Awesome Business Cards

Bead Lovers Korner launched a new website last year, with a new banner and color scheme, but the business cards remained the same old cards. I spent a small fortune on the new website and updated the Etsy Shop and Ebay Store to match the website look, but never updated the business cards. Silly huh?

OLD Business Card Design

It was just too easy to hit reorder and keep using the same old cards. Not being a graphic designer (I only know enough to be dangerous) attempting to update the business cards was something I needed to have done by a professional.

Procrastination could have been my middle name, because I just kept reordering the same old business cards.

An Exclusive Group Representing Artisans at Hollywood's Best Celebrity Gift Lounges

This year I was accepted into The Artisan Group and will be participating in a few events, sending my business card out into influential circles of people. I wanted my cards to match the new web design and really make an impact so that if a celebrity or their assistant happened to see my card they might take notice and not just throw it in the trash.

I finally broke down and hired a friend who is a Professional Graphic Artist. 

NEW Awesome Business Cards

Jennifer Remias and I worked together for many years at a Catalog Publishing business, she was the Senior Graphic Designer and very talented in her trade. I contacted her to see if she would help me with the update to my cards. I think Jenn did an awesome job with the design of these NEW cards and they will be rolling out this summer!

Let me know what you think?

Products Packaging

Jewelry and Rosary Product Package

I know many of you have seen Etsy blog posts about packaging, and I have read them all too. I even took a photo several years ago while I was in the middle of shipping packages so that I would have a picture to use when I needed one. However, it was pretty lame. See below...

Old Product Packaging Photo

At the time I took this photo, I was thinking it shows how the product is mailed, and what the bead or item purchased would look like when it arrived. However this was only the way beads or supplies were mailed. If a customer purchased a piece of jewelry, it was usually sent in a Gift Box. I would occasionally think about photographing that, but just never followed through. Recently I have been trying to upgrade everything in preparation for a couple events Bead Lovers Korner will participate in through The Artisan Group. So last week as I was photographing beads and completed Rosaries, the thought of taking new product packaging pictures finally arrived when I was in the middle of photographing!

Beads, Supplies and Small Items arrive in Gift Bags

All beads, supplies (clasps, findings, small keychains) are packaged with a pink organza bag or a silk bag. Occasionally they might be in a different color, but most of the time this is the way they will arrive. Jewelry items such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rosaries are packaged in a gift box unless otherwise noted in the listing. Colors and styles may vary.

Thanks for stopping by and please leave comments on your ideas for product packaging.

• How do you like to receive products that arrive through the mail? 
• Is product packing important to you?

Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness Carlo Biagi European Bead

When I woke up today, I didn't plan on doing a blog post on Austism Awareness, ADHD, Bipolar or any other medical condition. However, today is World Autism Awareness Day and not only do I have a Puzzle Bead that symbolizes Autism Awareness, but the whole subject brings up years of memories and personal experience raising children with disorders that people do not understand.

Autism Awareness, ADHD Awareness

Autism Awareness and ADHD or any sort of "developmental disorder" awareness is not just for parents but also for educators and other people in society. Speaking from the viewpoint of the parent I can tell you that if you suspect your child is different, learn all you can, because Doctors have knowledge but in many cases they don't know anymore than you do. So educate yourself on everything.

The same goes for teachers. Regular education teachers are not as well equipped to deal with these types of children, and they are people just like anyone else and can become annoyed or judge a child without getting to the root of the problem.

The sobering fact is that most people don't know a thing about any of these disorders and are highly judgmental toward the child and the parents. So next time you see a child throwing a fit in public, running around in circles or knocking things over, don't judge the parent or the child, say a prayer for them instead because you don't know what they might be going through.

Struggling through Daily Life

If you are struggling through daily life with a child who has Autism, ADHD, etc. let me tell you that the road is rough, but you will get through it. Always remind yourself of a few things:

1. God gave you this child because you are strong enough to handle it
2. Take it one day at a time and stay in the present
3. Don't look too far ahead and don't look back too much either, it is all overwhelming
4. Try to find a support group or person to confide in and bounce off your frustrations
5. Try to take time for yourself whenever you can, you need renewal of energy. It is very easy to become secluded and home-bound because simply going to dinner or to the grocery store is too much of a traumatic event. Try not to let that happen, and also realize that the child, even with his or her disorder, still needs to learn to behave in public.

I suppose I could write a book, if I thought it would help anyone. I had one boy diagnosed ADHD, one diagnosed mild ADD, and a stepson with ADHD, Bipolar, ODD, etc. We went through a whole host of experiences:

• To medicate or not medicate
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Special Testing
• Special Schools and Teachers
• Charts and schedules, reward systems
• Food Allergies?
• Child Care
• Bad Teachers and Good Teachers
• Defining Good and Bad
• Suspended Again
• Love and Hate
• How to Punish
• Daily Frustrations, don't give up
• What does insurance cover?
• Law Enforcement (yes police too)
• Keeping your marriage together

(haha, these could be the chapters in my book!)

I am sure I could think up a lot more.... but one of the most valuable things I had was prayer and knowing that each day was a new day. That gave me the inner strength to keep on going. In the end we all made it, but going through all of the above was a daily challenge, it gives you an entirely different perspective on life and society.

The most rewarding day of my life was seeing my sons graduate from High School, no one really knew how hard it was to get to that moment. But I did.