dept of rev update

so - apparently, the password i was using for the past few years wasn't right. i've been accessing my account for the last few years by typing in the wrong password? how does that work?! ha! i would have had to reset it anyway, but since they had it wrong, i 'reset' it to the correct one. where's that little 'emoticon' w/ the rolling eyes when i need it!

**WARNING - RANT AHEAD**
Recently - the good ol' dept of revenue here in georgia is revamping the efiling system. Well, I can't say they've done a very good job of it. The first email I got about the change was before it happened - so I couldn't do anything about at that time. The next email I got was today and I thought, well, I'm going to go ahead and get this figured out.
I followed the instructions to the T. and its not even that they were difficult. They weren't! You just combined your previous user id w/ your state tax id number - and then used your old password from their previous system! and viola! it should get it all set up for you. Nope. It said that either my password or login was not correct. So I tried resetting my password. That portion of the site doesn't seem to be working. I tried signing up like I was a new 'member' (member of a very frustrated club!) and it said that my login was already taken. Really?! maybe thats because its mine!

Unfortunately, I think nothing is working right now and everyone that pays sales tax in the state of Georgia is trying to call - they said at first my call waiting time was 35 minutes. Which is a long time, but I thought, well, I'll just put it on speaker phone and continue grinding on some rings while I'm on hold.

2 HOURS AND 37 MINUTES LATER I'M STILL ON HOLD!? every once in awhile they'll come in and say we estimate your wait time to be at least 35 minutes. or 45 minutes. Gee, thanks. Probably if you would have told me 2 hours and 35 minutes, I would have just hung up!

OMG! they just picked up!!
goodbye!

etsy front page wedding banner

etsy front page wedding banner
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I was super excited when my EtsyMetal friends let me know that my rings were on the rotating banner on the Etsy front page! Yippeeee!! These sorts of things make me really happy. It took a few hours before I caught it on there, but managed to grab a screenshot!

A sweet little thank you...

I love getting a little thank you note from some one and find that sending them is really just as lovely. For me, its easiest to have some sweet little notecards ready to go. It only takes a second to jot a quick note - these are some of my favorites. I sent out a whole batch of the ones from madebykeli just a couple days ago! Thanks Keli - they were just perfect!

1. Thank you gift tags with birds from kingsQueens

2. Simple Damask Thank You from TwoPoodlePress

3. Thank You Cards from madebykeli

4. Exuberant Thanks from WorkShoppe

Review - AJM Guide to Lost-Wax Casting

I just got this book the other day and am super excited about it. When most of my casting was pretty straightforward - it was easy! I went years and never had a casting not turn out. However, as I've progressed and started experimenting - I try risky things that I haven't done before and often come up a little short. There is a great troubleshooting section which is just what I need! Its not a huge book, only 116 pages, but I can tell it is going to be a fabulous resource. It has a lot of info other books I have don't cover and one aspect I particularly like is that it is a collection of articles from different authors. You can check it out on Amazon, or the next time you place your Rio Grande order, they have it too.

engagement ring - remake

engagement ring - remake
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

Normally, it wouldn't seem so difficult to remake an engagement ring - but the original wedding band had been made specifically to go w/ the last engagement ring. And when making the any of the organic vine series pieces, making a duplicate is not easy. Somehow I managed to do a pretty good job and was able to make an organic vine ring to FIT in to the notches from the last one. I don't really know how it worked out, but it did, and I am very thankful! In some ways, I think it might have even fit better than the original! Happy times.

Signature Style - EtsyMetal Blog Carnival

This is the second installment of the Etsymetal blog 'carnival'. The idea is that we'll pick a topic every so often and anyone that wants to will blog about that one topic - then we'll all link to each other so you can see the answer from other EtsyMetal members.

The topic or question for this one is about our signature style and how it came about or was inspired.

Mine pretty easily came to mind as I remember the course it took. Though I feel I sort of have 2 signature styles, I'm picking just one - my Organic Vine Collection - It all started w/ this pendant.

