I'm moving!

Hello dear readers!

If anybody is still around (and I wouldn't blame you if your weren't - I haven't posted anything for ages), I have finally finished tweaking my new WordPress blog!

You can find it HERE!

This is a little excerpt from my very first post on the new blog which might give you an idea what to expect:

"I’m no style guru. I have very eclectic tastes that cannot be defined by current trends. I just know what I like when I see it. I am sure there are many of you who feel the same way about fashion, accessories, jewellery and even decorating your homes.

So, my mission is to search the likes of Etsy, Pinterest, Polyvore, and many other online places of that ilk, to bring you images of all the interesting, stylish and quirky things that catch my eye. As an awful lot of things fall into this category, I am sure I won’t get “blogger’s block” for a long time to come!"

BluetinaJewellery.com took a long time to set up. Mainly because I have discovered I am not as computer literate as I thought I was. Now I'm getting bogged down in the innards of MailChimp! Evidently, one must have an email list in this day and age!

Please feel free to try out the sign up bit. Not only will you receive a 10% Discount Code for my Etsy Shop, but you will have the satisfaction of pushing me up the learning curve a bit quicker. Thank you!

I'm still alive!

I had to fight my way through the cobwebs to get in here. I haven't posted on this blog for three whole months! Naughty girl.

I have been working on a brand new and very posh blog on WordPress. As per usual, these things take so much more time than you think they will. It's not finished yet. Perhaps I'm being too much the perfectionist. I'll let you know when it's viewable.

I spent the whole of April in the UK and France. Long, long journey and it took me most of May to recover.

I have made some more things since I was here last.

African Turquoise Bracelet

Teal Blue Stick Pearl Earrings

Wildflowers Earrings

Magenta Pearl Bracelet

Still can't get those pics to line up!






You can probably imagine the trouble I'm having with WordPress!







I have made a few changes to my Bluetina website. I'm still beavering away on Etsy, even though they have made a few changes to their website!

Now I'm getting ready to go back to the UK yet again! I will try to post something while I'm there.

I understand that Google Reader is heading for oblivion tomorrow. I'll find out when my RSS feed goes blank, won't I? Does that mean this blog will now be invisible?

What would you call this?

Remember this?

Well, after a few weeks of Mercury in Retrograde stuff, it finally turned into this:

The only thing still there from the original idea is the colour scheme. And the fact that it's a bracelet! The beads are amethyst, garnet, angelite and pink rubies, all hand wired to a sterling silver chain. The chain is attached to the end of two feet of silk ribbon, hand dyed by my friend Diane in France. Here are some more shots:

The ribbon gets wrapped around the wrist and the chain ends up laying across the top and trailing away to the side. The sterling silver hook can be put through any of the chain links to make it fit snugly and the ribbon length is adjustable also. 

My main problem is this. I don't know what to call this style of bracelet. It is some sort of wrap, obviously but that term conjures up different pictures in my head. I haven't seen its like anywhere else. 

What would you call this, so it can be found by search engines? More shots to help you decide:

I look forward to hearing from you, as they say! Get your thinking caps on because I want to list it on the website and in my Etsy shop soon!

Mercury in Retrograde.....

According to my friend Peggy, it is. In retrograde - Mercury, the planet. Which means that nothing will come together properly until after the 18th of March. This explains a lot.

I have been trying to design a bracelet for the last two weeks and it's not going well.

I chose the colours and arranged some beads on my tatty old bead board. Must get round to buying a new one of those. 

I chose the chain I wanted to use and rearranged the beads several times, taking some away and then putting them back again. 

I changed my mind about the chain at least twice. I even got as far as making the toggle clasp!

Well, you can forget all that. It's not going to happen. I had envisaged a classic charm bracelet with garnet, amethyst, angelite and pink rubies clustered along its length and hanging down on either side of the silver hand made toggle clasp. But this bracelet will not stay still! It keeps changing shape in my head. The latest, barely formed vision is a bit asymmetrical and doesn't involve a toggle at all. The only thing remaining constant is the colours. It might not even turn out to be a bracelet by the time I've finished. 

