great week! :D


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Tangible Tidbits 2011 # 26: Half-way Through 2011 Already!

Hi, everyone! This being the 26th weekly edition of my blog, that puts us at half-way through the year already! :o

I posted some more items on eBay this week, both on the company account and my personal one. I sold a broken soldering tool for $10 and a saw frame for $15! Taking out the listing fees, charitable donations, and -- in one case, shipping costs -- I'm not making out all that well. At least I am getting these things out of my house and into the hands of someone who will use them! :)

After a three-month hiatus, I published a new Factoid this week! I have to say, I'm pretty proud of this one: Ten Life Lessons I Have Learned From Making Jewelry. Coincidentally, this is my 10th contribution to Factoidz. :) I actually have a bunch of ideas for articles running through my head...I just haven't taken the time to write them out. I received an email earlier this week touting Microsoft OneNote for putting all of your lists and sticky notes in an electronic format. I'm thinking about doing that, so I can toss all of the piles of scribbled notes on my desk and book case. Hopefully, that will help me get more organized. I can then type my preliminary story ideas in OneNote and flesh out the articles later. Not to mention making sense out of all of my reminders and To-Do lists! :p

The article was also submitted to BSNJ for their newsletter. The editor said she may use it as soon as the August issue! :) I had sent her a bunch of other stuff, so I wasn't sure if she'd want to use an older one first. In any case, it seems I will be a "regular" (maybe semi-regular?) writer in that publication for a while! :D

I received an email today from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads regarding their Pearls, Organic Beads & Molding Clay Jewelry-Making Contest. The deadline is July 11, so I entered a couple of my pieces online this morning. For pearls, I entered my Cascade of Pearls pin. Had it won the Rings & Things contest I created it for last year, I could not enter it in this contest. For molding clay, I entered my Ferido™ resin pendant with Cowrie Shells, Turquoise chips and Freshwater Pearls on turquoise Greek leather necklace. I had to name the piece for the contest, so I came up with Summer Beach Party Necklace. It would probably have made more sense if the resin was sand-colored, but I came up with it on the spur-of-the-moment. :\

I'm caught up with posting product photos to Facebook, but I still have to update the listings on the website. I was adding data to my database today to price some of the newer pieces...I have to finish that before dealing with the website store updates. :o

Speaking of website updates, look for the new Focal Piece of the Month coming up later this week. This one consists of a bit more "storytelling" than many of the ones in the past. I think I may have to take that into consideration when selecting items for future spotlights if it is well-received. Let me know what you think when you read it! :D

One other "new" thing I did this week -- I cracked open a crystal geode! I ordered a set of three a while back, but was surprised when they looked like ordinary rocks when they arrived. I found a video online this week that explained I had to crack it open to see the crystals inside! DOH! I had already started experimenting with creating a beaded netting for one to make a paperweight, so I had to take the beads off to crack it open. Luckily, they still fit after! I ended up with two additional small pieces -- it did not crack in half -- that I will eventually wire-wrap as pendants. Always thinking ahead! :D

I had another NAET treatment yesterday -- it seems to be endless -- but I won't know how well it worked for another week or so. I will let you know my progress in next week's blog. :)

Gotta run...I still have a few chores to get done before bed. Later, all! ;)