There you have it....

Hello world!

How are you? I'm here and still among the living. It's taken me forever to get rid of this cold/respiratory infection. I still have a bit of a cough but I do feel better. Nothing like having to wait over 2 weeks to get rid of something! I still plugged along, worked, cleaned my house...kind of....and did all the stuff I needed to do. BUT..... much more slowly!!!

I've been thinking about what to do with my beads and jewelry lately. I've been on eBay on and off for years and the same with Etsy. There are pros and cons to each. Always. eBay takes me longer to add items and costs more to list and sell with. Etsy is great but some of my customers don't shop there. eBay still has a larger customer base BUT Etsy is growing daily! I like using Etsy more BUT sometimes enjoy auctions. Sometimes I'm not sure how I want to price something so I start with the lowest price I'll accept on eBay and hope for something good to come of it. Sometimes it's exciting....other times it's a piss off. Lately, it's been more of a piss off. I think because it's getting full of junk! The mass-produced silver lined beads are EVERYWHERE!!! There were a few "junkers" on there a couple of years ago right after we started adding the silver lined beads....that are still there for some reason?! Within months, more and more cheap looking beads starting showing up. You know...the folks that sell stuff with split silver, cracked and chipped beads.....stuff that looks literally thrown together. Need I mention imitations? No, I wont go there! BUT now...... there's so much garbage....the Pandora/Troll-type beads are what I'm talking about by the way....even though other beads would apply too. There are numerous beads made in China....and... lots of made in America thrown together trash too. Whatever it is..... there's a boatload of junk! There's some of that "junk" on Etsy too. Just maybe not as generic....yet! Anyway, mass-produced anything in the HANDMADE category can't be well made. Yes, folks, even if it's handmade by a "self proclaimed artist"... and I use the word artist loosely...here in the good ole USA! So....buyer beware! With all that being said..... we've decided.....actually for some time now as you may have noticed, to NOT offer our silver lined beads anymore. At least for now. Since they're a dime (uhhh a penny) a dozen now....what's the point? I'll still make charms, sliders, big hole beads...etc...etc....because I still like to make them and feel my designs are unique. BUT.... my husband is going to devote his time to other things now instead of silver cores. So....no more silver cores... for now. I always say "for now" because anything can change at anytime. This is something we both decided and we're happy with that decision! Besides....we always have other things in mind. ; )

I still have several pair of earrings, necklaces and bracelets I need to add to Etsy. I made many of them for that festival I did last month and I've yet to find the time to list everything. I do have a few added though. I also have many unlined, big hole beads I'll be adding to both Etsy and eBay. Please keep checking..... I'll be trying to add items daily for the holidays!

BTW..... YAY! Holidays! YAY! It's almost a New Year! For now....I'll settle for a new month! I'm so happy to see you December! I think I'll love you so much more than November and October and.... Can you tell I'll be happy to see this year go? It's true! I will! So many of my family members...including us....have had such a hard time this year...death...illness....major life changes. I'll be popping open an extra cork in celebration of the New Year! It will be better than the last 2! I can feel it!!!

Here's to good times now....and in the year ahead!!! Bring it on!!!

Best Wishes,

Rebecca : )