2012 is almost over!!

~sigh~ please be patient with me/this blog as i make some adjustments...

where have i been in the past [almost] 2 years?!!!?!?!?!

a lot has been going on personally in the last 15 months actually.....but i'm finally at a happy place now [3 weeks out of the month anyways..hahaha]

as for the goals i had for 2011...new photos..YES!!!!
the most surprising of all for me is that my [new] pictures are all taken by my camera phone!! very very little editing [edits only occur when the picture looks too tinted blue/red]!! =)

i have been looking for a new fancy smancy interchangeable lense camera...and was very close to purchasing one...but few individuals have told me that the pictures from my phone look decent..so that'll save me a few grand =)

[lighting = sunlight
phone type = HTC 4g slide
editing program = picasa]
when it comes to photography...i'd pref very little tools and editing please >.<

i've also gotten several new items out [www.sesamebijoux.com] feel free to take a look around...new items...new pictures [most are new...still got a few old ones here and there..]

here are a few of my favs =)

one ince hoop - turquoise rondelles // argentium silver

blackberries!! - smokey quartz brios, sunstone rondelles, argentium silver

love this one - blue cherries!! blue glass beads with oxidized silver

very cute and sweet "starry night" - rose quartz stars, potato shape pearls, swarovski pearls with silver

love the contrast!! potato-shapped pearl w/ oxidized silver

as always...thanks for stopping by!!!! =)

2011 ~ new beginnings again!

a customer from ETSY was kind enough to purchase TWO of my dragonflies!!

I was so happy - it really did help me rejuvenate and re-focus back on my jewelry.

so my 2011 resolution as/for Sesame Bijoux?
1. retake photos [again... ] this would be the 4th attempt.
2. for those that don't look up to par...i will have to re-do or just take it all apart and make a totally different looking pair.

i've also noticed....when i'm buying stuff online for my sesame bijoux...its also around the time when my sales come in =(

as much as i'd loke to test this theory with the only controllable variation being my shopping for beads...i just cannot do it.
when i'm ....light load [which will be often now that delaram is back]..i am so tempted to purchase stuff from people =/

what comes around goes around...wich i had more going around than i had more coming around LOL

will upload a few new pix up here as well...my favorites that is =)
but i am so sleepy...i can't function off of 4 hours of sleep...i need more =(

ok picture load time~

 

 

VACATION OVER!

=/
~*~ le sigh ~*~

vacation has come and gone...lots of great food!

except i think my aunt cooked some unfresh shrimp for me my last day of vacation and now i'm suffering from it =(
bad bad really bad rash =(

i'm also not adjusting back to LA sleeping schedule yet =/
maybe this whole business of getting old isn't as easy as i thought...
i always thought people who said they can't do certain things anymore because "they're getting old" was just a bunch of  poop.  where's our willpower?!! where's our internal strength?!!
guess it evaporates as time continues to fly by =P

on a not so great note: my camera started to poop on me too during the vacation...when i open the lense to shoot - the whole camera starts vibrating! =/
am kind of wanting to get this camera Sony TX9 cuz i like how it will auto blur the background for you ^.^
sooo great for product pictures!!


LOL but...I really need to be more reasonable with what I spend on now...


My camera isn't officially broken yet...so there is no need to be spending money on the camera..but will be drooling over the defocus setting ^.^

no picture posts today =/
am thinking to start making some over Thanksgiving...
i am going to try to focus...focus on a certain "theme" and just concentrate on not making such a big/broad variety of items.  i thought making a larger variety of item would be better [as consumers...aren't we supposed to like stores that give us a lot of different options? guess i am suffering now since my marketing professor didn't teach for cr*p...]

so look forward to a better post with pictures next time! =)

[RE]Starting Anew

Alright..so the Etsy-versary sale...............not so great...

lets not wallow in the pity party..

There are lots of creative ideas flowing through me still and I would love to twist them all out every night as I used to. I've found that..sadly..I can't stay up as late as I used to =(

I actually get REALLY tired during the day!

