tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71939979449647305772024-03-05T17:57:07.114-05:00Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyShelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-53350133683828630112009-09-18T06:41:00.001-04:002009-09-18T17:32:48.553-04:00Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe<div style="text-align: justify;">Tonight at sundown, Erev Rosh Hashanah, the <i>Ten Days of Awe</i> begin. Along with the rest of the world's Jews, I will have until close of the the day on Yom Kippur to consider my faults and failings; confess my sins to G-d; humbly ask for forgiveness from those I have wronged and offer that same forgiveness to those by whom I have been wronged. It is an <i>awesome</i> and very serious time indeed, these ten days. <br />
<br />
If you are Jewish, I wish you a Happy New Year, <i>Le Shannah Tova</i>. If you are not Jewish, I beg your indulgence while I disappear from view for the next ten days and contemplate my soul, my sins, and the obligations of my faith.<br />
<br />
Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5gDWk7mn-c52NAjF2U6Om4plbpPiRoHFQlgHwyuKRXcIEuMCAmnT3cmmqFcWmVlC2ZijdGU-rBqkCTIi4pHSWSHEwdY9h8tM7GGfUXnSs6iWD0SRq5IHjqCYma_2bk9etq7-OWJbw6c/s1600-h/663617-R1-06-18A_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5gDWk7mn-c52NAjF2U6Om4plbpPiRoHFQlgHwyuKRXcIEuMCAmnT3cmmqFcWmVlC2ZijdGU-rBqkCTIi4pHSWSHEwdY9h8tM7GGfUXnSs6iWD0SRq5IHjqCYma_2bk9etq7-OWJbw6c/s320/663617-R1-06-18A_007.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-11395093767192979922009-09-13T07:00:00.004-04:002009-09-13T07:18:32.161-04:00Up Coming Holiday Season<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPekiAHTcnELCrBf4l80fCZ-5-MnNuTR5lqUFmG1Onz7dDnVqKycRbSKEw_OPXd56uDmaYVhdT4AZhCjC2mCzNtymNkduJXXGNOmUH4qOWHenk4XYlYx8LWxZEKcolvpMRZsK9EyKclrk/s1600-h/Jun+081357.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPekiAHTcnELCrBf4l80fCZ-5-MnNuTR5lqUFmG1Onz7dDnVqKycRbSKEw_OPXd56uDmaYVhdT4AZhCjC2mCzNtymNkduJXXGNOmUH4qOWHenk4XYlYx8LWxZEKcolvpMRZsK9EyKclrk/s400/Jun+081357.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380909251812442066" border="0" /></a>Here in the mountains, our nights have turned cool and our days, while still warm, no longer have a <span style="font-style: italic;">summery </span>feel to them. Fall is just around the corner. Before we know it, Thanksgiving will come quickly followed by the holiday observances of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. As a maker of handmade goods, I have been preparing for the shopping frenzy that usually accompanies these holiday observances. I am busily cranking out new jewelry designs and am working on a couple of bead knitted pouches in interesting color combinations.<br /><br />It would be interesting to hear what all of you are doing to prepare for the upcoming holidays. Are you traveling to shows? If so where? Are you doing anything different this year than last? Are your sales up or down? Do you think the economy has recovered enough that you feel confident of the upcoming shopping season? Comments from one and all will be welcome.<br />Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady<br /><br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-88677747187142024682009-07-13T05:45:00.005-04:002011-11-11T00:42:08.806-05:00Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-26040595034800800922009-06-13T17:55:00.002-04:002009-06-13T20:01:53.516-04:00Tag I'm it and so are you!<div style="text-align: justify;">Tag - you're it, <a href="http://www.butterfly-craftsonline.blogspot.com/">Butterfly Crafts Online</a>, has tagged me in her blog. Now, I get to post in my blog that I have been tagged by <a href="http://www.butterfly-craftsonline.blogspot.com/">Butterfly Crafts Online</a>. After that I am supposed to list seven random facts about myself and tag seven other people with links to their blogs. So here goes with the random facts:<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> </span><br /><ol><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I am a midwife who used to have a home birth practice.</li><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I speak five languages.</li><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I used to date the grandson of the last Sultan of Turkey.</li><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I lived in the medieval town of Horrues in Belgium for fifteen years.</li><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I am not afraid of spiders, no matter how big and hairy or of snakes.</li><li style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I was in Jerusalem just before the "Six Day War"</li><li><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">I learned to drive at 22 when my father stopped our Volkwagen bus on an uphill grade at a red light in rush hour traffic; shifted into neutral; set the parking brake; got out of the car and walked off leaving me with my sister to figure out how to get the car home.