Etsy's InCrowdTeam Jo's Jewels Speaks Up!

My Custom Order Blues...

2010-10-31T09:12:00.001-07:00

Hi! First I want to apologize for not blogging more. I have been dealing with ongoing health issues. I will try to do better!

I'd like to share with anyone that has had a huge custom order and has felt the pain of finishing the order combined with the joy of knowing you are going to put so many of your items out there.

Mine started because I had listed a shepherd hook bookmark in my Etsy shop. It had green luster beads that were wire wrapped. A wonderful buyer by the name of Amanda passed through my shop and saw it. She contacted me to ask if I could make 130 of these for her wedding next year! 130! OMG, I have never made so many of one item before! Of course, I overlooked my misgivings and said yes.

I am totally one of those OOAK (one of a kind) artists. Making more than one of any item just spells tedium and boredom to me. It seems to block my creativity but this girl was so sweet and I really wanted to make her wedding special so I gave in to it. I proceeded to reserve the listing for her...

We spent at least 3 weeks going back and forth finding just the right beads. We decided to try to mimic the luster beads with similar beads without the luster. She settled on dark purple, green, and blue. (Oh! I forgot to mention that these were gifts for her guests). Below are the beads we chose:

Once we settled into the choice of beads, I purchased what I needed to complete the order. Here we go! I was so overwhelmed but forged ahead anyway! I spent every spare moment wrapping beads or assembling the finished piece. I was making these in my sleep!

Anyway, I survived it and finished the order this week-end. My customer is thrilled I finished and cannot wait to get the finished product. She came across a really cute saying, "Thank you for helping us to mark our special day!" I love that and hope she will hang those tags to the bags the bookmarks are in. This is the finished product:

I am so relieved to have these done so I can move on to something new but I am also a bit sad and bittersweet that my convos and camaraderie with this wonderful buyer will come to an end!

Wishing you a beautiful life filled with love and joy with your new husband, Amanda!!

The Best Bead Give-A-Way Ever!

2010-06-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine winning 7-1/2 pounds of beautiful beads??? Wouldn't you just love to win some or all of this treasure? Well, you can't unless you enter one of the biggest bead give-aways I have ever seen!! The give-away is being hosted by jewelry artist Denise Yezbak Moore on her blog:

http://deniseyezbakmoore.blogspot.com/2010/06/best-bead-give-way-ever.html

Just go to her blog and read about the details and you could win some or all of this gorgeous pile of beads ! See you there!

The Winners of the 1,000 Sales GiveAway!

2010-05-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

As you can read below in my previous post, I was nearing my 1,000th sale in my Etsy shop (http://www.gallagj.etsy.com/). I decided to celebrate by hosting a big GiveAway. My 1,000th buyer was to win the Grand Prize of this Sea Sediment Pink Pendant created by me:

The lucky winner of this pendant was: http://www.violetunderground.etsy.com/

This lady is so sweet and a dear friend of mine! Her shop is filled with beautiful crocheted, knitted, and sewn items and is a must see! Gorgeous items to behold!!

The winner of week 1's drawing won these Blue Swarovski Chandielier Earrings:

The winner of these earrings was: http://www.sharonkaydesigns.etsy.com/

This lady has been a longtime Etsy friend of mine and sells beautiful cards in her shop. Her cards are made from her beautiful photograpy!

The winner of week 2's drawing won this pair of Green Adventurine Chip Cluster Earrings:

The lucky winner of these was: http://www.inkwear99.etsy.com/
This lady I made friends with through a Threadkiller in Etsy and has a shop with Tattoo Inspired Custom Designed T-Shirts, Shoes, and Totes. Much talent in this shop!

I just want to thank everyone who participated in my GiveAway and made it a success! I couldn't have made it to 1,000 sales without the love and support these Etsy friends give! Thank you so very much and Congratulations to the winners!

1,000 Sales GiveAway!!!

2010-04-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

Celebrating My 1,000 Sales in Etsy!!

Welcome to my blog! I joined Etsy in June 2008. I was in awe of of the beautiful handmade items found here! By the end of July of that year, I was ready to open my own shop. I am a beader and wire wrap artist so I sell my designs and beading supplies there. I can be found at http://www.gallagj.etsy.com/. Since then, I am up to 990 sales so I have decided to celebrate my upcoming 1,000 sales with a GiveAway!

