Hapy Holidays and a wonderful 2007 to all my readers!

What a year it has been .. and to top it all, you and me and every blogger ... and my cats became TIME "Persons of the Year";-)

See you in 2007

Pamela

Love Beads Unlimited

Ebay Express not what Expected?

Not exactly a surprise...
PC World reports that the much ballyhooed eBay Express has fallen short of expectations:

"Merchants complain that eBay Express doesn't attract sufficient shoppers and generates an inconsequential volume of sales, although eBay says it is satisfied and remains committed to the site."

I love that last statement... of course eBay would never admit that it is not doing as well as planned:

"Still, based on the experiences of merchants interviewed, Express resembles a ghost town with tumbleweeds blowing through it rather than a busy shopping mall."

Pamela
http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com

- Displaying your Jewelry for Online Sale -

When you are selling your jewelry online, you have to put special effort into proper presentation, as customers only have the pictures to go by. One aspect of this is the way the pieces are physically displayed. I have seen online ads for quite expensive jewelry displayed on a carpet or bed spread - that is a real turn-off.

Here are some of your options:

• Display jewelry in nature. Hanging earrings from a branch or placing a bracelet on a lily pad can have its charms, but the background colors can distract from the jewelry, and what do you do if the weather is not suitable for taking new photos?
  
  
• Using glass. I sometimes see necklaces draped over glass bowls and bracelets over wine glasses. While this lets the colors of the jewelry stand out, there can be problems with reflected light, and it might be hard to imagine how a piece would look on your body.
  
  
• Making your own display busts. I recently read an interesting article by someone who had constructed and painted her own display shapes, but I am afraid that takes a bit more painterly talent than many of us have.
  
  
• Wearing the jewelry yourself. This is a tricky issue. On the one hand, it creates a very realistic picture, but on the other hand many people might shy away from jewelry that has been "worn by someone else".
  
  
• Professional display pieces. I prefer this solution. Companies such as Fire Mountain and Jewelry Display offer numerous display busts, hand and feet, as well as earring displays. Watch out for the surface - I found that black velevet looks good, but attracts dust easily.
  

I just wish there were more colors out there - sometimes black or white don't work well. I have a blue display bust, and I might invest in a grey one.


Pamela
http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com

7 Reasons Why Squidoo Lenses Are Great

I am having fun with my Squidoo lens - and here is why:

1. Lenses are Free - Can you beat that?
   
   
2. Lenses are Better than Free - They can make money for you!
   
   
3. Lenses are Easy to Use - No programming knowledge required.
   
   
4. Lenses are Versatile - You can write about anything from Aardvarks to Zymurgy.
   
   
5. Lenses are Colorful - It is so easy to add graphics.
   
   
6. Lenses are Changing - There are constantly new modules available.
   
   
7. Lenses do not have to be Alone - You can start several ones.

Interested in trying this out? Just click on this link.

Pamela
Love Beads Unlimited - Unique Handcrafted Jewelry