</span></li></ol><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I chose the following seven blog links totally at random using a google search for handmade crafters. Please take a moment to visit the blogs of each of these very talented artists. Here they are:<br /></span></span><ol><li><a href="http://jewelrybydesiree.blogspot.com">http://jewelrybydesiree.blogspot.com</a></li><li><a href="http://leochelleisabella.blogspot.com">http://leochelleisabella.blogspot.com</a></li><li><a href="http://zoesbagboutique.blogspot.com">http://zoesbagboutique.blogspot.com</a></li><li><a href="http://janallsopp.blogspot.com">http://janallsopp.blogspot.com</a></li><li><a href="http://studio618.blogspot.com">http://studio618.blogspot.com</a></li><li><a href="http://nunofakind.blogspot.com">http://nunofakind.blogspot.com</a></li><li><a href="http://macrifotografia.blogspot.com">http://macrifotografia.blogspot.com</a></li></ol>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady<br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-9708493383635728082009-06-02T06:31:00.005-04:002009-06-02T08:18:38.702-04:00Paying it Forward With Blog Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5urdk34KPk5PFz9x6PpG60WoEiLA3wfkQJC1bsHK_G5rCpiR7w7-nPsda9qvW9Tak_Pg6RZY5YlbFW5DRC8DAmXe7bNnjHVEN9WaBqdpdaca3HbZtPZy6SujGVHa43rZXc_bH4vLIHE/s1600-h/lovelyblogaward.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5urdk34KPk5PFz9x6PpG60WoEiLA3wfkQJC1bsHK_G5rCpiR7w7-nPsda9qvW9Tak_Pg6RZY5YlbFW5DRC8DAmXe7bNnjHVEN9WaBqdpdaca3HbZtPZy6SujGVHa43rZXc_bH4vLIHE/s200/lovelyblogaward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342702347065690146" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I am lucky enough that I can share this award with 15 of my blogger friends. To my blogger friends, here are a few rules that need to be followed to accept this award that I am going to present to you. </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >T</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >hank you, each and every one of you for taking the time to write such interesting blogs.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady</span><br /></span><ol style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. In this case, it would an award from Tamra at With Our Hands.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. Unfortunately, I can't give it back to the person that gave it to me, but I do get to give it to 15 great bloggers!</span></li></ol><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Here are the recipients of the award from me, the NCTeddyBearLady.</span><br /></span><ol style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://thebeadedbranch.blogspot.com/">Teri of the Beaded Branch</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://ladedacreations.blogspot.com/">Laura of La-De-Da Creations</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://libertydoll.blogspot.com/">Marissa of Liberty Doll</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://glassdragonbears.blogspot.com/">Bettina of Glass Dragon Bears</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://catinalife.blogspot.com/">Joy of Catinalife</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://chelsealynndesigns.blogspot.com/">Larry of Chelsea Lynn Designs</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://auntifranni.blogspot.com/">Aunt Franni of Sunny Days</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://riskybeads.blogspot.com/">Lori of Risky Beads</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://whimsybymari.blogspot.com/">Mari of Whimsy by Mari</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://julietkbears.blogspot.com/">Juliet of Juliet K Bears</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://coltpixy.com/">Star of Colt Pixy</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://ninjaknowledge.blogspot.com/">Jenn of Ninja Jenn</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://flowerchild79creativehaven.blogspot.com/">April of Creative Things</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://3zart.blogspot.com/">AJ of 3ZArt Land</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://moonstone.tumblr.com/">Linda of ArtFire Artisans</a><br /></span></li></ol><br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-62530066385070199012009-06-01T15:47:00.007-04:002009-06-02T08:54:41.398-04:00HandMadeNews<div style="text-align: justify;">As I have mentioned before, I am a columnist for HandMadeNews. My first article was on the subject of using Home Shows/Classes to promote both your business and your skills in beading and jewelry making. I have just finished the second of three installments on the subject of dealing with customers. The first was about face-to-face dealings at craft shows, the second is about written communication with customers and the third and final installment will feature a discussion of what to do when a customer is angry with you or the reverse, when you are not happy with something a customer has done. Please take the time to read the most recent. If you have time, please read them all, vote a thumbs up or down as you see fit and finally, if you have time for it, leave me a comment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><a href="https://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=887">Promote Your Business with Home Shows/Classes</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1152">Minding Your Manners to Business Success, Part I</a><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1320">Minding Your Manners to Better Business, Part II, Written Communication</a></span><br /><br />Thank you all for taking the time to do this for me.