Universal Gifts of Encouragement

The universe always knows what we need and provides it at the right time. I've experienced this time and time again in many different areas of my personal life so I'm not surprised to find it also happening in my business life.

I bet you think I've been sitting too close to the incense burner and inhaled a few fumes to many. So let me show you...

First example, yesterday I was struggling thru emails...as usual, when I saw an email directly to me... meaning it wasn't from one of the groups, ning sites or stuff like that.  I did a quick read over and then had to read it again. The email was from a representative from artbeads.com inviting me to join a small group of jewelry designers who blog,  for their new program where they'll send me beads and jewelry supplies to use and then blog about. How cool is that right? 

But to me it's more then getting free jewelry supplies...once again a great thing...it's more about getting the encouragement the universe feels I need to keep making jewelry PLUS to blog about it. I mean there are literally thousands of jewelry blogs on the web, what are the chances he picks my little blog which is sadly lacking in regular updates?! I'm telling you universal encouragement. 

Second example, today I'm once again goin thru emails, this time on face book when I read this

Hi,BZ.

I looked through jewelries designed by you.they are good, really! maybe they give a sense of normal at first glance, but I found they are tasteful after I look them more. You designs don't like current fashion design which give much visual stun. Your designs are very lite and durable on visual. actually! your personal profile picture (the one you working at lamp) also give a sense of that! I can't help to tell you these after I saw your pictures!

I am an ordinary Chinese.I am web programmer instead of jewelry designer!my hometown is a jade base of china where have many gemstone and gemstone jewelries!I will collect some good designs for you maybe you can use them when I go home next time.

I was SO touched by him seeing the "spirit" of my designs. What he said is exactly what I aim for...to have something simple at first glance but that carries a deeper meaning. Since jewelry is such a personal item having it handcrafted with a positive spirit and intention is the way to go. And yeah how nice of him to offer to get me some gemstones during his next trip home. LOL

Third example to round out the universal encouragement is this. In the Etsy Artist of Color some changes were recently made to better promote the group and get more members to support each other.  One idea was to start a mentoring program. Now i'm humble enough to say that I need help when it comes to understanding how to sell and promote on etsy..so I ask to be mentored. Very soon after that Gaetana of Satin Doll contacted me and offered to be my Etsy mentor.  I of course agreed cause really how can you say no to such a kind hearted gesture of each one teach one.

So you see what happens when you become ready...the universe sends it's gifts =)

Free Jewelry Wednesdays : Wire Wrapped Earrings

This weeks jewelry giveaway is a silver-tone wire wrapped beaded earring. The wrapped bead of this earring comes in many different colors including red, grey, green, yellow, brown, peach, and blue.  But it's a surprise which color you'll get if you win. Perfect as a present or treat for yourself. 

But wait since there was no giveaway last week this week we'll have (3) earrings to giveaway so that means (3) different winners get a prize!

HOW TO WIN

1) Subscribe to the Beaded Zen Designs blog via feedblitz for an automatic entry (1 entry)

2) Follow this blog publicly (1 extra entry)

3) Follow @bzdesigns on twitter (1 extra entry)

4) Tweet about this giveaway. Each tweet gets you 1 extra entry. Leave a comment with the link here so I can check and give you credit for each time =)

5) Stumble, Digg, or del.icio.us. this post. Leave me your id so I can check and give you credit.

Make sure to leave me a comment letting me know what you did!

NOW THE RULES

Winner will be selected by random.org on or shortly after Tuesday, May 5, 2009. Giveaway entry must be completed before extra entries will count.

Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the U.S. with a valid street address. If your an international friends then we'll work something out if you win =)

Where's the Jewelry for Todays Moms

Friday morning, I went to a Todays Moms Breakfast Book Bash & Diaper Drive event. It's always cool to go to a mom bloggers event but it doubly cool when the events supports a worthy cause. This event collected hundreds of dollars worth of diapers to go to NYC families in need via BabyBuggy.org As a new a mom of course I had to show my support

Here I am with the Todays Moms, Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo

Here I am with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the surprise guest during the event

All that is nice and good but your thinking not really jewelry related right? Oh so wrong! This is a mommy event that pulled in a large group of ladies from mostly middle working class families right?  So there should have been jewelry bling all over the place at an event such as this. Yet as I walked around the room I noticed a shocking lack of jewelry. Not to say there wasn't any but very minimal. 