WHAT IS THIS MADNESS!?!?!??

So after July/August I basically just enjoyed after-work life as I probably would have if I never indulged in my..sparkling creativity.

Except now I find myself in a weird relationship with sleep. The more I've had of it...the more I want of it!

Kind of reminds me the relationship some individuals experience with chocolate or other foods haha

Now in early October I find myself with a small fire to re-start some of the sparkling creativity again. This was fire was stoked by the wedding of Jennifer and Joey Cu. I made her bridesmaid jewelry - matching set of Violet cube earrings + necklaces as seen here =)

  

The necklace was something creative I came up - though it wasn't originally what the bride had wanted...I think the finished product looked great with the bridesmaid.  I'll need to stalk the newlyweeds photo's for bridesmaid pictures to show you how the finished products looked on them =P

My brother officially moved out and I'm able to use his room as my "hobby craft room" with some limitations. His bed still takes up a good 1/3 of the room. Another slight problem...I still prefer to craft in my room..hmm =\

I think its because of the lighting structure in his room...which means I'll need to get more stuff aiyaya....its a never ending cycle.

My room has slightly improved as I already moved most of the jewelry supplies over...I think I need to move my paper crafts over as well.

I think the problem is that I currently don't have a TV / computer in my brother's room...and being a product of the internet (late bloomer...but whatever lol) I find myself still needed to be hooked online...if not at least multi-tasking watching TV and crafting. Though...it really slows me down some =/

Have I mentioned yet how much I really want to save for a kiln =) start using some Art Clay!

oooooh do I really want to use one and start creating crazy cool stuff!!!

Oh the things I want to make!! but this actually requires more than just a kiln...I'll need to get the croc pot to boil the cleaning solution...bristles...

the things our hobby makes us do =( lol

not to mention the art clays themselves are not cheap either!

Lastly - some cool fun news~

I'll be [finally] visiting HK =) With a side trip to Taiwan! yahooie!  I made a deal/promise to myself to take those professional studio pictures before i hit 30...and it looks like I'll at least get to cross this off my list of "must do" =)

I can't wait!!

Though the ridiculous "fashion" trends require that i sacrafice my other over-indulgence i've developed recently...an over indulgence for my need to try things greazy and artery-clogging!

Sorry I know I'm always all over the place when I blog/write...thanks for focusing and reading all the way through!

I will try to blog before my trip!!

until next time~

Etsy Year 01 in review...

With my wild imaginative goals and limited photography skills on a sultry hot mid July afternoon in 2009..I said to myself: "OK! TODAY WILL BE THE DAY! I've got my name registered since MARCH darnit! I need to start listing stuff on ETSY to get my name out!"

The giddy excitement envelopes me as I list item after item not giving a care with regards to the quality of the pictures...."hey as long as its not terribly blurry you can still see what it is!" i thought to myself...
I sat back...looked at my shop profile nodded my head and smiled coyly..."good job self...GOOD EFFIN JOB!"

Later that evening..thinking I'd just check up to see how things with this ETSY website were going......WHOA MAMA I really DID get my first sale on my VERY first day of selling!! Boy did I kick myself for not starting to sell earlier!

QUICK! TO THE CAMERA!!!
MORE PICTURES MORE ITEMS AND FAST! MY STUFF IS GOING TO BE SELLING LIKE HOTCAKES!

the excitement wore off fast as it became a slow...painful...pride-hurting..obsessive-compulsive depressing daily reminder and realization that.....THERE ARE LOOOAAADS OF JEWELRY SELLERS OUT HERE!!! LIKE OMG!

Etsy...its been a love hate relationship over this past year...I've put sooo much time and energy into you! More so than my own craft!! I've tried to talk nice..I've tried to threaten you by leaving........I've even....*gasp*....\\dramatic pause//.....BEGGED YOU!

