Is this legitimate?

Let me start off by saying that I NEVER try to make money from helping other artists out. Some things are offered for a price, but no one is being pushed to pay or send items to me. Currently I have a lot of free and next to nothing promos going on.

This blog has a handmade blog ring, plugboards on the bottom, and I do feature artists. There are also paid advertising rates and Project Wonderful ads starting at $.02 a day.

http://www.jewelrybytarabiz.blogspot.com

I have a top handmade sites list that's free..

http://jewelsbytaralinks.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=515

And my main site has link exchange and plugboard.

http://www.jewelrybytara.biz

My friend mangogyrl has also started a Top Jewelry Designers List here:

http://mangogyrl.gotop100.com/in.php?ref=102

Okay, so now that we've gotten the legit promos out there, let's examine the skeezy side of promotion/marketing.


You should never, ever, have to give money or send an item for a legitimate blog, company, or website to be featured. This includes someone stating they will do a news/press release. You can go to the same sites via Google and do your own story for free. If you want to be featured somewhere it should be on sites that have enough traffic and money coming in that they won't charge you. Or, submit for free on sites that love handmade, like moi:)

Sending your wares to an anonymous person in hopes of getting promotion is like throwing your art into traffic. I have NEVER heard of a case where the artist actually got some legitimate promotion and most of the time it's fraudulent. Anyone who has good site traffic does not need money or your item to pick what they would like to feature. I have heard however, of people taking the sent items and reselling them elsewhere. Did somebody say eBay???

Send me your promos can also be a bad deal too:( Of course you are always at risk when you send out advertising/samples for the person not to follow through. But there are some really shady people who do this specifically to get your goodies! They either use them, sell them as their own, and/or throw away what they don't like. Most legitimate people are very cautious about what they put in their promotional bags, boxes, etc. Now this doesn't apply to Etsians who just want to give each other a boost. I'm speaking more of the online prowlers who pretend to be so excited about your shop and would love to help you along. Then wouldn't you know it? Week later there account is closed and you are out whatever you sent.

Another somewhat questionable thing is wholesale fishing. When someone contacts you all jazzed about selling tons of your items in their B&M store. But they want to order a small quantity first, w/the promise of more orders coming. The bad thing is they expect a HUGE wholesale discount for a small order and then never contact you for more. Do they even have a shop? Sometimes they do and they just want to sell off your items for max. price. Then there's the sneaky ones who lie and your jewelry ends up on eBay for twice the price you sold it for:( Yes, this happened to me 4 years ago, don't laugh!!

 Just remember, if they want money, product, time, or make promises that sound really awesome, it's probably not legit.

So much skeeze so little time, *sigh*

What else have I been wasting my time on? Sitting here looking at a huge pile of graphics, tiles, and glass that all needs to be cut, glazed, sealed, glued, etc. I have bought a new light box that should be coming soon.. A lot of my older pics of domino pendants are bumming me out and they must be fixed!

Still watching Criminal Minds oldies and goodies! I never imagined there could be soooo many types of serial killers. Who knew? I have been checking behind my shower curtain, locking and relocking my doors, and making sure no one is following me home for about a month now!! LOL

Other TV fav's I've been watching, ongoing MTV reality sagas. The City... stupid, stupid, stupid. Next! The Hills...Audrina, just marry Justin Bobby already and you guys can have your own reality show. Kristin, only Paris Hilton is more of a stupid/spoiled/whore than you are:( FYI, great South Park about this, you all should go watch it here:

Stupid Spoiled Whore

Real World Road Rules Challenge, this show is totally psycho and I have to say I loves it mucho:) Drunken debauchery, clashing egos, it's like an issue of the Enquirer but on the big screen w/actual dialogue! This is my guilty pleasure, but I guess now you all know☺

I've been enjoying my usual fun, The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. I was a little disappointed at the new ones but I'll see how this season goes. I'm also really into Project Runway/Models of the Runway. Never disappoints and it's pretty much good clean fun. I do watch Top Model too, but I DVR it so I can cut out every time Tyra speaks. Anyone who has watched will know why I do this.