What is this about I thought?  Is there a new minimal jewelry trend that no one told me about? Should I have brought my jewelry business cards? Every time I made contact with another mom I was so tempted to offer some jewelry info. LOL . But I was there to promote my personal blog instead of my business blog. Still I wonder... where is the jewelry for todays moms and how can I get my jewelry to them?!

Spiritual Spring Interpretation - Merry Go Round

It's Merry-Go-Round topic blogging time! This month we chose to blog about our interpetation of spring and what that means to us personally.

So to be honest I was a little stuck on this one. I tried thinking of alternative ideas/images/ways for spring but kept coming back to the same idea. To me spring has always been about starting anew. It's a season for making new connections, starting new goals, being fertile in mind and spirit as well as body.

How does this idea translate for me? In jewelry of course.

I've long felt these earrings have a mother earth, goddess, fertility,spiritual feel to them. For this project I was going to add a gemstone bead in the middle to make her pregnant. LOL. But I changed my mind cause I like the plain simpleness of the design. The idea of spiritually fertile can be more highlighted in this design by being in plain metal. Do u agree?

So that's my contribution for the Merry-Go-Round project this month. Each month a group of creative folks get together, pick a topic and then blog about it at the same time...give or take a time zone. Wonder what the other members of the Merry-Go-Round crew shared?

Go take a visit and see.

Agathe @ Le Bar du Vent - www.lebarduvent.blogspot.com
Andreanna @ Glamasaurus - www.blog.glamasaurus.com
Charlotte @ Fancy Picnic - www.fancypicnic.blogspot.com
Fabienne @ Easterya - www.easterya.blogspot.com
Jenny @ Jenny Karlsson Design - www.designjennykarlsson.blogspot.com
Lily @ Lily Pang Art - www.lilypangart.blogspot.com
Marian @ Florcita - www.florcitasart.blogspot.com
Ruth @ Birdland Creations - www.insidetheartisan.blogspot.com
Sara @ Sara's Texture Crafts - sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com
Wendren @ Wren - thewrendesign.com

Free Jewelry Wednesdays : Angel Pendant Necklace

This weeks jewelry giveaway is a cord necklace with a pewter cherubic angel charm. Each necklace has a different rhinestone color.  But it's a surprise which color you'll get if you win. Perfect as a present or treat for yourself.

HOW TO WIN

1) Subscribe to the Beaded Zen Designs blog via feedblitz for an automatic entry (1 entry)

2) Follow this blog publicly (1 extra entry)

3) Follow @bzdesigns on twitter (1 extra entry)

4) Tweet about this giveaway. Each tweet gets you 1 extra entry. Leave a comment with the link here so I can check and give you credit for each time =)

5) Stumble, Digg, or del.icio.us. this post. Leave me your id so I can check and give you credit.

Make sure to leave me a comment letting me know what you did!

NOW THE RULES

Winner will be selected by random.org on or shortly after Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Giveaway entry must be completed before extra entries will count.

Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the U.S. with a valid street address. If your an international friends then we'll work something out if you win =)

LAST WEEKS FREE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY WINNER

Since I didn't post last wednesday, no one entered so there is no winner =(

Connecting Black Jewelry Designers

So last night I was just hanging out in the different jewelry groups I belong to...one to many if you ask me...but anyway, I decided to post that I'm looking for other black jewelry designers. To be honest I didn't expect any replies but ironically I received quite a few.  Soon I started a little emails list with the people who responded.  But after a discussion about not seeing a group for black designers Sonja of Fire Hazard decided we should have one and *bam* made a yahoo group for black designers.


