[Skye]

subeeds ~ I think I will have to go back to the opthamalogist to get it right. Argh. I love your agate; it has a wonderful shape and is very earthy. And I love the crystal window. Would love to hold it in my hand. It looks like a power stone.

Bonnie ~ great post about the fossils. I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but it didn't work ... couldn't figure out what I did wrong. Anyway the article is very informative, and I loved seeing your nautilaus again.

~ Skye

[Skye]

I finished a Rhodonite necklace and am now waiting for hubby to take a picture so I can post. That's the only problem with having someone else (especially hubbys) do your pictures; you have to wait until they feel like it. :::sigh:::

I also have still been redoing my Etsy site, making the titles and tags better. It's a time consuming job. And then I discovered a lot of my items had expired. I wondered why I didn't have as much in my shop as I thought I should. LOL

[DeliaStone]

Gosh! I always enjoy looking through these threads and I tell myself I'm going to join in at the first of the following month - then I always forget about jumping in on the new one the next month! Grrrr. I think this is a really great way to stay motivated. It's kind of like having an exercise buddy to go to the gym with. Maybe I can remember to jump in when July starts this time around ...

[Wrapsody]

Delia:
Tomorrow starts a new month and I hope you'll jump in. I haven't done much this month but I always enjoy this thread.

It'll be a couple of days before I can think about doing any jewelry. I did the dumbest thing yesterday....I burned my cornea with a curling iron. No, I wasn't trying to curl my eye lashes! Purely an accident - the iron slipped - but let me tell you - PAIN! Better this morning but still going to take a while before it's back to (hopefully) normal.

[Skye]

Delia ~ wow, I am sorry to hear about that burn. You didn't damage your cornea did you? I pray not.

who will post the link for July?

~ Skye

[Wrapsody]

Skye, on 30 June 2010 - 07:06 AM, said:

Delia ~ wow, I am sorry to hear about that burn. You didn't damage your cornea did you? I pray not.

who will post the link for July?

~ Skye

I'm the idiot who burned her cornea, not Delia. I go back to the doctor this morning to have them check it -- they gave me antibiotic drops to prevent an infection. Hopefully all will be well in a few days.

I'll post the July thread tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll even participate more! lol

[cmydesigns]

Ow Ow Ow Jennifer...that sounds awful! Feel better soon.

I, on the other hand, have been so swamped I haven't even been able to post much. Started a maille and amethyst necklace last night. I need to replace Guinevere with someone else at my next show as she sold the first day of the first June show! Promise to get a photo, it's turning out very pretty.

Got an email yesterday from someone at a local bead store wanting me to teach maille. It's a double-edged sword...if I teach more people, I'm opening up my competition. But as a wise potter told me last weekend, everyone she teaches she looks at it as passing on her knowledge. Otherwise it will just die with her some day. She had a wonderful attitude, and I hope to emulate some of what she talked to me about.

Off to the salt mines.

[Caelestis]

cmydesigns, on 30 June 2010 - 08:34 AM, said:

Got an email yesterday from someone at a local bead store wanting me to teach maille. It's a double-edged sword...if I teach more people, I'm opening up my competition. But as a wise potter told me last weekend, everyone she teaches she looks at it as passing on her knowledge. Otherwise it will just die with her some day. She had a wonderful attitude, and I hope to emulate some of what she talked to me about.

Y'know what? People can figure out maille for themselves by reading tutorials on line.
If you can make money by teaching people things they could learn for free, DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do I make myself clear?

[DeliaStone]

Wrapsody, on 30 June 2010 - 06:01 AM, said:

Delia:
Tomorrow starts a new month and I hope you'll jump in. I haven't done much this month but I always enjoy this thread.

It'll be a couple of days before I can think about doing any jewelry. I did the dumbest thing yesterday....I burned my cornea with a curling iron. No, I wasn't trying to curl my eye lashes! Purely an accident - the iron slipped - but let me tell you - PAIN! Better this morning but still going to take a while before it's back to (hopefully) normal.

OMG Jennifer! That sounds terrible! I know how much a tiny scratch can hurt on the cornea ... to think of a curling iron burn - Ouch! I can only imagine that kind of pain. I sure hope it heals quickly for you.

[DeliaStone]

Caelestis, on 30 June 2010 - 07:50 AM, said:

cmydesigns, on 30 June 2010 - 08:34 AM, said:

Got an email yesterday from someone at a local bead store wanting me to teach maille. It's a double-edged sword...if I teach more people, I'm opening up my competition. But as a wise potter told me last weekend, everyone she teaches she looks at it as passing on her knowledge. Otherwise it will just die with her some day. She had a wonderful attitude, and I hope to emulate some of what she talked to me about.

Y'know what? People can figure out maille for themselves by reading tutorials on line.
If you can make money by teaching people things they could learn for free, DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do I make myself clear?

