The Blu Print - the official newsletter of Blue Morning Expressions

Thar be pirates! Skull Choker pattern ©09 j.cleveland

Volume 6 Issue 2 February 2009

What's New in February?

The beginning of a new year is always an exciting time. I always like to start with a clean slate and begin new projects that maybe I just hadn't had time to get around to or they got lost in the shuffle of the holidays.

Keeping in mind that a lot of folks are more interested in the DIY scene, I am focusing more on that this year than I have in previous years. When I was out on the show circuit, the rules would not allow me to offer supplies or kits, so my inventory was focused on the finished product. But since I am no longer doing shows, I am free to begin to develope my kits and supply groups. My bead buyers are only a few of those folks I will be concentrating on.

One of the biggies on my list of things to do for several years now (since 1998) has been to take all my years of graphic design and my sketches and transform them into bead patterns for jewelry and tapestries. I am excited to announce that I have completed two pattern books of 10 bracelets and over a dozen tapestries and 2 chokers.

It looks like the dust has settled on the ebay scene and a new site has arisen out of the ruins and more and more sellers of unique and individual items are moving over to www.bonanzle.com. We set up a presence there as well and diversified out a bit more than we had in the past. You can still find our cool gifts there but we also put together a very large polymer clay bead store.
The site offers the ability to give freebies away and we put over 15 sets of Natasha beads up there as freebies for purchasing with us. YAY for you!

Since I have been working on my bead tapestries and such, I have rather neglected the cane side of my obessions. I will get back to them and to the other pillow beads that I want to
create as soon as I can move a couple of special order products out of the way.

I will be putting together the lanyard and eyechain kits within the next few weeks. I need to move the extra beads and goodies into packages and put them in their place instead of all over
my work bench.

I added an Easter bunny dog tag to my bonanzle site. It's priced just right and I may or may not get around to creating more of them. I seem to be able to only to so many things at
once, imagine that!

I am working on finishing my own Lucky Clover loomed choker and I am almost done with it. When I finish it up and do the embellishments on it, I will post it on my website.

I did get 5 new flower canes up this month even though I am behind on my cane work.

Thank you so much for all the input and emails. I enjoy all the encouragement that you send my way.

Until next month,
Julie

January 09 Edition of The Blu Print - The Official Newsletter of Blue Morning Expressions

What's New in January?

A time to take stock and do some cleaning and inventory for the new year.

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful holiday season and that this finds you in good health and spirits.

As for us, it is a time to revise the old business plan and make preparations for new products and changes for the new year - and to keep the accountant happy.

We had a lot of changes in 08, both personally and business wise as we looked at the changes in the market and the changes that are prevalant in the ecommerce community and are adapting to those changes.

The best part is that we are creating more and more and will make more moves away from completed items and more towards the component side and the DIY side of things.

It looks like the dust has settled on the ebay scene and a new site has arisen out of the ruins and more and more sellers of unique and individual items are moving over to www.bonanzle.com. We set up a presence there as well and diversified out a bit more than we had in the past. You can still find our cool gifts there but we also put together a very large polymer clay bead store. The site offers the ability to give freebies away and we put over 15 sets of Natasha beads up there as freebies for purchasing with us.

Our etsy stores are still intact and they will stay up and be updated as much as
everything else is. And of course, you can always find our items on our main website at www.bluemorningexpressions.com.

I got on a tube bead kick and just let it go - I managed to create over 24 sets in the long run and there are still more to create. I just got all involved in it and couldn't seem to stop. They are two different sizes, most are lanyard and eyeglass chain size, but there are several sets of slender tubes for dangle earrings or bracelets. I think I will go back and create some more!

I have three or four new canes that I put up on auction on ebay. I have a total of 10 out there right now but the rest are older ones. All my canes are available for purchase through the bonanzle store under booth polymerclaybeads. If you do make it to www.bonanzle.com and sign up, please use us as a reference and enter user referal name saracom in the section of your sign up. Blu and I appreciate it.

I have a few more new canes on my work bench right now and they will be up soon as well. One didn't come out anything like I thought it should!

I finished a second cuff bracelet and I finished 4 new name badge lanyards that are on the web now.

I still have a lot more lanyards to complete and I am learing more bead stitching. I am creating loom patterns now and willput those up as soon as I test them. I need to buy seed beads,

I never have any of those!

Thank you so much for all the input and emails. I enjoy all the encouragement that you send my way.



Until next month,

Julie

















Things to Look Forward To:



New Products:
ShooDooDads for Crocs and Holey shoes. These are featuring my designs and my beads. Most of these are created out of polymer clay.



Build a Bracelet for those who want to create their own bracelet featuring the doodads and beads. I will give you a selection of beads that you can use to create your one of a kind item. I am thinking at this point that I will be doing some custom name beads. I will have to see how the prototype goes. The DooDads for the shoes were a hit.

Dog Tag Necklaces seem to be very popular and they are one of those things that I am working on. I am doing some experimental pieces and will probably end up doing designs and then just keeping them in stock like I do my earrings. That way you can order them all year round.

Watches are being created as we speak. I am experimenting with different bracelet types and trying out new ways to bead the bands to the watch faces. I have made a few messes and have tossed out some unworkable beads but I am getting there.

Canes For The Rest Of Us is the title of my book. I have done a lot of the preliminary work on it and will be doing all my photography and text in the next few months.