It's been a YEAR ??

Yeah, It has been a year since I blogged. Why do I find it so hard to just write a little something everyday, or week or even every month in my blog ? I don't know. But I am writing in it today.
Our 2010 shows were ok, some were better than others and some really were bad.
So this year, we are cutting back, just doing the ones we know we do pretty good at. And with gas prices going up, can you believe $3.40 per gallon.....sheesh...

We will see us at the nbew Jasper Art Festival , April 16th and 17th, and of course we will be at the 2nd annual Dunwoody Arts Festival Mother's Day weekend, May 7th and 8th.
So come out and see us at the festivals !!

And check out our web sites and etsy shop at
http://www.dkdesigns.biz
http://www.daughterdogbeads.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dkdesignsbiz
http://www.etsy.com/shop/daughterdogbeads
http://www.etsy.com/shop/steampunksisters

Our Shows for 2010

Well we have submitted all of our applications for the shows we would like to do for 2010.
Can you guess how many ?? 20 shows, wow I am tired already !!! Just kidding. We are very excited and looking forward to a very profitable 2010. This is OUR YEAR !!! Come out to the shows and support us !

So to keep up with us and were we will be, Please go to my web site and sign up for the newsletter updates !

http://www.dkdesigns.biz/

Oh and I almost forgot !!! You need to join my NEW Bead of the Month Club !
You will get Fabulous Beads at Fabulous Prices !! Don't miss out of this !

The First 5 members to sign up will get a FREE set of beads ! A value of $30.00 !

http://www.dkdesigns.biz/bead_of_the_month.php

We'll be in Peachtree City this coming Saturday at the Buy - Design Jewelry Show

http://www.dkdesigns.biz/shows.php

See you at the shows !!
Diane

Spring Art & Craft Shows

Well, it is spring, almost feels like summer. We have done a few shows already and some have been good, others not so good. Conyers Cherry Blossom Festival, March 28 & 29th, the last weekend of March. The weather is always unpredictable and we will NEVER do a show on this weekend, that is outside, ever again.

Lemonade Days in Dunwoody, April 17 & 18th, was pretty good. They lined us up on the mail street leading down to the amusements and I believe this helped with more sales. Weather was ok.

Inman Park Festival, April 25 & 26th, was our best Inman Park. We had a new spot on Hurt Street, and with our new display, that my wonderful sister Donna Myrick designed and build, was a show stopper and we had pretty good sales. And thanks to our neighbors for the FREE carpet !!

We will be at Roswell Square this coming weekend for the Colors of Arts Festival. Come out and see out new display and buy your Mother and nice handmade gift.

Hope to see you at one of ours shows !
Diane

The people have come out to the show and they are spending DOLLARS !!!

AMEN !! We did our first art show this weekend and the people came and they spent money !!! REAL MONEY !!!
I have a renewed sense of optimism that all will be well. This is going to be a GREAT show season. We were at the Roswell Arts Festival this past weekend, September 20th and 21st, in the square , Roswell, GA. Beautiful weather, we had guys to help unload our vehicles, and get our tents up, we had great sales ( possibly our best show ever), and the breakdown was wonderful as the Roswell Parks and rec. Dept. was there to help with that as well. I must publicly commend and thank Linda and Jessica Yanulavich for this being the best Roswell show.
Ladies thank you so much ! And thank you to everyone that came out and helped support us, we do love you guys !

I really feel very optimistic that we are coming out of a very dry spell for us artists. With the election around the corner, in fact 44 days away, we can see the light at the end of that tunnel. Even with gas prices going up in the past week and a lot of gas stations without gas. It is going to be OK. All will be well. Fear not my fellow artists, we will be able to make money again. This weekend proved that to me.

My next show is the Atlanta Bead Extravaganza next friday, saturday and sunday , September 26th, 27th and 28th, at the North Atlanta Trade Center, in Norcross GA. and I have no beads ready, no wait I have 1 bead set ready. So I will be putting in 4 - 12 hour days to get it done.

So if you are here in Atlanta, come out and see me at the show ! for more info go to my web site at http://www.dkdesigns.bi/

Later,
Diane

Blogging to Market your business

Well, I have not blogged since July and that is bad. I am hearing that Blogging is the new "Web Site", even better the way to advertise your business. I have always had good marketing skills. My favorite is the tried and true Business card. My goal is to hand out a minimum of 5 per week. In line at the grocery store, the bank, the post office, anywhere you have a chance to tell people who you are and what you do. I guess that this is pretty "Old school" compared to the new and advanced ways of today's standards. But it has always worked for me.
Another good marketing method is links to your web site from others. This is free and can get a lot of traffic to your site. Also good meta tags or key words. If you do a search on google for "Glass Bead making Classes in Georgia" , My site is the first one that comes up, the same for Bead Displays in Georgia.
And there is always the paid method of advertising. Yellow Book, Yellow pages, magazines, newspapers.
And now Blogging....so what does one have to do to advertise in Blogging ?
I believe that if you have a good product, and you have a captive audience, that is looking for your product, oua-la ! .......no I think they need to hear about you, know others that have purchased from you, and LOVE you product. So, I would think that asking everyone you know to write in their blogs about you and have links to your web site, would get you more hits, and of course the great possibility of more sales.

We are at the Roswell Arts Festival this weekend, in space # 31, on the street. Stop if you can and check out our new fall designs, before they all sell out, and my sisters new dicro pendant and earring sets, and my new pendants and lampwork flower rings.

I will blog more, I promise.
Diane

first bead blog entry

Wow I have moved up in the world of techno and now have a blog......who duh thought !!



Well I am moving in some new and very different directions for the new year of 2008.

I teach great Glass Bead Making classes, and will contiue to do so, and would like to branch out to the Teenagers, 14 and up. I will have a class specify layout for Teens, teaching Saturday morning classes in my studio. Check my web site for updates and details on when this class will be offered http://www.dkdesigns.biz/classes.php



I have also moved toward listing my beads, bead sets and one of a kind jewelry designs on several other web sites

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=106114



and another site for artists http://www.americacreates.com/americacreates/discover?Dsp=30010&vndid=15289



I will be posting on several other sites this coming week, so please check back http://www.dkdesigns.biz/



So, I am off to dream land to dream of new bead designs.............later yall !