This is how it works:

For the next two weeks, I will be doing a drawing each week to determine a winner for a pair of earrings. The drawings will be held the next two Saturdays. Tally up and post in the comments your number of entries based on the following:

1. Have you ever bought from my Etsy shop? (3 entries)

2. Are you a follower of my blog? (2 entries)

3. Post your favorite item from my shop. (1 entry)

The earrings up for Week 1 are a pair of chandelier earrings created with Swarovski components and crystals:

The earrings up for Week 2 are a pair of Green Adventurine Chips Cluster Earrings:

And now for the Grand Prize to be won by the lucky 1,000th buyer! This is an instant prize to the lucky person who purchases the 1,000th item from my shop. This lovely mauve sea sediment jasper heart was wire wrapped by me for this giveaway. It is wrapped in sterling silver wire and is about 20mm. I have added a pink organza ribbon to highlight the mauve but it would also be beautiful on a chain...

Good luck! I hope you win!!

ThreadKiller Friends

2010-03-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

I have never before tried joining in on a threadkiller in Etsy before. When this fabulous polymer clay artist http://www.breathtakingbeadzz.etsy.com/ (I still think she has the prettiest beads in Etsy!) invited me in to join hers, I thought why not? I love her beads and thought maybe I could win some! Here is an example of her beads:

Beautiful, huh? Can't blame me for wanting more of these and free even, if I won! Here is my favorite that she made with her beads:

Lovely beads, lovely work! So I admit I was tempted, so I jumped in. At first I felt a bit awkward, not knowing anyone but everyone was so friendly, I soon felt at home. I chatted with different people in there and was drawn to several people.

After a while I came to the realization I had formed some tight bonds. Two ladies in particular touched my heart. The first lady is quite younger than me and she even calls me Mom. What a sweetheart she is. I just love her! Her shop is just the cutest ever. She can be found at: http://www.violetunderground.etsy.com./ She does such beautful work and my favorite is this:

Stunning!! She even makes the cutest little Barbie clothes like this:

Isn't that adorable? I would have loved something like that when I was a child for my Barbies! Her daughter is so lucky to have a Mom who can make clothes for her dolls. This lady is one of the sweetest people I have met and I hope everyone who reads this will check out her adorable shop. Not only great talent, but great personality!

The second lady who has really become a great and true friend is Cathryn. She doesn't have an Etsy shop yet but I am working on her. lol She has such a great eye with beads. She makes some stunning designs and posts them on her blog: http://www.chilecats.blogspot.com/

Here is my favorite of hers:

So beautiful! Don't you think she needs an Etsy shop so she can share her talents with everyone?? She has been wonderful to me. We have swapped beads and stories and developed a great friendship. She is even helping me out with a project I will be announcing soon for my shop.

What a blessing finding wonderful friends like these. There are more friends found there but these two have truly touched my heart. I don't even care about winning thr threadkiller anymore. I have my prize!

More In My Comfort Zone...

2010-02-13T06:43:00.001-08:00

As I stated in my last post from the Bead Swap Party, I was out of my comfort zone with the beads selected for me. They were not what I was used to working with. They were so lovely

but really challenged my skills. As you can see below, this is what I normally do.

I just love wire wrapping and have done it so much, I am at a loss when it comes to creating something just string beads. This is a beautiful labradorite cab that I just felt compelled to wrap into a pendant. I love how it flows....

I enjoyed being challenged but this is my mojo. When I get those wires in my hands, I am in my nirvana mode. It relaxes me and all of the stress flows away.

I had a blast with the Bead Swap Party but now I think I'll just kick back and do my thing with my wire.

Bead Swap Party- Exposing My Finished Item!

2010-02-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Coordinator: Lori Anderson- http://www.lorianderson.blogspot.com/

Bead Swap Partner: Patty Clark- http://www.pjclarkdesigns.blogspot.com/

About a month or so ago, I signed up for the above Bead Swap Party along with many more! We were each assigned a partner to swap our beads with. The rules stated we could send as many beads as we wished but had to include a focal bead and clasp. These two pieces were a requirement to use in our project. If you read my previous post, you'll see that the focal piece came as a surprise to me! Although very lovely, this was not what I was used to working with. This piece already had a glue on bail. I am a wire wrapper so I was stumped for a while. Then I started thinking, why not remove the bail and wrap the pendant!! Eureka!! I proceeded to remove the bail and started wrapping. I love how it turned out:

Now, as for the clasp- well, being as my studio is so neat and tidy (NOT!!), I lost the clasp Patty had sent!! I looked high and low (still haven't found it!) and finally gave up. I had to admit to Lisa I had lost it. I was freaking out! I figured I might be disqualified but Lisa was very kind and said to let my partner know and to use one of my own. Now, my knees were really knocking! I had to fess up to my partner!! Once again, I worried needlessly. She was so very kind and said she loses things all of the time. Here is the clasp I ended up using, although it is not nearly as pretty as the original, it is what it is!