But alas...you have shown me the error of my ways...I'm trying to learn some new things and trying to find my little bit of creative edge here on EtsyLand
Number 1 is trying to improve my photog skillzzzz
Number 2 time management...WHY oh WHY must I get physically tired and drained if I've slept less than 3-4 hours a night?!
Number 3 money management (heh...still in process...so far this likes like an F for me)
Number 4 keep creating...stop obsessing!! \\rolls eyes// easier said then done!!

But in the end I would say year 01 has been very important to me...it was a much needed stepping stone for me and here's to looking forward to all the new things to come(hoping this means new "studio room" as well more sales *evil grin*)!!

ONWARD HO!!!! YEAR 02!!!!!!!!!!!!!


>>>>BOTTOM LINE<<<<<

ok slight self promotion here..

Since I have been officially selling on ETSY for an year (July 18) I thought and pondered...what can I do so that others can be just as excited for me for achieving this fantabulous milestone?

Why...I'll have me one of those "special sales"!!! That's what I'll do!!!

To show the ever growing maturity (most of the time) and continued dedication to learning photography instead of jewelry making......(though it should be the other way around?) I offer you this....
between July 8th to July 28th

****FREE SHIPPING for all orders international and domestic!
AND
AND
AND
****For every $50.00 spent you will also get to pick your very own FREE swarovski cube OR bicone earrings pick ANY from this section: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sesamebijoux?section_id=6617549 !!

come on over to http://www.etsy.com/shop/sesamebijoux take a look...browse around =)

no joke!! Most items can ship next business day!

Thanks for reading the lil blurb about my first experience with Etsy =) You all get a special hug for that (((HUGS)))

now go and look around!! =D http://www.etsy.com/shop/sesamebijoux

2010 - June

BIG HUGE OOPS!!!

So May I was quite busy setting up the babyshower for the bf's friend~
I'll upload some pix below~


It was a really nice shower in a tea room here in Pasadena. The food was absolutely delicious! I was sooo surprised! Normally I'm a big bread/sandwich person...but wow...never had I had tea with sandwiches that tasted this amazing!!!! XD
I'm in love
SCONES were to DIE for!

I've tried to stick to the 2 sale-a-month...but that idea seemed to translate better offline than online =P

Mother's Day came and no sales online but definetly offline!

Also I bit the bullet and ordered what I thought were decent beads that normally I would think twice or thrice before purchasing due to the price...but I have to say......price really does make a difference!

eep no time to upload pix sorry...will try to do this at home ^.^

April's already here - new styles/creations please feedback!

Wow April is here...its hard to believe...my real anniversary with ETSY is in August...and I'd really like to start my year 2 with a medium (trying to be sensivle here) bang! =D

I'm trying to move some of the beads I've not used (and perhaps will not be using in the future) on ETSY...I'd like to move them out fast so I can maybe clear a lil bit of space...

I've posted most of them up...so far it doesn't seem like my beads are as popular...(makes one wonder why I even purchased them in the first place huh?)

Honestly I was going for the unique bulky bead look...but my wire wrapping skills perhaps have not yet reached the level I had thought they were =P

so if you've got some talent with wiring...or if you know of anyone who likes big bold beads...please check out my etsy (http://www.sesamebijoux.com/ the link directs you to my ETSY shop).

Also I'd like to announce I'm having a 25% off sale for upcoming Mother's day. I'm (as usual) looking to move some of my already made jewelry off to nice homes so that I can really have some room to put some of my more creative stuff..

I'd like to get your feedback if possible about this new venture...let me know what you think of the price and if the creation is just not a good "to-sell" item...please be honest if you can =)

paper star earrings with gems or swirls...what do you think? yay or nay? (what about the price?)

the one with just the wire i think is really cute and casual...i've got to perfect the wiring part so this one will go fairly cheap...only $4.00

Then the ones with the gems will be bit more expensy...depending on how many gems and how complicated the wiring process was...

again...i welcome any and all thoughts!!)