New Year & Changes for JLynnJewels

Just stopping in to officially post my first Hello for the New Year…hope you had a lovely holiday season - we sure did!  Still awaiting our first "significant snowfall" here in Maryland (although we did have a tiny storm that gifted us with ~4" of pretty, white, fluffy snow…but it didn't last long).  In my book, it's not truly Winter until we have that one "big" storm - and since January doesn't appear to be cooperating with the temperatures and snow forecast…I'm sure hoping that February will!

So the changes for me?  I'm excited!  They are coming, and outlined below...

The first two weeks of January have been busy with un-decorating from Christmas, cleaning, organizing, and of course doing all the end of year paperwork and inventory for the business.  For me, it's also the time of year that I reflect about the past year, analyze numbers, jot down thoughts, and make what I call a "Creative Plan" outline for the year.   Looking back on last year, I had a lot of creative goals…but when the ART Tile portion of my business took on a life of its own, all of those projects and plans were put on hold.  Which mind you, is a good thing financially for contributing to paying all the bills…but not such a good thing for maintaining a healthy balance in all areas of my life.  For some reason, the word "no" was not a big word in my vocabulary last year, and as a result, I really wore myself out.

Now I truly LOVE creating my ART Tiles, but not at the quantity and rate I made them in 2014.  I don't know the exact number of Tiles I created, but it far exceeds what I thought I was ever capable of doing.  Hence, the need for personal and business changes in 2015, so I don't burn myself out :)

Decoupaging, Painting and Wood burning are all things I've been doing for a very long time (dating back to the 80s and 90s).  But it wasn't until 2010, when I wanted to incorporate my own Artwork (watercolor paintings, drawings, and my own photography), that I started combining all three of these skills into what is now known as my ART Tiles.  As all Artisans know, it's hard to predict how well received a new design or component will be…or how much one will personally struggle with going out of their comfort zone to confront their own fears…before they fully allow their own vision to be their guiding source and strength.  For me, my little miniature pieces of Art came to life with my revamped, vintage Florentine style of decoupage, with images on both sides and wood burned bevel edges.  It is definitely a time consuming process - and is much more involved than my Craft Decoupage for Jewelry Making Tutorial that has been published quite a few times in a variety of magazines and websites.

So this year, my ART Tile creation will continue, 

but in a much more focused way. 

In doing so, I hope to find a better balance between the Personal, Artisan, and Business sides of my life.  Plus, with time dedicated to starting new creative projects, I will have more opportunities to share, educate, and inspire others.  

 So what can you expect in 2015?

Lots of good stuff!  :)

ART TILEs:

*More One-of-a-Kind Limited Edition Tiles*

*Monthly ART Tile Updates with New Patterns, Colors & Shapes*

*Monthly Shop Updates (Etsy & JLynnJewels.com)*

(ready-to-ship items)

JEWELRY & TUTORIALS:

*New Releases/Sale Listings of my Published Jewelry Designs

 from 2010 to present*

*New Jewelry Categories in our Etsy & Website Shops*

*Bi-Weekly Jewelry Updates with new Earrings, Bracelets and/or Necklaces

*Monthly Highlights of fellow Artisans and Designers

*Monthly Tutorials*

(this will include building skills, tips, and designs)

JLYNNJEWELS MAIN WEBSITE - http://www.JLynnJewels.com

Will be "Under Construction" as we update the new store front with better navigation and update content.  

Our Informational Areas will remain up & running during this time (Jewelry Tips, Gemstone Lore, Jewelry Cleaning Tips, Tutorials Press, and more)

***SOCIAL MEDIA***

(I have limited time…which means limited posts in your Feeds)

Hence no worries of us being a Newsfeed Hog - so we hope you will 

LIKE, FOLLOW and add us to your NOTIFICATIONS

*FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/JLynnJewelsFANpage

NEW FACEBOOK RULES mean...

MY Biz page Posts will be limited to sharing, educating, and inspiring.  

I will NOT be sharing any direct links to our stores or products for sale (unless we pay to promote which doesn't happen too often).  If you'd like to inquire about anything, leave a comment or send me a personal message.  As always - our STORE LINKS are located in the Biz Page About & Note sections.

*Returning in 2015…*

 "Jewel of the Month" (Designer Highlight of Jewelry & Component Creators)

Monthly Jewelry Design Challenges (themes/colors/categories)

Photo Inspiration Challenges

Monthly or Quarterly E-letter (sign-ups form coming soon)

JLynnJewels live STORE APP to our regular website, 

should be up and running soon on the biz page! 

 Remember…Posts from us and your other "Liked" pages), will not be shared consistently by FB, so we recommend adding "Notifications" or creating a personal "LIST" with all your favorites to use as your "GO-TO" Newsfeed.

 FYI…for those of you that are "friends" with my personal profile page - I will still be sharing my creative things there, but with no direct access to anything "commercial" - see my About section for Links

*INSTAGRAM -  http://instagram.com/jlynnjewels/

   Photos from my everyday life, Inspirations, and latest Creations

Also…this is THE place for all of our JLynnJewels Contests, Promotions, Coupon Codes and Give-Aways - so you're invited to FOLLOW us here :)

*PINTEREST - http://www.pinterest.com/jlynnjewels/

If you haven't joined yet - all I can say is it's like a big bulletin board where you can pin up all the things you like.  I've started a variety of Boards for your eye candy enjoyment…Decorating, Organizing, Food, Colors, Jewelry and lots more!

Plus…

If you're a Jewelry Designer, make sure you ask for your invite to the...

JLynnJewels Group Board for Jewelry Designers using my ART Tiles

(one you're added and have started "pinning", you will be eligible for our Quarterly Random Give-Away for products and gift certificates)

*TWITTER - https://twitter.com/JLynnJewels

Weekly shares of Products for Sale, Tutorials, and things that Inspire me

 along with, JLynnJewels Promotions (Coupon Codes & Give-Aways)

Thank you so much for your continued support and being a Cheerleader for these upcoming changes :)  Looking forward to adding interest to the things I share this year!

JLynn