Bring Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Back!!

How many of you out there miss Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine?  I know I do!!  Filled with arts, crafts and artists, it was one of the magazine's I subscribed to for years.  Colorful and brimming over with creative ideas, I made a special time to read it, literally from cover to cover.

One of my fave ME illustrations

If you're with me, click here to go to Mary's blog, where she's gathering signatures to aid in her cause to publisher's to start up the magazine again.  Wouldn't that be great?!?

Tell all your friends and family!  Create links to her blog page!

Fingers crossed!!

Do What You Love!

 

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Take Advantage of Me~I Mean, My Sale!

Take advantage of this quick sale Bear Chick is having!

Christmas is coming, so this special sale is two-fold. ONE, I want to clear out some things and get fresh stock in my shop for the holidays and TWO, you may find something really awesome as a gift for friends and family or just a treat for yourself.

Most of the items on sale are half price--you can't beat that! So take a look with stocking stuffers and hostess gifts in mind.

 

Here are a few examples:

Coral and Glass Necklace~wear this long or doubled

Original Price $35  Sale Price  $20

Purple Spots Memory Wire Bracelet

Original Price $14  Sale Price $7

Pink Princess Anklet~your favorite princess would love this in her stocking!

Original Price $14  Sale Price $7

And here's a link to the section on Etsy where you'll find these and other great buys: SALE

Do What You Love!

 

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com

Palm Springs Art Museum

I always find the beadwork! A few weeks ago (yes, I'm a little behind…), The Husband and I ambled through the wonderful Palm Springs Art Museum. One of their exhibits, Comic Art Indigene, showcased Native American comic book art and related subjects. Here are two colorful examples of amazing beadwork:



I don't do a lot of work with seed beads, the little tiny beads. I don't have the patience to work with something that small, so I appreciate the talent and amount of work that went into these pieces.

Unfortunately, Comic Art Indigene ended it’s run last Sunday. But here's a couple of favorite artworks from our visit:

Woo hoo! Neon paint, scads of texture and, oooooooo, glitter!

Bear Chick, herself, posing with her favorite Dale Chihuly glass sculpture

Even the chandeliers are works of art!

I'd love to have a small version of this~it makes me smile!

The Husband and Bear Chick~part of the art!

The Husband loved the artwork and I love hearts

Do What You Love!

 

http://www.bearchick.etsy.com/

http://www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com/

I Missed Publishing My Newsletter

I used to send out a snail mail newsletter that I really enjoyed producing. It was like having my own little magazine! But with the economy the way it's been going, it became difficult to justify the paper, ink, time and postage. So I let it slip away and started playing with my blog, which has also been fun.

 

Then a few weeks ago, The Husband started thinking about sending out marketing for his educational school shows electronically. We looked at a few newsletter sites and decided we'd try Mad Mimi, which I'd seen a recommendation for on Etsy. Our partnership is sort of stereotypical--I generally handle the software and he does the hardware. Meaning, I had to learn how to use Mad Mimi while he figures a way to put new gutters on the house…

 

So, I set up an account for Bear Chick and started learning how to put together an e-newsletter. I'm happy to report that Mad Mimi, unlike most semi-tech websites, answered all the questions I had, right from their help screens. And there are so many guidelines when sending out newsletters, Mad Mimi does their best (her best?) to make sure you're adhering to the laws. So far, it's been a very good experience.

 

Next, I'm going to start working with a photo editing website to create a new banner for the top. I love to learn new skills, so, thanks, Husband, for pushing me into a new realm!

For now, using an old banner from my Etsy shop, I really like the look of the newsletter--it's crisp and clear. And it's so easy to set up--uploading pictures is easy, adding text and pictures is easy and editing was pretty simple. I used their template, which can be customized with color and fonts, etc. Now that I've done it once, the next one will be easier. Bear Chick likes User Friendly!

They also have several ways to import or cut and paste email addresses, that you can then separate into different lists. For example, I have a special list for Southern California only, in case I want to send out a special edition before a live show. That's why I ask for your state/country in the newsletter sign up to the right here on my blog (hint, hint!).

There are tracking reports for each promotion you do and Mad Mimi takes care of all subscriptions, forwarding and (I hope not a lot) unsubscribing. And they've been sending an email a day with ideas and tips for a better newsletter.

I know what you're thinking--that's a fun new toy for you, Bear Chick. But what's in it for me?? Well, I'll keep you up to date on what I'm doing and new things I'm making. And like my paper newsletter, I'll feature people, places and things that you'll hopefully find fun and interesting. Like the bead challenge I'm participating in at the Bead Society and my friend, Barbara, a great artist and jeweler. Bear Chick's 10th anniversary is next month, plus the holidays are coming. Jewelry makes great gifts! That’s why I'll be doing special coupons and deals for my newsletter subscribers. There's still time to get the first issue~I can identify all my new fans and I'll get you the first issue when you sign up.

 

So, yeah, I’ve got a web-crush on my e-newsletter provider. Hmmmm… Mad Mimi could be the George Clooney of e-marketing!

Do What You Love!

www.bearchick.etsy.com

www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com