<br />Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady<br /><br /><h4> 2 comments: </h4> <dl id="comments-block"><dt class="comment-author blogger-comment-icon" id="c5423281708684480068"> <a name="c5423281708684480068"></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/13092652274134796434" rel="nofollow">Tamra</a> said... </dt><dd class="comment-body"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;">Hi Shelley - I wanted to share with you a blog award you won, from me! You can read about it on my blog at http://withourhandsartfire.blogspot.com/.</p> </dd><dd class="comment-footer"> <span class="comment-timestamp"> <a href="http://shelley-k-bossert.blogspot.com/2009/06/handmadenews.html?showComment=1243900305294#c5423281708684480068" title="comment permalink"> Monday, 01 June, 2009 </a><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-1234717988"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/delete-comment.g?blogID=7193997944964730577&postID=5423281708684480068" title="Delete Comment"> </a> </span> </span> </dd><dt class="comment-author blogger-comment-icon" id="c1046172080499861665"> <a name="c1046172080499861665"></a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/15199433236992739875" rel="nofollow">Karrie</a> said... </dt><dd class="comment-body"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="text-align: left;">great advice Shelley! Very well written and some wonderful points. I look forward to more!!</p> </dd><dd class="comment-footer"> <span class="comment-timestamp"> <a href="http://shelley-k-bossert.blogspot.com/2009/06/handmadenews.html?showComment=1243946982842#c1046172080499861665" title="comment permalink"> Tuesday, 02 June, 2009 </a><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-55134987"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/delete-comment.g?blogID=7193997944964730577&postID=1046172080499861665" title="Delete Comment"> </a> </span> </span> </dd></dl> <p class="comment-footer"> </p> <a name="comment-form"></a> <h4 id="comment-post-message">Post a Comment</h4></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-7201863790613123182009-05-29T07:53:00.006-04:002009-06-11T08:58:48.987-04:00ArtFire and Free Ride<div style="text-align: justify;"> I copied the following from the blog post of <a href="http://auntifranni.blogspot.com/">Franni,</a> a <a href="http://www.plurk.com/NCTeddyBearLady">Plurk</a> buddy and a wonderful woman. She is working hard to help ArtFire artists get the required 12 new sign ups to get their <span style="font-weight: bold;">FreeRide</span>. If you are considering joining, be sure to click on a name below so that you can give credit towards a FreeRide with your membership. Then you can let me know and I will add your name to the list and, who knows, you just might get a FreeRide of your own.<br /></div><p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >"</span>The FreeRide is back at Artfire. Sign up 12 friends and you <span style="font-weight: bold;">AND</span> a friend of your choosing get a free account for life. Since I already have my free ride, I am trying to help my friends. Sign up under one of my friends links and as soon as they verify that you joined under them I will add your name to my list of friends to help.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=19575">Register on ArtFire.com</a> smiss00<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=16872">Register on ArtFire.com</a> Wooleycreek<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=9532">Register on ArtFire.com</a> Baciscreations<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=26485">Register on ArtFire.com</a> TheBeadedBranch<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=21817">Register on ArtFire.com</a> ElegancebyMode<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=4218">Register on ArtFire.com</a> Lovetostamp<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=11702">Register on ArtFire.com</a> LaDeDaCreations<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=3968">Register on ArtFire.com</a> WhimsybyMari<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=10816">Register on ArtFire.com</a> CreativeCoveJewelryDesigns<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=20990">Register on ArtFire.com</a> HuckleberryArts<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=16953">Register on ArtFire.com</a> ChelseaLynnDesigns<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=1570">Register on ArtFire.com</a> ShadeJewelry<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=13776">Register on ArtFire.com</a> BirdysKnits<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=9425">Register on ArtFire.com</a> LiberTeas<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=5259">Register on ArtFire.com</a> inkwear99<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=6530">Register on ArtFire.com</a> BeadbugJewelry<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=4210">Register on ArtFire.com</a> dreamweaversculpts<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=4102">Register