Finally I had a finished piece that I loved! Below are a couple of pictures of the finished product:

I hope everyone who participated had as much fun as I had!! Hopefully, this will lead us all to new beading friends. I want to give a special thank you to Lori for all the hard work she put into this and to Patty too for being a great partner! I'm looking forward to checking out all of the other blogs and see what they came up with!

Etsy Shop in Need!

2010-02-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

I came across this lovely shop in one of my threads and this lady needs our help! She opened her shop to raise money to help get her daughter and 3 year old grand daughter out of a very abusive home! It breaks my heart to think of that baby being in that situation. Won't you help in some small way? We Etsians are family and try to help each other out. She needs your prayers, support, and purchases. If you can't afford to buy, please post her shop where you can so she can get the shop exposure.

http://www.heartsbypatty.etsy.com/

This lady does wonderful and beautiful things with Swarovski crystals. Below is an example of her stunning work:

This one is my favorite!!

Remember this family in your prayers and pray that they get out soon! Words of support help too! I have posted her shop in Facebook and all of my BNR's. If we can help out people in other countries, we can help our own!

My Bead Swap Goodies- My Challenge!

2010-01-30T13:48:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to show you the beads I received from Patti (http://www.pjclarkdesigns.com/), who is my bead swap partner for the bead swap party. They are so pretty but out of the norm of what I do. I usually wrap pendants with wire but this one has a bail already. What a challenge!

I only hope I can do these beautiful beads justice!

I found these other beads through a beautiful shop in Etsy: http://www.beadinginspirations.etsy.com/

They seem to match closely so I may incorporate these into the design... wish me luck!!

Bead Soup Party!! What Fun!

2010-01-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

I heard about a fellow beader holding a beading party and thought how fun that could be! We each get a partner to swap some beads with to create a design with. I received mine today and it's different than what I usually work with but I love a challenge! They are beautiful beads though! Then we all post our new designs on our blogs to check out each other's work. These will be posted on February 10th, so be sure to check back to see it all! I'm so excited to view what everyone does!

Log on to http://www.lorianderson.blogspot.com/ to view the list of blog links to see the results on February 10th!

My Studio, My Haven

2009-12-06T04:07:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give you an idea of where I work. I love my studio. My Son left to go into the Navy, so I converted his bedroom into my jewelry studio. I have never had my own space, so I am thrilled with this and how it turned out! I have spent many hours here, creating and running my Etsy business. It all came together better than I had hoped and has made my life easier to have everything all organized in one space. Will your next piece of jewelry be created here??

My Boy Is Home from Iraq!

2009-09-30T03:09:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share in my joy that my son is finally back from Iraq! It has been a rough time but I am so very proud of him! I think he has grown and matured while being over there so the experience wasn't all bad. He is my heart and I am proud to call him my son!

♥ Support the Troops!! It is someone's son, daughter, father, or mother over there fighting for our freedoms! ♥

Hoo-Rah!!!

My Son Is Coming Home From Iraq!

2009-09-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

The title says it all! Matt will be coming home on Thursday, Sept. 17th!! His Dad and I will be flying down to North Carolina to see him in. My knees are weak with excitement! He has been gone since January. Seems like forever!

The best part is that after we leave from down there, he will be coming home on leave for 3 weeks! AND... his brother, Sean will be coming home on leave too for 10 days! It has been so very long since all the family has been together. Party time!!!

My boys are my heart and I am so very proud of both of them! God Bless them both and all of the rest of the military that are putting their lives on the line to protect us!

Not Only Jewelry But I Have Supplies to Offer in My Shop!

2009-08-08T11:10:00.001-07:00

I keep posting my finished pieces but that is only part of what I have to offer in my shop. I also offer jewelry supplies at great low prices! Below are some pendants I just listed. The beauty of these is that you can use them in your own designs or you can just hang one on your favorite silver chain and you have an instant necklace! These beauties are only $3.50 each-

Come on in and see what other treasures lie within! You can find these and more at http://www.gallagj.etsy.com/

Still Cougaring!!

2009-08-06T02:37:00.000-07:00

Think I'm starting to get these bracelets down to a science. I used a beautiful Polymer clay bead in this one made by a lovely Etsy shop:

BreathtakingBeadzz.etsy.com

Love how it turned out. The bead really made it stand out. Thank you, Cyndie! I love your polymer clay beads and plan to use more of them in my designs. Your clay beads have more color and vibrancy than any I've ever come across! Your shop name says it all!