I just wanted to jump in and ditto this. DO IT! Imagine what you could make in a couple of hours with the enough people. Seriously, imagine it for a moment. Ten students x $45 (imaginary cost of class) is $450. Now imagine that the class was a four hour class and you've made about $117 dollars an hour. Not bad for an afternoon that didn't involve setting up and breaking down a booth. Do that twice a month and you've brought in an extra $900. Of course the shop will get it's cut too and that's done very differently. You might end up with about $700 when it's all said and done - but still who couldn't stand to have an extra $700 a month - Earning it doing something that they love? You already sell tutorials so at least do classes for the tutorials that you offer.

If those people really want to learn to do chainmaile, they WILL - with or without your help. Just don't share the little things that are your signatures in your work. We all have some kind of individual touch we put on our work - just give them a sterile pattern that doesn't give away the YOU in your work.

I really enjoy teaching. It's a lot of fun. Give it a shot and I think you'll agree. I think you would make a great teacher too. It's also a way to build your name in your community. It sets you up to be recognized as an expert in your local market which in the end makes your work more valuable. ;)

[DeliaStone]

Skye, on 30 June 2010 - 06:06 AM, said:

Delia ~ wow, I am sorry to hear about that burn. You didn't damage your cornea did you? I pray not.

who will post the link for July?

~ Skye

Whoops, Skye - that was Jennifer! Thank goodness for me - sadly for her.

[Wrapsody]

Thanks, guys. The eye is much better this afternoon - I told the Doctor I'm convinced it's the glass of wine I had when the pain pills weren't working. lol So it's down to irritating vs excruciating. Still looks awful but much better than yesterday.

Lynn: TEACH! Delia & Kathy hit it on the head. I'd be interested in knowing if the bead store is looking for a split on the class fee. Also clarify if they will let you sell things they may not carry (like your Euro tools). When I took the viking knit class, it was $50 for a three hour class. I spent another $50+ at the store buying the basic sterling wire needed for the bracelet...they weren't offering craft wire for it - sterling wire was the required material. lol The instructor got another $10 for a draw plate / dowels as well as a couple of bead caps I bought from her. Now the down side, which I'm sure you'd cover, is that they normally don't have a class with fewer than 3 participants. I was the only one signed up for mine. The instructor wanted the money so she came anyway -- so about $15/hour versus the $50 / hour she'd make with 3 people. I guess this is a long winded way of saying that the bead store should make their money from the sale of tools / supplies, not from a cut of the cost of the class. IMO I'd gladly pay to attend a chain class from you - a bit of a drive though! lol. Yes, I can learn it online / from a book but nothing compares to learning at the hands of a master. Plus - there a lot of people who take a class, enjoy it and don't do anything after that when they realize how much TIME it takes. You could even do "girls night" parties with simple kits you put together to make earrings. Add a bottle of wine and have a good time! Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[subeeds]

Geez, Jennifer, that sounds awful! As for my arm-that's still my diagnosis from Webmd. There's a free clinic here I'm trying to get into BUT, you have to have a medicaid denial letter first. WTH? So, I'm going to jump thru those hoops and hopefully I can get into the clinic in 3 weeks or less. Or maybe by some fluke, I will qualify for medicaid and can get some medical attention. I'm taking it easy, but this sucker is not getting any better-in fact, I think it's moving up towards whatever muscle is in your shoulder. It sucks being financially drained and needing a doc.

Lynn, teach. Especially if the money is good. So many arts are dying out because there is no one to teach them.

[Skye]

Dear Lynn ~ just to throw my 2 cents in, I think you should teach. Everyone has already stated wonderful and compelling reasons. Now I'll share mine. I am the one idiot in a thousand who can't learn from tutorials or books. I have to sit with the teacher and be walked through the steps so I physically learn. It's a drag because it limits what I can learn, but I love learning, as someone said, from a master. The beader I am getting private lessons with is awesome and I've already learned so much. She charges me $32.50 for a one and a half hour class, which I am happy to pay. And she gives me free wire!

~ Skye

[cmydesigns]

Oh you guys...you are too funny!!

I do already teach at the community college - at least 3-5 classes a session. Some of them are maille. So the really good thing is that I can use some of those classes at the LBS.

LBS customers are a little different than those who take classes at the college, IMO. But I am 99% sure I'll do this - got an email back from the gal who coordinates the classes and she is thrilled that I'm willing to teach there. I'm pretty humbled by the reputation I have in the community (that I didn't even know I had!!!).

The LBS takes a $15 cut for each student (that covers space, tools, advertising that they supply) and I think that's fair. She's going on vacation next week, so we'll chat after she gets back. I'm pretty excited - this fits nicely into my "2-5 year plan"

And you guys are absolutely right about people being able to figure out maille online...heck, that's how I've done it!!!

[Skye]

Is someone going to post the new link for July?

[Wrapsody]

Skye, on 02 July 2010 - 06:53 AM, said:

Is someone going to post the new link for July?

Hey Skye - it's posted - jump on over.

[Skye]

Can you repost the July link. I can't find it. ~ Skye

[Cindy]

Here it is, Skye:

http://www.starvingj...showtopic=20826

[Wrapsody]

http://www.starvingj...showtopic=20826

This should be the link for the July thread.