I haven't seen any new Toddlers and Tiaras lately on TLC. Guess they are ramping up for the end of the John and Kate plus 8 drama. Which is the most ridiculous cr&p, I'd rather watch the Octomom on Love Boat then these people! So what do I turn to when I can't see mother's abusing their kids w/spray tan and fake teeth? Fear not, the Discovery network still has Discovery Health! Just today I watched parasites eat a girl's eyes, turn a mom's breast milk pink, and crawl out as maggots from a guy's head!! T.V. people, it just doesn't get better than this!! LOL

On another entertainment note... I went to see Paranormal after all the hype over it last week. Did I like it? Like is such a strong word, I am more inclined to use the word "tolerate". Not as well done as Blair Witch, definitely not as scary. Would have made a great rental! What was cool about it is that they filmed it in track housing here in San Diego. I swear I've seen that house model before. The actors were really good and seemed natural for their roles. It just didn't really offer much in the way of terror or surprise. But hey, go see it yourself and let me know here what you think:)

Now for all of you literary critics out there... I just finished reading another Karen Rose book, the best garbage ever written for a waiting room or airplane. My new book is of course "High On Arrival", by the very well know, (ha, ha), Mackenzie Phillips. One day at a time, one day at a time, la la la la...etc. For those of you born after 1985 or so, you probably don't remember this sitcom. Divorced mom, 2 kids, one's a brat one's a punk. Welcome to 70's television! Anyhoo, Mackenzie Phillips is now about 50, so she's even more than a decade older than me, (just wanted to throw that in there). She has written a memoir of drugs, sex, and incest. Not just any old regular incest, but consensual incest. So I'm reading and she throws out a lot of famous late 60's-70's names in personal situations, which is always super cheesy fun for me. I am just starting to get into this, so I'll let you know. Definitely not for people who like actual novels, but surprisingly well written for an actor. I have read biographies and books recently from Tori and Candy Spelling so please forgive me when I say Mackenzie Phillip's book is well written☺ After this I'm reading an actual book called "The Lovely Bones". I won't tell you anymore now, but let's just say there is a movie coming out about this book and the trailer looked awesome!!!! My hubby is reading Stephen King's newest short story compilation and says it's the best King's done in years. So I want to grab that away when I can too.

What does the Van Stelle family do for weekend fun when I'm not cleaning/cooking/errands/walking/working/creating/dog care/kid care/reading and watching trashy sh&t?? Why we go to a corn maize of course!! Tomorrow we are making a trek to a Halloween themed farm for a Marine aircraft themed corn maize. My husband has been wanting us to do this for years and years, but when you live in SoCal, where the heck can you find an easy to reach corn maize? And this is a double thrill too because my husband is also a pilot/aerobatics/judge for flight competitions. So a marine aircraft theme really works for him and my boys. Just glad we don't have to fly there!!

We will also be visiting the Halloween Superstore this weekend for forced costume shopping. My 10 1/2 year old is in his last year at elementary school and doesn't want to wear a costume. Normally, I'm a pretty unconventional mom and I'd say no prob. But at his school he will probably be one of two people that don't have a costume. My son is super sensitive about things and I know once we get there he'll freak. So off we go to waste $50-$100 on something that will rip after one hour of wear. The obligations of having kids, I swear!! LOL

Now back to Etsy, yes this post is a biggy!!!

ETSY News and Gossip

BIG topic for blow ups this week and the winner is... Etsy is stealing money from weekend promotional sales!! Yay, what a great thing to post about. Yet another way for us to take sides and act like 12 year olds. How 'bout this instead, Etsy admits we are too incompetent to fix the prob, we will continue to take your money and never refund it. OR they do what decent people do when they find out the f'd up and take the whole weekend sale thing down. Please people, don't participate in this thing:( It sends a bad message to admin that we are so desperate now we will allow Etsy to over charge us on our sales.

For a better explanation of what's happening, please view this thread. And remember, this is my blog, I can call out if I want to♥

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6324029

 Til Tomorrow's Tantalizing Trials!
T♥