This next one, I modified:

It turned out really good in the front although I wasn't happy with the wrap in the back. Need to practice on this style a bit more! Anyway, I have really enjoyed learning to make these and will practice until it's perfect!

A very special thank you to:

lvsbeadsnthings.etsy.com - For your friendship, support, and advice in helping me learn this technique.

BreathtakingBeadzz.etsy.com - For the beautiful polymer clay beads and the great customer support.

It Is Getting Easier!!!

2009-07-13T02:19:00.000-07:00

I threw the bracelet instructions aside and decided to try this my way. The directions had the measurements so messed up. So, I did my own measurements and the cab fit so much easier! It didn't take me as long to put it together either. I added a pretty red Paua shell cab this time and it really pops! I used more brass in this one because using a lot of the silver wire becomes quite costly so I have to charge more. Now, I enjoy putting these together and plan to start trying to modify it in different ways.

Here is the the bracelet that I did without the directions:

I think this turned out just as nice! Finally, I am moving on to a more advanced level of wire wrapping. I strive to be an outstanding wire wrap artist. I think I may be on my way!

The Finished Piece!

2009-07-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the finished infamous "Cougar" bracelet. After many hours of blood, sweat, tears, and wire, I am so pleased with the end result. I definitely will try this again even through it was a struggle. I'm praying that it gets easier with each one. Many thanks to my dear friend, lvsbeadsnthings.etsy.com for her guidance and support. Couldn't have done it without you, Girlfriend!

Trying Something New!

2009-07-06T03:19:00.000-07:00

Got the new Dale "Cougar" Armstrong book and decided to try some of her patterns. Some were really bad patterns but one is working out beautifully. I made a bracelet base that turned out beautifully but the stone is hard to set. Here is the base:

Now I just have to figure out how to get the stone in there. They do turn out beautiful. My friend, Betty ( lvsbeadsnthings.etsy.com ) made this one to show that:

Beautiful job, Betty! Here is her modified version:

This girl has so much talent! I only hope mine turns out as great!!! Stay tuned...

Featuring Beautiful Clay Beads Created by CreativeSpiritToo

2009-06-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

I recently acquired a gorgeous polymer clay heart cabochon from a very talented artist in Etsy: CreativeSpiritToo.etsy.com

I fell in love and just had to wire wrap it immediately. This is how it turned out:

I have also made a couple of other pieces from her beads because they are just gorgeous! Here are some other pieces made with her beads:

I am hooked on her work and I know you will be too when you visit her shop at: CreativeSpiritToo.etsy.com

Here are other examples of her beads that are available in her shop:

Her shop is a must see and you will get lost in it's beauty. Be sure to visit her soon!

What Is Up With This Weather???

2009-06-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

In the past month or so, it seems it rains almost everyday! And I'm not talking just rain, I'm talking wicked tear 'em up thunderstorms. Yesterday, the winds got so bad, it toppled some train cars close to our area. I would say that qualifies as a tornado! We've had several incidents with hail,wind, and wicked bad lightening.

It is very depressing, not to mention scary!! You look so forward to summer and this is what you get. Today it was cloudy but did not rain until tonight, then it got really bad again for about 15 minutes. It was extremely hot today too. We reached almost 90 degrees.

I don't know about anyone else, but I am so ready to move to somewhere tropical!! Yeah, I can picture being on the beach in the sun and drinking a cold tropical fruity drink! Anyone care to join me?

Yart Sale

2009-06-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

I am participating in Etsy's Yart Sale this year. I missed last year because I opened shop on the day it started. So yeah, I just had my first year Etsy Anniversary! The year has gone by so fast and I have made so many fantastic friends along the way. (You know who you are! lol)

Anyway, for my Yart Sale, I have reduced many beads and finished pieces to the point, I'm practically giving them away! But it's a good way to clear out some of the nearly expired items. I am offering free shipping too during the sale. The sale ends on Sunday, the 14th at midnight.

Check out these incredible bargains!

gallagj.etsy.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5947536&section_id=5551040

Happy shopping!

The Loves of My Life

2009-06-08T02:21:00.000-07:00

Just sitting thinking of my boys and how I miss them. It's hard for a Mom to let go but we know we have to. I am so very proud of my sons. How they've grown and matured. What they are doing to serve our country. I have my own specials worries with that but have learned to take it one day at a time. My sons have grown into fine young men and I couldn't be prouder!! I have thrown them out of the nest and they soared liked eagles. I am one lucky Mom.

May God Bless and watch over them for me.

