Resolutions for 2011

Well after much thought I decided that it was probably a good thing to share my resolutions....maybe to keep me a little bit honest with not only myself but family and friends. My dear hubby thinks these are more tasks but I don't care as long as they get done. Some are business and some are personal but they all are important.

• Lose 20 lbs (I didn't have this one last year and probably should have)
• Exercise 3 times per week
• Make all my holiday gifts for family by June 30th (I was really scrambling in December to get everything made)
• Menu plan meals once a week
• Take all tutorials that I've published and make into an E-book to offer on ArtFire
• Get Gem Tree Sculptures book 2 completed and to an Editor for review (yes, this one is familiar)
• Blog at least once a week
• Consolidate all my online selling activities on one selling site. (It really was too confusing keeping up with 3 sites this past year)
• Try to not go over my $50 a month hobby budget...like that is going to happen. (this does not include business expenses)
• Continue to have fun in life, love family and friends and be joyful everyday

Have you made your resolutions?

Resolutions, how did you do for 2010?

Well I made resolutions last year and now is the time to review those and make some new ones. So here are the ones from 2010 and how I did.

1.   Promote, promote, promote via Twitter, Facebook, Blog and anything else I find at least once each day on one of them. I should be able to do this, I'm on them daily anyway.
2.   Land at least 2 more gem club shows for demonstrating and teaching gem trees.
3.   Land 2 additional workshop venues for gem trees or jewelry design.
4.   Have the 2nd book completed and to an editor for review. I guess I better start writing.
5.   Keep my craft room clean & organized (okay maybe clean craft room once a week).
6.   Update my danasjewelrydesign.com website.
7.   Add one new item to my Etsy, Artfire or 1000 Markets site weekly.
8.   Develop 12 tutorials that will either be for sale or free on my blog. That's only 1 per month.
9.   Learn to use Photoshop Elements 7. Yes, I have the program, but haven't figured out how to use it yet.
10. Learn one new jewelry technique.


Okay, #1 - pretty much did this one except for a few days when we were on vacation or didn't have access to the Internet.
#2 - Didn't get two more shows..I'll have to try harder this year.
#3 - Landed 2 new workshop venues one was the Puget Sound Bead Festival and the other was Shipwreck Beads.
#4 - 2nd book is not completed and I still have a ways to go but I did create 2 new tree designs for it.
#5 - I don't know, can a craft room ever be clean enough. 
#6 - Web site was updated but now I need to do it again.
#7 - Seriously failed on this one. I did go in spurts and list lots at one time.
#8 - Yea this one is done and all were listed for free here on this blog. Now to put them all together and list them as an e-book.
#9 - Still haven't learned to use Photoshop.
#10 - I'm not sure whether silversmithing counts but I did take a class and learned to make a wire bezel for a cabachon.


So, how did you do in your last years resolutions? Are you going to make some for this year?


Stay tuned for tomorrow's post where I will share my resolutions for 2011.

October Tutorial Swirl and Curl Chain

I'm finally getting caught up. No one is putting pressure on me to create these tutorials but myself but it was one of my New Years resolutions. How are your resolutions coming or did they go out the window say about June? I've been at least trying to keep this one but it is hard...life gets in the way sometimes and at the beginning of the year we think we can accomplish so much that it won't be a problem. Okay like that is ever the case. So, here is October's tutorial the Swirl and Curl Chain.

Playing with wire in my craft room one day I came up with these links that could be joined together with jump rings to create a chain. I’ve worn the bracelet and necklace now everyday in testing and it is very comfortable and doesn’t come apart. Here’s how to do it.

Supplies Needed:

• Stainless Steel block
• Hammer
• 16 or 18 gauge soft wire. I used copper and soft sterling. The brass was hard so I only used it a couple of times.
• Jump rings that are 6mm or 7mm in size
• Toggle clasp or a clasp of your choosing
• Wire cutters
• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers

Instructions:

1. Cut 3 2.5” pieces of wire to make the swirls as shown in the middle of the bracelet
2. Make a loop with your round nose pliers at one end of one piece of wire, make sure that your loop is large enough that your jump rings will not slip through. You may have to slide a jump ring on to test it out.
3. Make a loop going the opposite direction at the other end of the wire
4. Holding the wire in the middle with your chain nose pliers, insert the round nose pliers in the loop on one side and curl towards the center.
5. Turn your wire piece around and do the same thing to the opposite side until you have swirls curling inward as pictured in the top row of pictures.
6. Make 2 more of these swirls.
7. Cut 4 2” pieces of wire to make the curls
8. Make a loop with your round nose pliers at one end of a piece of wire.
9. Make another loop on the opposite side of that wire curling it in the same direction. These do not have to be perfect.
10. Make 3 more of these curls.
11. Slightly hammer your curls and swirl links on the stainless steel block to harden the wire and shape them flat.
12. Open a jump ring and insert two of your links.
13. Close the jump ring.
14. Continue adding jump rings and links in your desired pattern.
15. Add a jump ring at the end of each side of your bracelet and add your clasp.
16. There you go a beautiful bracelet that you fashioned yourself.

My advice is to practice with copper wire and then move onto sterling if you want. If you like the tri color effect, then you would use copper, brass or 14kt gold filled and sterling silver wire. If you like the look of the necklace then you would continue making curl and swirl links until you have achieved the length you need.

 

Resolutions

Yes, I know I'm a little late in making any resolutions this year, but now is better than last year when I didn't make any. I got inspired by Jill of Liv'n Good Jewelry who reviewed how she did with her 2009 resolutions and set some for 2010. Check out her blog if you want to see what hers were.

Since I didn't have any for 2009 except to get my book published, which I did by the way, I may have to add a couple extra for good measure. I think 10 is a good number.

1.   Promote, promote, promote via Twitter, Facebook, Blog and anything else I find at least once each day on one of them. I should be able to do this, I'm on them daily anyway.
2.   Land at least 2 more gem club shows for demonstrating and teaching gem trees.
3.   Land 2 additional workshop venues for gem trees or jewelry design.
4.   Have the 2nd book completed and to an editor for review. I guess I better start writing.
5.   Keep my craft room clean & organized (okay maybe clean craft room once a week).
6.   Update my danasjewelrydesign.com website.
7.   Add one new item to my Etsy, Artfire or 1000 Markets site weekly.
8.   Develop 12 tutorials that will either be for sale or free on my blog. That's only 1 per month.
9.   Learn to use Photoshop Elements 7. Yes, I have the program, but haven't figured out how to use it yet.
10. Learn one new jewelry technique.

So, that's my list. Have you made any resolutions yet?