At first I couldn't believe it...how could there not be a group for black designers?! Well I had no time to really ponder the issue because Sonja and I were soon inviting the other women and planning how to attract more members.  We started throwing ideas back and forth about ways to promote the group, the groups aim and purpose and how to handle any drama that would follow.  

Now someone reading this will think...what drama can happen just because you started a group. For that person I'll share a email I received today from a non-black jewelry maker.

From: C
Date: Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Subject: black jewelry designer

Hello and Happy Easter,

You and I are fellow jewelry designers and fellow members of several yahoo groups.  I’ve been to your blog and feel that you have no idea how badly you are alienating me (and perhaps others) when you ask for black designers.  I try to tell myself that you are just looking for like minded friends but the color of one’s skin has nothing to do with their insides.  I sort my beads by color, not my friends.  I hope that one day the world will be color blind to skin tone but until all stop discriminating by color, this isn’t going to happen.  Everyone is colored unless invisible has become an option.  So, unless you have another reason for looking for black designers that I haven’t fathomed, I’d like to be a part of your group even though my skin isn’t black.

Sincerely,
C

Now, I'm at a loss on how to answer this.  I don't understand how something as simple as black women jewelers forming a group to talk shop means we're...or should I say "I" want to alienate non-blacks?!  Lets be real here...I come across information and  projects that are race specific. If a company is looking for a "black" designer or is offering an incentive for the "black" creative community then what would be the point of me posting this info in a non-black group? It's best to have a place where this info will reach the intended community.  That's my view of the issue. Since this is a group issue I'll ask the group and see what they say about this...but I wish people would respect other people choices. 

Sometimes You Have to Chase

The past few days have been crazy busy with stuff both jewelry and non-jewelry related.  It's always amazing to me how many things can happens at once after you do just one thing =)

So to give an update about me and my charity direction.  I emailed Americans for UNFPA but have yet to hear back from them. I'm not discouraged though.  Since they have an office in the New York City area then I'm just going to make it my business to stop by and see what they say.  I can't sit waiting on an answer.  If they want to partner in some way to help me promote their cause then great. But even if they don't want to partner,  I'll still send the donations from my charity line of jewelry sales. I'll just need to change how I promote that jewelry group.

Now with Etsy for Charity, I followed all the steps to be part of the team and had some back and forth dialogue going until I understood how to get my jewelry in the gallery and store. It took me some days to get it together so I could upload some jewelry to my second etsy shop but I finally did it.  I still have more jewelry to add but for now I have the jewelry I wanted to donate for the Etsy Charity Gallery and Shop. Tonight I emailed my jewelry listing info and hopefully I'll be added soon. Yeah me!

Sometimes when you want to get to the next step with an idea you sorta have to chase after people and yourself to get things done!

Free Jewelry Wednesdays : Hearts and Roses Charm Bracelet

This weeks jewelry giveaway is a multi charm stretch bracelet with silver-tone heart charms and roses beads. Made with elastic band so one size fits all. Perfect as a present or treat for yourself.

HOW TO WIN

1) Subcribe to the Beaded Zen Designs blog thru feedblitz for an automatic entry (1 entry)

2) Follow this blog publicly (1 extra entry)

3) Follow @bzdesigns on twitter (1 extra entry)

4) Tweet about this giveaway. Each tweet gets you 1 extra entry. Leave a comment with the link here so I can check and give you credit for each time =)

5) Stumble, Digg, or del.icio.us. this post. Leave me your id so I can check and give you credit.

Make sure to leave me a comment letting me know what you did!

NOW THE RULES

Winner will be selected by random.org on or shortly after Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Giveaway entry must be completed before extra entries will count.

Winner will be contacted by email and must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Open to residents of the U.S. with a valid street address. If your an international friends then we'll work something out if you win =)

LAST WEEKS FREE JEWELRY GIVEAWAY WINNER

Thanks to everyone who entered the Amethyst and Pearl Earrings giveaway!

The winner was chosen at Random and is:  #7 - Janet Faye

Congratulations! I've sent you an email. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize! =)