My Newest Wire Wrapped Pendants

2009-06-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have found a new love and it's wire wrapping pendants. I love doing this. Here are more examples of my latest work.

June 4th- Dedicated Beader's Thread Rocks!!!

2009-06-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

DAY 6- WIRE WRAPPING

2009-03-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

I've been practicing and practicing my wire wrap and have finally started to get comfortable with it after wasting a ton of wire!!! I really love doing this! I have found a new passion! Have a look at some of my finished pendants above. (I have CCSynopticVisions.Etsy.Com to thank for teaching me all of the basics. What an awesome friend! Love ya, girl!)

Day 5- New BNR- Dedicated Beader's!!!

2009-03-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

I just wanted introduce you to our new BNR and the very talented beaders that have their shops listed in it!! Pull up a chair and browse through all of these lovely shops! All this talent in one group!! Enjoy!!

♥1. CCSynopticVisions.Etsy.Com
♥2. Gallagj.Etsy.Com
♥3. SlidingAlong.etsy.com
♥4. AllThatGlass.etsy.com
♥5. beadfriendly.etsy.com
♥6. StudioSeven.Etsy.Com
♥7. DesignGal.etsy.com
♥8. RodsNFlames.etsy.com
♥9. Glassdezignz.etsy.com
♥10. lvsbeadsnthings.etsy.com
♥11. dsignsbymelissa.etsy.com
♥12. BubblesBaublesBags.etsy.com
♥13. SimplyRaevyn.etsy.com
♥14. Raevyn77.etsy.com
♥15. flamingojunction.etsy.com
♥16. yndigo1.etsy.com
♥17. flamingojunctionToo.etsy.com
♥18. RhisBitsAndBeads.etsy.com
♥19. CreativeSpiritToo.etsy.com

This BNR rocks!!! The link to this fabulous BNR is: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6059505&page=1

Day 4- My True Friends On Etsy! February 1, 2009

2009-02-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

I feel so blessed! I have a few friends here on Etsy that are real true friends and those people know who they are! They have been with me through it all- my discovery that some people were not as good as friends as I had thought and through my son's deployment. I appreciate you standing behind me through all of this! I dearly love you all!

Day 3- January 24th

2009-01-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

Been feeling blue. Missing my boy. I talked with him on Skype today and saw his awesome face. Made me miss him more. The connection was bad but at least I saw him for a few minutes. I must get a grip. I know he will be fine because he is a good religious boy and I know he has Him watching over him. I have neglected my shop and friends, so it's time to get busy!! I wish I could talk to my oldest. He is out to sea now. Miss him very much too!! I am so proud of my boys! They are fine young men doing an awesome thing for this country.

I had a rough week this past week. I lost some friends I thought were real but turned out not to be but the true ones really stood out and shone! I am so blessed to have these true friends and I treasure them dearly! If they read this, they will know who I'm talking about.

The weather has had me down too. I'm ready for Spring now, please! lol I am planning a trip to see a very treasured friend Valentine's Day week-end. Maybe that will lift my spirits!

To all who read this, thank you and have a wonderful day!

January 18, 2009- My Son Deploys to Iraq

2009-01-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

I have not entered anything in the last few days because I am having a hard time dealing with my son deploying to Iraq. He arrived there yesterday and called me from Kuwait, his last stop before Iraq. He will be in Al sad. He is a Chaplain's Assistant. He actually joined the Navy but they stuck him in with the Marines. He is just 20 years old and a very moral upstanding young man. I am so very proud of him but I worry too. He will be there for 7-14 months. I will occasionally update his progress on here.

The INCrowdteam - Indiana's Etsy Street Team: INCrowd Interview, 1/10/09 - Jo Ann Gallagher aka gallagj

2009-01-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

The INCrowdteam - Indiana's Etsy Street Team: INCrowd Interview, 1/10/09 - Jo Ann Gallagher aka gallagj

Day 1- My Interview with the InCrowdTeam

2009-01-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

Today my interview with the Etsy InCrowdTeam was posted! What an honor to be featured by this awesome group and to belong to such a great supportive team! Our Editor-in-Chief, Carolynn, did such a beautiful job.
See for yourself: http://indianaetsy.blogspot.com/2009/01/incrowd-interview-11009-jo-ann.html#links

I am so pleased she included my favorite shops because they are all awesome shops with such nice sellers and beautiful items. I hope this interview leads to many sales for these great friends and sellers. The shops featured are:
studioseven.etsy.com
slidingalong .etsy.com
lvsbeadsnthings .etsy.com
CCSynopticvisions .etsy.com

Happy shopping!