I was still very new to etsy and it was the first thing that sold the same day I listed it. Within a couple of hours even it had sold. That said to me "This is unique and desirable and eye-catching" It was also extremely fun to make - its all about fusing - my favorite thing - using a torch AND hammering.

It evolved in to the more current style pretty quickly once I found how easily Argentium sterling silver fused. This necklace was one of the first of the recent generation of the Organic Vine Collection.



I knew that I wanted to find something that would create a style and a look that was easily recognizable, but did not involve making the same piece over and over and over again. So I developed this collection. It is always fun to make, the pieces never turn out the same and I know that all of my customers are getting something truly unique.

As far as the inspiration for the name of the collection - it reminded me of vines obviously! particularly vines that grow up and over fences, gates, walls, etc... nature taking over.



I want to continue to evolve the collection. I have visions of what sort of pieces I can create. I want to do some body formed pieces - similar to this ring. But on an even larger scale.



So that is where it came from and where I hope to be going! And make sure to check out the other EtsyMetal participants for this topic:
cynthiadelgiudice.blogspot.com/
andescruz.ganoksin.com/blogs
andescruz.wordpress.com
daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com/
sarawestermark.blogspot.com/
etsymetal.blogspot.com/
ashleyakers.blogspot.com
tangerinetreehouse.blogspot.com
ninagibsondesigns.blogspot.com/
discomedusa.typepad.com/
kerinrose.blogspot.com

new organic vine rings

new organic vine rings
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I needed to remake a ring for a sweet gal and since it had been awhile since I had made one like it, I wanted to do a couple of 'practice' rings. I've been wanting to make some wider organic vine rings w/ stones for awhile and this was the perfect chance! I haven't listed them yet... hopefully later today - this is just a little tease. And there is another photo on flickr of the other ring - slightly different (of course) and w/ lapis. They are fused argentium sterling silver - though the fine silver bezel is soldered in (and intentionally made uneven for a truly organic look). oh and this stone is aventurine - one of my favorites.

What I'm Listening to: Diego's Umbrella

A new lovely find - first album I've bought after hearing them on pandora radio! They are quite eclectic - some songs I'm not as crazy about - but this one is simply amazing!

new possible photo style??

organic vine earrings - large - new possible photo style??
Originally uploaded by bcyrjewelry

I've been wrestling with my photographs, well, since I started on Etsy! I have pretty much been in a constant evolution of updating my style, background, etc. I've been pretty consistent recently - but with the addition of more and more wedding rings - which I use a white background for - I had to let go of my obsessive need for making sure the same colors weren't 'touching'. Regardless of the fact that I try to have a very controlled lighting situation - I still get variances in the white - even with the same lighting and same camera settings. I understand the mechanics of why it happens, but it doesn't mean that I like it! (and THIS is why I am much happier I became a jewelry major instead of photography major - but that is a whole other topic!)

So back to my newest idea... Instead of using a green paper background, using a giant leaf on a white background. I can never seem to settle on one single green tone that I like better than others - and the variance in using leaves I think might be just perfect. As there are just some pieces, like my organic vine collection, that just do not turn out on a solid white background. The white would end up looking gray in comparison to my other whites and well, it just wouldn't do justice to the jewelry. I'm going to experiment with some real leaves - this was one lobe of a giant fig leaf - I also have a catalpa leaf I'm pressing. I'm hoping that by pressing them, I can have them last in their green state for much longer. My other option is to look for fake leaves and see if I can find some that might look natural - at least to the camera! Then come winter time, I won't have to worry about my backdrops going away!

My main concern in getting consistent photographs is that I really want to get my website set up. And I don't want to have totally random photos all together on a nice new website. Maybe I should just start with the wedding rings anyway - as I love how they all look together! The look of the mix of metal and natural materials (sticks and rocks currently) - all I need are leaves and I think the look would be complete. I don't think I'd ever particular stopped to think about what I wanted from my photographs, but I have had several people make comments about them looking peaceful. And I really like that. Its how I feel when I sit in the woods, stare out at a lake or look up at the sky. Peaceful is good.