I must now wait until after the 18th, when my Muse may have returned from her holidays, refreshed and ready to go. Where has my Muse taken herself off to, do you think? Somewhere warm, I hope. The planet Mercury is not the only thing in retrograde round here. The stuff in my patio thermometer is also flowing in the wrong direction. It's a bit chilly here!

Finished it!

Just putting the broom round. Lots of cobwebs in here! I haven't posted since January. Naughty girl!

You may remember, possibly, that I posted about this necklace a while ago:

I thought it looked a little plain and boring, sitting there on its silver chain. Not nearly Bluetina enough. 

I got as far as showing you my efforts at jazzing it up:

And then I left it. Got sidetracked. Went off and did something else. As you do. Well, I finally finished it!

The little loop now carries a Swarovski crystal, just for a bit of bling and it has been reunited with its silver chain. 

If you want to see it in all its glory and read all the words and music, you can click here to go to my website. You can even buy it if you like! 

Crochet socks for dogs.....

I've just been checking Google Analytics for my Etsy shop. How on earth did someone find their way to my shop or anything in it using a search term like "crochet socks for dogs"?

"Bali jewellery charm bracelet" I can understand; similarly "blue sapphire bangle" but "cast iron owl hook"? I am stumped.

What on earth is an "ex boyfriend necklace"? And what, exactly, are jaterwunky beads?

It would appear that "cast iron owl hook" lead straight to this necklace:

Oxidized copper and Mother of Pearl Necklace

It would also appear that Google Analytics has it's own wormhole into an entire other universe. What I wouldn't give to see that!

Charity Auction!

This Saturday, 26th January, there is an online auction on Facebook in aid of Galgos Del Sol, an organization  set up to help abandoned dogs in Spain. Here is the link to their Facebook page.

Many people have donated items to be auctioned, myself among them. I have donated this necklace:

I hope it raises a few euros! If you want to see more of my jewellery, have a look at my Bluetina website.

Here are some examples of the sort of thing I make:

Oxidized Copper & MOP necklace

Blue Goldstone & Oxidized Copper Bracelet

Sterling Double Spiral Earrings

Posting whole Etsy Treasuries on Facebook

Some of my team mates and friends have been asking for the secret referred to in my last post, so I am obliging!

This is the method that my team mate, Maya, passed on to me the other day. It uses Photoshop. If you don't have that particular program, I'm sure the method will translate pretty easily to other applications used for editing photographs.

First, get the Treasury in question on your screen and reduce it in size until you an see all of it. On my computer, with the Chrome browser, that is about 75%.

Then you need to print the screen. On my keyboard, bottom left, is a key with "Fn" in a box. Hold that down and press the one up the top, right hand side, that says "prt sc" in a little box. It doesn't say it's done anything but it has saved it to your clipboard.

Minimize your browser and open Photoshop, choosing the editing bit. Click on File, New and Image from Clipboard. The treasury will appear in the editing window just as it looked on screen.

Up top on the tool bar, choose "Layer" and "Flatten Image". Mine is an old version of Photoshop so yours might say "Merge Down" or similar.

Next step - crop the treasury so you can still see the title but you cut out all the Etsy gubbins. Then go to Image, Resize Canvas and change the width to about 1 cm more than the height.

Save it where you can find it again with the appropriate name. You can then upload it to Facebook just like any photograph. Don't forget to add the link to the treasury as the image won't be clickable.

Here is one I prepared earlier. (I've always wanted to say that!)

This is a lovely Treasury made by my team mate Kellie. I am in it, of course! Nothing like a bit of shameless self promotion! It is called An Eclectic Collection of Beautiful Items. Go see it!

If I've missed anything or you need any help, just leave a comment and I'll come back to you.

Treasury tricks....

I have recently learned how to make a whole Etsy Treasury appear, as if by magic, on my Facebook page. I have been playing with it non-stop! My team mate from the Shiny Happy People, the lovely and generous Maya, showed me how to do it, for which I thank her heartily. And now, not content with bombarding my Facebook fans with Treasuries, I am doing the same on my blog.

