2019 - New Year, New Chat

[#1]

As always, onwards.

[ChrissiLynnDesigns]

Ugh...it's so cumbersome to find the team.  I'm hoping they will make it a bit easier to locate the teams as part of their clean-up.  

Today is my Friday!  DH and I are headed to Dallas for an awards ceremony and get-away this weekend.  Millie and I earned an award through the Arabian Horse Association. :)

[GayleDowell]

Morning!  So I have a jewelry show on February 2nd at a gallery in town.  It's one I've done before with other jewelry artists.  I did ok, but I hate sitting there for three hours when I could be home making something. 

I had a big rant typed out, but deleted it.  Not sure if this is a private thread or public.  

[cgwhitfield]

Good morning. 

Gayle, it's an 'open' team hence everything is public.No more option of public or private threads.

Just a note...I'll be around daily but maybe not checking in on schedule as before.  Thought I'd try my 3 1/2 year old tablet and got a notice saying the Sell on Etsy app no longer suppors Android 4.4 or 'below' - mine is 4.2.- and some features may not work. As in...I can't seem to see Teams on the tablet.

It's not really comfortable here on my wide scfeen laptop for me to even read what I'm typing.

I'll still be around though, somewhere in all the white space and delicate font....  

[Untwistedsister]

CG - can you access Instagram?  The Aspiring team started a chat thread there and it works easily, you can use imoji's and insert photos.  Plus it always starts you at the end.

[cgwhitfield]

Terri, I'm on Instagram. But, I think I may be gradually slowing down on Etsy - by intention - and lightening up a bit on social media in general. I'll still be aronud though. So much to do, so little time every day.

[GayleDowell]

Thanks CG.  I went to IG and posted on the aspiring team thread there.  Best wishes for your slow down.  Pop in every now and then to let us know how you're doing.  

[Untwistedsister]

Its interesting how the older I get, the faster time goes by.   

[ChrissiLynnDesigns]

How do you find the teams on IG?  I'm not on there a lot, but do check in periodically.  

CG...understandable about slowing down on social media.  I have been shifting my social media around to find out what works best for the least amount of time.  It seems that IG and Facebook are my biggest sources of traffic and revenue.  

[ChrissiLynnDesigns]

Ok...it looks like I found an option to bookmark the thread and I just noticed on the top right of my screen a little bell will show a number if there have been new posts to the thread.  I'm curious to see if that will take us to the last spot on the thread where we left off?  

[ChrissiLynnDesigns]

Yes...the bell takes you to the last spot in the thread where you left off.  That's nice, and alerts you to likes and new posts.  

[PPennee]

Chissi, I set up an aspiring chat on IG- you can't find it without an invite- let me know and I can add you. I'm not sure but I do think they limit the number of people you can add to a group and I am still trying to figure out how to delete one I added that no longer uses IG to free up that space

[ChrissiLynnDesigns]

Thanks Pennee!  Yes, that would be great.  I'm under ChrissiHarmon jewelry.

[kitkingdesigns]

good morning.

Ok, the regular type is too light, the bold is too dark. I feel like Goldilocks. Now, if I could find the "just right."

I'm really tired of this roller coaster weather. In the 20s today, 60s tomorrow. It's been that way all winter and looks to be continuing.

[GayleDowell]

Overcast here today and 24 degrees.  I'd love to see more of the sun.  I need to take photos of some pieces, but today may not be the day.

[kitkingdesigns]

Good morning.

I need to take pics and list a few things but just have no motivation. Haven't had for awhile. Maybe it's winter blues. But, we've had some lovely sunny days as well, and I don't seem anymore motivated than I do on the dreary days. Maybe it's just laziness.

[GayleDowell]

Morning Kit!

I feel that the new thread and forum mess has some people discouraged.  I know it has affected me.  Maybe it is just me, but I've noticed a decline in people commenting in my team threads.   Could be the winter blues too.  I've not seen the sun in weeks it seems and it has been so cold, I've not wanted to get out. 

[SilverCedarJewelry]

Is there a team out there that actually communicates about metalsmithing and selling jewelry on Etsy? When I first joined this team, that was the focus, but the chattiness has taken precedence now. Of course I am interested in your lives, but as others just said, there are only so many hours in a day!

[PPennee]

Irene, the aspiring metalsmiths still do- but we also chat. There are people on the aspiring team that have only been doing this like me, maybe 8-10 years and a few others much longer but you know as much as we do :) But you'd be more than welcome to join. Etsy Metal was jurying members twice a year for a long time but I think they finally closed membership, you could ask one of them - that's the one Sue, Susan, Laura, Wendy and Jen belong to, but I think they are mostly on Facebook now- they never did chat on Etsy.

[Untwistedsister]

I think the forums and teams are so much more user unfriendly that less people are bothering.  

I'm working on a multi-link bracelet and realizing the further I get on it, the more risk each step is taking.  A mistake and I may have to start a piece over.  I have a stamped phrase on the back and then stamped a design on the front and drill the holes to connect the pieces and now I'm soldering the bezels on.  I already had to to do one piece over when I accidentally stamped a letter E instead of an F.   it's fun making it though. 

Do any of you follow Corylenherr on instagram?  I would love to know how some of the textures and patterns are made.  

[Untwistedsister]

and I just found out...... tufa cast.  Need to learn more.....  

[PPennee]

I just looked Terri- most everything is tufa cast so either the texture is carved before or looks to be engraved on some of the gold rings. The stippled effect on some of the cuffs,  I've done using a hammer hand piece with a diamond pave  tip

[Untwistedsister]

I love the look.  don't know anything about casting and don't have a hammer handpiece.  

[prox]

He’s a favorite of mine.  He stamps too.  Amazingly. 

Etsy metal still juries in once a year.  I think it’s in the spring.  I can check if you’d like, 

[SilverCedarJewelry]

Jen I would be interested about Etsy Metal. What are you liking about being a member?

[prox]

I can’t see how to reply to you up there.  Etsy metal is pretty much a group of jewelry makers that sell successfully on etsy, and elsewhere.  I mostly use the Facebook chat.  It’s a place I can go to ask a question about etsy, or shipping, or whatever, and get pretty immediate answers from many different perspectives.  Kinda like how it used to be here.  But so many have left here ☹️   

There is also an attempt to support each other on social media like IG.

theres also a forum separate from etsy where challenges, and other things are managed and run.  

I find the connection to other jewelry makers and all their different perspectives very useful.