on ArtFire.com</a> Wilmothfarms<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=4360">Register on ArtFire.com</a> LiciaBeads<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=23841">Register on ArtFire.com</a> soopajdelux<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=4786">Register on ArtFire.com</a> Blockheadradio<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=8707">Register on ArtFire.com</a> AllAboutTheBeads<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=12066">Register on ArtFire.com</a> handarbeitskram<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=23732">Register on ArtFire.com</a> DortheaKing<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=19790">Register on ArtFire.com</a> VintageRain<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=26798">Register on ArtFire.com</a> Curiosities808<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=14164">Register on ArtFire.com</a> jennuinecandles<br /><a href="http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=power_up&refuid=11153">Register on ArtFire.com</a> DontKnowPub<br /></div><p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here are the benefits of becoming a verified user...</span></span><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* US $12.00 Monthly For life!!!!</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* No Fees for Sales</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Sell Unlimited Items</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Make Your Own Categories</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Full Community Interaction</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Up to 10 Pictures Per Product</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Preferred Placement in Searches</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Shop Banner</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Forums</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Custom Studio Design</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Google Analytics</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Global Shipping Profiles</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Social Media Promotion Tool</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Social Media Resource Library</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Real Time Statistics</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Instant Flagging</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Categories Displayed Randomly(No Relisting Needed)</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Fast, Clear Checkout Process</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Fast, Accurate Filtered Site Search</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* One Button Relist</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* One Button Vacation</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Sales Mode</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Education/Training</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Green Impact</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* View Prices in Any Currency </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Google Base (Autofeed Every Item)</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Kudos</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Guilds</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Artisan Councils</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Artisan Profile with Photo</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">* Market Hub</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Site Participation Rewards (Artifacts)</span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><br />* Automated Markdown Manager</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">* Rapid Cart</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:100%;" > <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">*</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >Last but certainly not least, a phone number to call when you need help. (When you call it, a breathing person actually answers and either helps you on the spot or refers you to someone who can and does.)</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:100%;" >"</span></div><p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></p>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-46285756986678949942009-05-26T12:57:00.002-04:002009-05-26T13:49:43.079-04:00I Have a New Job<div style="text-align: justify;">I am a columnist for <a href="https://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1152">Hand Made News</a>, ArtFire's own on-line newspaper. I have written two articles for them so far under the <span style="font-style: italic;">Business Tips</span> section. The first was published a few weeks ago and the second has just been published today. Please take a moment to follow the link above to read the most recent. If you like what you read, please vote a thumbs up and leave a comment for me. If you really like it and want to read the first article I wrote, <a href="https://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=887">here is a link</a>. If you hate either one, please feel free to vote a thumbs down but please let me know why so that I may learn from your suggestions and constructive criticisms.