New Beads on Etsy and Planning for Vacation

New Listings on Etsy:

I put up a couple more items on my Etsy store.

Pink Beads with Pink Flowers and Pink Scrollwork

Blue Beads with Blue Flowers and Blue Scrollwork

And the companion set to a listing I already had up on Etsy:

Red and Blue Beads with Flowers and Scrollwork

So that brings us up to a total of 8 items up on Etsy, and my goal is to maintain over 50 items. I'm almost a fifth of the way there!

The thing I like the most about listing on Etsy is that you can copy previous listings, and once you do that it's just a matter of changing a few key words, and then changing a few keywords. I hope whatever shopping cart software I eventually get for my own website is as easy to work as Etsy is.

And since I've said what I like most, I will now share what I like least! Taking the $^#&!! pictures! I know that is something I will always have to do, whether I'm using Etsy or not, but it is such a chore, and sadly, mostly because I feel like I could be getting better pictures out of my camera if I just knew *the trick* to it. Right now, my pictures are coming out all grainy, and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. ISO is low, I'm shining two 40 watt bulbs directly on my subject, I have stabilization turned off, I'm using a tripod, I set the 2 second timer to reduce shaking, and I'm using macro and only zooming in so far as the auto-focus will allow.

The only thing I know is that the light might still be the issue, so I'm going to try taking pictures outside in direct sunlight today at lunch to see if I can get any photos without the graininess. If anyone has any recommendations, I would love to hear them. I just hope the solution isn't, "Get a new camera!" LOL

Planning for Vacation:
In 4 and a half weeks Jon, Emma and I will be winging our way to Portland for two whole weeks of fun in the cold, cloudy gloominess. I'm really looking forward to it, both for the chance to see Emma's Grandpa and family again, AND for the chance to spend 2 weeks in COLD WEATHER. Hawaii's great! Really it is. But 90% humidity and 85 degrees, with no tradewinds is ... sweaty. And I really don't like sweating.

We have all sorts of cool activities on the list of "Things to Do": science museum, zoo, drives up mountains, visits with little cousins, shopping, and, last but not least, and most related to this blog: Driving up to Belleview, Washington on Saturday the 28th to attend the (open to the public) Bead Bazaar at the International Society of Glass Beadmakers annual Gathering.

I just hope I can fit all the stuff I want to buy into my suitcase for the trip home!