Etsy's Big CrackDown | What to Do if Your Listing is Deactivated | AI Generated Crochet Patterns
Etsy is a huge handmade marketplace and properly policing it has been a issue for many years. That's not surprising as the volume of bot...
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Pearl Blay
business tips
Etsy
Etsy is a huge handmade marketplace and properly policing it has been a issue for many years. That's not surprising as the volume of both buyers and sellers is very large, many tens of millions compared to Etsy's staff numbers. See my past post, Things Beginners Need to Know about Selling on Etsy for more details. Etsy just can't cope.
In the last couple of years, Etsy has been ramping up the use of bots to do the policing. While the bots are useful to some degree, they cannot replace human oversight. False positives do occur much to the consternation of legitimate sellers.
Etsy's Big CrackDown | What to Do if Your Listing is Deactivated | AI Generated Crochet Patterns
Pearl Blay
beadwork
feature designer
tutorial
video tutorial
Hoop earrings are stylish and easily customizable with different color combinations. Here is an excellent tutorial for a pair of beaded hoops using brick and herringbone stitches.
The Austrian beadwork designer is Maria who has a Youtube channel called bafflingbeadsat. There she shares tutorials on how to make different styles of beaded hoop earrings. I picked this particular design because she also has the bead chart and 10 different colorways available on her Etsy, BafflingBeadsAT. The ombre color combination are really lovely.
Lovely Beadwork Hoop Earrings Tutorial
Pearl Blay
gemstones
polymer clay
tips and tricks
tutorial
video tutorial
3 Beautiful Faux Metal Polymer Clay Jewelry Tutorials Using Real Gemstone Focals
I have written about faux metal and faux gemstone polymer clay tutorials before. But did you know you can combine faux metal polymer clay work with real gemstones?
Check out these awesome tutorials by Ludmila on Youtube who sells her unique professional supplies on SweetBijou.
Pearl Blay
beadwork
feature designer
historical
movie
tutorial
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Regency Inspired Jewelry and Tutorials | The Costume Designs of the Bridgerton Series
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The Regency period in British history is commonly regarded as the years from about 1795 to 1837 which is the beginning of the Victorian era. The actual regency was between 1811-1820 when the then Prince of Wales had to take over for his mentally ill father, King George III. This was the monarch who lost the American colonies.
The Regency period was a time of opulence for the very few but an impoverished one for most of the population. One of the most enduring writers from that time was Jane Austen. She wrote about the society she lived in. It was one where the all consuming aim of women was to get married, preferably someone with money. That's because women back then had so few opportunities to earn a living- they had to get married.
The Regency period was a time of opulence for the very few but an impoverished one for most of the population. One of the most enduring writers from that time was Jane Austen. She wrote about the society she lived in. It was one where the all consuming aim of women was to get married, preferably someone with money. That's because women back then had so few opportunities to earn a living- they had to get married.
Pearl Blay
feature designer
tutorial
wire work
Gorgeous Wire Wrapped Copper Pendants and a Tree of Life Tutorial by CreationsbyCaryssa
Caryssa is a New Mexico based wire artisan who makes lovely wire wrapped cabochon jewelry. My favorites from her shop, CreationsbyCaryssa are those where she layers a beautiful element on top of the gemstones such as the monstera leaf (above) and the lotus flower (below).
I also love one of her pendants which looks like a cat! I hope Caryssa will consider adding "cat" to her listing title and also her tags as I believe this design can attract a wider audience - there are a lot of cat lovers out there!
Pearl Blay
beadwork
feature designer
tutorial
When a talented designer such as Illinois based Shelley Nybakke of SturdyGirlDesigns has more than 100 lovely beading tutorials, I knew I couldn't just featured her once.
Lovely Beaded Bangles and Bracelets by SturdyGirlDesigns
My last feature focused on her amazing "Until I Can Breathe Again" peyote necklace shown again below. She explained :
This design got me through a rough patch in my life and now I just chuckle to myself cause I'm breathing just fine. "A man who makes you cry just isn't worth your tears."
Pearl Blay
feature designer
historical
sewing
tutorial
.webp)
Beautiful Muslin Sewing Patterns | The Lost Art of an Ancient Fabric More Expensive than Silk
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One reader asked if I could feature some more crafty tutorials. I am not surprised as many of you are good at a number of crafts, not just jewelry making. So your wish is my command!
Getting hot where you are? There is nothing better than wearing lightweight cotton. Shown here are some excellent sewing patterns featuring muslin, a plain weave cotton. You can make these for yourself or for someone else like a little baby or toddler as shown in the adorable sun hat pattern above. The German designer is Anja of Kid5patternShop.
Pearl Blay
home decor
resin
tutorial
video tutorial
My first thought when I saw this easy 3D flower resin trinket bowl tutorial was to assume the designer used large pressed flowers! Not at all. Nadia on the Summer Girl Designs Youtube Channel, shows how to make these entirely from clear and colored resin.
She offers a couple of tips on how to mold the shapes. You can do it when the resin has cured for about 6 -8 hours - long enough not to leave fingerprints but still pliable. You can still bend fully cured resin by gently heating it.
Easy 3D Flower Resin Trinket Bowl Tutorial
Pearl Blay
beadwork
feature designer
tutorial
.webp)
Ravit Stoltz, the Illinois based designer of Ravit would never have discovered her love for beadwork until someone showed her the craft. She then went down the rabbit hole to a world of beads and has never looked back since. No one is more amazed than herself when she discovered she had the talent and ability to work with her hands!
She has an eclectic approach to beadwork jewelry design as her style can range from lacy to structured and geometric. It's clear Ravit gravitates to the styles and designs she most likes.
Pretty Beaded Jewelry by Ravit
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Pearl Blay
business tips
tips and tricks
tool review
video tutorial
I prefer to print my own labels. That way I can customize labels for my small business as well as the home. The print runs can be small so I do not have to commit to large batches from print companies. It's so wasteful when I change my mind about the design or the need.
So I was pleased to try out the Munbyn Real Writer 401 AirPrint when the manufacturer reached out to me. This thermal printer is inkless which is saves on paying for expensive inkjet cartridges. As you can see from my latest video tutorial, it prints labels very quickly. The thermal head turns images and text black.
Customizing Your Own Labels with the Munbyn Thermal Printer | Review and Tips
Pearl Blay
feature designer
recycled jewelry
Nature Inspired Recycled Cereal Box Earrings by JabeboStudio
Who knew cereal boxes could be recycled into awesome science and nature inspired earrings? The awesome designs shown here are by Mary and Kevin Abbott of JabeboStudio. They are meant to spark curiosity and appreciation of nature. Their custom made earring backs (see last image below) give their design a signature look!
The cereal box front and backs are laminated together. Their design images are then fixed to the front and then laser cut into earrings. The cereal boxes are sourced from their local community in Pennsylvania - people even drop off the boxes at their studio!
Pearl Blay
beadwork
feature designer
tutorial
Designers are also inspired by this fish as you can see from these lovely koi fish earrings design tutorials. But where they differ is their individual and unique interpretations. Each of these talented bead artists chose to depict the koi in so many ways - either singularly on each earring or together, in different shapes and even asymmetrically!
Lovely Koi Fish Beadwork Earrings Tutorials | How the World's Most Expensive Fish are Bred
There is something about koi fish, a kind of carp, which appeals to many. Perhaps its their distinctive but highly variable markings. Or the way they just slowly swim along. I find it very calming to just watch them!
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