<br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyShelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-27605067048990670102009-05-18T10:14:00.003-04:002009-05-19T05:58:02.314-04:00<div style="text-align: justify;">As many of you who know me personally may know, I have a grandson who lived with us while his father was stationed over seas. Since our son came home and got out of the Army, we have been struggling with several issues. Number one on that list is how to maintain our relationship with the little guy without standing in the way of the big guy as he tries to re-establish a relationship with his son. Trust me, such a thing is definitely NOT easy to do. The current economic situation has complicated this thorny problem, so has the fact that our son's marriage did not survive leaving grandparents with a conundrum.<br /><br />How do two people with very busy professional lives and very limited funds manage to afford frequent week-end <span style="font-style: italic;">field trips</span> of 500 miles or so? We can't afford hotel or even motel stays, but if we leave on Saturday morning, we don't get there till late afternoon. Then we have just the evening to visit and then must turn around to leave just after breakfast on Sunday. It's not much of a visit. On top of that, it's impossible for us to stay in our son's apartment when we visit. He's recently remarried and his new wife comes to the marriage with a daughter. The apartment was small before he remarried. Adding two more people, no matter how wonderful, to the mix has made it nearly impossible to make room for guests, leaving us very clearly behind the financial 8 ball.<br /><br />As if the issues surrounding our grandson were not enough, we have others. My husband is a school principal working a full hour, one way, from our home. We live in the mountains where winters can make travel after dark dicey. Add to that the requirement of a principal to attend school events that sometimes keep him at work as late as 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. With a full hour required to drive home and an equal time to return to a job that requires his presence at or before 7:00 a.m., sleep, getting fed and taking care of personal hygiene must be squeezed into a time frame far too small to accommodate them.<br /><br />Another issue for us is one of aging parents. My father and both my husband's parents live more than a hard two days drive from us. We need to be able to visit but cannot stay with either when we are visiting. Once again, that leaves us with the cost of getting there and back plus the cost of finding accommodations while we are there. Of late, we have been tearing our hair out attempting to find one answer that addresses all these issues. Up until a several weeks ago, we were making no headway. Then our bank made us an offer we just could not refuse. They agreed to refinance our home at a significantly lower interest rate for a much shorter term and manage to lower our monthly payment in the bargain. To add frosting on this cake, they offered to do it with no closing costs beyond an appraisal of our home. In the current economic situation, we worried that our house might have dropped in value. It was a huge and very welcome surprise to learn that just the opposite had occurred. Our house had appreciated in value giving us an opportunity to cash out a small amount in equity.<br /><br />Our windfall was nowhere near what we needed to put so much as a band-aide on our travel and accommodation costs for any of the three issues mentioned above. It was, however, just exactly enough to put a down payment on a used motor home. The motor home is being sold at a huge loss as a part of an estate sale with the heir agreeing to hold a zero percent loan in return for a down payment that just happens to be exactly the amount of our windfall. The RV has been thoroughly checked out by our mechanic and deemed in exceptionally good condition. We have gotten permission to park the RV for free at a business near my husband's school. Even considering the cost of gas, we figure we will be able to afford to visit our son & grandson, both our parents and have my husband able to stay near his school several nights a week without the $700+ we would have to spend renting even the most humble of abodes. So. . .I'm off to Texas next month to pick it up and drive it back here. I am not looking forward to that long trip but a dear friend has agreed to come along and share the driving. We'll have several days to visit while we make our way back home.<br />Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady<br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-81955083486451111892009-05-04T06:56:00.005-04:002009-05-14T02:57:01.023-04:00Tutorial<div style="text-align: justify;">I am working on a tutorial on freeform and/or tubular peyote. I love this stitch and have been asked to teach classes on the subject. I do just that but not all can get to my mountain home in Western North Carolina to take the class. This tutorial is my answer to that. In the next hour or so, I will be posting some pictures intended for use in that tutorial. It would help me if you would look at them and their accompanying instructions & tell me if they are clear enough to be used for the tutorial. Thanks in advance for you time and consideration.