Room to grow...

My family just relocated to sunny South Carolina. So far, we love it! It is a truly beautiful state to live in, and very much different than Massachusetts, though we will miss Mass for all of its unique beauty and qualities, especially those gorgeous autumn leaves!

During the move, all of my various websites went on "vacation". It was hard putting my business on hold, but also good to have a much needed break. Currently, all the websites are open again for selling in-stock items. Unfortunately, I don't have much inventory, and I'm not taking any special orders at this time.

Not that I don't have plenty of good reasons to be taking it easy. I am currently six months pregnant with my third baby. I've had many struggles with this pregnancy and found out recently that I have vasa previa, a very dangerous condition for the baby during the third trimester. Not to mention the fact that I have to keep up with my two boys (5 and 3) and unpack and reorganize my new house (quite the feat when I'm not allowed to lift anything).

Needless to say, my studio is still not set up. It's one of those things that has been set on the back burner for the past month. All of my glass, tools, and supplies are still boxed up, sitting in the art studio, awaiting my return. (You can see the room in the above picture, before our moving truck had arrived.) I miss the process of creation so much, but have so many other priorities coming before my work at this point. Only time will tell when I can start creating jewelry again. If all goes well with the rest of my pregnancy, and if my new little baby girl is easy-going and happy (as I'm praying she will be), then I can resume work. Until then, I will sit back and enjoy the time off while I can!

Becky Sharp Designs is Moving!

My family is relocating to South Carolina! Thus, my glass studio will be moving with me. We are packing up July 1st and won't see the moving truck again for 1-1/2 weeks. So, I will be shutting off my various websites for the duration of the move until my studio is set up again at our new house. I may not resume business again until the beginning of August. Please bear with me during this transition and thank you for your patience!

In other news, we found out that we are expecting a little girl in November! My two little boys are especially thrilled to add a new little sister to our family. And I am glad to say that I am over the nauseous part of my pregnancy. Yeah! Now if I can just survive this move, life will be good. :-)

Waiting for sunny days ahead...

Here in Massachusetts, we have been experiencing some patchy spring weather. It's been cool, cloudy and rainy for the most part. I understand the need for the rain, but look forward to the warmer, sunnier days of summer ahead.

I also look forward to not feeling so sick all the time! I am currently in the 10th week of my third pregnancy, and feel much worse than I did with my first two boys. Maybe this will be a girl? I can always dream... Also, my two little boys have been sick on and off for a couple of months. Needless to say, we have been cooped up in our house for a long time! So we are ready for healthier days ahead!

While I have been sick, my jewelry making and bookbinding have been put on hold, although I continue to sell the inventory I already have. I miss crafting extremely, but can't seem to find relief from my nausea long enough to get in my studio to cut glass. Besides, the moment I feel better I have about a billion chores to catch up on in my house. It's a never-ending job! Someday I will find the balance again. Until then, here are some sunny pieces of jewelry to brighten my day and yours!

Spring is in the air...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I gathered these green pendant photos to celebrate the holiday and remind me of the new life and rejuvenation this season brings. I realized that many of my designs are nature oriented. So much inspiration comes from the beauty that surrounds me. I can't get enough trees, leaves and flowers.

I'm also so relieved this time of year when the snow melts, the air warms, and little green bulbs start poking up out of the once frozen ground. I love spring! I always feel like I am waking up after a long winter hibernation. And now it's time to wake up my jewelry too. I have slowed down my production since the holidays, but am gearing myself up to pull out my glass, heat up my soldering iron and fire up my kiln.

And don't forget, all of my glass jewelry is 25% OFF at www.ShortFuseJewelry.com.

Where do you find inspiration...

...when you're not feeling very inspired?

If I were a writer, I would say I have "writer's block". But I am an artist, so do I have "artist's block"? Sounds about right. It just seems like lately I haven't been in the mood to create anything new. Maybe I pushed myself too hard during the holidays and now I just need a break? Or maybe I feel discouraged by the decrease in sales? I can't blame the economy, because that is what everyone is doing right now. I'd like to believe that there are still people spending money out there. Or maybe I have PMS! Either way, I just haven't been feeling inspired lately. I'm sure you've all been there before. So I'm looking for some advice on how to get through slow times. If anyone out there has been through this before, please feel free to comment...

Becky Sharp Designs Facebook Page

I created a Facebook page for Becky Sharp Designs a couple months ago. I am in the process of figuring out how to use it as a promotional tool. I already have several fans (mostly Facebook friends), but am looking forward to drawing in new people who could potentially be future customers.

And for any of you who are familiar with Facebook, they have revamped the pages to look just like profiles. It is a much more consistent and less confusing look. They also offer advertising for businesses. I've looked into it, but can't figure out exactly how much it would cost me. It's based on number of clicks, or number of times it appears on someone's screen, or something like that. But I believe they won't let you spend less than a $1/day for a basic ad. That comes out to a minimum of $30/month, which I don't think I'm ready to spend quite yet...maybe someday. I've gone ahead and added the link along the sidebar of my blog.

I will use my Facebook page to post photos of new products, as well as update fans about sales, etc. Also, fans can take pictures wearing their jewelry and upload it to the page. They can also write reviews. So please come be a fan of my new Facebook page!

A Freebie from FoundHandmade

FoundHandmade is a site devoted to advertising your online shop, wherever it may be: Etsy, ArtFire, 1000Markets, personal website...

Normally, it is $5/month to buy one "block", which is basically a small image of one item that you are selling. They also offer larger blocks and featured item blocks at higher prices. If someone clicks on your image, it links them directly to that item in your shop. A great tool for bringing new customers to your website!

Right now they are offering a free 1-month block to anyone who posts about FoundHandmade on their blog. So, if you want a chance to advertise your handmade goods, vintage wears, or supplies, write your post and link back to www.FoundHandmade.com by 2/28/09. Then e-mail your blog link to info@foundhandmade.com. They'll send you details about how to upload your free block. Click here for more info about this freebie.