If you are wondering why there aren't any closing comments at the bottom of this page, as there usually are, it's because I can't make the cursor go down there now. I am technologically challenged today. Hey ho!

This is one of mine, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

This is by Heyme, our dear Captain

Peggy's intriguing "It came in through the bathroom window

Front Page!! I've arrived...

This is an unscheduled blog post. I finally made it to the Front Page of Etsy! USA version, no less. I am dead chuffed! That's my gold chain necklace in there!

It was Christmas Eve in the Workshop.....

and absolutely nothing was stirring, not even a pair of pliers. That's because I'm sitting here, at my computer, doing a blog post to wish anybody who actually reads this a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I've been on Facebook and said Merry Christmas. I've even ventured over to Google Plus and managed to get into an argument before I could utter "Season's Greetings". That happens a lot!

I've been back to the UK and had my Grandchildren fix.

Thomas and Alex - Aren't they cute?

We are going out for our Christmas Dinner tomorrow, so I don't have to do very much. Suits me fine!

I am going to be doing a lot of thinking over the holidays. Bluetina had a crappy year, sales wise. Both the website and the Etsy shop. I am considering a change of direction, maybe....possibly....

In the meantime, remember this?

I was going to list it as is but I thought it needed a bit of tarting up. I started fiddling around with some silver wire and this is as far as I've got:

That little loop is waiting for a drop of some kind but the jury's still out on exactly which one. Watch this space!

Again, Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year! Let's hope it turns out better than the last one!

Last minute listings...

Trying to fill my Etsy shop up for Christmas. I thought a few more pairs of earrings wouldn't go amiss!

Blue Glass Flower Drops

Silver and Black Onyx Tassel Earrings

Silver double spirals with black glass flowers

There is another pair but Blogger keeps putting my pics where I don't want them. I give up.

To blog or not to blog....

.....that is the question.

Looking back over the last few months, it seems I have mainly blogged about other people. This is all fine and dandy because I do like to support my friends on line and it's easy when they have lovely stuff to promote! There is also the psychological shove in the back. I do it because I promised I would. I can't seem to do that for myself, though.

I recently read (in yet another e-book I purchased to help me get off my arse and do something) that, if I'm only going to blog half-heartedly, then I shouldn't do it at all. Oh dear.....

I am asking all seventy three of you lovely people to give me a hint here. Should I carry on? And what, if anything, should I write about? Do you want to read little amusing snippets of my life? Shall I attempt some in depth philosophy? Would you like me to feature some more lovely things I find out in cyberspace? How about some work in progress shots (that I always forget to take) of my jewellery? Tutorials? Not that I know much.

If you have any input for me, just leave a comment below. If there are no comments, then I shall take that as a "no"!

Here is the obligatory photograph:

I made this - no, I threw this together for a recent craft fair at which I sold next to nothing. It's a bit boring. It's a charm on a chain. I have decided to embellish it a little.

So, there will be at least one more post. I shall try to remember to take pictures of my efforts as I go along! There, I've just said I'll do it so it must be done! Perhaps I should do this more often!

Black Friday, Cyber Monday Weekend Deal

Just popping in to give you the heads up. I have set up free shipping on all items in my Etsy Shop until the end of Monday, 26th November. Well, Tuesday morning on my end of things!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a very American institution, stemming as they do from the US Thanksgiving Celebrations. However, when in Rome....or when on Etsy, in this case....do as the Etsians do!

Cascade Earrings Pink Pearl

Evidently, an awful lot of on line shopping is done on Cyber Monday, hence the name. Perhaps some of it will get done in Bluetina's shop! Here are some of the over eighty items you can buy and have shipped anywhere in the world for free:

Mixed Metal Bracelet Silver & Copper

Kyanite Necklace with Sterling Silver Spikes

There's lots more where they came from and, if you order now, they should be with you in plenty of time for Christmas!

A complication of rings....

Today's blog post features my Etsy team mate, Lehane.

Lehane does very complicated things with jump rings. Anybody who can do that chainmaille stuff has my utmost respect and admiration. I tried it once. Nearly went blind and threw my pliers down in disgust.

