This & That

Hey, y'all! Today has been a great day! I found a job! Actually, the job found me! I am super excited! Can you tell by all the !!!'s...LOL I will keep this post short and sweet. I have a lot to get in order around the house to make the transition back to work easier.

I am going to continue to work on my crafts. Once I have a few more items listed in my shop I am going to apply to Heartsy.com. Heartsy is an awesome online resource to get handmade merchandise at a huge discount! More than 50%!!! If the members like my work then I will be offering BIG discounts! I will sell a set amount of offers. (Example, 15 certificates available for $20 worth of merchandise for only $9.) It is such a great offer!!!

My main goal for this would be to drive traffic to my shop, get some advertising and make some sales. It is so hard to been seen on Etsy. I am still learning about SEO...and it kinda gives me a headache...But this would be a great opportunity for you to get some great stuff at great prices! Christmas will be here before we know it!

I have also started a new blog for the married folks that want to keep their marriage full of the young love we started with! It follows me along on my adventures of marriage and I will share resources and ideas with you! Just started it yesterday so there is just one post so far. Here is the link: www.faithhopeyounglove.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by today! See ya soon and as always...I hope you have a lovely day/weekend!

-Nikola

Writing & Painting

Well, I have jumped into writing articles online. I have written two articles so far for Helium and I have three more I am working on right now. I have to say, I am enjoying it. I actually found an assignment about purchasing jewelry on Etsy. As you may know, I LOVE Etsy. So, I was supper excited! Here is the link to the article: Guide to buying Jewelry on Etsy.com.



I have a few more paintings and crosses to list in my Etsy shop, Pjoe and Lylie. I experimented with painting on art paper made especially for acrylics. I love doodling and using the paper allows me to use ink as well. I love trees! They represent life for me and are so beautifully created. So, I painted a tree on this paper and used ink to write the fruits of the spirit on the branches. I love painting letters and words but when they are smaller I prefer using ink.

With a long list of to do's today I must say goodbye until next time.

Have a lovely day!
-Nikola

Finding Work at Home Opportunities

I have spent the last two days researching ways that I can make money at home...legitimately. I am continuing to work on my Etsy shop and learning new ways to market myself. I need to supplement my family's income. Either I learn to work online from home or return to the work force. I have a ton of resumes out and nothing...I know that job unemployment is still down for others as well. I have found a few things that seem possible and several things that are just a rip off.

The first thing I came across was affiliate marketing. This has been around for a minute now and it can be profitable. That is if you know what you are doing. There are a ton of programs that require a monthly membership to access their database full of marketing opportunities. I came across a guy named Matt Davis. He tells you how to become an affiliate marketer without joining a company that charges a membership fee. He started of as a member of Wealthy Affiliate and still is. If I were to choose a company with a membership to sign up with, it would be Wealthy Affiliate. They provide you with 8 weeks of training to ensure you know what you are doing. Matt Provides provides many useful videos through his FREE program. Here is his link: http://imjudo.com/

The next job opportunity that I found was freelance writing. If you can write in fluent English and know basic grammar then you can write articles, blogs and short stories. There are a ton of companies that offer a membership to access a database full of writing jobs for a monthly fee as well. Through my research, I found companies that you can sign up with for free. You must establish yourself as a freelance writer to the online community before you can access the better paying jobs. At first you will be paid by your views and ad clicks related to your page. Some companies require previous writing experience before you can write for them. If you are serious about becoming a writer then I suggest that you sign up with the free sites and establish yourself as a writer. I signed up with Helium. I have wrote one article so far. I will keep you posted on my success. I also signed up with Yahoo! Contributors. I have accepted an assignment and I am currently working on it.

Here is the link to my first article written on Helium:
http://www.helium.com/items/2223217-fast-and-easy-creamy-potato-soup

The last option that seems possibly profitable is drop shipping. I have sold on eBay in the past and I am currently selling on Etsy. The difference with drop shipping is that you do not have to keep any inventory, you do not have to ship anything and you do not provide customer service. From the way I understood it, you set up a website first. You can do this through free sites like weebly, then you get set up with a company that provides drop shipping opportunities. Through my research I found a few sites. I, myself, have not worked with these companies and cannot personally review them. Shopster, Doba and Worldwidebrand are the three drop shipping companies I keep getting referred to. Then you begin selling. Of course, you have to drive traffic to your site. SEO information would help you do that. I am going to look into drop shipping more and let you know if I decide to try it.

I almost forgot...here's another useful resource! Ryansreview.com. He gives lots of product review for the e-commerce sector and tips to build your first profitable campaign. Here's his link: http://www.ryansreview.com/build-your-first-profitable-campaign.php

Bottom line, if you are going to work at home, you are going to have to work HARD at it and it will not happen over night. I am starting out and eager to see where this takes me. Make sure you do your research before jumping into anything. I know I don't want to get scammed and I don't want you too either.There are people out there successfully making a living from home. So, I am giving it a try.

Thanks for stopping by today! Don't forget to check out all of my links here. See you next time!

Hope you have a lovely day!
-Nikola

Love is sweet...especially when it is simple and handmade

I started a search on Etsy today for rustic items...before I knew it I was planning my wedding...only thing is, I am already married! LOL But, this would be lovely if we renewed our vows. Our 5 year wedding anniversary will be coming up in April of 2012. (Hint, hint hubby!)