<br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXfN7MKfZCzRCQgI1VM2feF7ByAZGP92C4ZZhA35nf6H_MhpiuRiW6usecoV_cBJW9j0sZsAGl_iT6RZoee6LsxtkRMoUpTP7n-xemUrQ1pXwjLbAPFbHuT9iJ18RRyIOkl7ZvLNUE-U/s1600-h/tubular-peyote3a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXfN7MKfZCzRCQgI1VM2feF7ByAZGP92C4ZZhA35nf6H_MhpiuRiW6usecoV_cBJW9j0sZsAGl_iT6RZoee6LsxtkRMoUpTP7n-xemUrQ1pXwjLbAPFbHuT9iJ18RRyIOkl7ZvLNUE-U/s200/tubular-peyote3a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332644630156390610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5W-N36ixWmQOxb-DY5tbd59ZKJ0hBmmTySfQDSUfOPmtUN6WNLM8OM-NCbM19BEMjVf5zU88DvvtYBh88JX3pukXjkDda2TJU_flhJZKK-hgziIALDkvL_hTitZ6-kqxUT94s__WIlw/s1600-h/tubular-peyote5a.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5W-N36ixWmQOxb-DY5tbd59ZKJ0hBmmTySfQDSUfOPmtUN6WNLM8OM-NCbM19BEMjVf5zU88DvvtYBh88JX3pukXjkDda2TJU_flhJZKK-hgziIALDkvL_hTitZ6-kqxUT94s__WIlw/s200/tubular-peyote5a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332644869313257890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYsXETEeMwlThyQzUr-mdzoF-oSuwb8L6dDPR3XasskP4C97YQvUn1VcwYWuQboCU7E2pw-d8gQS1Ay2eFR-WXFpu3ku5yrkfuzzDGwK5Umwd1dX5Mg1HK2yeWi2Qjz4kybmKvtAD6Vo/s1600-h/tubular-peyote8a.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYsXETEeMwlThyQzUr-mdzoF-oSuwb8L6dDPR3XasskP4C97YQvUn1VcwYWuQboCU7E2pw-d8gQS1Ay2eFR-WXFpu3ku5yrkfuzzDGwK5Umwd1dX5Mg1HK2yeWi2Qjz4kybmKvtAD6Vo/s200/tubular-peyote8a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332645430488332162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Pick up one bead in color #1, skip over one bead in round <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(working clockwise)</span> and go through next. Repeat four times. To finish row, go through last bead in previous row <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(turquoise)</span> and first bead in this row <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(white)</span> all at once. That bead <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(shown in white) </span>then becomes the last bead of this row.<br /><br />Work three more identical rows using size 8/<span style="font-family: lucida grande;">0</span> seed beads. Be especially careful to keep very tension tight for these first several rows.<br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-91952855602440614982009-04-29T14:01:00.007-04:002009-05-05T07:25:07.119-04:00Thinking of Ways to Deal with Hard Times<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cuz2KZ9spqKYPQzl1w38zMw4QR9Zgod759oBsoe8iRAJSWEqVkRIAORXIwg4lnBqSYAkIbvrDj9EXxVn7ULxyPyCzzhPS_-iv_dHJwb5VBNpgPhU8azInIIRVqMJlbkwYi7PK569Kyk/s1600-h/shelley-bossert-square.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cuz2KZ9spqKYPQzl1w38zMw4QR9Zgod759oBsoe8iRAJSWEqVkRIAORXIwg4lnBqSYAkIbvrDj9EXxVn7ULxyPyCzzhPS_-iv_dHJwb5VBNpgPhU8azInIIRVqMJlbkwYi7PK569Kyk/s200/shelley-bossert-square.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330293088255191346" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" >I have several friends, a niece and a son who have lost their jobs in the current economic downturn. We are making room in our home for our son & his wife. Our niece has a place to go until she can find a job and two of our friends have family or friends they can go to until they can find new jobs. Here is the question. What can I do as a member of a community to help my neighbors ride out this storm? I have gotten as far as realizing that if we can all pool our resources, there should be enough to go a round. That is a tall order. In my family, we have a finite list of resources. What can we do when those resources run out. There must be a way to organize things so that all are cared for, but I am not sure where or how to sta</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" >rt. </span> <span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:lucida grande;" >Suggestions anyone?</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br />Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady</span><br /></div>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7193997944964730577.post-9851198881372998122009-04-28T10:06:00.006-04:002009-04-28T22:31:56.671-04:00Getting Started Blogging<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >I have blogged before but this is my first blog about <span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span> and not just about my work. This blog has a dual purpose. The first is to give people who know me professionally an opportunity to get to know me better personally. The second is to give me an opportunity to write about that which I love the most about being an artist, teaching others to do what I do.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;" ><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:100%;" >Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLady, artist, teacher and mentor</span><br /></span>Shelley, the NCTeddyBearLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354851312938331786noreply@blogger.com0