Aquamarine Amethyst Chainmaille Bracelet

Let alone doing it in a straight line, she can do it in circles, too!

Holiday Chainmaille Ornament

Lehane is also into using those amazing dichroic glass pendants in her jewellery:

Pink and Black Necklace

An eye for colour is also evident in Lehane's designs:

Amethyst Rivoli Crystal Pendant

Go have a look at her shop, it's packed full of more lovely pieces like these!

An accidental discovery.....

As you are all aware, I talk about photography a lot. It's a very important subject and some would say I am obsessed by it. (But we don't take any notice of them....)

One's photography must be of the highest quality to attract on line buyers, don't you agree? I've been working on mine for years. Every time I change the way I do things I am satisfied, nay, smug even - for a short while. Then I see my pictures juxtaposed with others of such perfection it makes you want to cry and I am downcast and demoralised, yet again.

I have previously mentioned "the big lamp", haven't I? That 500W halogen monstrosity that lurks in the corner of my work room. After my last exhaustive round of research on the subject, I came to the conclusion that more light was the answer. More light than you can shake a big stick at. Well, the 500W bulb blew the other day, right in the middle of a very productive session with the ancient digital. Master of procrastination that I am, no replacement bulb had yet been procured. It was also a national holiday so popping down to Huercal-Overa to buy one was out of the question. "Don't panic!" says Bryn. "I have a 150W bulb in the garage. It's better than nothing."

Better than nothing? Bloody hell, it was better than anything! I had been having trouble with my white balance (as you do) and there were still too many shadows evident after editing. The new bulb evened everything out and produced my best photographs, to date. Well, until the next time!

This is an example of an image of which I had been quite proud, until now:

Sapphire & Silver Bangle

But look at this!

Silver spiral earrings

and this!

gold chain fringe necklace

and these!

carnelian lampshade earrings

I think I really am getting there! Mind you, I said that last time!

Hot, hot, hot......

I just thought I'd inform you that it is 42 degrees in the shade here today. That's hot! We have all the windows closed and the shutters down and the fans going.

My dear husband and I chose this day to do all the housework. I seriously doubt our sanity sometimes.

Obligatory photo:

Kyanaite and Sterling Silver Necklace

Completely off the subject but I've got to squeeze another few back links in somewhere!

Featuring 3 Cedars Jewelry!

I belong to a lovely team of ladies (and gents!) on Etsy and we call ourselves "The Tarts". Don't ask - if I told you I'd have to kill you.

We are all very supportive of each other and regularly promote each others shops on Facebook, Pinterest, Wanelo and Twitter. Every week we concentrate specifically on just one of our members so I thought a feature each week would help keep my blog from shrivelling up from disuse and help somebody else into the bargain! This week it's the turn of the lovely Lyn from 3 Cedars Jewelry.

Lyn is a bit like me in the fact that she displays many different styles of jewellery in her Etsy shop.  She has managed to build up an awe inspiring inventory of 153 items so I have plenty to choose from!

This is one of my favourites:

Natural Agate Hearts Bracelet

Lyn is also into wire wrapping:

Grey Agate & Quartz Pendant

I think this bracelet is beautiful, and it has matching earrings!

Turquoise & Sterling Silver Bracelet & Earrings

Lyn also makes a mean pair of earrings! I love these:

Purple Ruby Sterling Silver Earrings

I hope you enjoyed that little meander through Lyn's Etsy shop. Next week, I'll be featuring someone else - I wonder who it will be?

I'm all over the place....

literally. I've been so busy the last few weeks leaving back links to the Bluetina website all over the net that I have sadly neglected (yet again!) my poor old blog!

I was given a long, long list of places to advertise my wares.  I have spent many hours wading through it, leaving my links in some and hurriedly backing out of some others to run CCleaner in a blind panic. That's the internet equivalent of washing your hands with carbolic soap. No viruses so far, thank God.

Will all this effort produce any results? Who knows?

Anyway, rule number one is "Every blog post must have an accompanying photograph" and here it is:

I have managed to add a few things to the new website and this Sapphire and Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet is one of them.

Something a bit more interesting and coherent for a blog post next time, I think. I'm working on it, honest.