Lots of these items would be lovely around the home. Especially the mason jar light fixture, wood candle holders, the love is sweet sign and the birch poles!!! Hmm, I am getting some decorating ideas!!!!

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the handmade market place! There is such a loveliness about purchasing items that are not mass produced and having items custom made just for you! I encourage everyone to purchase something handmade. There is so much time and love that goes into each piece. The artists are creating what they love so you know it is made with love and thought! Maybe...you could make something yourself? What are you waiting for??? Let's get creative!

Thanks for stopping by today...see you soon!

Have a lovely day!
-Nikola

To view my Etsy treasury just follow the link below:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/OTI2NDYxMHw2NTE3MTUwMjg/love-is-sweetespecially-when-it-is?index=0

Photo Project with Picnik!!!

Well, we are still remodeling our first home we purchased earlier this year. I have been talking with the kiddos to see what kinda "theme" they want for their room. My little man, Parker, want an old cowboy feel to his room. Of course, we found some amazing things at Hobby Lobby. (Our FAVE store!) But, I wanted to make something for his room. We live in a town of 73,580 which isn't too tiny. We live in city limits but the fun thing about where our house is located is there is an old sale barn for farm animals across the street, an older business with an awesome vintage clock and even some donkeys a few lots over. Kinda comical to us!!! (Don't know how the donkeys are in this residential area.)

All of these items would tie in lovely with my son's bedroom theme. So....I got my camera out one day and began taking pictures. I am glad I got pictures of the old sale barn because the grandfather clause has just expired and it will be tore down for housing. (kinda makes us sad) Another item I took a picture of was the stop sign with our street names on it. The thing I love the most about the pictures are that they have some sentimental meaning behind them. Reminders of our first home we purchased!

Once I took the photos, I edited them to make them appear aged. My favorite photo editing site is picnik.com! There is a free program that I use or you can upgrade for a very low price and get other amazing features!

To get a vintage look follow these steps:

• Upload your picture
• Click on the create tab at the top of the screen
• Click on the EFFECTS Tab to the left
• Scroll down to the 1960's option, you select what % you would like & APPLY (I personally don't like the rounded corners, just click off the check mark to remove corners)
• Scroll down to the FILM GRAIN option. (I personally like the light rather that the dark) Click APPLY
• OTHER effects I like to play around with is Lomo-ish and Cross Process. These also give a vintage feel to the photos. You can choose one or more effects to customize your pics!
  

Play around with each effect and find out what works for you! Always select apply after each affect to add it. You can add text, stickers, frames and even create FANCY collages for scrapbooks & brag books. Some of the items will have PREMIUM next to them and those are the features you have to pay for. There are soooo many free options though! You can create one item at a time without an account or sign up for a free account and upload 5 pics at a time. With the premium account you can upload 100 pics at a time.

Here are some useful videos I found on youtube.com that help you edit your photos more w/picnik :)

http://youtu.be/vfkYhK0Yfhg

http://youtu.be/pnQRnJ4bh1Q

Have a lovely day!
-Nikola

Handmade Wire Crosses

Hi, Y'all! It's been a HOT summer!!! It hit 102 here today! I personally am not a fan. I grew up in Washington state so I prefer a milder climate. Well the kiddos are back at school and I am able to focus more on my crafting...and blogging...lol...I know it's been awhile.

Well, while I was trying to stay cool, I picked up a new hobby and I am very EXCITED about it!!!! I am creating wire and beaded crosses freehand! One night I sat down and began twisting and molding wire and wrapping it with beautiful glass beads. It came very naturally for me. I enjoy it very much. It can be very tedious when working on a larger project and I get cuts on my hands but it is very fulfilling. Sometimes it can take HOURS to complete one cross and I have to take breaks. As I master my techniques, I know the process will be faster. I do not use a form to make my crosses. They are all freehand and a little imperfect just like me! :) The good news is that no two crosses will be the same!

I started listing some of them in my Etsy shop but I still have a ton to list. I have a bunch of pics up on my FaceBook Fan page.

I have also been brushing up on my painting skills! I've been learning more about textures while using acrylics. Acrylics are my fave to work with!!! I hope to be creating more paintings soon...I have a few mixed media pieces in the works.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope to see you soon!

HAVE A LOVELY DAY!
-Nikola

Finding a Balance

Well, I survived the holidays! I have been M.I.A for the past several months. My husband and I just bought our first house and it is a fixer upper to say the least. ;) Trying to find a balance for everything has be come a little tricky... We are moved in but continue to work on the house. It is like living in a construction zone!!! I am slowing getting my crafting items out and trying to work on them little by little. I am so excited about this house! It is like one BIG craft project waiting to be molded into an actual home that my family and I will enjoy for years to come. I look at it for an opportunity to expand my skills and maybe pick up some new hobbies. ;)

We are recycling like crazy!!! Anything we can re-use on the house we are. We use freecycle.org and craigslist.com to pick up stuff we can use for free or at a low cost. We stopped by our local waste management facility and pick up a ton of great paint for no cost to us. (Saving it from being discarded, yea!) We are recycling everything we can that is no longer of use to us as well. Little changes make a big difference!

Stick around to see how our home turns out and as I continue to share my journey of growing my business, Pjoe and Lylie...a little variety shop!